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See Bush Hager’s Instagram post announcing her pick below, calling the book “astounding” and noting the author’s “breathtaking words.” A North Carolina community rises in outrage as a county initiative draws students from the largely Black east side of town into predominantly white high schools on the west. For two students, Gee and Noelle, the integration sets off a chain of events that will bond their families together in unexpected ways over the span of the next twenty years....

They might look cute and fuzzy, but don’t let their innocuous appearance fool you. The puss caterpillar is one of the “most venomous caterpillars in the U.S.,” and it’s making its seasonal return to at least one unlucky Southern state. Fox News reports that the larvae of the Southern flannel moth, also commonly known as “asps,” have been spotted in Florida, and experts are urging residents to stay far away from the furry white insects which like to hang out on oak and citrus trees....

While many run the other way when coming across a snake in the woods, wildlife experts in Alabama are jumping for joy after spotting a rare species in the wild for only the second time in 60 years. Last Wednesday, a wild-born Eastern indigo snake was found in the Conecuh National Forest in Southern Alabama. The exciting discovery is a result of the Eastern Indigo Project, a program created in 2006 to reintroduce the diminishing species to its native land in Alabama....

That long, luminous red hair. That sweet smile. That easy confidence. It’s impossible not to recognize Ree Drummond—even way back when the now celebrity chef was a teenager. Yesterday, the star shared a beautiful throwback photo on Instagram in honor of her 51st birthday, and it’s impossible to mistake her for anyone else. “Today’s my birthday, so I’m posting a photo of me when I was 13,” she captioned the photo—presumably a school yearbook picture—yesterday....

If you’d like to plan a road trip, set your sights on a wineries in the South, where you’ll find tasting rooms, picturesque vineyards, and plenty of surrounding nature to enhance your views. There are wonderful wineries throughout the South, but some are set absolutely alight with the colors of autumn when the leaves change in the fall. Plan a road trip to one of these wineries in the South—from Georgia to Virginia and several states in between—and you’ll soon be dreaming about a return trip....

It’s exactly 12.5 miles from Exit 38 on I-95 to the parking lot of Southern Soul Barbeque on St. Simons Island. If you’re motoring southward down to the sunny skies of Florida, it’s very much worth taking that short detour to see how Harrison Sapp and Griffin Bufkin have transformed an old seaside gas station into a Southern barbecue destination. Sapp and Bufkin don’t do things by half measures. Out beside the restaurant is a collection of oak-fired Lang and Oyler pits on which they cook pork, ribs, brisket, and more....

Country music star Tanya Tucker has many wonderful love songs—“Your Love Amazes Me,” “Forever Lovimg You,” and “I’ll Tennessee You in My Dreams,” to name a few—but finding everlasting love in her personal life has been a struggle. Though she’s never been married, she’s been engaged several times and has had many more romances, with more than a few being pushed into the limelight. Her relationship with country music legend Glen Campbell in 1980 and 1981 ultimately resulted in a called-off engagement, and she’s had two other failed engagements....

While sweet tea has long been the drink of choice in the South, there’s always been room kept in the refrigerator for other highly regarded beverages. Namely Coca-Cola, as well as all the different sodas that Southerners refer to as a “Coke.” As in, anything found in the drink cooler—preferably served out of a glass bottle. Certain regional delicacies are able to stand out on their own, including Cheerwine, Dr Pepper, and Big Red....

Prime Day 2022 might still be weeks away, but early deals have begun trickling in: You’ll find 16 of the best deals on home decor, bedding, seasonal appliances, and kitchen essentials below. Hurry and secure these deals before they’re gone. Best Early Prime Day Furniture and Decor Deals Time to spruce up your patio: We’ve found early Prime Day deals for outdoor furniture like a padded cushion folding lounge chair, a rocking Adirondack chair that will look so stylish on your porch, and throw pillows that will add a touch of color to your backyard....

From shoes to pillows, we’re always on the hunt for products to help make air travel more comfortable. Because let’s face it, without first-class tickets, we need all the help we can get. For the most part, we’re skeptical. We’ve seen all kinds of gadgets touting dubious claims about doing this or that to ease our aching joints and preserve our complexions at 35,000 feet. So, when we come across a product with glowing reviews from people we trust, you better believe we sound the alarm....

