Soup and Bread

Today is one of those rare days when I don't have a schedule so I decided to make bread. I am not a very good or a very consistent bread maker. I have not yet found 'my' recipe - probably due to the fact that I don't make it enough to perfect it. So I usually try different recipes which sometimes turn out and sometimes don't. I have tried to make more bread recently and, thanks to my dear Husband, don't have many excuses. Kirk gave me a new Bosch mixer for Christmas and it makes making bread soooooo much easier.

Tonight we are having fresh bread and my favorite soup for dinner. This morning I pulled the ham bone from our Easter dinner out of the freezer and started this soup...

Ham and Bean Soup

1 c. dry navy beans 1 to 1 ½ pounds meaty smoked pork hocks or ham bone

1 T. butter 1 ½ c. celery, sliced 1 ½ c. onion, chopped ¾ t. dried thyme, crushed ¼ to ½ t. salt ¼ t. pepper 1 bay leaf 2 c. carrots, sliced

Rinse beans. Combine with 4 cups water, bring to a boil and let sit for 1 hour. Or cover with water and let soak overnight. Drain and rinse beans. In a 4-quart Dutch oven brown pork hocks in hot butter over medium heat. Add the celery and onion. Cook and stir until softened. Stir in beans, thyme, salt, pepper, bay leaf, and 4 cups fresh water. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer, covered for 1 to 1 ½ hours or until beans are tender. Remove pork hocks. When cool enough to handle, cut meat off bones; coarsely chop meat. Discard bones and bay leaf. Slightly mash beans in dutch oven. Stir in carrots and parsnips. Return to boiling; reduce heat. Simmer, covered, about 15 minutes or until vegetables are tender. Stir in meat and heat through. Season to taste with additional salt and pepper.

If using a crock pot, cook beans (covered with water) on low overnight. In the morning add ham hocks, thyme, salt, pepper, bay leaf, 4 cups fresh water and carrots. Cook on low 8 - 10 hours. Remove pork hocks. When cool enough to handle, cut meat off bones; coarsely chop meat. Discard bones and bay leaf. Slightly mash beans. Stir in meat and heat through. Season to taste with additional salt and pepper.

I said that I like to make bread, not that I'm very good at it (notice the uneven loaves!). This batch actually turned out really tasty!