Hey, y’all!
I was recently talking about my childhood and how special it was. While there are many aspects that I cherish, above all else, the memories that I have on the farm are the most poignant.
When thinking of the farm, I can’t help but to think about the kitchen, which is the meeting point for most families. Whether it’s the glass compote that has been in my family since 1847, the decades-old cast iron skillets, the Louisville Stoneware pottery that has plated meals since the 50’s, the china that my Poppy brought back from Germany — special memories live in that room. It’s where I found my love of food, where I first learned to cook, and I will always return to those four walls when home.
While I am no longer in school, I have been keeping up with several families on social media that are posting about the start of the school year. As a child, this was the most exciting time of the year for me, and my family knew that. That’s why the food we produced in the kitchen was so important — we’d cook and then we’d eat together at the dinner table. At the table, conversations (face-to-face, not technological) dominated the evening, as we all shared about our days. Those were the simpler times – and, if I were to be honest with y’all, I miss them.
Food brings people together — I truly believe that.
As we enter the Dog Days of Summer and approach fall, I encourage each and every one of y’all to take time to cook a meal, sit at the table, and enjoy the company of your loved ones. It might be old school, but it has magnitude. It’s tradition. It’s southern. And, my friends, it’s Kentuckian.
On my most recent trip home, I wanted to host a breakfast for Jude, my grandmother, and my cousin, Dana. Anyone that grew up on a farm or was raised by hardworking folks will tell you the importance of the first meal of the day. In my world, in the country, that meal was heavy, filling, and was made to “stick with you” — it included meats, gravy, biscuits, eggs, and a side. To pay homage to that tradition, I made just that; however, knowing me, I wanted to up the ante.
When designing my menu, I kept honing in on the word tradition. This meal was to honor tradition, and being on the farm that my family homesteaded in 1798 made me want to pay homage to the state. The best way to do that was to incorporate Ale-8-One into a recipe. It doesn’t get more Kentucky than that, y’all.
I honor my Russell County roots + Ale-8-One honors their Clark County roots. That’s why I love them. Launched in July of 1926, Ale-8-One is the only Kentucky-invented soft drink still in existence. It was invented by G. L. Wainscott and was named via one of America’s first slogan contests at the Clark County Fair. “A Late One” – the winning entry – was a pun adopted for its witty description. From that, a Kentucky legacy transpired.
The menu for my meal? Ale-8-One Buttery Biscuits, Kentucky Sausage Gravy, Kentucky Sausage Patties, Kentucky Fried Eggs, and Fried Apples. Could it have been any more southern, y’all?
The next time you are looking for a biscuit recipe, look no further than this one. It’s my all-time favorite — simple, quick, yet immensely flavorful. When made-from-scratch is this easy, there’s no reason not to do it!
Ale-8 Buttery Biscuits
Ingredients:
4 c. baking mix (i.e. Bisquick)
1 c. Ale-8-One
1 c. sour cream
1 stick of butter
Directions:
- Preheat oven to 425F.
- In a mixing bowl, combine the baking mix, Ale-8-One, and sour cream. Mix well (I use a rubber spatula/my hands) until fully combined. I wouldn’t recommend using an electric mixer, as you do not want to over mix. Also, just for your information, this is a sticky dough.
- Using either your counter or a large cutting board, sprinkle the surface with flour/baking mix and use your hands to knead the dough. Roll it out to roughly half an inch thick.
- Place a stick of butter in a glass baking dish and place in the oven. Do NOT let it burn; however, do let it fully melt, leaving the bottom of the pan covered in layer of butter.
- Cut out your biscuits and place them in the butter-filled pan.
- Bake for 12-15 minutes, until golden brown. Keep an active watch on the biscuits!
- Let the biscuits sit in the pan for 5-8 minutes, as they will absorb the butter.
- Enjoy!
Being a southern cook and a southern food writer, I take biscuits very seriously – and y’all will have to trust me when I say that these are the very best. They are so moist + after coming out of the oven, the absorbed butter really sends them over the edge!
I also had to include these photos of my grandmother’s hands — I will always cherish these snapshots!
As we head into a new season, as school starts, and as we all add things to our daily schedules, I do hope that y’all will take time out of your day to have a sit-down meal with your family. Tradition is important to me – and speaking from experience, it’s the times at the table with family that permeate my memory the most.
I’m grateful for farmhouse recipes + Ale-8-One — they both have been pinnacles of my childhood and will continue to be formative into adulthood. They both represent Kentucky culture to me, which is both my heritage and my passion.
Cheers!
As always: Happy Eating, Happy Traveling, Happy Living.
Y’all come back now, ya hear?
My best,
JC
FTC: This post was kindly sponsored by Ale-8-One; however, as always, all opinions expressed are my own.
