Happy New Year, 2012!

Can you believe we are already twelve years into the new century? It seems like only yesterday we were wondering if the world's computer systems would survive the turn of the century. They did. We did. And, we are all just a little grayer now. Ha!

So, how did you celebrate your new year? We started out by baking a fresh loaf of banana nut bread to take to some friends house. We all ate, drank (non-alcoholicly) and were merry...until about 2am.

Fresh Banana Nut Bread

The bread seemed to be a huge hit. I let everyone know it was an old family recipe. I'm sure it is...just not from my family. A big thanks to 57grace71, at BigOven.com. Your old family recipe has now become mine.

Banana Nut Bread
Wet Ingredients
3/4 cup softened butter
2 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla
1.5 cups sugar
1.5 cups mashed ripened bananas (about 4 bananas)
1/2 cup buttermilk or sour cream (I used the buttermilk)

Dry Ingredients
2 tsp. Baking Powder
2 cups flour
3/4 tsp. salt
1 tsp. baking soda
3/4 cups chopped pecans or walnuts

Mix wet and dry ingredients in separate bowls. Pour wet ingredients into dry ingredients and mix well. Grease two loaf pans and divide batter between both. Bake in oven preheated to 325 degrees Fahrenheit, for 1 hour and 15 minutes. Bread is done when inserted toothpick comes out clean.

Thankfully, we had a full loaf of bread to ourselves. I was able to start 2012 off with a nice cup of coffee in my Pooh mug (Yeah, I'm a big softy), with a slice of banana nut bread, slathered with butter. Yum!

Buttered Banana Bread and Winnie the Pooh. What could be better in the morning?

Meanwhile, the rest of the family slept. I had started a slow cooker full of black eyed peas the night before. I gave them a stir, and a little extra seasoning. Then I started a pot of turnip greens and mixed up a batch of buttermilk cornbread (This really is an old family recipe.)

Meanwhile, the rest of the family slept. I am beginning to notice a pattern here. My family sleeps the day away, and I spend the day eating and preparing more food. No wonder we are the picture of such stellar health.

Anyway, it was time to eat, and I had my black eyed peas (with huge chunks of ham), turnip greens, and cornbread, along with a nice glass of wine. Down south, we all believe that eating black eyed peas, pork, and turnip greens are supposed to bring one financial good luck. Considering we are one of the poorest regions of the country, I can't attest to how much truth lies in that superstition, but it sure is fun trying.

Good luck...or, just plain good eating!?!

I don't normally drink wine, much less red wine. If I drink wine, I have a tendency to to go with a sweeter white wine. However, my boss gave me a bottle of Blue Rock Baby Blue wine from the Blue Rock Vineyards, in Geyserville, CA. Baby Blue is a blend of four different red wines. It is not sweet, but goes down very smoothly. If you are just introducing yourself to red wine, this is an excellent bottle to start with.

Anyway, I digress. I had everything for a great start to 2012...with one exception. Friends and family! That was quickly fixed with a shout upstairs. "Lunch is ready!"

All the peas and greens in the world won't really bring you good luck (Just a lot of gas). The one ingredient that has proven reliable, year after year, is friends and family. If you aren't close to your family, perhaps you should resolve to mend some fences this year. At one time or another, we all need family to lean on. If you feel you don't have any friends, resolve to make some new ones...or find some old ones. I find great comfort in thinking I may have touched someone's life, and they just might be sitting somewhere, sipping a hot cup of joe, and wondering "Whatever happened to Jim? He was one swell guy."

So, Happy New Year to all of my friends and family. You have all made me a truly blessed ...and lucky... man.
I lift a glass and salute all those wonderful people who have gone to the great banquet beyond. People like my Dad, Uncle Bill, Mr. & Mrs. Temple, Nodya Hair, and many others. In more ways than you could ever know, you have made me the person I am.

I salute all those people who have passed thru my life at one time or another over the many years, like Paul Eastman, Kirk Chandler, Ernie Fargo, and the Olivers. I hope I have blessed your life as much as you blessed mine.

Finally, I ask for blessings for those of my friends and family who found 2011 to be a particularly hard and painful year. May God bless you with the celebrations in 2012 that eluded you in the past year. You are always in my thoughts and prayers.

Now, I think I've mixed together all of the really important ingredients for a wonderful new year. Happy New Year, everyone. May God bless you in all that you do in 2012.