Posts

Glamping is so last year. The hottest travel trend around is gramping—when grandparents take their grandkids on adventures, no parents required. “Gramping” is also called a “skip-gen.” According to Boomer Magazine, a so-called “skip-gen” (skip-a-generation) trip that allows grandparents to bond with their grandchildren by taking them on a vacation. We think it’s a brilliant idea. Gramping can be a big win for everyone involved. Grandparents get to travel while bonding with the next generation....

When the cool weather sets in, there are few dishes that are more comforting than a piping hot casserole of homemade lasagna. It’s also one of the simplest recipes to throw together, which makes it a weeknight winner. (Some lasagna recipes, like this one from our Test Kitchen experts, don’t even require you to boil the noodles!) But it’s not all fun and games with the Italian baked pasta dish: So often, when it comes time to cut the lasagna, things fall apart....

Why is it that baseboards need to be covered in dirt and grime before I ever even notice that they need to be cleaned? If this is your experience, too, know that you’re not alone. It’s pretty easy for most folks to forget about the baseboards when you’re sweeping or mopping the floor. Thankfully, you don’t have to deep clean baseboards often, if you actually clean them properly. To prevent having to deep clean your baseboards all the time, Taylor Matthews, owner of Sparkling Queens in Savannah, Georgia, suggests dusting your baseboards regularly and keeping an eye on areas where things can get wet and sticky, like in the kitchen, in the bathroom, or around dog food and water bowls....

Fruitcake: it’s a tradition, sure, but it can be wildly divisive. Many of us are turned off by this holiday cake—from the weird, plastic-looking fruit in unnatural green and red tones to poorly made fruitcakes that are dried out, heavy, and overly spiced—that make an appearance every Christmas. Make Fruitcake Your Own But fruitcake has come a long way as people have discovered how to customize it to their liking. Instead of soaking fruit in rum, per the classic recipes, try brandy, whiskey, bourbon, or juice....

There’s nothing pretentious about daisies. You’ve loved these cheerful, common flowers ever since you learned to draw them in kindergarten. Perhaps it’s because daisies grow in crayon colors: yellow centers ringed with white petals on plain green stems. Shasta daisies(Leucanthemum x superbum) are the ones you probably remember from childhood, and it’s easy to add them to your own garden. Daisy Flower Facts Size: 1 to 4 feet highLight: full sunSoil: moderately fertile and well-drained, but also tolerant of clay and sandRange: all South; hardy in USDA zones 4–9Uses: butterfly gardens and flower borders; stiff stems make for great cut flowers Where to Plant Daisies Shasta daisies are an old-fashioned favorite for planting in a cutting garden, along a fencerow, or in a half-wild, meadow-inspired cottage garden....

For Leap Day 2020, Kelly Calway will make the trip from her home in McLean, Virginia to Atlanta, Georgia. But it’s not just any road trip. This mom of two, Active Duty Army Officer (Major), and two-time combat veteran and Bronze Star Medal recipient will be headed to Atlanta to participate in her third Olympic Trials for running on Saturday, February 29th. In honor of the upcoming trials, Calway teamed up with Brooks—and she’s training in a prototype version of Brooks Running’s Hyperion Elite shoes—the athletic wear company that is also sponsoring her with apparel, coaching, cheering packs for friends and family, and more....

Lifetime’s lineup of holiday movies is here! The network’s annual “It’s a Wonderful Lifetime” programming event kicks off November 5th. This year Lifetime is delivering a treasure trove of new holiday films, with new movies premiering every Thursday, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday all season long. Familiar names include Melissa Joan Hart, who serves as executive producer and director for her fourth Lifetime movie, Santa Bootcamp. Kelsey Grammer, Mario Lopez, Jana Kramer, Brooke Elliott, and Keshia Knight Pulliam all star in and executive produce their respective films this year....

As many are forced to push back their wedding plans amidst the coronavirus pandemic, some thoughtful couples are doing what they can to make the best of a difficult situation. One such couple in New Braunfels, Texas, Kristall Goytia and Jason Oswald, decided to donate their wedding flowers to local assisted living homes after their March 21 wedding was postponed as the flowers had already been shipped. Per San Antonio’s KSAT-TV, the couple’s wedding flowers—100 bouquets hydrangeas, roses, along with some greenery mixed in—went to three assisted living facilities in neighboring Schertz so the residents could enjoy the fresh blooms (the couple couldn’t enter themselves due to visitation to these homes being prohibited amidst the current social distancing protocols)....

Pillsbury has a brand-new—and delicious—way to salute the troops. In time for Flag Day gatherings on June 14, and Fourth of July barbecues, the baking company has introduced a new ready-to-bake cookie dough complete with a U.S. flag. Patriotism has never tasted so good. The new cookie dough was created in partnership with Operation Homefront, an organization that helps military families transition back to civilian life after they leave the military....

