Keeneland Fun with Scout and Molly's and CRU

French Connection wrap dress c/o Scout & Molly's. Photos by Sarah Caton of Space, Place & Southern Grace.

{This post is sponsored by The Summit at Fritz Farm. All opinions are my own. As always, thanks to The Summit at Fritz Farm and all the sponsors who keep HerKentucky running. This post may also contain affiliate links; HerKentucky may receive a small per-click commission on product links, at no cost to the reader.}

I try to spend as much of April in Lexington as possible. Lexington is absolutely beautiful in the spring, and Keeneland's Spring Meet is my absolute favorite event of the year! I also find myself finding any excuse I can think of to visit The Summit at Fritz Farm.  It just provides such a wonderful shopping experience. The vibe is so much more fun than most shopping centers! A visit to the Summit just always feels so relaxed and friendly! 

I recently visited Scout & Molly's at the Summit to pick out a dress for the upcoming Keeneland Spring Meet. The owner, Terri, helped me find this gorgeous French Connection wrap dress. It was just the right combination of comfort and sophistication for a day at the track. I love the little peach druzy necklace and ivory faux-leather earrings (both available at Scout & Molly's) that we chose to complete the look. I seldom opt for statement jewelry, so I felt extra-fancy and dressed-up with these pieces! This would be such a fun look for the Keeneland Clubhouse or one of the dining rooms! 

Once I'd picked out my dress, I stopped by CRU Food & Wine Bar for some small plates and a glass of wine. Y'all, this place was so lovely! It would be such a fun spot for dinner and drinks after the races! The vibe was casual chic, the wine selection was great, and the food was perfect for sharing!

I especially loved this leather envelope clutch by local designer Raya Stern of Grey Designs, also available at Scout & Molly's!

These lobster and shrimp pot stickers were so zesty and delicious! 

And you know what they say: you had me at Bordeaux. (Well, at least I say that...)

Thanks so much to the Summit, Scout & Molly's, and CRU for inviting me out to get race day-ready, and thanks to Sarah Caton for the amazing photos!! I hope to see y'all at The Summit at Fritz Farm -- and at Keeneland -- soon!

Go Big Blueberry-Lemon Brie En Croute!

Brie en Croute with Fond Originals Blueberry Lemon Jam. Stoneware & Co Hot Brown Plate, Pomegranate Inc UK Collage napkins.

If y'all are like me, you're counting the minutes until tonight's UK basketball game. It's the best time of the year and the 'Cats have been playing so well. You need a snack that's a little more sophisticated than hot wings or chips and dip. Well, here's the perfect treat -- it's quick and easy and so, so delicious!

You only need three ingredients: a wheel of brie, a sheet of puff pastry, and a jar of Fond Originals Blueberry Lemon Jam. Y'all, this stuff is so, so good. When Chef Madeline Dee, owner and executive chef at Fond, offered to send me a jar to try, I was so excited! Chef Madeline's tiny Frankfort Avenue bistro is already booked until after Derby! She must be doing something right! Just cover the brie in the jam, add to a defrosted sheet of puff pastry, and bake at 425 until golden brown. It's the perfect accompaniment to your March Madness enjoyment!

Chicken and Sausage Gumbo

Today is National Gumbo Day. That might be the best holiday I can think of for football season, chilly evenings and, well... any autumn day! I made a big batch of chicken and sausage gumbo last night. I love this recipe because it can be as easy or as elaborate as you'd like it!

Chicken and Sausage Gumbo

• 2-3 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs
• 2 bone-in, skin-on chicken breasts
• 8 links andouille sausage, sliced
• 2 bell peppers, diced
• 3 ribs celery, diced
• 1 white onion, diced
• 1 bag frozen 
• 2-3 cloves of garlic, mashed
• 1 bay leaf
• Cajun seasoning
• salt and pepper
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 2 tablespoons flour
• Louisiana hot sauce
• chicken stock (recipe below or use one box of stock with additional water as needed)
• 2 cups dry rice

If making own stock:

• Skin, drippings, and bones from cooked chicken
• 2-3 garlic cloves, mashed
• 1 white onion, sliced in half
• 4 ribs celery, including tops and leaves
• 2 carrots
• 8-10 cups water

1.  Place chicken breasts and thighs in glass cooking dishes. Bake on 425 until skin is golden brown and meat is cooked through, about 35 minutes. (Breasts will take longer to cook than thighs.)
2. Allow chicken to cool somewhat, peel skin and remove large bones that can be easily separated. Place chicken in stand mixer with paddle attachment and blend on medium low speed until chicken is shredded. Pick through for any remaining bones.
3. If you're making your own stock, add all stock ingredients to a large stockpot, bring to a rolling boil, then allow to simmer for 1 - 1.5 hours. Strain and skim fat from top.
4. In Dutch oven, brown sausage in olive oil on medium-high. Remove meat and set aside, leaving fat in the Dutch oven. Add butter and allow to melt on medium-high heat.
5. Make a roux by reducing heat to medium-low and adding flour to the fat mixture. Stir constantly until the mixture is the color of milk chocolate. (If your roux burns, throw the mixture away and start it over with butter and olive oil and flour!)
6. Add onions, bell peppers, celery, garlic, onion, and okra to the roux mixture; saute until vegetables are tender and onions are translucent.
7. Add reserved meats (chicken and sausage) to mixture and cover the mixture with chicken stock (homemade or purchased). Bring to a boil, then let simmer for 2-3 hours, seasoning with Cajun seasoning, bay leaf, and and hot sauce to taste.
8. About twenty minutes before serving, prepare rice according to directions on package. 
9. Serve gumbo over a heaping scoop of rice.

