Ashley English's Blog

HUGE news today, friends. Small Measure is moving!

Thank you, Blogger, for hosting this little site of mine for 4 years. It's been a fine relationship, but it's time to move on.

Come find me over at smallmeasure.com! See you there!

Here's a little treat for you, dear friends. The images above are some Polaroids outtakes the lovely Jen Altman took for my new book with Roost. They're from a gathering we hosted out here last weekend, highlighting southern cuisine.

I'll give you little glimpses of the book whenever I can. It's an absolute blast working on this project, and Jen has a wonderful ability to capture people

Happy Friday, friends! I don't know where you live, but it's been raining like the building of arks is in order for three days straight here. Which is just fine by me. The garden needs it, the water tables require it, and this cool-weather-loving-lady adores it.

It's been an amazing week. Busy, but amazing. My sisters just left about 30 minutes ago. I'm always so excited when they come, and

 














Yesterday was nothing short of amazing. It was full of love, and laughter, and food, and rain, and fog, and cuddles, and everything I hold dear. If it set the tone for the coming year, it's going to be a very, very good one, friends.

Highlights included:
*This book and this book from Hubs (along with a gorgeous, but too large, ring from Nervous System and a

Just in time for my birthday, folks! 36 years young today!

My editor wrote to give me a head's up on an amazing sale over at Barnes & Noble. If you have hesitated on buying any of the books in my Homemade Living series, hesitate no longer, dear friends of the interwebs! All four titles are now 50% off! Yeehaw!

This is an amazing sale. If you're tired of waiting for one of my books to get

Whew. The past few days have been an absolute whirlwind. We threw a big 'ole Southern foods gathering out here this past Saturday evening, as part of my new book. It was amazing-kids, parents, dancing (cake walk!!!), food, bourbon, and heat! Oh. My. Word. It was hot. Hot. Hot. Hot. But it was grand!

Today I'm off to visit this farm on my way north to Burnsville. My sisters, Huxley and I are

Happy Friday, friends! My sisters are here for the week! I! Am! So! Excited!

Hope you had a lovely Independence Day (for those U.S. readers). We laid low at home, and rounded out the day gathered around our big oak dining room table with friends. Nice and easy, that's my style!

Here's a smattering of this's and that's that caught my attention this week:
*This is my kind of camp craft!
*

I've been so busy canning that I almost forgot to direct you to my post in this month's Verve, wherein I divulge the origin of my infatuation with the jar.

I'm holding honey in the jar above, extracted from my bees this past September. Yet another example of my affinity for putting edibles and delectables in jars.

What about you? What got you turned on to the world of simmering pots and

Our over-ambitious attitude in the garden this year seems to be paying off. We put in something like 20 cucumber plants and they are some kind of paying it forward, by the bushel!

To that end, I've spent the better part of the last 3 days making my Dill Pickles, Quick Persian Pickles, and Sweet Pickle Relish. Recipes for the former and the latter can be found in my book, while the

I hate wasting food. I go to great lengths to ensure we use every bit of food we purchase or grow. That's especially true of leftovers.

Sometimes Hubs cooks like there's an army coming over for dinner, instead of just us two and Huxley. I never complain, because his eats are always amazing. That said, we're sometimes staring down the same dish for multiple meals, across several days.

Which