What is your New Year's meal "must have" tradition?

DH and I were talking this morning and wondering about the traditional meal must have item on New Year's Day is for other people.
Being from the south and living here all my life, I thought everyone ate Black-eyed Peas and Collard Greens on New Years. Our relatives passed down the custom saying; the peas are the coins and the greens are for bills. Eat both and your New Year will be financially sound. All of the American restaurants used to serve Black-eyed Peas on New Year's Day when I was young.
I have my pot of peas already cooked and working on the greens now. What is your custom and where did it come from?

Growing up, we always had black-eyed peas! We used to gather at my grandmothers for a traditional Mexican meal, pinto beans, chili, cornbread, and tamales. Black eyed peas served on the side, too! LOL When the family gathering moved to my aunt's, we went to lasagna, salad, and garlic bread with black eyed peas on the side. Now, DH and I really don't have a traditional New Year's Day meal, but we'll probably have black eyed peas with whatever we're having!

Stephanie

I just finished off a peanut butter and jelly sandwich and I am back out to work on the garden fence. I guess the pb & j will have to my New Year's Day meal. LOL

the old "PB+J traditional new years dinner"! i love it!

LOL ~ PB & J! I just had grilled cheese and warmed up onion roasted taters. Pretty good.

To east blackeyed peas was for good luck, wasn't cabbage for money?

Dinner will be later this evening but don't stone me as I'm broiling seasoned chicken breasts, seasoned rice and corn.... maybe some frozen yeast rolls. Better get them out of the freezer now. Happy New Year!

Where I come from (Ohio) the traditional meal is pork and sauerkraut. Growing up I hated sauerkraut so New Year's was never my favorite meal. But now I don't mind it. Never heard of peas and collards until I moved down here. Haven't had them yet either.

:) Kim

My mom and dad were both from Pennsylvania and sauerkraut was always served on new year's.Usually with some kind of Polish sausage.When we moved down to texas I heard of the black eyed pea tradition, but never liked them much. Not much on sauerkraut either for that matter. So today we had enchiladas,refried beans and rice.

Blackeye peas, rice and cabbage with cornbread and ham. Yesterday we had cabbage so today I subbed homegrown broccoli in place of cabbage. Best broccoli I've grown yet.

As long as blackeyed peas are on the menu, we are safe. These happened to come from our own garden this summer and were in the freezer. A pan of cornbread and a slice of onion completes the meal.

Christi

I only recall the b-eyed peas. The older I got the more I doubted the "luck". But with the world teetering on the edge of all kinds of things, I figured it couldn't hurt, so had some today.

Well, we were really traditional last night Black eyed peas and Pizza, Hoopee!!!

Pizza???
All sounds good. We had our meal at about 3:30 this afternoon. Ham, BE Peas, Collard Greens, cornbread, Glazed Carrots, choc. cake and cherry pie. We tried to work it off afterward by playing Wii with my son and his wife. We did the Wii Fit, then Golf for over 3 hours. We had a lot of laughs and some exercise too.

Kim ... I am going to make you BEP's and bring to the Spring Swap!
Girrl you cant live in the south and not know whay BEP's are. Josephine black eye peas and pizza? LOL Which did you Frank eat first? LOL

We ate the black eyed peas first then the pizza and champagne at midnight, odd but easy.

My brother in law was talking to his wife you went to visit her family in peru for new year's. She asked him if he went "yellow" for new year's. Apparently it is a tradition there to wear yellow underwear on new year's. can't wait until she comes back to ask her what that tradition is all about...

Can't figure out what it is about BEPeas that people don't like them. To me they are kind of like potatoes - not a whole lot of taste but not offensive. Haven't ever had collards or many other greens, either. We didn't because my mother was from the south and she was bigoted just as most people of her generation down here were. To her the white folks ate the turnips, beets and the like and the blacks were left w/the greens and to her that was the way things ought to be. She wouldn't eat Italian food or Chinese food but French was okay - that's just the way she was and my father, too. He was from Columbus, Ohio and just as bigoted. Luckily they didn't teach this to us - the schools did - but I never had a problem with all that and grew up eating what I liked and I'm sure that my parents are looking down on me from wherever they are shaking their heads in sorrow. There's not a person in this world more "unbigoted" than I and that comes from thinking for myself.

