Traditional, Southern black-eyed peas It doesn’t get more traditional than Southern black-eyed peas. It is said that eating black-eyed peas on New Year’s will bring wealth and prosperity. A good-luck dish! Well, whether that’s true or not, one thing is for sure, they are downright delicious. Cooked with smoky salty pancetta and garlic, your guests will rave about this flavorful and classic Southern dish. Ancho chili flakes and jalapeños give a kick of heat to ramp the dish up a notch....

So, yeah, consider us sold on the whole concept. And in case you need a little extra inspo, we’ve rounded up 14 temporary wallpapers sure to put a smile on your face (for however long you decide to keep ‘em up). Mermaid print This whimsical Hygge & West mermaid print would be pure magic in a powder room for the young or the young at heart. Miley floral pattern Between the dreamy color palette and the bold romance of its floral print, this “Miley” print paper by Bungalow Rose would make anyone swoon....

For an extra festive touch, make an easy cranberry-orange mulled wine in the Crock Pot to fill your home with the scents of the season, and your warm the bellies of family and friends. Try this tasty Thanksgiving Mediterranean dinner menu: A Mediterranean-Inspired Thanksgiving Feast Pickled fig, robiola and pistachio oil crostini Orange herb roasted turkey breast Mediterranean chickpea salad with lemon vinaigrette Sweet squash with walnuts Citrus salad with fried rosemary and olives Crock Pot cranberry-orange mulled wine Pumpkin flan...

But just like with salsa, different brands and blends are not all created equal — not by a long shot. Whether the hot sauce is red or green, the ingredient lists are usually very similar — chili peppers, vinegar, spices. It’s the specific proportions of each and the kind of peppers used that make all the difference. So what’s the best hot sauce? The spiciest? That’s where things get tricky....

If you or your friends can confidently pull off a fanny pack or even one of those chest-front belt bag things, why can’t men rock a murse? After all, they have phones, wallets, maybe even some ChapSticks, and no one wants to walk around with a pocket full of, well, everything. The men you know might not want to wear a fanny pack, but that doesn’t mean that a stylish murse isn’t the perfect gift....

Easter treats then and now Until around 1980, most sweet Easter treats were less than spectacular. The big players were old-fashioned jelly beans (which came in gag-me flavors like clove, spearmint and black licorice), waxy chocolate formed into hollow bunnies and foil-covered eggs, and, in some areas, the original yellow Peeps. Although you can still get those chocolate rabbits and odd-flavored jelly beans (check the dollar-store aisles), you can do a whole lot better with treats that don’t just look festive but also taste ridiculously good....

Here is a list of fun things to do locally no matter your age or location! And while most of these activities aren’t free, they’ll cost you a lot less money than flight and hotel expenses. Enjoy many “happy hours” Photo courtesy of Owen Young Do some research on Yelp and make a list of restaurants or pubs that have awesome happy hours. You could easily enjoy a drink and an appetizer for about $10 if you choose wisely....

Sweet Guinness dipping sauce Skip the big St. Patrick’s Day meal and go straight for this sweet Guinness dipping sauce paired with your favorite Irish soda bread. A ridiculously easy yet succulently impressive recipe from Catherine Clark at Bijoux & Bits, this must-make condiment is an intensely flavored sweetened Guinness reduction. Making a reduction sounds so fancy and complicated, but it is one of the easiest cooking techniques to have in your arsenal....

1. Chocolate cheesecake Santa hats Santa is the hands-down hero of Christmas for children everywhere and one of our favorite movie stars. One of our favorite Christmas movies is Miracle on 34th Street, a timeless classic about a girl who meets the real Santa at Macy’s one Christmas and a mother who has lost her belief. We love the little girl’s wide-eyed wonder, and we sympathize with the skeptical mom as unbelief becomes belief and eventually relationships are restored and rekindled....

