well hello there 2016

traditional New Years feast

bryan and i had the best New Years eve i've had in recent memory.  after the traumatic day full of tears with sushi it was nice to relax with him and just unwind and enjoy each others' company and not worry about the fake excitement of a new years party or being fake at some club somewhere.  my day with sushi was emotionally draining but i felt a great sense of release as soon as the decision was made and the doctor was able to let her go in peace.  i did feel it strange that it happened on New Year's Eve and like she had held on as long as she could so i could be there with her that last day.   obviously our plans changed and we ended up staying home with him comforting me and took a walk to the park in the dark in hopes of seeing fireworks.  we were outside experiencing the fresh air which was a perfect new year's eve night for me.

this morning was a fresh start and we started by making a traditional New Years feast.  this is my favorite type of meal--a healthy meat and veg plate.  so i believe collard greens and black eyed peas are served on new years day for good luck.  not sure how that came about but i'm sure there is a story there somewhere.  i did a healthy, modern day version by using a lean pork belly which we seasoned with a really delicious local seasoning rub we got at a local market.  i also added it to the organic collards and black eyed peas i stewed.  i did a southern style sweet potato by boiling the potatoes and then cooking in a brown sugar and pecan roux.  everything was delicious!  my mantra on food this year: focus on whole, fresh foods, do lots of cooking and worry less about the calories and all the other junk.  we both tend to stray away from carbs and dairy so i think if we stick to this healthy diet we will have a happy and healthy new year.