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This Valentine’s Day get your best friend something she could really use—a cockroach named after her awful ex-boyfriend. That’s right, it’s time for the San Antonio Zoo’s annual “Cry Me A Cockroach” fundraiser that lets folks name a cockroach after their most deserving ex. For just $10, the zoo will not only give the little roach a moniker of your choosing, but to sweeten the deal, it will then feed the creepy crawler to an animal while you watch....

Because the next few months will include plenty of cooking and baking sprees, why not let a Crock-Pot do at least some of the cooking for you? This 7-quart slow cooker has more than 24,500 five-star ratings, and you can cook a 7-pound roast inside of it and have fewer dishes to clean afterward, according to the brand. Plus, you can snag a famed KitchenAid mixer for only $400 or save $100 on a Cuisinart air fryer and toaster oven....

Like a turkey after Thanksgiving, a leftover Easter ham is the gift that keeps on giving. And giving, and giving, and giving. Until you can’t even look at another ham and cheese sandwich. Which is exactly the right time to get out your slow cooker and whip up a pot of Ham-and-Bean Soup, the very best thing to make with a leftover Easter ham. In fact, I think this soup is reason enough to make a ham other times of the year besides Easter....

Whether you are whipping up a batch of classic New Orleans-style gumbo, want to pop some okra in your air fryer, add it to a tuna roll (trust us on this), or add it to your shrimp po’boy, it’s easy to use okra in the kitchen. Okra is also a breeze to grow in Southern gardens. The plant is native to Africa, so the South’s summers and dry weather are no problem....

If you’re lucky enough to have leftover ribs from a cookout or barbecue joint, you need to know how to reheat them properly so they don’t dry out. Skip the Microwave I asked Matthew Register, owner of Southern Smoke BBQ in Garland, NC, and author of the new cookbook Southern Smoke for his advice. Register recommends skipping the microwave and reheating cooked ribs slowly in a low oven. Place the ribs in a pan covered with aluminum foil, then bake at 250˚F....

Remember when you used to scheme about your dream house? Maybe it had a front porch furnished with a pair of white rocking chairs or porch swing, a cute kitchen (probably outfitted with pink appliances), and baby-blue shuttered windows with boxes filled with colorful blooms. It’s high time to make that dream a reality with our Heaven’s Door cottage. It’s quaint but comfortable, making for the perfect little escape—even if it’s just to the backyard....

Your neighbor has a farmhouse sink so beautiful that it looks like it belong on an HGTV segment. Alton Brown has an entire wall of cast iron pans in his kitchen. That DIY blogger you follow on Instagram has a kitchen mural that looks like it belongs in the Picasso Museum. What will you do this year to upgrade your home’s cooking space? How about a fresh coat of mint green paint—or at least some mint green cabinetry or accessories?...

There’s no denying that Southerners love their food and are darn proud of it, too. Food is such an integral part of life in the South from barbecues to potlucks to tailgates to Sunday suppers and Easter feasts—basically all of our gatherings. But when you can’t eat with your family around the table, or you’re just hankering for someone else to fry up the catfish for once, some Southerners head to Cracker Barrel for a little taste of home....

Established in 1789, this is the oldest grave site in New Orleans and remains an active one. The cemetery attracts more than 100,000 visitors annually, though vandalism has necessitated a guided-tours-only system. (According to frenchquarter.com, you can arrange a tour for $20 at Basin St. Station, the city’s welcome center.) One of the most striking features of the “city of the dead” is that all the graves are above ground. Given New Orleans’ high water table, underground burials aren’t possible....

It’s only right that the sweet tea that’s come to be referred to as the signature taste of the South would come about from such sweet, sweet origins and in a truly Southern way. Milo’s Sweet Tea was born from the love of a married couple, Milo and Beatrice Carlton, and on the heels of war (World War II to be exact)—and what could be more Gone With The Wind-esque than that?...

