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Dolly Parton, Queen of…Rock and Roll? While it’s hard to imagine Dolly Parton as anything else other than the Queen of Country music, if her first record label, Monument Records, had gotten their way, she could have very well been climbing the rock charts instead of blossoming into the country music icon we all cherish so dearly. Indeed, we were quite surprised to learn her career could have gone in a very different direction, as The Cheat Sheet reported....

The daytime temperatures may still be soaring upwards as the end of summer approaches, but believe it or not, containers of colorful chrysanthemums—or mums as we like to call them—will soon be appearing at your local plant nurseries and gardening centers. Perhaps no other fall flower creates as much excitement as the mum. The arrival of this brightly colored flower signals the coming of shorter days, cooler weather, outdoor decorating, cozy sweaters, pumpkins, apples, and so many more wonderful things....

Family recipes are an essential part of Thanksgiving. We look forward to digging into these dishes all year long, even to the point where they become synonymous with the holiday itself. And the recipe holder becomes just as legendary as the recipe. That’s not just a casserole; That’s Auntie’s casserole. But, isn’t it funny how the most famous family recipes sometimes come from the most unassuming places? There’s nothing like finding out that great grandma’s beloved signature dressing recipe actually originated on the back of a cracker box....

By the time my maternal grandmother was in her mid-forties, she had given birth to eight children. Eight children—all born before World War II. I have a husband and a cat and still can’t keep our suburban ranch house as clean as she and her three daughters kept that old farm house in rural Alabama. (Thank goodness for the angel-for-hire who comes to help me every other week, or you might never find us among the dust bunnies....

More than 117 years after its historic journey over the dunes of Kill Devil Hills in 1903, a postage-size swatch of muslin from the Wright Flyer is headed for the history books once more. A little piece of the Wright brothers’ first airplane is currently on Mars. If all goes according to plan, it will make history again—this time millions of miles from the Outer Banks as part of the first powered, controlled flight on another planet....

The one and only Pioneer Woman shared some special and hilarious gifting moments from years gone by in her letter from the editor in a winter edition of The Pioneer Woman Magazine. When reflecting on her childhood, the Food Network star shared that growing up she used to annoy her older brother tremendously on Christmas morning as she opened presents due to her overly dramatic way of opening her gifts. “I’d slowly peel back the wrapping paper, delight at what was inside (whether it was Love’s Baby Soft perfume, a sweater, or a Madame Alexander doll), and loudly ooh and aah and jump around,” she writes in her editor’s note, adding that her grandma even said she most eagerly anticipated Christmas with her granddaughter because she relished the chance to watch little Ree open her gifts....

Ask many a Southerner, and you’ll find that tea is a ritual, best enjoyed sweetened, on ice, sitting on the porch with company. It’s this communal culture that Southern sweet tea shares with that of the one Rebecca Denson experienced growing up in India. “Chai is such a big part of hospitality in India. It’s just the norm; you go to anybody’s house or people visit your home, the first thing you offer them is a cup of chai,” she says....

The next time you feel guilty about watching too much TV, think about Kim Williams-Guillen. When the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) announced its Wildlife Crime Tech Challenge as a way to encourage the use of technological advances to fight wildlife poaching in 2014, she immediately thought of two of her favorite shows: The Wire and Breaking Bad. Williams-Guillen, a conservation scientist with the biodiversity group Paso Pacífico, used a tactic from HBO’s The Wire and a plotline from Breaking Bad to use egg decoys to catch sea turtle poachers....

When we think of durable kitchen workhorses that stand the test of time, Le Creuset tops the list. The iconic French cookware brand is home to heirloom-quality cast iron and stoneware that can last generations. Another signature? Le Creuset is unmatched when it comes to cookware styling with fresh colors and seasonal collections. And it just launched its newest color that’s sure to always stay in fashion: Matte Navy. Inspired by the deep sea, American fashion (think Ralph Lauren blazers), and vintage china, navy is one of those rare hues that always looks fresh no matter what....

As soon as September rolls around, prepare for pumpkins galore at garden centers in the South. The stacks of orange, white, warty gourds can mean only that it’s finally fall. Porches around the neighborhood will start pulling out festive seasonal decor for their front steps, with colorful containers of blooming mums and the glowing grins of carved jack-o’-lanterns’ taking center stage. This 12-piece kit is a best-seller for a reason—all the tools you could possibly need for carving the perfect pumpkin are included in this handy, budget-friendly kit....

