The First Kentucky-Louisville Basketball Game

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As we count down the minutes until the next meeting of the Kentucky Wildcats and the Louisville Cardinals, I thought it would be fun to take a trip back in time -- 103 years back in time to be exact -- to the first meeting of the teams we now know as UK and U of L.

Woman Suffrage

The first meeting of the Kentucky State University basketball team -- deemed the Wildcats in 1909 -- and the University of Louisville Cardinals took place on February 15, 1913. Revolution was in the air on the international political stage, as the Mexican Revolution had just begun and the House of Romanov, celebrating 300 years of rule in Russia, would soon be overthrown. In the United States, the Republican attorney from Cincinnati, William Howard Taft, was wrapping up his four-year term as President, soon to be succeeded by Virginia-born Democrat Woodrow Wilson, the Governor of New Jersey and former President of Princeton University. American women were rallying to make their voices heard in politics and the famed Woman Suffrage Parade would be held a few weeks later in Washington, D.C.

Ladies Home Journal, March 1913

Here in Kentucky, James B. McCreary, a Madison County-born attorney, Centre College alumnus, and Civil War veteran was sitting as governor. The 1910 Census listed Louisville as the 24th largest city in the U.S., with a population of 223,928 people. The Ford Motor Company would soon establish a Louisville factory at the corner of Third Street and Eastern Parkway, which would employ 17 workers. Lexington had a population of 47,715, and neither Keeneland nor the Kentucky Theatre had yet been established.

Downtown Louisville, 1913. via U of L Libraries.

Kentucky State University had an established basketball presence, with teams dating back to 1903. The Louisville Cardinals had only begun playing organized basketball the previous season.  The teams met at Lexington's newly-constructed Buell Armory Gymnasium.

Buell Armory University of Kentucky

Kentucky's team had recently experienced a coaching shakeup. Edwin R. Sweetland, Kentucky's first paid coach, had been forced to resign following a bit of a scandal involving the athletic office. The chair of the philosophy department, Dr. J.J. Tigert, was named athletic director and coach; he would later go on to serve as the President of the University of Florida. The first game of Taggart's 1912-1913 season was a crushing loss to the Lexington YMCA team. The Cardinals, under Coach William Gardinier, were at the disadvantage of having no gymnasium on campus and held games at the Tharp Business School gym.

Coach Edwin Sweetland's 1911-1912 Kentucky Wildcats

1913-1914 Louisville Cardinals Basketball

The game on February 12th was part of a double-header. Kentucky's women's team was taking on Kentucky Wesleyan, and the box office draw was $87.95, offsetting the $76 expense of putting on the game.

1910s Kentucky Women's Basketball Team

Gardinier's Cardinals suffered from injuries -- two starters were out of the game. Kentucky emerged victorious, 34-10, and set off an intrastate rivalry that is now in its second century.

Here's to another 100 years of great basketball between the Commonwealth's signature college basketball programs!

Move Over, Resolutions. 2017 is the Year of Monthly Themes.

Amidst all the shopping, wrapping, baking and holiday hustle and bustle, you may also be thinking about what you resolve to change or enhance next year. January 1st tends to start out with a fresh approach to eating healthy foods, working out, saving money, and so on. Come spring, many of those best intentions have gone by the wayside. You can avoid the guilt in 2017 says Coach Colene Elridge, who wants to change your perspective. 

Coach Colene

Kentucky-based Coach Colene is a results-oriented success coach with nearly 15 years of experience in human resources, training, government and entrepreneurship. Coach
Colene’s impressive background includes serving as the Executive Staff Advisor with the Commonwealth of Kentucky, as well as an HR Business Partner with Sterling Yoga Inc.

Coach Colene’s personal philosophy, as well as her opinion after years of working with clients, is
that resolutions are overrated. “Resolutions are often accompanied by feelings of failure, being overwhelmed and not knowing where to start,” says Coach Colene, M.B.A. “Instead, I started making monthly themes. This practice has made such a difference because I spend an entire month focusing on one thing instead of going in several different directions.”

Coach Colene gives great examples of monthly themes:
•    January theme: Joy - “What can you do to feel more joy? Set the intention to find and experience joy by saying an affirmation about joy every morning this month,” suggests Coach Colene.  
•    February theme: Learning - Is there a skill or hobby you really want to learn? Do it. For Coach Colene, February will bring signing up for a hip-hop dance class!
•    March theme: Family - How can you be more intentional in the time spent with family? “This is the time to put away the iPhone and really talk with your family. Play board games, go bowling, or make dinner together. Make March the month for real, lasting connections,” urges Coach Colene.

