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Dannielynn Birkhead celebrated a major birthday milestone by debuting a new look that reflects her increasingly edgy style.

The 20-year-old daughter of late model Ana Nicole Smith marked her birthday on Monday, September 7, and her father, Larry Birkhead, shared new photos on Instagram showcasing two dramatically different hairstyles.

One photo showed Dannielynn with short, bright red hair and an oversized black Ghost T-shirt. Another captured her with platinum blond hair, an off-the-shoulder black velvet dress, fishnet tights, leg warmers, and oversized sunglasses.

Larry, 53, mixed the new portraits with childhood photos of Dannielynn in his birthday tribute. “Happy 20th Birthday, Dannielynn!” he wrote. “❤️ Love, Dad ❤️.”

The post quickly drew birthday messages, including one from Selma Blair. “Happy Birthday my beautiful friend!!!!🩷🎂. You are dear to me,” Blair wrote.

The birthday transformation continues a style evolution Dannielynn has been embracing throughout 2026. At the Kentucky Derby in May, she debuted shorter hair with bangs and blond-and-black coloring.

“Dannielynn is rocking a fresh cut and ‘goth-roc’ style with her @punkraveclothing dress,” Larry wrote at the time.

(Photo by Stephen J. Cohen/Getty Images)

He later told People that his daughter was “coming into her own” and knew exactly what she wanted from the makeover.

“She chopped it all off and put some wild colors in it,” he said. “I was kind of bracing myself at the hair salon. I guess she’s at the age to do what she wants to do.”

Dannielynn has also wondered what her mother might think of her increasingly adventurous style. In a May interview with Access Hollywood, she said Anna Nicole “might like” her look. “She was cool, and I’m cool, so,” Dannielynn said. Larry agreed, adding, “She would love it.”

Anna Nicole died in February 2007 from an accidental prescription drug overdose. She was 39, according to The New York Times.

Larry has remained outspoken when projects involving Anna Nicole’s life move forward without the family’s involvement. In July, he criticized the upcoming film Trust Me, I’m a Doctor, which focuses on Dr. Sandeep Kapoor, Anna Nicole’s former physician.

“We absolutely object to any of Anna Nicole’s, my life, my daughter’s life being used in a movie,” Larry told Entertainment Tonight, adding, “And being made characters out of someone [who] was a doctor that supposedly people were supposed to trust.”

For now, the focus is firmly on Dannielynn as she begins her twenties with a style that Larry has made clear is all her own.

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As fall approaches, it’s the perfect time to give your home a little seasonal refresh. You don’t have to completely redecorate to get your space in the autumn spirit, either. Small touches like a festive doormat can instantly make your entryway feel more inviting while still serving a practical purpose.

One great option is the Bleum Cade Fall Outdoor Welcome Doormat. Right now, it’s on sale for 41% off at Walmart, bringing the price down from $29 to just $17. That’s an easy way to add some autumn charm to your front door without spending much or taking on a major decorating project.

Courtesy of Walmart

The doormat is currently available in three fall-inspired designs, each with a unique, hand-painted feel. One shopper described the welcome mat as “too cute,” adding, “I loved the pattern and the vibrant colors.” Another reviewer shared, “It’s a very colorful and well-made autumn welcome mat.”

The maple leaf option features “Hello Fall” in cursive against a black background, framed by layered autumn leaves, sprigs, and berry clusters. The “’Tis the Season” design has a beige background scattered with maple leaves, along with illustrations of a football, pumpkin spice latte, and orange pumpkin. The watercolor pumpkin option features a neutral textured background with large pumpkins, botanical leaves, red berries, and another “Hello Fall” greeting. 

Beyond the seasonal designs, the mat is made to handle the everyday mess that comes with a busy entryway. Its felt-and-rubber construction helps trap dirt and dust from shoes while offering a textured surface that’s strong and durable. It’s also designed to resist wrinkling, so it can maintain a neat appearance even with regular use.

Related: Walmart’s Cushiony Foldable Floor Chair Is ‘Very Comfortable’ for Gaming, Reading, and Relaxing

A thick rubber backing helps keep the mat securely in place on tile, wood, and concrete floors. The non-slip base grips the surface to reduce unwanted movement, which can be especially useful in homes with kids, older adults, or pets. It’s also fade-resistant and helps trap mud before it gets tracked farther into the house.

Measuring 18 by 30 inches with a slim 0.25-inch profile, the mat is compact enough to work in a variety of entryways. Its low-profile design also makes it easier to open and close doors without the mat getting in the way. When it needs a refresh, you can vacuum it, rinse it, or brush away dirt, then hang it to dry.

• Scidweet 6-Pack of Fall Garland with Lights, $19 (was $36) at Walmart
• Taotanxi Fall Mini Crochet Pumpkin, $4 (was $10) at Walmart
• Chanana Vintage-Inspired Patchwork Ghost Halloween Decoration, From $5 at Walmart

For an easy way to bring some autumn spirit to your home without taking up much space, the Bleum Cade Fall Outdoor Welcome Doormat is a stylish and practical pick. And with Walmart’s current 41% discount, you can save $12 and bring home a festive fall accent for just $17.

Don’t miss future deals! Sign up for Parade Picks to receive our commerce team’s curated selection of discounts and sales, twice a week.

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Pretty much every piece of coffee equipment in my kitchen works overtime because we run on caffeine around here. And not just a polite little cup in the morning, either. We’re talking enough coffee to keep the whole operation moving. And, yes, I did just casually imply that I have more than one coffee appliance and gadget. I do. There’s a machine for this, a gadget for that and another thing I bought because, apparently, I believed my coffee routine needed even more stuff.

The funny thing is that each one does something a little different, which is exactly how the collection grows. But eventually, I start looking around my kitchen and thinking, Do I really need all of this? The dream, naturally, is one coffee machine that can do it all—brew the good stuff, handle whatever mood I’m in and maybe, if we’re really asking a lot, give me a latte without requiring a countertop takeover. So when a new coffee maker promises to bring a little order to my caffeine chaos, you better believe I’m paying attention.

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Braun

Braun’s new OptiBrew Pro is the machine that’s helping me break up with my extensive collection of coffee gadgets. It gives you seven brew sizes, from a single 8-ounce cup to a full 12-cup carafe, and it doesn’t stop at standard hot coffee. You can also make coffee over ice, cold brew and a concentrated coffee shot, all with ground coffee and no pods required. There’s also technology that automatically adjusts the brewing time and temperature to help you get the most flavor from every batch. Meanwhile, the cold-brew setting skips the whole overnight wait.

Related: Le Creuset Is Celebrating 60 Years of This Iconic Fandom With a ‘Bold’ New Collection

I’ve been using the OptiBrew Pro for over a week now, and I love how easy it was to set up, as well as how compact it looks despite brewing a full pot of coffee. And that integrated milk frother? Chef’s kiss.

While I know people love the ease of their favorite coffee pods, I don’t like having to commit to those, so the fact that this machine is pod-free is perfect for me. It’s everything I love about a classic coffee maker, but supercharged with the bells and whistles that let me craft the hot or cold drink I’m craving in the moment.

Related: Costco’s 5-Piece Stoneware Floral Baker Set Is Full of Farmhouse Charm

If you watched Kim Possible on Disney Channel in the 2000s, you probably remember exactly where you were when Kim, Ron, Rufus and the rest of Team Possible said goodbye. On Sept. 7, 2007, the beloved Disney Channel animated series aired its series finale, “Graduation,” bringing four seasons of world-saving adventures, high school drama and plenty of Dr. Drakken chaos to an end. At the time, it was simply the end of a favorite show. Looking back 19 years later, though, the finale feels like something bigger: a goodbye to a little piece of childhood.

