Kentucky Derby Party

It's time for our annual tradition- a celebration of the Kentucky Derby! If you missed it, it was on Saturday and is always the first Saturday in May. Born and raised in central Kentucky, both my husband and I like to commemorate this historic event with friends over mint juleps, good Kentucky food and Derby dishes, and some classic Southern style and hospitality!



Although it was a muddy and messy race, the horse "Orb" came from behind and won the prestigious title, and will go on to race in the Preakness.

If you are interested in reading more of my posts on the Kentucky Derby and even snagging some recipes, you can find them located here.

Here is a recap showing some of the party highlights:

bourbon bottle encased in ice with mint leaves and rose petals

Derby food spread

Derby betting envelope system

Grown-up, sophisticated jello shots 

Bourbon Balls

we used our recently constructed potting bench as a bar for the party- Derby glasses are stacked on the shelves

With much Kentucky love,

2011 Run for the Roses

And they're off!! Animal Kingdom shocked the world as he crossed the finish to win the 137th Kentucky Derby. It was a beautiful day for racing and good eats with around forty people attending our Derby party! The party was great fun, but I'll admit I am totally exhausted...

Of course I never take as many photos as I had hoped to! We used our Buffalo Trace half a bourbon barrel to hold ice with bottled drinks and I completely forgot to snap a pic. Oh well. Here are some highlights from the afternoon:

"Louisville Shortbread" horseshoe cookie favors

a spread of Kentucky specialties and Derby fare
(in addition to burgoo we had cooking on the stove)

Derby Pies and desserts on the dining room mantel

Bourbon Balls

mint for the juleps

playing with the chicks

vintage decanter and Derby glasses

me and my friend, Heather

If you haven't been keeping up with this Derby series and would like to see more, check out the first three posts: Talk Derby to Me!, Derby Preparation and Menu, and Derby Party Sneak Peak.

Hope you had a Happy Derby Day!

Linking to: My Uncommon Slice of Suburbia's Tuesday's Treasures

Derby Party Sneak Peak

The 2011 Run for the Roses is almost here! Can you feel the excitement building? If you've never experienced a horse race before, there is nothing like the Kentucky Derby. The sights and smells of well-groomed thoroughbreds, vibrant jockey silks, fresh mint juleps and lovely ladies in exuberant hats are all part of the experience! And when the time comes to sing the 1853 Stephen Foster classic, "My Old Kentucky Home," there is scarcely a dry eye in the race track.

Since this blog has been a little quiet lately due to my efforts and energy going into the party preparations, I thought I'd leave you with a small taste of the festivities to come this Saturday...

A Derby display

I made "Louisville Shortbread" horseshoe cookie to give out as favors

freshly picked NC strawberries ready for tomorrow

And if you didn't get a chance to read the first two posts in this series, click here for Part I and click here for Part II.

I'm linking to:

Flaunt Your Feathers Friday @ A Lovely Place to Land

Derby Party Preparation and Menu

The Derby is only a few weeks away!  Do you have a favorite horse yet? Have you picked out your Derby hat?  I've been busily planning our menu full of Derby specialties and traditional Kentucky food. Yum!

Here's a list of menu items so far:

- Kentucky Burgoo 
traditional Kentucky horse racing cuisine usually sold at race tracks; consists of a vegetable and beef-based stew with various meats included.

- Homemade Biscuits 
I think these will be yummy with the Burgoo...

- Mini Hot Browns
miniature-sized versions of the famous Kentucky dish first served by the Brown Hotel in Louisville; consists of small party-sized rye or sourdough bread squares topped with turkey, a special white cheese sauce, onion, bacon crumbles, and parsley; then baked in the oven.

- Corn Pudding
a traditional southern food combining corn, eggs whites and yolk, milk, flour and sugar, then baked. A delicious recipe from my husband's stepmother who grew up Eastern Kentucky. 

- Homemade Beer Cheese (with raw veggies and crackers)
another traditional Kentucky specialty, still served at in some Kentucky restaurants. Hall's on the River is famous for it. There are many recipes for this, but the one we use involves a pre-made mix of spices, sharp cheddar cheese, beer, mayo, and a few other special ingredients. 

