G..Gingerbread N..Neighbor & S..Stealhead Salmon

My hens are still not laying but I found enough eggs in the fridge to make some Gingerbread.The recipe is below. This Gingerbread recipe is nice and spicy, it calls for 2 tablespoons of freshly grated ginger with cinnamon and cloves. You can use the dried ginger powder but it's not as nice.
After baking the Gingerbread I worked on make another batch of Applesauce.Once it was cooled some I had Chance take a jar and the Gingerbread to our neighbor Dick.Chance said Dick grinned ear to ear and seem genuinely pleased.That made the trade even better.

Chance had come home from work early and was helping me with the peeling of the Apples when a knock came to the door.It was another neighbor just home from a fishing trip, "Would we like some fresh caught Stealhead Salmon?" Who would say no to that! Chris gave us a 3 foot long fish.
Chance was able to trim out some good looking cuts of fish.We ended up with 10 pounds of fish plus the trim for soup stock.We put some of it away, plan to smoke part and have some for my Mom.Not being ones to take something without having something to give back Chance offered to cure some Bacon for Chris.Again who could say no to that?


Fresh wild Stealhead Salmon.

The last couple of days worth of trading plus a few other quick swaps that have gone on here on the our block,have me thinking. I know I have written about this before but I am going to say it once more.Since living here we have run into folks who live in Portland in one of the hip areas where "everything" is happening.And once we tell them "yeah we live in Beaverton " they turn their backs.How could we live in the dread suburbs!? Well look at what we have going on here, our own micro economy and a community.A community done in a way that just happened,no one signed up,they just moved in and took the time to stand at the curb talking with each other. I like where we live.We barter,trade,babysit,lend a hand,listen,learn,loan and enjoy each others company. Many things most people are looking for and never find.

Gingerbread
From "Fog City Diner" by: Cindy Pawlcyn
(FYI- this is another of our favorite books with many recipes we use.)

3 Cups Flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1 1/2 Cups boiling water
1/2 Cup unsalted butter
1 Cup sugar
1 Cup Molasses
2 Tablespoons grated fresh ginger
2 eggs

Preheat oven to 325 Butter and flour a 9x13 baking pan.
Sift the flour, baking powder,cinnamon ,clove and the salt into a medium sized bowl.Dissolve the baking soda in the boiling water.Using a paddle attachment on a mixer,cream the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy.Beat in the molasses and ginger and scrape down the sides of the bowl. With the mixer set to a slow speed,add the dry ingredients alternately with the baking soda water.Mix in the eggs thoroughly,continue to scrape down the sides of the bowl. The batter will be thin,but don't worry about it.Pour the batter into the prepared baking pan and bake 25 to 30 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.Cool in the pan.
Drizzle Lemon Glaze (see below) over the warm Gingerbread.Serve it warm with Apple Sauce or Whipping Cream.
Lemon Glaze: 1 Cup sifted powdered sugar dissolved in 2 Tablespoons lemon juice.
( I don't use the Glaze,that"s just me.)

Today I used my Mini Bunt Pans to make the Gingerbread.I just got them and the cakes look so sweet,I know I will be using these pans often.

Until the next time,
Rois