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In his (very long) novel, Remembrance of Things Past, Marcel Proust wrote of a man who took one small bite of a madeleine dipped in tea and was immediately transported on a journey through a memory. While it has become known as a “Proustian moment,” that tight bond between taste and memory wasn’t a creation of Proust’s imagination. There’s a proven link between taste buds and memories. Some scientists seem to think that the link between food and memory originally came about as a human survival tactic known as conditioned taste aversion....

Summer is filled with delicious in-season produce like strawberries, tomatoes, and peaches, but watermelon may take the cake for the ultimate summertime staple. The refreshing, sweet, and juicy fruit is satisfying on its own, but incorporating watermelon in margaritas, salads, and sorbet is essential, too. The one drawback of watermelon? Cutting its large, stubborn rind and then slicing or cubing the fruit can be challenging. Luckily, we found a two-in-one tool that can cube watermelon in seconds....

Cooking is a bona fide regional pastime in the South. Its traditions—from crisp fried chicken to blue-ribbon pie crusts, tangy collard greens, and just-right pitchers of sweet tea—are preserved in home kitchens, where they’re reverently passed down from one generation to the next. Food is our cultural through line, and we rely on it to mark life’s major milestones—births, deaths, weddings, baptisms, graduations, and twelve full months of holidays—as well as lift up everyday occasions like weeknight family meals, and so, our culinary educations begin early....

What would you picture if I asked you to close your eyes and imagine a cottage? Would it be a cozy wood-sided house in a beach town, a quaint thatched-roof home in the English countryside, or maybe a Tudor-style house straight out of a fairytale? As it turns out, none of those images is technically wrong, even though those houses are quite different. The word “cottage” has been around for a long time, and thanks to its usage by different cultures and communities, it’s come to describe a category of house, not one specific architectural style....

A hunk, a hunk of burning admiration. It’s safe to say that’s how country star Tim McGraw feels about the King of Rock and Roll, Elvis Presley. “I’m often asked who I would like to hang out with with living or passed… and there’s no question… The King,” McGraw wrote yesterday accompanying an Instagram post depicting a black-and-white photo of Elvis. “We lost him 43 years ago today… man he was cool,” concluded McGraw, recognizing the 43rd anniversary of Presley’s death on August 16th, 1977....

In case you haven’t heard, sea shanties are having a bit of a moment. The traditional folk songs have captivated mainstream audiences for the first time in generations thanks to TikTok, a Scottish postal worker named Nathan Evans, and now, the United States Navy Band. The craze started when Evans shared his rendition of an old whaling song, “Soon May the Wellerman Come,” to the video-sharing app in late December. Other people soon joined in, adding vocals and instruments to the track with TikTok’s duet feature....

My family isn’t one with a million holiday traditions. We don’t eat the exact same menu every Easter. We swap who hosts on Thanksgiving, and which Christmas mass we attend changes with our schedules. Sure, traditions are an amazing way to bond and create family memories. Still, too many traditions can make them seem less special and lead to burnout, or worse, resentment (Does anyone really want to wear those family Christmas pajamas past a certain age?...

Pumpkin pie is to Thanksgiving what cake is to a birthday party: people expect it. Many bakers make the same pumpkin pie recipe year after year. Others keep an eye out for trends, and are willing to take a new idea for a spin. This year’s tweak on classic pumpkin pie is buttermilk. Whether making the filling, crust, and/or whipped cream topping, buttermilk can play a starring role in perking up this year’s pumpkin pie....

Few trees have the attention-grabbing impact of a large crepe myrtle. In summer, their massive displays of color can arch walkways or provide cooling shade. Fall transforms the display into warm tones with orange, red, or yellow leaves. Winter brings stately trunks with elegant peeling bark that reveal rich shades of tan, cinnamon, or chocolate brown beneath. But for the best impact, it’s important to work with a variety that best fits your space....

The tables are about to turn on Judy Blume. After decades spent crafting tales of girlhood and adolescence, the best-selling author is about to become the subject of a story about her own life. Davina Pardo and Leah Wolchok—the team behind the Emmy-winning 2016 documentary Very Semi-Serious—have signed on to direct and produce the film with Sara Bernstein, Justin Wilkes, and Marcella Steingart. Brian Grazer and Ron Howard will serve as executive producers....