- Benedictine Finger Sandwiches
a typical Derby food, consisting of a cucumber, onion, and cream cheese spread with a pinch of paprika sandwiched between thinly sliced white bread. I sometimes tint mine with a drop of green food coloring. 

- Fresh Picked Strawberries with Bourbon-Vanilla Cream
I pick up fresh NC strawberries from local farmers a day or two before the party and I allow them to warm up to room temperature before guests arrive for the best flavor. To make the bourbon vanilla cream I just combine sour cream with a little brown sugar, vanilla flavoring and a splash of bourbon.

- Sauteed Herb Cherry Tomatoes
these are super easy to make; just gently saute your cherry tomatoes in olive oil with your favorite combination of Italian herbs until tender. 

- Amie's Derby Pie
This is an easy recipe and is often the most requested one at the party. It is similar to a pecan pie but with chocolate. I also use a small splash of bourbon for extra flavor. Derby Pie is a must-have for your Kentucky Derby Party. Leave me a comment or send me an email for the recipe! 

- Bourbon Balls
A sweet Kentucky delicacy: these are often sold at Kentucky Bourbon distilleries and many families make them for the Holidays. The Rebecca Ruth Candy Factory (in my hometown of Frankfort) is credited for first inventing the bourbon ball during the 1930s. I will provide you with the recipe for your party below:

Ingredients:
1/2 cup softened butter
1/3 cup plus 2 tsp bourbon
1 1/2 tbsp milk
7 1/2 cups powdered sugar (approx)
1 package of semisweet chocolate chips
1 1/2 tbsp shortening
Pecan halves to put on top


Combine butter, bourbon and milk; add sugar until mixture is stiff dough. Shape into small balls. Put in fridge until balls are firm, or you can freeze in zip-lock bags until ready to use.  Melt chocolate chips and shortening.  You can use a little shaved paraffin if you want a crisper chocolate coating.  I use a small saucepan sitting in a large skillet of water.  Dip balls into chocolate with a toothpick to cover all of the ball.  Shake off excess chocolate.  Press a pecan half on top of ball covering toothpick hole.  Let cool on foil lined cookie sheets in fridge.  For an extra kick, you can soak pecans in bourbon before placing on balls.  Store in tins or airtight container. 

Drinks to be served include:

- Mint Juleps
The official drink of the Kentucky Derby. A combination of bourbon, ice, crushed fresh mint, and simple syrup. Garnish with fresh cut mint sprigs.

- Mint Tea
a wonderful sweet tea recipe steeped with mint leaves and lemon.

- Bourbon Brown Ale (that my husband brewed himself!)




Be sure to check out my first post on the Derby Party series here and stay tuned for more to come! If you are planning a party for the Derby, feel free to leave a comment and to share your plans or recipes. I'd love to hear from you!

Talk Derby to Me!

It's that time again....time to start planning for our annual Kentucky Derby Party!

As a born and bred Kentucky girl, I always look forward to hosting a southern soiree the first Saturday in May to celebrate the most exciting two minutes in sports! Guests will enjoy a day filled with beautiful horses, southern traditions, lovely and exuberant hats, rounds of corn hole in the back yard, mint juleps, and wonderful Kentucky food. Derby parties are the custom back home, but here in NC they are are unique and fresh to folks who are new to the Kentucky Derby experience.

I've been daydreaming up designs for party invitations. We plan to print our own on some nice card stock. Here's what I've been able to create so far:

I even scored some awesome finds at a local antique mall for the event including a tin horseshoe-shaped cookie cutter and a cool vintage "Derby Foods" wooden box for $10!

My parents gave us this half of a bourbon barrel from Buffalo Trace Distillery in Frankfort, KY for a Christmas gift (our car smelled like bourbon the whole trip home). We plan to use it either as a large planter or maybe as an ice cooler for drinks. 

If you like to entertain, a Kentucky Derby Party is a wonderful way to get together for some good southern food and a historic day of horse racing! I'll be posting more on the upcoming Derby Party as the time draws near, so check back for updates!