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You are here: Home / Archives for News / Reviews

Kentucky Coffee Mug from Starbucks

December 30, 2014 by Joi Sigers Leave a Comment

Kentucky Coffee Mug from Starbucks
This mug couldn’t have been more made for me if it’d had my name on it… spelled correctly, even.  I mean, no one loves their home state any more than I do, no one loves coffee any more than I do (my blood type is caffeine, I thought you should know that), AND I have collected coffee mugs and cups since I was able to walk.

Well, maybe not that long, but you get the idea.

This beautiful coffee mug was an early Christmas gift from my oldest daughter (with the exact same blood type). They’re available at Starbucks and, I assume, online as well.

This is one fantastic looking mug, so you’ll want to grab yourself one asap.

Kentucky Coffee Mug from Starbucks
Kentucky Coffee Mug from Starbucks

Filed Under: News, Reviews Tagged With: Kentucky coffee mug, Starbucks

Trunnell’s Farm Market in Owensboro

November 13, 2014 by Joi Sigers Leave a Comment

Trunnell's Farm Market Fresh Canned Tomatoes
If you live in or near Owensboro, I’m sure you’ve heard of Trunnell’s Farm Market.  The official mailing address, apparently, is Utica – but here in Owensboro, we lay claim to it as our own.

Trunnell’s is worth the drive no matter where you happen to be.  No matter what time of year it is, this is the place to be. Whether you’re shopping for Christmas (or birthday) gifts, stocking your kitchen with the freshest food possible, or treating yourself to homemade candy (SO DELICIOUS!), you’ll fall in love with Trunnell’s and become a regular.

Trust me on this one.

On a recent trip, my oldest daughter (Emily) and youngest daughter (Stephany) —– the daughter in the middle (Brittany) had to work, poor baby —– did, indeed, hit the homemade candy hard. We also had a cup of their great coffee and grabbed a few fresh food items.  A few of these foods were canned tomatoes and fresh butter.  As I used (and enjoyed immensely) the butter and tomatoes, I made a mental note to be CERTAIN to stock up on these items before Thanksgiving and then again at Christmas.

I served the tomatoes with breakfast (eggs, bacon, and biscuits) and a couple of times at supper. I can’t tell you how amazing they are with cornbread.

There are also tons of jams, jellies, preserves, pickles, and so much more I want to have on hand for the holidays as well.

If you live even remotely near Trunnell’s, I’d strongly suggest giving your holiday cooking and dining this delicious edge. You’ll also find tons of great Christmas gift ideas in addition to Kentucky food – which we all know can’t be beat. Their pies, loaves of bread, and other baked goods will make you swoon.

If you don’t live near Owensboro, find a similar local farmer’s market in your area. It’s a wonderful thing to support farmers and local businesses – so you actually get fresh, wonderful, wholesome food while you’re doing a super cool thing.

That’s what we call a winner winner.

Visit Trunnell’s Farm Market for more information, including directions.  You’ll want to visit Trunnell’s as soon as possible – before we wipe them out!

Trunnell's Farm Market Fresh Canned Tomatoes

Filed Under: Christmas in Kentucky, Holidays in Kentucky, Kentucky Food, Owensboro, Reviews Tagged With: Owensboro, Trunnell's Farm Market

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

Dear Fudge Factory in Grand Rivers, Kentucky….

September 23, 2014 by Joi Sigers Leave a Comment

Fudge Factory Fudge, Grand Rivers Kentucky
There are many, many, many reasons to love Grand Rivers, Kentucky. Grand Rivers Variety shows at Badgett Playhouse, Kentucky Lake, Patti’s, Green Turtle Bay Resort & Marina, Lake Barkley, Lighthouse Landing, friendly people, and on and on. But I think the most delicious reason to love Grand Rivers (the “Village Between the Lakes”) is The Fudge Factory. This tiny little candy shop/gift shop is a CAN’T MISS stop each and every time we go to Land Between the Lakes or Kentucky Lake.

Heck, even if we’re headed to Paducah, it’s reason enough to veer off for a quick candy fix.

On a recent trip to the Land Between the Lakes, we stopped by for some of this delicious fudge. Truth be told, we made quite a candy haul, as you can tell by the pictures here.

Raving continues below each picture.

Grand Rivers Fudge Factory Fudge
Mind you, this isn’t just any candy, we’re talking about here. We’re talking about creamy, beautiful, and utterly delicious homemade fudge.

My own personal favorite fudge is a tie between Peanut Butter Fudge and Chocolate Fudge with Walnuts. My daughters are BEYOND wild about the Tiger Butter Fudge and Dulce de Leche (both are pictured above)- or any kind with caramel involved. As for the husband, I’m pretty sure his favorite is whichever one’s within reach. Can’t fault him there.

Grand Rivers Fudge Factory
He and I have a system. Not only do we grab enough of our favorites for the trip back home to Owensboro, we grab extra to see us through the week.

Of course, it never makes it through the week – come to think of it, I’m not sure our haul has ever made it through the weekend.

But that’s okay, our car knows the way to Grand Rivers.

Peanut Butter Fudge from Grand Rivers Fudge Factory
I 100 percent… make that 110 percent… recommend you make a trip ASAP to Grand Rivers and The Fudge Factory.   It’s located at 2040 J H O’Bryan Ave.

In my next post, I”m going to tell you about a new obsession I grabbed the last time we were in the Fudge Factory. It wasn’t fudge… it wasn’t even candy. It was a bona fide “Kentucky Food” that I can now no longer live without.

Watch for the next post, I’m fixing to turn you on to something mind-blowing!

Fudge Factory Grand Rivers
Also See:

  • The Fudge Factory
  • Grand Rivers, Kentucky

Filed Under: Grand Rivers, Kentucky Food, LBL, Reviews Tagged With: Grand Rivers, Grand Rivers Fudge Factory, Homemade Fudge, Kentucky food

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

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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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