Much of the South saw an extended period of subfreezing temperatures at the beginning of this winter season. If your plants, even the most winter hardy of varieties, were left looking brown, sad, and half (if not completely) dead, you’re not alone. But, before you get out the loppers or, even worse, start pulling out plants willy-nilly thinking they’ve seen their last day in the sun, know there might be hope yet for your gloomy-looking garden....
Spaghetti squash has taken over zoodles as the best low-carb way to curb a pasta caving. Your prep probably looks something like this: Slice the spaghetti squash lengthwise, scoop out the seeds, and then bake it. Once it’s tender, you can scrape the “noodles” out of the hollow squash with a fork. This is the widely known method to prepare spaghetti squash, but Southern Living contributor Ann Taylor Pittman discovered a new way that’s undeniably better....
Love the smell and taste of roasted turkey on Thanksgiving but hate scrubbing the roasting pan clean? You might want to consider cooking the turkey in an oven bag this year. Why Cook a Turkey in a Bag? The oven bag method has fallen out of favor over the years as cooks have chosen to roast and brine their birds, or even smoke them outside. But this method can produce a juicy, flavorful bird with much less clean up....
We’ll never turn up our noses at an 8-pack of Play-Doh picked up from the store, but there are few craft projects that trigger nostalgia quite like a batch of homemade playdough. And while there are dozens of recipes floating around the internet, we’re sticking to a tried-and-true recipe that calls for flour and cream of tartar, like this one from Domestic Superhero. It’s easy to make, soft to play with, and while it wouldn’t taste good, it’s technically edible too....
While some bricks are beautiful and shouldn’t be painted, others might not have that classic character and longevity—that’s where a fresh paint job can truly do wonders for a lackluster fireplace in any room. Below, Campbell Minister, the interior designer and founder of Decorated Interiors, shares advice for how to paint a brick fireplace effortlessly. Step 1 First, you should clean the brick before you begin painting it. To do this, use a wire brush and soapy water to scrub down the brick....
It’s Christmas in July for the Kentucky families impacted by the deadly outbreak of tornadoes back in December. First Lady Britainy Beshear collected hundreds of thousands of toys and gift cards for families affected by the storms that struck parts of the state in the height of the holiday season. Even after throwing four toy parties leading up to Christmas, there are still enough gifts left for the First Lady to host six more parties this month....
When you need to add both height and color to the garden, look no further than lupines. These cheery cottage-garden favorites are native to the western United States and can grow even in difficult conditions. If you have challenging, poor soil in your yard and find that other flowers just can’t thrive, lupines might be a good bet for you. Read on for more information on lupines, the towering blooms that will turn your yard into a cottage garden oasis....
There goes Costco again, giving us yet another reason to hit the wholesaler for all the bulk buys and Palmetto cheese we can fit in our buggies. This time we’re heading straight to the beauty section for a just-launched Costco exclusive from none other than T3, you know, the brand behind the best volumizing hot rollers of our generation? It’s time to clean out the pantry because you’re going to want to head to Costco for this one—and we know you’re not leaving with just one thing....
Let us count the ways we love Martina McBride. Whether she’s jumping in to help Nashville in the aftermath of the March tornadoes and as the coronavirus unfurls (see our video below) or helping to fill our sweet tooth with a decadent chocolate cake recipe, the country super star never ceases to amaze us. Now, we can’t get enough of the new song “Girls Like Me,” which was born out of the NBC songwriting competition, Songland, on which McBride is one of the celebrity artists working alongside blossoming songwriters....
When we think of celebrity friendships, some don’t surprise us. Jennifer Garner and Reese Witherspooon? We can’t say we’re shocked these A-Listers who both have Southern roots are BFFs. Jimmy Fallon and Justin Timberlake? A match made in humorous heaven. Oprah Winfrey and Gayle King? Of course. But Guy Fieri and Matthew McConaughey? Yup, you read that pairing right. This Columbus, Ohio native and Texas boy have been friends for going on 20 years, as a recent dive on GossipCop made known to us....
The Nashville Rescue Mission needs 1,000 turkeys to provide 4,000 meals to the city’s hungry and homeless this Thanksgiving, WZTV reports. The non-profit organization is asking community members to donate either food or money to help provide Thanksgiving meals to those in need. Nashville Rescue Mission will be dishing out fried turkey, green beans, mashed potatoes, cranberry sauce, salad, rolls, and pie during their two-day Great Thanksgiving Banquet on Wednesday, November 24, and Thursday, November 25, 2021....
