So...whats for dinner?

He is a keeper for sure!  We just celebrated our 29th anniversary in December! I still have the mixer, made all my holiday desserts with it!

I will have to wait at least til next weekend to start taking tuhings down. We were supposed to do a Xmas with DH side, but my daughter had to cancel as her fiance was called in to work that day. So, since everyone was coming over here for the Badger game, we had it here. I am tired. LOL. But no help to bring up all the boxes, so wait till next weekend.



For appliance story, my husband bought me a Dremel Rotary Tool for Xmas two years ago. I had to explain to his mother, father, brothers, sisters, sisters in law and kids, I HAD ASKED FOR.ONE. LOL Funny! I use it to make my jewelry, and I needed one. Last year he bought me a jewelers desk. Now I have a place go work where I don't have to finish or pick up my projects every day. Now I am begining to make things again it feels good.

Michelle, if you do go to chemo in a bunny suit, I WANT PICS! LOL!

Last nite my supper was a cup of canned soup and leftover sloppy Joe. Oh well , at least I ate. Today, supper was pizza and snacks. Um, not exactly the heslthest way to start a new year. But, one I could handle to feed 10 people with short notice.

Much love.

DH gave me a bread-maker for Christmas about 10 or 12 years ago.  I liked it a lot and wasn't at all insulted at getting a kitchen appliance as a gift.  I still have it but it's in a cabinet because I got into making bread the old-fashioned way.  Have been buying it the old-fashioned way as of late!  With $$.

I've been sick with a cold and felt really bad yesterday.  DH cooked our traditional southern New Year's Day meal.  Black-eyed peas with andouille sausage.  The sausage is not mandatory.  The meat could be ham or ham hocks or another seasoning meat.  He "smothered" the chopped cabbage in a skillet after frying a couple of pieces of bacon.  The cabbage is mandatory, too.  This meal is for prosperity in the new year.  My dad always said the cabbage was for greenbacks and the peas were for coins.  He liked cabbage and didn't like black-eyed peas so some years we skipped the black-eyed peas.  DH likes both and he's usually the cook.  His peas were delicious.  We also had cornbread.  Some years we also cook corned beef and add carrots and potatoes to the cabbage. 

Prior to New Year's day, all the supermarkets have huge displays of whole cabbages and lots of packages of dried black-eyed peas.

Are there new year's day traditional meals in other parts of the country? 

@carolehalston,

isn't there also a tradition of cooking a coin in the pot, and whoever gets the coin on their plate is supposed to have even better luck in the coming year? Or maybe I am mixing that up with something else?

Interesting. I'm familiar with a baby in a cake, but not a coin. Either way, you'd have to chew carefully lol

Debbie - Hawaii?  It would take me 15 minutes to get in the mood, pack and be ready...LOL!  But I understand your hesitation.  I will say that it's fairly easy to come home early if necessary.  I learned that lesson in October when we came home because of my mom.  Hopefully, you'll be able to enjoy all 7 days and your DH and you will be refreshed.

Nancy - is the "King's Cake" the one with the baby baked into it?  I had never heard of it until I had a gal working for me who was really in to Mardi Gras and she brought one into work. 

I have to say I never had black eyed peas or "hoppin john" until the year we went to Nashville for NYE.   If we had them when I was a kid in Texas, I don't remember.  I do remember my dad making oyster stew for NYE.  Of course, being a kid, I didn't want to eat it.

We were at Dana Farber today from 10:15 until just before 2:00 for a 30 minute infusion.  The place was so busy they ran out of chemo and visitor chairs, I'm not kidding!  Then we went to lunch because we were both starved.  I could have eaten there, but they don't feed the visitors and I kept thinking we'd be out of there soon.  A stop at the grocery store and we got home at 4...how to kill a day...LOL!  But I now have a chicken and I'm making Carrabba's Mama Mandola's chicken soup tomorrow morning.

http://www.cdkitchen.com/recipes/recs/228/Carrabbas-Mama-Mandolas-Chic91044.shtml

Michelle-I know,I thought about you and your mom too today!;-((  Glad you finally got out of there and got some food in you too.  Can you say, Carrabbas mammas mandolas chicken 10 times real fast LOL!! Sounds good whats in it?

I love Mochi it is one of the staples in Hawaii too! The Mochi Ice cream is so deliocious!

Carole, hope you're feeling better soon. Michelle, sorry you had a long day. Hopefully it will even out with very small SE's.



