The Kentucky Derby

Hey y'all! Today's post is all about the derby. I have never been to Churchill Downs, but it is definitely on my bucket list! Tyler played in The Derby Day golf tournament today at Triple Crown Country Club, and I stayed home to study. I wanted to surprise him with a little derby party for the two of us when he got home from golf. He loved it, and I had a blast getting everything together! A huge thanks goes to my soul sister Wendy Quattlebaum for some inspiration on her recent blog post on The House of Q's! She did a derby themed post with lots of great ideas!

I wanted to keep it simple since it would just be the two of us, but I also wanted to make sure I included some derby staples. I found a recipe online for a mint julep that is non-alcoholic. Since I don't really like to drink, I thought this would be a perfect drink choice for us! Tyler picked himself up a little Mint Julep Maker's Mark bourbon for his drink, and it mixed together perfectly with my mint julep mix. I made some pimento cheese sandwiches, smokies, and a few hors d'oeuvres. The girls at the pharmacy where I used to work taught me how to make the smokies, and my grandmother has made hors d'oeuvres like these for as long as I can remember.

Now, let me start by saying I had to improvise when I put this little shindig together. My mom always taught me to use the resources you have and just make the best of it. That is exactly what I did. We don't have a dining table currently, so I had to set up my display on the kitchen counter. We don't have any dishes or entertaining pieces such as serve bowels and platters, so I had to bring out the "fine china" aka my UK dishes. Hey, a girl's gotta do what a girl's gotta do! Although, I have to say I am so excited for my upcoming bridal shower. The dishes I have picked out on my registry would have been the perfect addition for my little derby day.

Here is the finished product. Needless to say, Ty was ecstatic when he came home to this after a long day of golfing! Tyler's friend, Chase, stopped by for a bit, and he approved of my derby day snacks as well!

The mint julep in the picture above (inside the large mason jar container) is "soaking." I'll add the recipe I found online below! I just mixed sugar, water, and fresh squeezed lemon juice inside the mason jar, added 6 mint leaf stems, and let is soak for an hour. After an hour, I took out the mint leaves and added in some fresca and ginger ale. We poured the mint julep mix over ice, and Ty and Chase added in some bourbon for theirs. It was awesome! 

These are my UK dishes. They are perfect for game days! This is only about the third time I have been able to put them to use. I love them, but my darling vintage white dishes would have been much more appropriate for this little party! (Can you tell I am getting REALLY excited for my shower?!) LOL

I picked these flowers up at my local Kroger. They were in the clearance section for $5.00! I grabbed them up immediately! They will probably only last a couple of days, but they were too pretty and at too good of a price for me to pass up. 

Yes, you are looking at Lilly Pulitzer for Target plates and glasses. It only seemed fitting to have my derby day snacks on my new Lilly dishes! 

I have a board pinned on Pinterest where I found some recipes and ideas for this derby themed party, so check that out! Listed below is the recipe for the mint julep mix.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Mint Julep Non-Alcoholic Mix via The Farm Girl on Blogspot 

• 6 mint leaves, rinsed
• 1 1/2 cups of sugar
• 2 cups of water
• 3/4 cup of lemon juice (I hand squeezed 4 lemons to get 3/4 cup)
• 4 cups of fresca or sprite (I used fresca)
• 2 cups of ginger ale

Place sugar, water, and fresh squeezed lemon juice in a pitcher and mix until the sugar is completely dissolved. Rinse 6 mint leaf stems and put them in the sugar/water/lemon juice mixture. Let the mint leaves soak for an hour. (I felt this did not give a mint flavor at all, so if you like mint, let it soak for longer or leave the mint leaves in the drink). After an hour (or longer - your preference), add 4 cups of fresca, 2 cups of ginger ale, and mix well. Pour over ice. You can add bourbon if you wish, or this drink can be enjoyed as is. 

                   ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

I hope y'all enjoyed this post! I'd love to hear what you all did to celebrate the derby. Next year, I hope to either attend the derby or throw an actual party for guests and not just for Tyler and myself. Actually, I just want to buy a hat. Any plans that allow me to wear a dress and hat will be fine in my book!