19 years ago today, ‘Kim Possible’ ended on Disney Channel. pic.twitter.com/w4mEYSeWzq

The Disney Channel series followed Kim Possible, a high school cheerleader who managed to balance high school and homework with saving the world, a lofty task she managed for four seasons before graduation. Kim Possible was more than an animated series; it was a way for viewers to see a reflection of their own lives as Ron Stoppable, his naked mole rat Rufus and tech genius Wade helped Kim navigate the ordinary problems of growing up—oh yeah, while saving the world.

The series ran for four seasons and 87 episodes, including two Disney Channel movies.

One of Disney Channel’s biggest hits, Kim Possible appealed to both boys and girls and became the network’s top-rated animated series among young audiences. The show was so popular that fans demanded it return for a fourth season after it initially appeared to be finished after three seasons.

That’s what made Kim Possible more than just another show. This wasn’t a show kids watched on occasion. For many viewers, Kim Possible was appointment television. We tuned in after school, knew the theme song by heart and could relate to Kim worrying about things like school dances and crushes while somehow dealing with the heavyweight problems of saving the world.

Watching from home, we may not have been secret superheroes, but we felt like we were navigating things that were equally as weighty.

We saw ourselves in Kim, and we aspired to have a crew as loyal as hers.

Related: 1998 Nintendo Classic Is Getting a Major Makeover 28 Years Later

The story was fully told and everyone ended up in the exact place and with whoever they needed to be. What more need be said #kimpossible #disneychannel #disneychannelthrowbacks

The series ended in 2007 with what many fans call a “perfect” ending. While many beloved long-running TV series struggle to stick the landing, Kim Possible gave fans something they don’t always get: a genuine sense of closure.

The title “Graduation” was fitting because Kim wasn’t just saying goodbye to high school. She was moving on to the next chapter of her life, surrounded by the people who had been there with her through every mission, villain and teenage crisis.

When Kim graduated, so did we.

Kim was always portrayed as a girl who could do anything. When the series ended, she showed us that we could handle anything, too—even if it meant moving on from the familiar to take on more of the world’s problems and our own, all with the help of trusted friends by our side.

That’s what makes watching the ending now feel so different. Back then, we were simply watching Kim graduate. Looking back nearly two decades later, many of us have graduated from our own childhoods, too.

And maybe that’s why Kim Possible still feels so special. It didn’t just give us a superhero to root for. It gave us a character who was growing up right alongside us—and when she was ready to move on, in a way, we were, too.

Related: Pulitzer Prize-Winning Novel About an Aging Punk Rocker Named Best Book Published Since 2010

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Netflix just refreshed its digital shelves for September, and there’s a particular flick that’s worth revisiting. Scarface, Brian De Palma’s 1983 gangster classic starring Al Pacino, boasts a 93% audience score on Rotten Tomatoes and a 77% from critics, and it also features one of the most iconic music moments ever put to celluloid.

Written by Pete Bellotte and legendary disco and synth pioneer Giorgio Moroder, who also produced, “Scarface (Push It to the Limit)” soundtracks an antihero’s rise to power as a cocaine kingpin, turning his accumulation of money, drugs, women, and power into an exhilarating music video that also quietly foreshadows his downfall.

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It’s Pacino, of course, in the driver’s seat as Tony Montana, a Cuban immigrant and ex-convict who arrives in Miami in May 1980 as part of the real-life Mariel boatlift. Coming from nothing, he’s driven by a fierce ambition to achieve what he believes is the American Dream, with Moroder’s synth-fueled tones serving as an active narrator that mirrors Tony’s psychological state.

According to Moroder, he composed two distinct musical approaches for De Palma’s film: upbeat, propulsive songs that capture Tony’s increasingly excessive lifestyle, and a darker theme focused on Tony himself.  

“I didn’t feel it was melancholy; it was more like doom,” Moroder explained to Montages Magazine. “It seems like a classical composition (hums theme), but unfortunately, I did not have a big orchestra because the budget was limited, and at the time I just did a lot of synthesizers. But that could have been great with a big Hans Zimmer-type orchestra!”

As Moroder crafted the theme for Tony, he knew it had to be as multilayered and complex as the character it evoked, and the actor behind the fiction. Pacino, already a big-time Hollywood star with The Godfather franchise in his repertoire, approached Tony with an aggressive, animalistic screen presence and needed a theme song to match.

“The theme for Tony had to reflect the character and the person, Al Pacino,” Moroder said in an interview published on the Scarface website. “It has to be a little dangerous, a little suspenseful, but a little deep, too. I think it reflects quite well that atmosphere in Miami and all the crime.”

De Palma, whose vision was to turn the story of a drug lord into a Shakespearean tragedy soaked in 1980s neon, was impressed by Moroder’s electronic sound after the composer scored Paul Schrader’s 1980 film, American Gigolo. The director recalled that Moroder’s approach drew on the disco and “coked-up” music flooding clubs at the time.

“It was perfect for the score,” he said.

Throughout the film, Moroder uses Tony’s theme, but changes it slightly to score the character, rather than the action. For example, when Tony kills, Moroder brings the theme back in a faster, more rhythmic form, but keeps it deliberately restrained because the violence on screen is already so intense.

“I didn’t want to make it too big because you already see them killing,” Moroder said. “It’s still Tony’s theme, but now very thin and small.”

The most iconic piece of music in the film, however, belongs to Tony’s rise-to-power montage. Performed by perfectly coiffed pop singer Paul Engemann, “Scarface (Push It to the Limit)” is a high-octane synth anthem that encapsulates Tony’s relentless mission to live on the edge. The version heard in the film is slightly longer than the standard single, while an extended version featuring a guitar solo was later released on a 12-inch single.

But the genius of Scarface‘s music isn’t simply that it sounds quintessentially ’80s; it’s that the score and songs work together to tell Tony’s entire story. Engemann’s propulsive jam sells the fantasy, while Moroder’s score signals the impending doom waiting at the other end.

Related: 1989 Robert Duvall Hit, With a 98% on Rotten Tomatoes, Ranked Among Best Miniseries of All Time

The fourth night of Live Shows for America’s Got Talent featured performances from the 11 artists hoping to be voted through by America to make the semifinals. Scheduled acts include singers Lara D, Travis Garland, and Jesse Joe, vocal duo Bird & Byron, parkour master Rubén Roldán, robot act Unitree, danger act Tyrone & Margo, impressionist Cameron Logsdon, comedian Cesar Dias, magicians Young & Strange, and novelty act Akira.

Three of them will make it through on America’s vote; seven of them will come to the end of their AGT journey as this season, and one lucky artist will receive the judge’s Golden Buzzer that puts them directly into the finale.

Simon Cowell is still absent from the judges desk as he recovers from his back surgery, and tonight, his chair will be filled by fan-favorite judge Heidi Klum, joining Howie Mandel, Mel B and Sofia Vergara.

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Related: Dancing with the Stars’ Singer Travis Garland Explains Why He’s Stepping Out of the Background for ‘AGT’ (Exclusive)

Here’s our spoiler-filled recap of who went home on America’s Got Talent Season 21 in 2026 tonight with more to come.

In honor of tomorrow night’s NFL season kickoff on NBC, America’s Got Talent put together a highlight reel of host Terry Crew’s football career and his AGT career.

Then entertainment was provided by country artist Warren Zeiders, who performed the new single “Overrated” off his upcoming album No Breaks, which drops Sept. 25.

