Happy New Year!!! Black-eyed Peas with Mollasses

I’m going to do it.
It’s going to be wrong.
But, ah hell. I’m going to do it anyway.

My New Year’s Resolution for 2013 is. . . . . .

To do all the stuff I know I should be doing anyway, to the best of my ability, even if it isn’t perfect. Or great. or even palatable.

Like blogging.
Uuuffff.
Did you know that I don’t blog half the time because I’m worried it won’t be perfect? Which it never is. Like the pics are crap, or my mind is blank. Or the food is bluk. Or the topic is yuk. Maybe I’m talking too much about my kids. Or the food I’m cooking isn’t healthy enough. Or its too healthy. Or I’m complaining too much. Or I’m a dork. Whatevs.

THIS YEAR I’M BLOGGING ANYWAY. REGULARLY. MISSPELLINGS AND ALL. YES. I’M YELLING. Sorry about that. I’m just crunk.

And exercising.
Last year I did it for 6 months and then hurt my knee and the gym ain’t seen me since. Well, it has, they have, I’m just exaggerating, but you know what I mean. I’LL BE EXERCISING ON A SCHEDULE. MORE OFTEN. I’M STILL SCREAMING. I’M SO CRUNK UP IN THIS BOOCH.

And cleaning my house.
I’m still working out the finer details of the one.

And DECORATING my house.
This one. I gotta tell you. I’m kinda excited about. I’m going to buy nice things that I know I want at a good price when i see them instead of holding them in my cart for 20 minutes while I walk around the store and then deciding that I don’t REALLY need it so I sit it in the housewares department when it really belongs in the furniture department. Then I get home, decide I want it after all, and go back to the store to get it and its GONE. Only to fret about it the entire next week, when I go to another store and buy it for 200% more. I gotta stop that.

And reading.
Gonna read more fun stuff. Like Beautiful Creatures and Gone Girl. And that durn Janet Evanovich Stephanie Plum series. WHHYYY AM I ALWAYS CHECKING IT OUT FROM THE LIBRARY AND NEVER READING IT????WHYYYYYYY?????????

And Yoga.
I wanna find my Zen.

– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –

So, that said, here is a recipe. . . . . about 4 days too late.

Remember my blogging philosophy.
I’m a slacker and it shouldn’t matter.

Plus.
Maybe. . . .just maybe. . . . .you’d like to eat Black eyed peas today.
Maybe the good luck comes no matter when you eat them.
Maybe, I shouldn’t be judging the whole world and determining when they should or shouldn’t eat peas that have black eyes.

That’s discrimination.
And I’ll have no part in it.
So here’s my recipe for Black Eyed Peas WITH MOLASSES.
So good, that really, you should eat these weekly.

Happy New Year.
I love you.

Black Eyed Peas with Molasses

2 Tb Canola Oil
1 onion, chopped
1/2 red bell pepper
2 stalks celery, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
16 oz. (1 package) dry black eyed peas
1 ham bone (or smoked ham hock, neck, turkey leg, or whatever you have)
*7 1/2 cups water
*2 chicken bouillon granule packets
1 bay leaf
3/4 cup Molasses
**salt, to taste (careful with this one. i don’t add any, because the bouillon is salty enough. however if you like things saltier or you used unsalted chicken broth, you may need to add some. you’ll probably need less than 1 teaspoon.)
white rice, cooked

*No bouillon packets? Just substitute 3 1/2 cups of chicken broth for the bouillon packets and reduce the water down to 4 cups.

**WAIT until the beans are done cooking to add the salt and bouillon. Salt can make beans tough. If you add it too soon the beans will never turn soft.

1. In a heavy bottomed pot, heat oil on a medium-high heat. Add onion, bell pepper, and celery. Cook for 3-5 minutes until soft and translucent. Add garlic. Cook for 2 minutes longer.

2. Add black eyed peas, ham bone, water, and bay leaf. Heat to boiling. Reduce heat, and cover. Simmer until black eyed peas are tender, about 40 minutes.

Our Christmas Ham. Revisited.

3. If your beans are tender, add bouillon and molasses. Cook for another 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Serve warm over rice.