We’ve seen Reba McEntire star in Lifetime Christmas movies, play Annie Oakley in Annie Get Your Gun and make us laugh in her sitcom Reba. We’ve seen her glammed up and singing onstage at the Oscars and duetting with Dolly Parton. We’ve seen her as a restauranteur, podcaster, and a fashion magnate. We’ve seen the star in so many different roles over the years, but we’ve never seen Reba like she is on Big Sky....

Another Georgia title meant another shift at Raising Cane’s for Bulldogs quarterback Stetson Bennett. On Thursday, Bennett celebrated his second national title, once again, at Raising Cane’s in Athens, much to the delight of hundreds of excited Georgia fans. Bennett, who led the Bulldog offense to the most points ever scored in a national championship game Monday, was all smiles as he made his first public appearance following his team’s 65-7 win over the TCU Horned Frogs....

Recipe: Hush Puppies A fish fry and barbecue staple, hush puppies are made from a six-ingredient batter, which is dropped by spoonfuls into hot oil to cook. You can make them yourself—we walk you through the steps. History of Hush PuppiesSo, how did hush puppies get their name? They were perhaps the original treat (aka bribe) for Fido. Legends tell how Southern fishermen and Civil War soldiers first made the golden nuggets from scraps just to toss to barking and begging dogs with the command to “Hush, puppy....

The gift that keeps giving that is Hallmark Channel’s Countdown to Christmas continues this weekend with more premieres of all-new original holiday films. This Saturday we will be swept away to the magical land of Ancadia for the premiere of the modern-day fairytale, A Christmas Carousel. Lila, played by Rachel Boston, accompanies her father, a master at carousel restoration, as he travels at the request of the Ancadian royal family to repair their carousel that was originally designed by his grandfather....

It’s been a rough few weeks for oysters. On the heels of last month’s recall of potentially contaminated raw oysters from South Korea that were distributed across much of the South, the Texas Department of State Health Services (DSHS) has ordered a recall of all oysters harvested in the TX 1 area of southeastern Galveston Bay. The recall follows reports of a few dozen cases of gastrointestinal illness among people—including 19 restaurant diners in Louisiana—who ate raw oysters harvested from those waters between November 17 and December 7....

The days of stick-straight bobs might be behind us. Those angular, unforgiving lines work on some, but by no means the masses. It’s of little consequence to most of us though. Just as we wouldn’t try to cram our size 7 ½ foot in a 6 shoe, we are too well versed in the passing of trends to try and make something work that’s just not meant to be. It’s the others that we’re concerned about, the ones who go hither and thither riding the fads like a leaf in the wind....

It’s always a good idea to have a box of your favorite cake mix in the back of your pantry—especially for cake emergencies. You know, those times when you when no one told you that the school bake sale is tomorrow, or friends are coming over for dinner tonight and you forgot to ask them to bring dessert, or it’s a rainy day and you need a project to occupy the kids before they drive you crazy, or you just really, really need a slice of cake RIGHT NOW....

Even the name is pretty: Beaufort. Contrary to the spelling, it’s pronounced “BEW-fert,” with the lips pursed as though blowing a kiss. Just hearing it, you can picture the quaint little town that’s been racking up accolades in recent years. It just sounds nice. Beww-fert, beckoning you to come hither, and see what all the fuss is about. And because of those accolades, you know what to expect from the Lowcountry gem: a storied history and rich heritage, splendid mansions framed by moss-hung oaks, and stunning views of rivers and marshes....

This T-fal frying pan is made with a titanium surface that prevents sticking, and even customers who have used several T-fal pans over their lifetime say this particular one is “the best non-stick surface [they] have found.” Not only does the 10.5-inch pan cook food evenly every time, reviewers say, but its surface is also made to last with a durable, scratch-resistant construction. Buy It: $21 (orig. $25); amazon.com It even has a handy heat indicator that can aid beginners in the kitchen....

It’s hard to tell when a story starts, when it feels like it’s been there all along. That’s how food is in the South. The smallest touches on a dish make it unique, and the stories about how a certain food came to be are part of the tradition. But Southern food is so much more—Southern food shows resilience and community, alongside a twisting history spanning generations and continents. Southern food is a mix of different cultures and experiences, bound together by circumstance and generosity....

Touted at 30-35% stronger than any other spiralizers on the market, this bad boy boasts five cutlery-grade, stainless steel blades that allow you to perform a wide variety of cuts on all sorts of fruits and veggies. Even hard root vegetables like sweet potatoes and turnips don’t stand a chance against this affordable device. Other selling-points include an easy-to-turn crank, suction cups for counter stability, and it’s dishwasher safe. Seriously, it’s never been easier to eat healthy....