This season is one I will never forget, my greatest gift wasn’t under the tree, it is this precious little man I am blessed to be with every day.
We shared a wonderful Christmas surrounded by family.
Now it is time to prepare for a wonderful 2014……
and a Happy Birthday to my Brother!
New Years Eve…quietly at our home Italian Style
La Festa di San Silvestro - New Year's Eve. The evening begins with a traditional dish, “cotechino e lenticchie” Cotechino is a delicious, savory, fresh pork sausage, typically sold either partially pre-cooked or raw. 
Served with Lentils. Lenticchie (lentils) are believed to bring good luck and prosperity in the coming year to those who eat them on New Year’s Eve. These tiny oval-shaped legumes, reminiscent of gold coins, represent the money that one will earn in the coming year. Needless to say, the more you eat, the better off you’ll be financially! Polenta is the side dish served with this meal…not to many fans of polenta in our home, but Grandma said there will be a small serving anyway!
Followed by dessert of grapes…According to tradition, having grapes present on the table during New Year’s ensures that those sitting at the table will be wise and frugal spenders of money. This is based on the idea that one must exercise significant willpower in order to conserve grapes taken from the grape harvest without eating them until New Year’s Eve.(Fall harvest in above picture….. A person with such willpower will surely be a wise and frugal spender in the coming year! So feast your eyes on this…grapes from our vines in the back yard growing in the apricot tree this very day!
and this best idea I have heard to start the new year is……………..Drum Rolll Please………………
Red undergarments and lingerie are worn by men and women, respectively; in addition to espousing love and good fortune, the color red also represents fertility – both for men and for women – so wearers beware! Additionally, the tradition dictates that these red intimates be thrown out the following day in order for the ritual to take full effect…..Not sure throwing them away fits in with the frugal aspect of Italian Traditions…so mine will be stored away for another day!
Happy New Year 2014
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