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Oops, you did it again. Thumbing through a cookbook, your eyes land on a new and intriguing-sounding recipe that grabs your attention. You quickly glance over the ingredient list—eggs, sugar, milk, vanilla, flour, etc., and mentally check each item off, excited that you have everything you need to get started. Off to the kitchen you go and, just like Mom taught, you prep your ingredients so as not to make an error: preheat the oven, measure the dry ingredients, separate the eggs, cube the butter, measure the…wait, measure the evaporated milk?...

We’ve all been there: You purchased a big bunch of bananas only for most of them to go brown before you’ve had the time to eat them. So you should bake with them, right? Sure, you can always banana bread, Hummingbird Cake, or even ice cream made from ripe bananas. But at what point are bananas too far gone to use? Can a banana simply be too ripe for baking?...

From the first episode of Netflix’s Firefly Lane we’ve been completely hooked. (We loved the best-selling book of the same title that the series is based on by Kristin Hannah, too.) We’ve loved seeing familiar favorites like Katherine Heigl—who plays Tully—and Sarah Chalke—who plays Tully’s BFF Kate—on the captivating drama. We’ve loved the fashion. We’ve loved the scenery and sets. But most of all, we must admit, we’ve really loved acquainting ourselves with Ben Lawson, the actor who plays Kate’s husband who is oh-so-handsome and amusing to watch on-screen....

I can’t remember ever arriving at my grandmother Hazel’s home in Ringgold, Virginia, and not seeing a beautifully dressed table in her dining room. After our initial hugs and hellos, she’d lead my sister and me in to see her latest entertaining masterpiece. And in true Southern fashion, every detail had a story. The linens were often embroidered by a dear friend or family member, that month’s china pattern would inspire her to share a memory of my great grandmother, and the glasses might be on loan from her sister who lives next door....

From its charming town square to its picturesque mountain backdrop, Dahlonega is a small town bursting with character and Southern tradition. The little town, which is nestled in North Georgia, is about as welcoming as it can be, and has the Christmas charm and festivities worthy of a Hallmark movie (the popular movie, Christmas in Homestead, was filmed there too). Dahlonega is serious about Christmas. Every November, a month-long Christmas extravaganza, known as Dahlonega’s Old-Fashioned Christmas, kicks off and you won’t be disappointed with the weeks of brilliant Christmas lights, festive events, and plenty of Santa visits....

There’s no denying that keeping a house clean takes a lot of work. Most of us manage to stay just ahead of the mess by cleaning here and there during the week and tackling bigger projects on the weekends. However, no matter how extensive your chore chart, there are some places in the house that are going to be at the bottom of a long to-do list. While spring cleaning or an impending visit from your in-laws may inspire you to finally clean the throw pillows, dust the ceiling fans, and give the grout a good going over, there are some spots that may never get cleaned....

After 32 years of feeding Atlanta’s homeless, Clyde Corbin has retired from his role as the kitchen director at Crossroads Community Ministries. “On May the first, I turned 75 years old and it’s just time to go,” Corbin told the Atlanta Journal Constitution. The Florida native is no stranger to service. Before he started at Crossroads, Corbin spent 22 years as a cook in the Army. Hardworking, energetic, and generous, his colleagues suspect they’ll have a hard time filling his shoes....

Bojangles, the beloved Southern chicken-and-biscuit chain, has just announced a brand new drink and we can’t wait to try it. It’s a hard tea made in collaboration with another North Carolina-based company, Appalachian Mountain Brewery (AMB). As the name implies, this sweet tea is not for kids. Instead it combines Bojangles’ delicious sweet tea with a little brewery magic to make what just might be your new favorite adult beverage....

When I was little and it was a very special occasion, my grandmother would set up a tea party for two. This was a rare event, too good for the everyday dishes she used at her Virginia home. It was even too special for her company china. For those special tea parties, she would pull out her mother’s bone china pouring the tea into the delicate cups and eat crumbly cakes off the thin plates....

While China is known for its longstanding history of rice production, China is also the largest producer and consumer of wheat in the world. But China is massive, and not all regions of China are suitable for growing wheat. It’s the environment of the fertile North China Plain that’s most conducive to wheat farming. For this reason, many of the dishes from Northern China are heavily noodle based, while the cuisines of Southern China depend on rice as their predominant grain....

