Recipe for Kentucky Derby Pie

Click the link below for a great sounding recipe for Kentucky Derby Pie.  I’m making this bad boy tonight and expectations are flying high.  Personally, I’m going to serve my favorite vanilla ice cream with it, so I think I’ll pretty much be a heroine around my house tonight.

Kentucky Derby Pie

Hmmm, this might be a good time to tell my husband about a set of dishes I saw yesterday…

Ty Proffitt is Considering his Options and The University of Kentucky is One of Them

Thursday, Ty Proffitt (former South Laurel High School point guard) met with the UK coaches to discuss a potential transfer. Proffitt, who received his release from Notre Dame, is also considering two other Kentucky schools: Eastern and Morehead State.

He plans to make his decision by the end of the weekend.

Click HERE for the full story.

Fishing on Kentucky Lake is Scaling New Heights

Look alive, fishermen and fisherwomen! The time is right to grab your poles and cast your troubles away on Kentucky Lake.   According to Commercial Appeal.com, the fish have swam for cover and are ripe for the picking.

I know even less about fishing than I do saving money, so I’ll leave the details entirely to those who know what they’re doing.  My knowledge of fish consists of:

• Fried Catfish is something I must have at least once a week.
• Homemade tarter sauce is always best.
• I make better salmon patties than anyone on earth.
• Cod and lemon were meant to go together.
• Finding Nemo is a darned cute movie.

And there you have it - my fish database.   So, here, I’ll leave you with a link to those who sit on more than just boats, they sit on a great deal of knowledge.  See Added Cover Improves Fishing on Kentucky Lake.

 - Sunday August 24, 2008

The Badgett Playhouse in Grand Rivers Makes a Bus Stop I Have No Intention of Missing!

I was just writing on my Recipe Blog how much I LOVE this time of year. Everything about it! The crisper air, the baking, approaching halloween, and knowing that Thanksgiving and Christmas are just around the bend. I feel as anxious and excited as a fat cat sitting in front of a plate of tuna.

This year, excitement for something else is joining the mix - adding a bit of catnip to the fat cat scenario. Grand Rivers Variety! will be putting on a production of Bus Stop from September 4th to October 4th. Click HERE to read a synopsis as well as grab access to the schedule.

The amazing musical and comedy production, Variety! Music Memories, and More is also playing. It’s a whole lot of fun, for all ages. Anyone who loves singing, dancing, comedy, and walks down Memory Lane will love this show. The cast is amazingly talented and full of so much energy and life. You’ll have the time of your life. Speaking of which, I wish the hilarious Greater Tuna was still playing! The performers who made all of these larger than life characters come to life put on a show I’ll never forget.

Fortunately, I have a Tuna Christmas to look forward to. I believe the first show will be on November 20th, so I believe you’ll know where to find me if you need me. That’ll be exactly a week before Thanksgiving - cool. They’ll actually be putting on a show on Thanksgiving night. Can you believe the bravery?! I’d be so filled up with stuffing, sweet potato pie, mashed potatoes, sourdough rolls, pumpkin pie, turkey, green beans, and cranberry salad - the laughter would kill me.

There’ll also be a Variety! Christmas show and I can’t wait for that. Can you imagine how beautiful the scenery and singing will be? Wow.

Okay, okay. I’m pulling myself out of Christmas and I’m putting down the Turkey leg. There. Happy?

Be sure to mark your calendar for Bus Stop today. Grab your tickets and make an appointment with the night of your life.

Arts and Crafts Festival in Grand Rivers, Kentucky

For those of us who are artsy-minded, this is the sort of thing that makes us wag our creative tails. Kentucky Western Waterlands is sponsoring an Arts and Crafts Festival that will run on August 30, 31, and September 1. It’ll take place at Little Lake Park in beautiful Grand Rivers, Kentucky.  For those unfamiliar with the area, Little Lake Park is behind Badgett Playhouse.

