I may be a Northerner by birth, but, having spent over a year in Alabama, I’ve found that I’m a Southerner at heart. I love the people, their incredible caring and hospitality, the way they slow down and enjoy life. While there, I developed a great affection for hush puppies, buttermilk biscuits, banana pudding, sweet tea and mint juleps.

My friend Mary and I were talking about this today and about how we wish we could take a trip to the Kentucky Derby, wear big floppy extravagant hats which we’d flounce around in, and drink our mint juleps while watching the races!

At this point, her daughter Cassidy and her friend ran to get their hats and pose for a picture. This is derby stylin’!

After taking some pics of the girls, I decided to make Mary one of my famous Mint Juleps, the offical Derby drink,  so that we could sit back and relax for a spell.

This is how I make my Mint Juleps:

First of all, you need some fresh mint – the fresher, the better.

I take about 8 mint leaves and place them in a bowl. On top of that you can add 1 – 1 1/2 teaspoons of sugar, depending on taste. Now, comes my favorite, and perhaps, the most important part. Muddle the mint and the sugar. Don’t pulverize it, just crush it. If you don’t have a muddler, you can use the handle of a wooden spoon. The reason to muddle the mint is to release the concentrated essential oils in the leaves so they can infuse the bourbon (or iced tea).  You can do this in a glass, but I like using a bowl to really get in there.

Now, add 4 oz. of good bourbon. At this point, I transfer the mixture into a tumbler with some crushed ice if you have it.  Shake well.

As I didn’t have a tumbler today, I filled the glass with ice cubes instead.

Pour the mixture into your favorite glass  and garnish with a mint sprig or two! And, there you have it – amazingly cool and refreshing.

If you want a non-alcoholic version, replace the bourbon with iced tea and add your muddled mint mixture.

Staying Fresh and Clean in any situation

Relaxing with a good friend and chatting over a cold drink is one of the pleasures of life, and another pleasure is feeling clean and refreshed, especially if you’re out in the hot sun at a sporting event or a concert. In those cases, I’ve often wished for a better restroom experience.

With more than 165,000 people attending the Kentucky Derby each year, the bathrooms are nearly as busy as the betting windows. This year, Cottonelle is upgrading the bathroom experience onsite, providing Cottonelle TP and flushable cleansing cloths across the bathrooms giving attendees the opportunity to get clean and fresh while at the race. How cool is that?

More coolness

The Cottonelle Great Finish Sweepstakes:

Cottonelle is upping the ante at this year’s Kentucky Derby and launching “The Cottonelle Great Finish”. This is an awesome giveaway that will reward Americans with a year supply of Cottonelle products if the No. 1 and No. 2 positioned racehorses place in that order during the race. The odds are with you! If you want to get in on the fun, you can sign up at the Cottonelle landing page.

The first 15,000 entrants to sign up will be awarded a year’s supply of Cottonelle toilet paper and flushable cleansing cloths if the outcome aligns!    

So, hurry and get on it! Win a year’s supply of Cottonelle!

How to Enter! 

1. Visit the Cottonelle landing page

2. Click on the Cottonelle Great Finish Giveaway

3. Click on “Sign up now”

4. Register for the Cottonelle Updates website

Cottonelle Toilet Paper and Cleansing Cloths are big winners here at my home. They’re always in my bathrooms for family and guests and I carry the portable packs in my purse.

How do you keep clean and fresh in any situation?

Disclosure: This post is sponsored by Cottonelle, but my love for their flushable wipes is all my own!