Happy 2012!

2011 was a long year for me as I know it was for a lot of people.  Some good, some bad, some awful; I'm very glad to see it go and have a whole 366 days ahead of us to make the most of life.  Getting things back on track isn't always easy, but it's definitely worth it in the end.  I'm not one for resolutions (too easy to feel like a failure if it doesn't happen), but over the next week I hope to share some of my goals for this new year.

One of the things I've done for years is change my desktop wallpaper every month.  For the last year or so I've been using wallpaper from Smashing Magazine.  The website is an online magazine for web designers and I always find an interesting article or two in addition to the beautiful wallpaper they post once a month.  This month, this is the one I was first on this list (here's the link) and the quote that was centered says "Nobody can go back and start a new beginning, but anyone can start today and make a new ending." It was designed by Lina Itskovitch and totally sums up how I feel about this year.  I hope we all make the most of what this year has to offer and enjoy good health and happiness.

In starting our year out right I decided to make everyone eat some black eyed peas.  (After explaining to everyone that they symbolize good luck in the new year.)  To minimize the ick factor for the kids I made it into a dip (who doesn't like dip?) and it turned out pretty darn good.   I had bought some fresh peas at the store a couple days ago but after tasting them they're more like sprouts than beans (kind of crunchy!) and I'm going to be selfish and save them to snack on instead of cooking and making them into the dip.  Luckily I did have a can of them in the pantry so all was good there.

The dip I made was a modification of one I found on The Pioneer Woman's blog here.  While the original recipe looks awesome, I substituted what I had on hand.  I almost added a diced avocado but when I cut into it it was past its prime so I left it out (darn!).  We took it to a friend's house where it was declared a hit and something we'll make a New Year's Day tradition!

Black Eyed Pea Dip

In a big bowl, mix together 1 can of black eyed peas, drained and 5 green onions, sliced thin.  Take a fork or masher and mash up the beans just a little bit.  Add in 1/4 cup sour cream, 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese, and 1/4 cup salsa.  Put in a shallow baking dish and bake at 350 for 20 minutes or so until hot and bubbly.  Serve with tortilla chips.