Snow Day Shrimp and Grits Casserole
Easy shrimp and grits casserole recipe
Max and Sophie's Snow Day!
Yesterday morning, we awoke to a whole lot of snow here in Louisville, and heard stories of far greater snowfall across the Commonwealth. As adults, we don't get to enjoy "Snow Days" quite as much as kids do. There isn't the same thrill of getting an unexpected day off -- in fact, my beau and I both worked from home. We did take some time out to enjoy our dogs' glee (a snowy yard is like Disney World for Labrador Retrievers!), and I made a shrimp and grits casserole worthy of a special day. The recipe I used was for a double batch, but it could be easily cut in half.
- 3 cups milk
- 3 cup chicken broth
- 1 two-pound bag Weisenberger Mills grits
- 8 oz shredded cheddar cheese
- 1 lemon, juiced
- 2 pounds peeled and deveined medium shrimp, coarsely chopped
- 6 slices thick cut bacon, cut into lardons
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 5-6 green onions, chopped
- 1 red bell pepper, diced
- 4 tablespoons Cajun seasoning
- Olive oil
- Kosher salt
- Freshly cracked black pepper
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
- Drizzle oil in bottom of dutch oven; put on medium-high burner. Add bacon pieces, turning occasionally, until browned. Toss shrimp in 1 tablespoon of cajun seasoning and add to dutch oven. Cook about 90 seconds on each side or until pink. Remove from heat to avoid further cooking.
- While bacon is browning, combine milk and broth in saucepan and bring to a boil. Add grits and garlic to pan. Stir constantly, cooking about 5 minutes or until thickened. Remove from heat. Stir in shrimp, bacon, and cheese. Add vegetables and remaining Cajun seasoning, salt, and pepper to taste.
- Pour into greased 11 x 15" baking dish coated with cooking spray. Bake at 375 for 25 minutes or until set.
So, What Do You Wear to a Barre Class?
Finding the perfect outfit to maximize barre fitness class results!
It's B.Fit February here at HerKentucky. I'm rehabbing a back injury with lots of help from the amazing team at B.You Fitness. I've also teamed up with B.You to let y'all know a little more about barre fitness classes and their amazing results. Last week, we did a basic rundown of the exercises you could expect to do in a barre class. Today, we'll discuss what to wear.
So, here's the biggest difference between barre class and any other class you've attended: you'll need special socks. Of course, you wear trainers to most "traditional" fitness classes and bare feet to yoga or Pilates. The poses you'll do in barre class require special, non-skid socks which are available for purchase at the studio. It works well to wear slip-on shoes (Ugg-style boots work well!) to make things easier.
As for clothing, you'll want to go with leggings, tank tops, or other close-fitting exercise garments. These allow a free range of movement and give your instructors a better idea of your form so they can easily make arrangements. B.You has a wide selection of clothing available for sale in each of their studios, and they can help you find a great workout outfit!
Of course, don't forget that you'll be inverted at times and moving around a lot, so you'll probably want to grab a hairband or ponytail holder to keep your hair pulled back.
Finally, remember to hydrate! Bring a water bottle with you to class; I promise you'll need it!!
Please join me throughout as I embark on a journey of fitness at b.you. I'll be posting every Monday to let you know how the classes are going, and you can keep up along the way on HerKentucky's Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. Follow b.you on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram as well!
I hope to see y'all at b.you soon! They have two convenient locations here in Louisville: one in St. Matthews and one in Springhurst!
{This post is brought to you by b.you Fitness!}
Five Unique Ways to Celebrate Valentine's Day in Kentucky
Celebrate St. Valentine's Day with some Kentucky Favorites!
Love is in the air, y'all! Valentine's Day is tomorrow, and there are ways to celebrate within every budget. I've seriously seen advertisements here in Louisville for everything from a $300 prix fixe menu to a reservation-only dinner at the White Castle. This year, I'm seriously thinking about getting takeout from Feast BBQ in NuLu (Have y'all been there yet? It is seriously SOOO good) or a tray of chicken strips from Chick-fil-a. I'd far rather have a conversation, a nice meal, and maybe a glass of wine with my beau than fight the crowds.
Here are some other unique, off-beat, and thoroughly Kentucky-themed ways to celebrate St. Valentine and your loved one. I hope you have a great weekend filled with love and happiness!
Sundy Best Concerts: These are both sold out, but if you're lucky enough to come across a ticket, don't miss Floyd County's favorite country-rock duo live at Lexington Opera House (tonight) or the Mountain Arts Center (tomorrow). I've said it many times here on HerKentucky, but my hometown is so proud of these boys!
Nanz and Kraft/ Four Roses Flower Hour: Louisville's perennial florist (see what I did there?) and Lawrenceburg's traditional distiller team up to celebrate Roses (see what they did there?), bourbon, and love. For a $10 minimum donation to the American Heart Association, you can enjoy small bites, bourbon, and a visit with Four Roses' Master Distiller.
