First of all…Happy New Year!

I always like to envision the new year as a blank page. A clean slate. It’s a chance to wipe away and start anew. It’s a chance of rebirth. It’s also a time to reflect on the past year, what we’ve learned – good and bad. Things we want to carry on into the new year and things we can’t to keep back in the last.

I hope the new year brings you nothing but love, health, happiness and an abundance of peace.

So now onto new year food traditions!

My husband is what is referred to as being “Pennsylvania Dutch.” When he was growing up in Pennsylvania, it was a huge deal to eat Sauerkraut and Pork each New Year’s Day. While I’m a proud born and bred Virginian, my stepmother, June, always had the tradition of eating black eyed peas for dinner (along with other delicious Southern staples!) on New Year’s Day. She actually didn’t like them at all but made them and would eat just one or two – and said it brought good luck.

Do you have any New Years Breakfast or Dinner traditions? I would love to hear from you!

In the kitchen tonight, I made delicious Sauerkraut and Pork. The apples in the ingredients take away the bitterness of the sour kraut and is a very nice combination. The apple cider vinegar was a nice touch too!

Pennsylvania Dutch Sauerkraut & Pork Dinner

Ingredients

2 1/2 – 3 lbs of lean bone-in country ribs

olive oil

1 bags silver floss sauerkraut

1 large or 2 small apples

1 medium onion

2 Tablespoons apple cider vinegar

1 Cup chicken broth

Salt and pepper for seasoning

Directions

Sprinkle pork with salt and pepper. Use just enough to sprinkle meat to season.

Coat a large skillet with olive oil. Brown the ribs on both sides.

Remove from the skillet and place onto a baking sheet. Put into a preheated oven of 325 degrees and bake for 30 minutes.

While the ribs are baking, rinse the sauerkraut in cold water and quickly drain. If you are watching your sodium, this helps to wash some of the sodium away.

In a medium bowl, add the sauerkraut, and two tablespoons apple cider vinegar, chopped apples, onions, and salt and pepper.

Remove the ribs when done and in a large baking dish – lay the ribs across. Cover the pork with sauerkraut and add one cup chicken broth.

Cover and bake for 3 hours or until pork is “fork tender.”