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You are here: Home / Archives for Kentucky Cities / Louisville

Louisville, Kentucky

On the following pages, you'll find Louisville attractions and things to do, Louisville events, news, and restaurants. You'll also find plenty of news about what we think is the best zoo in the country, The Louisville Zoo.

Two Sisters Jams, Jellies, and Preserves: Louisville Sisters Who’ll Rock Your World

September 24, 2014 by Joi Sigers 2 Comments

Two Sisters Cherry Bomb Hot Pepper Jam Collage
In the last post, I guess we should call it a love letter instead of a post, about the Grand Rivers Fudge Factory, I told you I’d be telling you about a new Kentucky Food addiction and I’m here to do just that.

When we were paying for our fudge haul on our recent trip to the Fudge Factory, I noticed a basket of beautiful jar of Jams, Jellies, and Preserves by the register. I grabbed a particularly colorful one and red the label: Two Sisters Cherry Bomb Hot Pepper Jam.  It sounded too good to be true, so I quickly asked for a jar to be added to our bill.

My only regret is that I didn’t ask for more jars. Heck, I wish I’d asked for the entire basket of various jams and jellies!

The Cherry Bomb Hot Pepper Jam was beyond delicious. The subtle sweet flavor of cherry complemented the insanely wonderful pepper jam and it was, without a doubt, the best pepper jam I’ve ever had in my life – which is saying something because I’ve devoured enough to fill the Grand Canyon.

Okay, that may be a slight exaggeration, but you get the idea. I. Love. Pepper. Jam. Given the fact that this is the best pepper jam in the world, it now stands to reason that I love the Two Sisters.

I’m crazy about Kentucky Food and will always grab some the minute I see it.  For one thing, if we don’t support our neighbors, who will?  For another.. Kentucky Food is almost always better than the rest.  Most of the time, the stuff you buy in stores can’t compare to locally made food.  That’s certainly the case with Two Sisters Cherry Bomb Hot Pepper Jam.

You WILL NOT find anything this delicious in Kroger. Or Wal-Mart. Or IGA. Or any other grocery store.

I used our Cherry Bomb Hot Pepper Jam in three different ways before we cleaned the jar: 

  1. I spooned some out on top of a block of cream cheese and served it with Gluten Free Crackers (for me) and Ritz Crackers (for everyone else).
  2. We ate it with cornbread (Holy cow… FANTASTIC!)
  3. I used it to make a glaze to drizzle over cream-cheese stuffed jalapenos (click the link to see the recipe on my food blog).

Review continued beneath the pictures.

Two Sisters Cherry Bomb Hot Pepper Jam
Two Sisters Cherry Bomb Hot Pepper Jam 3
Two Sisters Cherry Bomb Hot Pepper Jam on Cream Cheese
Two Sisters Cherry Bomb Hot Pepper Jam Drizzled on Cream Cheese Jalapeno Peppers

 

Two Sisters are, literally, two sisters who (after retirement) fulfilled a dream of making and selling jams, jellies, spreads, and preserves.

This would be me doing a happy dance as a result of their decision.

I honestly don’t know where you may be able to find Two Sisters foods.  I’ve seen them at The Fudge Factory in Grand Rivers but haven’t seen them anywhere else, yet.

Trust me, I’ll be keeping my eyes out for them now.

I DO know that you can buy them online (click the link for their store).  You’ll find the AMAZING Cherry Bomb Hot Pepper Jam, among A LOT of other delicious sounding and looking jams, jellies, preserves, pickles, salsa, sauces, and more.

Not only should you grab some jams and jellies for you and your family to enjoy, you might want to keep something else in mind: Christmas is just around the corner and these beautiful jars of goodness would make beautiful and delicious gifts.  Either given alone or added to a gift basket, these are gifts that’ll make you a superstar.

Trust me.

If you happen to know other places around Kentucky where Two Sisters foods can be found, please let us know in the comments.  A personal goal of mine is to try everything they have ever made.

Here are a few of their foods on my list to try next (along with links to each one’s individual page… you are welcome):

  • Monkey Butter
  • Old Fashioned Apple Butter
  • Holiday Jalapenos
  • Cowboy Candy
  • Sissy Salsa
  • Black Magic Jam
  • Candy Apple Jelly

There are MANY other jams, jellies, butters, pickles, pie fillings,etc…. too many for me to list here.  You’ll want to click through and take a look for yourself.  You’ll notice that the prices vary and they even have some items on sale.

On a side note, I just have to say that these ladies aren’t only excellent cooks, they’re ridiculously creative when it comes to naming their products.  Cherry Bomb… Cowboy Candy… Monkey Butter… I love the names almost as much as the deliciousness.

Almost.

