A trip to Lexington, I do declare!

The last few years my friends and I have been trying to take little trips away from Columbus.  Most memorable are our trips to New York City and Cincinnati, but this year’s trip won’t soon be forgotten.  After careful consideration we decided to get in touch with our inner southern belles and travel to Lexington, Kentucky.  Lexington is only a little over an hour from where I grew up, but it’s a city that I hadn’t really ever spent time in, other than driving through.  And since it wasn’t terribly far from Columbus, it was just perfect.

Right away we worked on an itinerary.  Here are some of our adventures.

After a series of stops and mini adventures on the roads, our first official stop was Keeneland Racetrack.  This was a beauty through and through.  And though there really wasn’t much going on there other than a happening gift shop where I purchased a magnet, it was still cool to see.  Additionally, there were gambling friends all around as we went to the “restaurant” which was more of a cafeteria.  Nonetheless, it was pretty unique.

Parking was interesting.  We figured the mini spots were for jockey cars or a bunch of Mini Coopers.  The E-Class was able to squeeze in, luckily.

Now this is just plain fancy.  Oh yeah.  If you ever wonder what time it is at Keeneland, just look for one of the many fancy Rolex clocks (that is if you don’t have a cell phone or watch handy).

Upon leaving Keeneland, what should we see but a lovely horse barn that just so happened to be on the cover of our visitor’s guide!  Another note, a local did tell us “it’s not a house, it’s a stable” --- we must have obviously been Yankees.

After all of the adventures at Keeneland, we were off to our next stop --- the Henry Clay Estate!  Henry Clay is “Kentucky’s Favorite Son” supposedly, which surprised me as Kentucky is also the home of George Clooney who I think is a more amazing choice.  Oh wells.  So anyway, HC was a pretty important guy back in the day who did amazing things such as farm, play politics, ride his horse from Lexington to DC like all the time, and had a series of canes that housed stilettos inside to be used as weapons.  He also ran for President a couple of times but never won and really inspired Abraham Lincoln’s work in politics.

Henry Clay’s estate was fancy, as you would expect of any respectable southern gentleman and while we couldn’t take photos inside (orders from our curator friend Lynn Crockett, who may be a relative of Davy, we were too scared to ask), it was a very educational and fun time.

Before our tour of the house, Abby, Lindsey and I decided to venture into the place where they used to store food.  It was very creepy down there and we are pretty sure it is haunted.

Here is Henry’s house – though it actually isn’t because his house had to be torn down and was rebuilt by his family.  However, they basically built the same house again, only with more fancy things.   On the middle window, there were initials etched in the glass.  When girls got engaged back in the day, they would take their diamond ring and etch their initials in the glass.  And yes, I will do this someday I pray.

Our visits to Keeneland and Henry Clay’s Estate had given us an appetite so it was perfect timing really that our next stop was the Old Kentucky Chocolate Factory.  And as you probably know, Kentucky is not afraid of bourbon, so a lot of their tasty treats included booze.  They had bourbon cherries that could have given us all a buzz if only we were to eat a few – oh man.

The chocolate ladies let us get our photo taken with the chocolate horse and foal there at the store.  How could we resist?

I opted for a nice box of truffles.  Honestly, the bourbon stuff was so strong I didn’t think I could handle it!  What a wimp, I know.

I think during this trip, the best decision we made was to stay at a charming bed and breakfast called Scottwood.  We had originally planned to stay in a hotel downtown, but when we came across Scottwood, we knew it was the place for us.

Just outside of Lexington, the charming home featured many treasures.  Upon our arrival we were greeted by Annette, who showed us to the carriage house where we would be staying.  We all loved it immediately.  The carriage house was beautifully decorated in classic Kentucky horse theme.  Just thinking about it now makes me want to implement some of Annette’s awesome decorating strategies.

Scottwood was built in 1795.  This home is seriously one of the most beautiful and kind places I’ve ever visited.

Innkeeper Annette’s awesome skills are showcased here.   I absolutely love how she decorated the fireplace.

Later in the evening, we met Annette’s husband, Tim, who built us a fire and welcomed us to Scottwood.  And after a dinner at DeSha’s that night, we settled in for a warm autumn nap, knowing the next day would hold even more treats!

The special message made us feel so welcome!  We love Scottwood!

