Ch ch ch changes......

I have an ear worm of Bowie's song "Changes". It plays over and over in my head.  As a family, this is our year of changes. After many dead end streets, we are focused on turning around.

I started back to school (after a 20 yr hiatus). Major changes have occurred as a result.  Everyone has had to adapt to our new schedule. David and I strive to make it all work as much as possible. He has to travel for work ( our little, peaceful town is great for raising kids, bad economically) so he's not always here to tag team. Fortunately, Parker is driving now and pitches in when needed.
We have adjusted to eating a lot of soup and crock-pot meals.  Since I am a "cook" by nature, this was a big adjustment. The boys were used to nice, big meals served up in the dining room. (I enjoyed it so it wasn't ever a hassle) we still try to sit down for dinner together several nights a week. But I have to admit, sometimes it's to eat pizza! I keep repeating to myself that this is just for a season. Then I remind myself that we are in a transitional mode right now. We may not get back to where we've been comfortable before but isn't that the point?

If you are reading this, I assume that you are one of the people that care for and want to know about our family. So here is what is going on with us right now- Cooper & Oliver are wrestling, their first tournament is this weekend! Parker is still on the football team, doing winter workouts... He just got back from a Youth Ski trip to NC. His arm is swollen and painful after a fall snowboarding. He got home yesterday and told me last night around 6 that his arm didn't feel well. We see his orthopedic Dr today, Again! He averages to see him once every 2 months.  I pray that it is just a sprain.

David is busy working and eating at interesting places while he is out if town. If you know David, you know that everything revolves around his next meal! I'm surprised he doesn't weight 400#. Thank God for his high metabolism!

I am in college full-time. I attend 3 classes and do one online. So far, it's going well. I have A's in everything except  Anatomy. And I don't know what my grade is in there, probably a "C" after the first test. Hopefully I will get to drop that one! I like school but I wish that I had taken it serious the first time around! It would have been so much easier w/o so many other responsibilities. It's hard for me to study @ wrestling practice or when the boys are home.  Sleep is not as much of a priority as it was 6 months ago.

Hopefully it will not be a month before my next update. I feel guilty when I do anything other than study right now. I am supposed to be in a "book club" but haven't been able to read the next group of books required for March. I may just go to the meeting anyway and visit!

Black-eyed Pea Cakes

So did you have your black-eyed peas, turnip greens and ham on New Year's Day? I wondered why it was a Southern Tradition to eat this combo on the New Year beginning so I looked it up on wikipedia.  It's really just about the peas, they are said to bring prosperity.  It was originally a Jewish tradition that wasn't adopted by non-Jew's until the Civil War.  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black-eyed_pea

Anyway, David and I have always made Hoppin' John on New Year's Day w/ smoked sausage and turnip greens.  As a rule my husband doesn't eat leftovers. If he does it's usually when I have planned to put them another dish.  I now have 1/2 a pot of black-eyed peas/Hoppin' John in the refrigerator and David is out of town. 

I recently made a dip/spread w/ white beans.  It is a vegetarian dish and we LOVED it! We've had it several times since.  I had found this Fried Bean Cakes recipe and wanted to try it.  I thought it would be a good side since my guys seem to eat beans and like them.  This is a great idea of those leftover black-eyed peas from New Year's.  We are having them tonight.

Fried Bean Cakes

3 cups cooked and drained (or leftover) beans or black-eyed peas
1 large egg or 2 large egg yolks
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1 tablespoon chopped fresh basil
1 tablespoon chopped fresh oregano
1 small red onion, diced (about 1/2 cup)
2 large garlic cloves, very finely minced
1 scallion, chopped
1/2 roasted, peeled, and seeded jalapeno pepper, finely minced
unbleached all-purposed flour
vegetable oil for panfrying

Mix together all of the ingredients except the flour and oil, mashing the beans w/ a fork or by hand.  Form into patties, coat w/ flour and fry over medium heat in a small amount of oil until browned, about 1 1/2 to 2 minutes on each side.

The Hoppin' John's Lowcounty Cooking cookbook recommends a sun-dried tomato mayo for a sauce.  I had a prepared Chipolte Mayo in the fridge and used it. Delicious!  My cakes had rice (b/c of the Hoppin' John) and I diced up the smoked sausage and added it to the mix.  John recommended Shrimp in his cookbook too.