Make-a-Wish #BIGwishgala
This weekend, my friends and I attended Make-a-Wish Foundation of Ohio, Kentucky, and Indiana's Big Wish Gala.
Several of my friends from the Younger Woman's Club of Louisville are Wish Granters for Make-a-Wish, so I'd heard about some of the amazing opportunities that local kids had been granted. Still, I wasn't prepared for how amazing and emotional it was to hear the Wish Kids talk about getting to visit Tahiti or meet Apple's Tim Cook.
The Gala was truly lovely (and trust me, I go to enough of these things that I'm pretty hard to impress!) The Seelbach was an elegant backdrop for dinner dancing, and raising money. In fact, the event raised over $184,000 for Make-a-Wish!
I love that Make-a-Wish helps make dreams come true for children with life-altering diseases. I was particularly moved by how many of the wish kids and their parents described the Wish as a time to "just be a kid" or a time to "not have to think about cancer." So many of us take our health and good fortune for granted; it was sobering to hear the Wish families talk about the gift of normalcy that their children had been granted!
If you'd like to make a time or monetary donation to Make-a-Wish of Ohio, Kentucky, and Indiana, please visit their website. Also, please take a moment to watch this video of a precious toddler from Eastern Kentucky who wished to go to Disney World.
Special thanks to Shircliff Publishing (and their unofficial mascot, Willie!), for sponsoring our table! It was such an incredible night to hopefully help wishes come true.
More about Make a Wish:
Bourbon Chocolate Chunk Cookies
It's National Chocolate Chip Cookie Day, y'all.
Now, that may or may not be a real thing, but the fact that chocolate is amazing is definitely real. In fact, did you know that ihe Aztecs believed that cacao seeds were the gift of Quetzalcoatl, the God of wisdom, and the seeds had so much value they were used as a form of currency?
National Chocolate Chip Cookie Day seemed like a good excuse to make a batch of chocolate chunk cookies. I used the basic Nestle Toll House recipe, and added a Kentucky kick with a few teaspoons of Maker's Mark.
- 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened
- 3/4 cup granulated sugar
- 3/4 cup packed brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 teaspoons bourbon
- 2 large eggs
- 2 cups chocolate chunks
- 1 cup chopped pecans
PREHEAT oven to 375° F.
COMBINE flour, baking soda and salt in small bowl. Beat butter, granulated sugar, brown sugar and vanilla extract in large mixer bowl until creamy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Gradually beat in flour mixture. Stir in chocolate and nuts. Drop by rounded tablespoon onto ungreased baking sheets.
BAKE for 9 to 11 minutes or until golden brown. Cool on baking sheets for 2 minutes; remove to wire racks to cool completely.
For more HerKentucky chocolate recipes, check out:
Louisville Stoneware for Pleasant Hill Pottery
A few months ago, I won an Everything But the House auction for an amazing set of vintage Louisville Stoneware luncheon dishes and bowls. Now, I've been collecting Stoneware for as long as I can remember, but this is one of the most unique designs I've ever seen. According to the mark on the bottom of the pottery, it was made for Pleasant Hill. Of course, I knew that Pleasant Hill is the home of Shaker Village -- I certainly took in more than a few grade school field trips there -- but I wanted to learn a little more about the pottery and the Shaker Tree of Life logo.
The familiar Tree of Life on the front of the dishes was, of course, a variant of the orange-and-green logo that's represented Kentucky's Shaker Village since the property opened to the public as an inn and restaurant in 1968. A little more research told met that the stylized Tree of Life logo dates back to an 1854 painting by Shaker folk artist Hannah Cohoon. Mrs. Cohoon, perhaps the most famous painter of the short-lived Shaker religious and folk art movement, painted many variants of the Tree of Life theme. (For a fascinating take on Shaker iconography and art, read this New Yorker article.)
