Today is a special treat because I am partnering with Flower Patch FarmGirl to bring you this very special review & giveaway. So after you have read my review and entered to win these two fabulous books by Ashley English, head on over to Flower Patch FarmGirl for a real treat!
by Ashley English
Homemade Living Series
Lark Books/Sterling Publishing
ISBN 13: 978-1-60059-490-8 / ISBN 13: 978-1-60059-491-5
Today's lifestyle movements are all about sustainable living, eating local, growing your own, making your own, restoring, recycling and repurposing. I love this Homemade Living series by Ashley English and so will you.
Keeping Chickens:
Thanks to Martha Stewart, I thought owning chickens would be glamourous. Thank goodness I read Ashley English's Keeping Chickens. This book keeps it real. I found the information included in this book to be incredibly resourceful, informative and actually a delight to read. I found myself on several occasions spouting off facts to my husband in amazement (Did you know that cannibalism is common among chickens??). I also loved that in the midst of all the instruction & supply list are these great human interest stories: Portraits of a Chicken Owner.
Today's lifestyle movements are all about sustainable living, eating local, growing your own, making your own, restoring, recycling and repurposing. I love this Homemade Living series by Ashley English and so will you.
Keeping Chickens:
Thanks to Martha Stewart, I thought owning chickens would be glamourous. Thank goodness I read Ashley English's Keeping Chickens. This book keeps it real. I found the information included in this book to be incredibly resourceful, informative and actually a delight to read. I found myself on several occasions spouting off facts to my husband in amazement (Did you know that cannibalism is common among chickens??). I also loved that in the midst of all the instruction & supply list are these great human interest stories: Portraits of a Chicken Owner.
This book covers all details of keeping chickens under these main subject chapters: What to Consider, Selecting a Breed, Obtaining Chickens, Housing, Feeding, Hatching Eggs, Raising Chicks, Health & Wellness, Eggs and Recipes.
I honestly can not say enough about this book and how well written it is. If you are considering chickens then you must read this book!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Canning to me has always been intimidating. I always thought you either needed a degree in chemistry or you needed to be born in the 1920's. I can remember my Grandmother Tucker canning in her small kitchen in Alpharetta, GA. Canning brings back memories and traditions in my mind. I would love to learn canning so that I could preserve my garden all year around. I believe Ashley English is going to help me learn canning with this book.
Ashley has such an easy way to her writing. I honestly believe that nobody writes about homesteading like Ashley. Of course, this book does not disappoint. The book is divided into the following chapters: Why We Can, Tools of the Trade, Canning Concepts, Ingredients, A Jam/Jellies/Preserves Primer, A Pickle/Relish/Chutney Primer, A Whole Fruit/Vegetables Primer and Seasoned Recipes. Again, Ashley adds human interest stories in her Portrait of a Canner, Canning parties and Trouble Shooting.
I honestly believe that this is the only book you need to learn canning - Yes, it is that good.
Both Books: 5 Stars
~GIVEAWAY~
Now for the GIVEAWAY!! Lark Books/Sterling Publishing (Thank You Meaghan) has graciously offered one lucky commenter a copy of Keeping Chickens and Canning & Preserving. How to enter (any of these entries will work):
1. Leave me a comment with your email address. +1
2. Tweet, Facebook or blog about this giveaway. Leave me two comments that you did, no need to leave me the link. Suggested Tweet: (#giveaway #bookreview Keeping Chickens/Canning & Preserving http://bit.ly/b8mrd0 @steringbooks @ashley_english @beachbrights). +2
3. Open to US, No PO Boxes.
4. Contest ends Fri. July 9th.
Resource Links:
Ashley English's Blog
~XOXO~
66 comments:
I've also been intimidated by canning, so this sounds like the perfect book for me!
my addy is streen at gmail dot com
I have not canned for a few years now. I used to can EVERYTHING.
babblebabe0@yahoo.com
City girl trying to learn how to fit in with her inlaws . . . definitely could use help!
I SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO want that Canning book...and since I see us having chickens once we have more than 1/3 of an acre (it's our 4 year plan), I should probably read the chicken book too! :) But my inner farmgirl is dying to start canning! I hope I win!
crunchypenguin (at) gmail [dot] com
Oooh, I love you now. I saw her featured on Design Sponge and have been wanting to get my hands on these books ever since. I want chickens (;
tweeting now (;
I FB'd it, did I mention I like chickens?
I would love to have some chickens. And goats and pigs and-and-and!! Love animals. Especially baby farm ones.
Oh! I am just craving these books. Keeping my fingers crossed that I win!
These books look awesome!
mhfields04@gmail.com
I just started canning and I would love to learn more!
mypatzer@yahoo.com
Awesome! These look great!
carissake@gmail.com
just getting into canning
hannah at hurey dot come
Hello, my infinitely more tech savvy friend. :) Just getting in today and wanted to pop in. It's comical how similar our posts are -- we both summed up each book in pretty much the exact same way. I also really enjoyed the personal profiles scattered through the books. Forgot to mention that, dagnabit!
;)
My chickens would thank you!
My family would thank you!
I will convince my husband we should have chickens. I will, I will, I will. Me please.
dorisandjilly at gmail dot com
REALLY NEED the chicken book!!! I tweeted...
Tweeting the chicken book, again and again...
