 In my former life, we raised horses. Quarter horses. And I loved them. Mucking out a stall was not so bad for me because it meant that riding came next. Rounding up our sheep on horseback was a daily joy. I can’t remember when I decided that horses were God’s greatest creatures ever given to man, but I know that I was really little. At 5 years old, I would feed grass to the two aging mares across the road from our house and dream of the day when I could have one all my own. There was the time, in the fifth grade when I decided that I would have a horse all of my own. Of course, we lived in the city and though our yard was large, it wasn’t that large. However, I determined that I could make it work and so I began the tedious process of begging my parents to death. I cried. I begged. I searched the newspapers and came up with arguments “pro Ol’ Dobbins” that I was sure could not be dismissed. I thought that the labor-saving, non-machinery, grass-cutting qualities of the equine mammal had to be of some great benefit. I knew how to argue the environment early. Eventually, I decided that if I produced the money myself, there could be no argument. The result: A table at the street curb with broken toys, tiny multicolored ‘ratfinks’, and troll dolls with soft hair, all for sale and advertised by a large sign stating, “Help Kids Buy A Horse.” My sisters assisted in the hope of sharing in ownership. My eloquent pleading and early entrepreneurialship did little to impress my parents and I had to be satisfied with Marguerite Henry and Walter Farley books, along with a suitcase full of Breyer model horses with which to pretend.  It was marriage that brought me my first horse and a beautiful Tennessee farm. Kimmie was ½ Quarter Horse and ½ Thoroughbred so she was pretty tall – 16 hands – but she was gentle as a kitten and she was my pal . My one mare, eventually turned into over a half a dozen mares and geldings and one stud. Feeding time was an experience of sounds and smells. Opening the trashcan of sweet feed drew my face down to drink in the aroma as fast as it attracted the flies. Oat grains slathered in molasses rattled into the measuring can and poured like tiny pebbles into the feed buckets with the most pleasant of “whooshing” sounds. As the grain was placed in each stall, muzzles pushing me away to bury deep into dinner, the steady, crunching of satisfied mouths made that feed sound like something I wanted to dig into as well! I must confess that I did so on many occasions – chewing on a little sweetened grain as I went about my work. I was eating granola before it was the world’s newest, healthy snack! Never mind that there were probably all kinds of horse vitamins in there. I never started counting with my foot and so I couldn’t have been too damaged. But as I said, that was in my other life. So, as I make my granola these days, those sounds and smells come back as peaceful memories. Honey, instead of molasses, oats, nuts and fruits are all baked to a crunchy cereal that makes the same ‘whooshing’ sound as it is poured from its container. I wonder if some Swiss farmer just took some horse feed one day, mashed it and baked it and said, “Yah. Dis is goot! I tink I’ll call dis ‘granola’!” (translated from the Swedish) I have to interject here that I have splurged and gone one step further in seeing what else I can add to my daily work routine. I purchased a Marga oat flaker and a bucket of oat groats from Debbie Barton at Sonrise Whole Grains, so that I can hover around the hot cereal isle in the grocery store and sidle up to strangers to whisper with authority, “I roll my own oats” and so that they can respond, “So what?” The flaker really is pretty cool to play with! It is neat to watch those tiny grains get mashed flat as you turn the handle to the rollers. It’s kind of mesmerizing. Oatmeal takes on a whole new flavor and consistency and this “I hate oatmeal” girl has turned into a “Let’s have oatmeal again for breakfast because I hear it lowers cholesterol” kind of addict. The hot oatmeal is nutty and chewy, not the usual bowl of gluey gruel fit for the movie “Oliver”. And so, fight as I might, I am being dragged into healthy eating through the seductive temptations of new kitchen gadgets. They’re so shiny and pretty!! Who can resist?   With that confession, I’ll end with a recipe for granola that my cousin contributed to our Then and Now Cookbook, a compilation of our family recipes (thanks Beth!). You can find the cookbook at the online store under the shop tab. I will put her recipe on one side and then on the other side, I’ll put what I have changed to suit my husband’s “I have a sweet tooth the size of a golf ball” taste buds. Either way, it is great and is what I use on the yogurt parfaits in the previous post. Enjoy the granola, and as you savor its crunch, you could retreat to the fantasy of youth and pretend that you are a horse masticating its sweet feed. However, be aware that it would mean you’re kind of weird! |
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Beth’s Recipe: 1 box of rolled oats (1 lb 2 oz) 1/2 cup sunflower seeds 1/2 cup sliced almonds 1/2 cup honey 1/2 cup vegetable oil 1 tsp cinnamon 1/2 cup raisins |
My Changes and Additions 1 box rolled oats (1 lb 2oz) 1/2 cup sunflower seeds 1/2 cup sliced almonds 1/2 cup chopped pecans 3/4 cups honey 1/2 cup vegetable oil 1 tsp cinnamon 1/2 cup dried/sweetened cranberries |
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Great story and nice recipe! Thanks. (:D)
The recipe looks really easy! I can get into that. And is that really Marguerite Henry’s autograph?? Great post. Thanks. 🙂
Thanks Hawkeye!
That is her autograph! I got that when I was in middle school and have treasured it since. And yes, the recipe is VERY easy!
You have just reminded me to make my own granola. Yes, I have the cookbook and have made the granola from it. Your additions sound yummy. As for a horse–well, I’ll take the box of toy ones–I know it is crazy but I have had a fear of horses since childhood. I enjoyed your story about your love affair with the animal.(Although I did make a comment about your desire for horse food.)
At least I didn’t try the dogfood! 🙂
Sounds yummy! Will definitely share the story with my daughter who grains the horses every night!!
There’s always something new to learn about your cousins-especially you! I enjoyed reading about your equine experiences and glad you like the granola. Since I submitted that recipe, I, too, make it in a large bowl. I ordered the bowl sight unseen at a Southern Living party and once it arrived I couldn’t imagine needing such a huge mixing bowl. However, it’s perfect for granola and Date Roll, also in the Then and Now cookbook. When I make granola now I substitute 1/4 cup apple juice for 1/4 cup of the oil. It reduces the fat content and in my opinion is just as good.
P.S. I still like the original recipe-we’re just old now and need to be creative regarding our diet!
I can sure identify with that concept!! 🙂