New Year's Day

Every year, on January 1, we eat the same meal. Fresh pork, mashed potatoes and sauerkraut. This is a Schuylkill County, Pennsylvania tradition -- and it does not matter if you are Irish, Polish or Italian, English, African-American, Dutch or French -- you eat this meal. It brings you good luck -- something about pigs "rooting ahead"....and so far, it's working.

I love setting the table with Aunt Rozella's silver...Spring Glory...


And of course, I love using the good china...Coaching Scenes...


This year -- I invited Uncle Melvin and his wife Kathy. The menu is: Pork roast, mashed potatoes, sauerkraut, homemade chunky applesauce, a big relish tray and POPOVERS. Yumm-o. Kathy is bringing a Rum Cake...

The meal was FABULOUS. The star is a very large fresh pork shoulder roast. After two hours, the temp was up to 140, so I poured off the fat and surrounded the roast with two large jars of Frank's sauerkraut. My mother-in-law always cut an apple in quarters and nestled it into the kraut -- so I do that, too. (I pick it out and throw it away before serving the kraut).


Uncle Melvin and Kathy have never had popovers...and THAT IS ALWAYS SO MUCH FUN.


When they walked in the door -- I had just put the popovers in the oven. Kathy and I watched them raise up like it was a TELEVISION SHOW. They were perfect. Really wonderful with this meal...


Kathy's run cake was TO DIE FOR. It was sooo rich and moist. With a pecan crunch on the top...the perfect ending to my holiday over-eating!!

The very next day -- I got on the treadmill and walked for 2 miles. I enjoyed the holidays but IT'S OVER NOW.

I am quite sure eating fresh pork with mashed potatoes and sauerkraut is why I have such good luck...so I'm very optimistic about 2012...

HAPPY NEW YEAR!