Ann

LOL on them shaking their heads at you... You know, I'd bet they would be secretly proud of you!

I was raised to try a little of everything and to this day will sample some unusual fare. I am neutral on the black eyed peas ~ can take them or leave them. DH won't eat anything he "can't spell" and claims he can't spell peas. Yeah right!!

My mother was raised in Ohio and Pa and is German. She always made pork and sauerkraut in a large pot, cooked it on low for about 4 hours on top of the stove. Mashed potatos were the side dish. I always loved this dish and in fact made it yesterday. Yum, yum...

What kind of pork Fancy? Pork roast? Sounds good but I would sub the BEPs for the Mashed potatoes, I can get them anytime. I save the bone from Christmas Ham and leave a lot of meat on it. Put it in the slow cooker with a pound of dried BEPs and seasoning. Let them cook until the bone and meat separate, add cornbread and collard, mixed, or turnip greens. Yum!
I haven't ever had the whole turnips, guess when I was a kid the grown-ups ate them. LOL!

I got a pork shoulder with bone in. You are meant to put some of the kraut juice on the potatos. It's tradition. As my kids say..but I don't like kraut...and I say..that's not the point. It's tradition..My brothers actually learned to like it and now look forward to having it on the 1st. Makes good left overs too.

LOL! People do a lot of things just because it is tradition I think!
I like sauerkraut on hot dogs, and the Ruben sandwiches are good too. Of course I like cabbage just about anyway.

I guess I need to clarify that Black Eyed peas and pizza is not a tradition at our house, it just happened that way, but it was O.K.
Josephine.

LOL!!! Didn't want us thinking you were that strange right??

Yes that is right, actually I had been working hard all day, and then we had to go to church at 6.30 and we had planned to go out to dinner, but then we found out that we were going out to eat on New Year's day with my son and family, so I didn't want to eat out two days in a row, too many calories, so that is how it worked out. Of course the pizza wasn't really low calorie, but only had two pieces, so I was a good girl and controlled myself.

Funny Sheila that the blacked eyed peas were to bring you $$$. I was told the same thing about the kraut!! So who wanted to take chances? Not me.

With things the way they are these days I'd eat a mud pie if it would bring luck and money.

hahahaha

Now, I love to eat fresh greens cooked with ham or lean bacon and served with hot buttery cornbread and pork. And I'm White German Bohemian, if that matters, who's Grandparents were farmers and who's Great Grandparents came from the Old Country.

I fry the bacon down and trim the fat off before adding it to the pot of greens. Then I add a good tbsp to two of the bacon grease with S & P and cook until tender (15-20 min). This is how I cook many fresh garden vegetables.

BEPs from the can have such a chalky texture that I leave them alone and don't care for the dried ones either. However fresh from the garden, I like BEPs, but prefer fresh Southern Cream peas (what I grow in the garden). I cook them just like I cook the greens.

Frankly, I tend to eat what is in season because that is when it is at its best.

I don't do "Tradition", simply because for my entire life I have run against the grain, so to speak. LOL

Sometimes, since I am my own cook, I just get by on PB & J samiches. (smile)

I am not bragging ... but my BEPs are far from boring ... I use a seasoning called Fines Herbs ... its a french thing. Lot of Ham, salt pork and whole Jalepeno, whole Okra and a #2 can of tomatoes. Oh yeah, dont forget Slap Ya Mama! lol I prefer the dry after soaking all night, but I used the frozen last time.
I dont think I have had fresh BEPs in 50 years! We use to go to my granny and I will never forget seeing her sitting on the porch shelling those peas. she was almost mechanical ... peas in the pot ... shells in her apron and we are talking bushel here. lol ... and she canned them too.

BEP's are traditional at our place, and I cooked a big pot of them with a ham bone. We also had grilled ham, baked winter squash from the freezer (Sweet Greek Red, I think) with a little butter and brown sugar, white potatoes in case someone was afraid of the squash, and hot rolls from the freezer. (This was a throw-together menu because we had a house full of company for a couple of days due to a family funeral on the 2nd in a neighboring town.) So now everyone but the two of us has gone home, and I still have lots of BEP's. They freeze well, so we'll have several meals in the freezer. BEP's with a piece of crispy cornbread are awfully good.

