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From Charleston to Savannah to New Orleans, the South is defined in part by its iconic architecture. Whether a century old or several decades, older homes are full of history. As new homeowners add their own updates, they’re telling a new part of the story. We all have a responsibility to protect a home’s legacy, especially those homeowners embarking on new renovations. “You have to think about the fact that these houses have withstood the test of time, just the way they are....

If anything can come between a Southern baker and her love of mile-high layer cakes, it would be the shapely Bundt. The popularity of the Bundt pan skyrocketed when the Tunnel of Fudge Bundt cake placed second in the 1966 Pillsbury Bake-Off. Ever since, fans of this particular pan have been turning out beautiful cakes with more curves and crevices than a mountain range. Want your Bundt cake to be a work of art?...

Whether you need to replace that one pan that has seen better days (you know the one…) or you’re looking to expand your baking equipment, having a quality piece of cookware to take care of your baking needs is a must for every kitchen. Baking pans and cookie sheets are often considered the same, but there are distinct differences between the two that can make a significant difference depending on your baking needs....

Country star Blake Shelton may get the most press as of late for his relationship with girlfriend Gwen Stefani, his gig as judge on NBC’s The Voice, and his growing Ole Red restaurant empire, but it’s his devotion to his home state, Oklahoma, that piques our interest the most. As Oklahoma City’s Oklahoma University’s Children’s Hospital Foundation announced via Twitter last week, “Oklahoma native and country music star,@blakeshelton, establishes the Blake Shelton Cancer Research Program in honor of his cousin, Aspen Van Horn....

There’s something about digging into a pile of barbecue with your girlfriends that makes you want to take some home. Part of it’s the feeling–the ease in which pretty made-up faces surrender to the smear of sauce in the name of smoked meat and chit chat. But so much of it’s the taste. After eating our weight in pit-smoked chicken, hush puppies, and pie on a girls’ trip last spring, I found myself standing at the front counter of Buxton Hall Barbecue in Asheville, North Carolina....

Whether reading one of her fabulous cookbooks, watching her on TV, or following along with her for a quarantine “recess” workout on Instagram, we’ve long adored the culinary star and Nashville native, Carla Hall. In a new interview with Delish.com, Hall spoke openly about what Soul Food means to her and its importance in American culture—and we were moved by the celebrity chef’s insightful commentary. “As Black people, we are everywhere—our food is everywhere....

It has grown increasingly common to wonder whether experiencing shortness of breath is a coronavirus symptom or a reaction to the ongoing news. Indeed, the resulting worry and stress is undisputedly taking a toll, negatively impacting our mental well-being. I’ve discovered my dog is a special source of calm. The steady hum of her predictable routine and loyal affection helps me balance the drumbeat of these hard times. Meg Daley Olmert, author of “Made for Each Other: The Biology of the Human-Animal Bond” isn’t surprised to hear this....

These days, many couples are looking for ways to get creative at home for date night and—no surprise here—HGTV Home Town renovator extraordinaire Ben Napier sets the bar pretty high. As we saw in a Country Living article, Erin Napier recently posted on Instagram stories memories from her “best date night ever.” The lovely evening she was referencing? A beautifully planned gathering for two in the couple’s backyard that Ben pulled off for Erin earlier this year for Valentine’s Day....

Whether you’re baking, roasting, or frying, this bacon grease container will be your cooking companion as you pour out smokey, delicious lard into your cookware. The grease can is made with heavy-duty steel and has a gorgeous enamel coating that shoppers say is easy to clean. BUY IT: $14.99; amazon.com The grease container has a 4-inch wide mouth that makes it easy to pour in the drippings straight from the skillet....

Graduations are important milestones, marking significant life transitions that should be celebrated or recognized. Every June, graduation season approaches, and if you’re a soon-to-be graduate, a family member planning on attending the commencement ceremony, or a friend of the family who has received an announcement of the big event, you may be wondering about the correct etiquette for graduations and graduation parties. Manners experts Lisa Mirza Grotts, Maralee McKee of The Etiquette School of America, and the Emily Post Institute offer their advice on invitation lists, RSVPs, gifts, and thank you notes....