Next was a performance by mentalist Oz Pearlman, who got his start on AGT, finishing in third place on Season 10 in 2015.

Before the results of America’s vote was revealed, Terry reminded viewers of the four Golden Buzzers who were headed straight for the finale: South Korean magic and dance group Hundred Fingers, rock musician/guitarist Nene Royal, singer Lai Noelle, and tonight’s winner human-robot dance troupe Unitree.

After a commercial break, it was time for the reveal of the Top 5 acts of the night as voted by America. Terry first called to the stage Young & Strange and Cameron Longsdon. Moving on were Young & Strange.

Second to get their results were Cesar Dias and Tyrone & Margo. The act taking the next spot in the Top 5 was Cesar Dias.

The third group of acts called to the stage were Bird & Byron and Akira. Moving into the Top 5 were Bird & Byron.

Fourth, Terry gave results to Jesse Joe vs Lara D with Lara D the victor.

The final match up was between Rubén Roldán and Travis Garland. Getting the last spot in the Top 5 was Travis Garland.

Eliminations continued as the final three moving into the semifinals was revealed. First to get the good news that they are still in the competition was Cesar Dias.  Also moving on was Young & Strange.

The final act to make the semifinals was Travis Garland.

America’s Got Talent airs performances on Tuesday nights at 8 p.m. ET/PT on NBC with results on Wednesday night at 8. Streams next day on Peacock.

Next, America’s Got Talent 2026 Live Show Acts Revealed: Who Made the Cut After Big Format Shake-Up?

It didn’t take long for Goldie Hawn to make a name for herself in Hollywood. In one of her first feature film roles, Hawn was nominated (and won) her very first Academy Award for her role in the 1969 screwball comedy Cactus Flower.

Hawn, then just 24 years old, won the Best Supporting Actress Oscar for her portrayal of Toni Simmons, the girlfriend of middle-aged Manhattan dentist Julian Winston, played by Walter Matthau.

Related: 1967 Audrey Hepburn Thriller, With a 96% Rotten Tomatoes Score, Earned Her a Final Oscar Nomination

The film also stars Academy Award winner Ingrid Bergman, best known for her role in Casablanca.

Unfortunately, Hawn was unable to attend the awards ceremony because she was filming a movie in London. In a 2023 interview with Variety, Hawn revealed she still regrets missing out on that moment.

“I never got dressed up. I never got to pick up the award,” she said. “I regret it. It’s something that I look back on now and think, ‘It would have been so great to be able to have done that.'”

Following her Oscar win, Hawn went on to become one of the most beloved actresses in Hollywood, starring in films such as Shampoo, Overboard, and Death Becomes Her. It wasn’t until 1981 that Hawn was nominated again for an Oscar, this time for Best Actress for her movie Private Benjamin.

So, does Hawn have any plans to retire from acting? The 80-year-old recently revealed she is just waiting for the right role.

“It has to do with the content. Acting for acting’s sake, taking things… I’ve read a lot of shows, a lot of scripts that I didn’t like or I didn’t think I’d fit,” she told People magazine in April 2026. “I would love to get a material that could actually be like, ‘Oh my God, I want this so bad. This is so funny. She’s so crazy. She’s so interesting.’ But I haven’t come across it.”

In the meantime, Hawn stays busy with her big family, which includes her longtime partner, Kurt Russell, four kids, and eight grandchildren.

The fourth and final night of quarterfinals on America’s Got Talent featured performances from the final 11 artists hoping to be voted through by America to make the semifinals. The acts included singers Lara D, Travis Garland, and Jesse Joe, vocal duo Bird & Byron, parkour master Rubén Roldán, robot act Unitree, danger act Tyrone & Margo, impressionist Cameron Logsdon, comedian Cesar Dias, magicians Young & Strange, and novelty act Akira.

Three of them will make it through on America’s vote; seven of them will come to the end of their AGT journey as this season, and one lucky artist received the Golden Buzzer from judge Sofia Verga that put them directly into the finale.

That act was Unitree from Suchan, China.

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“All my life I wanted to be a dancer but my parents wanted me to get a traditional job as an engineer, but after my day job, I would go to the streets and dance alone,” said 26-year-old Wu Yufei. “Then I had an idea: dance with robots. Now, I’m so happy to be back with my best friends at AGT. We do everything together. After the audition, a lot of people wanted to join our crew, so now we’re doing something way bigger. This gives us a chance to show America traditional Chinese performers with the newest technology. I quit my job to be a dancer and I want to take this all the way.”

After the performance, which got a standing ovation, Heidi Klum, who was subbing for Simon Cowell who was still out recovering from back surgery, said, “I am literally gob smacked. I have never seen anything this crazy in my life. It is mind-blowing. I have to say, the future is a little scary, but it’s amazing what you guys have done.”

Howie Mandel agreed, saying, “This is one of the most amazing things I have ever seen in my life. They should do a major motion picture like I, Robot but a martial arts version of it. This is amazing. This is the biggest viral moment we’re going to have this season.”

Related: Watch the ‘Insane’ Dancing Robots that Leave Simon Cowell Gobsmacked on Tonight’s America’s Got Talent

Mel B agreed it was “amazing, but then it was time for Sofia to weigh in, as hers was the most important vote.

“To be honest, to me they are a little bit scary,” Sofia said. “I don’t even think you need this but I am going to do it because you are amazing.”

And she hit the Golden Buzzer, putting Unitree straight into the finale.

America’s Got Talent airs performances on Tuesday nights at 8 p.m. ET/PT on NBC with results on Wednesday night at 8. Streams next day on Peacock.

Next,America’s Got Talent 2026 Live Show Acts Revealed: Who Made the Cut After Big Format Shake-Up?

ABC just set the record straight on a report of Jimmy Kimmel Live! being canceled.

On Thursday, Sept. 8, Page Six reported that Jimmy Kimmel‘s late-night show is set to end after Season 24, which is currently airing. “His contract is not getting extended,” a source familiar with the situation reportedly told the outlet.

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Not long after the story was published, however, an ABC Entertainment spokesperson denied the claim. “This information is inaccurate,” they told People. “Any reports about the future of the show at this point are purely speculative.”

The conflicting reports came on the same day that Kimmel was set to return to Jimmy Kimmel Live! after a two-month summer break. In his absence, several guest hosts filled in, including Tiffany Haddish, Colman Domingo, Ike Barinholtz, Anthony Anderson, Rosie O’Donnell, and Jelly Roll.

Speculation of the late-night show’s cancellation also came nearly one year after Jimmy Kimmel Live! was suspended indefinitely by ABC, following his remarks about Charlie Kirk‘s death. Ultimately, the show returned six days later. Kimmel has hosted his ABC program since January 2003.

In the wake of The Late Show With Stephen Colbert‘s cancellation—with the last episode airing in May—late-night TV fans are understandably nervous for the fates of other programs.

Jimmy Kimmel Live! airs at 11:35 a.m. ET on weekdays on ABC.

Next: Wheel of Fortune Announces Season 44 Switch-Up in Game Format

ShipRocked isn’t done loading up the boat for 2027.

The annual rock and metal cruise has added five more artists to its already stacked (and sold-out) 2027 lineup. Of Mice & Men, Twiztid, Andy Darling, Footballhead, and ivri are officially joining the six-night voyage, which departs from Miami on January 24.

Of Mice & Men will be making their second ShipRocked appearance, while the other four new additions are newcomers to the floating festival.

The lineup includes bands like Papa Roach, Ice Nine Kills, Nothing More, Highly Suspect and Badflower. Set It Off, Magnolia Park, Des Rocs, Wargasm, Caskets, TX2 and more are also among the nearly 30 acts scheduled to perform.

