Lexington Women Chefs "Women in World Cuisine" Dinner
I recently heard about a really cool event that's happening tomorrow night in Lexington, y'all.
The Lexington Women Chefs "Women in World Cuisine" Dinner consists of six courses, each prepared by a local female chef. The event promises an array of world cuisine, with a portion of each $50 ticket benefitting the
Children's Advocacy Center of the Bluegrass
, a nonprofit organization dedicated to reducing the trauma experienced by child victims of sexual abuse.
How fun is that? Good food, cooked by talented local female chefs, and raising funds for an incredibly important cause!
The dinner will be held tomorrow night, Tuesday July 22nd, at 6 p.m. at
, located at 841 Lane Allen Road. For reservations, call 859-797-8461.
Follow Your Dreams Friday: 5 Questions with Miss Kentucky 2013 Jenna Day
Miss Kentucky 2013 Jenna Day did a fantastic job of representing our state this year! The beautiful, talented, and down-to-earth Louisville native and UK student has been an amazing ambassador for the Bluegrass State this year, and we can't wait to see what she does next!
HK:Tell us a little about yourself.
JD:
My name is Jenna Day. I am originally from Louisville Kentucky, but I moved to Lexington to attend the University of Kentucky. There I am a political science major and will begin my senior year this fall. A year ago I was crowned Miss Kentucky 2013 and I have taken a sabbatical from school to work for The Kentucky Department of Agriculture’s “Kentucky Proud” campaign, During my year I was able to make hundreds of appearances, talk to over 60,000 students, and countless individuals. This past weekend I crowned the new Miss Kentucky who will continue on where I have left off, encouraging young people to buy local and create a healthier life for themselves.
HK: When did you first set your sights on the Miss Kentucky crown?
JD:
I had dreamt about the title of Miss Kentucky for a long time. In fact all of the women in my family competed for the title. My mother completed when she was young, my older sister competed, I even have an aunt who competed. When I became old enough, I decided to follow in their footsteps. However, it was never about the crown. It was always about the lives I could reach with the job.
HK: What is it like to hear your name being announced as the new Miss Kentucky?
JD:
There is no other feeling like it. Years of hard work pay off. I still feel so unbelievably blessed to have had this opportunity.
Jenna dons the Miss Kentucky crown for the last time before the 2014 pageant.
HK: What’s next for you?
JD:
I will be finishing my degree at the University of Kentucky, continuing some of my advocacy projects, and praying that the Lord will direct my paths. Additionally I will be starting my own communications consulting business, because I believe in helping young women find their voice and establish their own leadership style. What is most exciting about living this dream and passing on the title of Miss Kentucky is that now I get to go and find a new dream.
HK: What advice do you have for girls who dream of becoming Miss Kentucky?
JD:
Get involved, start attending some prelims to learn the ropes, and then dive in. Just remember, the most important thing is to be yourself.
The Wisdom of Dr. Gonzo
Today is the anniversary of Hunter S. Thompson's birth.
In honor of the weird and often wonderful writer and Louisville native, here are a few of my favorite nuggets of his Gonzo wisdom.
- Good news is rare these days, and every glittering ounce of it should be cherished and hoarded and worshipped and fondled like a priceless diamond.
- The writer must be a participant in the scene... like a film director who writes his own scripts, does his own camera work, and somehow manages to film himself in action, as the protagonist or at least the main character.
- Democracy as a system has evolved into something that Thomas Jefferson didn't anticipate.
- As long as I'm learning something, I figure I'm OK - it's a decent day.
Have a weird, wild, and wonderful weekend, y'all. It's what Dr. Thompson would do.
Succulent Gardening Event at Louisville Stoneware
You know how it is when you find out that someone is a collector? Suddenly, it's really easy to buy them a present: you just buy something in the motif or pattern or brand or team that they collect.
I've been collecting Louisville Stoneware since college, and I've gotten some pretty cool presents that way. From the very first piece of Stoneware I was ever given (a hot brown plate) to the most recent (a julep cup), they've all been special because someone took the time to remember that I love this uniquely "Kentucky" pottery.
One such gift has been sitting around for a bit, waiting for the perfect home. It's an older, round casserole bowl whose lid has long since vanished. My aunt, who happens to be a master antiquer, knew that I'd just love it.
Of course, I did! I recognized the piece straight away as "Vintage"; a holdover pattern from Stoneware's days as the John B. Taylor Company. I knew I wanted to do something special with this piece, and so waited and waited for inspiration to strike...
And now it has!
This afternoon, Stoneware is hosting a Succulent Gardening event with Three Toads Farm
as part of their Third Thursday Lifestyle Series. This free event will be catered by Maison and will provide tips on planting and care of succulent plants. I can't wait to get some tips on how to transform my thoughtful gift into a unique decoration.
The Succulent Gardening Event will be held from 5 pm to 7 pm tonight at LouisvilleStoneware's studio at 713 Brent Street. I hope to see you there!
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Celebrate the Sweet Life with the American Cancer Society!
Next Tuesday, July 22nd, the American Cancer Society will host their annual "Celebrate the Sweet Life" dessert tasting event benefitting Making Strides Against Breast Cancer. The event will be held at the Mellwood Arts Center from 6:30pm to 9 pm.
The event will include assorted desserts, dancing, music, a silent auction and “sweet boxes” containing mystery items and gift certificates.