For many Southerners growing up, the best afternoon treat was to be taken to the roadside store and allowed to choose any fizzy, ice-cold glass bottle out of the refrigerated section, which would be filled with all of the familiar classics, such as Coca-Cola, Dr Pepper, and a bright red concoction that both puzzles and delights: Big Red. (No, it’s not like Cheerwine.) What’s the History of Big Red? Founded in Waco, Texas, in 1937, Big Red soda is a Lone Star staple....

Not into all white? That’s all right! When redesigning your kitchen, the plain-vanilla approach may have universal appeal, but as designers reveal, it’s much more fun to experiment with color. “I find that people want a more unique and less cookie cutter approach,” says Maritza Capiro, an interior designer in Marco Island, Florida. “They realize the sky is the limit and why not have a fully customized look that caters to their desired preferences....

It’s hard to find a minute to ourselves in today’s world. Between taking care of children, working a full-time job, and the constant news cycle . . . quiet moments are few and far between. We often don’t realize the importance of rest and rejuvenation until it’s too late. Exhausted and overwhelmed, life finally forces us to take a break. But what if we could gain control and find peace before our schedule gets out of hand?...

It is very, very, very hard for me to turn down a bowl of guacamole and tortilla chips. There are few foods that leave me as powerless—but that doesn’t mean I am not silently judging the guacamole the entire time I am shoveling it into my face. I’m also pretty particular about what makes a great guacamole, and I’ve had my share of guacamole that’s too thick, too runny, too spicy, and just plain weird....

During the summer months, it seems like everyone is outside grilling. The family might soon get tired of burgers and hot dogs every weekend, so switch things up and break out the ribs. Be sure you know what you’re doing though. From the grill to the oven, here are some of the tips to keep in mind for cooking the best ribs. 1. Shop Wisely Whether you’re buying baby backs or beef ribs, choose pink meat with uniform size and marbling, which will help them cook more evenly....

The bond shared between teachers and students is special. First-grade teacher Tracy Hodges found out just how special that bond can be when her students came to her rescue after she experienced a medical emergency while teaching last month. Hodges, a first-grade teacher at Cedar Hill Elementary in Ardmore, Alabama, was conducting a small group lesson on the morning of January 20, when she began to feel off. “I sat down, and one of my students sitting at the table—I couldn’t even make out the children at the table,” Hodges told WAAY31....

Whether you’re planning your nuptials or simply looking for a bit of guidance and inspiration, these beautiful Bible verses about love and marriage will serve as a sentimental reminder of the bond between husband and wife. Suppose you are looking to incorporate scripture into your wedding day. In that case, these marriage bible verses are great to read during the ceremony, use on your wedding invitations, display on signs at the reception, and more....

It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas at Biltmore! Biltmore’s iconic tree-raising—one of the most beloved holiday traditions in the South—took place yesterday, marking the beginning of the Christmas season, not just in Asheville, but across the country. After months of planning and anticipation, 50 staff members successfully hoisted the 35-foot, 3,000-pound Fraser fir into its spot in the Banquet Hall, where it will reside as the estate’s grand holiday centerpiece....

A Dutch oven is just the right size and shape to cook a whole chicken. Simply cover the pot with its lid during the first part of the cooking process to make the meat fall-apart tender and juicy. Then, remove the lid during the end of the cook time to make the skin golden and crisp. It’s practically foolproof. But there is one way to make this cooking method even better—add a layer of hearty vegetables to the bottom of the pot before you add the chicken....

A Publix employee made magic happen for a little girl whose third birthday was threatened by Hurricane Ian last week. Natasha, a baker at the Publix location in the Sky Walk Shopping Plaza in hard-hit Fort Myers, pulled out all the stops to make sure Caroline Rollins’ daughter Anna had a cake for her third birthday this past Sunday. In a now-viral Facebook post, Rollins recalled inquiring about a birthday cake for Anna on Friday— just two days after “the worst hurricane this side of Florida has ever seen....