Friday, December 30, 2011

Do You Eat These??

If you are planning to celebrate the New Year in the Southeast, it is most likely that you will be offered black-eyed peas in some form, either just after midnight or on New Year's Day. From grand gala gourmet dinners to small casual gatherings with friends and family, these flavorful legumes are traditionally, according to Southern folklore, the first food to be eaten on New Year's Day for luck and prosperity throughout the year ahead.
The practice of eating black-eyed peas for luck is generally believed to date back to the Civil War. At first planted as food for livestock, and later a food staple for slaves in the South, the fields of black-eyed peas were ignored as Sherman's troops destroyed or stole other crops, thereby giving the humble, but nourishing, black-eyed pea an important role as a major food source for surviving Confederates.
Today, the tradition of eating black-eyed peas for the New Year has evolved into a number of variations and embellishments of the luck and prosperity theme including:
  • Served with greens (collards, mustard or turnip greens, which varies regionally), the peas represent coins and the greens represent paper money. In some areas cabbage is used in place of the greens.
  • Cornbread, often served with black-eyed peas and greens, represents gold.
  • For the best chance of luck every day in the year ahead, one must eat at least 365 black-eyed peas on New Year's Day.
  • Black-eyed peas eaten with stewed tomatoes represent wealth and health.
  • In some areas, actual values are assigned with the black-eyed peas representing pennies or up to a dollar each and the greens representing anywhere from one to a thousand dollars.
  • Adding a shiny penny or dime to the pot just before serving is another tradition practiced by some. When served, the person whose bowl contains the penny or dime receives the best luck for the New Year, unless of course, the recipient swallows the coin, which would be a rather unlucky way to start off the year.
The catch to all of these superstitious traditions is that the black-eyed peas are the essential element and eating only the greens without the peas, for example, will not do the trick.

This story is from: About.com

Friday, December 23, 2011

Thursday, December 22, 2011

No Photos to share :(

 The Mommie was bad last night... the poor Wittle Itty Bitty Pitty had to stay home when I went out and delivered Christmas meals. I started to go home and get her .. .. but the traffic was like being on the Indy 500. I just wanted to get finished up with my Holiday Giving and get back home. Where I received tons and tons of  happy puppy kisses from her excitement to see ... mean ole me!
I was able to finish up my last volunteer job last nite ..
  Now to get it all together so I can head out of town on Sat to 
spend the day with my reunited grandbabies!!!
MERRY CHRISTMAS 
to all my sweet blogging friends!!!

Tuesday, December 20, 2011

Valentines Swap

Hello Ladies I want to do a Valentines day Swap but don't know what to swap...
I would like some new and fresh ideas :O)
Please leave a post with your fantastic suggestions!

Monday, December 19, 2011

Christmas Blocks

All the blocks are in but one set.. I have sort of been waiting to see if arrives. Since it is the Christmas Holiday things can get blogged down. I have decided for the safety of the blocks.. I am going to send them RIGHT after Christmas.. I want to make sure they have a great chance of returning back home and not getting lost in the Holiday Hustle and Bustle....
Thank you for understanding my safety concerns for your blocks...

Friday, December 9, 2011

Holiday Treats to make your mouth water ;)

Yes ladies it's time for me to share more Chocolate recipes with you! What a great time to try out one of my many posted Chocolate recipes.... Enjoy!!!

Magic in the Middle Cookies 
from:


English Toffee
from: Bake Eat and Love.


Coconut Peaks Candy
Taste of home 

Fudge Any Way You Want It.
at the:
Food Network 

.
Old Family Favorite:


Cherry Mash Candy
1 can sweetened condensed milk
2 pounds confectioners sugar
2 boxes of Instant Cherry Frosting mix
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 large jar of maraschino cherries (101/2 ounce size)
Reserve juice from cherries
Chop the cherries. Then mix all ingredients together. Roll into small balls.
Freeze Now, melt 2 large (12 ounce) packages of chocolate chips and 1 bar of
paraffin. Add to this 1 pound chopped peanuts. Dip the cherry balls into the
chocolate mixture. Put on wax paper to set.

Chocolate Chip Cookies
from What's for Dinner?


Cookie Dough Truffles
The Domestic Mama


Two fun Videos >>>> That Make Me Smile

Saturday, December 3, 2011

Something to Ponder.....

The Difference Between
Kindness and Loving-Kindness

A teacher once asked the class to tell the meaning of loving-kindness. 
A little boy jumped to his feet and replied, 
"Well, if I was hungry and you gave me a piece of bread, 
that would be kindness. 
But if you put a little jam on it, 
that would be loving-kindness."

I wish.....

It's been a bad week for me this week as far as my pain level. I was in bed early most of the week and a couple of days in bed all day.  I'm so happy I get to go to the Dr on Wed and get my pressure point injections... How could anyone be happy getting 6 plus shots in their back and neck....Believe it or not.. I'm Excited!!! Those shots should help me get through most of the winter months along with my pain meds and my TENS unit. I will have to go back in Feb when the pain starts getting to great again. I don't know if you know anything about those shots but they help ease some of the muscle pain, which is an A plus for me in the winter months.
I should feel like a new woman or close too after I go on Wed.. Yeah... because I want to do some more power sewing before Christmas! Your saying to yourself what is power sewing... Well that is where you have this huge list of things in your head that you want to make for everyone in your family.. It's like you will sew ever spare minute and then eek out just a few more if necessary the night before Christmas to get it all done. I have some very fun Ideas in my head that I want to complete.. One thing I really want to do is work on a Christmas Quilt.. I don't know if that will happen before Christmas.. if not right after the New Year. I have received some very wonderful fun blocks over the last few years and I want to put them in to Quilts. Right now they are in a drawer all laid out nice and neat... just waiting on me to do something with them....
I did make myself go Christmas Shopping yesterday for a few hours.. but it was very few then it was back home and lay around!! Yeah for NetFlix ;) It's a MUST I have to feel better this month. The month is caulked full of helping others and doing nice things for family and friends.... Wish me luck on getting everything done that is ole brain has planned in her head ;)