This is what I have planned.
New Year's Eve
Homemade Chinese food
By homemade I mean from two frozen bagged entrees -- P.F. Chang's Mongolian Beef and Orange Chicken, supplemented with additional veggies.
Steamed rice
Tangerines
New Year's Day
Everyone is on their own for breakfast and lunch.
For dinner:
Pot-roasted beef Heel Roast and gravy
Black-eyed peas, peppers, and onions
Oven-roasted sweet potato cubes
Oven-roasted broccoli florets
Spiced apples and cranberries
Either a pumpkin pie or Christmas cookies (Dessert depends on if my son and daughter-in-law come over. Cookies if just us, a pie if they join us.)
Perhaps you're wondering what a heel roast is. Since I've been buying beef directly from a rancher, I've learned a lot about many cuts of beef. A heel roast is also known as Heel of Round. It's a tougher cut, needing slow-cooking, like braising or pot-roasting. It also works well for stew meat. It's lean, flavorful, and an economical cut, when you can find them. Here's another name for a cut you may not be familiar with -- English Roast. An English Roast is cut from the shoulder, like a Chuck Roast, but the English is leaner than the Chuck Roast. Both require low and slow cooking. Anyway, I'll be pot-roasting the Heel Roast tomorrow.
What's on your menu for tonight and tomorrow?
Wishing you a very joyful celebration and happy year ahead! 2026, we''re expecting great things from you.
There’s always good food planned at your house. Tonight, New Year’s Eve, we’re having leftover lentil stew. Tomorrow, I am cocking pork and sauerkraut in the crockpot. That is something I grew up with for NewYears Day and haven’t done for a long time.
ReplyDeleteHappy New Year!🎊
Hi Live and Learn,
DeleteIs there some sort of significance to the pork and sauerkraut, or is that just something your childhood family did? My mother usually baked a ham for New Year's Day. I recall several days of ham sandwiches for lunches following New Year's.
Have a great day with family, Live and Learn. Happy New Year! (Love the emoji.)
We just spent Christmas long weekend with all of our kids and grandson so we are not doing anything for New Year's eve nor New Year's day. We had meatloaf, salad and applesauce for New Year's eve dinner and will have the same today (New Year's day). Just a laid back New Year's day for us.
ReplyDeleteAlice
Hi Alice,
DeleteOh, you must've had a great time with family for Christmas. I hope the drive went well. Have you had much snow in your area?
A simple and laid back day today sounds like it will be pleasant for you. And meatloaf, salad, and applesauce sound tasty.
Happy New Year's to you and your family, Alice!
The drive there was uneventful but we drove back in a big storm that included a lot of wind, sleet, snow and extreme cold. A semi truck driving next to us almost tipped over but the awesome driver gained control (all due to high wind). Took us much longer to get home and then the next 9 hours were trying to relax but the after effects of the drive deprived us of good sleep.
DeleteAlice
Hi Alice,
DeleteThat sounds like a stressful drive! I'm glad you made it home without incident. Hope your sleep is back on track now.
Hi Alice! There has been a lot of scary weather to drive in lately. Glad you made it safely home.
DeleteYes, my daughter is at the same college and loves it. It's wonderful to see her stretch her wings. Thank you for asking!
We got back yesterday from visiting my husband's family and had an 8 hour drive, so I planned for things to be simple. I used the leftover chacuterie fixings from the previous week's Christmas eve party for our dinner. My husband is making black eyed peas, greens, and cornbread for dinner tonight. I had never heard of this tradition until I married him. I'd likely eat just about anything if it meant I didn't have to cook! :)
ReplyDeleteHi Kris,
DeleteOuch, that 8 hour drive sounds long. But you got to be with extended family for the holidays, and that's a plus.
So, I was reading this morning that the peas symbolize coins, the greens symbolize paper money, and the cornbread, gold, for a year ahead of wealth, prosperity and good fortune. I do black-eyed peas not as Hoppin' John, but with peppers, onions, garlic and chicken broth. Neither of my parents grew up with this tradition. We mostly had a ham or some years a roast of some sort. Enjoy getting to dine on your husband's cooking!
A charcuterie board sounds like a good idea for a gathering. Plus most of the ingredients will keep for several days to a week or more. Easy dinner after a long drive sounds perfect.
When does your daughter have to be back at school?
Happy New Year to you and your family, Kris!
My daughter's school starts up after MLK day. She didn't get out until a few days before Christmas. I'm not sure why here break is so much later than other schools, but it works out well now.
DeleteYou are right about the symbolism of Hoppin John. It's a nice meal for this time of year. :)
Kris, I'm guessing your daughter is still at the same college and hoping she's loving it.
DeleteAlice
Hi Kris,
DeleteThat's nice you'll get to have a few more weeks all together. Enjoy these moments.