Posts

There are several good reasons to grow fruit yourself. First, store-bought fruits are often picked, shipped, and sold before they fully ripen. Second, stores generally stock selections that look the prettiest but are not necessarily the best tasting. Finally, some fruits, such as blueberries and figs, make outstanding ornamental plants. Apples Given plenty of sun, apple trees grow in almost any well-drained soil. You can buy three different sizes: standard (matures at 20 to 25 feet tall and wide), semi-dwarf (10 to 20 feet), and dwarf (five to eight feet)....

Fans of Gilmore Girls know the only thing more iconic than Lorelai and Rory’s fast-talking banter and heartwarming relationship was their incredible appetites. Over seven seasons (and one Year in the Life miniseries), we got to know Stars Hollow and its colorful characters often through the food they shared with our favorite mother-daughter duo. When Lorelai and Rory weren’t downing Pop-Tarts, Red Vines, and donuts at home, they were fueling up at Al’s Pancake World, begging for one more cup of coffee at Luke’s Diner, or trolling Sookie’s kitchen at the Dragonfly Inn for scraps....

What’s a Southern woman without her signature scent? Whether it’s a spritz of Chanel No. 5, Joy by Jean Patou, or another iconic fragrance, perfume is one of the ultimate Southern accessories. It can also be one of a woman’s most identifying characteristics; one whiff of a classic like Guerlain Shalimar Perfume can evoke fond childhood memories of watching our mothers or grandmothers get ready and share a spritz or two with us....

You may have pats on the head, belly rubs, and nutritious treats well in hand when it comes to keeping your dog happy and healthy, but what about exercise? How much exercise does your dog really need every day? “Exercise requirements in adult dogs can vary based on your dog’s breed and if they have underlying conditions,” says Dr. Carly Fox, staff veterinarian at NYC’s Animal Medical Center. For example, a five-year-old border collie requires much more exercise than a five-year-old French bulldog....

If you can boil a white potato, you can boil a sweet potato. The process is exactly the same: 1. Peel and cut Peel the skin from the sweet potato and cut it into similarly sized chunks or cubes. This ensures they will cook evenly, with no tough spots. 2. Place in water Place the potato pieces in a stockpot and cover the potatoes with water by a few inches. Add a generous pinch of salt....

Fun in the summer sun can take a toll on color-treated locks. Sweltering days call for cooling off in the pool, but harsh chlorine can do some serious damage to your hair’s health and color. Monthly trips to the salon for color touchups can be expensive, and you don’t want anything harming your hair once you’ve found the perfect shade. But don’t miss out on pool days because you’re afraid of messing up your treated tresses....

So you just picked up a carton of eggnog at the grocery store, and you’re wondering how you can booze it up holiday style. Of course you want to add the right alcohol in a way that will pair properly with the flavor and texture of the ’nog itself. How to make an effortlessly boozy homemade eggnog cocktail is not an easy question, but these four tips are just festive enough to put you on the right path to holiday cheer....

When I walked in this house, it made me feel like I was at my granny’s," says designer Meg Kelly. Her East Nashville ranch-style home had only one previous owner, and the interiors hadn’t been redone since it was built in 1963. Outdated features like dark wood paneling and a compact, closed-off floor plan would have scared away many prospective buyers. (“There were doors everywhere!” she says.) But thanks to her professional background in roll-up-your-sleeves renovations, she saw endless potential....

Congratulations are in order for Scotty McCreery and his wife Gabi. The country crooner and his longtime love are expecting their first baby! Scotty confirmed the exciting news with People on Tuesday. “We got a little man on the way,” he told the publication. The couple tied the knot in June 2018, but have been together since high school. They even went to prom together. “We always knew we wanted kids, but we always knew we wanted the first few years to travel and have time on the road, to see things and experience life,” Scotty, 28, told People....

Leslie Adindu was 18 years old when he immigrated to Fort Worth, Texas, from Nigeria with his father last year. The 6-foot-1, 190-pound junior quickly caught the eye of Charles Perry, a football coach at Arlington Heights High School. Adindu had never played a football in his life. In fact, he was more interested in playing soccer. But after some convincing, he joined the defensive line on the junior varsity football team....

