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Bad news for allergy sufferers. New research suggests that allergy season is not only getting longer and more severe, but that the Southeastern states will see more pollen in the air than in any other U.S. region. Based on the results of a study published in the journal Nature Communications, scientists predict that the levels of pollen released into the air will increase significantly by later this century. And data shows over that that process has already begun....

In the noisy world of kitchen-related tips, tricks, and newfangled gadgets, there’s nobody’s opinion we trust more than Alton Brown’s—especially when it comes to coffee. After all, it was the Good Eats host who blew our minds with his simple trick for brewing the best coffee. “The first thing that I do when I struggle out of bed in the morning is make coffee,” Brown told Men’s Journal in a 2014 story about the kitchen tools he can’t live without....

The holidays are approaching, and if you’re in charge of cooking—or just want to check up on Mama’s food hygiene—you may have one question on your mind: Is it okay to thaw a turkey on the kitchen counter? The short answer is, not really. Of course, you can eat a turkey that has been thawed on a counter, and generations of us have grown up eating turkeys that sat out all night....

Ah, life was so much simpler in the days of the rotary phone. Nowadays, so many of us are tethered to our smartphones like an extension to our own arms. Below, five indicators you’re spending too much time on your phone. 1. You text or call someone in the next room. Let’s remember that two heels are better than a set of emojis. 2. You keep refreshing your email. Aimlessly scrolling to refresh your inbox isn’t going to make that note you’ve been waiting for come through any faster....

In the words of Bob Dylan, “the times they are a-changin’.” Despite evidence to the contrary, a new report from real-estate listing site Clever found that millennials are, in fact, buying homes—they’re just not doing it the way their parents did. First it was top sheets, and now they’re bidding adieu to real estate agents. According to the site’s second annual Home Buyer Survey, millennials are 20% less likely to use real-estate agents than boomers, and are twice as likely to find their space on social media....

At Southern Living, a beautifully designed kitchen is as common (and as important) as a durable Dutch oven or a mouth-watering biscuit recipe. (After all, a function-first space can look good, too.) Over the past few years, we’ve seen our fair share of kitchen design trends, running the gamut from colored cabinets to beautiful backsplashes. But, believe it or not, the latest phenomenon to hit the kitchen is actually invisible to the untrained design eye....

In the South, it’s well known that MoonPies were created at and are still made by the Chattanooga Bakery in Tennessee. If you’re in Mobile, Alabama, or any Mardi Gras party throughout the Deep South for that matter, you may associate the marshmallowy treat with the spring holiday. But the history of the MoonPie is much more storied. Humble Beginnings Chattanooga Bakery started as an offshoot of a flour mill the bakery owners had....

Habanero peppers may be cutely shaped and full of color, but don’t let looks fool you. They are also full of fire. On the Scoville scale, the method used to rate the heat of peppers, the habanero weighs in at 100,000 – 350,000 SHU (Scoville Heat Units), a whopping 12 to 100 times hotter than the more widely used jalapeño pepper. Don’t let the heat scare you off, though, because habaneros, when handled properly, can be flavorful and enjoyable in the right dishes, such as this Fiery Sweet Dipping Sauce, ideal for serving with both ribs and grilled chicken....

Among the many desserts Southerners will be baking this season, a golden, juicy apple pie is on everyone’s Top Ten list. If it is your turn to bake an apple pie and the thought of manipulating a lattice crust is keeping you up at night, go rogue and ditch that top crust. A single crust apple pie is amazing because it needs no embellishment to prove how gorgeous it is. Since they cook uncovered, the apples take on a roasted flavor, baking up soft and tender with a touch of crispiness on the edges....

Graduation is looking very different this year during the coronavirus crisis, but just because the ceremonies are moving to a virtual stage doesn’t mean we don’t want to recognize these incredible pupils. Now that you’ve told that special graduate in your life to tune into iHeartRadio’s graduation speeches podcast series (we’ll be all ears, too, for Tim McGraw’s address!) how about toasting their accomplishments with some sweet treats? This year, Krispy Kreme has created a special “Graduate Dozen,” a celebratory box of doughnuts that spells out their graduating year in three rows and includes Chocolate Iced with Sprinkles and Strawberry Iced with Sprinkles doughnuts, as well as several other beloved doughnuts—Chocolate Iced Kreme Filled, Strawberry Iced Kreme Filled, Cake Batter Filled, and Yellow Iced Original Glazed—with fitting numeral accoutrements for the occasion....