Sylvia, the only real success we had in our garden this last summer was okra and purple hull peas. Have some of both in the freezer. Need to have you out for dinner.

Working on doing better with the veggies this year. Oh, almost forgot, the kale was everywhere and was wonderful. Didn't know it is the best green of all.

Christi

CORRECTION: NOT KALE....IT IS SWISS CHARD

sorrry

This message was edited Jan 4, 2009 10:39 AM

Had to go back to the top to see what the subject is. hahahahaha!!!

I love Kale too, it is so nice to have something growing all winter that can take the freezing weather.
It is also one of the most nutritious greens, even better than spinach and a lot easier to grow.
Josephine.

I have never eaten Kale. I have worked with it in restaurants on salad bar service, and deli platters. It was always used as a garnish since it was colorful and crisp for long periods of time. Do you cook and season just like other greens?

Sylvia....

Yes Sheila, you can cook them like other green, but don't over cook them and add very little water to keep all those vitamins and minerals.
I love fresh black eyed peas and fresh lima beans too, the have such a creamy texture.
Josephine.

I think the kale lacks the bitterness of some of the greens. The leaves are much larger than most and don't require multiple washings. Have moved two of the plants into the raised garden and they are growing like a weed. So far it hasn't been bothered by any kind of insect or disease. Oddly, I planted only one plant in 2007, with red veins, because it was pretty. It came back green in 2008 and there were plants all over the beds.

The picture doesn't do it justice.

CORRECTION: NOT KALE, THIS IS SWISS CHARD....excuse me.

This message was edited Jan 4, 2009 10:37 AM

Christi, I don't recognize the plant you pictured as being kale. It doesn't look anything like the one I know. Kale is a ruffled leaf plant with a bluish gray tone. http://www.veggieharvest.com/vegetable-garden/kale.html

Well, of course, I would mislabel something. One of the reason I seldom give it a name.

How about Swiss Chard?

http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=foodspice&dbid=16

Ann, you don't know what you are missing out on when it comes to collards. I grow them most of the winter and eat them at least once a week. They were the money veg for my new years meal.

Sylvia, I want a bowl of your black eyed peas. They really sound good.

Josephine, why in the world would you of all people worry about too many calories from eating out two times in a row? The wind could blow you away already!

Speaking of calories, on new year's day, I started cutting down on my calories and started walking. I could use all the encouragement I can get. I don't have a thyroid and that makes it nearly impossible to lose weight. I battle depression and that makes it easy to use food to lift my spirits. I suffer from arthritis which makes exercise a challenge. I am hoping to be successful in spite of all this with my endeavor.

My new years meal didn't include the peas due to the calories, but I sure had my fill of collards. We traditionally have always had black eyed peas, cabbage, pork roast and like lou said you gotta have corn bread.
Well this year I just had a tiny bit of pork roast and lots of collards (instead of cabbage), lettuce and green onions all from my garden and a low fat dressing.

My dh never ate the peas anyway so I skipped them this year.

Charlene

I have tried lots of stuff and one of those things is greens. The only greens I like are spinach. The others just don't do it for me. I have eaten all over the world and put some stuff in my mouth that most people wouldn't and I did it on purpose. I dearly love escargot and many fishy dishes such as caviar and anchovies to name just a few of the familiar ones but not even the worst case of hunger would get me to eat eggplant or bell peppers or other peppers. Just don't like them and I'm not going to eat them even if I starve. I envy those of you who like the greens and the more inexpensive food because that really helps the old budget and waistline. Veggies aren't my favorite things anyway. I ate them as a child and when my kids were little to set a good example but once they got old enough I didn't have to prove anything to anyone so I just don't indulge. Really do like BE peas and other dried beans.

Ann

Hello Charlene, good to have you here.
Believe me if I didn't watch my calories I would be in trouble in no time flat.
I am glad you are doing something about your health, as we all should, but without a thyroid you have a big battle to fight. I think you are very brave and I commend you for moving in the right direction.
I would have never guessed you battle depression, considering your lovely cheerful attitude.
By the way, Collards are also an excellent green vegetable full of vitamins and minerals, actually here in Texas we can grow Collards, Kale and Swiss Chard a lot easier than Spinach, and no oxalic acid in them too, so who needs the spinach when we can have the other three?
Josephine.