Happy Gumbo Day, y'all!!! 

Pumpkin-Peanut Butter Dog Treats and the Draper James #BeKindYall Challenge!

These cookies are Sophie-certified

The recipe I'm most frequently asked to share is for my homemade dog treats. They're full of pumpkin and peanut butter, and dogs go crazy for them!  I adapted the recipe from this one to make a double batch and amp up the pumpkin and PB goodness. This morning, I decided to bake a batch for my own dog, and to share with my friends' dogs. My friend Ashley just adopted a precious senior beagle from the Kentucky Humane Society (that story is coming soon!) and Cathy's Willie is recovering from severe leg injuries. Since our crazy dog lady crew has eight dogs among the three of us, it seemed like a great time to make a big batch of dog treats! Here's the recipe for you to print out for yourself! (Just make sure your friends' dogs can tolerate wheat! It's a pretty common allergy!)

View recipe on Kulinarian.com

It just happened that, as these treats were cooling this morning, my Draper JamesBe Kind, Y'all tote bag arrived, along with the #bekindyall challenge card. I love this idea: simple ways that you can make someone's day a little better. You'll notice that I may have edited my challenge just a bit! 

I have to say that this challenge has inspired me to find more ways to do small everyday things to be kind to others. I plan to use this tote to carry donations to the food bank donation bin at my local grocery store and dog toys to my humane society. I also plan to keep out some notecards to drop notes to friends more frequently. Thanks so much to Draper James for the important reminder to be kinder! (Click here for $20 off your next Draper James online order!)

How do y'all plan to be kind today?

A Summer Evening with Woodford Reserve and Ben Sollee

A couple of weeks ago, my lovely friend Elizabeth McCall, Master Taster at Woodford Reserve, invited a group of our friends to visit the Distillery for a lovely summer evening of food, drinks, and music. It was the perfect Kentucky summer evening!

We started with a tour of the Distillery, where we learned about the grains -- corn, rye, and malted barley -- that go into the Woodford Reserve mash bill. We also learned a little about the yeast fermentation process, the distillation, and the maturation in charred barrels. One of my favorite things about distillery tours is the way that a very standardized process varies in small ways -- grain varietals, yeast recipes, wood type -- to produce very different bourbons. I always learn a little something new, even at distilleries I've visited before. This time, Elizabeth explained the barley-malting process to me!

Another fun fact I learned on this tour is that while we typically assume that all Kentucky bourbon stills were produced by Louisville-based Vendome Copper & Brass Works, the iconic triple stills at Woodford Reserve were actually produced by Scotland's Forsyths of Rothes, the company that produces stills for many famous Scotch whiskeys. The Woodford Reserve stills had recently been shined up and were extra-pretty for our tour!

There's nothing like a trip through a rickhouse. Getting a whiff of the "angel's share" just never gets old! 

We then sat down to an amazing dinner prepared by Woodford Reserve chef de cuisine Nat Henton who is, in the words of Ouita Michel, Woodford's chef in residence, "one hell of a chef." The four course meal didn't disappoint. Shrimp and grits made a perfect appetizer, while the greek salad with local heirloom tomatoes and a Woodford Rye-infused salad dressing was amazing. The main course was osso bucco with a Woodford Reserve jus and, in the most creative and tongue-in-cheek touch, a Woodford Reserve Mash Bill risotto! We finished with a dessert of Midway Bakery Lemon Love, a light and delicious lemon curd pie. The entire evening was paired with cocktail and wine selections -- very well-timed and moderated for responsible enjoyment and flavor enhancement! After the event, Elizabeth introduced our group to Chef Nat; he was so cool and humble, and we learned that his family farm is on the road to Woodford Reserve!

One of the coolest touches of the evening was that Kentucky native singer-songwriter-cellist Ben Sollee provided music for the event. Ben actually had dinner at our table. It was so wonderful to talk with Ben, he's so funny and personable and knowledgeable. We had a really great conversation about the problematic origins of My Old Kentucky Home, and how the song has evolved. I may have embarrassed a couple of my dining companions by asking Ben what holler his family is originally from; turns out that his roots are in Whitley County's hollers!

As Ben played our state song, I sipped on our after-dinner drink, Woodford Reserve Double-Oaked, and thought of my own Kentucky Home in the hollers of Floyd County. I thought of my grandfather, who played old-timey mountain music on a Martin guitar. Maybe I just had my grandpa, who always kept those little yellow butterscotch candies around, on my mind, or maybe the temperature hit the whiskey differently. Whatever the reason, I pulled a really strong butterscotch note for the very first time on the Double-Oaked, a bourbon I've tried several times before. It was truly a perfect Kentucky evening!