I’m not going to make the same mistake I made last year when I shop for my New Year’s dinner.  Let me tell you the story.  I’m a Florida Cracker Southern and a 7th generation Floridian so I have a sweet camaraderieship with soul food afficionados in my hometown of Sanford.  I’ll go down to the ‘hood if I want some Colt 45, Banana Now-Or-Laters, or some REALLY good collard greens.  I visit my favorite fruit stand often because they have fresh fruits, vegetables, boiled peanuts (more about this astounding snack in a later post), bait AND pork cracklin’s.

So, anyway, it’s December 31, 2007 and I make my trek to that famed fruit stand on 46A.  And AHHHH, they have one bunch of collards left.  I grab the collards quickly because I don’t want to fight anyone for that last bunch.  SHEW, I pay and I am deliriosly happy for my collard find.

Then I have a great idea!  There’s a Winn-Dixie right there in the ‘hood on 17/92, so I decide I’ll go there to pick up my black eyed peas, hog jowls and corn meal.

And, child, you wouldn’t believe the devestation I found in the black eyed pea aisle, the corn meal aisle and the hog jowl aisle.  The was not to be found even ONE black eyed pea, a GRAIN of corn meal, or a TRACE of hog jowl!!!

What’s a desperate girl to do?  I decide to head to the "White Bred" section of town to see what’s going on there at the Heathrow Winn-Dixie.  And, AHHHHH, there were piles of black eyed peas both canned and dried, corn meal stacked to the ceiling and hog jowls a-plenty!  I was truly in "hog heaven!"

I happily shopped for all my "Soul Food" ingredients and thought to myself, these people need to learn how to live!

Then I made a note to myself, "Self, either shop early in the ‘hood next year or visit the high class part of town to educate them on what they’re missing!"

So I shopped early this year and I’m hoping my blog will help all the non-believers!

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