Hey, There!
I'm Ashley.

Hey y’all and welcome to Pink Owl Kitchen! I’m Ashley, a girl who loves being in the kitchen and bringing people together with delicious food.

A true southern girl, I was born and raised in Jackson, MS and now reside right outside of Memphis, TN. I am extremely proud of my southern heritage and it has a huge influence on the recipes you will find here. From collard greens, to catfish, to buttermilk biscuits and everything in between - expect a good dose of Southern cuisine with a side of hospitality here at Pink Owl!

I consider myself a free spirit and can’t stand the thought of being caged or not being allowed to express myself. All I can think of right now is the line from the movie, The Other Guys, where Mark Wahlberg says “I’m a peacock – you gotta let me fly!”. I get lost in creating when I'm in the kitchen and let my imagination run wild.

What Drives Me

I didn’t grow up cooking with my parents or grandparents. I didn’t have recipes passed down through generations to test out when I felt I was ready. I actually didn’t even know that I liked to be in the kitchen as a girl. I had a troubled childhood and my family moved around a lot.

We were poor and didn’t have much to eat most of the time. Because of this, I don't take food or being able to feed my family for granted. There are so many families out there who aren't able to put food on the table.

It wasn’t until I moved out of my parents’ home at age 18 that I began to get in the kitchen more and discover my love and passion for cooking. I’ve since discovered that I gain so much joy from creating delicious meals that bring my loved ones together. 

I have a wonderful husband of almost five years and this guy has a HUGE family, which is something I definitely wasn’t used to in the beginning! Once I became comfortable with having so many people around – so many birthdays, graduations, baby showers, weddings and celebrations of all kinds going on all the time, things kind of just started to fall into place for me.

I began sharing my food with my new, very large family and when I saw how much everyone enjoyed it and how it brought so many together, I thought maybe I should share this thing I’ve got going on with people all over!

I am overjoyed and filled with excitement as I bring you along this journey with me! Grab a cup of coffee, settle in and take a look around. I hope you love what you find here at Pink Owl Kitchen!