He might be a leading heartthrob in Hollywood, but Matthew McConaughey checks all the boxes of a laid-back Southern gent: a Texas-born mama’s boy and die-hard Longhorn fan with a signature syrupy drawl, penchant for whiskey, and love for his Lone Star community, which he shows in fun ways like crashing a virtual meeting of 900 Texas teachers. His charismatic spirit is enough to make anyone want to be his friend....

NASA mathematician Katherine Johnson, whose precise calculations helped Neil Armstrong walk on the moon, has died at the age of 101. Johnson, a native of White Sulphur Springs, West Virginia, was among a team of female, African American mathematicians working for NASA in the 1960s that inspired the Oscar-nominated movie Hidden Figures. She was played by actress Taraji P. Henson. One of the finest mathematical minds in the country, Johnson’s impeccable calculations helped plot the successful flight of Alan B....

The holiday season is officially upon us, and Netflix is giving us plenty of opportunities to snuggle up and enjoy some seasonal entertainment. While all the old favorites are still available, Netflix is supplementing the season with fresh new holiday content for audiences of all ages and tastes. From the return of Lindsay Lohan to the new season of The Great British Baking Show: Holidays, keep scrolling to find out more about the latest additions to the streamer’s holiday lineup....

You’ve probably heard that it’s too hot in the South to grow peonies. You’ve heard wrong. These prestigious perennials can thrive here, as long as you know how to care for them properly. Fortunately, you can lean on the Grump for instruction. As Shakespeare wrote, " ‘Tis a consummation devoutly to be wish’d." People love peonies because they bear huge, glorious flowers in spring and early summer that come in a wide range of colors and forms....

Overall, reviewers note that this particular pillow is made for those who like the balance between firm and soft that comes with choosing memory foam, with the extra perk of being a cooling pillow to stave off night sweats on the regular. The latter detail is popular purely due to the fact that a cold pillow surface is one of the simplest pleasures in life. One shopper—a self-dubbed “pillow snob”—reported that after testing tons of pillows, this is the only one she loves enough to cram into a suitcase for a work trip....

Like Delia Owens’ best-selling book, Reese Witherspoon’s movie adaptation of Where the Crawdads Sing manages to transport viewers to another world. The film is told via two storylines set in two different time periods. The first follows a misunderstood young girl named Kya (Daisy Edgar-Jones) as she comes of age in the marshes of coastal North Carolina. The second takes place in the same marsh several years later, after her unlikely romance with the town’s “golden boy” Chase (Harris Dickinson) ends with her going on trial for his murder....

Many places worldwide claim to have the best Christmas celebrations, but no holiday location is quite like McAdenville, North Carolina. Brought to the public’s attention in 1980, the Charles Kuralt Morning Show featured McAdenville and continues to be a popular place for visitors. Here are some unique events that help make this small town near Charlotte, North Carolina, an ideal place to visit (and live) during the holiday season. Christmas Town U....

When you’re reading through a recipe, we’ve all gotten used to seeing teaspoon abbreviated as “tsp” and pints are “pt.”, but have you ever wondered how the word pound was abbreviated as lb? It’s an odd choice, since they don’t have any letters in common. Or what about ounce shortened to “oz.” Where did that stray “z” come from? To find out it requires a trip through English language history. The word “pound” comes from ancient Roman when the unit of measure was libra pondo, which meant “a pound by weight....

Never in a million years did we dream that a face mask would be the year’s hottest accessory, but here we are, and as Southerners, we might as well add our own flair to this canvas for self-expression. And who better to capture our Southern spirit then the Smoky Mountain Songbird, Dolly Parton? As you wear a face mask to do your part to slow the spread of the coronavirus outbreak, it’s nice to know you’ll make people smile with a face mask design featuring the one-and-only Dolly Parton....

When you chat with the locals in the town of Williamsburg, Virginia, you’ll often hear the phrase “fall in love.” Meandering through its 18th-century epicenter, it’s easy to see why. Here, horse-drawn carriages clip-clop down cobbled streets lined with mature oaks; verdant fields are laid out like red carpets leading toward stately brick buildings; and white picket fences guard flurries of daffodils and flocks of sheep. But the small-town charm extends far beyond its many colonial treasures....