My research into this awesome pottery pattern got even more interesting when I posted photos of a piece to Instagram, and got some comments from an IG follower who works at Stoneware. She showed photos of the pattern and the branding marks to a longtime Stoneware painter, who dated these pieces to the late 1980s or early 1990s. How fun that social media, online auctions, and a little research could piece together the story of these fun dishes!
Fried Green Tomatoes
A family recipe for a Southern favorite!
My family takes our fried green tomato recipes pretty seriously. Sometimes I think we have as many variants as we do relatives, and we have a lot of kinfolk. One aunt uses a flour coating and a nonstick skillet. Another uses all cornmeal for her breading. My brother soaks his 'maters in buttermilk and hot sauce before battering them and placing them in the deep fryer. As for me, I like a flour/cornmeal mix, a bite of heat, and the smooth texture that can only be accomplished with a cast iron skillet.
First, I pick out two or three green tomatoes. It's best if they're at the "almost ripe" stage.
Then, I slice them thin. A mandolin or a tomato knife should do the trick.
Then, I make a dredge of one part all-purpose flour to one part corn meal. I season with salt, fresh cracked pepper, and some cayenne. I temper the cayenne to the tastes of my dining companions. When it's just Bob and me, we like them pretty spicy.
Then, you fry them. As far as I'm concerned, there's simply no replacement for cast iron. Preferably the kind that's been seasoned for decades. Then, I add some bacon grease to the cast iron skillet and heat on medium-high heat, frying them in small batches until golden brown. You want a good, crispy crust on your tomatoes.
Of course, they're fabulous to eat as a side dish or snack, but I love adding them to other dishes as well. These fried green tomatoes are topped with a dollop of pimiento cheese (I love jalapeño Palmetto Cheese!) and a slice of bacon. They are so good, y'all!
A fried green tomato BLT is pretty amazing as well!
How do y'all fry your green tomatoes?
Whiskey Wednesday: Buffalo Trace Hard Hat Tour
A few weeks ago, my beau and I had the opportunity to tour the Buffalo Trace Distillery in Frankfort. You may not hear quite as much about Buffalo Trace as you do some of the other distilleries, as they have chosen to remain independent of the Kentucky Bourbon Trail, ensuring that all tours will remain free to the public. Don't let that marketing/ tourism designation keep you away; this is an absolutely beautiful distillery that you don't want to miss!
The distillery grounds are simply beautiful. Talk about garden goals!
The distillery site now known as Buffalo Trace dates back to the early 19th century. In 1870, Colonel E.H. Taylor, Jr., purchased the distillery, where he produced a label called O.F.C., "Old Fire Copper" bourbon. Over the years, the distillery switched ownership and production several times. It was known as George T. Stagg Distillery after 1904, employed famed bourbon distiller Elmer T. Lee for nearly 40 years, and produced the world's first single barrel bourbon, Blanton's, in 1984.
There are several different tours you can take at the Buffalo Trace Distillery, ranging from historical landmarks to bourbon barrels to ghost hunting. We opted for the hard hat tour, which delves most into the actual bourbon production. It was fascinating and fun, but be warned that it involves a lot of walking and heights!
I highly recommend Buffalo Trace for a fun day of bourbon knowledge! If you go, be sure to pick up a bottle of Buffalo Trace Bourbon Cream in the gift shop!
Original Makers Club Supper + Shoot at Ashbourne Farms
Last weekend, my beau and I took in the Original Makers Club Southern Supper + Shoot at Ashbourne Farm in La Grange.
It was a perfect night to shoot clays, sip a little Woodford Reserve (after the shooting, of course!), and enjoy the gorgeous weather, a lovely dinner, and conversation with new friends!
Thanks so much to the Original Makers Club for the invitation!
Whiskey Wednesday: Woodford Reserve Rye Whiskey Sour
Y'all, this is my favorite cocktail of the summer.
I'm just in love with Woodford Reserve Rye right now. It's such a smooth, interesting whiskey. Combine it with homemade sour mix (one part water/ one part sugar, reduced + juice of one lemon) and garnished with a couple of maraschino cherries, it's pretty much perfection.