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The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has issued a new warning and this one is particularly relevant to Southerners. The FDA is cautioning folks about potentially contaminated raw oysters from South Korea that were distributed across the U.S. and much of the South, including Alabama, Florida, Georgia, North and South Carolina, Tennessee, and Virginia. The oysters in question are, specifically, “frozen half-shell oysters from Dai One Food Co. with a harvest date of February 6, 2022, from Designated Area No....

You’ve picked up your tree from the local farm, and now it’s time to bake a batch of Christmas cookies and decorate. How do you make it look like the ones in the department stores? We’ve cracked the code and the answer is no longer a mystery: layers. “Layer your tree with various elements to give depth to the decor and make your tree appear more full and luxurious,” explains Kristin Bartone of Bartone Interiors in Chapel Hill, North Carolina....

Whether your peaches come from Georgia, Alabama, the Carolinas, Texas, California, New Jersey, or your own backyard, peach season is something to celebrate in the South. It’s tempting to bite right into the summer stone fruit as soon as you get home from the supermarket or the farm stand, but this is a time when you might need to show a little restraint. We’ve all experienced that disappointing feeling when you expect soft, juicy sweetness and instead get something hard and acidic....

Swaths of uninterrupted white-sand beach, the smell of salty spray, warm sun on your skin, and the rustle of palm fronds gently blowing in the wind—these are the sights, sounds, and scents of Isle of Palms. The South Carolina barrier island packs a lot of relaxation and big fun into a vacation destination that’s just seven miles long and one mile wide. The island’s proximity to Charleston (just 18 miles by car), make it a preferred summer hideout for locals....

We’ve always loved Matthew McConaughey. Quarantine has given us about a million and one new reasons to adore the Uvalde, Texas, native. In recent months, the actor hosted virtual bingo for seniors at a retirement home in Round Rock, Texas, surprised teachers in La Porte by crashing their video conference, and cheered us up with trivia videos on some of his most-loved films. During these tough times, he’s been a source of lightness and laughter, and endless entertainment as we watch How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days for, oh, the 10th time....

Residents of Panama City, Florida, have a uniquely appropriate way of ushering in warmer weather. For 24 years running, this maritime community located on one of the largest deep-water bays on the Gulf Coast officially welcomes beach season with a festival called “Blessing of the Fleet and Burning of the Socks.” Yes, you read that right. For this quirky event, residents gather at a local marina and join in a prayer for local fishermen and their families while a processional of boats passes....

With coronavirus impacting events worldwide, Chip and Joanna Gaines had to cancel their annual Spring at the Silos event at the couple’s Magnolia Market in Waco, Texas. A difficult decision for sure, but a necessary precaution to heed the CDC’s call for social distancing imperative and more recent ban on gatherings of more than 50 people for the next eight weeks. Now, with some creative thinking, the Gaineses have been able to bring their Spring at the Silos celebration partially online....

During difficult days, sometimes we just need to stand tall and press our face to the sun – like the stately sunflower. Seeing a field of giant yellow flowers can’t help but make us smile. Poets and writers have penned odes to this grand flower for decades. English poet, William Blake, wrote about them in “Ah! Sun-flower” in 1794! Sunflowers are at their peak in July, August, and September and are perfect for summer and fall flower arrangements....

The feisty feline whose soul-chilling stare and bad attitude earned her the title of “World’s Worst Cat” has done the impossible. Against all odds, Perdita, the famously surly shelter cat, has been adopted into a loving (and brave) family. Ugh. She would hate the joy you’re feeling right now. Perdita, who now goes by the name Noel, went viral last month after Mitchell County Animal Rescue in Spruce Pine, North Carolina, advertised her on Facebook as the “World’s Worst Cat....

Butter will always have its place on the Southern table, but sometimes olive oil is the better bread topper. Whether you’re serving sliced Italian bread or a sourdough loaf, a small dish of olive oil is a tasty (and heart healthy) alternative to your usual buttery spread. The key is choosing the right type of olive oil and making sure that it is fresh. Take a stroll down your supermarket’s oil aisle and you’ll find dozens of types and brands....

