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A Classic Southern Sweet Potato Souffle Recipe from Historic Beaufort, N.C.

Updated October 22, 2025 

If you are looking for an easy, southern holiday side, then I have the perfect recipe for you. It's not different from a casserole, but it's made without marshmallows, which gives it a soufflé texture. It will work great for any time of the year, but it screams the holidays because sweet potatoes are in season in North Carolina. This dish pairs well with the traditional holiday turkey or ham. However, it is also divine with pork tenderloin. 





sweet potato casserole




Sweet Potato Souffle dish that is perfect for the holidays. #Holidays #SideDishes #SweetPotatoes



I've used this recipe for the holidays several times over the years. This sweet potato classic dish was published in the St. Paul's Episcopal Church Cookbook, with the last print edition in 2004. I bought the cookbook that year in Beaufort, N.C.  

I used to go down to the historic home tour every year before kids and strollers entered our lives. Beaufort is the third-oldest town in North Carolina and a favorite place of mine. It's been a long time since we updated the blog's travel guide for the area, but Liza and I spent a few days there with family this summer. It's a lovely town to walk in, with lots of coastal charm. 

Beautiful, historic Beaufort, N.C. with its beautiful boats.



The waterfront views and trees are just grand in this coastal village. 


Huge trees line the Beaufort waterfront.



I typically stay with my father-in-law when in town, but the city boasts a pet-friendly boutique hotel on the water called the Beaufort Hotel. My family dined at the on-site restaurant during my last visit in June, and two menu items have me wanting to eat at 34° North Restaurant on each visit. They have delicious crab cakes and "out of this world, the best thing you will put in your mouth ever," which is not listed on their website. It's called the Atlantic Beach Pie. 

The homes are charming and always beautifully decorated. The Inn on Turner is a lovely boutique inn with four suites in the historic district, a block or two off the waterway. Innkeepers Kim and Jon speak my language with their focus on "Wellness Travel and Slow Travel" in beautiful surroundings. We've followed each other on social media for years, and guests rave about their experiences there. 




If you want a little taste of Beaufort in your own home, then give this sweet potato souffsoufflépe a try. 


This is a classic, traditional recipe that can be used for years. I have just one warning. It has lots of SugarSugar, it's tasty. I sometimes cut the sugar. 


North Carolina is a top producing Sweet Potato state


Sweet Potato SouffSoufflépe from Historic Beaufort, N.C. 

Ingredients:

3 cups of cooked, mashed sweet potatoes ( I baked my sweet potatoes in the oven for a few hours, peeled them, then smashed them quickly for this recipe)
1 cup sugar ( I used SugarSugarhe Raw)
1/4 cup butter, melted 
2 eggs
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon vanilla
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1/8 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 cup milk

Mix these ingredients until well blended and pour into a baking dish.

Sweet Potato SouffSouffléing:

1 cup brown Sugar
1/3 cup butter, melted
1/3 cup flour
1 cup chopped pecans

Mix brown sugar, flour, and nuts. Sprinkle on the sweet potato mixture.

Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.

Sweet Potato Souffle with Pecan Topping



Southerners know a classic holiday dish when they find one. With sweet potatoes, sugars and pecans, this classic holiday recipe will delight your guests.




A Travel Guide to Historic Beaufort, N.C.

  


This post is courtesy of the Holiday Collection from Counter. 

Counter Sheer Conditioning Balms


 . My favorite shade for the fall/winter season is Bitten--A Warm Berry. 
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The Barbie-Inspired "Kenough" Salad Is Just Enough

Raleigh, NC, USA
It was the summer of Barbie. My college friend, Ken, and I walked into a mid-day movie at the Alamo in Raleigh in August. We were the perfect "Barbie and Ken" duo and, undoubtedly, the oldest fifty-something twosome at this 11:30 showing. Our spouses worked their day jobs so we could live like a dream and go to a daytime movie.  I left my oldest child in online school at home, and these two college "besties" lived the "Barbie Dream" for two hours with a glass of Cava each in our hands. It was as if we transported ourselves back to 1989 at UNC-Chapel Hill in Granville Towers. 

