Jocelyn Kerr

Food
Texas is no stranger to honoring sweet treats. The state already had an official pie (pecan, of course) and two state pastries (Sopaipilla and strudel) when it declared peach cobbler the official cobbler of Texas. Why peach? Believe it or not, the state grows about 20 million pounds of peaches each year. That doesn't come close to the state that grows the most peaches, California, but it's still a big crop in the Lone Star State.
The heart of Texas peach production is Gillespie County in...

Food Food History
Outside of Ohio, the Polish Boy is one of those regional hot dog styles people have probably never heard of. But on the streets of Cleveland, it has been an integral part of the food scene since the 1940s. With a kielbasa base and flavorful coleslaw topping, a Polish Boy can be eaten on the go as a hot dog or dressed up as an upscale sandwich. Just how good is a Polish Boy hot dog? For those in the know, it's consistently rated as one of the best in the world.
There are four...

Restaurants
When Idaho chef John Berryhill was voted one of the "Best Chefs of America" in 2013, he was already well known in Boise for his fine dining establishment, Berryhill Restaurant, and his regular appearances on local television. At the time, he had turned one of the restaurant's banquet rooms into BACON, a cafe-style eatery serving exclusively bacon-based meals that all bacon lovers need to know about. The fine dining restaurant eventually closed, but within ten years BACON was servi...

Food
The United States produces about 4.2 million gallons of maple syrup each year, and more than half of it comes from Vermont, according to Statista. In 2024, New York produced a respectable 846 thousand gallons of maple syrup, but Vermont dwarfed that volume with over two million gallons produced. The total U.S. production volume is less than half of Canada's 10.42 million gallons (per Statista), but it's still a significant amount of domestic syrup hitting the shelves.
The Vermont Maple S...

Food Food History
Back in 1864, Wilmington, Delaware was a growing city. That year, a new, three-story brick resort hotel was built to welcome visitors to what would become Trolley Square. Named Logan House after John A. Logan, one of the Union's most celebrated generals, the building was adjacent to the Wilmington City Horse Railway Terminal and anchored a busy hub for travelers to the area. Logan House was purchased by John D. "Whiskers" Kelly in 1889, and the Kelly family christened the bu...

Food World Cuisines

Walking through the bustling piazzas of Rome, visitors and locals often stop at one of the many restaurants serving pizza al taglio, or "pizza by the cut." Why by the cut? Unlike the round pizza styles typically found in pizzarias, pizza al taglio is baked in long sheet pans and cut with scissors into squares or rectangles for on-the-go eating. The dough is baked in electric ovens, giving it an airy interior and crispy exterior that holds up to piles of specialty meats and...

Restaurants Coffee Shops Starbucks

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Forget about Tiffany & Co. One of the most sought-after luxury gifts of 2014 was the Limited Edition Sterling Silver Starbucks Card. This mini gift card was small enough to fit on a key chain, priced at $200, and the initial online sale of 1,000 cards sold out in four hours. Another 43,000 or so silver cards were quickly snapped up in stores. The .925 silver keychain card came preloaded with $50, making it one of the...

Restaurants Fine Dining

At nearly any hour of the day, the Hot Spot gas station in Franklin, North Carolina is bustling with locals and road trippers. Many of them are there to fill up, but there's also a steady crowd at Caffé REL, the gas station's resident French restaurant (not to be confused with a brasserie). Gas station restaurants are nothing new, but in a world of fast-food dining, Caffé REL stands out for its inviting French atmosphere and top-rated cuisine. Founded by a Cordon Bleu-...

Doing right by the planet isn’t limited to making eco-friendly purchases during the holiday season. You can also use the holidays to level up your DIY gift-making game. Try creating memorable homemade gifts that keep waste out of landfills and support the production of sustainable organic materials. If you’re ready to get started, crack open the eggnog and turn up the holiday tunes – here’s how to DIY for the earth this season.

You can make everything from scented lotions and beard balm to bo...

When temperatures drop, skin can get dry, cracked and uncomfortably itchy. Whether you’re feeling the itch yourself or helping to ease the kids’ discomfort, there are planet-friendly ways to keep your skin nourished and moisturized. When winter skin issues get hard to handle, try these sustainable skin care tips to get relief.
If you like scented body wash and highly fragranced soaps, consider packing them away for the winter. The chemicals used in cosmetic fragrances can irritate dry skin an...

Do you know the second-largest energy expense in your home? Congratulations if you guessed it involves water. Heating your home’s water accounts for almost 20% of a typical utility bill. When you reduce your water consumption, you also reduce your need for hot water and the associated electricity costs. It’s also a lot better for the environment. Here are five tips to reduce water usage and save more energy while you’re at it.
1. Get a handle on drips and leaks.
Did you know just one drop of ...