Dinner
Oberon-Brined Roast Chicken
A whole chicken brined in Bell's Oberon and fresh thyme, then roasted under a butter-soaked cheesecloth so the meat stays juicy and the skin browns on schedule.
6 hr 5 min · Medium
About
Welcome! I'm Ashley.
By day, I am a UX/UI designer, spending my hours mapping out clean, intentional digital spaces. But on my days off? I leave the screen behind, head to the kitchen, and get my hands dirty.
How This Started
Cooking is my ultimate creative escape from the desk — a place where art, science, and flavor collide.
My serious culinary journey started in 2023, following a major life transition. After undergoing gastric bypass surgery in 2022, I found myself smack dab in the middle of a massive weight loss transformation. Fueled by a new drive for physical activity and lifelong health, I quickly realized I needed to completely evolve the way I approached food.
I discovered that valuing my fitness didn't mean living on bland diet food, and I certainly didn't want boxed meals packed with a million hard-to-pronounce ingredients. I fell completely in love with the challenge of making simple, whole ingredients work for me. For me, good food and a healthy lifestyle go hand-in-hand. To take things to the next level, I started diving into cooking classes, falling head over heels for elevated culinary styles, classic French techniques, and the magic of food science. I love understanding the literal chemistry of what happens in the pan—learning the why behind the flavor.
The Passion for Sourcing Locally
To me, an incredible recipe always starts long before you turn on the stove. My deepest passion lies in the hunt for the perfect ingredients. On my days off, you can almost always find me exploring local orchards, wandering through countryside farm markets, or hunting down fresh, seasonal treasures.
If you live anywhere near Lansing, Michigan, you already know my absolute happy place: Horrocks Farm Market. I buy a massive ton of my ingredients there. Between their incredible, high-quality local produce, the interactive rows of international goods, and the overall experiential vibe, it is a constant source of culinary inspiration.
That dedication to quality goes double for my proteins. None of my meats are ever chain-store-bought. I love incorporating fresh, local beef, pork, and chicken sourced straight from regional farmers who care about how animals are raised. Specifically, I get my pasture-raised meats from Pickard Meats in Hastings, Michigan, and they are custom butchered and processed right down the road in Saranac at Jones Farm Meat Market.
On top of that, the vanilla I use is entirely made from my own custom recipes, aging and developing its own unique flavor profile right in my kitchen.
Because of this, eating at my house is a truly unique, unrepeatable experience from dish to dish. While the recipes on this blog are written to encourage you to create them with whatever great ingredients you have access to, these local, farm-to-fork meats and my signature homemade vanillas are my secret weapons. They are being carefully saved for the ultimate table experience when my physical restaurant opens! It is exactly what will set my food apart.
Two States, One Culinary Dream
Right now, this blog is proudly rooted in Michigan. You'll see a ton of recipes featuring incredible local craft beers alongside exceptional small-batch whiskeys and bourbons sourced from passion-driven distilleries all across the USA.
But while my kitchen is here today, my heart still holds a deep connection to where my story began. I was born and raised in a small town called Seaman, Ohio, and I have a major vision for the future.
One day soon, I plan to return home to Seaman and open a small, local physical restaurant. This blog is the testing ground for that dream! The restaurant will showcase a ton of the recipes you see right here on these pages, evolving and expanding over time. My mission is to build a community staple that works exclusively with fresh, local ingredients, imports some of Michigan's finest craft brews, and fuses it all with worldly cooking methods and sophisticated techniques. I want to bring completely fresh flavor profiles and an exciting culinary attraction to the area I grew up in—something it has truly never experienced before.
I love both Michigan and Ohio, and I refuse to choose just one! My goal is to split my time between both states, bringing great food to both local communities in person while sharing my kitchen adventures with the entire online world through this blog.
Today, my cooking style is all about making food that is incredibly delicious, mostly homemade, and beautifully sophisticated — with my own signature twist. Grab a seat at the table, and let's get cooking!
Coming Soon: Video
I will eventually have a YouTube channel and a Facebook page for GL Whiskey Kitchen. They aren’t ready yet, so they aren’t up. When they launch, the photos will get better and every new recipe will have its own video.
In the meantime, tell me what you want to see cooked next, or get in touch to cook together. I would love that.
Real ingredients, real opinions
As you explore this blog, you are going to notice a few things pop up constantly.
Michigan local craft beers
Home-state pride, and they cook as well as they drink.
Small-batch whiskeys and bourbons
Specialty bottles, used in the glaze as often as in the glass.
My trusted KitchenAid tools
The gear that has earned its counter space.
My promise to you
Nothing here is sponsored.
I don't have any paid partnerships right now. If you see me feature a specific local brew, a private stock bourbon, or a piece of gear, it is strictly because I love it, I use it, and I genuinely believe it is the absolute best tool or flavor for the job.
No one is paying me to say it. What you see is exactly what is in my home kitchen.
Would I work with a brand I already believe in? Gladly — and if that day comes, you will know. Anything sponsored gets labeled plainly, and it still has to earn its place on my counter first.
If you're new
Start with these
- Grilling
Oberon-Brined Smoked Chicken
A whole chicken brined in Bell's Oberon and fresh thyme, then smoked low and slow over fruitwood until the skin goes mahogany.
7 hr 15 min · Medium
- Baking
Strawberry Bourbon Cinnamon Rolls
Soft, gooey cinnamon rolls baked in a pour of heavy cream, then spread with a strawberry bourbon cream cheese icing while they are still warm.
3 hr 45 min · Medium
I hope you find something that inspires your next kitchen adventure.
Whether you're looking to elevate your weekend cooking, move away from processed boxes, or just explore the creative art of a great meal — I'm so glad you're here.