"Getting rid of everything that doesn’t matter allows you to remember who you are. Simplicity doesn’t change who you are, it brings you back to who you are."

Saturday, January 1, 2011

My House Stinks

I woke up this morning trying to identify the smell in the air. 

"What the...?"
"Oh yeah, that's right...it's New Years Day."

Eating the right food on New Years Day brings luck.  Unfortunately for MY household, both SM and I were raised with the thought that eating Sauerkraut and Pork will give us luck in the New Year.  (SM asked that I slow cook it in the crock pot overnight for "brunch-time" today.)



Now I love me some pig.  I haven't met a pig part that I didn't like.  Except pork rinds...those fried up nasty things you get at the 7 Eleven during a road trip.  (yick)  I'm not even sure pig parts are even in pork rinds. (double yick)  SM likes BBQ pork rinds.  I'm not kissing him after those, I can tell you that.

Come to think of it, I'm not sure SM has met a food he didn't like.  "Hey Baby!?!  What food don't you like?"

"Blink, Blink..."
(Coffee cup in hand...deer in the headlights look for sure.)

"Oh that's right...it's only 7 am...Soorrrry."

I don't think he likes brussel sprouts....or Okra.  But who does? (grin)

Now I don't grow cabbage...it seems silly to grow it when the only kind of cabbage I like is in coleslaw.  It's sweet, crispy and crunchy.  Yum.  Perfect summer side.  But I can buy a head of cabbage here and there for those times that I want to top a Brat with some yummy coleslaw.

But sauerkraut is just wrong...stinky stuff.  Now I've read most of your blogs and understand that I am alone in thinking that Sauerkraut is unappealing.  Sorry.  But let me offer up another acquired taste.  One that will make alot of you turn your noses up.



Yep...I love me some split pea soup.  Double YUM.



Looks nasty, doesn't it?  But sooo good.  I trimmed off some of the smaller ham bits off the bone (bone went into the freezer for now) and made up this soup yesterday.

SM declared it "better than Progresso." 

Say what?  (Please understand that until a couple of years ago any soup in this household (except Chili) came out of a can.  And SM's favorite brand was Progresso.) 

The only Progresso in the house now is his Tomato Basil.  (You just wait until I have a successful tomato crop.  I plan on canning some good tomato soups and sauces this year.)

But anyway...Last night SM came home to find, homemade Split Pea Soup, a homemade pizza I whipped up (sorry no picture but "Hey" it's a pizza...) and some Strawberry Sorbet I made from some of the berries I picked and froze this year. 



(He ate some before it had solidified.)

And today?  Sauerkraut and Pork. 

Man...my house is gonna be stinky (evil grin)

What stinky stuff have YOU got cooking today?

5 comments:

  1. I love split pea soup! But yeah your house is going to reeeeeek today! You poor thing!

    If you come across a good tomato soup (homemade) please do share it! That is the one soup we buy in the can, cuz lets face it, nothing beats that and grilled cheese!

    Happy New Year Tami and SM!!

    Now go find a clothes pin for your nose ;o)

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  2. Interesting tradition. When I lived in Louisiana, the tradition was cooked cabbage, black eyed peas and rice for good luck.

    About that sauerkraut. Are you making your own or using commercially canned? The commercially canned is little more than pickled cabbage. Home fermented is in a class all its own. I didn't used to care for sauerkraut until I started making it for myself. Now it makes my mouth water!

    Nor sure what we're having for dinner. DH asked for eggs, so I'll probably make an omelet. :)

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  3. How come your split pea soup isn't green like grandma's was.

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  4. Well, my house stinks for a much sadder reason -- the trash *really* needed to be taken out. I never understand how it can go from fine at night to rather ripe the next day. And it's cold again here today so I can't really open the windows to air it out. Hopefully it'll clear out soon. =)

    On another note, I have a bunch of split peas that need cookin' so I'd love to try your recipe if you're open to sharing. I'm not sure I've ever had split pea soup before, so yours would set the benchmark!

    Aaaand, I don't like kraut either. We can shun it together!

    Happy New Year Tami and thanks for stopping by our blog. Fruit trees and bushes are definitely on the wish list for this year. I need to figure out how to keep the deer, beavers, and hogs out of them too since we aren't living there yet. Hrrmm...

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  5. Hey Di...No I don't have a tomato soup recipe (yet). As usual, I'll wait until I need one and then search.

    Leigh, I'm suprised with your "northern" background that you're not in the sauerkraut and pork camp too. I bought a "fresh" package in the meat department and SM asked me to toss a touch of brown sugar on it. Slow cooking ~15 hrs in the crock pot. It was delish (suprise!)

    Mom, It's green! Maybe baby sh*t green but it's green! (grin)

    Emma, I usually "google" for recipe ideas. Start there and twist it to my tastes.

    "Allrecipes" is a good site to start with, that's where I got this split pea recipe. Be sure and read the comment section for the "real cooks" opinions on the recipe and any changes they may have made.

    I find with soups, slow is best. I simmered this soup about 3 hrs start to finish. And then I used my hand mixer to smooth it out more. Keep tasting.

    Anything by Alton Brown can be trusted to be great!

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