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By the time Kristin Griffis arrived at the Public Storage facility behind Park Plaza Cinema on Hilton Head Island on the morning of January 18, the Beaufort County Sheriff’s Office had already been notified. A baby deer was trapped inside, and it wasn’t moving. The deer was scared and exhausted, Griffis recalled to WJCL. It couldn’t walk and onlookers were concerned that it was injured. “I needed to call Daisy,” she said....

For vibrant summer color, few flowering plants can compete with the crepe myrtle (Lagerstroemia indica). Just look around your neighborhood. Nearly every street in the South is lined with these blooming trees from mid-June to mid-August. There’s plenty to love about them: They grow almost anywhere, are easy to maintain, and are available in all shapes, sizes, and every shade of red, white, purple, or pink. Though crepe myrtles (also referred to as a crape myrtle or crapemyrtle) are practically maintenance-free, problems can arise....

Leave it to Ina Garten to devise a decadent and delicious New Year’s Eve dinner that’s simple enough for even us mere mortals. In a recent interview with Katie Couric (video below), the queen of comfort food shared the classic New Year’s Eve meal that she’s been making for years: lemon capellini with caviar. Ina Garten Holiday Traditions Garten explained that she and her husband Jeffrey usually spend the holidays with friends in Paris....

As summertime hits, we are looking for any way to cool down, even when it comes to what we eat. Cold salads are the unsung hero of summer hosting, and we’re not just talking about lettuce. In the South, “salad” is a loose term, and everything from a mayo-based macaroni to a broccoli-grape to a tomato-cracker fits the menu. Now, a longtime-favorite Southern salad-turned-party dip is trending on TikTok as the recipe of the season, and we’re more than happy to share the love....

Aspen Allen was in the hospital recovering from a serious spinal cord injury when a friend asked her if she could FaceTime. When she answered the call, the 21-year-old was shocked to see Reba McEntire, her favorite country singer, on the screen. “I cried like a little girl,” Allen recalled to Taste of Country. “It was hard to be in the hospital and being told that one day you might not walk, and then getting a call from Reba just like brought up my morale completely....

When it comes to designing for the home, incorporating reclaimed materials is the latest craze. “By mixing old and new, we can create spaces that feel personal and like they’ve grown organically over time,” says Kim Fuelling of Mabel Studios in Sugar Grove, North Carolina. Whether it’s in the kitchen, bedroom, or even the bath, repurposed wood and similarly rustic elements are gaining new life. Here are some ways that designers are adding Southern charm to the home....

More than two years after Ree and Ladd Drummond introduced the world to their foster son, their “bonus kid” opened up about being “blessed” with such a devoted father figure. In a heartfelt Instagram post Sunday, Jamar Goff, 20, wished Ladd a happy birthday by thanking him for being “the best father figure.” “I’ve been blessed with the best father figure I could possibly ask for,” Jamar captioned a 2021 photo of himself and the Drummonds as he signed a letter of intent to play football at Central Oklahoma....

Protective Silicone on Both Sides Some oven gloves have silicone on just the palm side, but these extra-long mitts have protective silicone on both sides. One reviewer commented that many protective gloves she has purchased in the past cracked and wound up burning her hands, but these are well made and have kept her hands and arms safe. Besides being heat-proof, the silicone exterior of this oven mitt has the best grip and it’s flexible and easy to maneuver, thanks to its non-skidding textured palm, while the soft polyester-cotton lining adds an extra protection and comfort layer....

Rice is an essential part of Southern cooking. From jambalaya to Savannah red rice to shrimp perloo, almost every region of the South has a favorite way of preparing this pantry staple. Follow these helpful tips to ensure each pot of rice cooks up fluffy, tender, and delicious, no matter what type of grain you’re cooking. How To Cook Long Grain Rice Types of Rice Long-grain rice cooks up fluffy with distinct grains....

Savannah is famous for many things—its green squares, historic architecture, and cobblestone riverfront among them—but did you know it’s also a destination for hearing world-class music? Those in the know are well aware that the Savannah Music Festival is one of the city’s can’t-miss events. It’s been bringing live music to the city since 1989, and this spring’s festival promises to be one of the best yet. The 2022 Savannah Music Festival will take place from March 24 through April 9 and has a schedule packed with exciting performances....

