NEW YEAR'S FEAST PENNSYLVANIA STYLE

What do you serve for New Year's?  Well, my family always had pork and sauerkraut.  No one knows why really, but most folks in Western PA (and I know for a fact Ohio), have a pork and sauerkraut feast either on New Year's Eve or New Year's Day.  If you don't, you are doomed to have bad luck all year, or something like that.  I think it is a German tradition, but I'll have to Google that for the actual facts.

When I moved to Wisconsin, I was puzzled as to why the week before New Year's, there was no sauerkraut in the easy-to-find display case, and no pork on sale.  I mean, I had to actually ask where I could find the sauerkraut!  I was told "where it usually is".  WHAT???  So, I went home and described this "incident" do my husband, and he acted like the grocery lady had.  "Why WOULD they have the sauerkraut in the display case and pork on sale this week?"  He asked!  Oh my!   When I told him our tradition, he looked at me like I was from Mars, and quite frankly, that is the way I felt!  So, just to reassure myself that I was not crazy, I called several family members and friends and asked them what they were serving and if in fact that WAS the tradition.  After being reassured that they all had served that all their lives on New Year's, I felt better. I later learned that no one here has ever heard of that tradition.  They don't eat anything special on New Year's!   Can you imagine?!

Well, I am not superstitious, but just in case my German ancestors knew something I did not, I still serve pork and sauerkraut on New Year's Day.  Please note:  I hate sauerkraut and always have, but on this one day a year, I fix it!

Tonight, I made the dish Polish Spaghetti.  Now, I'm not Polish, I'm German, but this dish has all the required ingredients for a guaranteed great year.


I really have no recipe for this - I kinda just throw it all together.  But here it is:
3/4 of a box of rotini
1 can sauerkraut, rinsed and drained
1 small onion, sauteed
1-2 packages of keilbasi
2 cans cream of mushroom soup 

Cook rotini, saute onion in oil, and toss in sauerkraut and "stir fry" all together.  Salt and pepper to taste.  Cut keilbasi in bite sized chunks and throw in with the onions and kraut.  Place all ingredients in a 9x13 pan, and mix in the cream of mushroom soup.  Cover and cook for 20-30 minutes until heated through. 


It is pretty good, even if you don't like kraut!  If you don't eat something special on New Year's - start a tradition!

HERE PIGGY, PIGGY

Pork-it's what for dinner!   At least about once a week in my house.   I wanted to share this simple recipe with you'ins (that Western PA talk).  Dan's sister made this for us after I came home from the hospital with Levi.  She shared the recipe with me and it has become on of my family's favorites. It is so simple and easy and relatively cheap.

You buy Country style boneless pork loin ribs.  I got these at the Spencer store.  It was on sale for .99 cents per pound.  Now I wish I'd gotten more!  It has a little fat through it, but it is lean enough for me, and that's saying something (I hate visible fat on meat).

I cut the meat into cubes - about 2" or so.  Season it with seasoning salt and pepper, and brown it in a skillet sprayed with Pam, on both sides.  Then I stick it in the crock pot with a little water and cook it on high for 2 hours or so. Check it with a thermometer to be sure it is done.  Drain off the water and use it for gravy if you want.  Add a bottle of regular Sweet Baby Ray's BBQ sauce to the meat, toss it through, and you're done!   Easy and delicious!

If you've never tried Sweet Baby Ray's sauce - it is really good.  Don't let the title fool you - it is not "sweet" at all - that's just the name.

I serve this with mashed potatoes and a vegetable or salad.  The guys here really "hog" it down.  Sometimes I crack myself up!  LOL


THOUGHT FOR THE DAY:  Whether you think you can, or think you can't - you are right.  (Henry Ford)