Visit the Louisville Stoneware Showroom: Have you been to Stoneware lately? I stopped in earlier this week to pick up a present, and it was all I could do to keep from leaving with all of these Valentine's Day-themed pieces. They're so cute and unique, and would be a fun way to make your special someone feel loved year-round.
Chocolates from Cellar Door: I'm kind of obsessed with these anatomically correct hearts. Of course, bourbon chocolates are always a welcome gift as well. Visit Cellar Door Chocolates at Butchertown Market or the Oxmoor Mall in Louisville.
Searching for Mary Todd Lincoln
Lexington's Mary Todd Lincoln House holds the key to the First Lady's personality.
When Sally Field was preparing for her role as Mary Todd Lincoln in the recent Lincoln biopic, the dynamic actress insisted on two trips to the historic Lexington home that bears Mrs. Lincoln's name --one tour of the house to capture the essence of the woman whom she was to portray, and one visit for her CBS Sunday Morning interview about the film.
Now, I've probably driven past the Mary Todd Lincoln house a hundred times in my life. The truth is, when you spend a lot of years studying and working in Downtown Lexington, you don't always give a whole lot of thought to the historic buildings. After a while, they all run together. The Hunt-Morgan House. Ashland. The Mary Todd Lincoln House. They all carry the names of Lexingtonians of eras past. They reflect the architecture and fashions of their era. But, when you've used Gratz Park for outdoor undergrad classes or quick runs with the dogs and the Thomas Morgan House is a place where you performed your alumna duty of serving punch at sorority rush parties, you haven't always taken the time to read the historical markers or undertake the tours. While I always knew that the Mary Todd Lincoln House was the home of our nation's Sixteenth First Lady, I've never taken time to visit it. It's just part of the downtown landscape, like Old Morrison or the 5/3 Building.
My friend and fellow "obsessive Kentuckian", Sarah Stewart Holland, wrote an essay here on HerKentucky about the moment when, while reading Doris Kearns Goodwin's Team of Rivals, she first saw Lincoln as an empathetic and very human man rather than as a historically exalted leader. As I read Sarah's piece, I immediately thought of all the press surrounding Ms. Field's visits to Lexington. I did a little research about the Mary Todd Lincoln House and realized that, perhaps, Ms. Field was onto something. Maybe the home where Mrs. Lincoln spent her teen years is a key to her character.
Mary's room, via Mary Todd Lincoln House.
The house located at 578 West Main, an elegant two-story 14-room brick home, was purchased by the Todds in 1832. The fashionable address -- at the time almost suburban -- reflected the family's growing prominence. Robert Todd, a businessman and politician, was the president of a local bank. Mary, the fourth of seven children, lived the life of a privileged southern belle. She attending boarding school during the week, and traveled home on the weekends. When Mr. Todd remarried, Mary disagreed with her stepmother and step-siblings. At 21, she was sent to Springfield, Illinois to live with her married sister Elizabeth. In Springfield, Mary won the affections of two promising young lawyers -- Stephen Douglas and his political rival Abraham Lincoln. Although Mary was known for her dramatic personality and disarming mood swings, her marriage to the penniless Lincoln shocked everyone back home in Lexington.
The Mary Todd Lincoln House, sitting serenely in the shadow of Rupp Arena, boasts a decidedly colorful past. Originally built as an inn, it was later converted to a private residence. It even served as the "bawdy house" where Lexington's most famous madam, Belle Brezing, first practiced her trade. In the 1970s, the house was restored (the first site restored to honor a First Lady) with many original antiques belonging to the Lincoln and Todd families. Its many -- sometimes shady -- incarnations seem a fitting tribute to a woman whose tumultuous personal life was marked with political victories and unimaginable family tragedies. The home's series of reinventions seems also to embody the very spirit of Downtown Lexington -- constantly evolving and rebuilding, with an eye toward the future and a deep respect for the city's history.
Why I'm Obsessed With Abraham Lincoln
The moment President Lincoln shifted from historical figure to real person for writer Sarah Stewart Holland
It's not because I'm a Kentuckian...well, it's sort of because I'm a Kentuckian.
I always loved Lincoln in an obligatory way. I knew he had saved the Union. I knew he had freed the slaves. I knew all the facts...including that he was BORN IN KENTUCKY. (I'm looking at you, Illinois.)
However, my interest never went beyond my interest in all historical figures. That is to say I liked him but I didn't love him. Until I read Team of Rivals.
