Hoppin' John Dip

A big thank you to Hamilton Beach for providing me with their Stack and Snap™ 10 Cup Food Processor and helping me bring you all this delicious recipe for a Hoppin' John Dip perfect for serving at your New Year's Eve get-together...

This post may contain affiliate links. Purchasing through them helps support this website.

Anyone else just a little superstitious when it comes to what you eat on New Year's Eve and New Year's Day? Growing up, I remember my mother making pork chops and sauerkraut every New Year's Day (and she still does). 

I am not sure really when or why my mama started this tradition of pork and sauerkraut for New Year's dinner, but it originally started as a German & Pennsylvania Dutch custom. Eating both together brings good luck for the New Year. 

And even though I was not a fan of sauerkraut at all, I sucked it up and took ONE bite with my pork chops each year. I mean, I wasn't going to risk an entire year of bad luck over some silly sauerkraut. ;)

Looking for a more tasty and just as good fortune inducing dish to replace my mother's traditional pork chops and sauerkraut, I came across the classic southern dish of Hoppin' John. Hoppin' John is basically pork, greens, onions, and black-eyed peas all cooked together and then served over rice. 

The peas represent coins and wealth, & the greens represent paper money. It was thought that to eat "poor" on New Year's would be bring wealth the rest of the year. 

Hoppin' John is a dish that is usually served on New Year's Eve, not on New Year's Day. Since I typically only serve appetizers and nibbles for my New Year's Eve get-togethers, I decided to transform this delicious southern dish into a dip perfect for serving at a party or small gathering.

This Hoppin' John Dip starts out the same way as the traditional southern main dish, but then everything is put into a food processor and pureed together to make a tasty hummus-like dip...

12 Champagne Spiked Recipes

These 12 Champagne Spiked Recipes are perfect for planning your New Year's Eve menu or for using up that leftover champagne after wards...

If you happen to be anything like myself and my husband, we pick up a bottle of bubbly each year before New Year's Eve in anticipation of popping the cork at midnight and sipping on flutes of champagne until the bottle runs dry.

The reality?

I am lucky to make it to midnight without passing out on the couch first, and I rarely finish just one glass of bubbly at midnight. 

We undoubtedly will be left with half a bottle of champagne by the first morning of the New Year.  

18 Bubbly Cocktails for that New Year's Eve Toast

Ring in the new year right with one of these 18 Bubbly Cocktails perfect for a New Year's Eve midnight toast...

A new year is just around the corner, folks. I am not the type to set unrealistic New Year's resolutions. Or to write out a long list of personal & professional goals that I hope to accomplish over the next 365 days. 

And I have never chosen a word to reflect my purpose or focus for the upcoming year. Not dogging those who do, but it just doesn't happen to be my thing. 

But what is my thing at the beginning of each new year is to start it off right with a bubbly champagne-filled toast at midnight. (Now I may or may not promptly pass out right after that midnight toast, but that is beside the point. ;) )

My favorite way to raise a glass to the start of a new year is with a fizzy & fun cocktail in hand. I mean, I do like a glass of good champagne just as much as the next gal, but we all know that the real stuff (aka, French champagne) can get a little pricey. 

So I like to go with the cheaper stuff (think sparkling wines & prosecco), but I doctor them up a bit with my favorite liquors & fruits so that you can't even tell that you are not drinking the expensive bubbly. 

Clever, right? I get to ring in the new year with a glass of delicious bubbles & not break the bank in the process.

If you happen to share my same sentiments about a bubbly New Year's Eve toast, then you are going to love this collection of 18 sparkling cocktails I am sharing with you all today. You are sure to find the perfect glass of bubbles to ring in the new year with below...

Triple Chocolate Almond Creme Brulee

As has become our tradition since we started dating, I make my husband and I a "fancy" dinner every New Year's Eve.  We really are not much for going out on that night.  Last New Year's Eve I was super pregnant.  This past New Year's Eve we had an almost 11 month old baby girl with us.  So, once again we stayed in and I made my fancy dinner.

