Is It Black-Eyed Peas With Bacon or Bacon With Black-Eyed Peas?

ELSEWHERE: Top 10 Conservative Movies of Past Decade

MAKIN BACON

HERE IN THE SOUTH, no self-respecting Southerner would dare go without eating black-eyed peas for good luck on New Year's Day. And if it's the start of a new millennium----ooops, I mean decade, well then there's even more reason to wolf 'em down.

But the age-old question inquiring minds want to know remains: Did this excellent culinary tradition originate with the love of peas in-and-of themselves? Or was it just another excuse to eat bacon?

Glad I asked. And for those who stayed up until the wee, wee hours of morning pondering this mighty conundrum, I shall now answer you truly and can not tell a lie:

It's about the bacon, silly. It's all about the bacon! Bring home the bacon and they'll come--- one and all: bacon is a babe magnet for eggs, onions, peppers, turnip greens, tomatoes, orange marmalade and cheese just to name a very few. And of course it's a babe magnet cubed for people. People will always come, from the dawn of man to the end of history.

In the South, bacon rules! And the timeless tradition of finding new ways to eat it will never, ever go out of style. May God be with us and our salty, greasy, wonderful bacon obsession and endless search to find new ways to indulge ourselves on it! But for today, it's black-eyed peas all the way!

Happy New Year---2010--- and Happy New Decade.

Last night was alcohol free for me with plenty of healthy food and football. Today I'm going hiking on a new trail in subfreezing weather----the most fun, exhilarating way to bring in every new year in my opinion. May post some photos later. It's freezing here this morning and I'm off to put on my long silk undies!