READ MORE: ShipRocked 2027 Sells Out, Waitlist Opens For Hopeful Fans

The 17th ShipRocked sails from Miami to Mahogany Bay in Roatan, Honduras before stopping in Cozumel, Mexico. More than 4,000 guests are expected aboard, and the trip is currently sold out — though a priority waiting list is available if cabins open up.

If you didn’t get your hands on tickets, some groups will perform at around the city in the days before the cruise. Bands Steel Panther’s Stix Zadinia and Satchel will host the inaugural ShipGolfed event at Topgolf in Doral, with proceeds from its charity auction benefiting Corey Taylor’s The Taylor Foundation.

The festival-at-sea concept has expanded into nearly every corner of the music world. Matt Cutshall’s Emo’s Not Dead Cruise returns for its fifth sailing in 2027, while Lamb of God is set to host the metal-focused Headbangers Boat later this year. There’s also Joe Bonamassa’s Keeping the Blues Alive at Sea, and an EDM-centered cruise appropriately called EDSea.

Some cruises revolve around a single artist and their fanbase instead, like Train’s Sail Across the Sun and 311’s 311 Caribbean Cruise. Sister Hazel’s The Rock Boat, meanwhile, predates ShipRocked and will celebrate its 26th edition in 2027.

Mary MacGregor’s “Torn Between Two Lovers” became one of the biggest soft rock songs of the 1970s, turning an unknown singer’s debut single into a two-week No. 1 hit.

Released near the end of 1976, “Torn Between Two Lovers” first appeared on the Billboard Hot 100 on Nov. 20, 1976. By Feb. 5, 1977, it had reached No. 1, where it stayed for two weeks. Billboard’s records list it as Mary MacGregor’s only No. 1 hit.

The song’s success was not limited to the United States. It reached No. 1 in Canada and Australia, while reaching No. 4 in the United Kingdom. In the United States, it also became a major adult contemporary success and reached No. 3 on the country chart.

For MacGregor, the song became the defining recording of her career.

“Torn Between Two Lovers” was not written by MacGregor. The song was written by Peter Yarrow, best known as a member of the folk trio Peter, Paul & Mary, and Alabama singer-songwriter Phillip Jarrell.

The song tells the story of a woman caught between two relationships. She admits that she loves another man while also asking her partner to remain with her. Its central idea is summed up in the line: “Torn between two lovers, feelin’ like a fool / Lovin’ both of you is breakin’ all the rules.”

According to Stereogum, the recording took place at Muscle Shoals Sound Studio, a well-known Alabama recording studio. Yarrow co-produced the track with Barry Beckett of the Muscle Shoals Rhythm Section. Several respected Muscle Shoals studio musicians also played on the recording.

MacGregor had already caught Yarrow’s attention before recording the song. The Minnesota native had been singing with different bands and later joined Yarrow as a backup singer on tour. She also appeared on his 1975 solo album, Love Songs.

When she recorded “Torn Between Two Lovers,” the track may have been intended as a demo. MacGregor said Yarrow had considered having other singers, including Anne Murray or Olivia Newton-John, record the song.

Instead, Jay Lasker, head of Ariola America, liked MacGregor’s recording and decided to release it.

“Torn Between Two Lovers” was the title track of MacGregor’s debut album. The single became a major hit at the start of 1977 and remained in the Billboard Hot 100’s Top 10 for 10 weeks.

Billboard’s chart history shows just how much the single stood apart from MacGregor’s later releases. Her next charting single, “This Girl (Has Turned Into a Woman),” reached No. 46 on the Hot 100. Her final Hot 100 Top 40 entry was “Good Friend,” which reached No. 39 in 1979.

MacGregor never returned to the Top 10 on the Billboard Hot 100.

She continued making music after her breakthrough. She released more albums and later won best song and best performance at the World Popular Song Festival in Tokyo in 1980 for “What’s the Use,” which she co-wrote with David Bluefield.

She also wrote and performed two songs for the 1981 Japanese anime film Adieu Galaxy Express 999. In 1983, she performed “Do You Hear What I Hear” with Mike Love of the Beach Boys for Scrooge’s Rock N Roll Christmas.

But none of those projects matched the reach of her first single.

The success of “Torn Between Two Lovers” also had a personal cost for MacGregor. She said she disliked the song because she had little sympathy for its narrator. She also explained that the success of her career contributed to the end of her marriage, saying: “Not because I was sleeping with someone else, but because I was living with my career instead of him.”

MacGregor had been married for five years when she recorded the song.

The singer also had to repeatedly explain that the situation in the lyrics was not her own. She was performing a song about a woman caught between two men, not telling her personal story.

The song has continued to attract attention through later recordings and covers. Artists who recorded versions include Johnny Rodriguez, Connie Francis, Sharon Cuneta and others. The song was also recorded in several languages and inspired the title of a 1979 television movie starring Lee Remick, George Peppard and Joseph Bologna.

For Mary MacGregor, however, the original remains the recording most closely tied to her name.

Related: 1976 Rock Song, Written in a Little Encino Apartment, Is Still a Powerful Hit 50 Years Later

The Human Beinz, the rock band from Youngstown, Ohio, secured their place in music history after releasing the 1967 single “Nobody But Me.”

The quartet, made up of John “Dick” Belley on lead vocals and lead guitar, Joe “Ting” Markulin on rhythm guitar, Mel Pachuta on bass and Gary Coates on drums, who was later replaced by Mike Tatman, was initially formed as The Premiers in the mid-1960s but changed their name to Human Beingz due to the shifting cultural trends of the late 1960s.

In 1967, the band’s career changed forever when they signed with Capitol Records.

However, the label accidentally misspelled their name from Beingz to Beinz.

In the same year, the band released their first single under the major record label.

Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images

“When our contracts arrived, it said ‘The Human Beinz’ and we were upset,” a member of the band shared in an interview as reported by Medium. “We were told the name would be changed when the contracts went back to Capitol. We recorded ‘Nobody But Me’ in June of 1967 and waited for a release date. In September, they sent us a copy of ‘Nobody But Me’ by ‘The Human Beinz.’”

The four-piece band put their own energetic spin on “Nobody But Me” by The Isley Brothers and transformed it from a rhythm-and-blues groove into a highly repetitive garage rock anthem.

Moreover, their rendition includes the famous repetition of “no” and took it to an unprecedented extreme.

The then-20-year-old Human Beinz vocalist repeated the word “no” over 100 times and the word “nobody” 46 times, earning the track a reputation as “the most negative song to hit the Top 40.”

“We played ‘Nobody But Me’ the same way that we did it live,” lead guitarist Markulin shared, adding, “When we did this song live it was about seven minutes long and we did a huge jam in the middle. Dick Belley did all kinds of leads. I did all kinds of feedback and Mel Pachuta was a wild man on the bass.”

The band knew they had something special after producer Lex de Azevedo heard their version of the track, immediately declaring it a hit.

“We played the song this way in the studio for Lex and when we finished, he was very excited and said, ‘That’s it! That’s the song! That’s a hit!’ The first thing Lex told us was that the jam would have to be eliminated to make the song about two minutes long for airplay,” he furthered.

Following its release, “Nobody But Me” became a commercial success, eventually peaking at No. 8 on the Billboard Hot 100 and becoming the band’s only U.S. Top 40 hit.

Unfortunately, it was a one-hit-wonder situation for the Human Beinz, as they struggled to maintain their popularity despite their follow-up songs.

However, “Nobody But Me” remained a timeless track, as their version was featured in several major movies, including Kill Bill: Vol. 1 and Martin Scorsese’s Oscar-winning film The Departed.

