Happy New Year Meal!

Serving mystical and mythical power to bring good luck!

I went to my friends with the idea of having a special meal for the clients of the soup kitchen I volunteer! I also went to the Director of Cathedral Community Cares (CCC) with the idea of doing a special meal, and he accepted it. He thought it was a great idea to celebrate the new year! I should mention that I take all of my thoughts to the Director, and he and his staff always have been supportive!

The keys to the meal would be black-eyed peas and collard greens, and both made with turkey! We will make the black-eyed peas with turkey bacon! Black-eyed peas and collard greens are traditionally eaten on New Year's Day across the South to symbolize luck and money in the forthcoming year. Specifically in the South, eating a bowl of black-eyed peas and collard greens have become the standard on New Year's Day. According to celebrated Southern food researcher John Egerton in his book "Southern Food: At Home, On the Road, In History," black-eyed peas are associated with a "mystical and mythical power to bring good luck."

A couple of black-eyed combinations that I might try next year! Black-eyed peas with cornbread represent gold, according to Southern Living. Stew your black-eyed peas with tomatoes, and they become a symbol of wealth and health. One unusual but common New Year's Day black-eyed peas tradition involves putting actual money in the dish. Some add to their "luck" by cooking their pot of peas with a penny or dime inside. Whoever gets the bowl with the coin in it, according to legend, has the best luck for the new year.

Whether you choose to follow the Southern New Year's tradition or not, black-eyed peas are a good source of nutrition.

When we were serving the meal, we were visited by a new face who will run the city! He said, 'Generals don't lead from the back.' His name is Eric Adams, and he used new year's days to come out to different places in the city and show his face! He has many challenges on his plate, and it was great for him to come out and show that he cares about everybody!

I want to thank everybody who helped pull this project together. Once again, it started with an idea and mushroomed from there. So many helped with raising funds, and others gave their time to this cause.

Thanks!

Wishing you health, wealth, and happiness in the New Year ahead!