More great theme advice from Coach Colene: 
•    There’s no time like the present! Coach Colene suggests setting 12 months of themes at the end of 2016 or beginning of 2017 in order to have a road-map for the year.
•    Put it in writing. “To remind me of my theme, I'll write it on the top of my planner each week. Sometimes, I’ll set an alarm to go off in my phone that says, ‘What are you doing to experience joy today?’ These are easy ways to remind yourself that don’t overwhelm,” adds Coach Colene. 
I love this idea for 2017. Who’s with me? 

If you’d like more inspiration from Coach Colene, she e-mails Monday Morning Pep Talks. The advice is free and may be accessed by signing up here: http://bit.ly/1UggnY2.  Visit Coach Colene on the web at www.coachcolene.com.

Coopers' Craft Kentucky Bourbon Pecan Pie

Pecan pie always conjures up holiday memories for me. My mom always makes three or four pecan pies for every holiday gathering. Now, I don't have the patience for baking on that scale, but I LOVE this new Kentucky Bourbon Pecan Pie mix from Coopers' Craft.

In case you haven't heard of Coopers' Craft, it's the first new bourbon that Brown-Forman has introduced in the past 20 years. Coopers' Craft takes its name from the Brown-Forman cooperage. Brown-Forman is the only spirits brand to have its own cooperage (that's where they make whiskey barrels!), and the new Coopers' Craft bourbon is finished with a curated mix of beech and birch charcoal for a smooth finish. 

The folks at Brown-Forman were kind enough to send me a bottle of Coopers' Craft, a container of their Kentucky Bourbon Pecan Pie Mix, and a Louisville Stoneware pie plate to sample. I've got to say, this is a delicious pie! It combines the rich warmth of pecan pies like my mom makes with a delightful vanilla bourbon note. It is so seriously easy -- you just add eggs and butter, mix well, and add the mixture to your pie shell! You can order your own Kentucky Bourbon Pecan Pie in a Jar gift set from Louisville Stoneware! It makes a perfect holiday gift!

For a great variant on this recipe, if "First Saturday in May" Pie is your thing, you can add a half cup or so of chocolate chips to the mix.

Thanks to Brown-Forman and Louisville Stoneware for this fantastic holiday recipe!

Rustic Italian Chicken with Red Gold Tomatoes

This morning, I had the chance to share lovely recipe for Rustic Italian Chicken (made with Red Gold® Tomatoes!) on WHAS-11's Great Day Live!

I love this recipe, because it's a delicious and filling meal with an elegant presentation, but takes very minimal effort through the modern miracle of slow cooker cooking! 

• 2 pounds boneless skinless chicken thighs, around 12 thighs
• 2 large carrots, cut into 1/2 inch slices
• 1 medium red bell pepper, chopped
• 1 cup sliced fresh mushrooms 
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 tablespoons Italian seasoning 
• Salt and black pepper to taste 
• 1 (14.5 ounce) can Red Gold® Diced Tomatoes 
• 1 (28 ounce) can Red Gold® Crushed Tomatoes, or 2 (15 ounce) cans Red Gold® Crushed Tomatoes
• 3 cups penne pasta, cooked and drained (I like whole wheat pasta!)

Directions
•    Spray slow cooker with cooking spray. Place chicken in slow cooker and top with remaining ingredients, except pasta and garnish.
•    Cover and cook on LOW for 6 to 8 hours. Serve chicken over pasta and garnish with cheese and parsley.

Top 5 Tips for Updating Your Home Without Breaking the Bank

Liz Toombs. Photo courtesy Kristin Tatem

With holiday parties underway and 2017 just around the corner, have you come to the realization that you hate the way your home looks? Whether you're looking at a major kitchen overhaul, new bathroom tile, or just a new sofa, a plan and a budget are the place to start. I spoke with Kentucky-based decorating expert Liz Toombs for some tips on home updates that won't break the bank.

Research shows that homeowners are completing more home projects and spending more to do so. In fact, over the past 12 months, the number of homeowners who reported completing two home maintenance and repair projects increased nearly 12%, and the number of homeowners intending to perform more home maintenance doubled. “Homeowners are increasingly seeing the value of investing in their homes for resale and/or to create a lifestyle that’s welcoming for family and friends,” says Liz, the owner and founder of Lexington's Polka Dots & Rosebuds Interiors. Her design work can be seen on college campuses around the country, as well as homes and businesses in more than 25 states. 

Here are the Polka Dots & Rosebuds Team's top 5 tips for HerKentucky readers who are having an  “I-hate-my-house” meltdown, but don't want to spend a fortune.

