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Lucky New Year's Dishes

Hi Betty! My grandmother used to make black-eyed peas on New Year’s – for good luck, she said. Do you have a recipe? Or any other suggestions for traditional “good luck” New Year’s dishes? --Susan
Happy New Year's to you, Susan! Oh my goodness – my Grandma Hazel was a proponent of black-eyed peas as well.  She used to tell us that however many black-eyed peas you ate on New Year’s would predict how many days of good luck you’d have in the year to come. You’ll be able to down quite a few peas with New Year’s Black-Eyed Peas and Hoppin’ John Salad. Both of those recipes include pork, which is also a traditional good-luck New-Year’s food in many cultures – something about pigs digging in the ground in a forward motion and therefore always looking ahead. Indeed, Southerners like to dine on pork and collard greens (representing money) on New Year’s Day. So you might want to try Southern Chicken & Greens, which includes bacon playing the part of the pork. Cabbage played the role of representing money in good-luck dishes in Northern Europe, so Noodles & Fried Cabbage (also featuring the requisite bacon!) might also be in order on New Year’s day.

What Others Have To Say

Hi Terry! You can sign up for the Cooking Village/Grandma's Kitchen e-newsletter in the upper right of this page, where it says "Recipe GiveAway." (Thanks for letting us know about the signup problem at GreatMealsinUnder30.com -- we'll get that taken care of!)

--Grandma Betty

How do I sign up for the easy everyday, cooking village & great meals e-mails? I clicked on the ad on great meals but it won't let me in. Thanks for the info. I really enjoy your websites.

  • Question

    Back in the 1990′s I collected Easy Everyday Cooking recipe cards. There was a recipe for ‘cheesy chicken roll-ups,’ with pounded chicken breasts stuffed with spinich, and I think ricotta & mozzarella. I secured them with toothpicks and remember browning in skillet, after that my mind goes blank. There was a cheese sauce that was poured over the stuffed rolled breasts baked in the oven. I’ve been looking for this recipe for almost 5 years, since noticing that it walked off somewhere. Can you help?

    —Patty

    May 2012
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    Hello Betty! I want to make snickerdoodles but every one I have tried isn’t soft! What recipe should I use? --Briana
    March 2012
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    I grind my own wheat to make bread for my son, who is allergic to many food items. The problem is getting the bread to rise…. Do you have any ideas? --Nancy
    March 2012
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    I would like to make potato salad that stays creamy, like what you buy at the store. Mine are always dry; what can I do to make it good? Thank you. --Dot
    March 2012
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    I am looking for a recipe for plain pound cake. I understand plain cake can be changed by adding a few things, but all I want is plain old-fashioned pound cake. Thank you.

    —Mrs. Martin

    May 2012
  • Question

    Hi Grandma

    I've been looking for a good recipe to make sticky buns - perhaps I'm just not looking under the right word, but I'm not finding a recipe. Could you help me? I love your recipes... and, since I never knew my grandmother, you are a wonderful addition to my family! :)

    —JoAnn

    May 2012
  • Question

    Do you have any old-fashioned slow cooker recipes with ground beef or steak?

    —Rachel

    January 2013
  • Question

    I have tried multiple ideas for beef and noodles, but they always taste the same to me. (Or I overdo it and it's simply horrible.) There must be a recipe that spruces up a family favorite. ... I am just looking for more flavor - not salty flavor, just more or different flavor. Can it be done? Is it possible to add flavor without losing the tried and true taste? Please advise.

     

    And, thank you for all of your great recipes and ideas. My family loves when I bring home a new recipe from you. :)

    —Kimberly

    May 2012
  • Question
    I recently heard of making stuffing and cooking in muffin tins......what temp and how long do you think? Do you even have a recipe for that? --Jackie
    March 2012
  • Question

    Could you add a recipe for Chicken Croquettes?

    —Elaine

    May 2012
12/16/10
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