White Bean & Ham Soup

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As requested by Emily @ Yarn Miracle – our family favorite on a cold day.

When I buy a ham, I always make sure it has a bone so I can make this soup the next day.

White Bean and Ham Soup Recipe

Ingredients

  • 1 lb of white beans – Canellini or Great Northern
  • 2 quarts of water
  • Ham hocks or Ham bone and left over chopped ham
  • 1 cup of diced onions
  • 1 cup chopped celery
  • 2/3 cup chopped carrots
  • 2 cloves garlic, diced
  • Salt and pepper

Method

1 Soak the beans in at least 2 quarts of cold water overnight. Drain the water.

2 Put ingredients in a large pot and cover with water. Bring to a boil, cover and simmer until the ham meat easily pulls away from the bone and the beans are soft.  (This is a great meal to have simmering all afternoon – yummy!)

3 Add salt and pepper to taste.  Serve with biscuit or cornbread

Serves 8.

It’s the little things that bless me

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Today it’s….

  • Spiced Cider by the cup
  • My quiet home
  • My FIL dropped by and asked if for a Christmas present would I like him to install the new-to-us stove and hood that’s sitting in the garage!  YES!!
  • Bible studies by Kay Arthur that I bought sooo many years ago but only recently rediscovered.
  • The fact I have onions in my garage.  I looked twice two days ago – no onions.  Today I wanted to make white bean soup….I look again in garage and there is a complete bag of onions!
  • I also found the extra bag of yams I bought – yum!

I truly believe that if you can find joy in the little things in life, you will live a happy life.

What’s the Color of your Christmas Tree?

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Found this at Nancy’s blog (green), who found it at Ginny’s blog (blue like me) and Jennifer‘s (Purple!! how did I miss that one??- Maybe Eric will let me have a purple tree!)


You Should Have a Blue Christmas Tree


For you, the holidays represent a time of calm, understanding, and peace.

You avoid family fights, and you don’t get too stressed out – even when things are crazy!

You like to make Christmas about making everyone’s life a little bit better.

You don’t get caught up in greed or commercialism. You’re too sincere for that.

Your blue tree would look great with: Lots of silver tinsel

You should spend Christmas Eve watching: It’s a Wonderful Life

What you should bake for Santa: Chocolate chip cookies

Warning: Depression Ahead

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I’m learning that this time of year I can get very sad.

Eric is decorating.  He loves all things Christmas.  In his family Christmas was a part of the “goody-goody season” that started on his birthday in early November and included siblings’ birthdays, Thanksgiving and Christmas.  Nonstop festivities and family.

I have great memories of Christmas too.  But I also can’t help but wish Joshua was here too.  There should be a 6 yr old here in addition to our 1.5, 7, 12 and 13 yr olds.  Added to my sadness today is that I saw Joshua’s picture at my mother-in-laws on Thursday and I didn’t recognize him.  How could I not even recognize him?  The very thought just makes me feel so sad.

Every year at this time I start to get sad about the time we decorate.  I am learning to just give myself time to grieve and then get on with enjoying the kids and trying to make memories of them.  So, here is your warning….You will probably be hearing a bit more about my grief walk as we go forward.  I’m so thankful for a way to process all my emotions.  Thanks for letting me share them!