Black-eyed Peas = Good Luck and Prosperity

This is a favor idea I cut from a Real Simple magazine (January 2008) a few years ago.

While trying to de-junk my stuff this year I found this again, scanned it for safe keeping, and tossed the paper clipping.  De-junking is an on going project for me.  It's hard though, because at the same time I keep stuffing new or different stuff away.

I thought this would be a good thing to consider around this time of year.  We only have a few more days before our new year begins.
Let's finish this one strong and be prepared to begin the next year even stronger.

 

 

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What do you know about black-eyed peas?

 I checked it out.

 

pauladeen.com offers this and more, including recipes:

 

Why does Paula eat one black-eyed pea for each day of the New Year? We Southerners know that eating black-eyed peas ensures good luck and prosperity throughout the upcoming year.

 

A coin in the pot promises extra fortune to the one who finds it in his scoop of peas. And a penny is often put under each bowl of peas to boost the luck potential.

 

Legend tells us also that black-eyed peas became a lucky dish during the Civil War. Union soldiers near the town of Vicksburg, Va. burned all crops except the peas; thinking they were animal feed, the soldiers did not bother them. Residents discovered that the legume was the only thing left to eat; they adapted it into their diet, and black-eyed peas were therefore considered the food of good fortune.

 

Today, people wouldn’t dream of starting off their year without a good luck pot of black-eyed peas.

 

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I found info and some recipes at Southern Living, Wikipedia and at Aggie Horticulture.

 

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Here is another paper I filed away - more beans - from a page out of a Rachael Ray magazine (don't know the date).