MONDAY MORNING RECIPE POST - CLASSIC HOPPIN' JOHN - SERVES 6

I wondered about sharing this so soon after New Year’s Day, but then I thought this could be eaten at any time of the year. So, here it is.

Here in the States, Hoppin' John is traditionally eaten on New Year's Day (if you have leftovers the day after, it’s called Skippin’ Jenny). I have always been a big fan of Southern Living recipes and found this one here. It didn't disappoint and we both thought it excellent. My dear other half will admit that he doesn’t like beans unless they are smothered in sauce (Bushes original is his favorite and they are pretty darned good as I like those too). He surprised himself how much he enjoyed them in this dish, so if you don't have bean lovers in your home, you might try this recipe. Looking at all the ingredients, I saw that there were enough to make it a very tasty dish. I had an idea it would be a winner. We didn't change much but I have added those I made below the recipe. I would suggest looking at the original to see all their helpful notes.

Classic Hoppin’ John - Serves 6

Prep time: 25 minutes

Total time: 1 hour and 30 minutes.

6 thick-cut bacon slices, chopped

4 celery stalks, sliced (about 1-1/2 cups)

1 medium-sized yellow onion, chopped (about 1-1/2 cups)

1 small green bell pepper, finely chopped (about 1 cup)

3 cloves garlic, chopped (about 1 tablespoon)

1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme

1/2 teaspoon black pepper

1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1-1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, divided

8 cups low-sodium chicken broth

4 cups fresh or frozen black-eyed peas

2 tablespoons olive oil

1-1/2 cups uncooked Carolina Gold Rice

Fresh green onions (scallions), sliced

Cook the bacon in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, until starting to crisp, about 10 minutes.

Add celery, onion, bell pepper, garlic, thyme, black pepper, cayenne and 1 teaspoon of the salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, until onion is tender, about 8 minutes.

Add broth and black-eyed peas and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer until the peas are tender, about 40 minutes (see my notes below this recipe).

Drain black-eyed pea mixture, reserving cooking liquid. Return them to the pot, along with 1 cup of the cooking liquid. Cover and keep warm; set aside.

Heat the olive oil in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Add rice and cook, stirring often, until fragrant and lightly toasted, 3 to 4 minutes. Stir in 3 cups of the reserved cooking liquid and remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt. Bring to a boil and reduce heat to medium-low; cover and cook until rice is tender, 15 to 18 minutes.

Fluff rice with a fork.

Gently stir rice into the black-eyed pea mixture in the Dutch oven. Stir in remaining cooking liquid, 1/4 cup at a time, until desired consistency is reached.

Garnish individual servings with sliced fresh green onions/scallions.

Traditionally this is served with collard greens and cornbread, but we didn't have either at the time. It is such a hearty dish that we didn't miss these extras.

Dried black-eyed peas are traditionally used in Hoppin' John, but if you're pressed for time, you can use either frozen or canned beans. 

(We used canned. I thought we should have used 2 but Gregg thought the one was enough and it didn't detract by not using the extra can. 

The canned also shortens the time of cooking. We didn't need to wait the 40 minutes and it was done after 15 minutes. You can try a couple of the vegetables to see if they are cooked to your taste.)

As we didn't use two cans of black-eyed peas, a can of whole niblet corn was added. They were a nice addition.

When we don't have regular rice for a recipe, we have Trader Joe's Frozen Jasmine rice, which is put in the microwave for three minutes. Each packet has three servings, but we usually split it in two as the servings are quite small. It's very handy at such times.

We kept the rice and beans separate as a personal choice.

Gregg added a spoonful of sour cream to his at the table.

A few dashes of  Sriracha (or another hot sauce) can be added to give it a little extra zip. 

I think that's about it but if you have any questions, you can put them in the comment section. I will do my best to answer.

If you prefer to copy and paste the address instead of using the link above, the full addy is below.

https://www.southernliving.com/recipes/classic-hoppin-john-recipe

Thanks for looking.

I hope you all have a great week.

MONDAY RECIPE POST - SOUTHERN HOPPING JOHN - SERVES 6

Yesterday we ate our version of Hoppin' John, traditionally eaten on New Year's Day in the U.S.  (The traditional recipe included below.) I don't have a link to this one as we basically followed the instructions on the back of the box of rice we bought, with a few additions. 

Hoppin’ John - 6 servings 

1 lb. sausage meat

1 small sweet red pepper, chopped

2 celery ribs, chopped

6 green onions, sliced

8 cherry tomatoes, halved

1 box of Zatarain's Dirty Rice

2 cups water

1 can (15 ounces) black-eyed peas, rinsed and drained

In a large saucepan cook the sausage over medium heat until no longer pink. 