After breakfast, we set off for a day of antiquing.  All in all we found several great treasures, which I will talk about in a later blog.  We also ate at a tasty place for lunch called Stella’s Kentucky Deli.  They had Ale 8 on tap, so of course I loved it.

Stella’s Kentucky Deli offered a variety of southern fares.

Being in the heart of bourbon country, it would be a sin to not hit up at least one distillery.  So in the spirit of Kentucky, we opted to go to Woodford Reserve, since that’s the official bourbon of the Kentucky Derby. 

We had to get a commemorative bottle of bourbon! 

Then we found out we could get our names etched on the bottles for $2 – this was a must do.

I love visiting college campuses and while Abby and Lindsey did not allow me to visit the college bookstore for a new coffee mug, we did go to campus for dinner at a local pizza place.  It wasn’t as good as the old Varsity Club, but it was pretty good.  And since the Buckeyes lost that day, it was good to have a few brews.

The next morning before we left for Ohio, Annette and Tim hosted us once again for a delicious breakfast. Now I like these two for many reasons, but let me share a couple.  Tim and I bonded over our college sports woes.  And while he was a UK guy, he was very consoling to me as I explained the current Buckeye sadness.  He’s the kind of fan that I could watch a game with anytime.  Thanks for that, Tim.  And Annette is a real life southern belle with a feisty sweet attitude that I absolutely adore.  Having breakfast with Tim and Annette was definitely a highlight of our trip. They told us all kinds of stories about their road trips, past guests and other general shenanigans.

And before we left, they let us try on their hat collection to have a Derby Hat fashion show! 

Derby Hat party was definitely a highlight.

Thank you, Tim and Annette, for being such gracious hosts!  We can’t wait to come back to Lexington!

Check out some other photos from our trip to Lexington here, I do declare!

Tomato Tidings

In August and September, it's very hard for me to resist putting delicious food into jars. Having canning day with my Mamaw made me want to do even more.  And while I needed to get back to Columbus, my mom had several tomatoes on the vine ready for the picking. Mom and I went to harvest some of these dandies for me to take back and do in my apartment. After all, I conquered tomatoes AND peaches by myself last year, remember?

The sun was shining so brightly that evening, I just couldn’t resist taking advantage of the light at my Mom and Dad’s farm. I sat the gorgeous tomatoes on the deck for a mini photo shoot.

I call this one tomato parade. Ah, pure bliss in the sight of home grown tomatoes plucked straight from the vine just a few minutes before. And the sun, oh the glory of the sun.

And my Mom and Dad’s farm. Oh the beauty and simplicity. The freshly mowed hay fields that made a perfect backdrop for the day’s harvest - alas.

OK, now things aren’t going to be so idyllic. Flash forward a couple of days to life back in the city --- my apartment in Grandview to be exact.  What to do with my harvest?  I decided to do some pizza sauce.  Then, the process began.

 It was time to take care of my gorgeous tomatoes. First things first, operation sudsy jars jar wash 2011.

Splish splash little tomaties!! You need to be all nice and clean for the boilin’ pot.

OK, so the water wasn’t boiling yet. Might as well let these little angels dry off a bit before being plunged into the roaring H2O.

Consider it a day at the spa for tomatoes.

The massacre begins. On the right, tomatoes that have met their fate. On the left, others wait in what appears to be a blood bath of horror and doom.

The weapon of choice. No, I didn’t just commit a murder, despite the look of violence all around the weapon.

Meet the pots! We have big mamma canner on the left and little blue on the right.

The former lush tomatoes have been reduced to sauce and are enjoying their transformation in the boiling pot once again. Meanwhile, on the front burner, lids and rings are getting hot and bothered.

Operation pizza sauce is well underway with only a few victims, uh, jars left to go!

Here they are! Final product – nine jars of pizza sauce. Thank you to the Lawson Farm tomatoes – all gave some, some gave all.

Jam Session with Mamaw Lawson!

As most of you know by know, I fancy myself as one who enjoys canning this time of year.  You may not know, though, that my Mamaw Lawson is pretty much an expert.  Since as long as I can remember, she’s always been making jellies and jams (blackberry is her specialty) and giving them to all of us to enjoy.

This year I decided it was high time I spent some time with her to learn her sweet skills – and of course, just for general memory making.  So I called her one night with my plan and was greeted with an eager response to get cracking! 

