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Virginia Beach is known for its beaches and summer seasons, of course, but things really come to life during the holidays when the seaside lights up with coastal festivities. The boardwalk, which is sunny in the summertime, gets strung with twinkling lights during the chilly season, and with a bounty of can’t-miss programming and holiday cheer, Virginia Beach might just become your new favorite December destination. Head down to the boardwalk for the BayPort Credit Union Holiday Lights at the Beach extravaganza, which lights up the night with sparkling displays and live music....

Graves County Sheriff’s Deputy Chandler Sirls and Sergeant Richard Edwards were in their patrol cars outside of Mayfield, Kentucky, when a tornado ripped through the area Friday evening. They positioned themselves in the path of the tornado on purpose. According to Graves County Sheriff’s Office, Sirls and Edwards “placed themselves in danger” so they could “tend to potential victims quickly.” In flash, the tornado was directly on top of them....

Southerners have their fair share of unique sayings and phrases, from the classic (and all-encompassing) “bless your heart” to the ever-charming “heavens to Betsy!” However, there are some quirky ditties that even a multigenerational Southerner might not have ever heard. The kind of expression that seems to defy explanation, but the meaning is just inherently known by those who grew up hearing it. One such saying is “putting on the dog....

Season two of Netflix’s steamy hit, Bridgerton is almost here and we can hardly wait. But ahead of the premiere of the next installment of the Shondaland smash on March 25, you still have time to catch up or re-watch season one, learn the true story behind the series’ narrator, that pot-stirring Lady Whistledown, and to stock your tea cart with the brand new, limited edition, Bridgerton Tea Collection from The Republic of Tea....

For those who celebrate, Hanukkah can mean many different things. For some families, it may be a casual moment of recognition at the end of a busy day, while for others, the Festival of Lights may be a more formal affair filled with extended family and meaningful rituals. On some of the holiday’s eight nights, it may mean a quick weeknight supper, and other nights may be celebrated with a feast of traditional fare....

Enter a Southern home during the summer, and more often than not, you’ll find a melon on the counter. Watermelon, cantaloupe, honeydew—we love to eat them, but we always dread slicing them. Melons are never easy to crack into, but Southerners have found ways around the heavy and unwieldy fruits. That’s why the melon baller is a tool with a long history in Southern kitchens. A double-sided melon baller has many uses....

For me, the ideal recipe is easy to make, requires few ingredients, and can be made ahead, all while still being delicious enough for family and friends to ask for the recipe. This isn’t necessarily an easy list to check off, but there are plenty of recipes that meet my requirements. For example, Basic Deviled Eggs are my contribution to every family potluck because they need just four ingredients and can be prepped a day in advance....

What anchors an Easter feast better than a wiggly, jewel-toned congealed salad? A staple at church potlucks and lunch at Grandma’s house, gelatin molds are a Southern entertaining essential. A dish that got its start in Europe, congealed salad made its way across the pond, becoming a colorful centerpiece on the American family’s table—especially during the heyday of Jell-O products in the 1960s. Newcomers, don’t be alarmed by the jiggly gelatin’s vibrant hue and the recipe’s assortment of ingredients—take just one bite, and you’ll be hooked....

Ask any person within Texas state lines, and they’ll tell you that Topo Chico isn’t just sparkling water. It’s an essential component of their homemade Ranch Water, a bubbly topper for their favorite mocktail, or just a mind-fizzling refresher on a hot day. When the beloved brand first launched its line of hard seltzers, it offered a solution to those who wanted something quick, easy, cooler-friendly, and perfect for a Southern porch party—or beach trip, or lake day, or just about any other outdoor activity—all finished off with Topo Chico’s signature extra fizzy bubbles....

In Southern summers, there comes a point when tomato plant production far outpaces tomato consumption. As the sun-kissed fruits ripen, their texture goes from firm and pleasant to gloppy, even watery. There’s little hope in using them for a sandwich or a pie, so where could the liquefied nature of the now over-ripe tomatoes come in handy? Tomato gravy. Gravy covers a lot of sins. Overcooked the roast? Pour on some brown gravy....

