8:28 AM, my kitchen.

These are the beginnings of black-eyed peas that I’m going to use for hoppin’ john, a peas and rice dish that’s often made on New Year’s Day. Black-eyed peas are said to bring good luck for the new year, and my mother always had a pot of them a-cooking on Jan. 1 when I was growing up. After she soaked them overnight, she made her black-eyed peas with a ham hock, collard greens and a slab of cornbread on the side. Delish!

I’m doing my peas with peppers, onions and bacon, simmered together and serving over rice. I will probably sneak in some kale or some other leafy green in there for color, but not for E’s portion (god forbid a leafy green ever touch his plate!). I then hope to either spoon this over some fresh cornbread biscuits, or spoon it into a whole wheat wrap and eat it in a more portable form.

Either way, I hope to have a warm, comforting dish for Jan. 1 to eat while E and I discuss our 2014 resolutions.

Happy New Year’s everyone!

What are you making for New Year’s Day? Let us know in the comments, or on our Facebook, Twitter and Instagram pages!

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