New Year's Eve - Hoppin John'

It's the official ending of 2010.

Yesterday I caught up at the Round Up for a while. I had to smile at the Christmas Card (included with this post) which has been on the bulletin board over my desk for years. It was taken on the Roller Coaster at the Myrtle Beach Pavilion in the mid 90s. The caption reads Merry Christmas "Business as Usual at the Roysters"!

This was a great roller coaster that made you scream as it took your stomach away and then soaked everybody when it plunged into a pool of water at the end. It was a thrill.

In looking back on 2010 and on life in general I guess we could all say it's a roller coaster ride. But with all the ups and downs, life really is a thrill. As the saying goes, "Life is not about waiting for the storm to pass. It's about learning to dance in the rain."

And the best part is when friends and family dance together.

So on the last day of the year we will work for a while, then we head out to GWU for basketball. The GWU Women play UNC-CH while the GWU Men play Liberty University. This is the first home game since the pre-season and we are happy that Jay and both teams are at home. Can't think of a better way to spend New Year's Eve.

It was actually nice to be back in the office for a change yesterday. On the way to the Round Up, I stopped at Hamrick Produce to look for our New Year's Day lunch. They had fresh collard greens and streak o'lean as well as fatback and hog jowl. This sounds horrible but it is really tasty and as Daddy pointed out "you just need to eat a little piece". Streak o'lean is my choice over fatback because like the name sounds it has a little streak of lean pork that gives it alot of texture and flavor.

So for luck, prosperity and health we'll cook black eyed peas, collards and streak o'lean tomorrow for New Year's Day. In Lattimore, we typically had fatback, black eyed peas and collards with hot cornbread. Mama usually fixed corn also. I plan to fix the traditional collards and streak o'lean, but I'm makin Hoppin' John which is black eyed peas with peppers served over rice. I love beans and rice. Plus, I'm hoping to have a lot of good luck in 2011!

The following recipe is from Katie Lee on the Early Show this week. This is similar but a healthier version of the way I learned to cook Hoppin' John. The main difference is seasoning with pork instead of with olive oil. Happy New Year's Eve!

Hoppin' John (Katie Lee)

Serves about 6 people

INGREDIENTS:
1 tablespoon olive oil (Mama Crowder would use bacon or fatback grease)
1 medium onion, diced
1 red bell pepper, diced
2 garlic cloves, minced (I use garlic powder when I don't have fresh garlic)
2 15-ounce cans black-eyed peas, rinsed and drained
1/4 cup vegetable broth or water (We would use water or ham broth)
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 green onions, thinly sliced
1/4 cup flat-leaf parsley, minced
Cooked rice
Shredded white cheddar
Hot sauce (optional)

Directions:
1. Heat olive oil in a large saucepan over medium. Add onion, red bell pepper, and garlic. Sauté until onions are translucent, about 5 minutes.

2. Stir in black-eyed peas, broth, salt, and pepper. Reduce heat to low; cook 10 more minutes. Stir in green onions and parsley.

3. Serve on top of cooked rice and garnish with cheese. Add hot sauce, if desired.