I love hearing about the different traditions. My mother always said it was a German tradition to have pork and sauerkraut for New Years. My GF used to cook it for midnight and serve it to whoever wanted to stop by. There is a big parade in Philly called the Mummers parade on New Years and I think a lot of the people are up straight thru from New Year's Eve. Up until the very late 60's only white males could be in the parade. That is the only thing I know of that was segregated by some kind of rule around here. I was born in 63 so don't have a lot of memories of the 60's.



So the New Year's Eve dinner was interesting. I didn't like everything, but I did like most. Some of the unusual items were little mini cupcakes with green tea and pear frosting and roasted garlic on top; carrot and saffron soup with veal; raw oysters with cavier; escargot; duck served on top of a Parmesan sponge cake; creamsicle sorbet topped with shallots; vanilla bean milk shake with olive oil and goat cheese; chocolate cake topped with mint ginger ice cream with caramel and sea salt. I didn't have all of that, some of it was DH's and I just tasted it. Found out I am not a fan of oysters or escargot, I enjoyed everything else.



Wishing everyone a happy, healthy, peaceful New Year!

Curveball, have not heard about a coin in a pot.  Or under a plate.  And, yes, Michelle, the pink plastic baby is in the King Cake.  Originally a bean was placed in the King Cake.  If you get a slice of cake with the baby, you're supposed to buy or bring the next King Cake.  Because of liability issues, the King Cake bakers have stopped putting the little pink plastic baby inside the cake.  It's usually there in the box for the buyer to hide inside the cake. 

The original King Cakes were like coffee cake or Danish, with cinnamon flavoring.  But the filled King Cakes have become very popular and they are delicious.  Different fillings are piped into the fresh-baked cake, cream cheese, raspberry, strawberry, blueberry, Bavarian cream, etc.  I like the combination cream cheese and strawberry. 

Have fun in Hawaii, Debbie.

Sounds like a miserable day, Michelle. 

Am so thankful to feel a little better today.  Ventured out to Target and Winn-Dixie. 

Dinner will be warmed-up leftovers.  Also more cabbage but cooked with pancetta instead of bacon.  Maybe the stockmarket will make another jump upward tomorrow! 

The king cakes I have made at home are coffee cake like, but you are right Carole, there are some delicious ones to be found in bakeries. I had a really wonderful one in Galveston last year that had a raspberry cream filling. Oh my!



I came across a really interesting recipe for cabbage cooked in the oven with bacon and some other things, wrapped in foil. If I can remember where I saw it, I'm going to give it a try.



Debbie, I understand your hesitation. I worry about my dad every time we leave for more than a day or two. But a week is short, so do try to enjoy. You deserve it.



Michelle, ugh on the chemo mess. That happened to me one time until they finally came and hooked me up right in the waiting room. I didn't care, as long as the stuff was flowing.



Kay, that sounds like a really interesting menu but kind of hard to figure which one is dessert!



My brisket is smelling really good. Has anyone heard from Susan?

Debbie enjoy your vacation!  And send us pics!

Eric, happy for the good news!

I hope you had a better day Michelle!

It's been very cold lately. The kitties are very loving and snuggly lately.  Bless their dark self serving souls

For dinner, oh, I don't know, nothing to eat.

Oh!!! yes there is!  Frozen mussles in red sauce, and I have pasta that I can make both in the microwave!  Yay!

As far as New Years  traditions, the first person to cross your doorstep will bring you good luck if it's a man.

It was, though he is my landlord and was coming to pick up his dog that I was sitting at 11:30.  Close enough!

Debbie - there is a gallon and a half of liquid so those two potatoes are barely noticeable.  Yes, I do mash the veggies in the bottom of the pot.  And I will use a big can of tomato puree instead of the smaller can of whole tomatoes - I want that broth to be "tomato-y".  It's very typical "broth" soup with chicken and the pasta sprinkled over the top.  In the past, I've not used pasta and added cannelini beans.

Carole - I bought a 5 pound grocery store chicken.  I'm assuming it's a hen and not a rooster...lol.  Ok...I looked and it's a 5 pound fresh young chicken.  Gender-neutral...hehehe.

Michelle- Oh that makes sense now I was confused when I first read it but didn't realize it was only 2 potatoes.  LOL on the gender, who knew! lol!

Thanks Lacey! YUMM on the lasagna with broccoli rabe never tried it before like that. Would also love the recipe when you get it all written down.  LOL at the Woolley! I know what my DH being hard of hearing would think I said if I said I was getting a woolley for something. LOL! Opps my bad!

Thanks LeeA! I know I def will eat good lol! Im not a real big Hamburger type person but they have the best green chili and jack cheese burger at the Yard house can't wait to have one! And I will def take lots of puctures!