I’ve read about different customs for ensuring good luck in the new year. The one that we have stuck with is making and eating black eyed peas on New Years Day.  I’ve been taking it seriously. One year I burned the first batch of good luck beans and was racing to make the second batch before midnight. I think we ate them with only a few minutes to spare! (a late night good luck snack)  This year I made them on New Years Eve. We ate them at midnight and again the next day for lunch. I think this is my new way to do it.

I’ve cooked the good luck beans a few different ways. For good luck:

1 1/2 cups black eyed peas

6 cups h2o

1/2 cup red and green bell pepper

1/2 cup yellow onion

1+ cup ham

1 celery stalk

1/3 cup carrots

5 cloves garlic

1/2 tsp. salt

1/4 tsp. cumin

1/4 tsp. old bay

soak beans for 2-4 hours

chop onion, peppers, garlic,and ham

Add to pressure cooker with salt and h2o

bring to pressure for 30 mins

Add cumin and old bay

finely chop carrot

This year’s way:

rinse 1 lb.(a bag) of blackeyed peas

Add to pressure cooker

Add leftover Christmas ham bone

Add 1/2 onion

Add 6 cups h2o

Bring to pressure for 30 mins

When the pressure comes down pull out ham bone, pick off ham to add back in

Add 1/2 green pepper 1/2 red pepper 1/2 onion 5 garlic cloves 1/4 tsp cumin 1/4 tsp old bay

Simmer

Turned out yummy

Bake some homemade bread to go with it