Drain any grease left in the pan.

Add the sweet red pepper, celery and onions and sauté for about three minutes, combining everything together.  

Add 2-1/2 cups water and the rice and give it a quick stir.

Bring to a boil on medium to high heat, cover and reduce heat to low for 25 minutes (this is according to the directions on our box of rice).  

Add the black-eyed peas, mix in and simmer for five minutes.  

Add the halved grape tomatoes for an additional two minutes, just long enough to heat through. 

Take off the heat and let rest for five minutes.

Serve and enjoy!  

The rice we used was this one.  It has enough spices that you don't need to add any extra.  Even then I did not find it too spicy.  

I thought we would enjoy this recipe but we both said it was even better than expected, very tasty.  

If you don't like it spicy you can always use regular long-grain rice and add your own seasonings. 

This is hearty enough that you could leave out the sausage and add extra beans if you prefer.

We added a little sour cream on the top.

There are enough leftovers for a couple of days. 

Traditional Southern Hoppin’ John - serves 8

I found this at Olivers, link here.

Traditionally eaten with collard greens, which is also considered a lucky vegetable.  

6 thick cut bacon slices, chopped

4 celery stalks, sliced

1 medium yellow onion, chopped

1 small red pepper, finely chopped

3 garlic cloves, minced

1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme

½ teaspoon black pepper

½ teaspoon cayenne pepper

1 ½ teaspoon sea salt

8 cups chicken broth

4 cups fresh or frozen black-eyed peas

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 ½ cups uncooked rice

Fresh green onions, sliced

Cook bacon in a Dutch oven over medium-high, stirring occasionally, until starting to crisp, about 10 minutes. 

Add celery, onion, red bell pepper, garlic, thyme, black pepper, cayenne, and 1 teaspoon of the salt. 

Cook, stirring occasionally, until onion is tender, about 8 minutes. 

Add broth and black-eyed peas and bring to a boil over medium-high. Reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer until peas are tender, about 40 minutes. 

Drain pea mixture, reserving cooking liquid. 

Return pea mixture and 1 cup of the cooking liquid to Dutch oven. Cover to keep warm; set aside.

Heat oil in a medium saucepan over medium-high. Add rice and cook, stirring often, until fragrant and lightly toasted, 3 to 4 minutes. 

Stir in 3 cups of the reserved cooking liquid and remaining 1⁄2 teaspoon salt. Bring to a boil and reduce heat to medium-low; cover and cook until rice is tender, 15 to 18 minutes. Fluff rice with a fork, and gently stir into pea mixture in Dutch oven. Stir in remaining cooking liquid, 1⁄4 cup at a time, until desired consistency is reached. Sprinkle servings with sliced fresh scallions.

One of the stories how this dish was named, and I suppose we take this with a pinch of salt as there are many stories, was because of an older gentleman with a bad leg nicknamed 'hoppin John'. John became known for selling peas and rice on the streets of Charleston. 

Originally brought to the States from West Africa, the beans grew well in the humidity of the southern states.  They were believed to be good luck charms to ward off bad spirits, thanks to the 'eye' in the center of the bean.  Interesting information at this link.

Eating Hoppin' John on New Year's Day is supposed to bring you good luck.  If you eat leftovers on the second day of the year, the name is transformed into Skippin Jenny and demonstrates one's frugality, bringing hope for a further chance of prosperity in the New Year.

One tradition common in the United States is that each person at the meal should leave three peas on their plate to ensure that the New Year will be filled with luck, fortune and romance. 

There are other interesting bits of history regarding this dish.  If you do a search with 'history of hoppin' John' in the subject line, all kinds of interesting information pops up.

Do you have any memories of your own traditions eating Hoppin' John?  I would enjoy reading them if you would like to share.

HAPPY SUNDAY EVERYONE - SATURDAY TO SATURDAY - STARTING 2/7/26

The weather above is for next week. As you will be able to see we are going to have higher temperatures. I am looking at Tuesday in particular.

I haven't done one of these for a while but felt like jotting things down, even though it was all pretty mundane. 

Saturday 2/7/26: I'm busy trying to take a photo of a white-throated sparrow in the flat-feeder. He's a quick one, I haven't been successful in getting him full body, the same with a wren and blue jay. The juncos are more cooperative. 

As for the others, either they are super-fast at picking up their seed or my reflexes are slowing down. Let's just say those birds are faster than I am! 

