Posts

People like their privacy. That’s why they put up fences. When they can’t afford fences, they plant hedges. And that’s how the South’s worst weed now plagues millions of acres in Southern states from Maryland to Florida to Texas. The villain is a large, evergreen shrub or small tree called Chinese privet (Ligustrum sinense). It’s worse than kudzu, according to the scientists tracking its spread. Worse than kudzu. That’s because kudzu needs sun to grow....

If you haven’t yet tried gooey butter cake (also affectionately referred to as ooey, gooey butter cake), you’re in for a treat. Some sources claim the utterly indulgent confection came about by accident. According to the New York Times, it all started in the 1930s when a St. Louis, Missouri, baker botched the proportions of butter while baking a coffee cake. Like many Southerners, he refused to be defeated and embraced the sugary treat, selling portions that immediately became a hit....

Atlanta-based gospel singer KD French used music to come clean about her love-hate relationship with her refrigerator amidst the coronavirus pandemic, and we have never felt to seen. The singer’s hilarious nine-part song, in which she provides the lead and background vocals, about snacking during lockdown has gone viral for its unabashed relatability. “Somebody stop me, I’m at the fridge,” French sings. “She’s at the fridge again!” the background vocals chime in....

This year, amid the coronavirus pandemic, we could all use some holiday cheer more than ever. That’s why we were excited to learn about Hallmark’s Christmas in July programming plans, which actually begins Monday, June 29. Both Hallmark Channel and Hallmark Movies & Mysteries channel will be participating in the annual programming events, which means double the fun for us wintertime holiday aficionados. Per a company press release, beginning on Monday, June 29, Hallmark Movies & Mysteries will air their annual “Gold Crown Christmas” programming event, airing popular original movies from previous Christmases....

When you’re on an airplane, flight attendants can make the skies that much friendlier with extra cookies, a pillow swiped from first class, or a tour of the cockpit for the kids. So there’s no reason to annoy them with a drink order. A 2013 post from flight attendant blog, These Golden Wings, recently resurfaced on Delish, which may have you second guessing your in-flight drink order. Turns out that some flight attendants hate it when you order Diet Coke....

What’s the secret to the best sweet tea? If you answered, “having a Southern mama who shares her recipe,” you’re right, but that’s not the secret we’re delving into today. It’s undeniable that our Southern families make the best sweet tea, and in the process, they’ve figured out a way to make the classic drink even better. They’ve been kind enough to share their recipes with us over the years, and we’ve learned a few things....

Your oven might run hot, or maybe you forgot to set a timer. You overmixed the batter, or you didn’t measure correctly. Whatever happened, your cake isn’t burnt, but it’s also pretty dry. Don’t toss it out just yet. With a cake soak, a professional bakery hack, even the driest of cakes can be saved. Perfectly baked cakes can use the boost of moisture that a cake soak can provide, too....

To beginning gardeners, planting impatiens can be a great confidence builder. Inexpensive transplants set out in spring and early summer grow to be knee-high mounds of showy flowers in a rainbow of colors by summer’s end. Impatiens in Containers Just as important, impatiens make excellent container plants. Placed in pots, they can brighten an entrance, deck, or patio. Set out white impatiens around these high-traffic areas where they may be enjoyed during the day; at night, their flowers will glow like little stars....

Chances are you wash your sheets regularly (at least we hope so). While you don’t need to launder your comforter nearly as often, it should still be cleaned at least two or three times a year. Otherwise, it will become a home to allergens, dust mites, skin cells, pet hair, and more. Hold your horses before you tear the offending item off your bed, though. Because it’s not as simple as just throwing your comforter in with your next load of laundry....

It turns out that Kyle Chandler has more in common with Eric Taylor than a Texas zip code and a charming drawl. Chandler, whose portrayal of Friday Night Lights’ stalwart high school football coach earned him a Primetime Emmy Award as well as our undying love, recently appeared on The Kelly Clarkson Show. Speaking with Clarkson, the actor revealed how five seasons of dispensing wisdom as Coach Taylor seeped into his personal life, particularly when it came to offering fatherly advice to his daughters Sawyer and Sydney....

