What can you expect from me?
Nothing, absolutely nothing. And also, a little bit of everything.
I’m a dabbler, a rule-breaker (but also a major ruler follower), a go-against-the-grain kinda gal. I don’t want the pressure of making promises that I can’t keep. However, since this space is about feeding my soul, you will definitely find these things here.
FOOD
I love food, like I LOVE food – all food. Raised by parents who loved to garden, cook, and entertain, we ate WELL! No, like really well. At a young age, I learned the significant difference between store-bought produce and homegrown and the importance of fresh ingredients over processed foods. In my early teens, my dad started including me in the kitchen more, teaching me knife techniques and other fundamental cooking basics. When I thought that I wanted to go to culinary school and pursue this passion further, my dad reminded me that sometimes when we turn our passions into our careers, we lose the love we once had. I know, my dad is a wise one. I knew I wanted the foundation on which I was going to build my future family to be established in the same manner that it was created for me. Delicious food made with fresh ingredients, eaten together at the family table.
If you do a quick Google or Pinterest search you can find any recipe that you never knew you wanted. And cookbooks, who even buys cookbooks anymore? (Me!) There is no shortage for recipe inspiration anywhere you look. I don’t want to reinvent the wheel, instead I want to inspire you to cook with intuition. As a working mother of two, I don’t have time to spend every night following an elaborate recipe with a bunch of ingredients that I have to buy and only use once. I need simple, quick, and adaptable recipes that get dinner on the table in under an hour, including prep. My intentions are for the recipes I share to provide you with a foundation of cooking basics that you can customize to your preferences… including my favorite way to be fancy – a charcuterie board!
BOOKS
Reading is my favorite pastime and my biggest selfcare ritual. As a former #bookstagrammer I once applied far too much pressure on myself to read (and buy) an unrealistic number of books each year. Once I gave that up, I was finally able to let my reading preferences change with the seasons. This past summer I almost exclusively read gardening, landscaping, and homesteading books. Sometimes it’s smutty romance that I crave (haters can go hate elsewhere), other times it’s inspiring memoirs or cozy mysteries. I’m a huge proponent of reading what you love… don’t let anyone else tell you what you “should” be reading.
You’ll find a wide variety of book talk around here, and I am always looking for new favorites, so please share your suggestions. In addition, a small group of friends and I have a book club that meets monthly. As we wrap up our 8th year, we’ve not only expanded our reading horizons, but we’ve journeyed through motherhood, marriage, loss, and a global pandemic together. My goal is to keep you updated on what I’ve been reading and include lists of books that might help you find a new favorite too!
LIVING
In early 2021 I watched the documentary Minimalism on Netflix from a friend’s recommendation. When I finished watching it, I immediately told at least five friends and family members that they needed to watch it too. I started getting rid of everything I could… I kept momentum by reading additional books on minimalism (I highly recommend Soulful Simplicity by Courtney Carver) and followed a handful of minimalists on Instagram for additional tips. While I am only at the beginning of my minimalist endeavor (some might even look at my home and say I haven’t even started), I find this way of life to be inviting, peaceful, and less chaotic. I’m learning that minimalism is so much more than physical stuff though. It’s an approach of living with less… less stuff, yes, but also less expectations, less stress, less consumption, less debt and more LIFE. It’s an invitation to simplicity, and that I would like more of!
When the pandemic started, I (like many of you) decided that it was time to begin gardening. I have had many unsuccessful attempts at growing a variety of herbs over the years, but in 2020 I was determined to make it work. I opted for two cherry tomato plants for my daughters to grow. Since we managed to keep them alive (and feed us!) for the entire summer, I went even larger in 2021 by adding a variety of hot peppers and Early Girl tomatoes as well as additional herbs and flowers. Eventually, I’d love to turn my entire front yard into an edible landscape, but we do things in baby steps around here (says my husband, not me).
MUSINGS
Sometimes I just have words in my head that need to get out… and that’s what you might find here.
EVERYDAY BEAUTIFUL
As part of my journey to find joy in the everyday stuff, I want to start memorializing the simple moments. This will challenge me to take more photos (of which I’m terrible at) and hopefully be more present in my life. I’ll include photos from my week, books I’ve been reading, music that I’ve had on repeat, recipes that inspired me, and articles that spoke to me. Maybe this weekly recap will help you find the beauty and joy in your everyday too.
Let’s grow together!
Ashley
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