Happy New Year!

The tradition in our family for New Year's Day requires that we eat Black-Eyed Peas for Luck and Greens for Money. I've never been a fan of either of these dishes, but I eat them this one day a year anyway....why tempt fate? We usually have a Baked Ham and Cornbread to accompany the meal, but this year I'm making the Kalua Pig in a Slow Cooker that I tried a couple of months ago (recipe on this site and @ allrecipes.com) and I'm making Baked Corn instead of regular cornbread.

This will be the first year that I don't make something for dessert but my blood sugar has been up the last couple of days - probably because of the Nyquil I'm swigging every night because I'm sick! - so I'm not going to tempt myself with cake. However, I'm going to give you the recipe for my favorite New Year's Cake because it's awesome and delicious with this meal, and what I had planned to make today before my cold screwed everything up!


Black-Eyed Peas

16-oz pkg black-eyed peas, rinsed and picked over
1 hunk of smoked turkey wing (or whatever smoked meat you prefer)
1 large onion, roughly chopped
48 oz carton chicken broth
1/2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
Salt & Pepper to taste

Place all ingredients in crock pot, turn it on low and cook until the peas are tender. Taste for seasoning, add salt & pepper if needed.

Many Southerners serve this as "Hoppin' John" by combining the peas with cooked rice, but my family's always eaten them plain, in a small bowl. Since my husband adores rice and could eat the stuff with every single meal no matter what's on the menu, I usually make some for him on New Year's. I'm such a good wife!


Turnip Greens

3 (16-oz pkgs) frozen turnip greens
1 (16-oz pkg) frozen turnip greens with chopped turnips
1/4 cup sugar
2 hunks smoked turkey wings
Salt & Pepper to taste
1/2 jar hot pickled peppers or hot cherry peppers
Water

Combine all ingredients in a really big pot with enough water to cover the greens by about 1 inch. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer a couple of hours or until done. Serve with extra hot pickled peppers and a drizzle of vinegar.

This makes a lot, but since my family will devour this in a quest to manifest a prosperous year for themselves, I never have any leftovers!


Baked Corn

1 cup melted butter
15.25 oz can whole kernel corn, drained
14.75 oz can cream style corn
1/2 cup sour cream
2 eggs
15-oz pkg Corn Muffin Mix

Preheat oven to 350^F. Combine all ingredients in a large bowl; mix well. Pour into a 9x13" pan. Bake for 35 to 45 minutes or until done.

This was OK...I had a problem personally with the texture (too squishy) but it had a nice flavor.


Williamsburg Orange Cake

2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
3/4 tsp salt
1 1/2 cups buttermilk
1/2 cup butter, softened
1/4 cup Crisco
3 eggs
1 1/2 tsp vanilla
1/2 cup golden raisins, cut up
1/2 cup finely chopped walnuts
1 tbsp grated orange peel

Heat the oven to 350^F. Grease and flour three 8-inch round layer pans. Beat all ingredients in a large mixer bowl on low speed, scraping bowl constantly for 30 seconds. Beat on high speed, scraping occasionally for 3 minutes. Pour into pans. Bake until a wooden pick inserted incenter comes out clean, about 30-35 minutes. Cool. Frost with:

Williamsburg Butter Frosting

1/2 cup butter, softened
4 1/2 cups powdered sugar
4-5 tbsp orange juice
1 tbsp grated orange peel

Beat ingredients until smooth and spreadable.

I've made this cake for New Year's Day more often than any other dessert and everyone always loves it. It's a pain to chop those raisins and grate the oranges but it is so worth it. I've also made this with dried cranberries instead of the golden raisins and that was really good too. Or you can leave the raisins out entirely which I'm not opposed to since I personaly usually pick them out anyway. This recipe was in the very first cookbook I ever bought back in the late '70's and which is now missing it's back cover and half the pages are about to fall out...Betty Crocker's Cookbook!