Do any of you have leftover Easter ham from yesterday's dinner and plan on chucking the big ham bone into the trash because you don't have a dog to gnaw on it and don't know how else to use it? Well today I discovered a recipe in my Better Homes and Gardens cookbook that put our leftover bone to use with delicious results. Today was a quintissential rainy spring day and this soup hit the spot. Even Ben ate it, after ten minutes of protestation. It's amazing what you like when you actually try things.
You can make this recipe on the stove or in a crockpot and I opted for the lazy woman't route. Plus, electricity is cheaper than gas. Granted, the soup doesn't look pretty, but don't let appearances fool you. The bone gave the ham and bean soup a smoky taste. We also threw in some of the leftover ham so there were chunks mixed in.
The finished product - enough for another meal. Hooray!
Ham and Bean Soup - Serves 5
1 c. dry navy or Great Northern beans (I'm sure you could use canned to be quicker)
1 to 1 1/2 lbs. meaty smoked pork or ham or 1- to 1 1/2 lb. pound meaty ham bone
1 1/2 c. sliced celery (3 stalks ) - I didn't have celery and substituted this with 1/2 of a large green pepper
1 c. chopped onion (1 large)
3/4 tsp. dried thyme or twice as much fresh
1/4 tsp. pepper
1 bay leaf
1. Rinse beans. In a large saucepan combine beans and 4 c. water. Bring to boiling; reduce heat. Simmer for 2 minutes. Remove from heat. Cover and let stand for one hour. (Or, place beans in water in pan. Cover and let soak for 6-8 hours or overnight). Drain and rinse beans.
2. In a pan, combine beans, pork or ham bone, celery, onion, pepper, thyme, bay leaf, and 4 cups fresh water. Bring to boiling; reduce heat. Cover and simmer about 1 hour or till beans are tender. Remove meat. When cool enough to handle, cut meat off bones and coarsely chop. Discard bones and bay leaf. Slightly mash beans in pan. Return meat to pan and heat through.
Crock Pot directions: Prepare beans as in step 1; drain and rinse. In a crock pot, combine pork or ham bone, celery, onion, thyme, pepper, and bay leaf. Stir in beans and 4 c. fresh water. Cover and cook on low heat for 4-5 hours or high heat for 4-5 hours. Discard bay leaf. Remove meat; coarsely chop. Slightly mash beans and return meat to pot. Cover; cook on high 5-10 minute more until heated through.
Note: You can also add vegetables like sliced carrots during the last 30 minutes or so.
For Family Home Evening a few weeks ago we did a lesson on temples. Andy had the brilliant idea of building a temple out of blocks and this is what they came up with. Ben enjoyed it so much that after they created this one, they tore it down and built two more.
A cute rug I salvaged from our neighbor's trash and am contemplating using in the baby's room. It's still in perfect condition.
Went with a friend to the traveling exhibit at the Columbus Museum of Art featuring mummies and other Egyptian artifacts. One of the most interesting things we learned was the importance Egyptians placed on having a proper burial. Much of their lives were spent preparing for their deaths and afterlife. Even poor people created sarcophagi and death masks, but they just used inferior materials to those used by pharoahs and other wealthy members of society. I loved visiting Egypt as part of the BYU Jerusalem program and it was fun to reminisce a little and feel like I was traveling, even close to home.
The Art in Bloom exhibit was featured concurrently at the CMA and this was one of my favorite breathtaking flower arrangements. Art in Bloom is where floral designers interpret pieces of art using plants and other natural materials. Not having a keen aesthetic eye, I didn't quite get some of the pieces, but thankfully went with a friend who is a true artist and got more out of it than I would have by myself. Sanae, thanks for being my museum buddy!
