Saturday, December 26, 2009

Sunday Dinner, December 27, 2009

Well, hello everyone! I trust that everyone had a wonderful Christmas and survived to tell the tale. Lamar and I went to Jessica's for Christmas morning to open gifts with her and Emmy, along with my sisters Cecil and Ducky. Lamar's Mom was also there.

A good time was had by all and we enjoyed a simple Christmas lunch of fried ham sandwiches and Jessica also roasted a turkey and made my Mama's homemade cheesecake for dessert.

There was still plenty of ham left on the bone, so I brought it home and sliced most of it to put in the freezer for sandwiches at a later time.

I'm cooking the ham bone and some of the smaller chunks of ham in a pot of white beans for our Sunday Dinner, very similar to those in the pic to the right. I'll probably make some cornbread to go with the beans and as of right this minute, I have no idea what else I may cook. It may just end up being beans and ham and cornbread.

After all the rich holiday foods, party snacks and candy, I'm craving REAL food. All that fancy stuff is a treat now and then, but it gets old fast and now I want simple, hearty Southern cookin', just like I grew up eating and still cook most of the time.

What's for Sunday Dinner at your place? Or are you still Christmas party-ing? Share your plans in the comments if you'd like.Not much happening around here. All our Christmas activities are behind us and now New Year's is less than a week away. Lamar and I usually spend New Year's Eve at home and it looks like the tradition will continue this year.

We've been invited to my nephew Danny's & Mikki's house for New Year's Day. They're serving a traditional Southern New Year's menu: blackeyed peas cooked with hog jowl bacon, greens and cornbread. Sounds good to me.

For the uninformed, some Southerners wouldn't dream of ushering in the New Year without the traditional New Year's menu.

The blackeyed peas symbolize coins for wealth, the greens symbolize green paper folding money, and the hog jowl symbolizes prosperity because in the past only wealthier people could afford to have meat for their New Year's meal.

If the cornbread symbolizes anything I'm not aware of it. I suspect it just tastes good with peas and greens.

Nowadays it's more of a tradition than a superstition, but many still cling to the old ways and really think it's bad luck not to have peas, hog jowl and greens for New Year's. I like it any day of the year. ;o)I took lots of pictures of Emmy and the rest opening their Christmas gifts, but my camera is in my purse in the living room and I'm here at the computer in the spare room, so I'll try to get those downloaded and share some pics next time I post. Jessica and Jason's divorce should be final in the middle of January and they seem to be doing well with dividing Emmy's time with each of them and making sure Emmy doesn't suffer because they can't get along.

This divorce is not what any of us wanted, but we're all doing the best we can to put Emmy first and make sure her happiness is our main priority.

Thank you all again for your prayers and kind thoughts for Jessica, Jason and Emmy, dear friends.

I still need to study my Sunday School lesson and also check on my beans and ham, so I'll close by wishing you all a healthy, happy and prosperous New Year. May 2010 be the best year we've ever experienced.

May God bless you with all you need and enough to share, dear family and friends.

25 comments:

MightyMom said...

oh wow, I'm first!! how'd that happen??


let's see here. sun will be dinner at my stepmom's for our 4th Christmas (and final) celebration.

for New Year's I've been making black eye'd pea jambalaya the last few years. may have to do the same again...but as I work NY eve and NY day I'm not sure how I'll swing that.

hog jowl I've never had and greens I can take or leave (cabbage has the same meanings) but I must have my black eye peas on new years....it's the only time I eat them too cuz they ain't the best legume God invented...

moreofhim said...

I'm telling ya, Diane, I think we're sisters that were seperated at birth! LOL That's exactly what I'm going to do with our ham bone. The only difference is you call them white beans and I call them navy beans. :) I guess it's the difference in our geography.

Sounds like your Christmas was lovely! I'm so glad you were able to spend it with family - what could be better?

I'm keeping you all in prayer. Take care and enjoy those beaners (as we like to call them). lol

God bless you, my friend!!

Love, Julie

Lakeland Jo said...

Black eye peas, ham jowl, cornbread,White beans ..... All unfamiliar here in the UK but sound fabulous. I would love to come over!! X

amelia said...

We will be out today for dinner so no cooking for me!! Yesterday I made plain spaghetti noodles with tomato sauce and lots of garlic so I'll mark that as mt Sunday dinner!!
I love all kinds of beans too and eat them often.
I hope Jess and Emmy are as well as they can be under the circumstances. It'll be a good thing when the divorce is final and they can get on with their lives although it's always sad to see a marriage end.

Mother Mayhem said...

I'd love some "food" food. I'm tired of all the treats too. That seems weird somehow... God's blessings on you! :o)

Granny Annie said...

Our tradition is ham and black eyed peas and everyone eats at least a tablespoon full of peas whether they like them or not. I was not aware of the need for "greens" so that will be added this year. Glad your Christmas went so well and wish you a Happy Happy New Year!

Betty said...

A big pot of beans with ham and sone good cast iron skillet corn bread sounds so good. I think that is what I will cook for dinner tonight. Glad you had a nice Christmas with family.
~~Hugs~~

Linda said...

