Travelers in search of the perfect slice of pie have been setting their sights on Kyle, Texas, for a while now, but recently it’s become official: Kyle is the Pie Capital of Texas. With bakeries and restaurants offering up slices of every sort of pie imaginable, as well as a festival dedicated to pie and the people who love it, there’s no shortage of delicious fun to be had in Kyle....
Hoping to cook more in the new year? Us too. Out of the many celebrity chefs we adore, there’s just no one quite like Ree Drummond, and we’ve long sought to emulate her in the kitchen, whether we’re learning a cooking tip on her Instagram or whipping up a feast from her new cookbook. Of course, sometimes when we cook, we’re looking to create our own new recipes, too. But does that mean you need to bow your head down with an array of tools, and a mise en place worthy of a four-star restaurant?...
When contemplating whether to include someone in a gathering, social conventions encourage us to extend the invitation—even if we know the person can not attend. Invitations to casual events like a luncheon or memorable as a wedding are an expression of thoughtfulness and inclusion. Therefore, invitations always, always, always deserve a gracious response. Pay attention to whether an invitation includes an RSVP, how the invitation is delivered, and the expected response date....
Amid the coronavirus pandemic, we all have a deeper appreciation for first responders and healthcare workers on the front lines of this terrifying crisis. Across the country, so many everyday people have expressed their gratitude for these professionals, from sewing masks for first responders and hospital employees to delivering them free meals. Now, one of the country’s largest bulk retailers is going above and beyond to help these incredible men and women out....
If you’re planning a getaway to the Ozark Mountains, set your sights on Dogwood Canyon. The 10,000-acre destination is home to natural wonders and lots of wildlife. Located in Lampe, Missouri, Dogwood Canyon Nature Park is one of the Missouri’s best places to see bald eagles, which make their home in and around the canyon during the winter migration season. To see the bald eagles in their natural winter habitat, you can participate in one of the canyon’s twice-weekly Eagle Watching Tours....
Grits, fried chicken, cornbread, and barbecue might as well be synonymous with the culinary South. While one taste of these staple Southern dishes is enough to make anyone fall head over heels, one might argue that there’s truly nothing like Southern barbecue. If the South is the country’s ultimate barbecue destination, then South Carolina might be the enthusiast’s paradise. Coal heads of all ages come to get their grill on at Barbecue University, a barbecue experience held annually in Bluffton, South Carolina....
Nothing goes better with an afternoon sitting on the porch or an evening grilling out in the backyard than a refreshing glass of iced tea. A crisp, cold cup of this classic Southern beverage is the ultimate antidote to sweltering summer heat. In the South, preferred types of tea are a personal (and sometimes controversial) choice. On the one side, passionate sweet tea purists (find out our secret to making the best batch)....
Summer is officially here, folks! The weather is warmer, annual pool parties are in full swing, vacation time is around the corner, and a new style of Southern food is on our minds. Some cuisine just tastes better in the summer months – tomato pie, fresh sandwiches, and corn salads are just a few. However, there is one dish that rules above them all: ribs. This flavorful meal is a Southern favorite, especially during the summer....
If you’re anything like us, you contentedly devoted some of the winter holiday season to streaming season 3 of The Crown on Netflix. Now that we’ve made it through all ten of the stellar episodes, we’re left to wonder: When will season 4 of The Crown debut? Well, we’re happy to report, it looks like we’ll see season 4 of the award-winning series arrive later this year. In a November 2019 interview with Harper’s Bazaar, Josh O’Connor—who plays Prince Charles in season 3 and 4 of the series—reveals some promising intel on when we may expect the upcoming season to premiere: “We’re well into [filming] now....
It is a question that has been asked and answered many times throughout the years, yet the debate still rages. And why not, when professional and well-respected chefs such as Julia Child and Jacques Pepin can’t even agree? Do you need to wash raw chicken before cooking it? Child insisted that chicken should be washed before cooking, while Pépin disagreed, explaining that the heat from the cooking process would kill off any germs....