Two Sisters Cherry Bomb Hot Pepper Jam 3
Website: Two Sisters Jams, Jellies, and Preserves

Filed Under: Christmas in Kentucky, Grand Rivers, Kentucky Food, Louisville, Reviews Tagged With: Kentucky food, Louisville, Two Sisters

Review: Bourbon Barrel Foods in Louisville, Kentucky…

July 16, 2014 by Joi Sigers Leave a Comment

Bourbon Smoked Sea Salt and Pepper from Bourbon Barrel Foods in Louisville, Kentucky
If you’ve never heard of Bourbon Barrel Foods in Louisville, Kentucky, I hope that this Kentucky Food review will inspire you to acquaint yourself with them.

Immediately.

The canisters pictured above were bought at Nona’s Downtown Market in Owensboro, but Bourbon Barrel Foods are available in a lot of Kentucky cities (click here for the list of Kentucky retailers) as well as other states. You can also shop online for the wide variety of excellent Bourbon Barrel Foods.

Now that we’ve gotten the details out of the way, let me tell you why you’ll want to load up on these flavorful foods.

So far, I’ve tried and thoroughly enjoyed the Bourbon Smoked Pepper, Bourbon Smoked Sea Salt, and Bourbon Smoked Sugar.  To date, I’ve used these flavorful (and uncommonly fragrant!) seasonings on/in…

Bourbon Smoked Pepper and Salt:

  • bacon
  • chicken
  • fried fish
  • grilled hamburgers
  • navy beans
  • baked beans
  • green beans
  • eggs
  • sliced tomatoes

Continued beneath the gorgeous picture below….

Bourbon Smoked Sugar
Bourbon Smoked Sugar:

  • oatmeal
  • waffles
  • hot tea
  • candied bacon (unreal flavor!)
  • sprinkled on fruit
  • cinnamon toast
  • sprinkled on applesauce

I’ve also been shamelessly guilty of dolloping whipped topping on Chai Tea Lattes, Coffee, and Hot Chocolate – then sprinkling some Bourbon Smoked Sugar on top.

Decadence, redefined.

Trust me.

There’s positively no way for me to convey to you the insane flavor these seasonings give food.  Basically they take the ordinary and make it extraordinary.

As a bonus, I love the idea of supporting a Kentucky based business. Absolutely love the idea to distraction.

Do yourself and anyone you cook for a huge favor and check out the Bourbon Barrel Foods website, then hook yourself up with all the flavor your taste buds can handle! I can’t wait to try the Bourbon-Madagascar Vanilla, Bourbon Smoked Vanilla Sugar , Bourbon Smoked Paprika, and Mint Julep Sugar.

Are you kidding me? How delicious must each of these be?!

They also have gift baskets, gift sets, grill wood, and a great looking coffee mug.  The prices are all very reasonable, too, which is another agreeable bonus.

Whatever you do, be sure to grab the salt and pepper – when you introduce the flavors to bacon, you’ll be happy dancing all over the kitchen floor.

Bourbon Smoked Sea Salt and Pepper on Bacon

Filed Under: Kentucky Food, Louisville, Owensboro, Reviews Tagged With: Bourbon Barrel Foods, Kentucky food, Kentucky Food reviews

Take a Walking Tour of 3 Kentucky Cities Without Ever Leaving Home

February 19, 2013 by Joi Sigers Leave a Comment

I work full time (from home) in our family-owned web-publishing business. I publish over 20 websites/blogs and spend each of my days online surrounded by news stories, articles, technology, “plugins,” blog themes, and… most importantly… coffee and chocolate. Lots and lots of coffee and chocolate.  When it comes to websites, mobile devices, e-readers, and anything remotely “tech-y,” few things really surprise me any more.  In fact, after so many years doing this, it takes something pretty darn cool to impress me.

What I’m telling you about today actually made me pause and think, “Well, that’s just cool.”

Needless to say, it’s always best to see a city, state park, or other attraction in person. There’s nothing like walking around a town, taking pictures, and meeting its people to give you a real “feel” for what makes the town special, but the second best option is to see the city virtually.

That’s where A Walking Tour of Kentucky comes in.  If you can’t make it to one of the three cities highlighted (Louisville, Lexington, or Frankfort) in person, you can visit them and enjoy a “walking tour” thanks to the Look Up America! series.  These virtual walking tours serve several great purposes.

  1. They could be very useful to people who will be visiting (or even moving to) a particular town.
  2. They could be fun for someone who used to live in a city and would like to see how things have changed – as well as how they’ve stayed the same.
  3. If you (or someone you know) is studying Kentucky History, the information in this series could be A LOT of help.

When it comes to education and/or entertainment – these tours are pure gold.

 

Look Up America! Description:

There is no better way to see Kentucky towns than on foot. And there is no better way to appreciate what you are looking at than with a self-guided walking tour from the LOOK UP, AMERICA! series. All walking tours from walkthetown.com are available for your favorite tablet or mobile device. Look Up, Kentucky! includes walking tours of Louisville, Lexington and Frankfort.

