First thing I saw this morning upon waking at 7am. Opened my bedroom curtains and there it was. “Oh ****, there’s a cow in the garden!” In fact there were three.
Second thing I saw was my OH spring out of bed, fumble around for some clothes (bizarrely a pair of plaid shorts and a checked long sleeve shirt??), run downstairs for his rain coat (did I mention it was pouring at the time), and make his way outside. What came next was a lot of shouting accompanied by wild arm movements and eventually some prodding involving a very long stick. They’re pretty bold these cows. I mean do they look at all contrite to you?
Thing about where I live is that cows are allowed to roam “free” from May to October as part of a tradition that goes back to Medieval times. They are released on to the common land that surrounds my village and pretty much stay on it until end of August/beginning of September. For some reason I have yet to discover (except perhaps they are simply bored) it is around this time that they begin to make their way on to the nearby roads and gardens.
This is the lane my house is on:
It’s one-car-only wide. Get a couple of cows on it and you are going absolutely nowhere. Of course it always happens the first thing in the morning when I am in a rush to get the kids to school. Good excuse though. “Sorry I’m late Sir. Cows got in the way.”
I am trying to be tolerant. Problem is I am cocky American trying to do quaint English. Double that with cosmopolitan city girl trying to do provincial country. You can see where tolerance might be a problem.
So I prefer to see the backside of them.
Yeah, off you go you cheeky cows. Go chew on someone else’s grass.
Fresh Raspberry Muffins
So really this post is not about cows, but my Secret Recipe Club contribution for September. I was matched with Vanderbilt Wife, or Jessie, a 23 stay at home mom, freelance writer and editor. She has been writing her blog since 2006 and started it as “a way to make myself write more regularly.”
I picked the muffin recipe because my neighbour had just given be a large bowl of fresh raspberries from her garden (luckily not savaged by the cows). Jessie’s recipe called for strawberries but I figured any berry would do!
Here’s the recipe. They are so easy to put together and make a perfect breakfast or late afternoon treat!
Ingredients
3/4 cup sugar
1 egg
2 cups flour (plain, whole wheat or half & half)
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup milk
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1 1/2 cups chopped strawberries, raspberries, blackberries, blueberries etc
Cinnamon-sugar mix to sprinkle on top
Preheat oven to 400. Line a 12 hole muffin tin.
What naughty cows…and what lovely looking muffins. Delicious!
I love reading your blog, and the recipes are a plus! Happy Weekend!
oh my those cows are too funny great muffins
Mmmmmmm. I love the idea of mixing berries for these great muffins. Love the hand pic too.
ButterYum
Raspberry is my fav fruit lavor in baking, so these muffins are a must bookmark. They look tender and perfect! Phenomenal photos and a phenomenal SRC choice!
Can’t stop laughing!
Loved seeing the cows and that charming lane you live on. Would also love to see more pictures. We are a curious bunch you know! The muffins look perfect. Raspberries are my favorite berry!
Love this!! Seeing your lane makes me want to see the outside of your house and yard. So beautiful!! How far away are you from the grocery? town? You’ve now piqued my curiousity to scour the rest of your blog!!
And don’t even get me started on raspberries….Mmm…my favorite berry! So tender and flavorful!!
Denise @ Creative Kitchen
The photos of your muffins are great! I would be pretty testy about those cows blocking my drive too!
Beautiful photos! I would be pretty testy about those cows blocking my drive too!
Great cow pictures, love them!!
The muffins look super tasty, too!
What darling muffins, they must’ve really tasted great! The cows must’ve been quite a sight first thing in the morning!
Those raspberry cupcakes look positively moovelous!
Great looking muffins and I love the cow pics too.
If you haven’t already, I’d love for you to check out my SRC recipe this month: Welsh Cakes.
Lisa~~
Cook Lisa Cook
So pretty and delish lookin! Have been cooking up a storm lately with raspberries, but they’ll be out of season here soon. Luv the china teacup too!
Nice cows! I hope they did not do any damage to your garden. They muffins looks delicious, I am sure it was just what you needed after the cows left your road
Have a great evening.
Try going out to a home birth in the middle of the night and realising you’re surrounded by cows in your back garden! Who’d be a midwife?! I might just need a cupcake to get over my fright!!
The muffins sound so delicious I wish I had one right now. And, being from Hereford, Texas (where the cows outnumber the people about 50,000:1) Hereford cattle are my favorite! Great pics and post.
That’s hysterical! Seeing as I live a few miles outside of NYC, I’m guessing I’ll never see that outside my window
The muffins look beautiful and delicious.
That is too funny about the cows! Wow. These muffins look absolutely delish – lucky you that you had fresh raspberries from your neighbor to put in them! Yay src
Love this post. Both the cows and the muffins have me enthralled