Related: 1993 Hit, Among ‘Greatest Soft Rock Songs of All Time,’ Was Written in a 16th-Century Wiltshire House

Liane Moriarty’s Big Little Truths is making big moves on the Amazon Charts. Released Aug. 25, 2026, the follow-up to the author’s wildly successful Big Little Lies debuted on the shopping giant’s most-sold fiction list at No. 4.

Set 10 years after the first novel, the sequel follows the core characters as their children enter their teenage years. The novel will also serve as the basis for the third season of the HBO adaptation, but Moriarty wants readers to know that Big Little Truths is a sequel to the book, not the series.

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“It follows the book’s narrative,” she shared in her author’s note, confirming that the novel takes place in the fictional Pirriwee Peninsula in Australia, rather than the posh Monterey, California, setting used in the HBO series.

Still, the series’ award-winning performances indeed impacted Big Little Truths, with Mary-Louise, Perry’s mother, who was never mentioned in Big Little Lies, finding her way into the sequel because she was “played so deliciously by the extraordinary Meryl Streep … that [the sequel] had to feature Mary-Louise, albeit an Australian version of her.”

The same sentiment applies to Renata, played by Laura Dern on the small screen. The author thought her portrayal was so good in the series that she had “no choice but to give her more prominence in Big Little Truths.”

Following Big Little Lies, Moriarty never intended to write a sequel. But the novel’s success, the episodic adaptation, and the award-winning performances from Hollywood elite, including Nicole Kidman, Reese Witherspoon, Dern, and Streep, left fans clamoring for more drama surrounding Madeline, Celeste, Jane, Renata, and Bonnie.

While writing the just-released installment, Moriarty said Madeline was easiest to reconnect with.

“Although I couldn’t tell you why. I put her through a lot [in the book],” she told The Hollywood Reporter. “Celeste was the hardest, because I just wanted her to be in a hopeful place. Maybe this is why I have always resisted writing sequels. My standard line was, I always put my characters through so much that I want to leave them living happily ever after.”

On Amazon’s Most Sold Fiction Chart, dated Aug. 30, 2026, Big Little Truths trails Allen Levi’s Theo of Golden, Virginia Evans’ The Correspondent, and Kathryn Stockett’s The Calamity Club.

Related: 1989 Robert Duvall Hit, With a 98% on Rotten Tomatoes, Ranked Among Best Miniseries of All Time

Just days after undergoing surgery, Katie Price appeared on the red carpet at the National Television Awards in London.

The 48-year-old British media personality was joined by her daughter, Princess Andre, 19, at the event. Wearing a white button-down shirt with black lace micro shirts and black tights, Price shocked fans with her drastically different appearance.

On social media, Price shared with fans that she had just returned from Brussels, where she had corrective surgery on her breasts, and was still bruised and in pain.

“I went to Brussels because one of my boobs was still slightly bigger than the other,” she said in a video. “So, they put a new implant in, and while they were there, I said, ‘Oh, go on, just put a bit more in both of them.'”

She continued, “At the same time, where my face was hollow here, as you get older and lose weight, he put filler in for me, obviously while I’m asleep.”

Unsurprisingly, her fans are urging her to stop going under the knife.

“Stop Katie, please stop. You look lovely as you are. You will end up looking like that catwoman, Jocelyn,” one follower commented before another added, “This just makes me so sad for her tbh.”

Her appearance at the NTAs also comes just days after she announced she was splitting from her husband of eight months, Lee Andrews. This will be the fourth divorce for Price, who was previously married to Kieran Hayler, Alex Reid, and Peter Andre.

There is no denying that Price has undergone a lot of change since her early days as a model and reality TV star. However, her priority has always remained her five kids: Harvey, Junior, Princess, Jett, and Bunny.

And it looks like Princess is following in her mom’s footsteps, starring in her own reality series, The Princess Diaries, and pursuing a modeling career.

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Fall is almost here, which means it’s nearly time to trade in your sandals for shoes that offer a little more coverage. Loafers are an easy choice for the in-between season, giving you the comfort of a flat with a more polished look that works just as well with jeans and cozy sweaters as it does with dresses and skirts. 

If you’re looking for a pair you can wear on repeat this fall, the Clarks Angie Holly Flats are currently just $28 at Amazon, down from $105. That’s a savings of $77 on a versatile leather style that one shopper calls “beautiful, light and comfortable.”

Courtesy of Amazon

Made from soft, premium black leather, these Clarks flats have a classic look that works for everything from the 9-to-5 to weekend plans. The chunky 45-millimeter heel adds a little extra height, while the hook-and-loop closure makes them easy to get on and off. They also feature a shock-absorbing EVA sole and comfort foam footbed to cushion your feet, which could come in handy on days when you’re on the go for hours. 

Pair them with jeans and a lightweight sweater for an everyday look, or wear them with trousers, a dress or skirt when you want something a little more elevated. The loafers come in sizes 5 through 12, including wide widths. 

Shoppers praised these flats for their comfort. One reviewer wrote, “Best shoe ever!” and added that when they’re on their feet for hours, the shoes “don’t disappoint.” Another shopper said they were “comfortable to walk on any occasion,” while a third reviewer called them “true to size and well made.”

• Aqdzcnf Flower Table Lamp, From $25 at Amazon
• Rumia Crewneck Sweatshirt, From $10 (was $25) at Amazon
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Related: Clarks’ Supportive Slip-on Sneakers Are an Easy, Comfortable Fall-to-Summer Shoe, Now 55% Off

At just $28, the Clarks Angie Holly Flats at Amazon are a great fall find at a fraction of their original price. If you’re after a comfortable pair that you can dress up or down, this is one deal worth grabbing while they’re still in stock and 73% off!

Don’t miss future deals! Sign up for Parade Picks to receive our commerce team’s curated selection of discounts and sales, twice a week.

In case you haven’t noticed, we’ve fully entered our nostalgia era, and it feels like we’re reliving our childhood again—only this time with high-speed internet. Everyone from Crumbl to McDonald’s is jumping on the nostalgia train, giving blasts from the past and entire rebrands fit for our modern age. Whether it’s because of our need to escape or just a fondness for what was, it’s officially throwback every day, and we can’t say we’re mad about it. 

That said, despite how much we love seeing the tamer, bubbly remnants of our youth reimagined, we’re not exactly racing to give up some of the creature comforts of adulthood we’ve grown accustomed to. Don’t get us wrong—we love a good PB&J as much as the next person—but today we might reach for one with miso peanut butter and hot-honey bacon-onion jam instead. Still, the classics are the classics for a reason. 

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Of course, if we could drink a PB&J, well, that would be an entirely different story. Well, friends, it looks like we’ve just gotten our wish. Skrewball, the makers behind the world’s first peanut butter whiskey, just dropped its first-ever flavor innovation: Peanut Butter and Strawberry Jelly Flavored Whiskey. That’s right, now we can enjoy the nostalgic flavor of everyone’s favorite sandwich in a more grown-up format—and you don’t even have to cut off the crust! 

Related: The Fast-Food Chain Most Likely to Get Your Order Wrong Has Been Revealed—and It’s Not Where You Think

The brand takes its iconic, rich, peanut butter-forward whiskey and infuses it with just the right amount of jammy strawberry flavor to create an expression that tastes just like the real thing—maybe even better. It’s bottled at 70 proof (about 35 percent ABV), which makes it perfect for sipping on its own or as a base for an expertly mixed cocktail. And, of course, it pairs beautifully with an actual PB&J. As a fair warning, it is on the sweeter side, so if you’re more of a whiskey purist, it might not be for you. But in the brand’s own words, “Skrew the usual” and live a little. 