If you’ve been to Nashville, you’ve likely made a pilgrimage to the vaunted music venue that is The Bluebird Cafe. And even if you haven’t been to Nashville, you’ve probably heard of this famous club that has helped catapult many musicians to fame. Perhaps most notably, there’s Garth Brooks, who regularly played at the venue’s Open Mic and Sunday Songwriter’s Shows before he was “discovered” there by a talent scout and signed to Capitol Records....

Growing up, my aunt played a lot of Bunco. Her house was covered in tchotchkes, and when I asked where they came from, she would elatedly reply “I won that at Bunco!” On my mom’s side of the family, my Nana taught all of her grandchildren how to play rummy which resulted in bragging rights as well as adulthood expertise. To this day, we all think we are skilled card sharks....

When I told my husband that I wanted to bring a plate of Pecan Pie Brownies to his mother’s house for Thanksgiving, he was thoroughly confused. Of all the holiday desserts, it seemed like the least likely fit. Anyone who eats with me on the regular knows two things: I don’t like nuts, and I don’t like pies. But word around the Southern Living office was that this new recipe made some of the fudgiest brownies around....

Ever since we discovered the incredible deals our local grocery store offers on salmon fillets, my husband and I have tried to enjoy them at dinner about once a week. Not only are we loading up on good-for-us Omega-3s, protein, and vitamins, but we love the way it tastes. But eating the same food every single week can get monotonous. And though we’ve found plenty of ways to switch things up from our usual sheet pan salmon supper, one recipe just managed to make a weeknight meal feel like a dance party (for our taste buds, at least)....

Now that Memorial Day has come and gone, summer has (unofficially) started—which means you can look forward to warm weather weekends spent cooking outside with family and friends. If you’ve already redecorated your patio, now’s the time to upgrade that dirty old grill sitting in your yard. But we’re not talking about getting any old replacement grill. To take your outdoor cooking to the next level, try a pellet smoker. For a reviewer-backed recommendation, hundreds of Walmart shoppers are fans of the easy-to-use Traeger Pellet Grill Pro 780, which uses wood pellets to smoke, grill, bake, roast or braise food to perfection....

Clear some space on your shelves! Linda Skeens, the Virginia grandmother who went viral for dominating her county fair’s cooking competitions over the summer, is releasing a cookbook. The 74-year-old’s legendary performance at this year’s Virginia-Kentucky District Fair earned her 25 separate ribbons and catapulted her to Internet fame. Now Skeens is sharing her secrets in her very own cookbook, Blue Ribbon Kitchen: Recipes & Tips from America’s Favorite County Fair Champion, set to come out summer 2023....

After years of eating my way through cake walks, potlucks, bake sales, and every diner, bakery, and dessert shop I come across, it’s rare for me to be surprised by a cake. Yet, while working on a story about the lunch served up in the basement of the First United Methodist Church during the High Point Furniture Market, I came across a kind of cake I had never heard of before....

When you love to cook, you run the risk of accumulating a lot of utensils and dishes in your kitchen. For some reason I have a fondness for mixing bowls, perhaps because along with their all-around usefulness in cooking, some are so down right gorgeous they can serve as a centerpiece on your dining room table. A glass or heavy plastic bowl is useful if I need to microwave and melt chocolate for a silky ganache frosting....

Courtesy of charlottesgotalot.com There’s something about Charlotte. This growing city, named after the Queen of Mecklenburg-Strelitz, may be the only place in the South where you can jump from a boisterous trip to the Nascar Hall of Fame to a trendy rooftop bar overlooking the city’s skyline. From the bustling financial metropolis uptown to the sprawling oak-lined suburbs, the city truly lives up to its slogan—it has a lot. Charlotte plays gracious host to a wide range of folks, from the Carolina Panthers, to Ricky Bobby in Talledega Nights, to you....

Classic Road Trip Songs “Take It Easy” by The Eagles “Running on Empty” by Jackson Browne “Dreams” by Fleetwood Mac “Jack & Diane” by John Cougar Mellencamp “Send Me on My Way” by Rusted Root “Atlantic City” by The Band “Bennie and the Jets” by Elton John “Midnight Rider” by Allman Brothers Band “Give Me One Good Reason” by Tracy Chapman “Break My Stride” by Matthew Wilder “Shotgun” by George Ezra...