You can look forward to handmade jewelry, furniture, baskets, quilts, pottery, clothing, belts and wooden decorative items are featured along with stained glass, embroidery & paintings by vendors from nine states. There will be over 100 different artisan & Craftsmen booths! Enjoy barbecue, traditional carnival food, live music and shopping.

Okay, you know the drill. What do I do each and every time I point you toward Grand Rivers, Kentucky? You got it - bonus points for you! I tell you to take your taste buds to The Fudge Factory and load up on the world’s best fudge. Then I point out that you MUST get some of the Peanut Butter Fudge, Dulche de Leche Fudge, and Tiger Butter Fudge. I say, feel free to load up on others, too, just make sure you grab this trio immediately (better be quick, if I beat you there, it’s all over with).

I tell you that the friendliest people on the face of the earth can be found inside this adorable little shop. In addition to fudge that’ll make your world stand still, they have gifts and goodies as well. But, I hasten to point out, the main thing is the remarkable fudge.

Yep. That’s pretty much the drill. But you know what, I don’t like being predictable. So, I’m not going to say any of that this time. I’ll let a post go by without telling you that I lie awake at night thinking about this fudge.

I won’t tell you that when we go to the lakes, we’re going to start carrying a cooler with ice to bring back plenty to get us through the week. Nah, you don’t need to know that.

Maybe next time I’ll rave and rave about the world’s best fudge - but, for now, I’ll just cool my heels. And wish to God, above, that I had some fudge in front of me right now.

Kentucky State Parks Offering $50 Rooms PLUS a 10 Percent Discount for Current and Past Members of the Military

Residents of Beautiful Greenbo forest

Holy moly, Batman! The Kentucky State Parks System is offering lodge rooms for just $50 per night. All you have to do is go to the Kentucky State Parks website and download a coupon with special powers. The coupon is good for Sundays-Thursdays, from Sept. 2 through December 30.

The State Park System is also honoring our servicemen and women - past and present. No one has asked me, but if they did, I’d say that this sort of respect and gratitude should be shown by every store, restaurant, hotel chain, theater, etc. in the country. They say RESPECT is something you earn, and anyone who has served or is serving in their country’s military has earned RESPECT in spades.

From the website:
The Kentucky State Parks are now offering 10 percent off lodging and camping rates for current and former members of the military.

“This is our way of saying thanks for your service,” Parks Commissioner Gerry van der Meer said. “We’re very proud of our soldiers and want them to know they’re welcome at our state resort parks and campgrounds.”

The discount is good for lodge rooms, cottages and campgrounds any time of the year, based on availability. To get the discount, guests will need to show some proof of service such as discharge papers, military ID or VFW member card, at check in.

The Kentucky State Parks have 17 resort parks that have lodges and cottages. The resort parks have restaurants, gift shops, hiking trails, picnic areas and recreational activities such as boating, fishing, golf and tennis. The parks also have 31 campgrounds, all with water and electric hookups at improved sites. Many of the resorts and campgrounds are near state park historic sites.

Guests can make reservations by visiting www.parks.ky.gov or by calling a resort park. Call 1-800-255-PARK for assistance.

***********************
The Kentucky State Park System is composed of 53 state parks plus an interstate park shared with Virginia. The Department of Parks, an agency of the Tourism, Arts and Heritage Cabinet, operates 17 resort parks with lodges — more than any other state. Each year, Kentucky parks draw 7 million visitors and contribute $317 million to the economy. For more information on Kentucky parks, visit our Web site at http://www.parks.ky.gov

 

Edgewater Grille in Newburgh, Indiana Sets a Whole New Level of Awesomeness

Okay.  Get comfortable.  This may take a while, but I’ll try to keep it kickin’.

In one of my recent posts, I was saying how much I love Owensboro. Great town.  One of the best things about it is the location - it’s within a short drive to lots of other great towns, lakes, restaurants, killer scenery, and so on.  One of our favorite destinations is just on the other side of the Ohio River, in Indiana:  An absolutely beautiful “historic” town called Newburgh.

