Tradition, Tradition!

I like traditions.  I like making them and keeping them.  So, for New Year's 2012 we had our traditional meal of black-eyed peas, greens and cornbread.  Despite finding a recipe last year that I really liked and that the boys willingly ate, I tried some new ones this year.  A friend sent me one, for which I will be forever grateful, and the other I found at the 11th hour as I thought for the umpteenth time, "how can I make eating spinach exciting?"  The first recipe is from the Pioneer Woman and it is the best way I have ever eaten or served black-eyed peas.  Seriously.  

Try it, you'll see, it's delicious!

 

Zannie's Black-Eyed Pea Dip

this is the Pioneer Woman's photo, but mine looked nearly identical

I didn't put jalapenos in mine and I added some onion powder, but otherwise I followed the recipe exactly and this dip was scrumdiddlyumptious!

I used the following recipe for our greens.  The bacon really pushed it over the edge, because let's face it, bacon is basically perfect and alone or paired with something else it is almost impossible for it to fail to please.  It's a simple recipe and it took just minutes to make (two things that make my heart sing!).

Spinach and Bacon Recipe

image from here

And, of course, we had cornbread.  Really crunchy, buttery, full of corn pieces, cornbread.  It was good eats folks and a delicious way of keeping this tradition alive.