I told her I wanted to try to make mint jelly and that I had some peaches we could work on.  And being that her specialty was blackberry jam and jelly, those were on the list, too.

A few days later (and a couple of days before the big canning adventure), I received this voice message.  Now tell me, how could this canning adventure not be perfect?  Here’s what she had to say:

“Hi, Cara – It’s Mamaw, Lawson honey.  Just calling to touch base about Sunday.  You said about 10 o clock, would 11 be OK? That way I can go to church and I’ll be home by 11.  Also wanted to let you know I went out and picked my mint and I’m going to cook it down and then we’ll make jelly out of the juice, OK?  OK got everything ready other than that and I’ll see you at about 11 o’clock on Sunday.  Love you, bye.”

I am so lucky.  What a wonderful Mamaw I have!  The canning day arrived, and here’s the run down!

Here my car is packed and ready for the journey to Ripley.  Supplies included Ohio peaches, a canner, camera and cook books.

We made mint jelly first.  It was sweet and delicious – and mighty colorful!  This is my Mamaw filling some jars with the lovely concoction.

Next we moved on to the peaches.  Last year I had some major issues peeling these monsters, but not this time!  Soak away, my little beauties!

  

I was so shocked at how well these peaches peeled and turned out.  Thank goodness Mamaw gave me awesome tips!

Here are our treasures from the day.  A little bit of everything!

Thanks for a wonderful day, Mamaw.  I am so glad we got to can together!  Can’t wait for the next time!  And thank you, Papaw, for taking this pic, digging out jars from the barn and for giving general encouragement :)

The Blog is Back.

Whoa! It’s been three months since I’ve last blogged and I’ve missed it terribly!  Toward the end of May, summer got super busy, so before I get back in to my regularly scheduled blog posts, here’s a brief summary of summer 2011.  When I say brief, I mean like, two main things.  But have no fear, I wasn't bored!

To kick off the summer, I traveled to Churchill Downs for opening night with Miss Leah Finney (Now Mrs. Ryan Curtis) for her bachelorette party.  We had a great time taking in the sights, sounds and tastes of Louisville while celebrating Leah.  And although it was a short trip, it was awesome!  In addition to watching some races (and winning a few coins I might add) we sampled some of the best food and drinks in town.

This drink is known as muddy river water.  As a River Rat born and raised, I had to give it a try.  Not too shabby, but not as good as a swig of real Ohio River water – just kidding, just kidding.

Giddy up little ponies, giddy up!

I gained enough courage to gamble a little.  I bet on Sober Living and NeedaDrink, they didn’t lose me any money!

Of course the trip wouldn’t be right without a mint julep.  I do fancy such beverages.

Meanwhile, back in Ohio, my friends Abby and Lindsey and I also took a day to visit Dawes Arboretum.  It’s a cool place with lots of letterboxes! 

Dawes Family Homestead – I wouldn’t mind living there.

In one of the gardens we found this sculpture, which I believe to be a magical port key to take us to Harry Potter world.  Being muggles, we couldn’t get it to work, though.

Of course other things happened this summer, too, but now that I’ve shared a couple of “I HAVE to talk about this on my blog” events, I can get on with more recent excitement.  Next up, canning adventures.  Stay tuned!

Old School Science – Butter Bell Edition

Ever since hearing about a seemingly amazing contraption known as a butter bell, I had been on the hunt for one to add to my kitchen collection.  I don’t remember how I heard about the butter bell, but I felt it would be the perfect addition to kitchen counter and perfect for joining the ranks of my salt pig, porcelain cow creamer thing and vintage blue canning jars. 

Boy was I right!  After months of searching, I found this treasure randomly in the little cookware store in the North Market.  I snatched it up right away and then began to wonder how the thing worked exactly.

I knew it would work, given its time tested seemingly lack of spoiled butter.  But how?

This curiosity, and in response the questions and comments on a recent Facebook photo, caused me to do a little research.  Here goes!

Turns out, there is a lot more science here than I had originally thought.  Even though I have Bachelor’s of Science degree from the best school in the world, I have to say, science isn’t my strongest suit.  I mean, I passed and all (well, technically, I think I failed chemistry, but yay for curves) but I have never really been confident in anything other than basic science.

