Editor's Pick
APRIL 20, 2010 12:38AM
Rate: 17
remind me - what's next?
It was a charming 1800's Saltbox abandoned mid-renovation. Set on acres of field and woods, the house's real age could be carbon-dated by the number of field stones missing in the foundation. The glass-half-full realtor almost convinced us that missing stones meant natural fresh air for the cellar. We imagined picnics in fields of wildflowers, hikes through the woods and acres of gardens. So what if our water supply was some stream up in the wooded hillside? Unlike our old Victorian in the city, this was a country house with two (almost functional) bathrooms and we bought it.
We wore out two entire sets of friends finishing the renovations. Too bad not one of us realized that streams freeze in the winter and therefore so would our pipes. When the first thaw occurred we made improvements to the water supply and our thoughts turned to the acres of land.
The place screamed for barnyard animals. The homestead came with two barns, not quite finished falling down. We voted. No chickens because the oldest child was a newly minted vegetarian. Our rabbits kept dying from frightful night noises from the woods. Goats were mean. Sheep were hairy and smelled. We finally decided on a horse because it would not only look awfully Ralph Lauren but chestnut would accent the new color of the house. There are dumber reasons.
Learning quantum physics would have been simpler than taking on one Quarter horse named Bones (as in Star Trek Doctor McCoy Bones). He ate a lot more than dogs and didn't come when called. Apparently some horses are quite clever at undoing gate latches even if the fences are electrified. And they eat flowers and vegetable gardens. The horse developed quite the attitude when he realized we were neophytes in all things equestrian and took full advantage of our stupidity. Once in a while one of us would look out a window only to see a big horse face staring back at us, lips on the glass. The escapee had no shame begging for treats.
One Vermont photo-perfect fall morning I was in the kitchen making corn bread, looking out the window marveling at my young daughter slow walking in the field on her horse. They ambled behind a bump in the terrain out of view. Suddenly, out whooshes a galloping Bones with….wait. No rider? Blink, blink. I see it. There are human feet and hands. The horse turns and I see the blur of child and saddle, perpendicular to where she should be riding and parallel to the ground. The horse is galloping and she is hanging on for dear life. I manage to throw myself out the door just in time to see her flying over the top of the horse into the tall grass.
My brain is not processing this as quickly as it should. I am sidetracked by Bones. I only see the front end of the horse and it looks like he is sitting in the grass like some 1000 pound overgrown puppy. My brain, mesmerized by a sitting horse, almost misses my girl as she pops up with a bounce from the field and yells out in one breath - MOMMM! BONES IS SITTING AND HE WON’T LISTEN TO ME! MOMMM! Bones turns to me (I swear on all things chocolate) and winks before gracefully getting up and snorting at the child. Totally docile he lets her walk him back to the paddock.
Bones escaped regularly. When he wasn’t at a window begging, he would be somewhere close by eating someone’s garden. We’d be outside roaming the dirt road calling out his name. Soon enough someone would reply loudly through the woods which echoed better than any AT&T 3G service today.
We called it crystal clear woods-wireless. However, the traditional Vermont-speak was a little harder to decipher.
"Heh thair-uh? Yauh haawse iz't faam-uh Roy'z-uh god-en. Ahyup."
Translated? Bones is eating Farmer Roy's flower garden. Again.
Double duty electrified, triple duty latches were installed later that day. We found Bones the next morning, once again on the other side of the fence eating the last of our stumpy vegetable garden. The only thing still growing unharmed was zucchini which even the horse wouldn’t eat. Not long after, Bones went to a home far better suited to his needs. Happily, the child moved on from horses to kittens. Not only did felines eat less, they never had any interest in the flower or vegetable gardens. More my kind of barn yard critter.
Just for payback, every once in a while Farmer Roy let his cows wander into our field, right up to the back door. There is nothing quite like opening the door early in the morning only to be greeted by a herd of 1200-pound cows chewing on the rose bushes.
Those woodsy hikes? Overrun with bramble and poison oak. Picnics in the fields? Lots of field mice and really really big snakes.