Going back decades upon decades ago, the department store beauty counter was the hottest place to be on a Saturday morning. Clouds of perfume wafted in the air as women tried on various eye shadows, and there was always the promise of discovering a new signature shade. The products at those counters most likely could also be found inside your mother’s or grandmother’s bathroom cabinet, and some of those iconic brands are still around today....

So you want to cook like Ree Drummond? Us too. (To that end, check out these 26 Pioneer Woman Recipes That Will Save Dinnertime.) These days, we’re craving all of Drummond’s comfort food hits, from spaghetti pie to her husband Ladd’s favorite chocolate pie. We’re also looking for the best ways to save time in the kitchen, yet still pull off restaurant-worthy meals. For us, that means two words: Instant Pot....

Cast iron skillets are the indisputable workhorse of the Southern kitchen. With just one pan, you can sear steak, fry okra, and bake an apple pie. Our food editor swears the 12-inch variety is the most versatile (and she’s right), but I’m partial to its smaller sister, the 5-inch cast iron skillet that’s become my go-to morning essential. My dad is the one who taught me the merits of the little skillet, as it has a way of making breakfast feel a bit more special....

We don’t know who needs to hear this, but we’re setting the record straight once and for all: you don’t need to spend a small fortune to have a home that looks expensive. On the contrary, following a few simple design rules makes it possible to create a classy home on the cheap. Need proof? Look no further than your living room sofa or sectional. With so many brands and price points to choose from, it’s easy to assume that you need to splurge on the priciest brand or fanciest fabrics to have a luxurious living room....

We all know that baked (or roasted) chicken is a weeknight staple—it is quick and easy to prepare, fairly healthy, and can be served with almost any side dish. We also know that it can be very, very boring. Especially if it’s become a part of your regular weekday dinner rotation. Baked chicken definitely needs a little help in the flavor department. Enter our Sweet and Spicy Glaze. Made with pepper jelly, Dijon mustard, apple cider vinegar, honey, and hot sauce (we prefer Tabasco), it’s just the right mix of hot and sweet and pairs wonderfully with any part of the bird....

Household pets have been a godsend for millions of Americans who have found themselves confined to their homes as they ride out the coronavirus pandemic. Fortunately, thanks to live-streaming technology, even those without pets can experience the mood-boosting benefits of having a furry companion. Or, better yet, a whole litter of them! This week, national nonprofit Canine Companions for Independence launched a live puppy-cam to fulfill all your adorable needs. The organization is inviting us all to watch a litter of five-week-old future assistance dogs as they play, eat, sleep, and grow in the hopes of spreading a little joy....

Everyone loves a beautifully decorated cake, whether it is completely covered in a thick and creamy frosting or sporting one of the trendy, barely covered, naked looks. What makes any cake even more eye-catching is the addition of fresh flowers as garnishment. Before adding flowers to the top of your cake, make sure they are edible and safe for your guests. “Edible flowers are not only beautiful they can add a garnish of good nutrition to cakes,” adds Carolyn O’Neil, MS RD....

Have you ever noticed your dog turning in circles before settling in on his pillow for the night? I’ve observed my dog, Melo, enact this ritual many times—he’ll circle over the same spot on his dog bed four or five times before finally plopping down for a nap or a good night’s sleep. We all have our little routines to get comfortable, but sometimes Melo goes overboard, scratching at his pillow like he’s digging for treasure or nuzzling his head into the side of the cushion....

Hallmark kicked the new year off with a real gift to their viewers: a second trilogy of The Wedding Veil films. That’s right, Lacey Chabert, Alison Sweeney, and Autumn Reeser are back with three brand-new movies, carrying on the stories of these three friends after the happily ever after. The first of the three new films, The Wedding Veil Expectations premiered on January 7, and it focuses on the lives of Avery and Peter (played by Kevin McGarry) in their first year of marriage....

“When I was living in France in the early 1950’s, cut-up chicken was unheard of. You bought your chicken whole,” Julia Child writes for a 1987 edition of the New York Times Magazine. “Returning to this country some years later, I snobbishly resisted any suggestion of ready-cut chicken until I started my television series, ‘The French Chef,’ and was suddenly cooking for a large audience. I was rather rapidly won over to the idea of buying chicken in pieces....