When our dear neighbour died many years ago, his daughters asked us to have a look and see if there was anything in the barn that we would be able to use. They’d rather us have it to use on our adjacent property, than selling it in bits and pieces to others. Our cows had run in a mixed herd with his for many years, and we’d managed them together. At some point, we purchased his animals from him, and started leasing the land. Calves were born on both properties, and grew up into producing cows on the same land.
After his death, the property was sold to a new family, and they planned on using the land for an equestrian center. For many years, our cows would walk the property line, looking for any break, or loosening of wire to get through to their known range. Finally in 2015, our herd is young enough that all were born and raised only on our side of the fence. Rarely is there an issue of a fence breach to “the other side”. Walking to check the herd takes half the time, as does fixing fences, but I still get nostalgic for the old days.
Here’s the recipe for muffins that I made to share over at the barn the day that we went through it, finding old treasures, useful bales of barbed wire, a red sickle bar mower, enough split rails to fence a large yard, and memories.
Makes one dozen
Ingredients
1 c fresh or frozen cranberries
¼ c sugar
¾ c flour
¾ c whole wheat or spelt flour
1 c large flake oats
½ c brown sugar
1 t salt
1 T baking powder
1½ t cinnamon
½ c canola oil
1 c milk
1 large egg
Directions
Preheat oven to 400° with the rack in the center of the oven.
Line a muffin tin with paper liners, or lightly grease.
In a small bowl, toss the cranberries with the ¼ cup of sugar.
In a medium sized bowl, whisk together the flour, whole wheat flour, oats, brown sugar, salt, baking powder, and cinnamon.
In another bowl, whisk together the oil, milk, and egg.
Add the liquid ingredients to the dry, mixing just until fully combined.
Add in the cranberries, along with any remaining sugar.
Stir until combined.
Spoon the mixture equally into the 12 cups. They will be quite full.
Bake for 20 minutes.
Let cool for 5-10 minutes in the pan, and then remove to a rack to finish cooling.
Enjoy them while you let your mind wander down memory lane.
farmhouse cook 