On cold mornings we still make a batch of cornbread almost the same way we did back then, slathered with fresh butter and jam. The only thing missing is a horse named Bones staring in through the window, and a herd of Holsteins knocking at the back door.
The cornbread can be made gluten free and is best served warm. Serve with softened butter – European is tastiest, and a little bit of your favorite jam.
Fletcher Fields Corn Bread(Albers Brand Cornbread Recipe, modified)
Ingredients
- 1 cup yellow corn meal (Albers is great)
- 1 cup flour (or gluten free flour plus a pinch of xanthan gum)
- 1/3 cup brown sugar packed
- Heaping tablespoon baking powder
- Pinch of salt
- 1 cup milk (for gluten free reduce milk to ¾ cup)
- 1/3 cup vegetable oil or melted butter
- 1 large egg lightly beaten (2 eggs if using gluten free method)
Directions
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Place an 8x8 ceramic pan with a pat of butter in the oven to melt. Swish it around to coat the bottom. Don’t let the butter burn.
Whisk together dry ingredients in one bowl. Whisk wet ingredients together in another bowl. Pour the wet mixture into the dry mixture and whisk those together until no lumps remain. Pour into buttered and still hot baking dish. Bake until toothpick comes out clean, about 20 minutes. Cool about 5 minutes and cut into 9 pieces.
Bon appétit!
Comments
And six more hours 'til breakfast. Arrgh. . .
I love the combo recipe/real-life story & I really really love the visual of Bones at the window. I want a horse, but Geo says no. I'm not going to let him read this. But I will make him the cornbread which sounds delicious. I make cornbread, but have never made it using brown sugar instead of white. (I'm hungry, too!)
Lisa, you sure can pick a house, between small children flying out of upstairs windows and horses looking in through ground floor windows, I really enjoy your Real Estate adventures.
As if an old house couldn't complicate your life, having a horse is bound to finish the job. =o)
And now gosh darn it, I want some cornbread!
As if an old house couldn't complicate your life, having a horse is bound to finish the job. =o)
And now gosh darn it, I want some cornbread!
I've never put brown sugar in cornbread. I'm telling Mom and seeing what she thinks.
You know that a cornbread recipe is just inviting differences of opinion, don't you? Real Southern cornbread, which is the original and only cornbread according to us, never ever has sugar in it. It is not a dessert nor is it analogous to morning pastry. It is coarse and crunchy and sops up the pot likker from a batch of turnip greens better than anything.
And now that I've said my piece, may I say this about your piece: It is sweet and delightful and your forgiveness of any faults that place might have had shines through. Old Bones sounds like a pain, but a delight, too. Thank you for a setting a lovely tone for my day!
And now that I've said my piece, may I say this about your piece: It is sweet and delightful and your forgiveness of any faults that place might have had shines through. Old Bones sounds like a pain, but a delight, too. Thank you for a setting a lovely tone for my day!
I have complete and total faith in your recipe. I am a L&P fundamentalist!
BROWN sugar! now why didn't I think of that? I don't have a brown horse for inspiration I suppose. I think you were wise to go with one that matched the decor, it's a perfectly good reason as horses go. Felines come in all colors and match anything, which is good when they shed on the black sofa. (making this cornbread this afternoon, Mother's appalled at the brown sugar! so all's the more reason)
Wonderful story, wonderful recipe (thanks for discussing gluten-free options!), BROWN SUGAR, whodda thunkit? I'm making this after work for tea time today. Surprised it wasn't zucchini bread -- but, even a horse wouldn't eat that. :o)
I'm going to try this... with gluten... 'cause you know... the labretards like them some gluten.
I would pay good money to see a picture of Bones sitting like a dog.
Brown sugar in cornbread sounds delish. I like cornbread lightly toasted then slathered in butter and maple syrup for breakfast.
Brown sugar in cornbread sounds delish. I like cornbread lightly toasted then slathered in butter and maple syrup for breakfast.
ohoh. war of the cornbread purists is a-comin.
Kathy - it's past breakfast time now! hope you had something yummy.
suzie - thank you. and yeah, nothing like the giant lips of an obnoxious horse printed on the new pella windows. if he could have figured out the latches for the window he would have opened them.... brown sugar gives it a richer taste as does melted butter.