The town of Highlands, North Carolina, is a retreat in every sense of the word. Situated high within the Nantahala National Forest, where North Carolina, South Carolina, and Georgia meet, this quaint community is getaway distance for the majority of the Southeast. With enchanting inns, five-star spas, and white-tablecloth dining, the outdoors isn’t all this mountain town has to offer–but it’s definitely at the top of the list. From the best overlooks to our favorite meals, here’s how to spend a long weekend in this quiet corner of the Blue Ridge Mountains....

Zac Brown Band bassist and songwriter John Driskell Hopkins revealed to fans that he has amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), also known as Lou Gehrig’s Disease. Standing alongside his longtime bandmates, in a video posted to the band’s YouTube channel, Hopkins told fans he had some “tough news” to share. The 51-year-old country star, who is a founding member of the beloved country band, revealed he had been experiencing stiffness and balance issues for several years....

Like many Southerners, my Grandma is prepared for disaster at all times. Her small, wood-paneled kitchen may look unassuming, but it’s only once you descend into the basement that you uncover the real treasures: Shelves upon shelves of canned beans and sauces, dried rice and pasta, frozen meat, towers of toilet paper. My siblings and I used to “go shopping” in Grandma’s basement, sent downstairs with a particular mission: Find the frozen lamb chops, locate a couple cans of tomato paste....

With Resurrection Day right around the corner it’s time to start planning which beloved Easter hymns to sing this year. Whether you grew up in a Baptist church and know each of these traditional Easter hymns by heart or you’re just getting familiar with them, there’s something for everyone. Read through these praise and worship songs and choose a few that speak to your heart. The best Easter hymns are the ones that stir your faith....

June is already here, which means we’re in the midst of wedding season and your refrigerator is likely covered with at least a few save-the-dates for this summer. No matter how many weddings you’ve attended, there are some guest etiquette rules you might not know or didn’t realize were as important as they are. And when it comes to Southern weddings, being polite and following tradition are especially valued, so we think it’s worth repeating these go-to etiquette rules for good measure....

My travels this week took me to Memphis, Tennessee, which, it is safe to say, is a pretty big barbecue town. For Memphians pork shoulder slow-cooked over charcoal and hickory is not just a dish but an ingredient, and they seem inclined to incorporate it into any number of other dishes. There’s barbecue pizza, for instance: a cheese pizza topped with shredded pork and Memphis-style barbecue sauce. Invented at Coletta’s Italian Restaurant in the 1950s, it was a favorite of Elvis Presley....

Potatoes are one of the greatest and most versatile foods on the planet. Whether you prefer them mashed or hashed or smashed; fried or baked; scalloped or gratineed; in a salad or a casserole; or in your preferred Waffle House-style of scattered, smothered, covered, chunked, or diced, potatoes are pretty much the best. Cutting up potatoes, though, is not. Chopping potatoes for home fries or layering in a gratin usually involves pausing your dicing and slicing to get the potatoes unstuck from your blade....

Mayonnaise binds the South together. Without it we are without pimento cheese, deviled eggs, summertime tomato sandwiches, potato salad, coleslaw, and ranch dressing; without it we are without our selves. But Southerners’ love for mayo is not as simple as the paperback romance novels you may find in the next aisle. There are as many different brands of this consecrated condiment, this inviolable ingredient, as there are SEC football teams, and the passion they invoke is similarly inflamed....

When you’re taking on a baking project, there are many different types of flour at your disposal. In fact, at this very moment I have 6 different types of flour in my pantry. I’ve got the staples—all-purpose flour (AP), cake flour, and bread flour—then some fun additions: whole wheat flour, almond flour, cassava flour. Why Do You Need Different Types of Flour? Why is my pantry stocked with so many different types of flour?...

It’s a match made in country music heaven! Darius Rucker made a big announcement following Chapel Hart’s breakthrough appearance on America’s Got Talent last week. After the Mississippi trio earned the Golden Buzzer and broke the Internet with their performance of “You Can Have Him, Jolene,” Rucker revealed that they will be appearing on his next album. “Already put them on my next album,” the country crooner replied to a tweet suggesting he help the buzzy girl group “break some more barriers in Nashville....