I saw a quote this morning – “Life is a roller coaster. Ride it!” I love it! And that will be one of my goals for 2011. New Years Day is a perfect time to make a new start, to write resolutions and plan for the coming year.
However, to REALLY celebrate the first day of 2011 appropriately, one must EAT appropriately. And that means the traditional Southern New Years Day meal – but with a little Carol-ism thrown in – just to make it personal. Here’s what I’ll be preparing and eating today:
Menu
Hoppin’ John
Cooked Cabbage
Cornsticks
Sweet Iced Tea
Recipes
Hoppin’ John
1 can mild tomato/jalopena mixture (RoTel)
If you like things a little spicier, use regular RoTel.
2 cans black-eyed peas
1 can diced tomatoes (optional)
1/2 lb link of turkey sausageCut the turkey sausage into bite-size pieces – dump everything together and cook. You can serve this over rice or mix some rice in it, or eat it by itself with no rice. It’s delicious riceless or not.
Sphere: Related ContentCooked Cabbage
Core a cabbage. Then chop it into small pieces. Place in a saucepan, add about 1 cup of water. Season generously with salt and pepper. Add some butter (1 or 2 Tablespoons). Bring to a boil and simmer gently until tender.
Cornbread Sticks
2 cups cornmeal MIX
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1 egg, well-beaten
buttermilk (enough to make a good batter)
Pour into cast iron cornstick pans that have been sprayed with Pam and pre-heated in a 425 oven. The batter should sizzle when you pour it into the pans. Bake until golden brown. Serve hot. I like to crumble a cornstick or two into my hoppin’ john.
Sweet Iced Tea
4 family-size tea bags
1 gallon water
1 to 2 cups Splenda, sugar or Truvia (depending on your preference)Put the tea bags in a 1 quart glass measuring cup, fill water and microwave on high for about 10 minutes. Let it sit (steep) for about 5 minutes. Pour into a pitcher and add the remaining water to make one gallon. Add the sweetener and stir. DELICIOUS and refreshing!
SYMBOLISM
The blackeyed peas in the Hoppin’ John symbolize coins – a sign of prosperity for the new year. May there be lots of that in 2011. The turkey sausage symbolizes my American heritage – the wild turkeys from the first Thanksgiving. For me, it also reminds me of the land where RT and I live – dozens of wild turkeys reside here. The tomatoes and jalopenas symbolize good taste and spiciness. May I never grow too old to be spicy.
The leaves of the cabbage are a symbol of folding money – currency. Again, may there be lots of that in 2011.
The corn in the cornsticks is another symbol of my American heritage. Enough corn for good health, enough oil to smooth out the rough places in life, an egg to remind me of the newness of life, and the buttermilk to remind me that the sour places in life make the good places all the more sweet. Baking the cornsticks in cast-iron pans reminds me of what the American pioneers used in their travels cross country to explore new lands.
The iced tea is symbolic of my Southern roots. Sweet iced tea is pure Southern!
There you have it! A New Year’s day feast with some traditional and some Carol-grown symbolism attached.
