Maker's Mark Bourbon Balls
A classic Kentucky Christmas treat!
In my family, it isn't Christmas until somebody makes a batch of bourbon balls. This recipe, passed down from my Great-Aunt Marie, is the only one that will do. Because the bourbon isn't cooked down, the candy retains the taste of the bourbon used. I think it's pretty important to use a rich wheated bourbon like Maker's Mark to retain the sweetness of the dough. Bourbon balls made with a rye blend bourbon (think Early Times or Old Forester) tend to add a bitter note.
This yields between six and seven dozen bourbon balls.
1 to 2 cups good bourbon whisky (I use Maker's Mark)
1 cup chopped pecans
1/2 to 1 cup whole pecan halves (optional)
1 two-pound bag of powdered sugar
1 stick butter, softened
2 bags Ghirardelli semisweet chocolate chips
paraffin wax
Place 1/2 to 1 cup of chopped pecans in shallow bowl. Pour Maker's Mark over nuts, immersing completely. Cover and let soak 12 hours to overnight.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place pecan halves in shallow pan and toast lightly for about ten minutes.
Cream butter in stand mixer fitted with paddle attachment. Combine bourbon-pecan mixture with just enough powdered sugar to form a stiff ball. Refrigerate to let stiffen slightly.
Roll dough into small balls.
In double-boiler (or a sauce pan placed over a cooker full of boiling water), add a third to a half a bag of semisweet chocolate chips and a small shaving of paraffin wax (no more than 1/4 cup). Heat until just smooth. Dip dough balls into the chocolate mixture. The key is to coat them quickly and make small, frequent batches of melted chocolate.
Place bourbon balls on wax paper to cool. Top each with a toasted pecan half, if desired. Results are better if you leave them to cool at room temperature rather than in the refrigerator.
A Good Enough Christmas
An old family photo taught me an important holiday lesson.
The Greatest Christmas Card Photo of All Time.
This post first appeared on HerKentucky in 2012; today felt like a nice day to repost it.
I like perfection.
If things are in their place, we're all happier and more productive, right? Why have a bookshelf when you can have a color-coded bookshelf? And, if every tree is perfect, every serving dish is perfectly chosen, every decoration is perfectly spaced, then we'll all have the happiest Christmas ever, right?
Well, at least that's how I've always seen it. In my head, the holidays take on a Martha Stewart meets Southern Living meets Pinterest air of forced perfection. I want things just so, damn it. I choose a color and a theme for each holiday season, and I like to stick to it. My Christmas cards match my tree which matches the presents. It just looks so nice that way.
This photo is about Love. With a Capital L
This weekend, I was putting up the tree when I realized I'd spent a full hour fluffing branches and positioning lights. To be fair, the tree looked amazing but, you know, there still weren't any ornaments. And then I undertook the Great Wrapping The Ribbon Around the Tree Incident of 2012. We shan't speak of it.
Plenty.
My beau, God bless him, often tries to gently remind me that the holidays can never be as perfect as I envision them. Every day of December can't look like the L.L. Bean catalog, he reminds me, and every day (much to his delight and my chagrin) doesn't come with a Michael Bublé holiday soundtrack. And all I do is wear myself out trying to make it so.
That's my grandpa on the far left with the sweet bowtie.
Recently, I was going through some photos of Christmases at my great-grandparents' house. They had six kids, including my paternal grandmother. By all accounts, Christmas was a big crazy party with lots of family, food, and fun. As I looked at these pictures, it didn't stand out to me that they didn't have a ton of money. It didn't matter what people wore or what dishes they ate from. They looked... happy. They were genuinely glad to be with each other on Christmas. It wasn't forced or overproduced. It was a holiday with family. And that was enough.
Now, I'm not exactly going to give away my beloved Spode Christmas china, nor am I taking down any of my many themed trees. But, this Christmas, I am going to try to slow down and enjoy the season. People and memories are more important than the perfectly decorated cookie. Maybe happiness is good enough.
So, What Do You Wear to a Barre Class?
Finding the perfect outfit to maximize barre fitness class results!
It's B.Fit February here at HerKentucky. I'm rehabbing a back injury with lots of help from the amazing team at B.You Fitness. I've also teamed up with B.You to let y'all know a little more about barre fitness classes and their amazing results. Last week, we did a basic rundown of the exercises you could expect to do in a barre class. Today, we'll discuss what to wear.
So, here's the biggest difference between barre class and any other class you've attended: you'll need special socks. Of course, you wear trainers to most "traditional" fitness classes and bare feet to yoga or Pilates. The poses you'll do in barre class require special, non-skid socks which are available for purchase at the studio. It works well to wear slip-on shoes (Ugg-style boots work well!) to make things easier.
