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Two of my favorite towns to visit when we’re down around Kentucky Lake, Lake Barkley, and Land Between the Lakes are Aurora and Grand Rivers. Grand Rivers offers a great deal wit it’s Badgett Playhouse, Grand Rivers Fudge Factory, Patty’s, Lighthouse Landing, and Green Turtle Bay. It’s a beautiful little village with a lot going on.

Aurora has a different “vibe,” and seems to delight in being very laid back. This community is home to my favorite Willow Pond Restaurant, one of my all-time favorite BBQ Restaurants (Aurora BBQ - Home of the Winking Pig!), the Dinner Bell, and one of my favorite spots to unload cash that’s weighing down my purse - The Hitching Post Gifts and Country Store. I’ve never…never… gone into this charmingly fun store without exiting with loot that I can’t wait to get home with.

In addition to an endless display of Kentucky memorabilia - from t-shirts, jewelery, and hats to candles, figurines, ornaments, and cookbooks - they carry a remarkable variety of Yoder’s Homestyle jams, jellies, etc. They also have BBQ sauces that’ll send you over the proverbial moon.

On our most recent trip, I got a jar of Yoder’s Homestyle Sweet Potato Butter. Have you ever had Sweet Potato Pie? Well, the filling pretty much lives in that neighborhood. So, whether you put it on buttermilk biscuits, cornbread, or toast, you get that same amazing flavor. Frankly, I can’t say enough great things about it. Their Apple Butter is also ridiculously good.

The next time you’re in the Land Between the Lakes region, make a point of visiting the “down home” friendly people at the Hitching Post Gifts and Country Store in Aurora. If you time your day just right, you can work up an appetite at The Hitching Post, have lunch with the winking pig, explore the beautiful Kentucky Lake area, and then make an appointment with the best hushpuppies on earth at the Aurora Willow Pond that evening.

It’ll be a day you won’t forget.

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Last night, my husband and I saw Bus Stop at the Badgett Playhouse in Grand Rivers, Kentucky.  I had a smile on my face for the entire duration of the play - even during intermission.  On the ride home to Owensboro?  Still smiling.  Smiling like a Southern Baptist Preacher in a room full of fried chicken and sweet tea.

I’ve honestly enjoyed each show I’ve seen at Badgett Playhouse.  My favorite have always been Greater Tuna and Always, Patsy Cline which simply defy description.  But now these “favored children” have company at the top.  Bus Stop is a complete and total delight.  I was surprised and pleased to discover that it’s as funny as Greater Tuna, which is really saying something.  It also had as much heart as Always, Patsy Cline - also really saying something.

Here’s a little synopsis:  Bus Stop is a romantic comedy about a busload of characters who are snowbound in a little diner in Missouri called Grace’s Diner.  The two actors who make Greater Tuna the comedy magic that it is, Bill Minihan (pictured on the right) and Steve Sherling (pictured at the top), are in Bus Stop - which are two of the reasons the play is so much fun.  Bill Minihan plays a cowboy who is in love with a nightclub singer name Cherie (beautifully played by Sara Minihan, Bill’s lovely wife).  The problem is, our cowboy hero goes about it ALL WRONG.  How wrong?  Well, he has abducted her and is attempting to force her to marry him.  What he lacks in smooth he makes up for with enthusiasm.

In the movie Bus Stop, Marilyn Monroe played the character of Cherie - but she had nothing on Sara.  Sara was mesmerizing in Always, Patsy Cline and she was up to her old tricks in Bus Stop.  She had audiences doubled over, laughing in that one and in this one as well.  She also happens to have one of the prettiest voices I’ve ever heard.  She got to sing a song in this play and my ears were very glad she did.  You’d have to see Variety! Music, Memories & More to really enjoy her singing (and dancing!).

Steve Sherling is not only the director of Bus Stop, he also plays the bus driver, Carl.  He’s brilliantly funny as a performer, and he’s just as impressive as a director.  He had his cast in top shape and the entire production was amazing.   While Steve isn’t in a whole lot of scenes, he’s a hoot and a half in the ones he does have.  Then again, I honestly believe that he, Bill, and Sara (left) could make a farm report entertaining.  The minute Bill swaggered onto the stage, it was like, “Let’s get this party started!”  He’s one of those performers who, obviously, loves nothing more than to make people smile.  Apparently, he’s gotten a lot of practice, because to say he has honed his craft would be a gross understatement.

Kay Scarbrough plays Grace, the owner of the diner.  The actress is actually a nurse which leaves me nothing short of amazed.  She memorizes all these lines in addition to a demanding career like nursing?  You go, girl.  She was adorable and did a great job.

Equally adorable was Dana Poulson (right) who played a young, naive waitress in the play.  In addition to many plays and musicals, this lovely young actress has had appearances in the films Bringin’ Down the House, Austin Powers- Goldmember as well as the television shows Son of the Beach and Six Feet Under. She blew me away with her beautiful voice in the Variety show and I was very, very impressed with her as an actress. 

You might want to write her name down and remember it.  Hollywood could use a fresh face - especially when it’s backed up by an incredible amount of talent.  

