Baking bread. birthday wishes and creature comforts

I baked some nut breads for Christmas today. The house, this evening, still carries the fragrance of orange peel, spices, pecans, walnuts and bourbon.

The three on the left are pecan/ orange rind/ bourbon bread. The ones on the right are walnut/ orange rind/ cinnamon.The pecan bread mixture seemed more dense and baked up much higher. Interesting... Same recipe with different nuts. Could a tablespoon of bourbon make the dough rise higher? Don't know.
I love these paper bakeware pans. They are pretty and perfect for giving out as gifts. This brand is called Welcome Home. You can buy them on Amazon.

Another storm moved in today. Wind and rain... I didn't know how much I missed this weather. I curled up in the afternoon and took a nap with the dogs (A perk of retirement) and fell asleep listening to the wild weather outside. After dinner I read my latest Mary Oliver book of poems, called Blue Horses. A birthday gift to myself a few weeks ago.

Cutter, happy to just be nearby, lay sleeping on the sofa.

sharing with me, the joys of his creature comforts.


Today is also my youngest grandson's birthday. He is eight years old. How fast they grow. It seems like he was, just a little while back, this toddler, eating dirt in our vegetable garden...

 but he's growing up so fast.

Happy Birthday little man. We love you.