T Stands for Tuesday Still baking, Deer Visitors, and a Book Review

   Hello everyone,
Happy T Stands for Tuesday where we share a drink related post with friends-please join us for T with our hostess Bleubeard and Elizabeth-link in my right hand column

Have you had the arrival of winter yet??
      So far here in the Ozarks of Missouri where I am-we have had some really cold evenings and days but now the temperatures are back up again-and tomorrow we will hit 60 degrees f and be fairly warm the rest of the week-another up and down temperature pattern. High winds and sunshine and still being soooo dry here-no significant rainfall since September-we are of course in danger of fires. In the small cities near me more houses being burnt down-do to burning leaves outdoors-really people?? Common sense says no burning with drought and high winds.  well I guess I just do not understand why anyone would do this-being surrounded with trees and the dry leaves.  It is so dangerous out there right now I am not doing any outdoor baking with coals either during these warmer days.

   My friend in the Florida Keys has still not received his big box of cookies-the joke is that the post people decided to eat them instead of delivering them haha   with the strange updates I am getting form the post office I am really thinking this package got headed in the wrong direction instead of the Keys. so it's a wait and see what happens now.
   
     I am still making lots of cookies. I mixed up 5 big batches yesterday and baked up two batches today. I pack these up in small holiday zip loks and that way I have lots of cookies I can hand out for gifts.
   
  Last week was too cold for me to keep up with my walking, but hopefully this week I can be outdoors more.
  
   Our deer visitors have returned now that for the most part the hunting season is over. Alternative method hunting opens up on December 23 though. I would still like to have venison to can, so depending on the weather hubs may venture out with his old flintlock (1800's) to get us a small one. Depends how his health is too.
   Here are a few photos that I took of the deer enjoying an apple a couple days ago.
Photos will enlarge to full size just click on them for better viewing

  
   I wanted to share another American history type book that I just finished reading-and really enjoyed and also learned allot more about the time period and the politics of their day.

   A Being so Gentle by Patricia Brady which is a frontier love story of Rachel and Andrew Jackson 

    The author takes you through the life of Rachel's family as a young girl and carries through her entire life. She died of a massive heart attack just weeks before Andrew Jackson was to travel to Washington DC and take the oath of office to the Presidency. I never knew that. The politics during this time period was as cruel, hateful, and full of untruths just as it is today-so the times have not changed on this regard at all. So sad really.
    I was holding back tears by the end of this book.

   If you enjoy reading about American History this was a very good book like I mentioned I learned so much that I didn't know before.  I just ordered this author's book on Martha Washington which from the comments looks like another very in depth researched book. For some reason these type of books hold a high price tag as an ebook but I can find a used hardcover for under $5.00 usually

   Being so rural I order allot of food items online, allot for gluten free especially.  A company that I really love is Bob's Red Mill the owner has quite the story of his own. Back in the day when us that were dealing with celiac-no gluten diet-this company was there before any one else was-and I really trust them that their foods are really gluten free-they have a dedicated building that only handles gluten free. 
     So anyways you all know my woes of trying to bake a decent gluten free loaf of bread from scratch---I decided to try a package of their gluten free cinnamon raisin yeast bread mix--I really don't like to rely on mixes but sometimes with gf if I can find a good one it is just so much easier.  sooo I baked that up the other day-and Wow sooooo delicious.  I cut it in half and froze one half so the loaf would stay fresher.
     The taller bread pan I had purchased from King Arthur Flour a few years ago-their theory was this shape of bread pan works for a better rise and structure support with gluten free breads--the loaf turned out perfect and tastes wonderful.

So for breakfast this morning, I enjoyed a toasted slice with peanut butter and of course my favorite cup with my herbal morning beverage with a spsash of cream

Happy Tuesday everyone!!  I am off to make up homemade pizzas tonight-

Update:  hubs wheat pizza on left my gluten free on the right