Scot Durham played a drunk who got his swarmy on around Dana’s character.  He played a bit of a sleaze, but you couldn’t help but like him anyway.  He brought a lot of charm and even vulnerability to the role.  He did a very, very good job and cracked the audience up many times.  Like Dana, I had mostly just seen Scot’s musical side - I was shocked to see that he has so much talent as an actor!  This particular role calls for some real acting chops, and he showed that he has them.

Jeff Miller was a complete newcomer for me - not surprisingly, since this was his first appearance at Badgett Playhouse.  I loved his acting style and he fit in seamlessly with the rest of the Variety! performers as though he’d worked with them his entire career.  Mr. Miller is a 20 year veteran of the stage and was most recently seen in Annie and Of Mice and Men at Murray’s Playhouse in the Park, where he is President of the Board.

I hope he’ll return to Badgett Playhouse often.

I saved Thomas Michael (Virgil - left) for last because, quite frankly, his is an inspiring story.   Unlike the rest of the cast, Thomas Michael doesn’t exactly list “acting” on his resume.  He’s a guitarist extraordinaire. He is to the guitar what Tiger Woods is to a golf club, Albert Pujols is to a baseball bat, and Paula Dean is to a skillet. 

Magic.  Happens.

My husband is a huge fan of Thomas Michael’s guitar playing and calls him his favorite “picker.”  He (Thomas, not the husband) has shared the stage with the likes of Martina McBride, Johnny Paycheck, Steve Wariner, Randy Travis, and Tracy Byrd.  Or as my husband would say, they shared a stage with Thomas!

He apparently was called upon to do a role in this play by his friends and co-stars at Badgett Playhouse.  No doubt they knew he had the grit to pull it off even if he didn’t.  He told my husband, after the show, that he didn’t get much sleep the night before the play opened because he was “scared to death!”  I’d have never guessed.  He nailed his part magnificently.

The fact that he stared into fear’s intimidating eyes and didn’t blink shows strength of character.  It also shows someone who thought so much of his friends that he wasn’t about to let them down.  I love that!  He most certainly didn’t let them, or anyone, down.  He fit in with the rest of the talented men and women and, whether he realizes it yet or not, he is an actor.

I just can’t go on about this cast enough.  They were outstanding and we saw them on just the second night. Several times, when action was going taking place on the other side of the set, I could overhear delighted audience members saying things like, “Look at the drunk!” or “Look at Cowboy’s face!”  The cast fed off of the audience’s laughter and it made the evening something extra special.

The first few rows were occupied by a tour group from Louisville, Kentucky.  They had the time of their lives!  I didn’t get a chance to talk to the group’s leader after the performance, but I wanted to tell her that if they loved Bus Stop (and they obviously did), they MUST come back for the Tuna Christmas Show.  I also wanted to ask her if they’d brought groups to the Always, Patsy Cline or Greater Tuna shows.  I was going to encourage her to remember them for next year. They’d be two more experiences they’d remember and talk about forever.

Bus Stop will be showing throughout September, so I HIGHLY encourage you to go to the Variety! Music, Memories & More website and find the perfect date for you on their schedule.  

The Tuna Christmas Show will air on the following dates:  November 20 & 27 and December 4, 11, and 18.  My husband’s trying to convince me that I don’t have to see each performance and I’ve agreed.  I guess I could force myself to miss the one on Thanksgiving.

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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…

Update: This pie is amazing! Knowing how much my family loves sweets, I doubled the recipe and made two. One disappeared before the night was over and the other didn’t make it past the following afternoon. We liked it best slightly warm with ice cream on top.

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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.

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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.

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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

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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

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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?

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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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During the Marina Day festivities in Grand Rivers Saturday, I had the sweetly supreme pleasure of sinking every tooth in my head into a delicious Red Velvet Cupcake from Sugar & Spice.  This Custom Bakery is located at 147 Barkley Drive in Grand Rivers, Kentucky.  A place I will be sure to visit regularly from here on out.

The Chef is Marilyn Kunz and she’s my kind of people.  Not just because she shares my love of baking/cooking, but apparently we share a love for Paula Deen.  As the visitors to my food blog, Get Cooking, know, I’m as big a fan of Paula Deen as anyone on earth.  Love her!  Which is why I couldn’t help smiling Saturday when I saw Marily Kunz wearing a great Paula Deen wig. 

She was adorable!

When my husband asked me what I wanted for “dessert,” I didn’t hesitate for a second.  I’d seen the writing on the wall sign and knew I HAD to have a Red Velvet Cupcake. (For those who have never tried Red Velvet Cake, think of it as a Chocolate cake that’s blushing.)

The cake was deliciously moist and flavorful, and the icing?  I’d have stabbed your hand with a plastic fork if you’d tried to get between me and it.  It was thick and rich and beautiful - oh, so beautiful.

My husband had the pecan pie, which he absolutely loved.

The next time you’re in Grand Rivers, drop in on Marilyn Kunz at 147 Barkley Drive.  If you live in the area, keep your eyes and ears open for Culinary Classes that’ll be starting soon.  I hear there’ll even be a Paula Deen class, y’all.

That’s nearly as sweet as the Cream Cheese Icing was.

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