The fun new flavor drops this September in convenient pocket-sized 100mL cans or 50mL bottles, perfect for taking to parties, sharing with friends or just as a ready-to-go drink anytime you’re feeling nostalgic. We can see why fans are saying they “believe in miracles.” If this unexpected, nostalgic flavor is any indicator of where Skrewball is headed next, consider us locked in for the ride. We vote for a peanut butter banana flavor next!

Related: Le Creuset Is Celebrating 60 Years of This Iconic Fandom With a ‘Bold’ New Collection

Starbucks is adding a new protein-packed snack to its lineup, giving hungry customers a savory alternative to the usual parade of sweet afternoon treats. The new Olli Genoa & Fontina Snack Pack brings a mini charcuterie board moment to locations nationwide, because 3 p.m. deserves a little more sophistication.

The snack pack pairs mild, slow-cured Genoa salami with creamy Fontina cheese and crisp artisanal crackers. The result is essentially a tiny charcuterie board built for one—and conveniently portioned for grabbing on the way to your next meeting, errand or caffeine refill.

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The biggest selling point is the fact that it packs 13 grams of protein. That makes the snack a solid option for anyone looking for something more substantial than a cookie or pastry when hunger strikes midday. And because the snack pack contains zero sugar, it offers a decidedly savory route for those trying to skip the sweet stuff.

There’s also a little ingredient-peace-of-mind packed into that tiny tray. The salami is made with antibiotic-free pork, contains no nitrates or nitrites and is preservative-free.

Related: Starbucks Is Finally Bringing the Aerocano, a Viral Iced Coffee, to the US This Fall

Available in the Starbucks cold case for just under $7, these new snack packs are designed for maximum grab-and-go convenience. Think of it as the answer to the query, “I’m hungry, but not for an entire meal,” with enough protein to make the snack feel like more than a placeholder until dinner.

And if you become a full-fledged Olli snack pack fan, there are more flavors to explore. The snack packs are also available at Walmart, including Sopressata & Cheddar, Pepperoni & Mozzarella, and the new Hot Honey & Fontina variety, all of which sound delicious.

The next time the clock hits mid-afternoon and your energy starts heading south, you may want to bypass the pastry case and head for the cold case instead.

Related: Everyone Is Excited About These 23 Sam’s Club Finds for September

Country star Ella Langley had a simple reaction after “Choosin’ Texas” reached another major milestone on the Billboard charts.

Langley shared the latest Billboard chart update on her Instagram Story on Tuesday, reacting to the news that “Choosin’ Texas” had remained at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 for a remarkable 21st week.

The Alabama native reposted the Billboard Charts’ posts about the chart dated Sept. 12. Along with the word “Unreal,” she added a mind-blown emoji and a smiling face holding back tears. She also tagged the song’s co-writers Luke Dick, Miranda Lambert and Joybeth Taylor.

Photo by Jason Kempin/Getty Images

The latest achievement puts “Choosin’ Texas” only one week away from tying the longest-running No. 1 song in Billboard Hot 100 history. Mariah Carey’s “All I Want for Christmas Is You” currently holds that record with 22 weeks at No. 1 accumulated across multiple holiday seasons.

Ella Langley celebrates another chart victory. pic.twitter.com/kxBfGmk0uC

For Langley, the latest chart result adds to an already huge run for the country hit.

“Choosin’ Texas,” which Langley co-wrote with Dick, Lambert and Taylor, first reached No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 in February. It has now spent 21 weeks at the top of the all-genre chart, including 11 straight weeks since July 4.

During the Aug. 28-Sept. 3 tracking period, the song recorded 24.5 million official U.S. streams, 58.1 million radio airplay audience impressions and 7,000 sales, according to Billboard.

“Choosin’ Texas” was also recently named No. 1 on Billboard’s Songs of the Summer chart for 2026. The result gave country music the top three spots on the season-ending ranking for the first time.

Langley’s “Choosin’ Texas” took No. 1, Taylor Swift’s “I Knew It, I Knew You” placed No. 2, and Langley’s “Be Her” landed at No. 3.

The song has also reached No. 1 in the United Kingdom. It started its U.K. singles chart journey at No. 78 in January before moving into the Top 40 in February, Top 20 in April and Top 10 in July. It reached No. 3 in August before finally taking the top spot eight months after its debut.

While Langley was celebrating the Billboard milestone online, she was also sharing moments from her 2026 Dandelion Tour.

In another Instagram Story slide, she posted a video showing her Dandelion Tour stop in Auburn, Alabama. The video included behind-the-stage moments with her team, a prayer before the show, parts of her performance and interactions with the crowd.

During the prayer, Langley reflected on how far she had come. She said:

“Thank you for another beautiful day. I’m so grateful to be here today. Started this journey 10 years ago in almost this exact same place and it is insane to see what You have built and the goodness You have brought through just following your dream, Lord.”

The Auburn stop carried special meaning for Langley because she attended Auburn before her rise in country music.

Her Dandelion era has also been closely connected to her songwriting and personal experiences. Langley previously explained that it is difficult for her to name one favorite song because each song is tied to a different period of her life.

When discussing Dandelion, she identified “Broken” and “Loving Life Again” as two songs she is especially proud of.

“It’s really hard, because it just depends on the type of emotion. If we’re just talking about Dandelion, my two [songs] I would say I’m most proud of, is probably ‘Broken’ and ‘Loving Life Again’. Just because those songs really healed something in me to write.”

She also pointed to “Butterfly Season,” her duet with Miranda Lambert, as another important song from the album, per Holler.

As “Choosin’ Texas” continues its Billboard Hot 100 run, Langley is now one week away from a milestone that would place the song alongside the longest-running No. 1 hit in the chart’s history.

For now, her reaction to the 21st week remains just one word: “Unreal.”

Related: Country Star Ella Langley Sends Message After Performing at Auburn

In 2003, Scarlett Johansson and Bill Murray starred in a movie based on Sofia Coppola‘s own divorce from Spike Jonze and her lonely travels through Japan, and 25 years later, it still holds up as one of fans’ favorite films of all time. The rom-com-turned-“anti-romance” story, Lost In Translation, is one of the actors’ most critically acclaimed projects to date.

The movie’s plot is centered around a fading movie star and a neglected married young woman who come to be unlikely soulmates in Tokyo, according to its synopsis. “Released mere months before the two filmmakers filed for divorce, it hinted at some of the “irreconcilable differences” the pair cited as the reason for their split,” per Collider.

On Rotten Tomatoes, the flick earned a 95% Tomatometer score with 235 reviews, and an 85% Popcornmeter rating, collecting over 250K notes from fans. “Revisited for the first time in many years, writer-director Sofia Coppola’s platonic romance remains beautiful and evocative. It captures sleeplessness, feeling lost in a foreign context, flirtation, and much else besides with an effortless grace. From the screenplay to the cinematography, and especially the performances of the two leads, the film’s constituent parts combine with subtlety that belies the film’s quiet power. Few of those involved have done better work,” one viewer raved in July 2026.

Meanwhile, it was well received by critics, too. “With this film it becomes clear that Sofia Coppola is a filmmaker with eyes all her own,” Newsweek‘s David Ansen said in 2007.

TIME‘s Richard Corliss noted in 2008, “Lost in Translation revels in contradictions. It’s a comedy about melancholy, a romance without consummation, a travelogue that rarely hits the road,” and Variety‘s David Rooney echoed that sentiment: “Very much a mood piece, the film’s deft balance of humor and poignancy makes it both a pleasurable and melancholy experience.”

