Beth and Dexter and their tenuous peace accord.

Hi all! My “Small Measures with Ashley” post is up on Design Sponge. This week I share my fetish for all things watermelon. With the insane heat this summer, the fruit was my go-to pregnancy hydrater of choice.

I was up bright and early yesterday morning, out on the road at 6:30 on my way to some fasting blood tests for Nugget (We passed with flying colors! Woo Hoo!). On my way, I drove by a young boy, maybe 12 years old, sitting on a boulder with his backpack on the side of the road. It dawned on me then that he was waiting for the school bus. I certainly don’t remember going to school that early, do you? But then, I’ve moved so far past going to school that many things are undoubtedly tucked into the far recesses of my memory. Well, aside from the dream where I can’t remember my locker combination. Or the one where I miss the bus. Or the one where it’s the first day of school and I can’t find my classes. Hmmm…..

Seeing that young boy reminded me of this White Stripes ditty, so appropriate for this time of year. For all of you returning to school or with loved ones venturing back (my Pop and younger sister Theo are, as I write, en route to Notre Dame, where she’ll be returning for her sophomore year), this goes out to you.

I’ve mentioned on here before my love of baking (in fact, I’m baking right now, making this agave-sweetened banana bread; I tweaked the recipe with the addition of allspice, ground ginger, and dried unsweetened coconut, as well as used coconut oil for both the oil called for in the recipe and for greasing the baking pan). It must run in the family, as my younger sisters both can’t seem to get enough of mixing, stirring, beating, whipping, and pouring either. I possess all manner of baking accoutrement, from a host of pie pans to fancy cupcake liners, from a brulee torch to miniature tart tins. I’ve also got a growing colossus of baking cookbooks. In short, it’s my jam, my gig, my abiding passion.

This goes out to all the local yokels. If you’ve been hankering to learn how to can, now’s your chance! I’m teaching a beginning canning workshop August 28th at Farm Girl 227 Haywood Rd. from 2-4. The cost of the class is $15, which includes materials, instruction, and a take-away jar of whatever we pickle.