As for clothing, you'll want to go with leggings, tank tops, or other close-fitting exercise garments. These allow a free range of movement and give your instructors a better idea of your form so they can easily make arrangements. B.You has a wide selection of clothing available for sale in each of their studios, and they can help you find a great workout outfit!
Of course, don't forget that you'll be inverted at times and moving around a lot, so you'll probably want to grab a hairband or ponytail holder to keep your hair pulled back.
Finally, remember to hydrate! Bring a water bottle with you to class; I promise you'll need it!!
Please join me throughout as I embark on a journey of fitness at b.you. I'll be posting every Monday to let you know how the classes are going, and you can keep up along the way on HerKentucky's Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. Follow b.you on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram as well!
I hope to see y'all at b.you soon! They have two convenient locations here in Louisville: one in St. Matthews and one in Springhurst!
{This post is brought to you by b.you Fitness!}
Searching for Mary Todd Lincoln
Lexington's Mary Todd Lincoln House holds the key to the First Lady's personality.
When Sally Field was preparing for her role as Mary Todd Lincoln in the recent Lincoln biopic, the dynamic actress insisted on two trips to the historic Lexington home that bears Mrs. Lincoln's name --one tour of the house to capture the essence of the woman whom she was to portray, and one visit for her CBS Sunday Morning interview about the film.
Now, I've probably driven past the Mary Todd Lincoln house a hundred times in my life. The truth is, when you spend a lot of years studying and working in Downtown Lexington, you don't always give a whole lot of thought to the historic buildings. After a while, they all run together. The Hunt-Morgan House. Ashland. The Mary Todd Lincoln House. They all carry the names of Lexingtonians of eras past. They reflect the architecture and fashions of their era. But, when you've used Gratz Park for outdoor undergrad classes or quick runs with the dogs and the Thomas Morgan House is a place where you performed your alumna duty of serving punch at sorority rush parties, you haven't always taken the time to read the historical markers or undertake the tours. While I always knew that the Mary Todd Lincoln House was the home of our nation's Sixteenth First Lady, I've never taken time to visit it. It's just part of the downtown landscape, like Old Morrison or the 5/3 Building.
My friend and fellow "obsessive Kentuckian", Sarah Stewart Holland, wrote an essay here on HerKentucky about the moment when, while reading Doris Kearns Goodwin's Team of Rivals, she first saw Lincoln as an empathetic and very human man rather than as a historically exalted leader. As I read Sarah's piece, I immediately thought of all the press surrounding Ms. Field's visits to Lexington. I did a little research about the Mary Todd Lincoln House and realized that, perhaps, Ms. Field was onto something. Maybe the home where Mrs. Lincoln spent her teen years is a key to her character.
Mary's room, via Mary Todd Lincoln House.
The house located at 578 West Main, an elegant two-story 14-room brick home, was purchased by the Todds in 1832. The fashionable address -- at the time almost suburban -- reflected the family's growing prominence. Robert Todd, a businessman and politician, was the president of a local bank. Mary, the fourth of seven children, lived the life of a privileged southern belle. She attending boarding school during the week, and traveled home on the weekends. When Mr. Todd remarried, Mary disagreed with her stepmother and step-siblings. At 21, she was sent to Springfield, Illinois to live with her married sister Elizabeth. In Springfield, Mary won the affections of two promising young lawyers -- Stephen Douglas and his political rival Abraham Lincoln. Although Mary was known for her dramatic personality and disarming mood swings, her marriage to the penniless Lincoln shocked everyone back home in Lexington.
The Mary Todd Lincoln House, sitting serenely in the shadow of Rupp Arena, boasts a decidedly colorful past. Originally built as an inn, it was later converted to a private residence. It even served as the "bawdy house" where Lexington's most famous madam, Belle Brezing, first practiced her trade. In the 1970s, the house was restored (the first site restored to honor a First Lady) with many original antiques belonging to the Lincoln and Todd families. Its many -- sometimes shady -- incarnations seem a fitting tribute to a woman whose tumultuous personal life was marked with political victories and unimaginable family tragedies. The home's series of reinventions seems also to embody the very spirit of Downtown Lexington -- constantly evolving and rebuilding, with an eye toward the future and a deep respect for the city's history.
Heart Disease and Me
Know your family history of heart disease!
The women in my family have a history of heart disease.