The film earned an Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay, three Golden Globes in the Best Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy, Best Actor in a Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy for Murray, and Best Screenplay categories, and three BAFTA Awards: Best Actor in a Leading Role for Murray, Best Actress in a Leading Role for Johansson, and Best Editing for Sarah Flack.

In a fan poll by Empire, the hit was ranked No. 93 on a list of the best films of all time. “As listless college grad Charlotte and world-weary actor Bob, Scarlett Johansson and Bill Murray share an ineffable chemistry, offering beautifully understated performances as two people whose geographic and emotional sense of dislocation in Tokyo is simultaneously what brings them together and, ultimately, what keeps them apart, too,” the outlet wrote. “As well as that karaoke scene, its ending, in which Bill Murray’s Bob whispers words we never hear into Charlotte’s ear, is an all-timer.”

Lost In Translation is available for streaming via Apple TV+ and Amazon Prime.

Next, 1986 Movie, With a 93% Rotten Tomatoes Score, Ranked as One of the Best Movies to Watch on Netflix Right Now

If the term “apple pandowdy” sounds more like a square dance than a dessert, you are not alone. Vintage apple desserts have notoriously terrific names but are understandably the source of some delicious dessert debate and confusion. In fact, all those names have sparked more than a few conversations in my family over the years: Which is better, a crumble or a crisp? What’s the difference between a slump and a Betty? And so on. (We all had our opinions.) But who knew there were so many different versions of a plain old baked apple dessert?

Many of these old-fashioned apple recipes originated in church and community cookbooks. You know the ones: those tattered, spiral-bound books with stained pages that your grandmother had a shelf of. They were essentially assembled from recipes that had already earned a place at someone’s Sunday supper, bake sale or holiday table. And while there can be some misses, a lot of the dessert recipes can be seen as downright classics.

We did the research so you wouldn’t have to. Here are seven rustic apple desserts worth bringing back, plus how to tell a Betty from a pandowdy from a sonker…before all those names start to sound like characters from Bridgerton.

Simply put, the best church cookbook recipes were built on trust. They were contributed by actual home cooks, often to raise money for a congregation, school or local club, and they tended to arrive with very little hand-holding. There was no publishing house or editor poring over the pages. The directions were, at times, confusing, misconstrued or misspelled. A direction such as “put in a moderately hot oven till brown” assumed you knew what that meant (and knew your oven’s temperature behavior, which, to be fair, do we ever??) But what the recipes lacked in detail, they made up for in practicality and personality. And that’s part of the nostalgic charm of dusting these beauties off and giving these recipes another run (especially when it comes to desserts!).

The Library of Congress defines community cookbooks as collections of recipes submitted by organizations, often church or civic groups, that frequently preserve local history, personal recollections and regional culinary traditions. That is why they are such rich little time capsules. You are not just looking at what people could bake; you are looking at what they thought was good enough to put their name under.

One especially useful example is the 1911 edition of The Inglenook Cook Book, a collection of recipes contributed by women of the Church of the Brethren and readers of The Inglenook magazine. It includes Brown Betty, apple tapioca pudding and not one but two versions of dried apple cake.

Not every dessert below comes from one church book; the paper trail also runs through women’s-club cookbooks and regional recipe collections. That is part of the charm. These dishes traveled through communities, picked up local variations and survived because home bakers kept making them and talking about them.

Related: 7 Easy Ways to Keep Sliced Apples From Turning Brown, According to Apple Orchard Owners

Chef Mary Moran, owner of The Silver Lake Kitchen Cooking Academy, made a lot of these definitions simple for us: she says the tell is in the topping. For example, a Brown Betty uses bread cubes, a pandowdy uses pie crust and a slump uses biscuits. And while the historical recipes vary (for example, some Betties use crumbs or crackers rather than cubes) the basic distinctions hold. Here are the straight definitions for apple desserts:

Brown Betty: Apples are layered with buttered bread crumbs, bread cubes, or, in some vintage recipes, cracker crumbs. The topping absorbs the juices and becomes crisp on top and soft underneath.

Pandowdy: Spiced fruit bakes under pastry. During or after baking, the crust is broken or pressed into the bubbling juices, creating an intentionally rumpled dessert with crisp and syrup-soaked pieces. Could there be a more perfect transportable dessert?!

Slump: Fruit cooks beneath dropped biscuit or dumpling dough, often in a covered pan. The topping steams as much as it bakes, so it stays tender rather than crisp. Fun fact: a slump can also be called a “grunt.“

While we’re at it, here are a few more definitions for your apple baking pleasure. The difference between apple crisp and a Betty is the topping: a crisp has a streusel-like layer that often includes oats. A cobbler usually has biscuit dough, batter or another topping arranged over fruit. And a sonker, a regional cousin of cobbler, is often made with batter baked over the fruit. Lastly, a buckle is a fruit-studded cake with a crisp topping, usually streusel.

An apple Brown Betty recipe is what to reach for when the bread is going stale and the apples are not getting any younger. With crisp edges and a soft, buttery center giving way to spiced apples in every bite. The classic formula layers sliced or sauced apples with buttered crumbs and warm spices, then bakes everything until the juices soak into the bread and the top turns golden. In the words of Queen Ina Garten: How bad can that be?

The 1911 Queen Esther Cook Book from the First Methodist Episcopal Church in Evanston, Illinois includes a recipe for Brown Betty. The recipe is credited to a Mrs. P. C. Lutkin.

Fill a baking dish about two-thirds full with sliced apples. Dip dry bread in cold water, squeeze it dry, and place it over the apples to a depth of an inch or more. Add a little water, sprinkle with sugar and nutmeg, and dot generously with butter. Bake until the apples begin to brown slightly on the bottom and the bread becomes crisp. Serve with cream and sugar.

Pandowdy is pie’s ugly-but-delicious cousin. It gives you the best part of the pie without all the pressure of making the top crust camera-ready (iykyk). Modern versions often press or crack the crust partway through baking instead, but the pleasure is the same: some pastry stays crisp while some drinks up the syrup. Baker Linda Monastra notes that a food processor can make the crust easier, which is exactly the kind of modern shortcut that helps when making these no-fuss desserts.

The vintage recipe is from The Cookery Blue Book, compiled by the Society for Christian Work of the First Unitarian Church of San Francisco, California.

To make it, pare, core and slice 5 apples and place them in a pudding dish with a little water and 1 cup sugar. Cover the apples with pastry and bake slowly. Toward the end of baking, break the pastry covering down into the apples.

A Family Feast

Apple dapple cake is usually a dense, tender snacking or Bundt-style cake packed with chopped apples and nuts, often finished with a buttery brown-sugar glaze. Moran’s take: “Apple Dapple cake is delicious. It’s a moist crumb, full of toasty brown butter and nutty flavor.” For that special flavor, she specifically recommends Challenge Butter, King Arthur Flour and freshly toasted walnuts, plus a mix of green apple and a sweet baking apple that stays crisp, such as Fuji.

This one, from the Bethel United Methodist Church Cookbook, 1993, was contributed by Mary Brown.

Combine 2 cups sugar, 1 teaspoon salt, 3 cups flour, 1½ cups oil, 3 eggs, 1 teaspoon baking soda and 1 teaspoon vanilla. Mix together, then add 3 cups chopped raw apples, 1 cup crushed pineapple, drained, 1 cup nuts, 1 cup coconut and 1 cup raisins. Pour the batter into a greased tube pan and bake at 350° for 1 hour and 20 minutes. While the cake is still hot, make a glaze by combining 1 stick margarine, 1 cup brown sugar and ¼ cup milk and bringing it to a boil while stirring constantly. Pour the glaze over the hot cake before removing it from the pan. The recipe notes that the cake can also be made in a flat pan.