Barbie the Movie Poster




We were the first to arrive out of the 20 Barbie fans scheduled for this showing.  Having lived in Europe for twenty-five-plus years, this was his first "dine-in" experience, and he agreed it was the only way to watch a movie. I can't go to a regular theatre that doesn't offer Cava now.  Boy, these teens today don't know how good they have it.  As parents love to say, "Back in my Day," I  used to have to sit in a non-reclining seat with some tall person in front of me after I waited in line for candy, popcorn, and a soda. 

One hour and 54 minutes later, plus $81 in food and alcohol, our Barbie experience was over. We were not cheap dates, to say the least, but to quote Barbie, our day was dreamy. 


“It is the best day ever. So was yesterday, and so is tomorrow, and every day from now until forever.”

                                                                               Barbie  

                                                          

A few days after our Barbie experience, Ken sent me a photo of a salad he created for lunch. We are passionate about good food, high-end hotels, and afternoon tea. I was like, "OMG. That looks good. What's the recipe? I will make this salad, write it up on the blog, and it will be forever known as the "Kenough" salad.  


A delicious, healthy salad with tomatoes, hummus, egg, cucumber and kale.


And just like that, we created the "Kenough" salad in honor of our weekday Barbie The Movie excursion. I made a delicious second version of the original salad due to not having some of the original ingredients. My version was delish.  


Healthy salad with red pepper hummus, butter lettuce, avocado, tomatoes and egg


And then Ken made a third version and changed the egg for peppers.  I'll put my own changes next to his original ingredients. The "Kenough" salad is filling and is the perfect lunch salad. It's just enough to keep you full for the rest of the day. 






The "Kenough Salad" by Kenneth 

Ingredients: 

Kale for Base (I used Butter Lettuce)

Cherry Tomatoes

Small Avocado

Hard-Boiled Egg

Cucumbers

Feta Cheese (I forgot to use cheese)

A tablespoon or two of Garlic hummus (I used red pepper hummus)

Sprinkle of  Nutritional Yeast (I left this out)

Sprinkle Garlic powder (Optional- Kenough likes garlic) and Black Pepper. Knowing what Barbie likes, I added some Pink Himalayan Salt because it's pink, and I love salt on my salad. 

Sprinkle of Aleppo Chili Flakes. (Mix cayenne pepper with paprika to get this Turkish spice's same mild heat taste. Use four times more paprika than cayenne pepper.) 

Dressing: Ken used a drizzle of Extra Virgin Olive Oil, whereas I gave my "Kenough" salad some kick by adding lemon juice, cayenne pepper, and paprika to the olive oil. 




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Want To Make Better Burgers? Try This Simple Recipe

Raleigh, NC, USA
Originally posted in May 2011
Updated: September 6, 2023

I still have this "Cooking with Friends" cookbook from 1995. Many pages are torn out, and I am still making these burgers. In fact, Will and I have a routine. I season the meat and am a little more liberal with Worcestershire sauce. I no longer measure. I pour. However, one to two tablespoons is the best amount. I hope you enjoy this simple burger recipe as much as my family does today.  In 2022, my family vacationed in California, and of course, a highlight for me was sitting on that famous couch. I could have spent hours in the gift store. Since 1995, there have been other published cookbooks, and if you have a "Friends" fanatic on the gift-giving list,


friends set in L.A.





Cooking with Friends cookbook from the TV series

I'm going to be cooking with friends this holiday weekend. My friends are Ross, Rachel, Phoebe, Monica, Chandler, and Joey. You may know them, too. They came into my home every week for years, and now I see them in syndication when I flip through channels occasionally. I adored them. We were all the same age, and even though I didn't live in NYC above a coffee shop, I somehow managed to relate to their wacky lives weekly.   I will confess that when I drive through downtown Raleigh now and see all these new condominiums with shops and restaurants below them, I get a little nostalgic about my past TV life with my "friends" and say to Will, "I think it would be so neat to have a bar or coffee shop below your residence."  Don't you?

