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A Virginia teenager is making history on the ice skating rink. 18-year-old Ilia Malinin is the first skater to ever land a quadruple axel in competition, a feat he pulled off for the first time last year. Now, CNN reports that the teen has won his first U.S. figure skating championship, even besting a two-time Olympian for the title. Malinin took the gold even though he was unable to nail what has become his signature jump, the ambitious quadruple axel....

The small town of Hickory is located in Catawba County, North Carolina, at the foot of the Blue Ridge Mountains. Situated between big cities Charlotte and Asheville and with a population of about 40,000, Hickory has plenty of Southern charm. Stop into the visitor’s center, and they’ll describe themselves as having “a history of craftsmanship. Hickory’s past and future prospects have drawn to this place a people with an eye for detail and a hand for hard work, a passion for making something of themselves and of the future....

BUY IT: Starting at $14.99; amazon.com Along with the letters of your choice, you can customize your design even more by opting to have it painted in one of 19 colors offered by the storefront, or you can go with an unfinished piece that will arrive sanded and ready for you to paint. Just as its name suggests, 48 Hour Monogram aims to ship the Three Letter Wooden Monogram from its Colorado-based studio within 48 hours....

Yes, you can freeze cheesecake. And if you go to all the work of making one of these beautiful desserts and have leftovers, you should freeze cheesecake. Here’s how. Can You Freeze Cheesecake? Layered with fruit or drizzled with chocolate, this smooth and silky dessert is like no other. But cheesecake can be time-consuming, and it’s a big task to undertake while actively cooking and entertaining family and friends. That’s why you shouldn’t let a single slice, wedge, or square go to waste....

You may have seen the viral TikTok in which a home cook named Lori Woosley-Uden deftly removed a peach pit with nothing more than a set of needle-nose pliers. Like magic, the stone is removed, with little to no fruit left attached and not a cutting board in sight. Seeing as it’s peak peach season and peach cobblers, crisps, and pies are on our minds, we thought we would give this hack a try and compare it to tried-and-true methods we’ve used for years....

There was once a time when we’d come across a dandelion puff in the wild (or rather, in our backyard or Piggly Wiggly’s parking lot), squeeze our eyes shut really hard, blow those furry seeds into the wind, and make a big wish. Usually, the “big” wish was that our mother would let us get a milkshake after school the next day, that we’d get the lead role in the school play, or eventually, that a boy would like us back....

Here’s a great idea for adding seasonal color and texture to a bare wall without taking up much space: Shape an evergreen to grow flat against it. The technique is called espalier (pronounced ess-PAL-yay), and even though the word is French, you don’t have to wear a beret to master it. All you have to do is this. Step 1: Insert a grid of equally spaced nails over the area of wall you want the plant to cover....

It’s difficult to be patient in spring. Days are balmy and bright, and early flowers are popping into bloom. It’s tempting to hurry summer along and begin planting warm-weather plants such as caladiums. But soil temperatures are still surprisingly cool, and these tropical natives prefer a cozier environment. Planted too soon, caladiums will sit dormant in the damp, cold garden and may rot. Tucked under only a few inches of soil, they easily become damaged or lost in early-spring’s gardening frenzy....

Sometimes you can rest on your laurels after you complete a task. Unfortunately, cleaning your kitchen sink isn’t one of those times. According to the National Sanitation Foundation, your kitchen sink is the germiest place in your house (and in case you’re wondering, the germiest item is the kitchen sponge). This is true even if your sink doesn’t look dirty. Everyday activities like scrubbing pots and rinsing poultry introduce germs and bacteria to your kitchen sink on a regular basis....

After 70 years on the throne, Queen Elizabeth II was one of the world’s most recognizable people when she died Thursday at the age of 96. Some might argue she was the most famous person on the planet for the majority of her history-making reign. The long-serving monarch touched and inspired countless people in her life, including, as it turns out, the one-and-only Johnny Cash. In a 2002 interview with Larry King, the Man in Black revealed that “The Man Comes Around,” the title track from his last album, was actually inspired by a dream he had about Queen Elizabeth....

