Delicious Black-Eyed Pea Dip for New Year's

Last night for New Year's dinner, we had a bunch of fun appetizers to feel a little festive for the holiday. The girls rounded their dinners out with a Boca (veggie) burger for my eldest and a hot dog for my little one. I was not sure if they would like any of the things I was making for my husband and I, and as it turns out, one appetizer was a HUGE hit with the girls! I have always heard that it's tradition to eat black-eyed peas on New Year's Day to bring luck in the coming year -- I thought, who couldn't use more luck, why not give it a try! I only discovered black-eyed peas this past summer when I started making this great corn/bean salsa recipe that a friend of mine gave me. I could have made that again, but on The Pioneer Woman's website, I found a recipe for a hot bean dip using black-eyed peas, so I thought I'd try it out.

This is the Pioneer Woman's sister-in-law's recipe, which you can find on her website. I made a couple of slight adjustments in the hope that my children would give it a try. They loved it -- especially my little 5-year-old! She started eating it with tortilla chips and eventually gave that up for a fork! I told my husband that we'll have to make this again and we could even put some in a flour tortilla and roll it up for bean burritos!

"Zannie's Black-Eyed Pea Dip" from The Pioneer Woman

Ingredients

1 can (14-ounce) Can Black-eyed Peas
1/4 whole Onion, Chopped Fine --- I used less onion than this
1/4 cup Sour Cream
8 slices Jarred Jalapenos --- I skipped these for the kids
1 cup Grated Sharp Cheddar Cheese
3 Tablespoons Salsa
Hot Sauce, to taste --- I used some Frank's Red Hot
Salt And Black Pepper To Taste

Preparation Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Drain black-eyed peas and partially mash, leaving some whole. Add all other ingredients, stirring to combine. Spread into a 1 1/2 quart baking dish and bake for 20 to 30 minutes until hot and bubbly.

Serve with tortilla chips!

*Note: if you have them available, you can use the canned black-eyed peas and jalapenos (they're canned together.) If you do this, you can omit the extra jalapenos.

Enjoy!

Acting Our Age

I have been a mother for nearly eleven years - more than a quarter of my life! And yet lately, I sometimes still find it hard to believe that I'm the mom... My eldest daughter is going to be 11 in January and she has grown several inches this past year - my husband is over 6' tall and my girl has been blessed with long legs. Lately, when we are walking together, I look over at her and I can look her in the eye! I find that most of the time, in my head, I feel as though I am still about 22... How can I possibly have a child in the 5th grade? Crazy.

The other night my husband and I let her invite two of her best friends over for a sleepover. I took my daughters out to pick the girls up, and on the way back home, I stopped to get gas. I left the girls giggling in the minivan and I got out to pump the gas. Walking to the pump, hearing the girls' laughter, I caught my reflection in the window of my minivan - looking back at me was a mom! When did that happen? We got home and I did all of the mom sleepover things - asking the kids what they liked on their pizza, what would they like to drink, let's make sure that everyone has enough blankets, etc. Coming downstairs in the middle of the night to tell the girls (again) that it was time to go to bed - big mom moment. It's a funny thing to get that reality check that I'm a long way from that young girl, giggling with my own friends at sleepovers.

And I wasn't the only one having a hard time accepting my age... My little five-year-old was desperately wanting to be one of the older girls! It was hard for her at accept that this was her sister's time to spend with her friends and that her time will come. And I did remind my eldest daughter that it wouldn't hurt to be nice to her sister and to not brush her aside. I try to remind them both at times that friends leave after play dates and sleepovers, but their sisters will still be here - so be nice!

Funny how I have a hard time believing that I'm a mom, and yet I'm very comfortable speaking like one! ;)

'Twas the Night Before Christmas

'Twas the night before Christmas, when all through the house
Not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse;
The stockings were hung by the chimney with care,
In hopes that St. Nicholas soon would be there;

The children were nestled all snug in their beds,
While visions of sugar-plums danced in their heads;
And mamma in her 'kerchief, and I in my cap,
Had just settled down for a long winter's nap,

When out on the lawn there arose such a clatter,
I sprang from the bed to see what was the matter.
Away to the window I flew like a flash,
Tore open the shutters and threw up the sash.