Friends Cast from TV Series

In 1995, my Mom, who had probably never watched an episode of Friends, found a cookbook called "Cooking with Friends" and gave it to me for Christmas. The cookbook is 20 years old and a little worn from use. The photos in the book are from the show's early days, with a few pictures during the period when Rachel unveiled her iconic haircut.

I use a lot of recipes out of this book. They have cute and catchy names for food, such as mashed potatoes for the broken-hearted or Chandler's "Could This Be Any More Fattening? Cheesecake. You all remember how Chandler talked, right? Brings back some memories! What about "How You Doin'?"  I admit I go around the house and use a little "Joey" to speak to my children when they wake up.

According to the cookbook, Joey might not be much of a cook, but he does know how to make a burger. That is true, my friends! I've used "his" burger recipe now for years. It's the most delicious and straightforward burger recipe, and I'm sharing it with you, my friends, because it will be perfect for any weekend cookout.

Delicious cheeseburger inspired by the TV show Friends



Joey's Best Grilled Burgers from The TV Show "Friends"

2 pounds of ground beef
1 tablespoon of Worcestershire sauce
1/2 teaspoon of salt
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
(I have added some Italian seasoning to the recipe because, after all, Joey is Italian).
6 buns, split

Gently mix the meat with the ingredients, and form into six patties (about an inch thick)
Grill for about 8 minutes for medium-rare, turning them once. For medium, grill for about 10 minutes.

Hamburgers at home with my delicious "Joey Burgers" that I adapted from the Cooking with Friends Cookbook in 1995. #Hamburgers #Grilling #Beefrecipes
























 











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5 Easy "End of Summer Recipes" to Transition Into Football Season

Updated August 2023

Before summer is over, I will give you a list of five of my favorite recipes that are perfect for those summer days that are still left in North Carolina when it's still a little hot and humid. We're transitioning into football season, but it's still hot. I have already featured these recipes on the blog at some point in my twelve years of owning this website.  

A friend messaged me this week and said she made my spaghetti pie recipe, and it was the dish I took to her fourteen years ago when her son was born. Reading that one message took me down my kitchen rabbit hole of finding all the recipes in my archives. 

As my kids have aged, meals are a constant struggle in my home due to our schedules. There are days that I count the days until no one depends on me to make nightly dinners. I will regret even making those remarks when those days are gone, but my afternoons were not busy when I started this blog in 2011. The kids played, watched TV, and I prepped dinner. My busy times were from 7 am to 4 pm, whereas the hours between 3 pm and 9 pm are when I'm at my absolute busiest at this stage of life. 

But throughout my 11 years of writing, my goal has always been the same: I like to prepare easy meals with few ingredients. The following collection of recipes is easy and can be used in various ways. 


Easy End of Summer Meals for Weeknight Dinners to Fancy Football Tailgates







This Shrimp scampi recipe can either be made with rice or pasta. And this is more of a Greek shrimp and pasta dish than an Italian dish. It should not even be called scampi, but instead, "Greek-Style Baked Shrimp with Tomatoes and Feta," whatever you want to call it, it's yummy. You can also use any pasta for this shrimp and feta pasta recipe. 

This Greek-inspired shrimp with tomatoes and feta recipe is easy when you use frozen shrimp. 



This fresh tomato pie recipe has many versions depending on what Southern church cookbook you are reading at the time. Regardless, it's a classic Southern style of tomato pie. It's best when NC tomatoes are in season: August and early September. I've never used canned tomatoes; if you do, it's more of a process to get them ready to use, like fresh tomatoes. You would need to use whole canned tomatoes, drain them, cut them into slices, place them on a paper towel, and salt them with kosher salt. They would need to sit like this for an hour before using them. The brand of Muir Glen Tomatoes has a simple tomato pie recipe using diced tomatoes and fontina cheese. Typically, canned tomatoes are tasty, which may be an easy alternative. More than likely, this will be juicier. 

