We’ve all been there. You’ve followed the recipe, but the dough just isn’t coming together. A shaggy dry mess forms in the bowl, but nothing that resembles pie dough, bread dough, or cookie dough. There’s a bunch of flour collected at the base of the bowl and it’s just not incorporating. Dry doughs feel like a disaster, but unlike other baking problems, this issue can often be solved (and quite easily)....
Eating fresh sweet corn is one of the many joys of summertime in the South. Maybe you enjoy it boiled or grilled, slathered in melted butter and topped with herbs and seasonings, or you may like to stir fresh corn kernels into a pan of succotash or old-fashioned creamed corn. Once you get fresh corn home from the market, it is important to refrigerate it immediately and use it as soon as possible....
From pesto to Caprese salad and cocktails to pasta dishes, basil is a favorite ingredient in the kitchen and a must-have in any Southern herb garden. When temperatures consistently stay in the 80s, this annual herb really takes off. But to ensure you’ve got a steady supply all season long, you need to know how to harvest basil without killing the plant. First, make sure your basil stays healthy by giving it full sun, which is at least six hours of direct sunlight per day....
Orchestrating a springtime concert of color is a snap, especially when you anchor your plantings with the season’s virtuoso performer—the azalea. These blooming beauties rate as one of the region’s signature plants, an all-time favorite among Southern gardeners. Undoubtedly, the reason azaleas are so wildly popular is the sheer showstopping power of their flowers. And where one azalea looks good, you can bet that five will look even better. The secret to staging a springtime extravaganza is grouping azaleas that bear blossoms of the same color....
Get your checkbooks ready! Betty White’s estate is set to go to auction later this year, and the 1,500-item collection is an absolute treasure trove. Julien’s Auctions is hosting the sale, which will feature items from both her personal and professional lives. The three-day auction is currently scheduled for September. Highlights of the collection pertaining to White’s legendary career include her original director chair from The Golden Girls set, The Golden Girls pilot first draft script, her Screen Actors Guild Lifetime Achievement award, and much more....
Bad news for the Southern states who managed to dodge Brood X: another winged invader is emerging from the ground, and, unlike cicadas, these insects are out to cause some serious damage. It’s currently mating season for the dreaded Formosan termite, with swarms reportedly appearing in Mississippi, Louisiana, Alabama, Florida, and Texas. Originally from China, Formosan termites first appeared stateside in the 1960s. The winged insects—often called “swarmers”—gather at dusk and are strongly attracted to light....
Every Southern family has their own “secret sauce.” The recipes we grow up eating, but that no one else is allowed to know. It could be a hush-hush roux that goes into gumbo or a super classified caramel icing that tops the layer cake—and for my grandmother, it’s her pimiento cheese (a combination so good that her small-town grocery deli asked for the recipe) and her deviled eggs. Growing up, I’d help peel all the boiled eggs before family holidays or barbecues, dropping the cooked yolks into a bowl and then watching her dump ingredients into it with wild abandon....
That’s another topsy turvy school year in the books! Krispy Kreme is celebrating the dedication and perseverance of this year’s high school and college seniors with a well-deserved day of free doughnuts. “With the return of graduation ceremonies and a sense of ’normal,’ it would be easy to forget how much of these seniors’ high school or college years were turned upside down by COVID19. We didn’t forget, so we’re celebrating their perseverance and accomplishments!...
Illinois-based Behrmann Meat and Processing Inc., is recalling approximately 87,382 pounds of various ready-to-eat (RTE) meat products that may be contaminated with listeria. These include Canadian style bacon, bacon strips, bologna, Polish sausages, cheese sticks, andouille sausage, salami, and more. The items in question were produced between July 7, 2022, and September 9, 2022 and shipped to retail locations and wholesale distributors in Illinois, Kentucky, and Missouri. The products should be thrown away or returned to the place of purchase....
I know what you want. Flowers all week. Flowers all month. Flowers from spring until fall. Flowers that you never have to water, spray, or fertilize. Flowers that laugh at heat and snicker at drought. Such flowers have a name–lantana. Best of all, you can plant them now. Native to tropical America, lantanas may be annuals or perennials, depending on where you live. Tiny flowers in tight clusters that resemble miniature nosegays appear nearly continuously in warm weather....