Doris Kearns Goodwin's historical account of Lincoln's presidency and the men who filled is cabinet should be required reading for all Americans. She brilliantly takes this man - this character - out of the two-dimension story we all know and recreates the person he really was. Her central tenet being that Lincoln's strongest political asset was his incredible empathy. From the book:
"Though Lincoln's empathy was at the root of his melancholy, it would prove an enormous asset to his political career. 'His crowning gift of political diagnosis,' suggested Nicolay, 'was due to sympathy ... which gave him the power to forecast with uncanny accuracy what his opponents were likely to do."
The concept that the strength of this icon of American history was found in his sensitivities floored me. I loved the stories of him pardoning deserters and feeling a heavy sense of obligation to any citizen who crossed his threshold.
At the end of the book, with his assassination playing out in heart-wrenching detail I wept.
My husband sweetly pointed out I knew how the book ended before I started reading it.
However, I couldn't help myself. To fully appreciate the personal and political genius of Lincoln is to fully appreciate the tragedy of his death. Not to mention, I couldn't help but think how everything would have been different for the South had the Reconstruction been lead by Lincoln as opposed to his successors.
Everything I learned about Lincoln while reading that book was so inspiring my personal obsession was a foregone conclusion by the last page. Plus, realizing this man came from the same land I did made everything that much better.
~ Sarah Stewart Holland
The HerKentucky UK Wildcats Personality Quiz
What does your favorite UK Wildcat say about your personality?
Here in Kentucky, it's hard not to be caught up in Wildcats fever right now.We've got more McDonald's All-Americans than Ole Miss has Miss America hopefuls, and you can't turn on the TV without hearing the question "Can Kentucky remain undefeated?"
If your favorite Wildcat is...
Willie Cauley-Stein:
You work hard and play harder. At work, you're known as the person who bills 80 hours a week and still has time to organize the company's Happy Hours. You probably also play video games while you're on conference Calls. (Click to Tweet!)
Trey Lyles:
People often describe you as "mysterious." Even your closest family and friends don't always know what you're thinking or doing... (Click to Tweet!)
Andrew Harrison:
You're a very loyal person. You stick by an idea or project until it comes to fruition. You may say "I told you so!" a little too often. (Click to Tweet!)
Alex Poythress:
You've had some health problems, but you know you'll be back in The Game soon. People should know better than to count you out just yet. (Click to Tweet!)
Karl-Anthony Towns:
You're intense and motivated. Some call you passionate, others call you explosive. You have huge successes and, often, huge disappointments, but you give life your all. (Click to Tweet!)
Dakari Johnson:
You've got a great sense of humor. People like to have you around, because you make them laugh and you can always reach the items on the top shelf. (Click to Tweet!)
Aaron Harrison:
You're a team player. You get the job done, and people know that they can always depend on you. (Click to Tweet!)
Devin Booker:
Friends, relatives, and colleagues genuinely like you. You get promoted frequently, and your accomplishments are often celebrated. (Click to Tweet!)
Tyler Ulis:
Your nickname might as well be "The Energizer Bunny." What you lack in height, you make up for in energy, talent, and personality. You're usually considered the life of the party. (Click to Tweet!)
Marcus Lee:
People consider you a truly unique individual. You aren't afraid to be yourself or to stand out in the crowd. (Click to Tweet!)
Who's your favorite Wildcat?
Dark Chocolate Truffles
Make your sweetheart something delicious and chocolatey this year for Valentine's Day!
Valentine's Day is around the corner, and what better way to celebrate than to make your sweetheart dark chocolate truffles? This recipe is easy to do in an afternoon, or as a last minute idea-not that you didn't plan anything ;o)
dark chocolate truffles
you can cover with coconut, chopped nuts, etc
traditionally truffles are covered with cocoa powder
dark chocolate truffles
makes 30 truffles
16 oz dark chocolate (70 percent cocoa), chopped
1/2 cup coconut oil
2 tsp pure vanilla extract
Pinch sea salt
1/4 cup cocoa powder, toasted coconut, or toasted nuts, for rolling
- Heat chocolate, oil, and 3 Tbsp water in a double boiler, stirring, until just melted.
- Remove from heat and stir in vanilla and sea salt.
- Transfer to an 8-inch baking dish and refrigerate until mixture is set but still pliable, about 2 hours.
- Using a 1-inch scoop or spoon, scoop out chocolate mixture and transfer to a parchment-lined baking sheet.
- Coat hands in cocoa and roll chocolate into balls.
- Refrigerate on parchment-lined baking sheet 10 minutes or until outsides firm up again.
- Roll in the topping of your choice--more cocoa powder, toasted coconut, toasted chopped nuts, etc
- Enjoy!
There is also no shame in making these for yourself as a special treat regardless of the time of year! How else do you think these got made? Not that I need much of an excuse to make anything with chocolate!
Jennifer is the chef behind a girl eats world. For more delicious recipes, head over and hang out for a while!