Katie's gingerbread was a big hit at the picnic. The recipe is from her stepmother... If you can figure out how to halve 3 eggs, you can cut the recipe in half, otherwise it will make 2 loaves.

2 sticks butter
1 t vanilla
scant c. white sugar
scant c. brown sugar
3 eggs
1/4 c. molasses
1/4 c. maple syrup
1/2 c. peeled fresh ginger (I grate it)
1/2 c. candied ginger, roughly chopped
1 T ginger powder (not totally necessary, but then this isn't "Three
ginger gingerbread")

1 c. (butter)milk

3 c. flour
1 1/2 t baking powder
1 1/2 t salt

Combine wet ingredients, stir in buttermilk (which, for some reason, may make the mixture curdle...but it turns out ok), mix into dry ingredients, pour into buttered pan, bake at 350F for 25+ minutes. Really really good with whipped cream.

Red sour cherries
Wine vinegar
Honey

Pit the cherries. Measure them and combine with an equal quantity (by volume) of wine vinegar. Store in a non-reactive container for 2 days at room temperature. Drain off the liquid (makes an interesting salad dressing addition). Add the cherries in layers to a widemouth glass jar, drizzling each layer with honey (amounts are not critical since the cherries have already been preserved by the vinegar). Cover and leave at room temperature for a week, stirring gently (so as not to break up the cherries) once daily. Store in refrigerator. Be sure to label the jar with the date--the cherries are ready to eat after three months, and keep in the refrigerator indefinitely.