Before you start to worry you will miss something important, check out the tips below. With just a few simple touches, you can turn your house into your guest’s home. The guest room Your guests will have a designated sleeping space, whether it’s an actual guest room or an air mattress in the living room. Here are a few tips to welcome them to their room. Clean bedding. This may go without saying, but it’s imperative that you freshly launder the bedding before your guest’s arrival — even if it’s a guest bed nobody has touched for a year....

In debunking some of these myths, hopefully we can prove recycling is easy and no more work than you’re already putting into your trash. In addition to reducing the amount of waste sent to landfills, recycling boasts myriad benefits: It conserves natural resources, saves energy, helps create jobs in the recycling and manufacturing industries, and ore. Let’s get to it then, right? Here are a few common myths about recycling, and what you can do now that you know they’re bogus....

I tried six different pantry items in my beauty routine. Yes, some of the items were weird, and no, the experience didn’t always turn out well. However, a few surprising winners might be worth adding to your own skin care routine. 1. Cornstarch I’m from the South. Not only is it 90 degrees in June, but it’s also 90 degrees in October. Not to be crass, but that means people sweat a lot....

Cicely Rocha-Miller loves creating a fun Thanksgiving table. It’s the time of year, she says, when the tablescape can be over the top. “Nothing is like Thanksgiving dinner,” says Rocha-Miller, a Phoenix, Arizona event planner who owns Life Design Event Planning. “Christmas is about the presents and the tree, but Thanksgiving is all about the dinner.” Rhonda Rush is equally enthusiastic about all the creative ways to put together a gorgeous holiday table that feels both welcoming and festive....

1. First, the picture above! To make the adorable leaf craft above, simply get some safety scissors, pick some leaves from the yard and carefully cut out the letters of any words or phrases you’d like to write! Some ideas are “grateful,” “give thanks,” “gobble,” or anything else that comes to mind! 2. The Leaf Turkey This fun Thanksgiving activity, leaf turkeys from Crafty Morning, is so easy that even the youngest kids can take part in!...

I was thrust into the world of recovery, where I learned that the first word in AA stood for “alcohol” and the second, “anonymous” — and people took anonymity very seriously for a variety of reasons, one of them being that alcoholics had a very negative stigma attached to them. Being an alcoholic was sort of like having a scarlet letter plastered across your chest. Simply holding the title could lose you friends, negatively impact your career and make you look like damaged goods....

Love apple pie but don’t want to labor over a crust or wait for the filling to bake to perfection? This apple pie yogurt parfait with cranberries, inspired by Jessica Gavin, delivers instant gratification with bite after bite of tender spiced apples, creamy Greek yogurt, and the coveted crunch of homemade cranberry almond granola. What exactly is a parfait? Originating in France, a parfait (which means “perfect” in French) is a cold dessert made from sugar, egg, and cream....

Inspired by classic carrot cake with mounds of smooth cream cheese frosting, these carrot cake cupcakes are sure to delight. The addition of crushed pineapple and Greek yogurt keep this cake extra moist and give it an added depth of flavor. But the best part is…no raisins! La Creme de la Crumb knows where it’s at, because some people think that raisins don’t belong in cakes (or cookies either!). Watch how to make these delightful cupcakes above or get the full recipe on La Creme de la Crumb »

Thirsting for a sublime holiday cocktail to serve your family and friends before Christmas dinner? Our amaretto-cranberry kiss, inspired by James & Everett, is a festive holiday drink that will have your thirsty guests sipping and celebrating. Amaretto is a luscious and sweet Italian liqueur that exudes a distinctly divine almond flavor. Made from almonds or apricot pits, it can be served by itself (try it on the rocks!) or used to craft lip-smacking good cocktails....

Here are 10 Easter leftover recipes to help you repurpose your Easter leftovers into delicious new dishes. Leftover Easter candy cookies Why eat leftover Easter candy straight from the bag when you can use it to make these adorable leftover Easter candy cookies? Light, soft and buttery, these spring-themed treats showcase pastel M&M’s and chocolate Easter eggs, which are even more irresistible in cookie form. Rally your kiddos to get in the kitchen to help you make these easy treats....