The moon on the breast of the new-fallen snow
Gave the lustre of mid-day to objects below,
When, what to my wondering eyes should appear,
But a miniature sleigh, and eight tiny reindeer,

With a little old driver, so lively and quick,
I knew in a moment it must be St. Nick.
More rapid than eagles his coursers they came,
And he whistled, and shouted, and called them by name;

"Now, DASHER! now, DANCER! now, PRANCER and VIXEN!
On, COMET! on CUPID! on, DONDER and BLITZEN!
To the top of the porch! to the top of the wall!
Now dash away! dash away! dash away all!"

As dry leaves that before the wild hurricane fly,
When they meet with an obstacle, mount to the sky,
So up to the house-top the coursers they flew,
With the sleigh full of toys, and St. Nicholas too.

And then, in a twinkling, I heard on the roof
The prancing and pawing of each little hoof.
As I drew in my hand, and was turning around,
Down the chimney St. Nicholas came with a bound.

He was dressed all in fur, from his head to his foot,
And his clothes were all tarnished with ashes and soot;
A bundle of toys he had flung on his back,
And he looked like a peddler just opening his pack.

His eyes -- how they twinkled! his dimples how merry!
His cheeks were like roses, his nose like a cherry!
His droll little mouth was drawn up like a bow,
And the beard of his chin was as white as the snow;

The stump of a pipe he held tight in his teeth,
And the smoke it encircled his head like a wreath;
He had a broad face and a little round belly,
That shook, when he laughed like a bowlful of jelly.

He was chubby and plump, a right jolly old elf,
And I laughed when I saw him, in spite of myself;
A wink of his eye and a twist of his head,
Soon gave me to know I had nothing to dread;

He spoke not a word, but went straight to his work,
And filled all the stockings; then turned with a jerk,
And laying his finger aside of his nose,
And giving a nod, up the chimney he rose;

He sprang to his sleigh, to his team gave a whistle,
And away they all flew like the down of a thistle.
But I heard him exclaim, as he drove out of sight,
MERRY CHRISTMAS TO ALL, AND TO ALL A GOOD-NIGHT!

By Clement Clarke Moore

"Little Sisters"

I am so happy for my girls that they are blessed to have a sister to go through life with -- not that they always feel that's a blessing... They definitely have their moments! Just yesterday, my husband and I told them that for each time they tattle on their sister (their new favorite pastime) they will get one less Christmas gift! That is working well so far... But, they do love each other and it's so sweet when they show that love! My eldest daughter wrote this on our chalkboard the other day: "Little sisters are like dolls; you can read, sing, play, talk, dress-up and share secrets with them. But most of all, love them." So sweet!

(PS - I'll be saving this as a reminder for them -- I'm sure it will come in handy someday!)

10 Days 'Til Christmas

There are 10 days until Christmas -- where did the time go? Here's where we stand with our holiday preparations:

- Trees up and decorated, check!

- Christmas cards - ordered, in hand, nearly all sent out (need more stamps)

- Shopping - before this morning we only had things for the girls - I'm moving along on everyone else today and hope to be done this weekend!

- Wrapping - HA! Not even close... Well, the gift wrap tub is upstairs near the table, so I guess that's close (to starting)

- Santa's letters are ready for Santa, check!

- Visit with Santa - scheduled to brave the mall to see Santa later this afternoon (wish us luck!)

- Christmas baking - again, HA! No where near starting...

- Christmas dresses for the girls - my eldest daughter LOVES her dress from last year so much that she really wants to wear it again this year -- who am I to argue? So, I guess we're halfway done on dresses...

- Menu for Christmas dinner - we're having Grandpa & Gramby over for dinner on Christmas and so far here's my menu plan: beef something, some sort of salad, some sort of starch, some sort of veggie, some sort of dessert... Sigh - that needs some work, doesn't it?

So, we have a bunch of stuff to do this weekend and we also have 3, count them - THREE - birthday parties between tomorrow and Tuesday! And no birthday gifts or birthday gift ideas... Have to work on that one tonight! We also have Grandpa & Gramby's annual holiday party tomorrow night, and Sunday School for my little one on Sunday.

And what are we doing tonight after we visit Santa? Once the girls are in bed, I'm hoping that my husband and I can settle in with a glass of wine and our favorite grown-up holiday movie, "Love Actually" -- he's been working long hours this week -- he loves the movie, but he may crash early on... Do you think he'd stay awake if we wrapped gifts at the same time? Hmmm.... ;)

Am I missing anything on the holiday prep list? Let me know!