Amy Barnes

The history of Labor Day began to with the celebration of a day off from work for employees. Through the years, it has also become a day that celebrates family and the end of summer. Staying cool with a grill-friendly menu keeps families and friends together without heating up the house (or laboring in the kitchen.) Enjoy a full Labor Day menu with everything from patriotic burgers to all-American apple pie for your three-day weekend!
Set a lovely Labor Day table with a prep-ahead layered sal...

TikTok isn't just for lip-syncing or dance videos. It's also a great place to find fun and interactive recipes from a wide variety of creators.
For example, making a morning smoothie or lunch smoothie bowl has never been easier. Just head to TikTok and find a smoothie recipe with your favorite fruits, veggies, base, and toppings.
TikTok can make introducing fruits and veggies to kids is even easier, too. A smoothie or smoothie bowl can be the vehicle — all made more fun with TikTok videos and...

Aldi is one of my favorite stores to shop for well-priced groceries. During the summer, I can find everything from ice cream to hamburger patties in the freezers, all for less. So if you're skipping the freezer aisles for produce and canned goods, take a turn at the chiller and stock up on some of these new treats and eats.
July newcomer products to the frozen case (available on July 7) include Sundae Shoppers Protein Ice Cream Bars in Assorted Varieties.

Served up warm from the oven, this nostalgic cake makes its own pudding-like sauce to warm souls and bellies, just like grandma intended.
My grandmother always burned the biscuits. Even canned ones. Money was tight, so burned biscuits it was. It just wasn't a holiday meal without slightly blackened biscuits and ham studded with pineapples and cloves. We always managed to struggle through the burnt bits because there was something special waiting on the other side: pudding cake.

I’m six months pregnant with my first child in the fall of 2001. I’m wearing a yellow shirt against the advice of a Color Me Beautiful seminar in an attempt to find sunshine and hope. I have hyperemesis gravidarum and complications that keep me on my knees in front of the toilet and on bed rest restrictions most of my pregnancy. It feels like I need that yellow maternity shirt.
I remember that sunny yellow shirt two decades later.
I also remember that day: September 11th.
I’m sitting in my ro...

Punt these football brownies into the tailgate, and it's a guaranteed score with all the guests.
Prepare to win the next tailgate with these chocolate brownies. Not only are these bite-sized treats delicious, but their fun football shapes are almost too cute to eat.
Before you begin, keep in mind that these are not a last-minute project—so plan ahead (and around) kickoff time. Once they come out of the oven, you'll want to set them aside to ensure the brownies have time to completely cool.

A few pantry staples and a pound of ground beef simmer away for this classic slow-cooker taco soup.
Whether it’s Taco Tuesday or an ordinary Friday, this slow-cooker taco soup recipe is a great meal option. Filling and warm, it's also simple to prepare.
To make it, ground beef simmers away with taco seasoning, three types of beans, canned tomatoes, corn, and dry ranch seasoning for a hearty and flavorful soup the whole family will love. Serve with an assortment of toppings.

The winter holidays are a time for gift-giving and celebrations. Southern hospitality is at its best with homemade goodies and personalized gifts. While you’re buying for friends and family, you might wonder about giving or exchanging gifts at work.
To keep workplace gift-giving easier and clearer, we’ve taken a look at some things to check on and questions to ask before making purchases. Gift-giving at work during the holidays doesn’t have to become expensive or stressful.

It’s summertime and the living is easy because of a … tablecloth?

During the height of the pandemic, my family did a lot of hiking and outdoor picnics. The outdoor tables were often dirty, sticky, muddy, or covered in food. We tried using blankets to sit on or wipes to clear off the tables and benches. The fabric didn’t work well and wipes couldn’t handle big outdoor messes. We would just end up with a dirty blanket to wash once we got home.

Take a dip into this glorious stuffed sandwich this summer!

Use this method to keep your kitchen stocked.
Have you taken the last can of soup out of the pantry and dreaded another shopping trip? A solution to that experience can be creating a "back stock" of items you frequently use, beyond your regular pantry or cabinets. During the pandemic, I've created a back stock of things my family consistently eats and I plan on continuing that method going forward. By taking a look at what you use most from your pantry, you can create a back stock of those ne...

Here's why Southerners are sweet on sugar-sprinkled tomatoes.
My grandmother put salt on grapefruit and sugar on tomatoes. She always told me the slices just tasted better that way. As a child, it seemed like a weird approach to me, but it actually served a purpose: It balances the natural acidity found in those foods.
My grandmother certainly wasn't alone in her tomato-topping ways. Sugar on tomato slices is often a Southern summer staple. Sugar is also commonly used in many Southern tomato ...

Today’s kids are online and on their phones day and night. Because of this, they’re potentially exposed to a wide range of age-inappropriate and dangerous materials. They can also spend too much time online overall. How can you protect your kids and guide them toward a more balanced online experience? You may be considering a parental control app to monitor their usage, online exposure, and location, but choosing the right parental control app can feel overwhelming–you want to track your kids...

Whether you're looking to save money, plan ahead, stock up, or support your local farmers' market, a side of beef is a great option for people looking to buy in bulk, save money, and stock up. But before you buy, it's important to understand what a side of beef is and what cuts you can expect with your order.
What Cuts Come in a Side of Beef?
A side of beef is exactly what it sounds like: the meat cuts from one side of a cow. (The main cuts are called "primal" cuts.) You can purchase the meat...