Win All of Ashley English’s “Homemade Living” Books In This Giveaway!

Do you know my friend Ashley English? She of the Small Measure blog, author of five (soon to be seven!) books, forest dweller, beekeeper, chicken mama, and hippie homemaker after my own heart. If there ever was a face for the homemade movement, Ashley English should be it. After all, she churned out a stack…

Linda Ly

Written by Linda Ly

Homemade Living book series

Do you know my friend Ashley English? She of the Small Measure blog, author of five (soon to be seven!) books, forest dweller, beekeeper, chicken mama, and hippie homemaker after my own heart. If there ever was a face for the homemade movement, Ashley English should be it. After all, she churned out a stack of some of the best beginner books on the subject: Canning & Preserving, Home Dairy, Keeping Chickens, and Keeping Bees, all of which are part of the “Homemade Living” series by Lark Books.

I finally had a chance to thumb through her books a couple weeks ago and found them full of useful info for anyone aspiring to a more self-sufficient life, indoors or out. If that “anyone” might be you, here’s your chance to win the whole series!

Ashley’s books serve as great getting-started guides, interspersing how-to sections with simple recipes and profiles of local homesteaders. She shares a lot of her own personal experiences in each of these subjects, and writes in a tone that’s personable and easy to read.

Local profile

Hive maintenance

Even if you don’t know the first thing about honey-harvesting (or cheese-making or chicken-feeding), you’ll be led through the process painlessly with plenty of pictures and instructions to reference. I don’t keep bees or make dairy at home (yet), but reading about them makes me want to add to my own homesteading skills. Who knows, maybe next year?!

A few of my favorite things from her books: seasonal checklist for maintaining your beehive, complete plans for building a chicken tractor, step-by-step instructions for both beginner cheeses and advanced cheeses (homemade gorgonzola aged for four months? … one can only dream!), and all the luscious photographs of vegetables and fruits, jellies and pickles (home-canned goods are eye candy to me).

Chicken tractor plans

Jams and jellies

Just in time for Christmas, I have all four books boxed up and ready for shipment to one lucky reader! And, they are all signed by Ashley herself! Whether you want to give them as gifts or keep them for yourself, they’re a thoughtful addition to any bookshelf. One winner will receive the complete “Homemade Living” series, with each book signed by the author (a $70 total value).

How to enter: Leave a comment below and tell me which of the homemade crafts (chicken-keeping, beekeeping, canning, or dairy-making) you’re most interested in learning or improving in the new year. To receive an additional entry, follow @theGardenBetty on Twitter, and leave a second comment below indicating your Twitter username. You have two chances to win!

The giveaway will end at 11:59 PM Pacific Standard Time on Friday, December 13, 2013. Winner will be drawn at random and announced the following week. Good luck!

Giveaway Rules

  1. Giveaway begins December 9, 2013 and ends December 13, 2013.
  2. No purchase is necessary. To enter, leave a comment on this blog post.
  3. Only US residents ages 18 and older are eligible to enter.
  4. Two entries allowed per person.
  5. Odds of winning are based on number of entries received.
  6. Winner will be drawn at random.
  7. If winner does not respond within 48 hours after time of contact, that entry will be forfeited and a new winner will be drawn.

Lark Books is providing the books for this giveaway. No compensation was received for this post.

Update: A big thanks to everyone who entered!
This giveaway is now closed. The winner is Laurie from Texas.

Linda Ly

I'm a plant lover, passionate road-tripper, and cookbook author whose expert advice and bestselling books have been featured in Time, Outside, HGTV, and Food & Wine. The National Parks Cookbook is my latest book. Garden Betty is where I write about modern homesteading, farm-to-table cooking, and outdoor adventuring—all that encompass a life well-lived outdoors. After all, the secret to a good life is... Read more »

117 Comments

    1. Oops! Forgot to include what I’m interested in. I have two chickens and need to learn more … but especially want to learn more about canning! Made my first raspberry jam last summer. Thanks!