Dolly Parton might be millions of dollars, a few decades, and a handful of Grammys away from her childhood in the Tennessee foothills of the Great Smoky Mountains, but her mountain roots are as strong as ever. Parton and her 11 siblings were raised in a two-bedroom log cabin that had no electricity in an area was known as Mountain View. Some referred to it as Locust Ridge; her family just called it “over in the holler....

You can always count on your friends to call or text you after a big accomplishment. When you’re on the receiving end of that call or text, you always remember the support from your pals, right? It’s nice to know someone is thinking of you or knows where you’re coming from when it comes to jitters before a big presentation at school and that post-class rush or the thrill of getting a promotion....

If there’s ever been a year for lots and lots of candles, it’s been this one. Amidst a year of such chaos, there’s something so nurturing and calming about lighting a scented candle and relaxing on the couch with a book or treating yourself to a bubble bath. Now, we think we found just the candle for this period of turmoil: Laurel Mercantile Co.’s “Mama’s House.” Part of the new fall collection from Ben and Erin Napier’s household goods store, this sounds like the scent of our dreams....

It’s a blob, it’s a brain, it’s a… sea pork? Doesn’t it seem like every day there’s a new kind of bizarre alien lifeform washing up on our beautiful Southern shores? Since we’ve cleared up the mystery of the weird black pouches littering North Carolina beaches, it’s time to address the slimy, pink, brain-like blobs popping up along the coast. The name for these organ-like creatures is appropriately gross: sea pork....

The turkey is stuffed, cooked, and ready to eat. The holiday décor is on display, and your friends and family are surrounding the dinner table; there’s only one thing left to do – carve the turkey. It may seem like a difficult task for the first-timer, but don’t fret. We’re here to walk you through the quick and easy steps. Things You’ll Need To properly carve the turkey, you’ll need a carving board, a high-quality set of knives (we’re using Coutelier), a platter, paper towels, and tongs....

Look, from the characters to the sets, to the costumes, nothing is ever going to replace that Downton Abbey void in your life. We agree. And here we sit with you in week we-know-not-which of coronavirus quarantine life re-watching the beloved PBS show from Julian Fellowes for the umpteenth time. But after you devour these six episodes, is the show wrapped for good? As Town and Country recently reported, it may be safe to hold onto hope that another season will come to be, as Fellowes, the show’s creator (and author of the eponymous book) appears willing to consider it....

Kentucky Fried Chicken is once again stepping up to support our nation’s frontline workers in the continued fight against COVID-19. Last week, the Louisville-based chicken chain announced its Back-to-School Buckets initiative, which will celebrate teachers who are returning to the classroom—whether virtually or in-person—amidst the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. As part of the initiative, KFC is donating one million pieces of chicken to its franchisees to fry up and deliver as a finger-licking thank you to “America’s new wave of frontline workers....

I wouldn’t say I’m hard to please, but with the number of products that I’ve swiped, dabbed, and patted on all in the name of reducing fine lines and wrinkles, I might as well have my PhD in drugstore beauty. I’ve found a few favorites in pricier serums and creams, but it’s the grocery and drugstore antiaging finds that really put the wind beneath my wings. What’s not to love about a product that won’t induce instant remorse the minute you hit purchase?...

Designer Sarah Bartholomew made sure to fill our 2021 Idea House with thoughtful color choices and endless inspiration. While her palette is refined, her application is daring, distinct, and incredibly interesting. Here are five creative techniques you can find throughout the house. Stencil Wall Coverings In the library, which is located on the ground floor, the walls are covered in a woven, chocolate paper by Phillip Jeffries that’s framed by trim painted in Sherwin-Williams’ Cotton (SW 9581)....

All over the South, from bustling cities to quiet country towns, vacant land bursts with potential–the potential to help us grow together. From Maryland to Miami, people are discovering the amazing effects that planting a seed in a vacant lot can have on individuals and their neighborhoods. In Decatur, Georgia, the Scott Park Community Garden flourishes as an example of what a group endeavor can do. The garden weaves a colorful fabric out of the many diverse threads in a modern community....