Posts

Can I make a confession? Until recently, I’d never made chicken noodle soup. My childhood memories crowd with the smell and flavor of a certain tasty and salty canned version that never seemed to have enough noodles and always way too many chicken bits. Furthermore, this was the fare strictly reserved for when you were sick. There didn’t seem to be much reason to eat it, otherwise. In adulthood, chicken noodle soup stayed very much on the back burner—literally....

George Washington Vanderbilt II had to be one of the most unlikely farmers in American history. The grandson of railroad magnate Cornelius Vanderbilt, George was born into great wealth, but while his brothers built mansions on New York’s Fifth Avenue, he preferred the mountains of western North Carolina, and his interests lay not with industry and commerce but with agriculture, forestry, animal husbandry, art, and design. George made his first visit to Asheville, North Carolina, in 1888 and was completely smitten with the mountainous landscape....

There’s a modern day Pupcasso living and working in Charlotte, North Carolina. Ivy Kite is a seven-year-old Australian Shepherd from Myers Park whose artwork has sold for much as $500 and ships all over the world, reports the Charlotte Agenda. Once a week (to prevent burnout) her mom Lisa Kite, a retired nurse, sets out a canvas and paints, then hands Ivy the brush. After choosing the color she wants to use, the creative canine takes her custom paintbrush between her teeth and makes magic with acrylic paint....

The Cuban influence on Florida cuisine can’t be overstated; from croquetas to pastelitos to Cuban rice and beans, dishes from Florida’s southernmost island neighbor appear on restaurant menus all throughout the state. Also popular in Florida are American-Cuban hybrid dishes developed by Cuban immigrants and inspired by the flavors of their birthplace, along with the traditions of their new stateside home. One of the most famous examples is the Cuban sandwich (also known as the “Cubano”), a Floridian lunchtime staple that gives a distinctly Cuban twist to the standard American ham & cheese by adding juicy roast pork marinated in mojo (a citrus-garlic mixture) and piling the sandwich ingredients on pillowy-on-the-inside, crunchy-on-the-outside Cuban bread....

When hosting family and friends, it’s easy to feel stressed about making sure everything is perfect, down to the very last detail, from freshly cut flowers on the counter to tables set to-the-nines. Luckily, the food alone handles more than half the battle of Southern hosting, and how that food is served can affect the success of a spread. Every dish—whether appetizer, casserole, or dessert—has its rightful serving counterpart, especially when it comes to distinct Southern recipes....

Eleven-year-old Allan Baltz of Jonesboro, Arkansas, is familiar with the foster care system. When he and his twin sister Alice were only four, they came to live with Derek and Lesli Baltz. Lesli said she and her husband became foster parents with the intention of helping kids reunite with their families, but their plans changed when it became apparent that reunification wasn’t an option for Allan and Alice. “We were really terrified that we weren’t good enough parents to keep them forever,” she told Southern Living....

This friendly town on the Chesapeake Bay feels a bit like Mayberry. Here on the southern end of Virginia’s Eastern Shore, kids shuffle down the pier with fishing poles and Cokes, wispy-haired men swap stories outside the hardware store, and the whole place seems to tuck in for the night not long after the sun goes down. But Cape Charles is decidedly more cosmopolitan than Andy Griffith’s stomping grounds. Once the economic hub of the Eastern Shore, Cape Charles settled into a sleepier routine with the decline of the railroad industry and the opening of the Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel....

Among the first things my wife and I noticed after moving to Chapel Hill last year were all the attractive older people. I say this with humility as a guy on the far side of 50 who’s earnestly taking notes. Sure, plenty of these 60- and 70-year-olds were fit and well dressed, but what struck us most as we explored our new town’s coffee shops, restaurants, and farmers’ market was how happy—and engaged—they seemed....

Darius Rucker is keeping his promise to headline a free concert in Columbia after the University of South Carolina women’s basketball team took home the national title this month. The Grammy-winning USC alum proposed the show as an incentive after the Gamecocks sailed through the semifinals of the NCAA tournament. Rucker confirmed the offer after the team went on to defeat UConn 64-49 and win their second national title in just five years....

In a broad and unassuming warehouse on North Alabama’s Sand Mountain lies the South’s greatest Christmas destination: Eddie’s Florist. The first clue about the jolly holiday happiness inside the building and greenhouses is a series of Christmas trees, draped in large, glowing bulbs of rainbow colors, standing at soldierly attention by the front doors. Truthfully, however, even that isn’t enough to prepare you. As soon as you open the door, you’re transported to a winter wonderland, one that’s decked with nearly 200 trees across more than 10 rooms....

