Can it really be December 31, 2013?  It must be.  I am cleaning myIMG_8114r house like a mad woman and doing all the laundry.  Is there anyone else like me out there?  You feel like you must have the house clean, all the laundry washed, dried and put away.  Oh yes, and the ironing has to be done.  I don’t know what gets into me on December 31st but I go into overdrive.  My dad always said whatever you do on New Year’s Day is what you are going to do all year.  I guess I try to get all of the work out-of-the-way so I can have a relaxing New Year’s Day.  It’s ironic, my dad passed away on New Year’s Day in 1994.  I still miss him and think of him often. I can’t believe it’s been 20 years. I was reflecting about how traditions get started.  In our household we always had pork, sauerkraut, black-eyed peas and mashed potatoes on New Year’s Eve. We never ate until Midnight.

I have my pork, sauerkraut, black-eyed peas and potatoes ready to go.  Oh, but we will eat before Midnight.  The older I get the harder it is to stay up until Midnight.

Here are the recipes for the Pork and Sauerkraut and Black-eyed Peas.

Pork and Sauerkrautphoto (60)

2 lb. bag of Sauerkraut
2 apples, peeled and sliced
2 tablespoons of brown sugar
1 1/2 to 2 pounds of boneless pork loin

Put the sauerkraut in the bottom of a crock pot. Layer the apples on the sauerkraut and sprinkle them with the brown sugar. Put the Pork loin on top of the apples. The fat side of the pork should be on top. Put the lid on the crock pot and cook on high for 4 hours. Turn the crock pot to low and cook for an additional 3 hours. Pork should be fork tender. Shred pork through sauerkraut and apples. Keep warm until time to serve.

Black-eyed Peas

2 pounds of dried Black-eyed Peasphoto (59)
1/2 pound of diced ham
2 teaspoons of ham soup base

Put 2 cups of water in a roaster pan and bring to a boil. Add the Ham Soup Base to the boiling water. Put the diced ham in the boiling water, and add the Black Eyed Peas to the water. When the mixture begins to boil, reduce heat to simmer and cook for approximately 2 hours. The Black Eyed Peas should be fork tender.

Make sure you have mashed potatoes. There is nothing like sauerkraut over mashed potatoes with Black-eyed Peas on the side.

May 2014 be your best year yet.

Until Next Time…From our Butcher Block to your Table.