Seasonal Pancakes

Oh, man. Where does the time go? My "Small Measures with Ashley" post is up over on Design Sponge. This week I'm offering suggestions for seasonal foods to go with pancakes, beginning with my "Strawberry, Rhubarb & Orange Maple Compote." And, just so you know, this stuff is great on top of more than just pancakes. Pair it with some yogurt, or put it on some pound cake, or snuggle it in with some vanilla ice cream. Tastes just like spring should taste.

It's official. Huxley has caught his first cough. We're hoping that's all it is. A cough. And that it stays that way. But the coughing makes for a restless baby at night, which makes for a sleepless Mama at night, given that we bed-share. It's so sad to see the poor fella cough! His cough also makes him a wee bit needy. As such, I've barely been able to put him down today, because although there are play yards and nice swings and bouncy chairs on hand, it's in Mama's arms he most wants to be.

We went to the annual Asheville Herb Festival yesterday, one of the highlights of my year. It's amazing to see all of that growth and life and green vitality everywhere. And the happiness it brings is pervasive. Everywhere you turn are smiling faces (well, even more so when you've got a little dude on hand).

Huxley has taken to what I call "singing" lately, talking in a very high-pitched sing-song voice, which is what he was doing when I snapped the photo above. It's adorable. We often sing along, duet-style. He sang for a good bit at the festival, until he got squirmy and insisted on being held. We used the stroller instead to carry our haul!

If Huxley (and I) feel up to it tomorrow, we're going to check out this festival tomorrow, which promises to be a good time. Otherwise, I've got loads of writing to do, planting to do, tending to about a million things to do. The weather looks glorious, though, so whether in town or chez English, I'm happy.

Wherever you go, whatever you do, may it be grand!

Hip Girl's Guide to Homemaking (+Giveaway!!!)

I'm the sort of gal that gets excited about reorganizing my pantry, takes pleasure in making a bed the right way (and I'm rather specific about this; I used to manage a B&B, mind you...), and wholeheartedly enjoys doing the laundry (even the bits of ironing, infrequent though they may be). I love anything related to the home, from cooking to cleaning to entertaining and decorating and beyond. If it's domestically-inclined, chances are I'm a fan.

And so, it stands to reason that I would become friends with Kate Payne, at first digitally and later, in person. Author of the just-released Hip Girl's Guide to Homemaking (and blog of the same title), she loves the domestic sphere as equally as I, and wrote a book as a testament to her devotion. From clever ideas for thrifty decorating to details on how to build a proper compost pile, with etiquette tidbits like which side of the plate the fork goes on included for good measure, Kate's penned the perfect guide for becoming the hostess (or HOST!) with the most-ess (even though it's titled the hip "girl's" guide, in the introduction she invites readers of all genders along for the ride).

Kate will be coming through the Asheville area in late May. I'll be hosting a potluck book launch for her chez English on the 22nd, and then later that afternoon, she'll be giving a talk at Malaprops. You can find information about the event here. I highly encourage you to go hear her speak. I can attest personally to her infectious enthusiasm, consummate graciousness, and all around cool-lady-ness.

And, because she is so grand, Kate and her publisher are kindly giving away a copy of The Hip Girl's Guide to Homemaking to one small measure reader! To enter, all you need to do is leave some comment about homemaking. It can be anything-that you loathe washing dishes, that you've arranged your book collection by spine color, that you built a bed that hangs from the ceiling. Anything. Just tell me a little something about you and the place where you hang your hat. I'm an inherently curious individual as it is, so I'd love to learn a bit more about you!

The contest will run through Monday May 2nd, midnight EST. Good luck!

And the Winner of "Tart & Sweet" Is...

Sarah, #4! Thank you immensely to all who commented (237 in total!!!). You are an inspired, and inspiring, group of folks packed with "can do" gumption!

I'm off to teach my third "Backyard Chickens" class at AB-Tech in a few hours. Believe it or not, this marks only the 4th time I'll have been away from Huxley for more than, gosh, probably 10 minutes since his birth (the other three times for for my prior chicken classes and one WNC Beekeepers Association meeting). I just love being with him! He'll be in expert hands, though, with loving Hubs to keep him entertained and cozy.

