Posts

Life has certainly changed in the Rhett-Atkins household in recent months as the coronavirus crisis upended the touring schedule of performing artists worldwide. But in the midst of much sadness and uncertainty, Thomas Rhett has found some upsides to the difficult situation: Spending more quality time with his wife, Lauren Akins, and his three daughters, Willa Gray, Ada James, and Lennon Love. Of course, this downtime hasn’t been without some groan-worthy accouterments of parenthood....

Attention Alabama football fans: Here’s your chance to own two priceless pieces of Crimson Tide history. Lelands auction house is currently accepting bids on two hats owned by legendary Bama coach Paul “Bear” Bryant. The hats—an iconic houndstooth fedora and an Alabama baseball cap—were reportedly found under a seat during a restoration of Bryant’s 1972 Cadillac. “We’ve seen a few of these in recent years but this may be the most well broken-in, with wear shown both outside and on the band inside,” the description of the black-and-white houndstooth hat reads....

The history of pot likker dates back to enslaved cooks trying to make the most of the food they had. Frugal Southern cooks continued in that path, keeping the rich and flavorful liquid created by cooking a pot of greens or beans. The concentrated liquid left behind after boiling greens or beans maintains roots deep in Southern culture and cooking traditions. Just like with a protein stock, pot likker layers flavors and can be used as a base for everything from soups to gravies to dressings....

Not just for pretty porches and coastal cottages, painted floors are taking over home interiors. Images of quaint, rustic country homes or sprawling Southern porches may come to mind when you think of “painted floors” and for fans of classic design, the trend is nothing new. But the latest looks prove painted floors are for every style and space, and modern applications have put a fresh (and functional) spin on the approach....

It may be about to get a whole lot easier to get a honey butter chicken biscuit in the Atlanta metro area. The beloved Whataburger is reportedly planning to open the doors to its first outpost in Woodstock, according to plans filed with the city that were reported by the Atlanta Business Chronicle. According to this report, Whataburger plans to set up shop at 9766 Highway 92 and give the neighboring Chick-Fil-A some healthy competition....

We all seem to be in a rush these days. You can purchase just about any dish in an instant version – from cakes, breads, and puddings to mashed potatoes, soups, and grits. With busy weekdays and an even busier pace of life, we don’t necessarily have time to cook breakfast the way that the American pioneers – like Laura Ingalls Wilder – would have prepared it. But, as we hear from the Kitchn, slow-cooking oatmeal is the one dish we should make an exception for....

Wedding etiquette in the South is nothing to be messed with. It starts the moment we say “Yes,” and it ends well after we say “I do.” And bet your britches we don’t miss a beat, lest those familiar with the Emily Post Institute take note. To be fair, wedding etiquette isn’t just one-sided. Sure, brides have their own overwhelming set of rules to follow, things like when to send thank you notes and how much to tip wedding vendors....

Customers at a Wendy’s in Lehigh Acres, Florida, got their meals with an extra side of excitement this week. According to police, a seven-foot alligator “chased pedestrians” through the restaurant’s parking lot before being captured Monday afternoon. “He may have just been ‘hangry’ for a cheeseburger, but he gave many quite the scare,” the Lee County Sheriff’s Office joked on Twitter alongside photos of the hair-raising capture. Deputies from the sheriff’s office and a “nuisance alligator trapper” from the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) responded to reports of the wayward gator....

The brilliant ice cream minds at Blue Bell have done it again. Today, the Texas-based creamery announced a brand-new flavor that’s dripping with fall vibes. Cuddle up with a bowl of Blue Bell’s new Salted Caramel Brownie Ice Cream, featuring a creamy vanilla ice cream, luscious chocolate brownies, and a salted caramel swirl, available for a limited time only. Blue Bell even created a recipe for a Salted Caramel Brownie Ice Cream Pie made with the new flavor that’s perfect for gatherings with family and friends....

Well, they had a good run. After more than a year of testing a simplified menu at some Charlotte-area and Arizona restaurants, Chick-fil-A has officially 86ed two items—bagels and decaf hot coffee—from menus nationwide. Both are casualties of the Atlanta-based chicken chain’s effort to consolidate its offerings in order to make way for a menu that’s “a little bit simpler and a whole lot spicier.” “Later this spring, we will remove two items from the national menu, the bagel and decaf hot coffee, as well as consolidate several of our size offerings,” a Chick-fil-A spokesperson told Business Insider....