The Look Up, Kentucky! walking tour ebook (Look Up, Kentucky! Walking Tours of 3 Towns In The Bluegrass State) sells for $2.99 but can be downloaded for free from Kindle between February 20 and February 24.

A walking tour can be many things. Interested in heritage tourism? Looking for an educational day trip for the kids? Need a fun exercise plan? Want to find subjects to take great photographs? These Kentucky walking tours are ready to explore when you are.

 

Doug Gelbert, who has authored over 400 such walking tours, describes a mix of historical, architectural, cultural and ecclesiastical Kentucky landmarks. Street addresses and step-by-step directions lead the way. A quick primer on identifying architectural styles seen on Kentucky streets is included.

For more information about each of the Kentucky Cities, click on the following links:

A Walking Tour of Lexington, Kentucky (Look Up, America!)

A Walking Tour of Louisville, Kentucky (Look Up, America!)

A Walking Tour of Frankfort, Kentucky (Look Up, America!)

For more information about the Look Up, Kentucky! Walking Tours of 3 Towns In The Bluegrass State, click the link.

Filed Under: Frankfort, Kentucky Cities, Kentucky History, Lexington, Louisville, News, Shop Tagged With: Frankfort, Kentucky History, Lexington, Louisville

Picture of the Day: Beautiful Valhalla Golf Club

October 22, 2012 by Joi Sigers Leave a Comment

Valhalla Golf Club

Valhalla Golf Club‘s beautiful course was designed by one of the best golfers of all time,  Jack Nicklaus.  That’s pretty much all that needs to be said, isn’t it?

The legendary Club sits on 486-acres in the eastern portion of Louisville. If you watch the PGA tour on television, you’ve undoubtedly seen them play Valhalla. In 2009, the PGA announced that the Senior PGA Championship and the PGA Championship would return to Valhalla in 2011 and 2014 respectively.

The picture shown here is the 15th hole and, yes, it is even more gorgeous in person.  The gentleman in blue is David Burns, and I’m told that he is the best caddy at Valhalla Golf Club, bar none.

On this particular day, the weather was cool and rainy but David never missed a beat. Never complained. He effortlessly took care of four golfers in his group.  I’m pretty certain this man knows Valhalla as well as he knows his own face. His knowledge and love of both the game and Valhalla were as impressive as the beautiful course, itself.

As David pointed out, Valhalla is one of the best places to play golf in autumn in the entire state. Or spring. Or summer…

We have so many things to be proud of here in Kentucky and Louisville’s Valhalla Golf Club most definitely makes the list.

Filed Under: Golfing, Kentucky Picture of the Day, Louisville Tagged With: Kentucky golf courses, Louisville Kentucky, Valhalla Golf Club

The Coolest Polar Bears Are at Louisville Zoo’s Glacier Run

June 4, 2012 by Joi Sigers Leave a Comment

Siku Polar Bear - A Louisville Zoo Polar Bear!

Siku is just one of the Polar Bears you can see at Louisville Zoo’s Glacier Run!

 

If you know much about me, you know that I love animals with a passion as huge as the universe. Polar bears are such a great love of mine that it’s a wonder I haven’t found a way to own one. Dang Kentucky weather!

The beauty pictured above is one of the gorgeous polar bears at the Louisville Zoo’s Glacier Run. His name is Siku.  Siku was born December 3, 2009 at the Toledo Zoo. He relocated to Louisville in September 2011. I guess he’d heard great things about Southern hospitality. Siku, who’s name means ice in the Iupiaq language, had his own private swimming pool within 30 minutes of arriving at the Louisville Zoo.

Arki, Siku’s grandmother, is also at the Louisville Zoo’s Glacier Run. Arki is a 26 year-old female polar bear.  But she doesn’t look a day over 6. You can tell her I said so.

To learn more about the Louisville Zoo’s remarkable Glacier Run and the Polar Bears they’re so proud to house, visit the Louisville Zoo soon… and often. In the meantime, you can learn more on the Polar Bear section of Louisville Zoo’s homepage.

As Kentuckians, we can take a great deal of pride in the amazing Louisville Zoo. It’s one of the best in the country and is right here at home!

Filed Under: The Louisville Zoo Tagged With: Glacier Run, Louisville Zoo, things to do in Louisville

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"When reading about a Kentucky event, please be sure you check the date. Old events are not always deleted from the website. If you have an event you'd like to see on Genuine Kentucky or a 'Made in Kentucky' food or product you'd like reviewed, please contact us! " ~ Joi ("Joy")

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Also See: Best Fried Catfish in Kentucky
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The pandemic has crushed many activities, events, and normalcy – not just in Kentucky, but all around the world. As we creep back toward normal, I want desperately to highlight any and all events going on around Kentucky. Please E-mail me any information you’d like shared about your Kentucky event! ~ Joi (“Joy”)

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