We like to think that there are few things a face mask can’t make better, whether you’ve had a bad day, just need to distract yourself from going on an online shopping spree, or feel a massive pimple on the way from its hidey hole. In just 20 minutes, you feel like you’ve got your life together—and that’s the type of comfort we’re into. You can even become a DIY face mask mixologist at home....

Loyalty: faithful to a person to whom allegiance or affection is due. If you think of your dog as being man’s best loyal friend, you’re got 13,000 years of science on your side. That’s when archeologists first found buried dog bones near human settlements. They theorize that man and dog lived together in harmony once wolves evolved into dogs. And once they started befriending one another, their connection was inextricably—and forever–linked....

Sure, the turkey is the centerpiece of the traditional Thanksgiving meal, but it’s the side dishes that are the true unsung heroes of the feast. The variety of classic offerings—from sweet potato casserole and cranberries to dressing and macaroni and cheese—are worthy of their own plateful. Use Collards as Greens for Thanksgiving What’s a Southern-style spread without collards? Consider greens for Thanksgiving as a versatile, tried-and-true veggie that are easy to cook—put them in a stew, add them to a casserole, or serve them on their own....

One of the coolest Dolly Parton attractions out there has parked itself in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee, and for a pretty penny, you can experience it for yourself. The country legend’s former tour bus, now known as Suite 1986 at Dollywood DreamMore Resort & Spa, is taking reservations. That’s right y’all, Parton’s longtime tour bus, the “Gypsy Wagon,” has been transformed into the ultimate hotel suite for two. “(I) decided to retire it because I wasn’t touring that much anymore and it just was sitting there,” Parton told the Knoxville News Sentinel....

There are many reasons to love Cracker Barrel Old Country Store. In addition to their hand-picked decorations that cover the walls, the peg games on each table, and the fact that breakfast is offered all day, one of the best things about eating at Cracker Barrel is a post-meal stroll through the country store. And there’s one section of the store we’ll never skip browsing: the candy! Whether you stop by for lunch on your next road trip or visit for Sunday supper, here are eight of our favorite classic candies you can still buy the next time you’re at Cracker Barrel....

Asheville, North Carolina, resident Casey Vandergrift was just enjoying some fresh air on her back porch when she heard a strange noise. It was a sound that she described as a “sad whimper” and immediately went to see if she could help an animal in distress. “I thought it was a dying dog,” she told the group Help Asheville Bears, or HAB. “I mean it was just a sad whimper.” That small noise wasn’t from a dog in need, though....

The months leading up to a baby’s arrival are filled with anticipation and preparation: There are nurseries to be decorated, family trees to be studied for name inspiration, and cozy blankets to be monogrammed. There is plenty of celebration, too, as loved ones host baby showers in your growing family’s honor. And with all the festivities come a pile of thank you notes to be written. On top of your myriad other pre-baby to-dos, finding the right words can be tricky—especially when pregnancy brain strikes....

Southerners are no strangers to a soul-warming bourbon cocktail at the end of the day. While we like to say that the only way to drink it is straight-up, on the rocks, or with a splash of water, we’re not too stuffy to say that sometimes there’s an itch that only an iced-down bourbon sweet tea can scratch. Before you know it, even Uncle Hank—a self-proclaimed bourbon purist—is pinkies up, two glasses deep, and loving every slurp....

Color plays a significant role in wedding planning. As couples select their wedding palette, and the bride chooses to wear a beautiful white dress, there are traditions that set the tone for the wedding day. However, there is sometimes a bit of ambiguity in the formality of wedding guest attire, begging the question: Can you wear black to a wedding? Before answering, there are several factors to consider, one of which is Southern etiquette....

Cheesy Potato Casserole. Hash Brown Bake. Funeral Potatoes. There are many names for this ultra rich, ultra creamy potato casserole but whatever you call it, it belongs on your Easter table. Or any get-together—holiday or non-holiday—for that matter. Typically made with frozen, pre-shredded hash browns, lots of cheese, a cream-based sauce or canned condensed soup, and topped with a crunchy crust (some recipes call for corn flakes, others use breadcrumbs), it’s one of the most indulgent side dishes around....