60 mile per hour winds were expected but it wasn't as windy as I have seen in the past. Son texted me and said that he had to hold onto the steering wheel and saw a downed tree. We got our front tree trimmed a few months ago, but we need more taken off and this is a solid reminder.  

The snow has melted a bit, but with these low temperatures, it is going to be a long time before all this snow and ice disappears.

Hubs went to the supermarket and picked up a doughnut for breakfast. He also stopped in at the coffee shop next door for me. Saturday is doughnut treat-day for both of us.

Sunday 2/8/26: son came over. He called later after he had picked up our daughter-in-law and as always, we are looking forward to getting together with both, hopefully soon. 

We introduced son to Spike and he immediately got his cell phone out. The apple doesn't fall far from the tree, says I smiling.  

We have the traditional selfie of the three of us before he leaves. Gregg made this one into a painting. It doesn’t get our exact likenesses but we liked it.

Monday 2-9-26: Gregg went to the dentist and he has to have a back molar removed after having had some discomfort this past week. They wanted to do a lot more work than he was prepared for. That's to be sorted out next week. 

I had a quick chat with my brother-in-law in Germany and will be followed by a FaceTime soon. He's like a brother rather than a brother-in-law. I have known him since I was 13. 

Oh joy, we have had mouse activity in our car as you will see from yesterday's Saturday at the Bird Feeder Post. The surrounding where the shift is, has been chewed considerably, and a big hole made. The photos don't show the full damage. You can actually lift up a big flap that shows more damage. This was done in one night! Two years ago we had huge cachet of sunflower seeds tucked into a pocket on top of the engine. The previous link takes you to that story, but you'll have to scroll down. Maybe they are seeking the warmth of the car. This one certainly likes the taste of it.

A few years before that, the snow was elevated up to the dryer vent outside and a mouse got into our basement that way, through the tiniest hole! 

Gregg lifted the hood this time and said he couldn't see any damage, but we're going to be having an oil change and will get the guys to do a double check. I will also be checking the basement. 

Tuesday 2/10/26: Gregg read up on how to keep pests away naturally. He bought a small container of peppermint aromatherapy, yesterday and sprayed it on cottonwool balls as the article suggested. These he placed near the gear shift and others under the seat and in other areas. He did this last night and no more signs of chewing today. Fingers crossed! 

No breakfast today and for lunch we went to McDonalds for a burger and fries. The car smelled lovely though a little overpowering with that peppermint smell.

Dinner was quite late and we had a medley of roasted veggies; potatoes, carrots, quartered onions, and broccoli, cooked with avocado spray and all done on one sheet, popped in the oven. We had bought a Costco rotisserie chicken the day before, and had more for tonight's meal. We have leftovers for tomorrow. Pretty plain cooking but we both enjoyed. 

Wednesday 2/11/26: we ate the leftover vegetables for breakfast/lunch, tossing them around in the frypan for a few minutes. We added sliced tomatoes and an egg, plus a slice of toast. Very good! We had a relatively light supper. Roast chicken again, Lacy Swiss Cheese and lettuce on a focaccia roll. Also, very good and a no fuss cooking day. 

Gregg went out to try and find this boot replacement that the mouse chewed on. Didn’t have any success at the two auto shops. We will probably end up taking it to our dealership. 

I forgive you mouse, you were just following your instincts. Please find another warm place to stay, preferably not at our place. Sorry about the peppermint (not really, our pockets will be a little emptier thanks to you)! 

A quiet day today. Pottered around, did some housework, did a little computer work (I had fun putting a few things together as you can see), I read a bit. 

The temperature rose above freezing and there was a bit of snowmelt. I can see more of the deck. I will be glad to get out there and clean up. It was all quiet at the feeders today.

Thursday 2/12/26: Gregg had his back molar taken out, thankfully a little sooner than expected as there was some infection and they gave him an early appointment. He is doing very well he says. No brushing his teeth for a couple of days his dentist told him. Scrambled eggs, mashed potatoes and soup are on the menu. I was surprised how chipper he seemed to be and very happy that tooth is now gone. I have an idea it was bothering him more than he said.

Spike was back today with his sister, Sister of Spike. Would you believe they both have barely any fur on their tails? I looked it up. Squirrels do have health issues but these two seemed okay otherwise, not scratching and bright-eyed. Other reasons were interesting, as they do molt and also take the fur off their tails to put in their nests for insulation. That's the first time I've heard about that. Neither of them seem to have any health issues and are quite lively and happily stuffing their faces.

This one has a nice healthy tail.

Hubs checked, no more mouse activity, fingers crossed! 

