Field trips

There's been a small group of us baking types that like to go find nifty places that we wouldn't get to every day- some baking related, some not. A couple of the places around the area that we have been to so far are the Cedar Creek Grist Mill (one of my fave's) just outside of Woodburn Washington where they have demos of grinding grains on the weekends and then you can take a bag of it home-the cornmeal is EXCELLENT! for cornbread. In the fall, they also have an apple cider pressing demo-mmmmm, there is nothing better than fresh cider. I recommend making a donation-it is well worth it.
Side note: I know a person who has a small heirloom apple orchard and she sells fresh pressed cider, beyond phenomenal is the only description for it and it changes batch to batch depending on the varieties that she blends. I usually buy a few gallons: a couple for me to drink, a couple for the bakery staff, and if I'm in the mood, a few to ferment into hard cider. double mmmmmmm.

Another place we've been to is Bob's Red Mill where you can find just about any sort of grain you want, whole or ground-they also make things like pea flour, which works well for thickening soups and they have non gluten flour blends for baking as well. Right across the road from them is Dave's Killer bread bakery, the Sin Dogs are totally worth a visit. These aren't your mama's Cinnamon Rolls.


Our non baking related field trip was to the Maryhill Stonehenge War Memorial and just down the road, the Maryhill museum. The memorial is a life size replica of Stonehenge built by a Quaker in the early 1900's. Every time I've gone, it seems that some one has left an offering on the stone table in the center. Even though it gets a fair amount of people stopping by, there is always a feeling of solitude and reflection surrounding it.

Well, that's a few of the places that we've gone so far. Who knows where we'll end up next.