Friday, January 2, 2009

Luck-n-Money

Heaven knows we need them both.

Re:Cap New Years Day 2009

Here at ThirteenEleven, we need all the luck and folding money we can get. Thus, I drug my bright eyed self out of bed after getting home at.....cough....3:30 and washed the collard greens. (Remember the husband is a drummer in a band that had a gig New Years Eve.)



We had greens last year. Meaning....we should have had plenty of folding money if you are one to believe all the folklore. Maybe it was the poor economy in 2008, or maybe we did not eat enough greens, but folding money was short in 2008. Or maybe...it really, actually had absolutely nothing to do with the greens. Just in case.... I made myself get up to cook the greens. The consequences of not having the greens would keep me up at night.


Actually....with the state of the economy....why wasn't everyone eating greens? Where were the public service announcements blipping below the Rose Bowl parade reminding citizens, "Help the Economy....Eat your Greens." Instead of bailouts for the big three....send them turnip greens. When the banks come knocking at the federal door, cup in hand, fill it with collards. Worth a try? Maybe?


I digress...


We also had peas. Black Eye peas. For luck and/or pocket change. Some insist on dried peas. Me, I normally have plenty of formerly farm fresh peas in the freezer. I use those.





And for all the Pot-likker both of these dishes produce, I made cornbread. Cornbread for sopping up all the delicious juice. We also had pork roast, baked sweet potatoes, and corn.

I then took a nap during a football game.

____________________________________________

Do you have any New Years Day traditions? Things you feel like you just gotta do, or the whole year might be unlucky. Any special foods you eat?

Or maybe things NOT to do on the new year. Things like....Not washing clothes on New Years Day or you will have bad luck. ( I did not wash, and would NOT allow Chris to wash.)


Best of Luck to you in 2009.

17 comments:

Anonymous said...

Jenni, Those are definitely pink-eyed, purple hull peas, NOT black-eyed peas. You are doomed, doomed I tell ya...

Natalie at Our Old Southern House said...

i am probably the only southerner who does not eat: black eyes pies, turnips (or their greens), or collard greens. we were invited to my grandmother's for the annual new year's day lunch of ham, black eyed peas, collard greens, and cracklin' cornbread. i knew if i walked in the door i would yack so we pulled the pregnancy card and said i didn't feel good. haha!!

Jen said...

Natalie- LOL You only have a few more days to pull that card. Though...I am surprise....since you had that huge garden and all.

Joanne said...

We had creamed herring for New Year's Eve--meant to bring luck for the year--and I jingled a coin in my pocket at midnight in hopes of attracting money for the year. Unfortunately, the first person to visit The Box House in the new year was a red headed man (red hair=unlucky, black hair=lucky), our tenant from upstairs, although he did bring the rent check with him, so all is good.

modernemama said...

We eat some kind of beans or legumes. This year it was Green (Puy) lentils with diced salami as a side dish. And I'm not superstitious but New Year's Day is the only day I don't do laundry.

Bungalow in the Hollow said...

We are in the pickled herring camp too. No cream sauce though. Heavens, no! Wine sauce.
{Not sure why, just the way it has always been}


Normally we bang pots and pans outside, but this year we didn't want to test the neighborliness that our relatively new neighbors have shown to us, lol.

It turns out it didn't matter. The whole neighborhood was shooting off fireworks!

Happy 2009 to you as well :)

lizzie said...

Originally from Houston, my family always had ham, cabbage, and black-eyed peas with cornbread on New Year's Day--very similar to your meal!

I really like your ideas about no laundry (why didn't I see this before yesterday?) and sending greens to the Big Three. Now that's a bailout!

Marilyn said...

Jenni, I am loving all this Southern feast talk, and getting hungry, too.

We have this cheddar-sherry spread thing I make for every single holiday, and like all spirited-up cheeses, it gets better with each day. So we leave a big crock of it around on New Year's Day, and every time you pass it, you dip celery or spread a chunk of bread or something. I don't know if it brings us luck...but it certainly brings pleasure and calories.

Happy New Year - hope your 2009 is full of wonderful things!

pedalpower said...

Black eyed peas and greens...all my southern relatives eat this on New Year's day. Maybe I should take it up...I could use a little more folding money too!!!

Why S? said...

I didn't know about the greens thing. Does it have to be collard greens? Does spinach count?

I try to have black-eyed peas. This year I made a dip that we ate with tortilla chips. Last year I made a taco salad with black eyed peas.

I love your Eat your Greens message. May 2009 be more green in all ways.

Jen said...

Why S- Spinach would count, I think even cabbage.

Pedalpower- Welcome and yes you too should give it a try. I could not hurt, and if you did not cook the greens with bacon, they may be healthy.

Marilyn- You've been holding out on the cheddar sherry spread. Sounds yummy.

Bliss- I use to eat cabbage as a kid because I would not touch the collards or turnips.

BITH and Joanne- I have never had pickled herring. Humm....

Modernemama- It is just a good day not to do laundry considering the superstition and plus it is a good excuse.

Rechelle said...

Sorry about the lost link Jenni - I think I lost more than one in the from one widget to another. Loooove that stainless steel table and we have matching Grey Gardens loot from Jean Martha.

Unknown said...

I guess I'm going to have to rent Grey Gardens. And I haven't eaten black eyed peas in a long time. I like them in salsa-ish dip-ish stuff but eaten as they should be eaten requires a glass of water and taking them like a pill! ummm and no to the greens also!

Larry said...

Hey Jenni -

Yup...we had our Greens-n-Peas as well.

Hopefully the money will come to both of us!!!

April said...

Jenni,
I made my first good luck meal this year. But I forgot the darn greens! Now my folding money will be shot to H E double hockey sticks!!! Oh, but I made banana bread pudding with rum sauce...maybe that could make up for the lack of greens.

Jennifer said...

We're really boring for new years... we don't even stay up unless someone else has made plans for us!

That food looks YUMMY, though... might have to start that.

Brenda said...

We had just about exactly what you did - black eyed pea soup (dried though, no gardens this year since we spent the summer building the shop) with ham and a handful of greens just to be official and cornbread, too. I didn't do laundry, but only because our lines have been backing up and it requires staying around in the laundry room to make sure water doesn't back up - I like that you're not supposed to, though!