Moran also gives the vintage formula a small update: “I use only butter in any of these recipes I make and I add olive oil to Dapple Cake for an extra layer of flavor.” If this is your first trip into retro baking, her recommendation is plain: “I would start with the Dapple Cake, it’s a fail-proof cake,” she says, “and it’s easier than making homemade pie crust or biscuits.”

Tastes Better From Scratch

“Apple Slump should make a comeback because who doesn’t love a hot biscuit with warm baked apples?” Moran says. A slump is what happens when fruit cobbler, well, relaxes. Apples cook with sugar and spice in a deep skillet or pot, spoonfuls of biscuit-like dough go on top, and the pan is usually covered so the dumplings steam until fluffy. The fruit “slumps down” as it cooks, which may not win any presentation awards but does produce a bowl made for pouring cream over.

Apple Slump, from The Pentucket Housewife: A Manual for Housekeepers, and Collection of Recipes, compiled by the Ladies of the First Baptist Church of Haverhill, Massachusetts, 1882.

Nearly fill a three-pint pudding dish with peeled and quartered apples. Add 1 cup molasses, 1 cup sugar, ½ cup water, bits of butter and cinnamon to taste. Make a soft dough using 1 pint flour, 1 teaspoon cream of tartar, ½ teaspoon baking soda, a little salt and enough milk to make a soft dough. Roll the dough to fit the dish and place it over the apples. Cover closely and steam for 1½ hours. When done, turn the slump upside down into a deep pudding dish and serve immediately.

Courtesy of Jessica Wrubel

Appalachian apple stack cake looks impressive, but its genius lies in its practicality. Thin, dense cake layers akin to pancakes are stacked with cooked dried apples or spiced applesauce between them, then the assembled cake rests for a day or two. The filling slowly softens the layers, turning a stack of sturdy rounds into one cohesive, moist cake. It was such a popular recipe that even Dolly Parton had her own version!

We traced this recipe back to a Methodist Church cookbook from Evarts, Kentucky, circa 1940, where the recipe was contributed by Viola Jones. This recipe was said to have been in her family for more than 100 years.

Combine ½ cup buttermilk with 1 teaspoon baking soda and 1 teaspoon baking powder. In a separate bowl, cream 1 cup shortening with 2½ cups sugar or molasses, or a mixture of the two, then add 2 eggs and 2 teaspoons vanilla and beat well. Combine the two mixtures and sift in 4 cups flour and 1 teaspoon salt, adding additional flour as necessary to produce a dough that can be handled.

Divide the dough into 7 portions and roll or pat each portion into a wax-paper-lined 9-inch baking pan. Bake each layer at 425° for about 10 minutes, then cool. For the filling, use 1 pound dried apples or 5 pounds peeled and sliced fresh apples. If using dried apples, soak them in water overnight. Cook the apples in a large covered pan at 300°, stirring frequently, until they are soft and the liquid has been absorbed. Stir in ¼ teaspoon salt, 1 teaspoon cinnamon, 1 teaspoon nutmeg, 1 teaspoon cloves and 2 cups sugar. Spread the hot apple mixture between the cake layers and stack them. Let the assembled cake stand for at least 24 hours before serving.

Photo by Alan Garcia on Unsplash

Before tapioca became shorthand for school-cafeteria pudding, home cooks used it to thicken fruit desserts. The Inglenook Cook Book, a community cookbook composed primarily of recipes contributed by women of the Church of the Brethren, has a recipe for this one, contributed by Sister Jennie Wampler of Falks Store, Idaho.

Soak ½ cup tapioca for 3 hours. Cut 6 medium or small red apples, preferably Jonathan or Winesap, in halves and remove the cores, but do not peel them. Place the apples in a baking dish with 1 pint water, 1 cup sugar and a piece of butter about the size of a walnut. Pour the tapioca over the apples and sprinkle with a little grated nutmeg. Bake in a slow oven for 1 hour and serve warm.

Courtesy of Jessica Wrubel

Old fashioned dried apple cake may seem close to the apple stack cake, but they’re entirely different cakes. Here, the rehydrated apples go into the batter rather than between layers.

Another one from The Inglenook Cook Book, this one was contributed by Sister Sarah J. Johnsonbaugh of Hagerstown, Indiana.

Cut enough dried apples into small pieces to make 2 cups, wash them, cover them with water and let them stand overnight. In the morning, add 1 cup Orleans molasses (regular, unsulphured molasses, not blackstrap) and cook until the apples are tender, then let the mixture cool. Add 1 cup sugar, 2 eggs, ⅔ cup shortening made from a mixture of butter and lard, 1 teaspoon baking soda, 2 cups flour, 1 teaspoon ground cloves and 1 teaspoon cinnamon, along with other spices if desired. Stir everything together and bake as a loaf or in a 9×13 dish for 1 hour. Make sure to line the bottom of the cake pan with greased paper; the original contributor cautions that the cake may separate when removed from the pan otherwise.

Related: I’m a Pastry Chef, and This Classic Apple Dessert Has Been an After-Dinner Staple in My Family for 50 Years

KenWiedemann / Getty Images

With over 100 varieties of apple grown commercially in the United States, it may be overwhelming to choose just the right type for a showstopping apple dessert. However, the short answer is to choose an apple that tastes good and behaves the way your dessert needs it to. For example, for a Betty, pandowdy or dapple cake, you usually want at least some pieces to hold their shape. For a stack-cake filling or applesauce-based dessert, an apple that softens quickly can be an advantage.

Moran’s rule is refreshingly decisive: “Always multiple! I love Fujis as they’re sweet and hold their shape, and Granny Smith is tart and crisp,” she says. “Fuji paired with Granny Smith is a perfect combination of sweet and sour.” She also points to Gala for softer fruit that breaks down more readily, Pink Lady for firmness and a hint of spice, and Braeburn for sweetness and classic apple flavor. “I’m a fan for mixing Granny Smith with any sweeter apple. I love the mixture of sweet and sour.”

Monastra favors Granny Smith because it holds its shape and because the tartness helps to balance out the sweetness of the dessert, then mixes in Pink Lady or Honeycrisp for color and a less aggressively tart result. If visible slices matter, she avoids softer, mealy apples such as McIntosh and Red Delicious because they tend to break down too much.

One last permission slip from the experts: Keep the recognizable structure and flavor of the original recipes, but use modern tools where they genuinely help. For example, Monastra says a food processor makes quicker work of pie or pandowdy crust, crisp topping and shredded apples. The church-cookbook committee would probably have appreciated one, too.

Related: The Difference Between a Good Apple Cake and a Great One Comes Down to This One Step

• Chef Mary Moran
• Linda Monastra / The Whisking Woman
• Library of Congress: Community Cookbooks
• Library of Congress: Queen Esther Cook Book (1911) — Brown Betty
• Internet Archive: The Inglenook Cook Book (1911) — Apple Tapioca Pudding and Dried Apple Cake
• Project Gutenberg: The Cookery Blue Book — Apple Pan-Dowdy
• The Pentucket Housewife — Apple Slump
• Bethel United Methodist Church Cookbook (1993) — Apple Dapple Cake
• WVU Libraries: Apple Stack Cake
• Old Fashion Apple Stack Cake — Evarts, Kentucky Methodist Church recipe transcription
• King Arthur Baking: Apple Grunts, Slumps, Pandowdies and Cobblers