This town is really something else.  You remember when you were in school, some kids took such amazing care of their toys, they always looked brand spanking new?  So much so that you even wondered if they ever played with them?  That’s exactly what Newburgh makes me think of.  This beautiful little town has some buildings that witnessed the horrors of the Civil War, yet they stand there magnifecently proud, loooking nothing short of spectacular.  The residents of Newburgh obviously take great pride in their town and it shows.  It and Grand Rivers, Kentucky are a great deal alike in those regards.  They’re both beautiful towns with residents who are determined to keep it that way.

If you’ve never been to Newburgh, you have to go while the weather’s still amazing.  You’ll want to go back in the fall when the trees are putting on their show, too.  Make a day of it - you won’t regret it.  I’ll spend more time in a future post on Newburgh, but for this one, I want to focus on one of my favorite restaurants.  Anywhere.  Anytime.

If I didn’t love it to distraction, I certainly wouldn’t be raving about an Indiana restaurant on a Kentucky blog, right?!?!  At least you can SEE Kentucky when you eat on the patio and look across the river.

The view is utterly spectacular.  Then again, it’s such a great looking restaurant inside, the view’s spectacular in there as well.  This is one of those places where you almost find yourself looking for a negative amongst the pluses - just to mix things up a little.  If there’s a negative, I haven’t found it yet.

APPETIZERS

You know my obsession with onion rings - so it won’t come as a surprise to you that the first time we ever went, I got their “onion strings” as an appetizer.  Delicious choice.  (Since throwing myself into Docker Grill’s Onion Rings one afternoon, I actually haven’t ordered Onion rings anywhere else yet.  There’s no need in putting that pressure on anyone just yet.)  The Onion Strings were very unique and were served with a great fiery ranch-based dressing. You can get it plain. But, why would you?

On our most recent trip, we got the Hummus as an appetizer. Holy freaking goodness it was Heavenly!  A lot of hummus beats you over the head with garlic - as in it’s all you taste.  This was exceptionally good with a hint of lemon (unless my husband and I were both picking that up from our tea - which was perfect).  The hummus was served on a beautiful bed of lettuce with coarsely chopped red onion, black olives, and tomatoes.  I was expecting crackers, so I was totally blown away by the delicious toasted bread that came in the cracker’s place.  This appetizer will have you humming tunes you didn’t even know you knew.

It goes down in my Restaurant Review’s history as one of the top 3 appetizers EVER.  Healthy, beautiful, light, and beyond delicious.  Ironically, I was in the middle of writing a post about my top 10 “Best Appetizers Ever” and now this Hummus has gone and messed with my numbers.  It’s cozying up next to Willow Pond’s green tomatoes and ranch dressing (Aurora, KY).

The Edgewater Grille’s appetizer choices also include Calamari, Mozarella Sticks, Jala Pinatas (jalapeno peppers stuffed with cream cheese, breaded, fried, and served with Ranch dressing), Shrimp Cocktail, Chicken wings, and even more!  See the menu I’ve linked to below for the full list.

Get the hummus.  Get the hummus.  Get the hummus.

Click for a larger view!

FISH SANDWICH

My family orders fish so often, it’s a wonder we don’t have Pelican breath.  But what can I say, we love ourselves some fish.  We’ve always really liked seafood, but when we lived on Pensacola Beach and seafood became our way of life, we fell head over shrimp tails in love with all things fish-y and have never looked back.

So, yes, we normally get fish when we go to Edgewater - namely their Cod Sandwich which they modestly bill as “The best fish sandwich around!” Oh, no, I’m not being sarcastic when I say they modestly bill it as such - I’m being honest, here.  They imply that it’s the best fish sandwich around when in fact it’s one of the best fish sandwiches on the planet.

See, they could have gone with that - but modesty made them hold back.  Humble Hoosiers.  Gotta love them.

