Our New Years Eve Traditions (A Recipe and a Meaningful Moment)

(pictured above - cabbage roll, sauerkraut, creamed corn, mashed potatoes, homemade crescent roll)

In my 35 years of life, I have never celebrated New Year's Eve without sauerkraut and cabbage rolls! Since I was born, my extended Hungarian family has gathered on New Years Eve and eaten what we call "Pigs In the Blanket". About 8 years ago, I inherited the holiday as mine. So it's been my task to make cabbage rolls for the entire extended family.


Last year my sisters came to help me make them and I went to snap a photo of them hard at work - and accidentally it was set to take a video. So I am posting this video without their permission (please forgive me lol! - I love you guys!) As you can see, they really didn't want to be video taped and my voice is way too loud (warning turn your volume down!)- it's not the best video - but you get the gist. This video was taken in my old home, in my old kitchen.

I am so blessed to have wonderful sisters - We do have fun together!!!

Pigs In The Blanket recipe:
1 pound hamburg
1/2 onion cut fine
1 cup rice
salt and pepper
dash of sugar
1 tablespoon of water
1 head of cabbage
1 Jar of sauerkraut 32oz.


Mix all of the above ingredients except the cabbage and sauerkraut in a bowl.


Put a pan of water on to boil. Cut and core the cabbage. Place the cabbage in the boiling water, core face down, and let the leaves come off one at a time.


Take a large pot and put a layer of sauerkraut along the bottom. Then roll a small amount of filling in a leaf. Make a layer of cabbage rolls and then layer it with sauerkraut and then a second layer of cabbage rolls. And top it with sauerkraut.


Fill the pan with water - sprinkle the top with pepper and let it come to a boil. Reduce the heat to simmer until the rice is done and the meat is cooked through (around 3 hours). Enjoy!
When I make my pigs I triple this recipe and get around 26 cabbage rolls.


Another tradition is to make a Time Capsule. I take a Quaker Oats canister and turn it into a capsule!

From the youngest to the oldest, every single person in attendance at our party puts something into the Time Capsule to remind them of the past year. Some of the things that have gone into the Time Capsule over the years are ultra-sound baby photos, business cards to new jobs, vacation photos, school papers, Binky's, match box cars, sports memorabilia, and much more! And I must admit, I have NEVER made it through the passing of the capsule without crying!!! It always touches me deeply to see how much God does in just one year in all of our lives!

Here's my mom putting into the capsule her wedding invitation - as they celebrated their 40th wedding anniversary that year.
My sister put a page of her calendar into the capsule so one day she can remember a "day in the life of...". All her boy's sports schedules and activities are there to remember.My father put a picture of a car he sold that year that paid for a huge extended family vacation to Colorado. What a great dad I have to sacrifice his car so we all could make memories that will last forever!

Then we watch the ball drop and kiss into the New Year. We each kiss every single person there - so that takes a while to make the rounds! Then we pour sparkling grape juice - someone makes a toast and we drink to it! Oh it is truly a blessed night to go into the new year with my favorite people on earth!

So that's what we do here in our home! What are your New Years Eve traditions?


Walk with the King!

I am participating in What's Cooking Wednesday, Tempt Your Tummy Tuesday, Dining With Debbie , Balancing Beauty and Bedlam , and Tuesdays at the Table recipe exchanges. I am also linked up to Raising Homemakers Weds. link up and Works For Me Wednesday! For more blogger recipes go to these links.