The avocado has been having a moment for a while now, although with its ubiquitous presence on menus and in grocery stores across the country, the popularity of the avocado is looking less like a moment, and more like an era. We can’t help but wish that they were even more accessible—just imagine being able to pluck ripe avocados from trees in your own backyard! That’s one reason why everyone seems to want to plant their own avocado trees lately....
Water is a way of life in Guntersville. The North Alabama town is surrounded by the state’s largest lake, 69,000-acre Lake Guntersville, which means you can see the tree-lined waterway from nearly anywhere in town. Guntersville’s almost 1,000 miles of shoreline ensure plenty of direct paths to the water and mild temperatures make it inviting year-round. When it’s time to come in after a long day on the lake, the city of less than 10,000 impresses for its hospitality and historic charm....
Dyeing Easter eggs is no longer confined to the humble cups of dye we used to know and still love, you silly bunny. Now there is a whole art form dedicated to the craft that makes an appearance come springtime each year. Easter eggs tie-dyed using strands of silk, speckled using rice, marbled using Cool Whip or nail polish, and even turned into a china pattern using watercolors. The newest Easter egg dyeing trend we’ve nailed down: fizzy eggs, also known as baking soda eggs, and most whimsically known as volcano eggs....
The Kentucky Humane Society (KHS) has been getting a lot of attention lately thanks to the rescue and subsequent recovery of Ethan the miracle dog. But while Ethan is busy healing, the Louisville shelter is hoping to bring some attention to their “most overlooked” resident, a “total love bug” who is more than ready for his forever home. Cole, a two-year-old Labrador retriever mix, has received zero interest since June 2020....
A female monarch butterfly tagged in Kentucky last October was found months later, 1,600 miles away in Mexico. “This is a very rare and exciting occurrence,” Michaela Rogers, an environmental scientist with Kentucky Fish and Wildlife, said in a news release. “With the help of our partners, we have tagged more than 600 monarch butterflies in the last several years. This is our first recovery.” Kentucky Wild member Tri Roberts originally captured and tagged the now-famous monarch butterfly as part of a research project at Perryville Battlefield State Historic Site in Perryville, Kentucky, on October 2, 2020....
Let’s get one thing straight right out of the gate: Ranch dressing is the best salad dressing. Period. Don’t even come at me on social media arguing that balsamic is king, or Caesar is somehow better (though if you want to discuss all the delicious ways you eat ranch, feel free to tweet me here). Ranch dressing just goes with everything. From salads to chicken, and even pizza crusts, ranch is the ideal sauce for topping and dipping....
DON EMMERT/AFP/Getty Images I like succulent plants at breakfast. I like succulent plants at lunch. I like succulent plants at dinnertime. I don’t eat them, however, for that would be stupid and potentially lethal. Rather, I admire their strange and compelling architecture of shapes, sizes, textures, and colors—often when I’m munching tortilla chips. Succulents get their name not because of gastronomic appeal, but from their fleshy, plump leaves and stems that store water, allowing them to survive growing in low-rainfall areas....
If you watched the first episode of the Netflix series The Crown you couldn’t help but notice the stunning wedding dress that actress Claire Foy as Princess Elizabeth wore when walking down the aisle at Westminster Abbey. The gown was made from ivory silk satin, encrusted with 10,000 seed pearls, and embroidered with star lilies and orange blossoms. It cost a whopping £30,000 (that’s about $37,000) and took seven weeks to make....
Tossing and turning at night is natural, but if you do it so often you can’t get a wink of sleep, it’s time to upgrade your bedding. One easy and affordable way to get some quality sleep is with a comfortable and supportive pillow, and the Viewstar Down Alternative Hotel-Quality Pillows are a popular option shoppers say are the “biggest, fluffiest, softest pillows” they own. You can get a set of two for $35....
If you rang in the new year in Gatlinburg, Tennessee, boy are we jealous. Whether you welcomed the new decade perched high above downtown Gatlinburg at SkyLift Park or celebrated closer to the Gatlinburg Space Needle, the 32nd annual New Year’s Eve Ball Drop and Fireworks Show was a giant hit. Thankfully, for those not lucky enough to be in this Smoky Mountains oasis on Tuesday night, Visit Gatlinburg, the local convention and visitors bureau was kind enough to livestream the action on Facebook for us all to enjoy....
