My Old Kentucky Home
1:45 PM
“Hometown
Noun
The town where one was born or grew up; the town of one’s fixed residence.”
A.K.A, Kentucky.
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Recently, the state of Kentucky celebrated it’s 225th birthday. On June 1st, 1792 the beautiful, green, rolling hills deep in the south had been given a name. The amazing place which i am proud to call my home.
I moved here to Kentucky from Indianapolis. A large, well-known metropolis in the north, Indiana is a very different place than here. You don’t have that small-town vibe up north as you do in the southern states.
Although Indiana is my technical ‘hometown’, I never really considered it my home.
My family spent so many weekends and summers down here while i was growing up, and 90% of my growing up happened here. Nearly every weekend, we packed up the truck and took the 4 hour drive down south. I absolutely loved it.
Then one day, it wasn’t just a weekend trip anymore. We packed everything we had into boxes, loaded em’ up, and off we went. We took the leap and moved to a growing town called Somerset. Back then it wasn’t nearly as large as it was then, but nevertheless it was a whole new experience. We had to build a new life upon new circumstances. But we never really had that crazy feeling of “I don’t belong here.” Somerset's motto, "Welcome Home' is proven true, because anyone can feel at home here.
We made friends, learned what days to avoid Walmart, (pretty much every day. I hate Walmart.) , and so on.
Recently we took a trip back up north, and as soon as we crossed the state border into Indiana, i wanted to go home. I swear, those flat plains that reside in the north have no comparison to the beauty in Kentucky. Literally there is no hills ANYWHERE up there. It’s so boring!
But the hills are just one of the things i admire about this place. Here’s a list of my favorite things of my hometown of Somerset, Kentucky.
The Tight-knit Community
Here down south, everybody knows everybody. You could say a random name of a cousin who lives in Hazard, and EVERYONE in Somerset will know them. It gets slightly freaky sometimes. But whenever you need something, everyone and their momma will be there to help. Aunts, Uncles, Friends, and third cousins twice removed will be pulled out of towns you’ve never heard of. I’m sure nobody knew there’s an Eli, KY, didja? Oh, and let’s not forget the universally known sign of greeting on the road. *INSERT ILLUSTRATION HERE*
2. Somernites Cruise
If you didn’t know, Somerset is the car cruise capital of Kentucky. Every fourth Saturday from April-October, there is a large classic car show downtown. There’s vendors, food, a special car showcase, and of course all the rides that people from every state bring down to show off. And after the show is done, this is when it really lives up to it’s name of “Somernites CRUISE”. Around 7 on that night, all the cars will drive up and down the length of our state highway 27 through Somerset to show off their cars. And yes, there is races occasionally. Yes, we have raced with our trucks. Yes, there is police out. Yes, it is a heck of a good time :).
3. The history
This sounds seriously cheesy, but i love reading the Wikipedia page about Kentucky. There is something cool about reading the historical aspects of this state, and also the great measures they took to preserve the history. For example, the photo at Somernites above is in the Square downtown. Almost all those buildings, and the fountain in the Square are original. Most of them have just been repainted to cover the worn parts. The old pharmacy is still there with it’s original window sign, the old Citizens bank, a part of the old library that burnt down. Everything you can imagine is still there. I’ll put the link to the Wikipedia page here.
4. The food.
You know me, i love my food. Especially the food down here in Somerset. Even though Kentucky Fried Chicken was born here, we have quite a lot of other fattening foods that are just as good. For example, biscuits and gravy. A classic. Who doesn’t live a good fluffy biscuit covered in butter with a side of sausage and gravy? Oh, and lets not forget my favorite, which isn’t as well known. CHOCOLATE GRAVY. Yes, you read that right. Chocolate gravy, bacon, biscuits, and hashbrowns are a family favorite here. I can make some bomb chocolate gravy, just saying. And it is exactly what it says it is, gravy made of cocoa powder, flour, milk, salt, sugar, and vanilla. I’ll add in the recipe for it at the end of this post. OH AND LET’S NOT FORGET THE GOD SENT MIRACLE THAT IS BAXTERS COFFEE SHOP. YOU HAVE NOT LIVED UNTIL YOU HAVE HAD THE MOCHA BLITZ. IT IS INCREDIBLE.
5. The Sports
Now, i know that every state has their die-hard college sports fans. But honey, y’all ain’t seen NOTHING until you’ve experienced a Gameday for the Kentucky Wildcats Basketball. I havent gone to a basketball game yet, but i’ve been to a UK Wildcats volleyball game before, and i’m guessing the basketball is wayyyyyyyy more big and loud. Honestly i would fear for my life if i was walking in Lexington wearing a Louisville shirt. Especially on a gameday. INSERT PHOTO HERE OF A GAMEDAY IN RUPP ARENA:
6. The Beauty
Yes, I have come back to the topic of the simple beauty that is Kentucky. If you don’t believe how gorgeous it is, have a look:
Is that not the most gorgeous town ever? To me it is unbeatable.
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So there you have it, a list that could be so much more than what it is, but my hand is tired of typing so that is what we’re left with. That is just a few of the reasons why i love this place with all my heart. Maybe i’ll eventually do a part 2 to this post, we’ll see. But for now, i’ll just teach you how to get addicted to chocolate gravy with the recipe below. You’re welcome.
*SERVES 4*
2 tablespoons cocoa powder
¾ cup granulated sugar
2 tablespoons flour
1 cup milk
Splash of vanilla.
Pour sugar, cocoa, and flour into saucepan on the stove, and mix well with a fork. Turn on heat to medium and add in the milk. Stir constantly until it reaches a low rolling boil. Continue stirring on low heat until it thickens, you can always add more flour if you need to a little at a time. Pull it off the heat once it reaches the gravylike consistency and add in the vanilla. Mix well and put a lid on it, and let it thicken for about 5 minutes. Serve with biscuits and bacon :)
This recipe is one of the best things you’ll ever taste, so try it and tell me what you think!!
Peace out, folks ✌️
-Liv
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