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There are plenty of secret languages in the South. Barbecue speak, Cajun vernacular, angry Southern Mama, high school football coach. But none transcends generations quite like that of the handwritten (or often word-of-mouth) recipe. Whether stowed in a recipe tin, pasted in a book, or safely tucked away in a memory, family recipes are part of what makes cooking so special. Christmas hams, party cocktails, elegant layer cakes, and cookout classics fill the dictionaries of Southern family recipes, but one of my favorites is a simple vinaigrette from my grandmother....

What pairs really well with a glass of Prosecco? Chocolate. Aldi got that memo loud and clear. So much so, in fact, that they’re launching ChocoSecco Sparkling Chocolate Wine, perfect for the upcoming holiday season. The product will be released as an Aldi Find at participating Aldi locations while supplies last starting on Wednesday, November 25, for $6.99. Seeing as we’d guess there are many fellow Prosecco-and-chocolate enthusiasts out there, we’re betting this festive bubbly flies off the shelves pretty quickly....

You’ve probably heard of purple shampoos and conditioners, which work to offset yellow and orange tones in blonde hair. Blue-based products, on the other hand, take that mission one step further, working wonders on both blondes and brunettes alike. Upon application, the Brass Off Shampoo deposits a deep blue-violet pigment that works to transform your mane into the perfect shade of icy blonde or cool brunette. Matrix recommends wearing disposable gloves while raking it through strands to avoid staining your hands....

There’s nothing more satisfying than crawling into a well-made bed at the end of a long day. However, to make that dream come true, you do have to make your bed. Whether you do that first thing in the morning or wait until right before you jump back in, there are a few bed-making mistakes you may be making. Luckily, they are easy to fix, so you’ll be slipping into your sheets sooner than ever....

If you’ve ordered a classic chicken sandwich with a side of waffle fries and a lemonade or whatever your favorite order happens to be via a Chick-fil-A One account recently, the company wants you to be mindful of possible fraudulent activity. Chick-fil-A HQ informed customers of suspected “fraudulent activity” on some customers’ mobile app accounts, Fox Business reports. “Chick-fil-A is aware of suspicious activity on some of our customers’ Chick-fil-A One accounts,” the company said in a statement shared on social media....

Dolly Parton is a lot of things. She is, of course, a singer, songwriter, and country legend. She’s also a philanthropist, an author, a star of film and television, an entrepreneur, a podcaster, amusement park proprietor, and even the subject of a college course. Turns out there is one more item she would like to add to her resume: Museum owner. “I’m going to have a museum here [in Nashville] pretty soon,” the country star told The Tennessean in a recent interview....

Dolly Parton is a chart-topping singer, a successful business woman, generous philanthropist, and a cultural icon, but beneath all that power and sequins, she’s still a Tennessee farm girl who can’t wait for Christmas. In the December cover story and digital issue for Better Homes & Gardens, Parton shares her favorite Christmas traditions, and how she still manages to teleport herself back to her childhood holidays in Locust Ridge. “I remember the foods we used to cook, and the stories we used to tell, and the songs we used to sing,” the country legend tells Better Homes & Gardens....

Martina McBride has never been shy about how she got her start in the country music businesses. “I got a lot of help from people when I was coming up,” she told Southern Living last year.“Garth Brooks gave me an opening spot on his tour right off the bat.” It’s true. McBride was selling merchandise for Brooks when the “Friends in Low Places” singer saw something special in her. He promised to make her his opening act if she could get a recording contract....

Do you know an extra-special teacher in need of some dough? Hardee’s is here to help. With the school year in full swing and to kick-off National Biscuit Month, Hardee’s is giving back to America’s educators like only they can—with delicious, fluffy biscuits and a $10,000 donation towards supplies to keep classrooms stocked for the upcoming year. “National Biscuit Month is the perfect time to celebrate the educators who make a lasting impact in our children’s lives day in and day out,” Tim Weigel, director of field marketing for Hardee’s, said in a news release....

So that’s how they do it! Home Town’s Erin Napier finally answered the question we all have after watching her show and others like it: do they get to keep all that amazing furniture and decor? The answer is yes and no. “The homeowners’ budget usually does allow for lots of pieces they get to keep and the custom pieces @scotsman.co builds for each home,” Napier explains in a lengthy Instagram post, adding that she also likes to use the homeowner’s own furnishings as much as possible....

