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Wintry Green Salad Recipe - A Delicious Holiday Side to Dazzle the In-Laws

North Carolina, USA
Updated: December 23, 2023. After almost 13 years of blogging, I'm doing my best to update old content. It's not an easy task at all. I decided to update this post because I've been assigned "a green salad" for Christmas Eve dinner. This wintry green salad is easy to make and if you choose not to make your own dressing, it works well with any storebought dressing, too. 




Great Holiday Side Salad with Citrus and Cranberries. Easy to assemble and delicious.


I have been making this Wintry Green salad for a few years now. It's really easy, and it offers a great simple side to an evening meal, or serve it for lunch with chicken salad. The Mandarin oranges and cranberries make it colorful, and worthy for entertaining.

I had it on the menu for my tree-trimming meal last month, and my Mother-in-Law loved it so much that she requested it for our Christmas Eve gathering. I don't think you can go wrong with this salad. I have, however, cut the sugar amounts for the dressing from the original recipe, which was published in the 2003 Jr. Guild of Rocky Mount Cookbook, "A Dash of Down East." 
Wintry Green Salad with Citrus and Cranberries


Wintry Green Salad with Citrus and Cranberries

1-11 oz can of Mandarin oranges, drained
1/2 cup dried cranberries
1/2 cup almonds, toasted
8 to 10 cups mixed salad greens

Sesame Cider Dressing:

1/3 cup sugar (Original recipe calls for 1/2 cup sugar)
2 tablespoons sesame seeds, toasted
1 1/2 teaspoons of minced onions
1/4 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1/4 teaspoon paprika
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
salt and pepper to taste
1/2 cup olive oil

Combine all dressing ingredients except oil in a bowl. Gradually whisk in oil.
Combine all salad ingredients in a bowl. Toss with dressing just before serving.

Be sure to visit all my favorite recipes in the HinesSight Blog Recipe section.




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The Perfect Holiday Entree - The Beginner's Guide to Cooking a Beef Rib Roast

North Carolina, USA
Updated: December 2023. I saw my Mom this morning, and she asked me about cooking a Christmas rib roast. It was like Christmas De Ja Vu. I would not commit, but it got me thinking about this post I wrote in 2017. It may be time for a rib roast this holiday. We'll see, but after reading more cookbooks than I can count, the rib roast recipe I've posted below. My holiday looks a little different these days. I'm now a parent to teens.  This post was originally written in December 2017, 

Unlock the secret to the perfect boneless rib roast with our beginner-friendly guide. Learn the essential techniques and tips that will turn you into a boneless rib roast master in no time. Say goodbye to dry or tough roasts and prepare to impress your guests with juicy, tender results.


A week or two before the holidays, my Mom hinted that she would like prime rib by sending me online recipes every other day. The recipes would casually be slipped into my Facebook messages. This particular holiday marked our 12th Christmas without Dad. He used to make bone-in-prime every holiday. I had never made a rib roast before. 





"Learn the basics of perfectly cooking a rib roast with our beginner's guide. Our step-by-step instructions will guide you through the whole process to help you get the perfect result every time. Get an unforgettable dining experience - cook a perfect rib roast today!"


I read the recipes she sent, and they frightened me a little.  I would never commit to her, and still, two days before this Christmas, I still did not know what I would prepare for our holiday dinner. I pulled countless recipe books from my pantry and thought I might attempt some beef or pork tenderloin. When I went grocery shopping, I took two cookbooks to Lowes Food, and they sat in the cart while I looked at meat. There was not a beef tenderloin in sight for less than $80.

My wallet spoke up.  Boneless ribeye roasts were on a significant sale. A four-pound boneless ribeye roast was marked down from $52 to $32. I flipped through my cookbooks, surfed the internet on Lowes's free Wi-Fi, and decided to try it. It would be my meat entree and sides of corn pudding, macaroni and cheese, southern butterbeans, green beans, and rolls.

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Delicious Dates Stuffed with Manchego Cheese (Quick and Easy Appetizer)

North Carolina, USA
This is an appetizer where you can't eat just one.  It's one of my favorite holiday appetizers using dates and manchego cheese.  It's easy and a fabulous combination of sweet and savory. Fontina cheese would be a good substitute if you can't find manchego. 



Enjoy the perfect combination of sweet and savory with these Dates Stuffed with Manchego Cheese. This easy and flavorful dish is crowd favorite










Manchego Cheese is from the La Mancha region of Spain. I was first introduced to it on a trip there decades ago. It's made from the Manchega breed of Sheep.  It's a semi-soft cheese with a mild, nutty, fruity, sweet, and tangy flavor. For me, that just translates into delicious.  Medjool dates are soft dates also known to have health benefits for your heart, brain and gut. You usually find them in the produce section of your grocery store, especially this time of year. I also like to purchase them locally at specialty stores such as Sassool in Cary or Neomonde in Raleigh.  Fontina Cheese is an alpine-style cheese more readily available in most markets. 

Dates Stuffed with Manchego and Topped with Pistachios and Honey
Dates stuffed with Manchego Cheese and Topped with Pistachios and Honey.
Ingredients:

 1 pound of Medjool Dates (approximately 30 dates)
6 ounces of Manchego cheese, cut into  1" X  1/2" strips
3-4 ounces of pistachios, salted and roasted
Drizzle of honey

Instructions:

 Toast pistachios for 10-15 minutes in the oven at 325 degrees. Pull them out when they smell "toasty."

Use a paring knife, and make a slit down the center of one date.

Tuck a cheese strip inside the date, and repeat the same process for all 30 dates. Increase the to 350 degrees.

Place in a baking dish and warm in a 350-degree oven.

Remove from oven after cheese melts. Approximately 10 minutes.

Let it cool for 5 minutes, then drizzle it with honey and pistachios.

Dates are higher in calories so this is certainly not a low-calorie appetizer, but so worth it when you indulge. 



Easy and Quick Appetizer that is perfect for fall with Dates and Manchego Cheesetopped with Pistachios and Honey. #Entertaining #Appetizers #ManchegoCheese

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You can also create a cheese board with grapes, olives, extra pistachios, and crackers. And don't worry about a fancy cracker---Ritz-Crackers work fine and pair well with this cheese.  Multigrain crackers are also a good choice. 

Manchego also pairs with certain jams, which can be another appetizer using this cheese. Red Pepper,  Hot Pepper jelly, or gourmet fig jam on a cracker topped with a piece of fontina cheese is delicious. 

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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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