Of course, we empty the canister when it’s full, remove any brush-rotation interference, and even occasionally bang the filter against the side of the trash can, but could we be doing more for the machine that works so hard for us? Probably so. Day in and day out, our bagless vacuum hits the ground cleaning, sucking up every last bit of dog fur, dirt, grime, and even random Cheerios the baby hid under the couch for later....

From ranunculus to roses, there’s nothing more exciting than being surprised with (or treating yourself to…) a fresh bouquet of flowers. The kind with big, vibrant blooms all bundled together. There’s also nothing quite as disappointing as watching the rapid and relentless wilting of said bouquet. So we’ve gathered our nine favorite tips to preserve fresh-cut flowers so that you can enjoy them for longer. Some are old wives’ tales and some are just plain common sense, but these tips and tricks could add a few days to the life of your bouquet....

Understandably, anxiety is running high as the coronavirus pandemic spreads throughout the country. Like many, we’re looking for all the at-home distractions we can get. Shooting to the top of our list? Virtual Kentucky horse farm tours from Visit Horse Country, an organization of horse farms, equine medical clinics, and equine attractions, now giving you the chance to pop onto a bucolic farm and live vicariously for a few as you toast horse birthdays, watch foals go about their day, and check in for feedings and nose scratches galore....

Just a few days after Enid, Oklahoma, celebrated the lighting of the world’s largest Christmas tree, the towering conifer was damaged by high winds. On the evening of December 5 around 10:45 p.m., approximately 27 feet broke off from the top of the 140-foot fresh-cut Christmas tree. Decorated with 20,000 multi-colored LED lights, 10,000 ornaments, and ringed by a forest of 12 smaller trees, the “Christ Tree” is the centerpiece of The One, the city’s 42-day event featuring concerts, plays, and activities celebrating Christmas....

In the world of Texas barbecue, brisket is the undisputed star, and the hefty beef rib has become the featured player—the one who gets the big applause upon entering stage, the Kramer to brisket’s Seinfeld, if you will. Then there’s beef shoulder clod, which is, at best, a bit character actor, getting upstaged by smoked sausage and even turkey. On a recent swing through central Texas, though, I finally got to sample the clod at places like Kreuz Market and Smitty’s Market, both in Lockhart, and I came away quite impressed....

From Grandma’s roasted chicken to a fancy herbed shortbread, fresh thyme offers a unique flavor among common herbs. And when it comes to a good substitute for this versatile herb, using something else depends entirely on why you need the substitute. Here are a few suggestions to get you through a recipe without any fresh thyme. I Just Don’t Have Any Thyme is a hard herb, meaning it grows on a semi-firm wooden stick and has a heartier quality to the leaves....

Fans of The Varsity will soon have two more locations to satisfy their chili cheese dog fix. This week, the famous Georgia drive-in chain announced its plans to open two new locations in the Peach State: one in Athens and one in Bethlehem. The news comes just weeks after The Varsity shuttered its iconic West Broad Street location in Athens. “We are incredibly grateful for the many years of support from our customers in Athens and are excited to break ground soon at our new locations in Athens and Bethlehem, Ga....

Every Christmas, we celebrate by decking the halls, decorating a gingerbread house, playing in the snow, drinking a cup of hot cocoa, and singing a Christmas carol (or two). Step inside a shopping mall, church, or occasionally your front doorstep during the holiday season and hear the joyous sounds of Christmas music permeating the air. You’re bound to listen to the joyful sounds generating cheerful, festive feelings wherever you are. While you may know songs such as “Silent Night,” “Joy to the World,” “Away in a Manger,” and “Do You Hear What I Hear?...

Like so many other activities halted amid the coronavirus pandemic, going to the movies feels like a relic of the past. More than three months into social distancing, drive-in movie theaters are seeing a surge in popularity, and it’s easy to see why. Drive-ins allow you to get out of the house and stay safe while enjoying a movie. Better yet, you don’t have to spend a fortune on snacks and soda....

Southerners treat family traditions much like our family heirlooms. Once they’re in the family, they’re in it for the long haul. That is, we hold onto them tighter than a tutu on a piglet and make sure to pass them down to the younger generations…lest they forget where—and who—they came from. Not only do they keep us all connected by a common familial thread, but they help create memories worthy of sticking in the “Happiness Jar....