On a Saturday morning last summer, the welcoming aromas of melted butter and developing yeast wafted through the cafeteria of Snook Elementary School. In the kitchen, convection ovens hummed while baking carts rolled here and there like props in a theatrical performance. And near the entrance, organizers of the local youth club cranked out long sheets of fresh egg noodles. Around tables near the back, over an assembly line of mixing bowls and measuring cups, a group of enthusiastic bakers (including Barbara Giesenschlag, wearing an “Aggie grandma” T-shirt, and her grandson Logan, in a chef’s toque) were holding wooden spoons and bowls of their own and listening intently to an older, apron-clad woman in wire-framed glasses....

A section of Florida’s Pasco County is under quarantine after the discovery of an invasive snail with the potential to carry a deadly disease. The Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (FDACS) confirmed a population of the giant African land snail in New Port Richey on June 23. In addition to damaging local ecosystems, the sizable snail is known to transmit a rat lungworm parasite that can cause meningitis in humans....

Americans are hitting the road more than ever. From creepy road trips to drive-through haunted houses, many families are celebrating the spooky season by buckling up. This Halloween, we’d like to remind you that it’s not always the destination. Drivers across the nation have plenty of spine-tingling tales of the strange and supernatural from the road. The veteran drivers at Commercial Truck Trader recently collected accounts from the most haunted roads in America, including two terrifying routes in Texas....

It’s called the Isle of Eight Flags. Since 1562, Amelia Island has changed hands several times: settled, warred over, seized, lost, re-conquered, and tussled over some more before it finally landed under its most recent flag (the U.S. flag) after the Civil War. Pirates and brothels and casinos once set up camp in Fernandina Beach, the island’s harbor town, and even Prohibition didn’t shut down the town saloon. If the Wild, Wild West had claimed a coastal cousin, the old Fernandina Beach just might have been it....

Easter brings with it much joyful celebration. Spring arrives, flowers bloom, and certain colors become ubiquitous in the holiday’s religious festivities. Several colors are associated with Easter and have deep symbolic meanings in Christian contexts. According to Encyclopedia Britannica, these associations began as early as the 1100s, when Pope Innocent III set out descriptions of the appropriate colors to be used during specific liturgical proceedings. Today, many of these colors are still used to celebrate the Easter season....

Suzie and Brent Williams set out to create their dream house, but they thought outside the new-build box. Suzie, who was born in the United Kingdom, sought a relaxed yet refined English disposition for their new 5,000-square-foot Houston home near Memorial Park. “We focused on materials that will look better with age and celebrated the imperfections that come with time,” she explains. “This is a place where nobody worries when the kids run inside dripping wet from the pool to grab an ice pop from the freezer....

Even if our Southern Christmases won’t include snow, we still love to celebrate the holiday season with cozy drinks by a glowing fireplace. Our mornings start with a favorite mug filled with coffee and our afternoons might end with a cup of hot tea, but when it’s time to mark a festive occasion we’ll need something sweet. Southern Living Test Kitchen Professional Ivy Odom chose three warm Christmas drinks to inspire your intimate, at-home celebrations this year....

Scottsboro, Alabama, may have just shy of 15,000 residents, but the unique store, Unclaimed Baggage, typically draws around one million shoppers each year. As the coronavirus pandemic has led many stores to boost their online presence, it has finally motivated the country’s only retailer of lost luggage to launch an online store, and we have a feeling you’re going to love it. The e-commerce site will feature unique finds ranging from jewelry and books to vinyl records and shoes, along with electronic devices like laptops, tablets, cell phone, headphones, e-readers, smart watches, and more....

We’ve got news for you. If you’re storing booze in your freezer, you’re doing yourself a disservice. Technically, you can get away with it since the ethanol content in a bottle of liquor prevents it from freezing over in a household freezer, but just because you can do something doesn’t mean you should do it. Sure, you’ll succeed in making sure your next sip is super cold, but according to LC May, grandson of Clyde May and ambassador for Clyde May’s Alabama Whiskey, that isn’t necessarily a good thing....

Choosing the Wrong Crust Like marriages, pie crusts and fillings should form a good partnership. Creamy, cool pies like chocolate cream or Key lime taste best with crumb crusts made out of crunchy cookies. Pies with fruit fillings, like apple or peach, need a more substantial crust made with buttery pastry. Measuring Ingredients All Wrong There’s a reason why people say baking is a science. Most baking problems are due to ingredients that were measured a little too casually....