Ashley English's Blog, page 20

Dreamers Into Doers (+ Giveaway!!!)

I got my first taste of canning as a wee lass, watching my grandmother "Nanny" (a sassy thing, turning a young 86 in August!) transform her garden cukes into bread & butter pickles and her grapes into violet-tinged juice. If canning wasn't part of your family's culinary background, however, and the recent resurgence of interest in this means of preservation has got you intrigued, I've got just

Urban Cheesecraft

Check out this fantastic profile of Claudia Lucero on Etsy's blog. She's the force behind Urban Cheesecraft and is one of the lovely dairy-makers profiled in my Home Dairy book. P.S. When not transforming milk into cheese, Claudia works at a rock 'n roll camp for young girls. Is she not quite possibly the coolest person you've ever heard of???

Culture Club

I have LONG pined for a sturdy, well-crafted crock in which to ferment and culture all manner of things. My sweet Hubs knew this, and so, along with a gorgeous necklace (laser-cut by an Australian designer out of recycled steel!!!) and earrings from one of my favorite local jewelry designers, he picked me up the stunning crock you see before you as a birthday gift last week. I can't wait to make

Making Waves

On the radio, that is. I'll be chatting on Martha Stewart's Sirius XM program "Everyday Food" this coming Wednesday, July 20th, at 12:15 p.m. Sandy and I will be talking about all things "yogurt." Tune in and check it out! *Even if you don't have a subscription to Sirius, you can listen to the show via a trial subscription. For details, go here.

Put A Lid On It

Alright, friends. Let's do it. Let's put lids on things, together! I'll be hosting the first ever canning class, chez English, on August 13th. In recognition of national Can It Forward Day (cosponsored by the fine folks at Canning Across America and Jarden), we'll fire up the water bath, talk about botulism (and how to avoid getting it), get sweaty, and make some a fine batch of preserves. The

And the Winner of the "The Simple Pleasures of Slow Food" Is...

Claire, lucky #2, as chosen by the Random Widget. Thank you so very much to all who entered. I've got plenty more giveaways in store for you. Next week, I'm switching things up a bit and will be giving away some canning supplies! Look for details next Monday.

35

It's been a great year, for so very many reasons. And the cherry on top? This guy. Thanks for being here, friends.

Guest Post: The Road to the Farm

I've got another great post for you. Today you'll be meeting Anna, the blogger behind The Road to the Farm. From her apartment in St. Paul, Minnesota, she and her husband are carving out a handmade, homemade life, and not letting a lack of land stop them. Here Anna shares her thoughts on and solutions for homesteading on a small scale. Home Grown DreamsAnna Hewitt"Do you dream of having a few

The Pleasures of Slow Food (+Giveaway!!!)

I'm not certain of the exact time I became acquainted with the Slow Food movement, but as soon as I did, it immediately resonated with me. Their mission of seeking food that is equally "good, clean & fair" cuts to the core of my food interests. Slow Food's claim "we believe that the food we eat should taste good; be produced in a clean way that does not harm the environment, animal welfare, or

This Is How We Do It

We three Englishes enjoyed an al fresco lunch today. We nibbled on a cobbled together "Ploughman's lunch", featuring local cheese from Spinning Spider, meat from Hickory Nut Gap farm, dill spears, an olive & caper berry medley (thanks, Nicole, for passing these over to us after last week's picnic!), an aged Cheddar, beet pie with horseradish cream, and fresh iced tea. The wee-est amongst us