If I had known you wanted a horse I would have given you Bones.
Shiral - some day I will have to bake for you!
Deven - ohoh. I'm so in trouble now. Tell mom that it is breakfast cornbread so at least she has some context. If I was making it for um, chili or something savory I might add less sugar....or maybe not. No, really. I wouldn't add the sugar or the butter. I'd use oil. I think.... Ask mom.
Susan - northerners are just a pain aren't we?! We screw up every southern recipe? We bake fried chicken, leave out the okra, never ever make collard greens and boil beans from packages of dried crap. Even our mayo is full of soy junk.
Seriously, I know you are right - but one day it just became a national breakfast food cause it was probably the only thing left in the cupboard on a snowy winter morning and thus, breakfast cornbread was hatched. It really is good with tons of butter and jam. Perhaps one day we will share some! : )
Ann - aw, thanks. fundamentalist? should I be scared?
Gabby - yep. brown sugar. I'm still acquiring barn yard critters in matching colors to the decor though I live on the west coast in an urban place. Black and white dogs match quite nicely. No clashing at all! (I am just that crazy, apparently). Enjoy the cornbread.
Raving - enjoy the cornbread - gluten free for this one is easy but don't forget the xanthan gum or it will crumble unreasonably. no one would eat zucchini bread around here willingly. I never knew why we planted it. Probably still growing wild in the field.
surly - glutton for gluten? eat away. it's all good.
green - You sound like a Vermonter with that maple syrupy thing on cornbread! Good. We have to balance those southerners. I wish it had been the day of the cell phone with camera. I would have gotten a picture. He did that rather often after that. Bones was more like a giant dog than a horse.
Kathy - it's past breakfast time now! hope you had something yummy.
suzie - thank you. and yeah, nothing like the giant lips of an obnoxious horse printed on the new pella windows. if he could have figured out the latches for the window he would have opened them.... brown sugar gives it a richer taste as does melted butter.
If I had known you wanted a horse I would have given you Bones.
Shiral - some day I will have to bake for you!
Deven - ohoh. I'm so in trouble now. Tell mom that it is breakfast cornbread so at least she has some context. If I was making it for um, chili or something savory I might add less sugar....or maybe not. No, really. I wouldn't add the sugar or the butter. I'd use oil. I think.... Ask mom.
Susan - northerners are just a pain aren't we?! We screw up every southern recipe? We bake fried chicken, leave out the okra, never ever make collard greens and boil beans from packages of dried crap. Even our mayo is full of soy junk.
Seriously, I know you are right - but one day it just became a national breakfast food cause it was probably the only thing left in the cupboard on a snowy winter morning and thus, breakfast cornbread was hatched. It really is good with tons of butter and jam. Perhaps one day we will share some! : )
Ann - aw, thanks. fundamentalist? should I be scared?
Gabby - yep. brown sugar. I'm still acquiring barn yard critters in matching colors to the decor though I live on the west coast in an urban place. Black and white dogs match quite nicely. No clashing at all! (I am just that crazy, apparently). Enjoy the cornbread.
Raving - enjoy the cornbread - gluten free for this one is easy but don't forget the xanthan gum or it will crumble unreasonably. no one would eat zucchini bread around here willingly. I never knew why we planted it. Probably still growing wild in the field.
surly - glutton for gluten? eat away. it's all good.
green - You sound like a Vermonter with that maple syrupy thing on cornbread! Good. We have to balance those southerners. I wish it had been the day of the cell phone with camera. I would have gotten a picture. He did that rather often after that. Bones was more like a giant dog than a horse.
Between the stories and the recipes, these are can't-miss blogs, LP. Love it.
*sigh* I want to live on a farm.
*sigh* I want to live on a farm.
What a great story. That same thing happened with the saddle going over to the side, but I was in a riding class at the time, so no real harm came. I am glad your wee one was not hurt. rated for horse sitting on haunches. I can totally see that happening!
please pass the cornbread...
A great story/recipe combo! Yet again.
I just love the stories you tell and weave throughout and then finish with an awesome recipe. This was grand.
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