Kate Kalvach took on one of country music’s biggest hits during her performance on Monday night’s episode of The Voice. The 27-year-old singer from Oklahoma City delivered a memorable rendition of Shania Twain’s “You’re Still the One” as she competed for Team Camila. Her fun, poppy version wowed the judges, but it was even more impressive once she revealed that she had managed to sing beautifully despite some serious technical difficulties....
During the long days of the coronavirus crisis, we’re all spending a lot more time at home than we’re used to. Some lessons already well ingrained? We’ve learned that Dolly Parton music is a veritable gift, streaming platforms for movies and TV show galore are a blessing, and there’s nothing quite like finding a great new book to dig into. We’ve also been schooled in the simple joy of a houseplant, which may very well boost your mental and even physical health....
Kick off the festive season with a visit to The German American Cultural Foundation’s 2021 German Christkindl Market in Atlanta. Throughout November and December, Buckhead Village will host the celebrations, and when you stop by, you can cozy up by the flickering fire pits, catch a glimpse of a dapper Santa wearing a green tie and a red business suit, and get a start on your holiday gifting. There will be over 50 vendors with festive food and beverages as well as opportunities to do holiday shopping and listen to live music....
No matter how many glitzy, trendy Christmas decorations pop up on the aisles of T.J. Maxx and HomeGoods, Southerners will always be partial to the decorations boxed up in the attic at their parent’s or grandparent’s house. For most, finding holiday cheer each year comes from the childhood memories and traditions that we remember and honor as we get older—and that includes how we decorate everything in the house, from our Christmas tree to our fireplace mantle....
Culinary trends come and go, but this year’s most popular recipes prove that certain classics are here to stay. One dish that’s been a staple on Mama’s dinner table for as long as we can remember has topped the charts as the most-searched recipe of 2019. You know it, you love it: Shepherd’s Pie. According to Google’s Year in Search 2019, Shepherd’s Pie was the year’s most sought-after recipe, with Chicken Parmigiana and Ham Glaze hot on its heels....
BUY IT: $8.55; amazon.com The flexible food-grade silicone popsicle mold makes the freezing process “easy peasy,” a reviewer confirms. It also helps you gently push out the pops, even without running hot water over them. And because it’s made of heat-resistant silicone, the tray can go in the dishwasher for a quick cleanup. You can make two different mold sizes with this fun popsicle tray. And unlike other popsicle molds, this one comes with reusable pop sticks, which means no more wooden aftertaste from traditional popsicle sticks....
Creamy, decadent, and spectacularly seasonal, it’s easy to see why eggnog, a dairy-based beverage, has become a holiday staple. Eggnog usually comes from the grocery store in jug form, only to be doctored with alcohol and garnishes at home. But that wasn’t always the case. Here’s more about this traditional holiday cocktail and how it became associated with Christmas. History of Eggnog To discuss the history of eggnog, you first need to know where it gets its name....
Remember one of 2021’s biggest TikTok food trends, baked feta pasta? The recipe launched countless copycats, including our favorite (admittedly, we’re a little biased): Baked Pimento Cheese Pasta. As a huge fan of all things cheesy, saucy, and carb-centric, I was sold on the concept even before my first bite of this buzzy dinner idea. After that initial trial, though, I couldn’t help but wonder why feta was the fromage of choice....
It was December in Charleston’s historic South of Broad neighborhood, and though greenery graced many of the classic Single Houses, one stood out. Magnolia garlands looped along the double-story porch railings, wreaths were hung on the street-side windows all the way up to the fourth-story peak, and a glow emanated from a second-floor room. Inside, a raft of candles covered the salon’s coffee table, putting off a mesmerizing light that danced over fuchsia lacquered walls....
Be it peach cobbler or blueberry galettes in the summer, an apple pie in the winter, or an anytime birthday cake, vanilla ice cream is the go-to flavor you’ll always reach for. And who are we kidding? No excuse even needed for a scoop. Whether you’re dressing it up with fresh cut strawberries, sprinkles, or smashed Oreos (my family’s favorite) or keeping it pure, you can’t go wrong with a generous helping of the original ice cream flavor....
