Happy New Year!

I find the older I get the more I'm just like my mother. I see her sometimes when I look in the mirror. And just as quickly as she appears, she is gone again and I just can't put my finger on what it is. But there are other things, too, like my giant cookbook collection, the sagging shelves of books, my love of  No Peek Chicken, my regular use of Retin A, and the fact that I love to decorate for Christmas just as soon as Thanksgiving dinner is over. But the one thing I love to do that my mother always did? Eat black eyed peas on New Year's Day. I remember eating black-eyed peas on New Years Day for, well, as long as I can remember. We didn't have many traditions, religious or otherwise, when I was young, but we lived in the "south" (Florida, South Carolina, and Virginia) so this was one of the few. Not part of the tradition? The preparation. I don't know exactly how she made them, but I've made them part of our new year's tradition since I've been married. This year, I fell back on one of my old favorites, Texas Caviar. It's certainly not as fancy as it sounds although it doesn't really sound very fancy at all (kind of like black gold) but it tastes like a million dollars and won't disappoint. Sadly, they haven't made me rich, but they do give me something to look forward to at the first of every year.

Texas Caviar (my version)
1/2 red onion, chopped
1 green pepper, chopped
2 plum tomatoes, chopped
2 c. corn
2 (15 oz.) cans of black eyed peas
4T. olive oil
2T. red wine vinegar
4 cloves of garlic, minced
2 t. cumin
1 t. oregano
1 t. salt

Combine first 5 ingredients in a bowl. In a separate bowl wisk together the olive oil, red wine vinegar, garlic, cumin, oregano, and salt. Sprinkle with fresh pepper and pour over bean mixture. Refrigerate for 1 hour. Serve with tortilla chips.

Best wishes for a blessed (and prosperous) new year!!

XOXO