We ended this fancy dinner with some special champagne cocktails (click here for my Sweetheart Sorbet Champagne Floats recipe) and these Triple Chocolate Almond Creme Brulees.  Yes, I made these for New Year's, but as we were indulging in each creamy bite I couldn't help but to think ahead as to how amazingly decadent these creme brulees would be for after a special Valentine's Day dinner.  And so I held onto to this little gem of a recipe until now... ;)

What you will need:

1 pint of heavy cream

1/4 cup + 3 tbsp sugar

5 egg yolks

1 tsp vanilla

1/4 tsp almond extract

1 oz baker's chocolate, chopped

2 oz of a dark chocolate bar, chopped

1/3 cup semi sweet chocolate chips

1/2 cup of sliced almonds, toasted

Sugar for caramelizing on top

Preheat your oven to 250 degrees.  Lightly spray 4 oven safe ramekins with cooking spray and set aside.

Heat the cream and 1/4  cup of sugar over medium heat in a small saucepan.  When the sugar has completely dissolved and the cream has simmered just a little, remove from the heat.

Add in the chocolate chips, baker's chocolate, and dark chocolate to the cream/sugar mixture.  Whisk until well incorporated and smooth.  Set aside.

In a large bowl, whisk together the egg yolks and 3 tablespoons of sugar.  Then whisk in the vanilla and almond extract.  

Slowly pour the chocolate/cream mixture into the egg yolk mixture, whisking as you pour.

Set some water to boil on the stove.

Fill each ramekin with the chocolate creme brulee mixture.  Set the filled ramekins into a roasting pan.  Then fill the pan with boiling water until the water is halfway up the sides of the ramekins.

Bake for about 1 hour or until the custards are set.  Remove the ramekins from the pan and allow them to cool slightly.  Then transfer the brulees to the refrigerator for at least one hour.

Right before you are ready to serve your brulees, top each one with about 1 tablespoon of sugar.  I actually used turbinado sugar on mine.  You can caramelize the sugar by either setting the brulees under the broiler in your oven for 1-2 minutes or by using a kitchen torch.  As soon as you caramelize the sugar, sprinkle the tops of each one with the toasted almond slices.

And there you have it- a rich, decadent, chocolaty, creamy dessert to end your Valentine's Day dinner with.  Or any dinner... Or just because you love dark chocolate. 

Still looking for am easy yet impressive Valentine's Day dinner idea?  Did you happen to catch my Herb & Apple Roasted Chicken recipe from last week? ;)

*This recipe is adapted from THIS ONE from marthastewart.com.

Triple Chocolate Almond Creme Brulee

by Frugal Foodie Mama

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 1 hour then refrigerate 1 hour

6041897

Ingredients (Serves 4)

• 1 pint of heavy cream
• 1/4 cup + 3 tbsp sugar
• 5 egg yolks
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1/4 tsp almond extract
• 1 oz baker's chocolate, chopped
• 2 oz of a dark chocolate bar, chopped
• 1/3 cup semi sweet chocolate chips
• 1/2 cup of sliced almonds, toasted
• Sugar for caramelizing on top

Instructions

Preheat your oven to 250 degrees. Lightly spray 4 oven safe ramekins with cooking spray and set aside.

Heat the cream and 1/4 cup of sugar over medium heat in a small saucepan. When the sugar has completely dissolved and the cream has simmered just a little, remove from the heat.

Add in the chocolate chips, baker's chocolate, and dark chocolate to the cream/sugar mixture. Whisk until well incorporated and smooth. Set aside.

In a large bowl, whisk together the egg yolks and 3 tablespoons of sugar. Then whisk in the vanilla and almond extract.

Slowly pour the chocolate/cream mixture into the egg yolk mixture, whisking as you pour.

Set some water to boil on the stove.

Fill each ramekin with the chocolate creme brulee mixture. Set the filled ramekins into a roasting pan. Then fill the pan with boiling water until the water is halfway up the sides of the ramekins.

Bake for about 1 hour or until the custards are set. Remove the ramekins from the pan and allow them to cool slightly. Then transfer the brulees to the refrigerator for at least one hour.

Right before you are ready to serve your brulees, top each one with about 1 tablespoon of sugar. I actually used turbinado sugar on mine. You can caramelize the sugar by either setting the brulees under the broiler in your oven for 1-2 minutes or by using a kitchen torch. As soon as you caramelize the sugar, sprinkle the tops of each one with the toasted almond slices.

Powered by Recipage

Sparkling Champagne Cookie-wiches

A rich champagne buttercream is sandwiched between two thick & soft sparkling sugared cookies in these Sparkling Champagne Cookie-wiches...