A beauty truth we’ll never deny is that we’re a sucker for neutral nail colors—it just can’t be topped. It works on all skin tones, during all seasons, and for all occasions—a hat trick we like. Going with a classic nude nail color, like Ballet Slippers or Bubble Bath, can feel uninspired, but neutral doesn’t need to translate to bare. There’s taupe, the low-key grayish looker. There’s barely-there peach if you feel like sweetening up your spring mani....

You may not be able to sing like Dolly, act like Dolly, or charm a crowd like Dolly, but thanks to the renaissance woman’s collaboration with a well-known baking brand, you may be able to whip up delicious desserts like Dolly. The 76-year-old country singer and cultural icon has partnered with Duncan Hines to bring bakers a line of Southern-inspired cake mixes and frostings. With the Dolly Parton x Duncan Hines line, at-home chefs can create their very own country kitchens with two cake mixes and two frostings....

Southern peas and butter beans, popped fresh from the pod and simmered in pork-laced potlikker, signal the start of summer. And there are dozens of types—each with a subtle difference in taste and texture. Types of Field Peas Speckled butter beans have a rich, creamy texture and earthy, nut-like flavor. When cooked, they lose their variegated color and turn pinkish brown.Crowders nestle so closely inside the pod that the ends of the peas begin to square off....

The first thing you notice when you walk into the living room of the Escondido Idea House are the high ceilings, looming 18 feet and capped with roughhewn fern beams reclaimed from a 110-year-old barn. The rustic wood imbues the room with rich texture and a sense of age. A 5-foot-tall paneled wainscot grounds the voluminous space making it feel more intimate. A local decorative artist scraped and painted the wainscot to resemble aged, weathered wood....

Okra, a vegetable prominently grown throughout the South and used in countless dishes, can be a somewhat polarizing piece of produce. While okra fans praise its aromatic, grassy flavor and gentle sweetness, some diners object to okra’s unique texture, which is sometimes described as “slimy”. If you’ve ever wondered what causes’s okra’s signature mouthfeel and whether home cooks can take steps to reduce its intensity, read on. What Is Okra Slimy?...

Adaptable and dependable redbuds include some of our most charming native trees. In early spring, before leaf-out, a profusion of small, sweet pea–shaped, lavender-pink to rosy purple flowers appears on twigs, branches, and even the main trunk. Blossoms are followed by clusters of flat, beanlike pods that persist into winter and give rise to numerous seedlings around the tree. Handsome broad, rounded, or heart-shaped leaves may change to bright yellow in fall, but fall color is inconsistent....

If you’ve recently become the owner of a smoker grill, you probably have a line of people around the block asking when you’re throwing your first barbecue. Who can blame them? There’s no better way to cook meat so flavorful and tender it falls off the bone. But if you’ve never used a smoker grill, you might be a little hesitant to send out those invitations before you gain some experience....

The nose knows. When you’re at home and something smells off, don’t disregard it. The most obvious smell that should set off alarm bells is if you notice the rotten-egg aroma of natural gas. Immediately vacate the premises and call the gas company from a safe distance away. Aside from the obvious danger associated with a gas leak, there are other smells to be aware of whether you’re house hunting, visiting an elderly relative, or in your own home....

Have you been enjoying your hydrangeas this season? These pretty blooming shrubs are such Southern garden classics, and we know that the arrival of hydrangea blooms is the real signal that summer has arrived. Ensure that you have blossoms every year by learning when and how to properly prune your hydrangeas. Hydrangea care is important to ensure healthy, beautiful plants, and if you take care of them, they’ll bloom out in a gorgeous garden riot for you every year....

MacKenzie Scott, the author and philanthropist who vowed to give away much of her considerable wealth following her 2019 divorce from Jeff Bezos, donated $436 million to Habitat for Humanity International this week. The non-profit called the blockbuster donation “transformational,” noting that it will address the global housing crisis and help “further Habitat’s vision of a world where everyone has a decent place to live.” “This incredibly generous gift will allow us to dramatically increase capacity and implement programs that will have a multi-generational impact on communities around the U....