Their Cod Fillet Sandwich is so good, you’ll just look around like, “Can you believe how good this fish sandwich is?  It’s, like, one of the best on the planet.”  The fish is amazing - lightly breaded and delicious - and the tarter sauce is perfect.  That’s all, just perfect.

In addition to the Cod Fillet sandwich, they also offer a huge variety of other sandwiches as well as entrees that include steak, pork chops, veal, shrimp, crab legs, scallops, and other delectable choices they wax brilliant with.  Again, see the menu I’ve linked to below to see the choices and read the description for each.

TRI-COLOR CHEESE TORTELLINI

On our most recent trip, I was torn between the Lasagna, Tortellini, and Grilled Chicken - but when I read the description of the Cheese Tortellini, I knew I had to try it.  As soon as I saw the words, “Creamy porafina sauce” my taste buds threw an opening ceremony.   The Edgewater Grille’s Tri-Color Tortellini was the most spectacular pasta dish I’ve ever gotten in a restaurant.  The creamy red sauce should come with a warning label.  It’s just remarkable.

BREAD AND BUTTER

The fresh baked rolls they serve with their dishes are so good, they get their own heading.  They’re the kind that melt in your mouth, IF you were to leave it there long enough to afford them the honor.  You’ll notice that I gave equal billing to the butter.  There’s a reason for this.  For one thing, as a cook, myself, I know that real butter owns margarine’s face.  I’m convinced that whoever came up with Margarine and those other fake spreads did so as a joke.  Come on, they didn’t really mean for us to eat it!  Surely not.  It’s a joke - like instant potato flakes.  Ha Ha.

Real butter makes all the difference - it’s creamy and perfectly sweet and I could eat it all by itself.  They serve a generous mound of this perfection with their basket of rolls and I love them for it.

Another thing that real butter shows is class, and a commitment to the guests having the best experience possible.  Edgewater Grille’s Mission Statement asserts that they ”Never sacrifice quality in the name of profit margins.”  As they say on their website, “We do everything especially for you.”  They could just as easily serve margarine and pocket the money saved, but in yet another instance of putting their guests first, they rise above that philosophy AND above the competition.

I could fill a book with the number of times I’ve encountered restaurants (and other places of business) that put the wishes or requests of their guests BELOW their own wishes or “ways of doing things.”  How incredibly refreshing it is to come across a very, very special place who’s only ”way of doing things” is the way the guest wants them done.   If more places approached their business from that view point (rather than in front of the mirror), what amazing days we’d have - everyday!

To those who tell us, “Well, this is the way we’ve always done it…” OR “I know people don’t really like this, but… Well, we do!” - we should realize that they don’t value us as a guest as much as they value themselves as a host.  Then we should promptly take ourselves to a place like Edgewater Grille that approaches everything they do from our viewpoint.  It’s good to be appreciated. 

The Edgewater Grille’s, literal, Bread and Butter operation blows me straight away.

WHITE CHOCOLATE CHEESECAKE

Heaven.  Let’s just go with that, shall we? There’s no reason known to man to make anything this gorgeous and delicious.  All it does is hurt when the last bite is gone.  You lie awake at night, wishing you could live it all over again.  Then morning comes and you wonder, “Was it all a dream..” 

I’m just telling you this because I love you, don’t leave The Edgewater Grille without a slice of White Chocolate Cheesecake.  If you’re full from the hummus, fish, steak or Tortellini or all of the above (You go, you!) - get some in a container to take with you.  If word gets back to me that you went without getting some of the White Chocolate Cheesecake, I’ll… I’ll…. Well, I’ll just go there and have two slices to make up for it.  That’s what I’ll do!  I’ll show you.

BRICK OVEN PIZZAS

Edgewater Grille has an amazing Brick Oven that produces pizzas that are so sensational, I feel embarrassed for them.  Thier oven is actually the only wood-fired brick oven in the Tri-State and their pizzas live up to their exclusive birthrights.