Southern Tomato Pie using Fresh Garden Tomatoes is a must-try from August to Mid-September. 



This recipe calls for that small white corn called shoepeg because it's sweeter than most corn, but I've also used this corn salad recipe with sweet yellow corn because sometimes it is easier to find than shoepeg, depending on the grocery. Does it taste better with shoepeg? Probably, but yellow corn works as well. I've had this sweet corn recipe in my collection for years. It's easy to take to a tailgate but drain the salad before serving. The flavors also pair well with scoopable chips because in some ways, it is similar to cowboy caviar, which is used a lot as an appetizer at Southern parties. 

This canned sweet corn salad recipe is great for reunions and tailgates. 


Grover's Feta and Shrimp Pasta Salad

This simple feta pasta salad with shrimp is easy to make. It's best served cold or at room temperature. You can easily switch out the pasta of your choice and omit ingredients; however, the cottage cheese makes this Greek-style salad delicious, so make sure to include that ingredient. 

Easy feta and shrimp pasta salad
Greek Salad with Shrimp and Feta 

Easy No-Mayo Pasta Salad

This easy mayo-free side salad quickly assembles and carries well to football tailgate parties. This dish can be served throughout the year and not just as a summer salad. It would even be great as a side to soups or gyros. 


Pasta Salad without Mayo
Italian pasta salad with no mayo 






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NC Vacation Home In Lake Norman Named as a Top U.S Weekly Vacation Rental by VRBO

Lake Norman, North Carolina, USA

More and more families are choosing vacation home rentals to have the comforts of home when they are traveling. You can bring the dog, your kid's best friend, or even grandma and grandpa. Or you can leave the kids with your spouse and enjoy a vacation with your best friends. I would love to be the fly on the wall when you tell your spouse those plans. Regardless of how you vacation, you have choices, and if you have no budget, then the world is your playground from Mexico to North Carolina. If my wallet was thicker, I would love to stay in this Lake Norman, NC vacation home. The rate is around $5k a night for this time of year. 

Lake Front Home with Beautiful Waterfront Views


VRBO (Vacation Rental by Owner) released its top ten U.S. vacation homes for the year and added Mexico as a vacationer bonus. They chose these homes based on reviews, amenities, and premier management. VRBO is owned by Expedia Corp, and you may be surprised that the global travel corp owns most of the travel sites you visit online," from Expedia, Travelocity, Hotwire, Trivago, and many more booking sites.   


"There are more than two million private vacation rentals on Vrbo, so there are many amazing choices. This year's Vacation Homes of the Year range from an urban oasis and a cozy ranch home under $400 a night to a beachfront estate that can sleep the whole family and more," said Jon Gieselman, president of Expedia Brands. "Every single Vacation Home of the Year has a beautiful view, and combined boast seven private pools and fire pits, eight hot tubs, and even five putting greens."


But let's swoon over the North Carolina rental on beautiful Lake Norman, NC, named "Chasestone."  I know N.C. is gorgeous and has much to offer the traveler, but everyone must experience it themselves. 

The Chasestone rental would be a great base to explore the Charlotte, NC, area and parts of the Blue Ridge Mountains on a day trip. 


This 5,000-square-foot home with four bedrooms and a seven-bath home is situated on a private peninsula with over 600 feet of lakefront views, less than an hour's drive from the heart of Charlotte. The Nantucket-inspired home has a theater room, a gourmet open-concept kitchen, and a living area with direct access to the deck for al fresco dining.

Outdoor pool with lakefront view at Lake Norman Vacation Rental



Scroll through all VRBO 2023 Vacation Homes of the Year and discuss your favorite properties on the list with me on social media. 

If $5,000 a night is out of your league like mine, don't think properties are just for the rich and famous. Lake Norman area has all price points for every budget. Learn more about the area by visiting the Lake Norman tourism office  https://www.visitlakenorman.org/

Visit NC's official tourism site to see where else you can explore North Carolina. 





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