•  Make a Plan: Start your process by making a list of items you desire or things you want to update. The list is your foundation and will guide you in seeing the bigger picture of how much money you’ll need to set aside for this project. If your focus is to increase resale value, Toombs suggests the kitchen and bath as the rooms for focus. If you want less of an overhaul that still increases your home’s value, focus on flooring, such as adding hardwood instead of carpet.
• Set a Realistic Budget: After making your plan, do your research in order to estimate costs and timing. Materials and finishes, such as granite, marble, etc., vary greatly in price. For a kitchen, Toombs says $15,000 is a good estimate assuming you don’t want to keep anything; again, pricing varies on the type of cabinets, finishes, etc.  
• Estimate a timeline: For scheduling, estimate at least three months for a kitchen redo and be prepared to go up to four months; same for bathrooms. If you can leave the footprint of the room the same (not remove walls, etc.) and simply add new finishes, paint and décor, your timeline is drastically shortened. 
• Order in advance: Make the most of your timing by purchasing everything before demo starts. For example, estimate four weeks for cabinets on the short-end and more if they are custom or ornate. “If you can order your cabinets and then wait two weeks to start tearing things out, the project will begin on better footing. Keep in mind that countertops cannot be measured and cut until cabinets are in place, which adds days to your project. Thinking ahead of time will save you a lot of headache during the renovation,” adds Toombs who redid her kitchen a year ago. 
•  Focus on One Room at a Time: Save money by completely finishing one room and waiting to start on the next after you have saved enough. When timely, it’s fine to shop sales, but Toombs advises not waiting on sales for too long as you risk the desired items & styles no longer being available. 

Thanks so much to Liz for taking the time to share these great tips with us!

Maker's Mark Bourbon Balls

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In my family, it isn't Christmas until somebody makes a batch of bourbon balls. This recipe, passed down from my Great-Aunt Marie, is the only one that will do. Because the bourbon isn't cooked down, the candy retains the taste of the bourbon used. I think it's pretty important to use a rich wheated bourbon like Maker's Mark to retain the sweetness of the dough. Bourbon balls made with a rye blend bourbon (think Early Times or Old Forester) tend to add a bitter note.

This yields between six and seven dozen bourbon balls.

• 1 to 2 cups good bourbon whisky (I use Maker's Mark)

• 1 cup chopped pecans

• 1/2 to 1 cup whole pecan halves (optional)

• 1 two-pound bag of powdered sugar

• 1 stick butter, softened

• 2 bags Ghirardelli semisweet chocolate chips

• paraffin wax

1. Place 1/2 to 1 cup of chopped pecans in shallow bowl. Pour Maker's Mark over nuts, immersing completely. Cover and let soak 12 hours to overnight.

2. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place pecan halves in shallow pan and toast lightly for about ten minutes.

3. Cream butter in stand mixer fitted with paddle attachment. Combine bourbon-pecan mixture with just enough powdered sugar to form a stiff ball. Refrigerate to let stiffen slightly.

4. Roll dough into small balls.

5. In double-boiler (or a sauce pan placed over a cooker full of boiling water), add a third to a half a bag of semisweet chocolate chips and a small shaving of paraffin wax (no more than 1/4 cup). Heat until just smooth. Dip dough balls into the chocolate mixture. The key is to coat them quickly and make small, frequent batches of melted chocolate.

6. Place bourbon balls on wax paper to cool. Top each with a toasted pecan half, if desired. Results are better if you leave them to cool at room temperature rather than in the refrigerator.

Pappy & Co Holiday Gift Sets

How's your holiday shopping coming along? If you're like me, you're still trying to find the perfect gift for several folks on the list. I had the opportunity to visit the ladies of Pappy and Co this week, where I got some great holiday gift ideas that I think y'all will love, too!

Pappy and Company is a merchandise and lifestyle brand was founded by the great-grandaughters of the famous distiller "Pappy" Van Winkle. I love the way that Pappy & Co products combine the quality and reputation of the Pappy bourbon brand with a fun and unique line of products. I think y'all will love the bourbon-themed holiday gift sets that Pappy & Co has just released!

I couldn't resist getting the Christmas Morning gift bag for our house. It includes a Louisville Stoneware coffee mug, Weisenberger Mills pancake mix, and Pappy & Co maple syrup that's been aged 6 months in a Pappy barrel!

What a great way to add a Kentucky flare to your holiday mornings!

There's also a Sweet & Spicy Gift Box, which includes the maple syrup as well as a box of delicious Pappy Van Winkle bourbon balls and a bottle of Pappy hot pepper sauce, and a Pappy Hour Gift Tote, with crystal rocks glasses, bourbon balls, a Smathers & Branson key fob, and more!

Here's to gifts that put a little extra Kentucky flair in your stocking!