See, I’ll tell you what I’d suggest.  You hit Newburgh just before lunch, have a Brick Oven Pizza for lunch, walk around the gorgeous town, then head over to Evansville (minutes away) for a few hours of shopping.  When you’ve worked up a killer appetite, head back to Newburgh’s Edgewater Grille for supper.  Just. Be. Sure. You. Have. The. Hummus.

I’m not even kidding you, it’s ridiculously good.

 THE HOSTESS, OWNER, And SERVERS

You know, I’m not sure I’ve ever given servers their own heading before - yet they’re something I always pay amazingly close attention to.  The thing most restaurants don’t realize is that they do more than just work for you, they represent you.  The quality of people you have working for you tells your guests a lot about your own quality.

Yet again, The Edgewater Grille refuses to do anything but excel.  As in surpass.  As in do better than.  My husband hit it on the head last night - they enjoy what they do.  As we sat, looking at the beautiful view, we were honestly entertained by the servers who were so full of energy and life.  They cater to your every single need, often before you even know it’s a need.

The owner even circulates and makes friendly conversation with her guests, asking how everything is.  When you know it’s going to be outstanding, I guess you’re not afraid to ask, right?!

The owner of The Edgewater Grille “gets it” in every area of the restaurant business.  Every detail is spotless and amazing.  It’s somehting you become aware of the minute you walk in.  The young girl who has worked as hostess on each visit we’ve had is the ideal hostess.  She’s very warm, friendly and seems thrilled to see each person who comes through the doors.  It certainly isn’t a prerequisite, but she’s also a tiny little beauty.  If the fashion world ever realizes that beauty doesn’t have to be walking on stilts, this girl would make a million dollars a month.

You’re also aware of the truth when you leave.  Each time, when leaving, other servers (in addition to our own) has smiled at us and told us to have a great night. 

Is that much Southern hospitality supposed to be on THAT side of the Ohio? 

Edgewater Grille does everything with style, with class, and with perfection.  In their own words, which ring blissfully true, “We do everything for you.”  Beautiful.

Useful Links:

Edgewater Grille’s Website

Edgewater Grille’s Menu

 

The Louisville Zoo Mourns the Loss of Frank, A Very Special Silverback Gorilla

The great looking guy you see above was a very special Silverback Lowland Gorilla.  The Louisville Zoo recently lost Frank, who lived to be 44 years old, a very impressive age for a gorilla.  The Louisville Zoo is actually home to Timmy, who at 49 is the oldest living male gorilla in North America.  Helen, who is 50 (sorry, Helen, I know we ladies don’t like to give away our age ), also calls The Louisville Zoo home.

Frank was one of nine silverbacks in the Association of Zoos and Aquariums population over age 40.

Thursday afternoon The Louisville Zoo had to say goodbye to this beautiful silverback western lowland gorilla.

Frank was born in the wild in Cameroon, Africa, in 1964, but lived most of his life at Chicago’s Lincoln Park Zoo. He transferred to the Louisville Zoo in 2002 for the opening of (the amazing) Gorilla Forest. Frank was known for his gentleness and kindness as well as for successfully raising unrelated youngsters introduced to his group. He was even named Chicago magazine’s “Father of the Year” in 1998!

This gentle giant suffered from arthritic legs­ and, while at the Lincoln Park Zoo, he had an orthopedic surgery performed by none other than the team surgeon of the NBA Chicago Bulls. What would you expect for a Father of the Year, right?

Since his arrival at the Louisville Zoo in 2002, Frank received the best of care from cardiologists, physical therapists, radiologists and dentists. He was on a very special, customized diet and was given medication for heart disease, high blood pressure and chronic age-related arthritis.

Sadly, this week, the medication was no longer able to control Frank’s symptoms and the Zoo was no longer to, humanely, hold onto a much loved friend.

Read more

Support Louisville’s Amazing Zoo by Recycling Your Old Cell Phones

If you’ve never been to the Louisville Zoo, what in thunder are you waiting for?! 

