The Best Kentucky-Themed Gifts for Grads and Newlyweds!
When your friends and loved ones are undertaking new beginnings, the best gift is a little piece of home!
It's the season for new beginnings. College and graduate school graduations are wrapping up, high school graduations are just around the corner, and pretty soon, you'll be attending a wedding every weekend. With these wonderful accomplishments come cross-country moves, new starts, and lots of changes. This year, why not send your loved ones out into the world with a little piece of their Old Kentucky Home to remind them of their heritage?
I wear my Maya Brenner Designs Kentucky pendant with everything. Seriously, I go for like a week at a time without taking it off. I love the symbolism of keeping Kentucky close to my heart. This would be a fantastic gift for a recent grad or bride who's moving to a new state, starting a new career, or simply loves the Bluegrass State!
This Hand-Embroidered Kentucky Pillow from UncommonGoods is pretty high on my own must-have list. It's such a gorgeous and unique way to celebrate all of the unique aspects of your home state! I love the way our friend Allison gets a new embroidered state pillow each time she moves for her husband's work. (He's an NFL player, so they've moved a little bit, but Kentucky will always be their home!)
This Richwood Creations "State Silhouette" Cutting Board is almost too pretty to use, but it certainly makes an elegant piece for newlyweds or for the professional school graduate who wants to add a sophisticated flair to a new home.
For most Kentuckians, no matter where we live, the Bluegrass State will always be home. These etched-glass coasters proclaim that sentiment tastefully.
For the graduate who's looking to furnish a new office, a Kentucky-themed clock makes a stylish statement. This one from Green Leaf Art adds a fun and tasteful touch of the Commonwealth to any space.
Here's to new beginnings and celebrating your roots!
Country Ham Balls
Besides bourbon, Kentucky has a great country ham scene, and why not highlight it with this delicious recipe? Not only is it easy and delicious, the meatballs can be made ahead of time then baked when you need them!
country ham balls
Inside showing the country ham and pork sausage!
country ham balls
adapted from Sterling Bits
makes 24-36 balls (depending on how you roll them)
2 pounds local country ham, diced into 1/4 inch pieces
2 pounds local pork sausage
1 1/2 cup bread crumbs
2 local eggs, beaten
2 cups brown sugar
1 1/2 tablespoon mustard
1 cup white wine vinegar
- Mix country ham, sausage, bread crumbs, and eggs together until well combined.
- Roll out meat mixture to golf-ball sized meat balls. At this point, the meatballs can be cooked or frozen for future use.
- When ready to bake, preheat oven to 350.
- Meanwhile, combine brown sugar, mustard, and vinegar in a pot. Boil until rolling and allow to boil for 2 minutes.
- Place meatballs in a 9x13 casserole dish and pour hot sauce over meatballs.
- Bake for 20 minutes, turning balls at least once, or until done.
- Serve.
Jennifer is the chef behind a girl eats world; head over for more Kentucky Proud recipes!
My Kentucky Tee
Review of My Kentucky Tee subscription service.
Have you heard of My Kentucky Tee?
It's a wonderful subscription service that, for $15 a month, sends a fun Kentucky-themed t-shirt straight to your mailbox. When you sign up, you get the 1792 Starter Shirt, a gorgeous, soft heathered charcoal shirt that commemorates the year of the Commonwealth's founding as well as our state motto.
Once you're signed up, you'll also start receiving each month's tee. I was so thrilled to get started in April, because the "Weep No More" shirt is simply stunning.
That's another great benefit of the My Kentucky Tee Service. If you are a subscriber and your friends or family just love a specific shirt, you can check to see if there's an additional shirt available! Just email 1792@mykentuckytee.com with your tee size & the OK to charge your card on file for $15. If you've not subscribed to Tee of the Month, go to www.mykentuckytee.com, sign up & then email them! {Today, April 20, is the last day to order a Weep No More shirt!}
Check out HerKentucky's Instagram later today -- we may just have a surprise for you!
Thanks so much to My Kentucky Tee for commemorating the Commonwealth in such a cool way, and for providing products for review!