DeDivahDeals

Fashion and Fun after Fifty

Posts Tagged ‘black eye peas’

Black Eye Peas & Collard Greens ~ New Year’s Eve Tradition

Hello Friends and Happy (soggy) Sunday

Sitting here at the kitchen table, cutting out coupons and watching the rain fall I decided to fire up the iPad and read my emails (multi-tasking to the max).  After reading a new comment from Kirsten Womack I decided to repost the Kale and Black Eye Pea Soup recipe as a twist on my traditional New Year’s Eve dinner.  

black eye peas The cooking and eating of Black Eye Peas and Collard Greens is a New Year’s Day tradition deeply rooted in the African American culture.  I have for many years always had a big pot of Black Eye Peas and Collard Greens simmering on the stove top while chicken wings were being deep fried on the side.  It’s tradition to eat a little of each immediately after kneeling in prayer on New Years Eve for good luck and prosperity heading forward. 

This year will be no exception, however, I may use the Crock Pot to cook them both together not only for the added luck but because it will make for an easier clean up.  

We also send one of our sons outside with money in his pocket and then have him be the first to walk through the front door.  This is not an African American tradition it’s just something fun to do!

What are your New Year’s Eve Traditions?

REPOST from 12/13/13

Today’s Friday Foodie Feature is Kale & Black Eye Pea Soup

Sunday I purchased a container of CutnClean Kale from Safeway to be used in my salads for the week.  However, after hearing the weather forecast for more snow I decided to use it to make a Crock Pot soup with Black Eye Peas.

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In the winter, my grandmother used to make the best homemade vegetable soups using ingredients she already had in the refrigerator, freezer or pantry.  So in keeping with tradition I used some leftover celery stalks, an onion, garlic, carrots and Bouillon cubes to make this soup.

Ingredients:

  • Dry Black Eye Peas – 1/2 bag
  • Kale – 1/2 package
  • Celery – diced
  • Carrots – diced
  • Onion – diced
  • Garlic – diced
  • Bouillon Cubes (2)
  • Water
  • Olive Oil
  • Black Pepper
  • Smoked Turkey Necks (optional)

Mama Midget (yes that was her name), never used measuring cups or spoons so neither do I especially when using the Crock Pot.  I just throw in what I have or think is enough.

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Rinse and drain 1/2 bag of dry Black Eye peas

Add 2 Bouillon Cubes to 3 cups of hot water

Pour Olive Oil into Crock Pot just enough to cover bottom

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Chop onion, garlic, carrots and celery and add to Crock Pot

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Add Kale and sprinkle with Black Pepper

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Pour in Bouillon Stock, adding more water to cover all ingredients if necessary

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Stir and if desired add Smoked Turkey Legs or Necks

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Cover and cook on low 8 hour, high 4 hours – depending on Crock Pot model.  Don’t forget to make some Skillet Corn Bread!

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Kale and Black Eye Pea Soup

Hello Friends and Happy Fri-Yay (the 13th)!

Today’s Friday Foodie Feature is Kale & Black Eye Pea Soup

Sunday I purchased a container of CutnClean Kale from Safeway to be used in my salads for the week.  However, after hearing the weather forecast for more snow I decided to use it to make a Crock Pot soup with Black Eye Peas.

Snowy Days 007

 

In the winter, my grandmother used to make the best homemade vegetable soups using ingredients she already had in the refrigerator, freezer or pantry.  So in keeping with tradition I used some leftover celery stalks, an onion, garlic, carrots and Bouillon cubes to make this soup.

Ingredients:

  • Dry Black Eye Peas – 1/2 bag
  • Kale – 1/2 package
  • Celery – diced
  • Carrots – diced
  • Onion – diced
  • Garlic – diced
  • Bouillon Cubes (2)
  • Water
  • Olive Oil
  • Black Pepper
  • Smoked Turkey Necks (optional)

Mama Midget (yes that was her name), never used measuring cups or spoons so neither do I especially when using the Crock Pot.  I just throw in what I have or think is enough.

Snowy Days 011

Rinse and drain 1/2 bag of dry Black Eye peas  

Add 2 Bouillon Cubes to 3 cups of hot water

Pour Olive Oil into Crock Pot just enough to cover bottom

Snowy Days 013

Chop onion, garlic, carrots and celery and add to Crock Pot

Snowy Days 014

 

Snowy Days 015

Add Kale and sprinkle with Black Pepper

Snowy Days 016

Pour in Bouillon Stock, adding more water to cover all ingredients if necessary

Snowy Days 017

Stir and if desired add Smoked Turkey Legs or Necks

Snowy Days 018

Cover and cook on low 8 hour, high 4 hours – depending on Crock Pot model.  Don’t forget to make some Skillet Corn Bread!

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Nothing beats walking into the house on a cold and snowy day to the smell and taste of “good ole homemade soup”!

I miss you Mama – RIP!

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Do you make any of your mother’s/grandma’s favorite recipes?

Come on over and join in on the Family Friday Link Up Party!

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C.O.D.E. Conference


On Saturday The Money School of Delaware held it’s annual C.O.D.E. Conference for National Entrepreneurship Week at the Chase Center on the Riverfront.   This FREE event was held to give guidance to the small business community in the state of Delaware.

