Esso Pilot's Wheel -- and Cake Report!

I think it's a fair guess that this wheel was designed to assist pilots somehow. It's actually quite a nice looking wheel, I think. The tiny, tiny copyright notice says 1947. This is in perfect condition and about 5 inches in diameter. And it is very well made, too. Look at the impressive grommet!

Okay! It's time for the verdict on the Hamilton Beach Cake Chart gingerbread recipe! I made mine with butter rather than shortening. On a scale of 1 to 10, I guess I'd give it a 7. While it didn't have enough ginger/molasses flavor for my taste (you can see how light it looks), the texture was light, moist and cakey. Not bad at all. I might be inclined to make it again if it weren't for the truly outstanding recipe I already know. It comes from a well-used 1950s Better Homes & Gardens cookbook my mother had. I have included the recipe below. Trust me: you can't make better gingerbread than this. Serve it with some fresh whipped cream! I've included a photo of the Better Homes gingerbread, which I made right after I tried the other. You can really see the difference!