Ever since I made my White Chocolate Peeps Cookiewiches for Easter earlier this year, I have kind of had a thing for coming up with decadent cookiewiches just for special occasions and holidays. 

My Easter cookiewiches were followed up a few months later by the Blue Velvet & Raspberry Buttercream Cookiewiches I made for the 4th of July. 

And since it has been over 5 months since I have posted a new cookie-wich recipe, I thought why not come up with one that would be perfect for celebrating New Year's Eve with? ;)

I had a vision in my head for exactly how I wanted these cookie-wiches to look, but I ran into one tiny snag- I couldn't find the exact sparkling gold and silver sugars I had pictured in my mind! I searched my local craft store and all the area grocery stores. I even searched Amazon to no avail. 

Then I remembered my good friends over at Chocoley and thought why not click on over there and take a look? And sure enough they had exactly what I was looking for in their Gold & Silver Sheen Metallic Sugar Crystals Set! Sparkling perfection, folks.

These Sparkling Champagne Cookie-wiches are rich, decadent, and fun, just like how every New Year's Eve celebration should be... :)

No-Bake Cannoli Cheesecake Shortcake

Looking for an elegant, yet fuss-free dessert perfect for ringing in the new year? Then you are going to love this recipe for No-Bake Cannoli Cheesecake Shortcake... 

This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Save-A-Lot. The opinions and text are all mine.

When it comes to New Year's Eve, my family and I like to keep it low key, fuss free, yet still fun and festive each year. We usually stay home to ring in the new year with a little bubbly (sparkling wine for my husband & I and sparkling grape cider for the kiddos), lots of tasty appetizers, and a classy dessert. 

We may not be painting the town at some swanky party when the clock strikes midnight, but we still like to do something special at home as a family to celebrate the beginning of a new year.

This December 31st my family and I will be indulging in these easy to make No-Bake Cannoli Cheesecake Shortcakes. And to make them even more fun, I plan on setting up a toppings bar so everyone can garnish their shortcakes with their favorite fruits and candies... :)

French 7UP5 Champagne Cocktail

This French 7UP5 Champagne Cocktail is a crisp, refreshing, & bubbly champagne cocktail perfect for ringing in the New Year!

This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone.

It is hard to believe that Christmas is done and over with and New Year's Eve is just right around the corner! Where did the time go, you all? 

Just because Santa has made his annual visit here, it doesn't mean that holiday entertaining is over in this house, folks. ;) 

We often host  one or two impromptu (and sometimes planned) end of the year get-togethers with friends and family.

To make sure we are always at the ready to entertain last minute or unexpected guests, I stock up on a few of the essentials... like cheese and crackers, chocolates, and of course bubbly mixers that are perfect for festive cocktails and fun mocktails for the kiddos. ;)

The frugal hostess in me was thrilled to see our favorite 2 liter bottles of mixers- 7UP and Canada Dry Ginger Ale on sale at our local Walmart for just $1 each this past week.

Of course, I had to stock up on these entertaining essentials when I find them at such a great price! :) 

In addition to the traditional 7UP and Canada Dry Ginger Ale, I also grabbed a 2 liter of the Cranberry Canada Dry Ginger Ale for a festive touch for drinks.

Every New Year's Eve, I try to come up with a new cocktail to serve my guests. The inspiration for this French 7UP5 Champagne Cocktail actually comes from the French 75, a champagne cocktail that was created in France during World War I. This cocktail with a kick got it's name from a popular and powerful French field gun used during the war. 

The traditional cocktail is concocted using lemon juice, simple syrup, Champagne, and gin. I simplified the cocktail a bit and made it a little more bubbly by using 7UP instead of the lemon juice and simple syrup...

7 Reasons You Need to Visit Puerto Vallarta in 2015

In partnership with Puerto Vallarta Tourism, I am sharing with you all the top 7 Reasons You Need to Visit Puerto Vallarta in 2015...

Traveling to Mexico has been on my travel bucket list for some time now. While Cancun seems to be one of the more popular tourist destinations there, I have had my eye on visiting Puerto Vallarta. And while its beaches with their deep blue waters is what first caught my eye and piqued my interest in this breathtaking resort town on Mexico's Pacific coast, there is so much more to Puerto Vallarta than what meets the eye. And this is especially true if you happen to be planning a trip there during the fall or for the holidays.