The butter bell is two pieces.  One piece (the lid) is for holding the soft creamy butter and the other piece is what looks like a cup, for holding water.  Why water you wonder?  I wondered the same thing.  When the cup lid is placed in the water, the water creates an airtight seal (I can’t see this since my butter bell is blue, but I trust it anyway) therefore keeping oxygen away.  Despite my lack of genius science smarts, I do know, and you know, too, that oxygen destroys food.  Neat, huh?

Welcome to the kitchen collectibles family, butter bell!

Controversy also surrounds this old school gem.  It was likely first created in France, but none can seem to agree on the city. IDK – I wasn’t there.  I’m just glad someone created this little treasure.  I love it for being old school and for keeping butter soft and fresh.

Millions of peaches – peaches for free.

My mom and dad have a great peach tree.  I mean, it wouldn’t win any prizes if it were being judged, but it yields amazing peaches.  Best around, I’d say.  So last summer on a visit home, I couldn’t help but rescue every ripe peach hanging from its branches.  Last summer I really got into canning.  And while I really got in touch with my inner Sophia Pitrillo while doing tomato sauce, juice, salsa and more from yummy tomatoes, the peaches were something all my own.

I won’t take you back in time to the exact basics of how I went about canning these peaches for off season months, I hope to have new stories to tell later this summer.  For this story, it’s just important to know that I had several jars stowed away under my counter for days in which I would inevitably crave sweet summer peaches.

The truth is, until I found a simple looking peach cobbler recipe in The Complete Southern Cookbook – another awesome library checkout, I hadn’t much interest in the peaches other than admiring their beauty (despite the fact they didn’t place in the Brown County Fair – ugh!).

So here’s the scoop.

As usual, this was a simple recipe - just a few basic ingredients to make a batter for the peaches.

My beautiful peaches that should have taken a Best of Show ribbon at the fair. 

Now this is where it starts getting intense.  Don’t get grossed out, but I had to melt two sticks of butter before adding the peaches and batter.  Oh how Paula Deen would be proud.

OK little peachies – off for a swim in butter and batter before oven time!  I simply spooned the peaches on top of the butter, then put the batter on top (it sank).

Ahhh looking nice and tan.  Just like a trip to the beach.

Even though delicious, it was hard to get a nice picture of my masterpiece.  So I scooped it out into smaller containers.

Already for co-workers to taste!  All the samples were taken, so I guess they all liked it!

I’ll make this recipe again.  I still have several jars of peaches to use before the next canning adventure starts!  Now, I’m moving to the country, gonna eat a lot of peaches – you sing the rest!

Red Beans and Rice -- SUCCESS!

If you read about my first adventure with red beans and rice, you probably were able to pick up on my disappointment and failure.  As a follow up to that story, though, I am happy to report much great success and joy.

Lesson learned from first attempt at this dish – use a big bowl and plenty of water when soaking the beans.

Dry beans in big bowl.  Plenty of room to expand -- or at least I was hoping so.

Ready for a soakin' - this time with plenty of water.  More than enough!  Water is cheap, after all.

<<Insert choir of angels singing the joy of enough water and plenty of room for soaking>>

What a relief to see the beans still in water!  Now that this worry was over, I could get started on the recipe!  As I mentioned in my last post, I used the recipe from The Joy of Southern Cooking.  None of the ingredients were that unusual, which is what I was hoping for.  Typical things this recipe called for included celery, onion, garlic, green pepper, kielbasa, broth and a slew of spices.

The Trinity (onion, bell pepper, celery) plus garlic -- chopped and ready to throw in the pot.

Once all of the chopping was finished, it was time to start cooking things down.  Pretty much all of the ingredients for the red beans were added within a matter of minutes.  Then, the waiting began again.

Come on a my house, my house I'm gonna cook a you everything!

I kept a close eye on my boiling pot, well I guess it was simmering.  After a couple of hours I could see progress was being made!  It was time to start the rice.  This was no ordinary rice.  It was like, crazy rice.  The rice recipe called for ham and chicken broth instead of water – boy oh boy!

Why yes!  Those are chunks of ham cooking with the rice. 

Finally, after one failure and then probably six hours of cooking, the red beans and rice were ready to go.  And they were delicious. 

After hours of toiling away --- voila!  Red beans and rice is served.