Summer is officially here. That means it’s time to pick your pedicure colors, debut your latest sundresses, pour that perfect cup of iced tea, and make plans for weekend trips to the beach, lake, or maybe just the neighborhood pool. But regardless of destination, we’ll bet you’re packing a beach read in your bag. But how does one define a “beach read?” Well, we were curious as well, so we did some digging....
A couple of years ago on Christmas Eve, my cousins and I each unwrapped a white binder filled with 30-some sheet-protected photocopies of handwritten recipes. In these makeshift cookbooks, there are dishes unique to each branch of the tree—like my mom’s Greek chicken marinade and my Aunt Kaycee’s broccoli salad—and recipes beloved by all of us, like my grandmother’s hot dog chili, which has made an appearance at every Fourth of July and Halloween celebration that I can remember....
We’re still recovering from all the drama from the third season of The Crown. That means two things: Endless reruns, and scouring for information about the fourth season of the hit Netflix series to tide us over until it arrives. While there’s no set premiere date for the show’s fourth season, filming is underway, and we now have a lead that Grace Kelly may appear on season four of the show....
Mistake: Using super-fresh eggs You’d think that the freshest eggs would make the best deviled eggs, but that’s not the case. Very fresh eggs—like the kind you would get from your backyard chicken coop or at the farmer’s market—are harder to peel because the inner membrane of the shell sticks to the egg white. Supermarket eggs have aged enough, which makes them much easier to peel. Mistake: Over (or under) cooking the eggs...
Black Friday and Cyber Monday have just passed, and Christmas is around the corner. After the two biggest sale days of the year, major discounts typically aren’t expected until after the holidays. However, whether you’re finalizing your holiday gift list or sprucing up your home with last-minute holiday decor, a good sale is always appreciated. Best Overall Deals Biggest Savings: Inse Cordless Vacuum Cleaner, $129.99 (orig. $699.99) Lowest Price: Pelonis Quiet Cooling & Heating Mode Space Heater, $29....
With wedding season right around the corner, we’re in the midst of wedding-preparation season, which means bridal showers are popping up on our calendars left and right. Bridal showers are a fun occasion to celebrate the bride-to-be with a small, close group of family and friends. And anyone who’s attended a shower knows gifts are a major part of the event. When it comes to weddings and gifts, folks tend to get a little nervous about what’s appropriate and what’s the “right” thing to do—and they often come to us with their etiquette woes looking for guidance....
Leave it to Dolly Parton to find a way to use her manicure as a musical instrument. During a recent interview on The Graham Norton Show, the country star revealed her creative use for her acrylic nails while writing “9 to 5” on the set of the 1980 film by the same name. Parton demonstrated how, between scenes, she would clack her fake nails together to create a beat. She used the rhythm to help her write what would go on to become one of her most iconic songs....
This year, the normally bustling spring and summer seasons have looked considerably different for one popular North Carolina farm. But, in the months that Hill Ridge Farms in Youngsville was closed to the public amid the coronavirus pandemic, Farmer John was busy planting more than 10 varieties of sunflowers, yielding more than 50,000 beautiful blooms. In celebration of the flowers, the beloved farm is inviting the public back for its new “Pick Your Own Sunflowers Days....
While it may not always be our favorite thing to do on a weekend afternoon, an hour or two of meal prep can make all the difference in streamlining hectic weeknight dinners and getting the whole family out of the door with a healthy breakfast each morning. Soups are a top meal prep recipe pick for the hands-off cooking time, high serving count, and ability to make the most of whatever’s left in the fridge....
Around the holidays patience and pie plates run short. While solutions for politically controversial uncles are scarce, you can always cling to cast iron skillets as your rock in a chaotic kitchen. From a Brussels sprouts dish to gravy and even that sweet potato casserole, there is almost nothing you can’t serve in cast iron, and that includes pie. In fact, once you try it, you may never bake in anything else again....