From the end of October right on through to the New Year, Puerto Vallarta hosts a myriad of festivals and exciting competitions that offer visitors to the area a true taste of the flavors, sights & sounds, history, and rich traditions of Mexico. Need a reason to plan a visit to Puerto Vallarta before the end of 2015? I have 7 of them for you below... ;)

2011- My Perfect Whirlwind

Some would look at my life the past year and call it a whirlwind.  A whirlwind of love, hope, change, loss, tears, anticipation, and new beginnings.  From the outside looking in, I guess I would also use the word whirlwind to describe 2011 for me.  But from where I sit, everything happened just as it should.  Just as it was meant to be.  It all seemed to happen at just the right pace, at just the right time.  

New Year's Eve 2010- Yes, those are Buddhas.

I rang in 2011 with my soon-to-be husband.  We had just moved into together after just a few short months of dating, but those few months felt like years.  I never questioned my move to be with him.  I never wondered if it was all happening too soon.  I just knew it felt right.  A couple of days after New Year's, we found out that we were expecting our first baby... Blueberry.  She was a surprise.  We had talked about going ahead and trying to have a baby a month before then, but had decided to wait since we were busy making wedding plans.  Every decision was prefaced by, "But what if I am pregnant by then?".  So, we decided to wait until the week of the wedding to try to get pregnant.  Originally we were planning a September wedding, but when we found out about our little one on the way we moved it up to May.  Our joy would be short-lived.  Blueberry would leave us on January 30th.  I was heartbroken and questioning whether my husband & I would ever have a child together.  Blueberry was my second loss in less than a year.  What if I couldn't stay pregnant?  

After losing our baby, my midwife recommended us to an OB/GYN that she thought could help us.  From our first meeting with her, I regained hope.  She prescribed me every blood test under the sun and scheduled a saline sonogram for April.  All tests came back negative.  No blood disorders. No thyroid problems. No immune disorders. Nothing physical that could have caused my losses.  This gave me relief, but also worry.  I didn't have a "cure".  But our OB said to try again in May, and she looked forward to seeing us again for our first prenatal appointment.  Confidence.  I needed that.

Our wedding day- May 2011

My husband and I planned our perfect, ideal wedding.  It wasn't huge, but it was classic.  Timeless.  Us.  Just recently my husband said to me, "You know what I loved most about our wedding? That I could look to the left and then to right, and I knew every single person there."  Our wedding day also signified the week we would officially start trying to have a baby again.  Apparently this was when it was meant to happen.  A few weeks later, we found out we were pregnant again.  We dubbed her Bean.  

The first few months of the pregnancy were exciting, anxiety-ridden, amazing, & scary.  Each new milestone brought us hope.  But the fear lingered in the back of my mind always- please don't let me lose another baby.  Honestly, I wasn't sure I could handle another loss.  I didn't know if I would have the courage to try again.  But every healthy ultrasound, every new week  in the pregnancy were small victories and brought us renewed hope.  

Our Bean at 20 weeks

I had decided even before we had started to trying to conceive again that I would approach this pregnancy with a very different attitude than I had with Blueberry.  With Blueberry, we didn't tell hardly anyone about her. Not even my parents or my son. I wouldn't allow myself to buy a single maternity item or any baby clothes.  I was not going to let it rip my heart out if something happened again. But we lost her. And my heart was still ripped out.  

Bean would be different.  I wasn't going to question whether she would make it past 8 weeks.  I had to believe that she would.  I told my parents, my sister, my son, and a few close friends within a week of us finding out we were pregnant again.  The rest of the world would find out after our 13 week ultrasound.  We bought her a stuffed coqui frog during our honeymoon to Puerto Rico- I was only 5 weeks pregnant then.  Now this isn't to say that I never worried or had anxious moments of panic in that first trimester.  I had them all the time.  But I forced myself to take deep breaths and willed myself to think positive thoughts.  And I prayed.

2011 literally ended with my husband and I moving back to our hometown.  My husband had lost his job just two months before.  I feel blessed that we had that time together even if we faced financial hardship and new stress.  But we were able to spend hours together feeling our baby girl move, talking to her, making our plans for her future with us.  Those are moments I wouldn't trade for any paycheck.  2012 has brought us a new beginning, but in familiar surroundings, and closer to the family that we love and hold so dear.  In a few short weeks our baby girl will be here and a new amazing and beautiful chapter in our lives will begin... 

"Every day brings new light...you just need to look for it."