Vanilla extract shows up on the ingredients list for a wide variety of treats. Everything from puddings and chocolate chip cookies to classic cheesecake and pound cake calls for a teaspoon or two. But what exactly is vanilla extract? There are several types of vanilla extract, and the battle between pure vanilla extract and imitation vanilla is never-ending. Here, discover just what pure vanilla extract is and whether it’s really worth the extra cost....

Whether you’re a seasoned pro or just starting out in the kitchen, there are a few essential recipes that you should know how to make. Homemade pancakes, buttermilk biscuits, and chocolate chip cookies are a few of the staples that would top our list. Once you master these basics, there are endless ways to transform them. Compared to generations past, when home cooks would make everything from scratch, far less of our food now is truly homemade....

Situated along the banks of the Ouachita River and Bayou DeSiard, Monroe-West Monroe, Louisiana are two quaint river towns with big personalities. Thanks to the Robertson family from the A&E series, Duck Dynasty, you might be familiar with this north Louisiana area, but its charm stretches well beyond the people who call it home. Here, you can peruse blocks upon blocks of antiques, sink your teeth into catfish, and witness an ox, a goat, and countless other furry, feathered, or scaled pets strut in the annual Krew of Paws Mardi Gras parade....

My mother is a trained chef and has passed down to me quite a few pots and pans over the last decade. Some of them have lasted me years, while others were clearly past their prime and needed to be replaced. Sometimes, it’s really hard to tell whether a piece of cookware needs to be dumped, or really just needs a good scrubbing. Below, we’ve asked two experts for their input on how long cookware should actually last, signs that a piece of cookware needs to be replaced, and how to make your cookware last longer, too....

This Valentine’s Day, animal shelters across the country are inviting people to embrace the kind of love that doesn’t need flowers or chocolate. A number of rescue organizations are celebrating with discounts on the warm fuzzies you can’t find in a store: the unconditional love of a pet. Looking for a furry sweetheart to call your own? Here are a few Southern shelters offering incentives to help their animals find their forever Valentines:...

In the hustle and bustle of the season, the words “two-ingredient” ring harmoniously in our ears. Amidst all of Mama’s classic – albeit 35-step – recipes, we must scrounge for time and oven space to pull together holiday appetizers for our guests. We turn to simple 2- and 3-ingredient offerings for our party table for this very reason; they’re usually quick in the oven and require minimal cleanup. One of our all-time favorite recipes when we’re looking for a break from the kitchen?...

Bettina Benson creates clothes for the modern woman, who, in all that she does at home, in her workplace, and for her community, “sometimes forgets to celebrate herself.” Benson’s clothing collection, Chloé Kristyn,“celebrates her.” Today, we’re celebrating Benson herself. In December 2020, the Atlanta designer and 2020 Southern Living Tastemaker was named a winner of online styling service Stitch Fix’s Elevate grant and mentorship program. Launched last October to promote equity, diversity, and inclusion in the fashion industry, Stitch Fix’s Elevate program offers each of its winners a $25,000 cash grant, along with mentorship opportunities from leaders across the company, marketing access, and the opportunity for their products to be sold on Stitch Fix....

What’s clear and hand-held and expensive all over? Bottled water at Disney World. That’s why smart Disney World travelers come prepared and tote along their own reusable water bottles, which you can refill at water fountains around the park. It’s a shame we didn’t think of this savvy idea, oh, five vacations ago. “Reusable water bottles are always on the list of things that my family brings with us to the Walt Disney World Resort theme parks,” writes Crystal B....

Kitchen appliances are marvelous creations that do so much to make our lives better, from quickly cooking dinner to deftly shining-up plates and utensils afterward. So when we discover a new-to-us trick that an appliance can do—or even just a surprising best practice to follow (there is an ideal time to run the dishwasher and a proper way to load silverware, for example)—it can feel like a revelation. Such a revelation recently came across my Twitter feed in the form of a viral video about the best way to load a dishwasher....

When you think of sweet potatoes, you probably imagine a ruddy orange potato, copper-skinned and slightly thinner and longer than a russet spud. While we love the classic orange sweet potato (nobody can resist Grandma’s sweet potato casserole, after all), there are many more varieties of sweet potatoes to explore. Sweet potatoes come in lots of different shapes, colors, and sizes, and today, we’re breaking down everything you need to know about the white sweet potato....