It sounds innocuous enough when I say it that way. It's a whole lot more real when I say:
"I was three years old when my grandma was babysitting my cousin and me. She was in her fifties. And she had a heart attack. All I remember about that day is that I spilled a gallon of milk. That's long-forgotten, but the day's other events changed the course of my grandmother's health for the remaining 25 years of her life."
My grandma with my cousins and me, around the time she got sick.
"My aunt suffered a heart episode that left her comatose for a week. From the middle-of-the-night phone call alerting us all to the situation until one miraculous day in the ICU at UK Med Center, we had no idea if she'd wake up."
My mom with two of her sisters. 2 of these 3 women have heart conditions.
"My mom has a heart condition that has affected her daily life in small ways, but we always know it's there."
Makes it a little more real, doesn't it?
Heart disease is the number one killer of women in America. Here are some scary-assed statistics from the Go Red for Women foundation:
- Heart disease causes 1 in 3 women’s deaths each year, killing approximately one woman every minute.
- 90 percent of women have one or more risk factors for developing heart disease.
- Since 1984, more women than men have died each year from heart disease and the gap between men and women’s survival continues to widen.
- The symptoms of heart disease can be different in women vs. men, and are often misunderstood.
- While 1 in 31 American women dies from breast cancer each year, 1 in 3 dies of heart disease.
The Bluegrass State is pretty notorious for poor cardiovascular health. According to the CDC,more than 1 out of 4 deaths in Kentucky are due to heart disease.
These are very real, very sobering statistics. This February, please stop to think about all the heart logos you see -- the Valentine's Day ads and the Go Red for Women events. Wear red for yourself and those you love. If you're out looking for last minute Godiva at the mall today, participate in Macy's Go Red Campaign. But most of all, educate yourself. Talk with your doctor about your blood pressure and cholesterol levels. Make healthier choices in your diet and exercise. These are all changes you know you should make anyway.
It's not just for you. It's for everyone on your Valentine's Day list.
Product Review: UncommonGoods Custom State Pillow
A customized pillow adds a touch of Kentucky to any home decor!
UncommonGoods recently offered me the opportunity to review one of their Custom State Pillows. This is such a fun process; you can choose your state, your favorite color, and your favorite city (over which a heart will be sewn!)
Of course, I wanted to make the absolute perfect Kentucky pillow. I chose this gorgeous shade of turquoise -- Caribbean Surf -- with a heart over Louisville. I waited not-so-patiently for my order to arrive and was simply thrilled with the results! It's a good size for a throw pillow, an office accent, or to add a touch of home anywhere you'd like the reminder! The felt appliques are stitched in contrast threads for a homespun feel. The quality of the felt is fantastic, and this piece really catches the eye!
This piece would be fantastic for a loved one who's headed off to a dorm room or first apartment in another state, as a dramatic accent in an office bookshelf, or anyplace a little touch of home is needed. In fact, UncommonGoods has an awesome assortment of gifts for just about anyone on your list. They have a great array of personalized gifts for just about any occasion. I love the Hand-Embroidered State Pillows and the New Yorker-style personalized wedding posters! With Valentine's Day coming up, you can find fun, quirky, and unique gifts for her (the anatomical heart pendant cracks me up!) or for him. (They have repurposed UK basketball court cufflinks, y'all!)
Thanks so much to UncommonGoods for the pillow, and for introducing me to their fun line of products!
{A customized pillow was provided for review. Thanks to Uncommon Goods for the lovely product!!}
Old Christmas
The Appalachian tradition of Old Christmas; a celebration of the Feast of Epiphany.
One of the holiday traditions that's stuck with me from growing up in Eastern Kentucky is the idea that January the 6th is Old Christmas. I'd always heard that it's the day you take your Christmas tree down, the day that the Magi arrived and, that, curiously, farm animals could talk on Old Christmas. It was always referred to as a custom that the old folks had followed; an old story among Appalachians of an era past.
Image via Dave Berry Photography.
Of course, this celebration refers to Epiphany, or Twelfth Night, the day on which the Magi arrived. The celebration actually predates the observation of the Feast of the Nativity, and is known to have been observed as early as 380 A.D.. The observation of Old Christmas was brought to the Appalachian Mountains by Scotch-Irish settlers; traditions that sprung up around Old Christmas included the idea that animals could be heard to pray and the superstition that anything you lend to someone on this day will never be returned.
Adoration of the Magi, Sandro Botticelli
So many old traditions and old linguistic patterns were still evident in the Appalachia of my youth. I try to keep a little bit of that by holding on to my Christmas decorations until Old Christmas. I haven't heard any cattle lowing just yet, but maybe someday...