My Old Kentucky Home

The mint julep. Bourbon, sugar, and mint leaves.
And, the nastiest-tasting official drink around.

I'm not big into gambling. Or bourbon. Or hats.

But I embrace all of the above for one Saturday in May. Namely, the Kentucky Derby.

Luckily for me, my husband has family in Kentucky - awesome, fun-loving, heavy-drinking family who last year were kind enough to invite us to stay at their place and then drive us to the Derby and celebrate with them. Score.

The Derby itself is one of those things you should try one day, just to say you've done it - whether you pay several hundred dollars per person for the good seats, several thousand dollars for the really good seats, or a mere 40 bucks for general admission, which gets you all the space you'd like on the inner track.

Among the many sights of
the Kentucky Derby.
Not weird ... at all.

In truth, the inner track doesn't quite have the glitz and glam of the larger stadium.

You won't, for instance, have a reserved seat per se, though you can bring your own lawn chair.

You can't actually see the track. (That's what the big screens on either end of the stadium are for nowadays.)

Annnd, there's no shelter to speak of to protect you from the elements. So bring an umbrella ... or if you're really classy, a tarp.

But, really, where else on the planet can you drink freshly made mint juleps with the masses, chow down on giant turkey legs while standing around in a dress and fancy hat, and spend the day hoping to make money off of animals with funky-sounding names?

Besides, you've got to admit that it isn't all that often you come across a half-man, half-horse jumping rope with the local kids. These are the trenches, people, where you will experience the real deal.

And I swear to you it's all worth it for those two short minutes of pure excitement during the actual Derby race.

Sweet Victory

Super Bowl? Super delicious.

It's Superbowl Sunday, and this means good things are afoot.

Given my indifference to football, it's an event I would otherwise not have reason to acknowledge - were it not for the festive parties, wealth of beer, and heart attack-inducing snacks.

That said, I felt I had to do my part and whip something up for the shindig we'll be attending tonight. Since the chilis, chicken wings, and dips had all been claimed by other guests, I figured a dessert might be a good way to go.

Enter cupcakes, one of the universe's greatest gifts to humankind. You just cannot go wrong with them.

The Power of Pizza

If you've been on the East Coast recently, you may have heard about the hideousness that was Hurricane Irene. The flooding, the destruction of roads, homes, and trees, and the loss of power - in our case, for more than four days. Not a pretty sight.

Pizza, sans oven? = Love.

But fear not. Even with zero electricity, you can still cook up that singularly satisfying food that I'd personally want with me if I were ever to find myself stuck on a desert island: pizza. All you need is a grill and a grocery store nearby with power, where you can stop in for a handful of supplies.

Grilled pizza not only has a really great flavor, it cooks quickly and just plain looks cool, with its extra bubbles and lovely-looking char marks from the grill.

Here's the simplest version: