New Year's Good Luck Soup

Good Evening and Happy 2012!


I wish each and everyone of you a Happy and Healthy New Year.  Today is a fresh new start for many and I am looking forward to all the changes that lay ahead.  To start the year out right we made a New Year's Good Luck Soup.  Our Good Luck Soup is made with Black-Eyed Peas, Greens, Brown Basmati Rice and a broth that was made with a Ham Bone to cover all bases.

What to Eat to Bring Good Luck

• Black-eyed peas and lentils eaten on New Year’s Day are said to bring riches and safety to the coming year.
• Cooked greens, including cabbage, collards, kale, and chard, are consumed at New Year's in different countries for a simple reason — their green leaves look like folded money, and are thus symbolic of economic fortune.
  
• Eating pork on New Year’s Day is lucky because pigs eat moving forward. Therefore, those who eat pork will move forward in the coming year.

New Year's Good Luck Soup

recipe from Steve White

1 tbsp olive oil

1 small onion, diced

2-3 cloves garlic, minced

3 stalks celery, chopped

6-8 cups water

1 ham-bone

1 bag frozen black-eyed peas

1 bag frozen mixed greens- collard, mustard and kale

3/4 cup brown basmati rice

sea salt and black pepper, to taste

Heat olive oil in a large dutch oven over medium heat.  Add onion, garlic and celery and sauté for 3-5 minutes.  Add water, ham-bone and black-eyed peas.  Simmer for 1 hour.  Then add in rice and greens and cook for an additional 45 minutes or until rice is cooked.  Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Super Simple and Super Tasty!

I added a side of Kale Salad for extra good luck!

Avocado, Apple, Pecan Kale Salad

*1 bunch of kale, thick stems removed and coarsely chopped
*sea salt and freshly ground pepper
*1 small garlic clove, peeled and minced
*1 tablespoons olive oil
* juice of one lemon
*1 ripe avocado, diced
*1 honeycrisp apple, diced
*1 cup thinly sliced red cabbage
*1 large handful of toasted pecans

Preparation:

1. Place kale in a large bowl. Add salt, garlic, olive oil and lemon. Mix very well, “massaging” the greens for about 3 minutes.

2. Add apple, avocado and cabbage into the kale mixture. Top with toasted pecans. 

Yum!

I actually started 2012 off by going to work this morning and training all my favorite clients:)   All my clients are my favorite clients!

After work we went on a family hike in Forest Park to start 2012 off on a healthy note. It was a beautiful day and a balmy 50 degrees.  

I now have to sit down and actually write down all my goals for 2012.  I have a lot of things I want to accomplish this year and I find that if I actually write them down they just might come to fruition.  

But before I head out I will post a few of the highlights of the past few days:

 A Happy Girl.

All geared up and ready to go!

Emmet and I at Timberline.

Mr. Emmet!

2012 Family Hike

Ms. Zoe on the slopes.

Ms. Zoe

Last run of 2011 at Mount Tabor.

Happy New Year's Everyone!