The doors opened at 8:00 am, and after completing a registration form you received a reusable shopping bag courtesy of Shoprite.  Attendees then entered the Riverfront Ballroom where over 30 exhibitors including the SBA, SCORE, PNC Bank, Wells Fargo, DEDO, Traci Lynn Jewelry and the YWCA had tables that showcased their products/services as well as items for sale or small giveaways.

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On this cold and rainy morning the hot coffee and danish was a welcomed delight, but for each of the attendees all of various ages and ethnic backgrounds they delighted in a common goal; to obtain information and guidance to make their small business more successful.  Small businesses are the engine that drives the economy in Delaware and if they are successful, we are all successful.

The conference was kicked off by Mary Caracciolli, The Money Confidant, who emphasized that the day wasn’t about networking but about meeting people, building relationships and doing something for someone else.  Opening remarks were made by Lt. Governor Matt Denn, a major supporter of education in the state.  Chase was the #1 sponsor of C.O.D.E. and Daryl Graham spoke about the importance of supporting small businesses.  Ken Anderson, a DEDO rep stated that small businesses have created the most net new jobs in the state of Delaware.  State Treasurer Chip Flowers was also in attendance and video remarks were given by Governor Jack Markell and U.S Senator Chris Coons.

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Judy Travis, Founder of Stockings for Soldiers Delaware spoke of how passion drives your business and presented a slide show.  Last year, over 10 thousand packages containing 47 thousand stockings were made and shipped thanks to the many volunteers who devoted their time.  Volunteers in this effort included students from elementary schools to members of Senior Citizen centers, but donations and volunteers are always needed.  One of the major rewards in volunteering for this program is knowing you are improving the morale of our troops serving overseas.

There were two sets of morning sessions from which to choose that began at 9:30 am: Business Start-up 101, and Run Your Business, Don’t Let It Run You.  The next two sessions started at 11:00 am: The Business of Your Business and Service…Your Secret Weapon To Success!

I sat in briefly in all 4 sessions and found them to be very informative, enlightening and one was quite entertaining.  Ellyn and Robert of SBA and SCORE started their session by having everyone stand and sing along to the song “Good night, I Gotta Feeling”, by The Black Eye Peas, it was a great way to rev up the brain cells.

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A light lunch of pizza, and snacks were provided before the final General Session, “Understanding Social Media”, presented by Eric Holtzclaw, Founder and Chief Strategist of Laddering Works, LLC.  Using a PowerPoint presentation Eric highlighted the various groups of social media users; discussed understanding social media and how it makes an impact on today’s business.

Audience participation with questions followed, several asking how social media impacts their small businesses and why it was important to brand themselves on the Internet.  Social Media whether it’s Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Pinterest, or Google+, is here to stay however, the advice of only using what is comfortable was the underlying message from Eric.

The conference ended with the awarding of Door Prizes ranging from a $100 gift card to autographed copies of Eric’s new book, Laddering: Unlocking the Potential of Consumer Behavior.  Overall, it was a great event for anyone with or who is thinking about starting a small business in the state of Delaware.  Kudos to the staff of The Money School for all their hard work and effort that made this yet another successful event.

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New Year Traditions

Hello Friends and Happy New Year 2013!

My New Year’s Eve Traditions

Cooked traditional dinner – collard greens for prosperity, black eye peas for luck and fried chicken just because it’s good!

Drink a glass of wine
Watching The Twilight Zone marathon on Syfy;

Drink a glass of wine

Washed all the dirty clothes;

Drink a glass of wine

Watched the ball drop in Times Square – RIP Dick Clark;

Drink a glass of wine

Knelt in prayer with hubby and sons;

Drink a glass of wine

Sons left the house then reentered with money in their hands

Drink a glass of wine

Ate traditional dinner

Drink a glass of wine

Drink a glass of wine

Drink a glass of wine

How did you bring in the New Year?

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Happy New Year – I’ll be sleeping in late tomorrow – Smooches!

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OOTD – Cape and Cap

Hello Friends, I hope you are enjoying the last Saturday of 2012

This afternoon it started to snow so it was a perfect day to take down the tree and remove decorations in preparation of having a clean house the first day of 2013.  Along with having a clean house, frying chicken wings, cooking collard greens and black eyed peas has been my New Years’ Eve tradition for many years.  Long gone are the days of hanging out at the clubs and popping Champagne bottles at midnight.  At midnight we are on our knees in prayer, then we eat and continue watching The Twilight Zone Marathon, my favorite episode is “Time Enough At Last” with Burgess Meredith.

Today I am wearing a handmade, fully lined, African mud cloth cape that my husband had made for me over 16 years ago.  I don’t wear it often but it hangs prominently in my coat closet and I’ll keep it forever.  It’s a one of a kind cape made by Nzinga Debrick, a friend of my husbands who owns Nzinga’s Cultural Connection a boutique in Wilmington.  The cape is trimmed in leather including the button hooks and the attached scarf matches the trim around the buttons and pockets.

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Black Jeans and boots – closet staples


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The animal print cap belonged to my grandmother and I paired it with the cape to keep my head dry

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Have a fantabulous day – Smooches!

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