YOU are featured on MY blog today ---
http://ragtagsf.blogspot.com/
I am still hoping the chicken book, and a half dozen or so birds, are in my future...
sarah@sarahfishburn.com
I feel like I've got the chicken thing down but would *love* to win the canning book!
Shalet@mac.com
What an awesome giveaway! Two things I'm totally interested in the moment two :). I just discovered your blog recently - I just love it!
Thank you. I love to can
kaiminani at gmail dot com
I tweeted
thank you
kaiminani at gmail.com
I tweeted
thank you
kaiminani at gmail.com
2
I've canned but now I'm hearing that a traditional water bath isn't the best/safest way to go so I'm trying to learn more about options/if it is fine/etc. jgerwigdively (at) hotmail (dot) com
I tried canning last summer, but didn't work out so well. This would be a great book!
tweet tweet
http://twitter.com/carriesymes/status/17385002244
I posted a link on Facebook
http://www.facebook.com/CarrieSymes?v=wall&story_fbid=139276779421274
Please??????? :)
Exciting! ap2be at hotmail dot com.
Thanks for the chance to win! I would love to learn more about canning.
Hannah
Just threw it on my facebook. By the way, love the blog. Thanks to my mom, sf, for introducing me to it via her blog.
Very excited about the canning book. Thanks for such a fun giveaway!
Oooh, chickens!
heather.gerety@gmail.com
Tweet tweet, chirp chirp -- tweeted it, too!
https://twitter.com/chickadeescout
Aaaaand FB'd it (Heather Gerety in FC, CO)
Ohh both of these topics really interest me. I hope I win!
annemolino at hotmail dot com
tweet # 1
https://twitter.com/amolino/status/17416987973
tweet # 2
https://twitter.com/amolino/status/17416987973
I would love to win!
Thanks for the giveaway!
jeffintennessee at gmail dot com
FB # 1
http://www.facebook.com/home.php?#!/profile.php?id=1579017172&v=wall&story_fbid=139044319444492
FB # 2
http://www.facebook.com/home.php?#!/profile.php?id=1579017172&v=wall&story_fbid=139044319444492
I would love the chance to win! My husband and I are in the process of building a coop, and I would love the extra info. I am also learning to can, and I think this book would be great! Thanks again!
Thanks for the chance to win ! my chickens thank you,too!!!
Dottie
♥
These books look great! I've been wanting chickens and to be able to can for awhile but have been afraid there was a little too much truth behind the romantic notions I've had. These seem very informative. I will definitely need to check into them further!
Kathy
I tweeted!
Tweeted!
I would love to win these - my hubby wants to get chickens and I want to can and preserve :)
crystalfulcher(at)ec.rr.com
I am in need of both of these books! We are in the process of getting some chickens and I tried canning for the 1st time last year - with 50% success rate! Thanks for the chance.
mooncatfarms (at) yahoo (dot) com
I canned for the first time last summer,,I waited for 2 hrs for the "pop" of lids, and finally "pop" but it was the instant chat on my FB, When I did hear one and knew the sound I could hear it from another room, but I did throw out 30 pints of beets, so I definitely need help! I live in the prairies of ND and have horses etc, but always wanted chickens, but always tentative. I am so looking forward to these two books and am in like with this blog as my little house on the prairie is a beach cottage, with a sign that says Mermaid Crossing. Cheerio off to blog and post, blog and post.
Whoops this is my first contest at 56 and so I forgot to leave my email,drnancythaler404@hotmail.com, I am the Cowgirl Philosopher on the above post. I am going to post a link to BeachBrights on my FB page which is writers, photographers, and gardeners all published so I bet they may know Ms English and you.
Hello. I would like to win this contest and get the book on canning. I did a little when mom was alive, but it would be so much handier to can some of the foods we love.
MzDustyrose09@yahoo.com
I have some red currants that want to become jam, so some pointers would be good.
We moved to a farm this year and have our first garden. My dad and I had a blast tilling and planting a great garden. He went a little crazy, so it's bigger than it should be. I really need that canning book. My favorite part of farm living is having 30 chickens so that book would be helpful too. Thanks for doing this!
Just tweeted about your give away. My email addy is girlonaroof@gmail(dot)com
I linked to your blog on fb too.
I want some chickens.
Oh how I would love a how-to guide, something to finally put all the pieces together for me!
Lulu8887[at]gmail[dot]com
Cool beans! I would love both these books. I have been thinking about raising chickens as a good way to teach responsibility to my kids! And I really need to work on my canning skillz!
I would love to learn how to can!
erobison09@gmail.com
I tweeted
http://twitter.com/erobison09/status/17835499827
erobison09@gmail.com
#1
I tweeted
http://twitter.com/erobison09/status/17835499827
erobison09@gmail.com
#2
I've thought about what it would be like to raise chickens, although I don't think it's legal where I live. The idea of canning IS intimidating to me. I don't want to poison my whole family!
Count me in for the giveaway. My email address is in my profile. Thanks for your review and the chance to win!
I would love the canning book. I want to do more canning. I think it would be fun to do with the kids.
email: geddisgreet@yahoo.com
What a fun giveaway and what interesting books-I like the thought of canning.
chocolate and croissants at yahoo . com
Not entering the giveaway. Great reviews of both books. I remember the warmth of the chicken poop between my toes when I stayed with my grandmother the whole summer I was 10. But one comment: ewwww, cannibalism?!
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