Picture your dream home. Maybe it’s a coastal Lowcountry cottage. Or a cozy cabin in the Blue Ridge Mountains. Or even a modern farmhouse with a wraparound porch. Designing a home from scratch is undoubtedly overwhelming—the possibilities are seemingly endless, and, of course, we want the final product to be as perfect as our daydreams. Luckily, there’s probably a Southern Living House Plan that checks all the boxes. There’s a plan for almost everything—from weekend retreats and family-friendly ranchers to quaint cottages for downsizing and spacious farmhouses for multi-generational living....

The works of three legendary artists are coming to life at America’s largest home. In March, Biltmore announced Legends of Art & Innovation at Biltmore, a series of immersive, multi-sensory exhibits that will feature art by Van Gogh, Monet, and Da Vinci. Produced by Grande Experiences, iconic works will be projected on the walls, floors, and ceilings of the Asheville estate accompanied by motion graphics and surround sound for an experience you won’t soon forget....

Cupcakes are in order. Well, cupcakes are always in order but with summer fast approaching and spirits lifting as coronavirus cases in America drop and vaccination rates improve, we’re all feeling a little more hopeful these days. That calls for a cupcakes mandate. But say it’s a Thursday, and you’ve got loved ones coming up for dinner on Sunday. You know you won’t have time to get all your baking done on Sunday, so you decide to plan ahead....

The air smells of sugar and spice and everything nice. There are Christmas decorations on display, gifts ready for giving, and busy people scurrying around in perpetual preparation for the holidays. No, this isn’t Santa’s workshop at the North Pole; this is the bakery that produces Mrs. Hanes’ Hand-Made Moravian Cookies in Clemmons, North Carolina. And, yes, there is a real Mrs. Hanes. These wafer-thin cookies are made the traditional way....

When working in an extra bedroom with children running in and out became too distracting, Atlanta-based designer Allison Allen decided to invest in a more secluded office space. She set up shop in the backyard with a garden house from Hillbrook Collections. As pretty as it is practical, this at-home studio transitions easily from client meeting to cocktail hour. “It’s my happy place,” she says. See how the designer decked out the 10- by 14-foot shed with all of her favorite things....

Walmart is celebrating Presidents’ Day with rollbacks and special deals on kitchen appliances, electronics, and beauty essentials. The discounts will run through February 17, so there’s plenty of time to get in on the savings whether you’re shopping for your home or for yourself. Take a break from your long weekend activities to shop popular kitchen items like the Instant Pot Ace 60 Cooking Blender, which is more than half off its original price, and a Ninja pressure cooker that’s $50 off....

We’ve lobbed, bobbed, and stacked. We’ve donned middle parts, side parts, and severe parts. We’ve tousled, smoothed, and waved. If our varied hairstyle history of 2017 is any indication, what works in 2018 will run the gamut. There is one thing we can be sure of, though, and that is our favorite short style will always be in. It’s without reservation that we say the shag reigns supreme in our hearts....

When Harry S. Truman invited Winston Churchill to dinner in Fulton, Missouri, Bess Truman helped plan a memorable meal. Churchill had worked up an appetite delivering a powerful speech that warned Americans about the rise of the Iron Curtain after the communist takeover of East Germany and the First Lady knew what he needed—a big piece of Ozark pudding. Ozark pudding isn’t actually a pudding, as most Americans know the confection....

Whether it’s store-bought or homemade, you can never go wrong with pimiento cheese. If you want to twirl it up and serve it out of a cut crystal bowl, alongside flutes of the finest Champagne, with your best linen cocktail napkins, that’s all fine and dandy, but please don’t get fancy with the crackers. This world-famous spread might be known as the “pâté of the South”, but at heart, pimiento cheese is a humble delicacy made of simple ingredients: mayonnaise, grated cheese, and jarred pimientos....

Something has us in the spookiest of Halloween spirits this year, be it all the fantastic fall pumpkins we’re adding to our porch or the promise of enough candy to last us through Christmas. We’re planning pumpkin hunts, decorating haunted cookie houses, and going all out on the haunted curb appeal to charm neighbors and trick-or-treaters alike—starting with cobwebs draped over our bright yellow mums and these spook-tacular hanging bats that look understatedly eerie when hung from your trees....