New Year's Nutrition for the Mind, Body, and Soul!
My family is a bunch of foodies! According to Webster, a foodie is a person who enjoys and cares about food very much and boy, we sure do! We don’t just love the taste, sight and smell of food, we also enjoy the traditions, folklore and stories surrounding the food we eat.
As our family has grown, so have the choices in meals that we love to eat and serve. Each new generation has created meals that celebrate family life and significant events. We chose our line of Pion dishware made from stoneware with a gray/white speckled glaze to compliment those choices and we'd like to share just a little “taste” of our New Year with you.
When Maddie married Jon and they began their own New Year’s celebration, Jon requested Pork Tenderloin with Sauerkraut. Maddie, of course, substituted pork loin for the tenderloin as it's cheaper and tastes just as good. Maddie, being Maddie, searched for a perfect recipe along with research on the traditions and stories behind the dish. Pretty simple here. Pigs root forward when they eat, taking that to mean the New Year is for looking forward and hence pigs symbolize progress. As far as the kraut, the long cabbage strands symbolize longevity. Okay…but there is more!
In reading The True Story of Traditional New Year's Lucky Foods by Sara Bir, I also found out that the slaughtering of a pig was a major “to do” in the fall for German and Eastern European peasants and that cabbage turns into sauerkraut just in time for New Year’s if you start the process in October (harvest time). So what did I come away with…If you eat pig, you're progressing along the right track and it’s cause for celebration because you’ll be doing it for a long time!
Here’s Maddie's recipe for Pork Tenderloin served up in our Pion large rectangular serving dish and Sauerkraut in our Pion small cereal bowl. In the sauerkraut dish, Maddie used a sweet potato for its added color, flavor, and nutrients!
Roasted Pork Tenderloin pictured in the Pion large rectangular serving dish
Sauerkraut pictured in the Pion small cereal bowl
Sid and Paul spend much of their time apart from family due to their military service life but that makes it even more important to them to hold on to family traditions and food favorites for the holidays. Paul's family has always celebrated New Year’s day with hoppin’ John and Sidnie doesn’t disappoint with her fabulous rendering of this family favorite.
In hoppin’ John one can find black eyed peas, which according to Sara Bir, became a staple in the South to the Southerners who were left behind after Northern troops swept through their lands during the civil war. It seems the Northerners thought of the peas as livestock food and left them untouched; hence, they became a staple during reconstruction. With their ability to germinate quickly and then expand when cooked, it's no wonder black eyed peas are looked upon as harbingers of good luck. So add your greens and cornbread and you should be good to go!
Here’s Sidnie’s recipe for Hoppin’ John. Sidnie uses our Pion Bowl in Gray and White to give each family member their own serving, however large or small that may be!
Hoppin’ John served in Pion Bowl in Gray and White
Above, our Citrus Juicer doubles as a measuring cup!
Serve it up with your favorite bottle of wine in our Roly Poly Small Decanter with Topper (It fits a whole bottle!) and use our Salt Pot with Scoop to allow everyone to season to taste! Bon Appetit!
Pictured above is our Pion bowl with the Roly Poly Small Decanter with Topper and Salt Pot with Scoop
From all of us at Sand and Pine, here’s wishing you a Happy New Year full of love, laughter and food for your mind, body and soul!
Now go out and…
Find your Fancy!