Raise A Glass - Jan 1, 2017

It's a big day around here: not only is it New Year's Day, but today is also my husband's birthday and my parents' anniversary. 

Here in the South, everyone eats black-eyed peas on New Year's Day, which makes me glad I'm from New Jersey. They say eating black-eyed peas will bring you luck in the coming year, and it's supposed to have something to do with the Civil War and the Yankees not bothering to destroy the stocks of dried peas as Sherman marched to the sea, thus leaving the starving Southerners enough food to survive the winter, blah blah blah. Sounds both made up and not particularly lucky, if you ask me.

The traditional New Year's Eve meal down here also includes stewed hog jowls and collard greens, in case you were wondering.

We opted for homemade spaghetti and meatballs, a crisp Italian salad, and breadsticks, instead. There was a lot of garlic involved, which should prove lucky if anyone encounters a vampire on their way home.

Lest you think I'm a terrible Southerner, you should know I didn't eschew everything Texas this New Year's: I made a homemade pecan pie for dessert, since it's my husband's favorite. Of course, I also made a pumpkin pie, since my sister used roughly three cups of salt in the one she brought at Thanksgiving, and I've been craving a pumpkin pie that doesn't taste like a salt lick ever since. (I think she did it on purpose, to get out of pie-duty for future Thanksgivings.)

That was our New Year's Day. I have so much fear and sadness about the coming year (and the three following it), but today it was nice to focus on family and food and friends and just forget about the rest of the world for a little bit.

So raise a glass ...and know that you have my best wishes for a happy new year.