Starting the New Year off right

Hopefully everyone had a wonderful holiday! We had a nice relaxing day at Rett's dad's house with yummy food and watched Iron Man, which was surprisingly good. Tonight Rett and I are just going to rent a couple of movies (any suggestions are welcome!) and hang out together. We got very spoiled when he was only working until 5p, so now that he doesn't get home until 8p from work, we feel like we never see each other. It's nice to know that after 8 years together, he still gets upset when he doesn't get to see me a lot.

I thought I would include something a little different in my post today, since I found an interesting article on Delish.com. Our family usually gets together for a relaxed dinner on New Year's Day just to hang out, watch football and kind of end the season of big dinners. If you haven't planned what you're having tomorrow night, here are some ideas based on foods that different cultures believe to bring good luck in the New Year!

Noodles -- In many Asian countries, long noodles are eaten on New Year's Day in order to bring a long life. One catch: You can't break the noodle before it is all in your mouth.

Black-Eyed Peas -- A common good luck food in the southern United States, black-eyed peas are thought to bring prosperity, especially when served with collard greens. (I'll probably just play Fergie's CD since I'm not a fan of the Black-Eyed Peas in the food variety, just the music! ha ha ha)

Cabbage -- In Germany, Ireland, and parts of the United States, cabbage is associated with luck and fortune since it is green and resembles money. (One of our favorites has been to do an Irish dinner with corned beef, cabbage and red skin potatoes. Yum!)

Lentils -- Thought to resemble coins, lentils are eaten throughout Italy for good fortune in the New Year.

Pomegranates -- Long associated with abundance and fertility, pomegranates are eaten in Turkey and other Mediterranean countries for luck in the New Year.

Fish -- In North America, Asia, and Europe, people eat fish to celebrate the new year. In some countries, people associate fish with moving forward into the new year since fish swim forward. Other people think fish symbolize abundance since they swim in schools.

I hope everyone has a healthy & happy New Year! If you're going out tonight, please don't drink and drive. Be safe!