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Matt Moore, Nashville-based chef and author of The South’s Best Butts: Pitmaster Secrets for Southern Barbecue Perfection came by to show us how to smoke what he calls the “cornerstone of Southern barbecue.” He’s right—there aren’t many barbecue restaurants in the South that don’t have pulled pork on the menu. Whether you’re a fan of pulled-pork sandwiches, platters, or even pulled-pork nachos, there’s no denying that pork butt, despite its off-putting name, is absolutely delicious....

Let’s just put it out there on the table, or in this case, in the pot: some cooks add chocolate to their chili. A pot of chili is more of a common concept than universal recipe across the South, with each cook adding secret touches and pinches to the mix, yet stirring in chocolate is a novelty to many of us, and we might not be sold on the idea. Not yet, at least....

Kiawah Island, South Carolina, just got a whole lot cuter thanks to the arrival of three bobcat kittens. The town shared photos of the four-day-old felines on Facebook last week, adding that the kittens (two males and one female) are residents of the second bobcat den they’ve found this year. “Say hello to some very tiny residents,” the post announced. “The kittens were quickly fitted with PIT tags and placed back in the den to resume their snuggles....

Loretta Lynn took to social media to pay tribute to her late husband Oliver “Doolittle” Lynn Jr. on what would have been the couple’s 74th wedding anniversary this week. “74 years ago, my life changed forever when I married Doolittle,” Loretta, 89, captioned a smiling photo of the two of them. “We had 48 years together and I sure wish he was still here! I miss him. #loveisthefoundation #anniversary #74”...

Southerners have long known that the Outer Banks aren’t just a mystery series on Netflix by the same name as the string of the beloved barrier islands on North Carolina’s coast. This summer, fun in the OBX sun may look a little different in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic, but it’s not getting in the way of nature running its magical course. This past weekend, per OBX Today, manatees appeared on the Outer Banks, and witnessing these sea creatures was pure joy for those who had the chance to encounter these so-called cows of the sea....

Five years ago, Rodney Smith Jr. saw an older man struggling to mow his lawn and pulled over to help him. Smith has made lawn care his mission ever since. He has cut grass free of charge for elderly and disabled people, single moms, and veterans in all 50 states—eight times over. He was supposed to be on his ninth national tour when shelter-in-place mandates made his travels impossible. “Mowing is essential for the people we help, so I was going to do it locally regardless,” says Smith....

When you or I speak to a friend or a loved one, our speech patterns are more casual. We use a lot of short words. In fact, CNN reports that “in most human languages, the most frequently used words are short.” They reference the words “a,” “of,” and “the,” specifically. According to scientists from the University of Torino in Italy in a report released in February 2020, penguins also utilize the same type of speech pattern....

What Is a Top Sheet? First things first, let’s clear up any possible confusion. A top sheet, also called a flat sheet, is the additional sheet that rests between your comforter and your fitted sheet (the one that makes you sweat when you struggle to wrap its elastic hem around all four corners of your bed). Some people swear by sleeping with a top sheet, while others absolutely loathe them....

Serving raw onion sandwiches at a fancy party might sound like a plot from a silly sitcom, but come Vidalia season, it’s a story with a happy ending. The Distinctive Vidalia Vidalia onions are the benchmark for sweet and mild onions in the South. They come from a specific area in Georgia, and only there. Although sweet onions grow elsewhere, the distinctive taste and demeanor of a Vidalia is derived from the combination of weather and soil found in only twenty South Georgia counties....

Haley Taylor Schlitz was just 16 years old when she accepted into nine different law schools back in 2019. Now, three years later, the 19-year-old is set to become not only Southern Methodist University’s youngest-ever law school graduate, but the youngest Black law school graduate in American history. Taylor Schlitz has been on a unique path since 5th grade. Frustrated with the public-school system’s refusal to acknowledge her as a gifted student, her parents turned to homeschooling....

What, might you ask, do most of us have in common with a bunch of middle school girls at a sleepover? We all try, over and over again, to nail the perfect at-home manicure, and we all end up doing rudimentary work, at least 95% of the time. (The middle schoolers just have less to lose and more talent to start.) Doing your own nails comes down to mastering the mechanics....

From the front door paint color to the tile backsplash in the kitchen, there are countless opportunities to show off personal design preferences throughout your home. Most Southerners will agree that throw pillows, too, are an easy and cost-effective way to let your style shine. But when it comes to how many is the right number to toss on the sofa or prop against the headboard, you’ll find a house divided....

As we’re all staying at home and waiting for our regular lives to resume, we’re looking for all the cuteness and emotional boosts we can find. Sometimes, it comes in the form of this wonderful Instagram account dedicated to dogs working at home. Other times, it is inspiration in the form of these practical ideas to beat loneliness during the coronavirus crisis. Today, salvation has come courtesy of a sweet video clip showcasing oh-so-cute kittens frolicking with the fish at the Georgia Aquarium in Atlanta....

Year-round, the Biltmore Estate is bustling with activities and fun. Situated in Asheville, North Carolina’s Blue Ridge Mountains, this February proves a particularly wonderful time to visit the beautiful grounds. The home of George Vanderbilt, the mansion was completed in 1895 and now stands as America’s largest privately-owned estate with 250 rooms ready for guests to explore. This month, the house museum has love in the air for visitors eager to indulge in some Valentine’s Day romance....

The Pioneer Woman Ree Drummond has no shortage of amazing recipes we cook up on the regular. But when we watch her hit Food Network show, The Pioneer Woman, there’s one thing we can’t help but focus on that has nothing to do with what’s in the oven: Her amazing blouses. As The Cheat Sheet originally unearthed, Drummond sticks to “blousy tops” (her phrase; see below), to keep her looking svelte and stylish....

Scrunchies are back! We’ve seen them everywhere, on social media, celebrities, and the front covers of our favorite fashion magazines. While Gen Z and TikTok might try to claim these as their own, we know the ponytail and scrunchie never really went out of style. The look is timeless, chic, and classic. The best of past decades always manage to make a comeback in today’s fashion trends, and are we ever glad the scrunchie is among them....

Can I tell you a story about my mom? She has this funny habit of ordering new beauty products only to suddenly get overwhelmed when they arrive on the doorstep. My sweet Mama’s love for new things often clashes with her aversion to clutter. Her solution is simple: Pass the unwanted items off to her only daughter. Enter me . . . and I have to say I hope this little routine continues forever....

When the pandemic hit, many animal shelters across the country were forced to shut down, causing a massive increase in homeless dogs and cats. At the time, Americans stepped up to the plate by adopting and fostering pets at astronomical rates. But now adoptions are way down, and animal shelters are on the verge of facing another crisis. According to the nonprofit organization Best Friends Animal Society, there were around 100,000 more dogs and cats in shelters in 2022 compared to 2021....

Future Super Stepdad Alert in the house: Blake Shelton and Gwen Stefani are engaged! The musical superstars and The Voice coaches announced their engagement last week and we couldn’t be more excited for the beautiful couple. But it’s more than just a marker of their devotion to each other—the step towards marriage marks the official blending of their families, most significantly Stefani’s three sons with ex-husband Gavin Rossdale, Kingston, 14, Zuma, 12, and Apollo, 6....

A Florida farm is paying tribute to hometown hero Caeleb Dressel with a crop maze in his likeness. Dressel, the swimming phenom who topped the podium five times at the Tokyo Olympics over the summer, hails from the small town of Green Cove Springs outside Jacksonville. Inspired by his record-breaking achievements in the pool, Amazing Grace Family Farms chose a Dressel theme for this year’s maze. “Congratulations Caeleb — Clay County is so proud of you!...