  2. I love her books! I’ve been checking them out from the library – they are chock full of information! This next year I really want to improve my canning/food preservation skills.

  8. All the books look interesting and I do want to keep bees and chickens someday (illegal where I currently live). So, for now, the canning book would be my choice as I’ve bought all the equipment and done some waterbath canning. The pressure canner is still sitting in its box staring at me intimidatingly…

  9. I would love the books, especially the chickens, I only have 3 right now, but would love to enlarge! Thanks for the give away…pick me 🙂

  10. All sound so helpful and interesting! I would love to learn more about my hens, but canning is something I want to be able to do as well! Thanks for having a contest on your lovely blog!

  11. I would LOVE to learn how to keep a small bee hive in my garden: to help with pollination, to have honey, and to use beeswax for candles!

  12. I would love to learn how to keep Bees!! And chickens! I just bought my first house and these are my new years resolutions! 🙂

  13. What a great gift to win! I’m ready to devour all four, but definitely need to learn more about my backyard girls, and would like to dabble in dairy a bit. Thanks for the chance to win the gift set Betty, and thanks for a great blog. I always look forward to what you’ll post next.

  14. What an amazing set of books! I’m planning on beginning chicken keeping next year and I know I need to learn more! Hopefully though, I’ll have the space to begin dabbling in bee keeping, goats, and more concerted gardening so ALL of those books will be put to good use!

  15. Bee-keeping fascinates me and I want to promote these incredible creatures here on our plot of earth. We need the bees to survive, and by creating a good environment for them, our community will be enhanced! Thank you for your information sharing! 🙂

  16. I’ve been canning all summer long and look forward to canning more! I could use advise on jams/ jellies, particularly about pectins and how to make low sugar recipes.

  17. I’m really getting into canning again after years away from it. I think I need to update my skills this year.

  18. I’m getting more and more “back to the earth” and I would love to win the books! By the way….I read all of your posts and love your writing, subjects, pictures, adventures………

  19. I am new to canning and have become obsessed with it. I want to jam and jelly everything!

  20. I am most interested in “Keeping Chickens” I have had my girls for 6 months but am always eager to learn more. Another one I am also interested in is the “Home Dairy”. My husband and I are looking into possibility getting a couple of goats in 2014 and that book would really come in handy.

  21. We will be getting our first chickens in January so that book would be super helpful. Love your blog and thank you for the chance to win these great books.

  22. I am planning on getting chickens in the spring. I would love the book on raising chickens. 🙂

  23. I’ve already started canning but I would love to learn more tricks and tips on the art form for sure and beekeeping has always been a secret fantasy I’ve dreamed about. Great giveaway! Thanks for the chance to win.

    -Kindra R.
    seehorce (at) yahoo (dot) com

  24. I would love to give these books to my son. He’s 27 and moving soon into his own home from an apartment. He would love to have chickens and the others would be lagniappe!

  26. Keeping chickens is at the top of my list but next would be bee keeping… I’m totally fascinated with these books!!! 🙂

  27. These books look great! I started canning this year but would love to expand on that in the coming years. Also cannot wait to get some chickens! Thanks for the post.

  28. Beekeeping is the only homesteading skill on this list that I haven’t tried yet, so I’d love to learn more.

  29. Bees, bees, bees! I’ve had a hive for a season now and they are still with me but barely! These books would crank it up a notch or two! Please help my bees!

  31. I’m super interested about dairy making. We’ve started making yogurt, and would like to get into more dairy!

  32. I’ve heard about Ashley English for a long time, but have not yet read any of her books. Thanks for the peeks at what looks like fun reads. I’d love to learn more about dairy-making and would love to start my adventure with her. Thanks for the offer! Happy Holidays to you, Linda!

  34. I’m already canning up a storm – so beekeeping is the next adventure that has caught my fancy.

Comments are closed.