For generations, the African American women of tiny Gee’s Bend, Alabama, have been making some of the finest quilts in the country. Colorful, abstract, and highly coveted, these fabric works of art are in a league of their own. They’ve even been reproduced on official US postage stamps. And now, like many other Americans who feel compelled to pivot their efforts amid the coronavirus pandemic, these legendary quilting artists are using their skills to make masks for their rural community....
“I love washing and drying dishes!” Said no one ever. The back-breaking task of standing at the sink, hand-drying endless of dishes is probably one of the most loathsome chores in your everyday cleaning routine. For those who aren’t keen on dish duty, the perfect solution can be found in the Nordic country of Finland. Say hello to “astiankuivauskaappi,” which translated means, dish-dry cabinet. This resourceful cabinet looks like the average cupboard, but it functions more like an over-the-sink dish rack....
When Jessica Chaney first launched Lycette (@lycettedesigns) back in 2016, needlepoint was hardly the splashy Instagram fodder that it is today. Then, the pastime seemed reserved for a generation of women who stitched samplers and their grandchildren’s Christmas stockings while the younger crowd looked on. Chaney, who tackled her first needlepoint project at age 12 or 13, saw a void in the market. She designed a line of canvases (mesh that stitchers use as their guide), but rather than painting them with the saccharine phrases often associated with the craft, she leaned into irreverent humor and a dose of never-stuffy nostalgia....
Annie and I didn’t really like it when we walked in,” explains Connor Carroll, recalling the couple’s first visit (back when they were dating) to the 1950s ranch-style house that’s now their home. “It felt like you needed to wear a smoking jacket just to be inside it,” he says, laughing. But then they thought about it, and they came back. The 1,500-square-foot layout, including three bedrooms and one bath, was promising....
Chills. That’s the only word we can think of after watching Reba McEntire’s stunning a cappella take on “Sweet Dreams,” originally recorded by Don Gibson in 1955, with Patsy Cline famously recording a version in 1963—a month before she died in a plane crash—that went on to become a big hit. This past week, McEntire performed it sans musical accompaniment for the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum’s BIG NIGHT (at the Museum) benefit in Nashville to support the museum’s work in the face of extended closure due to the coronavirus pandemic....
When we started to hear the phrase “cocktail room” pop up amid interior design circles, we had to know what the deal was. What is a cocktail room, and how do we get our hands on one this instant? Well, as it turns out, cocktail rooms are less of a newfound creation and more of a rebranding—one that might not require a major home project. If you live in a historic home, this trend may have your name written all over it....
These days, efficiency is queen. We get groceries delivered to our door, send invitations via email, and even do our girls’ nights over video call. While these little helpers can be beneficial and, in some cases downright necessary, there’s much to be said for doing them the old-fashioned way. I still take advantage of plenty of modern-day shortcuts, but one task that I refuse to outsource to my iPhone is gift-buying....
There are everyday cleaning chores—like washing sheets, wiping counters, and vacuuming the floor—and then there are the cleaning chores that we avoid for months, maybe even years, or that we don’t know we should be doing altogether. Ever heard of cleaning your washing machine? We hadn’t until recently, either. Yuck. One of those cleverly avoided, put-off, or “forgotten about” (yeah right, Cheryl) chores? Cleaning your keyboard. Whether laptop or desktop, the computer is one of the most frequently used appliances in almost every home; but it is also one of the least cleaned appliances in the home....
You may not have been invited to the wedding of Princess Diana to Prince Charles, but that shouldn’t stop you from having a piece of their wedding cake. A slice of the cake served at the 1981 royal nuptials between the Prince of Wales and Lady Diana Spencer, is going up for auction. The 40-year-old piece of cake, which sadly lasted longer than their marriage, is expected it could fetch as much as 500 British pounds, or about $700....
Most days, you can find Will Norman at the intersection of Northwest Parkway and Speer Street in the small town of Azle, Texas. Norman set up a “listening tent” in the parking lot of the local liquor store in mid-May after what he describes as “the hardest year of his life.” It’s a simple operation. Norman sits beneath a small tent bearing a yellow banner that says “Need to Talk? I’ll Listen” and waits—sometimes up to nine hours a day—for someone to take him up on his offer....