Chitetsu Watanabe has it all figured out. At 112 years and 344 days old, Guinness World Records recently recognized him as the world’s oldest living man. Guinness presented the super-centenarian with a certificate on Wednesday at the nursing home where he lives in Niigata, Japan. Despite not having any teeth, Watanabe smiled proudly next to the calligraphy banner he made for the occasion that says, “World No. 1.” In an interview with a local Japanese paper last year, the soon-to-be-113-year-old shared that the secret to his longevity is to “not to get angry and keep a smile on your face....

Whether you’re a fan of Duke’s, Blue Plate, or Hellman’s, there’s no question that mayonnaise is an essential pantry staple in the South. It’s a key ingredient in tomato sandwiches, casseroles, pimiento cheese, and chocolate cake. (Yes, you read that correctly, Yankees—we put mayonnaise in cake.) If you’ve never had Chocolate Mayonnaise Cake, chances are, you wouldn’t even know that mayonnaise is the secret ingredient. But you will notice how incredibly moist, tender, and rich the cake is....

Leave it to Dolly Parton to raise our spirits during this difficult time amidst the coronavirus pandemic. Yesterday, as Christians stayed home from church services to help reduce spread of the coronavirus, Parton made the best of a tough situation and brought the Easter celebrations to her fans. Sporting a gorgeous pink frock, Parton jumped into preacher mode as she shared the inspiring words with us on her social media platforms: “I know everybody loves to get all dressed up in their beautiful dresses, their hats, their fancy shoes, go to church, be with all your friends....

Sometimes, the tiny moments spent at home with the people you love can be grander than a 40,000-seat stadium packed for a concert. Such appears to be the case at the McGraw-Hill household earlier this week, where Faith Hill and the couple’s three daughters—Gracie, Maggie, and Audrey—threw an album release party at their home in celebration of McGraw’s latest album, Here on Earth, out August 21. “The girls and I surprised Tim with our first ever family album release party....

Set out on a drive along I-81 in Southwest Virginia, and you’ll find yourself on curving mountain roads surrounded by deep forests of spruces and oaks. You’ll also sense that you’re getting closer and closer to mountain adventure. That’s because Smyth County, Virginia, is a destination for outdoor recreation, including hiking, camping, mountain biking, fly fishing, and much more. Do you hear it? The mountains of Southwest Virginia are calling....

If you are looking for a plant that produces beautiful colored flowers, is easy to grow, and does well in shade or in containers, the begonia is just what you need. Depending on the type, begonias can grow to be 8 inches to over 5 ft. in height and will make the most impact planted in masses in flower beds, container gardens, or window boxes. Flowers come in a variety of colors, including red, white, pink and yellow, and can be single or double blooms, with delicate, ruffled or smooth petals....

The sweet goodness of a ripe, juicy peach is just one of the many reasons Southerners look forward to summertime. Many will argue that the best way to enjoy a peach is to just bite in and relish the fruit in its most basic form. That may well be, but nobody will ever pass up a helping of peach cobbler or a slice of Peach-Bourbon Upside-Down Bundt Cake. Whichever way you serve up the peach, the first step is usually slicing....

The South is filled with many quirky tourist attractions—from a “Will-Hay” Nelson hay sculpture in Huddelston, Virginia, to a goose-shaped house in Hazard, Virginia. But we think there’s a new contender for what could very well become the oddest tourism draw in the South: The largest topiary sculpture in the world, in the shape of a chicken, is being built in Fitzgerald, Georgia. The small Georgia town is a hotbed for wild Burmese chickens—which roam free all around the area—so Fitzgerald mayor Jim Puckett thought a massive chicken sculpture, fashioned from shrubs, would be a fitting homage to the birds....

Air Wick and World Wildlife Fund (WWF) are on a mission to reseed one billion square feet of native wildflower and grassland habitats in the Northern Great Plains. The area—the largest ecosystem in the U.S.—experienced 33 million acres of habitat loss in just over 10 years. Healing this vast and valuable piece of our country is a monumental effort, which is why they’re enlisting our help. As part of their effort—which is now in its second year—Air Wick and WWF are once again giving out free wildflower seeds....

After months of planning, a Texas hospital is celebrating the “historic” separation of conjoined twins. In a first for Cook Children’s Medical Center, doctors at the Fort Worth hospital successfully completed the complex, 11-hour procedure to separate 16-week-old AmieLynn and JamieLynn Finley on Monday. “While still very early, both AmieLynn and JamieLynn are recovering well,” officials said in a news release. AmieLynn and JamieLynn were born prematurely to Fort Worth residents Amanda Arciniega and James Finley on October 3....