The 12 Days of Christmas #12

Christmas is over, the goose got fat, did YOU put a penny in the old man's hat?

Oh, the fun we had this month! The excitement of putting up a Christmas tree and marveling at the decorations, the Christmas cookie making, the exclamations of "Christmas!" whenever Little L saw something remotely beautiful in shades of red or green. Not to mention the special times spent with family and friends starting way back in early November with a trip to Pennsylvania.
And speaking of Pennsylvania, I've carried some really great traditions this way -- many of them food related. When I was growing up, my family traditionally went out for a nice meal on New Year's Eve. We always looked forward to it and my sister and I often chose the restaurant weeks in advance. It was an opportunity to dress up and act like an adult in a special place and we loved it!Sometimes I still get the urge to dress up and act like an adult , but anyway, Danish Cowboy and I will take the kids to the local bar/restaurant tonight where they are serving prime rib and scampi and that's it and don't order anything else or you'll be tossed out. Not really true on that list bit -- the proprietors are very good to our family and my kids love to go eat there! It's the last day to celebrate our good fortune this year and we like to end it with a special treat. For tomorrow, we'll also follow the Pennsylvania Dutch tradition of pork and sauerkraut.
I was told growing up that we had pork and sauerkraut on New Year's Day because if you start the year poor, you'll end up rich. A similar philosophy held by the Pennsylvania Dutch is that the pig is a symbol of luck and cabbage a symbol of money, thus preparing it together and consuming it as a family will bring you prosperity and good times for the coming year. I never liked pork and sauerkraut until I grew up and carried the tradition into Danish Cowboy's world. He is a man who believes greatly in tradition (and being a farmer needs all the good luck he can get). He now insists that we have it every year.


So tomorrow, break out the crock pot. Throw in a pork roast, some sauerkraut, a diced apple and some brown sugar. At meal time, make some mashed potatoes (real mashed potatoes, please). And enjoy your luck and fortune in 2010. See you on the flip side!