Old Dominion has racked up multiple ACM Awards and two Grammy nominations. On today’s show, Matthew Ramsey shares the advice from a fellow songwriter that he continues to carry with him, even after playing stadiums for tens of thousands. He shares stories from the band’s early days and how he helps his rural communities through the Ramsey Foundation. Get to Know Matthew Ramsey About a decade ago, a buzz in Nashville grew around Old Dominion, led by lead singer Matthew Ramsey....
Houseplants add that something special to any room. We’re partial to low-maintenance, easy-care houseplants with vibrant leaf colors and patterns. Philodendrons are some of our most reliable and long lived. They grow hardily in most indoor conditions, making them ideal for low-light environs. Most don’t thrive in bright, direct light but do better—and grow bushy rather than leggy—in bright, indirect light. Too much water is kryptonite for these houseplants. They should only be watered when needed....
It’s been an excellent few weeks for fans of country superstar, Reba McEntire. Earlier this month, Reba and her team streamed her 1994 concert special, Reba: Live for fans to enjoy on YouTube. (We’re still recovering from all that dancing in our living room.) Now, just this week, Reba announced the re-release of her album, Rumor Has It, the country singer’s resoundingly successful record first released in 1990. The re-release comes in honor of the album’s 30th anniversary, and includes her enduring hit “Fancy,” as well as three other top 10 hits, “Rumor Has It,” “You Lie,” and “Fallin’ Out Of Love....
The Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture in Washington D.C. isn’t just home to thousands of historical artifacts, documents, photography, and other media. The museum’s restaurant, Sweet Home Café, shows the many ways African Americans have shaped the way our country eats through dishes ranging from Fried Green Tomatoes to Senegalese Peanut Soup, to Hickory-Smoked Pork. Since the museum opened in 2016, the restaurant has become such a popular destination that it now has just released its own cookbook with more than 100 recipes from chefs Albert Lukas and Jerome Grant....
If you can’t remember the last time you replaced your dish towels, it’s probably time to do a little shopping and upgrade your kitchen linens. Dish towels may seem like a pretty straightforward kitchen staple, but because you likely use yours multiple times throughout the day to dry your hands, polish your dishes, and mop up messy spills, it’s actually worth taking the time to find the right set for your home....
It’s been almost a decade since the Carrot & Raisin Salad graced Chick-fil-A menus, but fans of the chicken chain continue to mourn the loss of the beloved side. Sadly, no amount of desperate pleading seems able to convince Chick-fil-A to bring the quirky salad back. Heck, we even tried! But there is good news. If you live in the Atlanta area, you can still get your hands on the Truett Cathy creation at Chick-fil-A’s heritage restaurant concepts, Truett’s Grill and Dwarf House....
Humble oyster crackers—what do you do with them? Pour them in a bowl of soup? Snack on them? There’s just not much there. Certainly not anything to write home about. That is, until you try my family’s favorite easy appetizer recipe. I call it “my family’s favorite” because for a long time, I thought it was an heirloom blend. For years, my grandmother mixed up seasoned oyster crackers for special occasions, and people had to coax her to share the incredibly easy and utterly addictive recipe with them....
Country music stars Lauren Alaina and Trisha Yearwood have a very special bond. So, when the 57-year-old Grammy winner and television personality surprised Alaina at her recent Grand Ole Opry performance, emotions were already running high. However, when Yearwood revealed the reason for her surprise visit, the American Idol runner-up was truly at a loss for words. Interrupting Alaina’s four-song set, Yearwood took the stage and fulfilled a lifelong dream of the 27-year-old “Road Less Traveled” singer by inviting her to become the newest member of the Grand Ole Opry....
A Southerner could carry on a conversation with a tree stump. Some would argue that we’re born with the gift of gab. Even if that’s true, it’s a skill that must be nurtured. That’s why it’s never too early to teach our kids how to improve conversation skills. We gave a shout-out to our Facebook Brain Trust and asked them to share their favorite ways to keep up the dialogue. Here’s what they said—tell us what we missed:...
