A New Year Isn't Always Bittersweet

Two reasons I love to see January 1 on the calendar and they both involve food - go figure!

Any good southerner would never start the year off without the traditional feast of pork, greens (collards for us), black-eyed peas and cornbread (with and without cracklins). I also make homemade applesauce to go with it (thanks, mom!). This year, Caleb decided on his own that he wanted to make a fruit salad (in the sage green bowl below) so he collected all the fruits we had (strawberries, bananas and apples), a plastic knife and a cutting board and went to work. He did a great job and was so proud of himself! Some family and neighbors joined us and we ate and ate until there were no leftovers.

Then, two short days later, it was time to enjoy this culinary delight:

January means the start of shortcake season at Parkesdale Farms! My sweet husband, who doesn't even like strawberry shortcake, obliged and let us go there for lunch after church on Sunday. I brought sandwiches and blankets for the kids (it is COLD here this week) and, of course, my camera to document the trip. I'm so sad that I started dieting again this week - it sure was fun eating whatever I wanted over the holidays!