Much to the chagrin of sun-worshippers, Florida’s vacant beaches turned out to be paradise for nesting sea turtles. Approximately 90% of sea turtle nesting in the United States happens on Florida’s beaches. With the state’s beaches closed for a period in an effort to stop the spread of coronavirus, researchers say that sea turtles may have been able to build with less disruptions—good news for the threatened creatures. Back in April, David Godfrey, Executive Director for the Sea Turtle Conservancy, told CNN that less garbage, fewer people, and less disorientation caused by artificial lights for hatchlings bode well for this year’s nesting season....

One of the most beautiful garden roses gets its name from a silver screen queen. Rosa ‘Marilyn Monroe’ appeared on the garden scene in 2002. It’s a hybrid tea rose cultivar developed by crossing the roses ‘Sunset Celebration,’ a deep peach bloom also known as ‘Warm Wishes,’ and ‘St. Patrick,’ a lemon-yellow flower that blooms throughout the year. The flower, which produces pale apricot blooms and glossy, deep green leaves, is a showy garden planting....

There will always be a degree of reverence surrounding the old-fashioned way of doing things, especially among the proud people of the South. If it ain’t broke… right? But just because your grandmother did something one way, doesn’t necessarily mean it’s the best way. Older generations can be skeptical of modern technology. We get it. But when it comes to washing dishes, science has proven that running the dishwasher is superior to hand-washing in more ways than one....

Florida beaches. Florida lakes. Florida hiking trails. Florida snow tubing. Which one doesn’t belong? Actually, all of the above do, as Florida is getting its first and only alpine snow park, Snowcat Ridge, scheduled to open this coming November. Located in Dade City, Florida—about 45 minutes Northeast of Tampa—the park will have a 60-foot-tall and 400-foot-long snow tubing hill, an Alpine Village, and a 10,000-square-foot snow play dome. In the dome, guests will have the chance to build snowmen and snow castles with real snow, and tiny tourists can enjoy tubing down the miniature hill....

It’s time to stray from your coastal comfort zone and push into the heart of Florida until you reach a small town flanked by lakes and seemingly frozen in time. Less than an hour from Orlando, Mount Dora, settled in the late 1800s, is anything but commercial. The historic downtown is lined with old-fashioned facades that play host to specialty stores to explore for Christmas wares (don’t miss St. Nick’s Holiday Shop, which has fun decor for all holidays with an emphasis on Christmas), and antique dives to dig for vintage finds....

Southern women know when it’s time to make the chop. With our super pixies, sassy crops, and classic bobs, we’re keenly aware that good things often come in above-shoulder packages. However, Southern women also aren’t afraid to embrace a little change—when it’s worth it. And, boy, have we found the medium-length haircut that’ll make you want to start doubling up the biotin supplements. Let your locks venture below the shoulders with this layered, textured, medium-length cut....

The History of Juneteenth Juneteenth, also known as “Emancipation Day” or “Freedom Day,” is the oldest nationally celebrated commemoration of ending slavery in the United States; however, it was not a national holiday. Not until Opal Lee made it her mission. The formidable 95-year-old who goes by the moniker Ms. Opal believed Juneteenth (June 19) should be a federal holiday celebrated with all the pomp and circumstance of the Fourth of July because, as she reminds everyone, “We weren’t free in 1776!...

If you’ve thrown frozen chicken into a slow cooker, Instant Pot, or Crock-Pot you’re not alone. Plenty of timesaving recipes on the Internet call for frozen poultry. Though skipping the drawn-out thawing process makes life a whole lot easier for busy home cooks, it’s not necessarily safe. Despite claims from manufacturers that this common practice poses zero health risks, the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) has issued guidelines warning against cooking frozen chicken in slow cookers....

If you thought these knocking off these 13 essential Barefoot Contessa recipes everyone should master from your culinary to-do list was impressive, imagine someone who’s whipped up 1,028 Ina Garten recipes and counting. Such is the case for Trent Pheifer, a New York-based Garten superfan who is on a mission to slice and sauté his way through all of her recipes. As we learned from a recent piece in Eater, Pheifer has been doing so since 2015 when he launched his “Store Bought Is Fine” project, which takes its namesake from one of Garten’s signature catchphrases....

Tomatoes might not be the only deliciously special produce to come into season during summertime, but they could definitely win the popularity vote. A bright, juicy, perfectly ripe tomato is hard to upstage, and Southerners love to dress it up any way that they can muster—baked into a tomato pie, layered into a tomato sandwich, stewed into tomato gravy (yes, it’s a thing), and thrown into an infinite number of salads....