I'm so glad you had a good Christmas Diane. Having a little one around always makes it such a joy.
Your menu sounds delicious to me. I love keeping the old traditions.
Wishing you a restful week and then blessings for a blessed New Year. Keeping all of you in prayer.

RennyBA's Terella said...

I'm so glad to hear that things is straiten up with Jessica for the sake of Emma and I've been thinking of it a lot. You know I've been through a divorce too and it also hurt the family and your loved once.

When it comes too cooking, you are so great with left overs too - sounds like a great thing to make out of it.

As you know, we've been through a big feast period, so it's time for some easier food: Diane is making lasagne today.

Happy week ahead is my wish to you accompanied with tons of hugs :-)

kkryno said...

Happy New Year, Dianne!

I hope this one holds a bunch of great things for you and all the ones you love.

:)

Jen NZ said...

what a lovely day you all had :)

On the 30th B14 will take his annual trip to see his grandfather for a week. As D4 is with his dad (for part of the holidays) I will have 5 days to myself. I dont usually see the new year in however I heard theres going to be a free concert in town so Im going to attend that :)

so nice being connected again with all my special friends

off to visit Jess now

hugs
Jen

Belizegial said...

Diane, I will try your recipe with the ham bone except I will use split peas instead. For New Year's day, I will make a black chirmole dinner which is traditional for the tropics and a bit spicy eaten with corn tortillas.

I wish you, Jessica, Emmy and the rest of your family all the best in 2010.

Enid

Mountain Mama said...

I'm glad you all had a nice Christmas Diane. I know the separation makes things strained the first year or so but the Lord will heal the broken hearts. You all have the right plan in doing everything you can to help dear little Emmy through this. You are good people!!!
Thanks for the info about the black eyed peas and hog jowl.I hadn't heard that before. As for the cornbread, It's good with everything!! Be it black eyed peas or sirloin steak!
One time mom had a cast Iron skillet with freshly baked cornbread sitting on the wood heater to keep it warm while dinner finished cooking. I was expecting my first baby then and was visiting my folks. That cornbread really got the best of me and by the time mom took it to the table half of it was gone. I was so embarassed I nearly cried but my dear mama just had a good hard laugh while telling me how she ate a one pound box of soda crackers at her mother in law's house when she was expecting me and the craving struck her.
I will be making some turkey noodle soup tomorrow. Some of my daughters and granddaughters are coming to watch the Thomas Kincaid movie with me and will have supper here. I was going to bake bread but cornbread sounds better! :)
Thanks for sharing your lovely Christmas with us and I pray you and your loved ones will have a really great New Year.
God Bless all.

Rachel said...

Hi Diane! Your beans with ham sounds so good. I grew up on beans, cornbread, greens, and fried taters! Nothing better! We never did the New Year's thing though and I never heard of it until I was grown up, as I recall anyway. I don't recall eating black eyed peas as a child.

My dinner today was at the Cracker Barrel. Catfish, fried okra, pinto beans, cornbread, and mashed potatoes, and sweet tea. All good!!

Hugs!!

miss g said...

BSH!so tired cant write much else but your on my mind and in my heart, all of you are Sister friend xoxoxoxoxoSugarplums for Lil Emmyxoxoxo

Putz said...

i appretiate all the skinny on emmy and jess, and it was nice to go to her on her chritmas and not visa versa, i am also preparing sunday school lessons weekly, and a first,,, gi gi commented on my blog, glory be to the lord

violetlady said...

Diane, I see you are doing comment moderation also. I have been having some nasty stuff/spam left on my blog so have also enabled comment moderation. Very discouraging, isn't it? I am glad you had a good Christmas despite the divorce issue. You are so right - Emmy comes first. My custom handed down from my mother is to make "hoppin' john" New Years Day. Just blackeyed peas with ham or bacon mixed with rice. My husband hates it so I eat it all myself!

nancygrayce said...

I think I may live dangerously and not make black eyed peas OR collard greens this New Years day!

I am thinking about Jessica and praying things will go smoothly for Emmy!

Brenda said...

Glad you had a wonderful Christmas. I know it's a couple days late, but we actually had pinto beans and cornbread tonight for dinner. I feel the same. After all the rich foods of Christmas, having a simple, yummy dinner of a pot of beans makes sense and tastes so good!

boomama said...

Sister and I are sitting here drinking coffee and wondering what y'all are up to in Arkansas. :-) Happy New Year!

Jess said...

love you

Lucy Stern said...

Diane, we make sure we have the black eyed peas and we have cabbage with your New Years dinner. I wish you a very Happy New Year....

Praying for Jessica, Jason and Miss Emily... My heart breaks for her, I hope she and Jason can come back together....

Mother Mayhem said...

Happy New Year! :o)

http://tryingtodoethgood.blogspot.com/

Love, Lisa

Dick said...

I see that I've beaten you posting your New Year's Day post and the menu for this Sunday, so I'll just say Happy New Year to you and all your family!

the voice of melody said...

I'm glad you had a nice Christmas Diane. I hope the new year brings you and your family much happiness and love. Sending {hugs} your way.