A fun night that mixes desserts with raising money for breast cancer research? It can't get any better than that, right?
Well, yes it can! Our friends at the American Cancer Society are offering ten lucky HerKentucky readers a pair of tickets (one ticket each for you and a guest; $50 value) to the event! You can win by entering below.
HerKentucky's Search for the Perfect Scoop: Three Dog Bakery
July is National Ice Cream Month and HerKentucky is searching for the perfect scoop. We're testing recipes, visiting our favorite ice cream parlors, and, in general, enjoying the summer's best desserts.
I decided that the humans in my house shouldn't have all the taste-testing fun, so I stopped by Three Dog Bakery in Louisville's Chenoweth Square for some frozen treats for my dogs. Of course, ice cream contains a lot of ingredients that can upset a pup's stomach. Three Dog does an amazing job of formulating treats that are safe for dogs. Max and Sophie have certainly always expressed the opinion that everything on the menu at Three Dog is delicious as well!
We set up a little backyard picnic to sample Lickety-Split, Three Dog's frozen treat. My dogs love anything peanut butter-flavored, so it was a safe assumption that they'd be down for this treat. They were pretty pumped to try it out.
They heartily approved of their treat!
Max loves his "ice cream" treat!
If you're looking for a great summertime treat for your pup, Max and Sophie recommend Three Dog Bakery! The staff is friendly to dogs and humans alike and the treats are all-natural and, from what I gather, delicious.
Sophie says "Go visit Blue Dog Bakery!!"
HerKentucky's Search for the Perfect Scoop: Crank & Boom (Guest Post from Jennifer of A Girl Eats World}
Hey everyone!
I'm Jennifer, the mad-woman behind a girl eats world, who is bringing the world to your kitchen table one recipe at a time. I love and adore this beautiful state of Kentucky and all she has to offer. I use local ingredients especially in the summer when the farmer's markets are open! Using those KY ingredients for international cuisines is pretty perfect in my world!
For National Ice Cream Month, I decided to check out a local ice creamery that popped up at the Farmer's Market over the last year or so. Its name is Crank and Boom. The owner, Toa Green, is the daughter of another famous Lexington restaurant couple (Taste of Thai which I have been eyeballing for a while to try out), and she grew up here in the beautiful Bluegrass state!
I try to be VERY picky about what I eat. I rarely buy anything pre-made or pre-packaged from the store to avoid preservatives and other unnatural chemicals added to food. That is a HUGE reason I was so drawn to this ice cream. Crank and Boom makes their ice cream with simple ingredients--milk, cream, sugar, and other natural flavorings. No preservatives! You do pay for it in the price ($8 at farmer's market or $9.27 at Hamburg Liquor Barn), but I am a firm believer in quality over quantity (and supporting locals!). I selected five flavors to test: chocolate fudge brownie, dark chocolate truffle, vanilla, coffee stout, and blackberry and buttermilk. I also tried the bourbon honey and at the farmer's market (they didn't have pints for sale when I went to the store!).
Now on to what you are here for--the review!
{The hubby and I had a blast trying these out!}
Coffee Stout
--A spoonful of this is like taking a shot of espresso! WOW!!! I've had coffee flavored ice cream before, and this ice cream blew them out of the water. If you love coffee, this is definitely one for you. My mom also loved this the best, and she loves herself a great cup of coffee!
Dark Chocolate Truffle-
-Being a chocolate lover, I found this chocolate ice cream delicious! It has a ribbon of chocolate throughout that is crunchy when you bite into it making it an extra little chocolate surprise.
KY Blackberry and Buttermilk
--Although this sounds completely strange, it was fantastic! This ice cream has sweetness from the blackberries but tang from the buttermilk. It's light and refreshing which I prefer in my desserts!
Bourbon and Honey
-- WOW! This has a definite bourbon kick with none of the alcohol effects. Crank and Boom use Buffalo Trace bourbon in this delicious ice cream! It's got the hint of bourbon with the sweetness of honey, and I can't lie when I say I bought peaches just to grill them and have them with this ice cream (it was FABULOUS if you are wondering!)!!!
Vanilla Bean
--My philosophy is that if you can't get the basics right, then there is little hope for the rest of the line. This vanilla was the perfect vanilla--light and refreshing with just a slight sweetness.
Chocolate Fudge Brownie-
-Its flavor is only slightly chocolatey compared with the dark chocolate truffle. In its defense, it's made with milk chocolate not dark chocolate. After further digging (more than the picture above) the brownie bits did make up for the lack in chocolate flavor. The hubby said that maybe we got the last of a batch or something.
The hubby and I ranked them according to our preferences, and the results are below:
Hubby
- Coffee Stout
- Dark Chocolate Truffle
- Bourbon and Honey
- KY Blackberry and Buttermilk
- Vanilla Bean
- Chocolate Fudge Brownie
Mine
- KY Blackberry and Buttermilk/Bourbon and Honey
- The rest--what can I say? I LOVE ICE CREAM!!!!! Sometimes I'm in a dark chocolate mood and others a vanilla mood--as long as it's good ice cream, I don't care!
Overall, I would highly recommend this ice cream company to my fellow Lexington dwellers! For me, a few bites satisfied because the flavor is so intense and delicious. I can't wait to try some of their other flavors like coconut and strawberry! It'll be my ice cream of choice from now on!