New Year's Black-Eyed Peas

Every year I keep telling myself "Don't forget the black-eyed peas.".... and every year I always forget. So I end up going to the grocery store at the last minute on New Year's Day to get my black-eyed peas.

What's all the fuss about it? It's been a tradition in our family for years, that having black-eyed peas on New Year's Day brings good luck and prosperity for the coming year. One New Year's Day, I couldn't find a store that had any in stock. I was devastated! Then I looked in my kitchen cupboard and found a small can hidden behind the shelf. Boy, was I relieved!

Here's a recipe I'm going to try this year:

Black-Eyed Peas and Ham

Ingredients:
1 pound dried blackeyed peas
2 ham hocks or a ham bone with ham left on it
Pepper to taste
onions, sliced
hot sauce

Place the ham bones or hocks in a crockpot, add the peas after they have been rinsed (but not soaked), and cover with water completely. Cook all day on low, or 4 or 5 hours on high.