One of the things that most “identifies” me is my love of animals. So, it’s no surprise that whenever my family visits a new city, the first two things I want is directions to the zoo and directions to Starbucks.

A girl’s gotta have her priorities.

The Louisville Zoo is, without a doubt, my all-time favorite zoo.  I can’t put my finger on it, but somehow they seem to treat their animals with more genuine respect and love than any place I’ve ever seen.  The residents of Louisville’s Zoo aren’t “attractions,” they’re simply their much cherished and pampered “pets” - we’re just lucky they allow us in to visit.

I also LOVE their gift shop.  I go wild in zoo gift shops - it’s the only way I can “take the animals home” with me.  I have so many stuffed animals, mugs, bookmarks, pens, tees, etc.  I read once that you should surround yourself with things that make you smile - animals never fail to make me smile ear to ear.  Here at my desk, as a matter of fact, there’s a little stuffed polar bear staring at me from the left and a bison watching intently on the right.  I think they’re counting how many cups of coffee I’ve had this morning.

Four, guys, four.

I could spend hours upon hours watching these beautiful, entertaining animals. The gorillas, alone make it seem like you’ve been transported to a whole other, “cooler” world.

Now we have a chance to show our love for the Gorillas as well as the other handsome residents.

From the Website:

The Louisville Zoo is working with a company called Eco-Cell to recycle cell phones, help the environment and make money for conservation.

Many of us have one or more old cell phones stuck in drawers or closets just waiting for a place to go. You don’t want to throw them in the trash because you’ve heard its bad for the environment. Well the Louisville Zoo has a solution for you!

Bring your old cell phones to the Zoo anytime throughout the summer and put them in the special containers on the Front Plaza. ANY kind of cell phone will be accepted – even the big, heavy ones that were popular 10 years ago and wouldn’t come close to fitting in your pocket now.

Eco-Cell will donate up to $15 for newer model phones. And because the Louisville Zoo is an Eco-Cell Silverback Partner, we receive money for EVERY phone that we recycle.

Please be sure these are old phones and that your service has been disconnected.

I know, for a fact, that we have about 5 old cell phones lying in drawers around here. Now they can finally make themselves useful. My youngest daughter and her boyfriend are cut from the same animal-loving cloth that I am. They happen to have plans to visit the Louisville Zoo this weekend, so I’m sending along my old cells. As well as orders to hug the animals. Nah, I’d better not do that, they’d do it.

Before visiting the zoo, visit their website and “bone up” on your animal knowledge. That’ll impress even the lions. Hover over COLLECTION in the navigation at the top, then hover over ANIMALS, then choose the category you want to wax brilliant with. There’s a wealth of fascinating information here.

For example, did you know a cotton topped Tamarin can jump 50 feet from treetop to ground without
injury? Well, me too, of course, but that’s impressive stuff for a little guy.

Have a great Wednesday and get yourself to the Louisville Zoo as soon as possible.  I’ll be the one with her arms full of stuff in the gift shop, the one who’s husband looks like he’s the next victim in a horror flick.  That’s usually right before he reaches the point of helping me pile things on. If you can’t beat them, join them?

Pictures From The Beautiful Green Turtle Bay Resort & Marina in Grand Rivers

Here are more pictures taken by Michael during Marina Day.  I still can’t get over what a beautiful day it was - no one could have scripted better weather!

These pictures were taken at the beautiful Green Turtle Bay Resort & Marina in Grand Rivers.  We’ve been all over the country and have had the opportunity to stay in some remarkable resorts and condos - as far north as the Great Lakes and as far south as the Florida Keys, and  I’ve never seen a more beautiful view than is granted to the condos at Green Turtle Bay.  The condos pictured below actually remind me of some we stayed in on a trip to Hawks Cay in the Florida Keys.

This is an absolutely beautiful place. Breathtaking, even.  Visit Green Turtle Bay Resort & Marina’s website the first chance you get and let them tell you all about their “water way of life.”

Click each picture to see the larger version!

 

  

 

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