All her life my mother spent hours a day cooking for her family and friends, and of course holiday meals received extra time and attention. It’s amazing how generously giving she was and how talented at putting together a feast. Thank you, Mama, for all you did for us. At our southern home in 1961 and all the New Year’s Days before and after, the dinner menu centered around certain traditional dishes. The cabbage and the black-eyed peas and hog jowl were especially necessary. After all, you could not guarantee a lucky New Year without them!
NEW YEAR’S MENU:
Black Eyed Peas and Hog Jowl – served in bowls just after midnight and later in the day as well, mandatory to eat at least one bite of jowl
Cabbage – You were really lucky if you got the serving of cabbage with the dime in it!
Cornbread – necessary for soaking in your black-eyed peas
Ambrosia – mandarin orange slices, pineapple chunks, maraschino cherries, sweet flaked coconut, miniature marshmallows, pecans, sour cream and sweet whipped cream
Ham – baked with brown sugar and pineapple rings on top – because we were usually turkeyed out by now after Thanksgiving and Christmas
Sweet Potatoes – baked – ditto above on candied yams
Green Beans – frozen straight from her summer garden
Yellow Layer Cake with Chocolate Frosting – not from a box
Lemon Meringue Pie – my husband’s favorite
Lemon Chiffon Pie – my brother’s favorite 
What a feast! Isn’t it amazing to think of the meals our parents cooked without microwaves, double ovens, Kitchenaids, etc., many times in small kitchens? Mothers definitely knew how to work culinary magic.
You’re so right. They could whip up a meal from sractch, using ingredients in the fridge and cupboard, whereas I would have to start with a recipe and a long grocery list!