Spring is upon us. And by “spring,” we mean “deviled egg season.” ‘Tis the season for suppers, showers, picnics, and Easter lunches, none of which would be complete without a tray of deviled eggs. However, there are a few things to keep in mind when preparing, serving, and storing deviled eggs. These best practices will help to ensure that your deliciously deviled eggs are safe to eat. How Long Do Deviled Eggs Last in the Fridge?...

This King Ranch Chicken Casserole is a Southern staple. It’s spicy, cheesy, and everything you’re craving when hunger strikes. Start by sautéing the onion and bell pepper in a large skillet for about five minutes. Stir in chopped cooked chicken, cream of chicken soup, cream of mushroom soup, a can of diced tomato and green chiles, chili powder, salt, garlic powder, and pepper. Tear corn tortillas into 1-inch pieces and layer in the bottom of a lightly greased baking dish....

As I’ve mentioned in writing before, my family isn’t one with tons of traditions. That might sound cynical but trust me: The traditions we do keep mean a lot to us, and we really stick to them. Many family traditions occur around the holidays, and even more are food-based. It’s certainly easier to stay committed to a tradition when it’s delicious. One yearly baking project my mom and I will never give up?...

For many Southerners of Latin American heritage, Christmas means tamales: tender dumplings wrapped in leaves, like little presents. They are not particularly hard to prepare but rather involved, which makes them ideally suited for communal cooking, especially during the holidays. These gatherings are known as tamaladas. Tamaladas were held at my grandmother Mita’s estate during my childhood, where we crafted hundreds of tamales under her direction. Her chefs, family, neighborhood friends, comadres (the name given to a godmother of one’s children—someone who is a best friend and also like family), and their daughters would join in....

A cargo spacecraft bound for the International Space Station has been named after NASA mathematician Katherine Johnson, whose precise calculations helped Neil Armstrong walk on the moon. Northrop Grumman announced the naming of the new NG-15 Cygnus this week. It is the aerospace company’s tradition to name each Cygnus spacecraft after an individual who has “played a pivotal role in human spaceflight.” Johnson, a native of White Sulphur Springs, West Virginia, was among the team of black, female, mathematicians working for NASA in the 1960s that inspired the Oscar-nominated movie Hidden Figures....

Just because your backyard is surrounded by lines of trees, lush bushes, and photogenic florals doesn’t mean you shouldn’t add your own dose of greenery to your outdoor area. Gardening has been linked to less stress, more physical activity, as well as a lower of risk of some cardiovascular diseases and cancers. But, since many people don’t have the time (or square footage) to fully embrace their green thumbs, picking up some outdoor hanging planters is the next best thing....

Thanksgiving is not a spur-of-the-moment meal that can be casually thrown together, especially if you’re having the whole family over. You need to plan out a menu, check your grocery list twice, and have a very specific timetable if you want to get the turkey and the rolls on the table at the same time. Luckily, we’ve done the hardest part for you! Here’s a two-week timetable for Thanksgiving that you can personalize with family-favorite turkey day dishes....

If you have fine hair, you know the struggle of styling it in any way that requires a little obedience. Not the same way curly hair has a lovable unruliness but in a way that flat-out doesn’t want to style. Despite this testy demeanor, fine hair is a little misunderstood. It’s often confused with thin hair, but the terms refer to two totally different characteristics. Fine hair references the diameter of the individual strand of hair, while thin hair refers to the density of your hair as a whole....

A popular and flavorful companion to picnic and barbecue menus is potato salad. Easy to make and easy to transport, the flavor of potato salad can be adjusted with the addition of stir-ins like boiled eggs, olives, dill pickle relish, or fresh vegetables. All the extra stir-ins won’t matter one bit, however, if you don’t have a good foundation. Using the right potato is the key to making a good potato salad....

Curly haired women might be the only ladies who legitimately get excited for summer humidity. Those high moisture levels can really boost curls and add volume in a way that winter conditions would never allow, no matter how much manipulating, raking and shaking we manage. The only caveat to summertime styling? The right product paired with the right technique is absolutely essential during those frizz-prone times. That’s why we’re sharing a new technique (or at least new to us) that will change the game this summer....