January 1 - Happy New Year!

Happy New Year! We're ringing in the new year PA Dutch-style with pork and sauerkraut for dinner (with a side of carrots). The sauerkraut is supposed to bring wealth and the pork represents moving forward/progress (the animal pushes forward, rooting itself in the ground before moving). I found an interesting article on New Years food traditions here.

I've had mine simmering in the crock pot all day (you'll find my crock pot is one of my best friends! that and the blender). I got my recipe from allrecipes.com and tweaked it a little. It's super delish! Here is how I do it:

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon minced onion
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1.5 teaspoons celery salt
• 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper
• 1 (4 pound) boneless rolled pork loin roast
• 2 (14 ounce) cans sauerkraut with liquid
• 1/4 cup brown sugar
• 1/2 pound fully cooked kielbasa or Polish sausage, cut into 1/2-inch pieces

Directions

1. In a small bowl, combine the first five ingredients; rub over roast. Place roast fat side up in a crock pot. Combine sauerkraut and sugar if desired. Spoon sauerkraut and sausage over and around roast. Cover and bake on low all day.

I know I'm excited to eat this! Scott and Linds won't do the sauerkraut (maybe a bite just for tradition's sake), but we always enjoy this meal. We're planning to try some squash with Luke to see how he reacts. I'll update with photos of our dinner- I know my food doesn't always look "pretty" (no matter how good it tastes), so another goal is to gussy up my dishes as the year continues.