Wednesday:) What’s Cookin’ Miss Toni.

“In the South, people traditionally have black eyed peas on New Year’s Eve to bring good luck. I made a huge pot of it this year. We can use all the luck we can get.”

~Toni Armenta Andrukaitis

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Tomorrow is New Year’s Eve, so I made a huge pot of my black eyed pea/bean/salsa dip for the occasion. I’ll share with some friends and neighbors, but this stuff is really good. I’ll enjoy it for days.

If you want to know my secret no-chop, no work, easy recipe, here it is…. open up a lot of cans and jars and dump them all in a big pot.

Actually, I did pan roast the corn with oil a little before popping in all the other cans and jars, added apple cider vinegar and S-P-and garlic powder. Voila!

Here’s a little history…

Do you know why it’s good luck to eat black-eyed peas on New Year’s Day? As with most superstitions, there are several answers to the question.

Most Southerners will tell you that this culinary custom dates back to the Civil War. Black-eyed peas were considered animal food. The peas were not deemed worthy of serving to General Sherman’s Union troops. When Union soldiers raided the Confederates’ food supplies, legend says they took everything except the peas and salted pork. The Confederates considered themselves lucky to be left with those meager supplies, and survived the winter. Peas then became symbolic of luck.

Happy Wednesday, my friends.

Tuesday Trivia: New Year’s Eve

An optimist stays up until midnight to see the new year in. A pessimist stays up to make sure the old year leaves. ~Bill Vaughan

Many people look forward to the new year for a new start on old habits. ~Author Unknown

A New Year’s resolution is something that goes in one year and out the other. ~Author Unknown
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This has been one hell of a year! Pardon my French. But, 2014 is the year of the dragon and I am a dragon, so look out!

Here are some fun trivia facts about New Year’s Day.
New Year’s Eve Fun Facts And Trivia: 7 Details About The History Of The Last Day Of The Year
By Susmita Baral | Dec 31 2013, 09:00AM EST

New Year’s Eve Fun Facts & Trivia MrGarry/Shutterstock

1. Ever wonder how January 1 became the start of the new year? This date goes back to when Julius Caesar debuted the Julian Calendar and set the date to be the first date of the year after he reformed the calendar in 46 BC. New Years day was dedicated to Janus, the god of gates and beginnings, by the Romans.

2. As for New Year’s Eve traditions, the most popular one each year is to lose weight. But the act of creating resolutions dates as far back as the ancient babylonians who made resolutions to their gods at the beginning of each year. This act was followed through by the Romans, who made resolutions to the god Janus, and the act of making vows of self-improvement has carried through since then. Fun fact: According to Forbes, a mere 8 percent of people actually achieve their New Year’s resolution.

3. The traditional fare on New Year’s Eve is black eyed peas, as it is believed to bring good luck to the consumer. The peas are believed to have become a symbol of luck during the Civil War, when Union soldiers raided Confederate food supplies and left behind the peas and salted pork, which left the Confederate soldiers well fed through the winter.

4. Another tradition for the new year is to kiss at the stroke of midnight, which roots back to an old English and German folklore. According to the folklore, a couple should kiss at midnight for a promising year and singles should kiss (or not kiss) to set the tone for their relationship status in the year to come.

5. Champagne is the beverage of choice on New Year’s Eve, but many do not know that in order for a sparkling wine to be champagne, it must be produced in Champagne, France. There are over 300 million bottles produced there and the history of creating wine and champagne dates back to the 17th century. Note: Latinos also have a grape-related tradition that entails eating 12 grapes at midnight with each strike of the clock. Each grape represents the months of the year and consuming them is supposed to be good luck.

6. The annual Time Square ball drop is one of the most-watched events of the year, with one million visitors going to Time Square, millions of Americans tuning in to their television screen and billions around the world watching the ball drop. The ball, aka the center of attention, is made of Waterford Crystal pieces and weighs well over a thousand pounds. The only two years the ball drop did not take place was 1942 and 1943, due to war restrictions.

7. Auld Land Syne was written by Robert Burns in the 1700’s, which is sung every year at midnight as part of New Year’s Eve tradition. The song originates from Scotland, but is an international tradition carried on around the world. The lyrics, which can be found here, include: Should auld acquaintance be forgot, And never brought to mind? Should auld acquaintance be forgot, And auld lang syne. For auld lang syne, my jo, For auld lang syne, We’ll tak a cup o’ kindness yet, For auld lang syne, And surely ye’ll be your pint-stowp! And surely I’ll be mine! And we’ll tak a cup o’ kindness yet, For auld lang syne.
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Here’s my version of black eyed peas…Texas caviar. Just open up jars and cans, a few spices, oil and apple cider vinegar. Refrigerate overnight. Serve with Tostito chips. I like the scoops.

Happy new year my friends!!!!