Southern Style New Year Day Feast

There are some traditions that are worth carrying on from year to year, some may even call the traditions superstitions, which ever you chose to call it, the food is still wonderful.

I am old school, deep south cook. I know all the very delicious bad for me dishes and I know all the new wave be healthy dishes. January 1st. is a day to lick your greasy fingers with the old school cook in me.

The Menu :

Collards

Black eyed pea patties

Venison meatloaf

Iron skillet baked cornbread

New York style cheesecake

I will have to say that I already had everything in the stockpile. The collards I grew in my own garden and I had put it away in the deep freezer. The black eyed peas came from the dry goods stock from my pantry and the Venison is the deer Tony bagged and that is in the deep freezer. 

I am sure that everyone knows to just boil the collards till done, add salt and sweetener to taste. Optional : toss in a couple pieces of ham during the last 15 minutes of cooking.

As for the meatloaf venison, you just prepare it as you would any ground meat you use for a meatloaf.

I make the New York style cheesecake using the  recipe that is on the cream cheese package.

To the once a year new year day feast - Black eyed pea patties! I never make these but on new year day.

What you`ll need to make black eyed pea patties :

1 - can or 2 cups of cooked black eyed peas

2 - tablespoons of flour

1- egg

1 cup finely chopped onion

1 cup diced ham (optional)

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

A dash of red pepper and salt

Oil

Pour the peas in a large bowl, slightly mash them. 

Add the flour and the egg, mix well.

Add the salt, red pepper and garlic powder, mix.

Add the onions, mix well. Optional : add diced ham.

Over medium high heat add a little oil, just enough to barely cover the bottom, add heaping spoonfuls. 

Fry till the edges are browning before flipping to the other side to brown. 

Remove from skillet into paper towels.

Now that is how to do a Southern style new year day feast!

By Andria Perry

Photo By Andria Perry

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4 Easy No Bake Sweet Treats

I know that it is just about a couple of weeks before Christmas but many of us bakers have to prepare because that is what we give, the labor of out love as gifts. For the most part you can make kids happy with candy or cookies anytime and that elderly person that has everything always enjoys sweet treats as gifts.

I really love a fast and easy way to make sweets without turning on the oven and pulling out the flour so I am going to share a few recipes I have learned along the way from many different cooks that has been in my life at one time or another.

#1 - Black and Whites

 You`ll need :

Saltine crackers

White chocolate - bark or morsels

Milk chocolate or semi sweet- bark or morsels 

Peanut Butter

Wax paper

Take two crackers and put a thin coat of peanut butter inside. Make up as many as you want. 

Melt Milk chocolate in microwave, stirring each minute till melted. 

Dip one side into the chocolate and lay on wax paper to cool.

Melt white chocolate in microwave, stirring each minute till melted.

Dip the other side in the white chocolate and lay on wax paper to cool.

Store in ziploc container.

#2 Chocolate covered peanuts and raisins

 You`ll need :

Raisins 

Roasted peanuts

Milk Chocolate or semi sweet - morsels or bark

wax paper

Line two baking dishes with wax paper. On one pour raisins and smooth them out to make a single later, do the same with the peanuts in a separate dish.

Melt Chocolate in microwave, stirring each minute till melted.

Pour over raisins and peanuts. 

Let cool completely. 

Break into pieces and store in a ziploc container.

#3 Butterscotch drops

 You`ll need :

Butterscotch morsels

1/2 cup of peanut butter

1 cup roasted peanuts, chopped

Line a cookie sheet with wax paper.

Melt butterscotch morsels in the microwave, stirring after a minute. repeat till melted.

Add peanut butter and peanuts. Mix thoroughly . 

Drop from spoon to make little round mounds.

Chill for one hour. Store in a ziplic container.

There ya go! a few of my quick fix crowd pleasing sweet treats. 

By Andria Perry

Photo By Andria Perry

5 Ingredient No cook cheese pie - Cooking With Angie

I don`t recall the year but I know who was the first that I made this no cook cheese pie for the very first time, that would be my father who had diabetes. Its low on the sugar side so its perfect for that diabetic with a sweet tooth, well and for anyone else for that matter.

With just 5 ingredients and no cooking whatsoever this is also perfect for the children to make with or without supervision.

You Will Need : 

1 block of cream cheese

1/2 cup sweetener

1 tablespoon of vanilla flavor

1 tub of cool whip

Graham crackers 

Lay the cream cheese out on the counter to get soft, about 2 hours.

In a bowl put the block of cream cheese and whip it with a spoon till smooth.

Add vanilla and sweetener, mix well.

Add half of the cool whip and mix till blended, add the rest and hand beat till creamy.

In a pie plate or any serving dish, lay graham crackers on the bottom.

Top with the cream cheese mixture and add a few crackers for decoration.

Your are done!

If you are not fond of Vanilla replace it with lemon extract or orange extract. Add a little lemon or orange zest on tip.

Nut lover? add a handful of toasted pecan over the top.

Coconut lover? Toast a nice handful and add it to the cream cheese mixture, top with cherries.

Key lime! Use a couple spoonfuls of lime juice instead of extract, zest the top with lime.

Not worried about sugar?

How about pineapple? Drain a small can of pineapple tidbits, in a skillet add a couple spoons of brown sugar and cook till thick, drizzle over the top of the cheese pie, leaving chunks of pineapple. 

The topping are endless, just use your imagination and make this no cook cheese pie the way you want to eat it, plain or decked out!

By Andria Perry

Photo By Andria Perry