We’ve all had those nights where blow-drying our hair before bed feels like too much effort, but is it okay to go to bed with wet hair? Can air-drying your hair in certain situations do more harm than good? We contacted Brittany Johnson, a licensed cosmetologist and Senior Content Manager at Mayvenn, to learn her recommendation for balancing air-drying versus blow-drying. Balance Is Best Typically, we think of heat tools causing lasting damage....

Bold colors are having a moment under the bright yellow sun right about now. Wayfair’s spring renovation trends for 2021 has named “bold and bright” colors as one of the hottest crazes of the moment — and we’re totally on board. The eye-catching displays of color are making waves all over the home, from the kitchen to home offices, and in light of an incredibly dreary and dark year amid the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, we hope this interior decorating trend gives people a little daily dose of positivity throughout their living spaces....

Valentine’s Day has always been one of my favorite holidays—not because I’ve consistently had romantic partners to share it with, but because my mom always made the day feel special when I was growing up. It wasn’t about getting treats and words of affection from boys at school. It was about waking up in the morning to a few goodies on the kitchen table and my mom making a big breakfast for my sister and me, one that usually included homemade waffles....

About Erin & Ben Napier Erin and Ben Napier return for another episode of Biscuits & Jam. The couple have helped renovate dozens of properties on their hit show, HGTV’s Home Town, but now they’ve fixed up a place of their own. Today on the show, the Napiers talk about how they fell in love with a 1930s brick Tudor with a curious past, why they love life on a former chicken farm, and what they changed to make it feel like home....

To visit Gatlinburg, Tennessee, is to fall in love with the Smoky Mountains town. Need an excuse to plan (another?) vacation there? How about this: 2020 marks the 75th anniversary of Gatlinburg’s incorporation in 1945, and several to-be-announced events are in the pipeline. “For over seven decades, Gatlinburg’s heritage has charmed visitors from all corners of the world,” Marci Claude, PR Manager of the Gatlinburg CVB, shared with Southern Living. “The 75th anniversary serves as a chance to look back on where we have come from to where we are headed, and we’re excited to commemorate this wonderful milestone for our city....

There are a number of reasons to opt for semi-permanent hair dye instead of the permanent variety. The real clincher for me was the fact that it was less harsh on my strands, which was increasingly important as I noticed they were beginning to show their age. I wanted softer, silkier hair and knew a big factor in getting there would be laying off the heavy-duty lighteners. Even if your hair is as a brand-new penny, you might also opt for semi-permanent hair color if you’re dipping your toe into the hair-coloring pool for the first time....

Chicken marinades are one of the easiest ways to impart loads of flavor into an everyday protein. But if you’re not well-versed in working with meat and marinades, some steps of the process may be intimidating. How long should chicken be left to marinate? Is there a minimum time in which you’ll see results? Or is there such a thing as over-marinating? We’ll answer these questions and more below in this guide to marinade timing....

Turkey often gets a bad rap for being dry and tasteless, but that is usually because it hasn’t been cooked correctly. Since it is a relatively lean bird, turkey doesn’t have a lot of fat to help keep the meat from becoming dry and tough, which is why your preparation method is so important. Brine your turkey in a saltwater mixture (you can use a plain salt and sugar mixture or add aromatics), and you will coax flavor from and add moisture to a reluctant turkey....

Fresh corn is one of our favorite vegetables to eat during the summer months. When preparing main dish summer salads, you can cut kernels straight off the cob and toss together with other vegetables or you can grill ears of corn outside to serve along with your burgers and ribs. You can even make creamy summer desserts with this sweet vegetable. If done properly, you can boil fresh corn for a quick and easy side dish, just watch your time and don’t boil all the goodness out....

All due respect to anyone who is trying to give up carbs, but there is nothing like freshly baked bread. If you have the time and inclination to bake some sorghum-oat bread or a crusty, country loaf it is nearly impossible not to dive in right when you pull it out of the oven. But when you do slice into that still-warm potato loaf or cheddar-chive beer bread, what do you do with the end piece?...