Oh, and check back tomorrow. There's another giveaway brewing! This giveaway train won't stop!!!

Tiny Treehugger

Turns out I was closer to 3-4, according to Mom. But, here's the proof!

Happy Earth Day!

Happy Earth Day, everyone! My "Small Measures with Ashley" post is up on Design Sponge. In recognition of the holiday, I've listed 25 of my favorite ways of enjoying the splendor of our planet.

We've been humming along chez English, planting new blueberry bushes and blackberry canes, watching the peas tendril up the trellis, putting up hanging baskets with strawberry plants, messing around with lemon verbena in baking, noshing on Georgia strawberries, listening to the glorious sound of rain falling, eating outdoor brunch with friends, and generally enjoying all that the season offers.

We're having friends over for dinner tomorrow evening, and then I plan to get busy in the yard and garden on Sunday while my mom hangs with Huxley.

Wherever you go, whatever you do this weekend, may it be grand!

*Image courtesy of Rene Treece Photography.

**My friend Meredith made Huxley the little Viking hat. Isn't it amazing???

A Fungus Among Us

Like I mentioned yesterday, you "meet" the most amazing people on the internet (I should know, I met Hubs that way!). Nicole Fryling is one such person. Mama to Cedar and Sequoia, partner to Steve, postpartum doula, and extract manager at Fungi Perfecti in Olympia, Washington, she also doles out inspired pearls of wisdom on her blog Howling Wolf.

I'm not sure exactly how Nicole found me, but she's been a regular small measure reader for some time. She's also become a regular e-mail companion, where I pepper her with questions about natural mama-ing topics and she kindly, patiently, and thoroughly answers all my queries. She's a gem, and also, as evidenced by the photos above, an uncommonly generous person.

The Life Box package arrived late last week. In it, Nicole sent two items for Huxley (a wooden helicopter and a hand-dyed top, for when he's a bit older), a bottle of reishi mushroom capsules, a signed by Paul Stamets himself (!!!!!!) copy of Mycelium Running, and a too-lovely-for-words calender from my beloved Nikki McClure. The box itself has seeds embedded in the corrugated cardboard and can be planted. Genius, right?

I've been truly astounded, and humbled, by the kindness shown to me by readers of both my blog and books. Amanda of Bird for Bread, Cyn of River Dog Prints, Sara of Lost Bird Found, Elizabeth of The Adventures of Elizabeth, Susan of Bla Bla Kids, and Jenna of Cold Antler Farm along with Nicole are all ladies that (aside from Sara), I've never met in person and who have yet sent remarkably generous care packages to myself, Hubs and Huxley. You're all a testament to the goodness abiding in everyone.

Nicole, thank you so very much. The capsules are being taken, the calender is hung by the door, the book is on my bedside reading table, and Huxley has been gnawing with happy abandon on the helicopter!!!

*By the way, for anyone that might be curious, the background of the photos is one of Hub's paintings. Along with being an exceptionally kind spouse, a patient, doting Papa, a chef of absolute genius, and a companion to beat 'em all, he's also a trained artist (as in, MFA from Penn-trained). If you want to see more of his work, several posts from back in early autumn show a series of hand drawings he did. Just check the archives.

Border Patrol

I love the internet. I really, truly do. And I'm not ashamed to admit it because, oh, the places you'll go and, my, the people you'll "meet" whilst traversing its web. Like, say, Canada and its fine folks.

I've long been enamored with Canada. From Vancouver Island's lush forests to Montreal's francophile flair to the Atlantic provinces craggy coasts (not to mention its puffins! PUFFINS, people, puffins!!!), the nation to the north has always called to me. And now, through the magic of the interwebs, I've had the immense fortune of finding some kindred homesteading souls up there.

Well Preserved, Crackers, and Nest are three lovely blogs from three incredibly gifted sets of bloggers (each one is hosted by a dynamic duo). Their collective photography, recipes, resources, and anecdotes will have you pointing your compass north faster than you can say "eh?" Each one of these blogs has introduced themselves to me personally and supported all of my writing efforts and I, in turn, have become their loyal fan.

I invite you to check them out. Don't be surprised if you find yourself wishing you were a Canuck, too.