Friday 2-13-26: 39 degrees F. today. Even more snow off the deck. Across the street it is disappearing from people’s front lawns. Not ours yet as they get a lot more sun on their side of the street. At least our driveway and pathway to the front door are clear.

Breakfast was scrambled eggs with cheese, toast for me, and a small glass of orange juice, also berries bought yesterday. I have just finished a cup of black coffee and am blogging for a bit.  

After spending a quiet morning, we made another batch of Thai-style soup. You can see my post here if you missed it. We made several changes by adding extra broth, and we had no green onions for the garnish (also none to put in the soup). A yellow onion did nicely. No carrots - replaced them with peas. Also, added a combination of pasta and dumplings (no potstickers in our freezer, or regular noodles in the pantry). He liked the idea of adding Girelle pasta (recommended by our son) - a little Thai-Italian fusion going on here - and I like my miniature chicken and cilantro dumplings, so we put them in together. He added the left-over Costco rotisserie chicken and I suggested adding fresh cilantro, but he wanted it just for garnish as he wasn't sure about putting it in the soup while cooking. Next, a little lemon juice also at the table, a few splashes of Sriracha, and a teaspoon of Chili Crisp. Sounds an awful lot of ingredients I know, but this turned out really well and is now one of our favorite soups.

We had a tot of Harvey's Bristol Cream Sherry before we went to bed. I told Gregg in dramatic fashion, and with pauses, that "It greets - the nostrils - like - an old friend." I got the wanted reaction when he laughed. Doesn't take much to keep our funny-bones going. We, after all, laugh at all jokes that are groaners and often laugh at ourselves.

Off to bed, it's been another fast day.

Saturday 2/14/26: Gregg is doing well after his tooth extraction. He's a trooper I tell him, and having those good genes from his parents may have helped. He also had a long chat with his sister and brother-in-law first thing, and that is always a great start to the day. He went out to our local supermarket and bought our Saturday doughnuts. His choice because I may have mentioned in passing, that we should leave it this week but no, he looks forward to them. He also popped in next door to get my coffee. 

We are not doing anything special for Valentine's Day. It's hopeless trying to get a seat at a restaurant locally and a lot of places don't take reservations. I don't have the patience or ability to wait an hour for a table, not that I ever did even when I was younger. We're not ones for doing anything too much. At the same time, I love seeing what you do. 

I enjoyed watching the birds turn up at the feeders this morning. Above we have a Male house finch and a female Cardinal. Mr. Cardinal was nearby and I'll share him another time. 

I am looking forward to many things about the warmer weather, one of them is washing down the deck, and giving it a good scrub after all this snow we've had. We will be going to the garden center to buy flowers for the planters. I am determined to grow herbs this year. It's 54 degrees F. today.

 How nice it will be to sit out there with a hot drink, relax and enjoy the fresh air. Simple things sometimes are the best. When dear other half went to the supermarket this morning, I threw clothes in the washing machine. I found a simple joy in that. 

We just had a photo sent from our son. He and our daughter-in-law are standing in a very, very long line at Chateau de Chantilly Bakery. They introduced us to the place last year and we love it, but it gets very busy at the best of times and can be hard to find a table. One thing I noticed, they're all young-uns standing in this line, which reaches to the back of the store. Gregg replied that we are going to that other fancy French restaurant, Chick-fil-a. He said "Nothing but the best for my gal." Did I laugh out loud! And yes, that's where we decided to go. We enjoy Chick-fil-a. Their young staff are always polite and friendly, and even with the longest line, we can get through fast. And the food is consistently good. Son said their place was hopping, and I am very glad we're not standing in that long line. (Back home now and we enjoyed as always.) We go through the drive-thru and our friend here always greets us before we pick up our food.

On our way I took one photo as we left the neighborhood. People are starting to get out and about, and the snow is beginning to melt. A beautifully sunny day at 55 degrees F. Tomorrow it's going to be colder, 45 degrees and promising rain all day. 

I'm going to finish here and get this scheduled for midnight. I don't see us doing anything else today of note.

If you stuck through all of this mundane to the end, I thank you. If you skipped entirely, I'm grateful that you popped in and to all who leave a comment, I very much appreciate that. 

A big thank you to those of you who follow me. I have tried to follow other blogging friends but I keep getting a message to say I am at my 100 percent capacity and can follow no more. I have tried deleting a few who no longer visit, but am having a dickens of a time trying the steps I have been given on a help line. Anyone have step-by-step instructions on how to delete some followers? These are the ones who no longer visit by the way, and I do want to support my more recent blogging friends.