Ending the year with a limp

The new year is coming, so I decided to go with something traditional for a change. With the gig economy, I'm sure most of us could use some prosperity in the new year, so I'll post the traditional good luck southern dish from the (horribly racist!) Coastal Carolina Cooking (1963 printing):

I'll admit that I mostly chose this relatively plain version of Hoppin' John (just black-eyed peas, pork, onion, and rice) mostly because it came with Hoppin' John's disabled wife, Limpin' Susan.

Don't they make a ... hastily sketched couple? (Cute is definitely not the word I'm looking for here. Maybe part of Susan's problem is that her waist seems to be where her hips should be, and her head looks a bit like it belongs on a chicken.)

My biggest disappointment is that I don't (as far as I can tell, but given the size of my collection, there's a chance I'm wrong here) have a recipe for a jiggly Hoppin' John Salad. So just for you, dear readers, I'm going to make up a Hoppin' John Salad (with a slightly more elaborate ingredient list than Mrs. Charles Mason Crowson's). It has not been tested, and I don't recommend you try it either.

Good Luck with That Hoppin' John Salad

1 box lemon gelatin

1 c. boiling water

2/3 c. cold water

1 tsp. salt

1 Tbs. vinegar

1 c. cooked black-eyed peas

1 c. cooked rice

2 Tbs. grated onion

1/4 c. minced celery

1/4 c. minced green pepper

4 slices bacon, fried crisp and crumbled

Dissolve gelatin in boiling water. Add cold water, salt, and vinegar. Chill until slightly thickened. Stir in the peas, rice, and vegetables. Pour into oiled mold of appropriate size (quart, I'm guessing) and chill until firm. Unmold and serve topped with crumbled bacon to get the bad luck out of the way first thing in the new year. (Hopefully it can only get better after this!)