Go Big or Go Home

Last time we went to Sam's Club, I found a small spiral sliced ham for $15.  I never used to be a ham person.  Bacon, sure!  I'd like to meet the person who doesn't like bacon.  But ham was never really my thing until last year.

SM wanted a ham for x-mas and I thought I'd give it a shot.  I wanted the spiral sliced so I didn't have to work harder slicing the ham for sammies.  I also knew that I wasn't going to use the "glaze" packet they provide.  I want food to taste the way I want it too and the only way to know to know that is to put the ingredients together yourself.

The ham turned out fine...what can you say it's a ham.  But I remembered using ham bones in soups growing up and since there was so much ham still stuck to the bone...I made soup.

And what a soup it was.  OMG.  Rich and flavorful and rich...did I say rich?  If cheesecake could be made into a soup...(Yuck)...Well, you get my point.

Sinfully delicious.  Right up there with She Crab Soup.  (I've gotta learn how to make that.) My point is put whatever you want into your soup, just don't forget the ham bone.

I really could become a Soup Nazi. (grin)

I've had a hankering for Ham & Bean Soup.  I've just been waiting for a day cool enough to do it.  Today was the day.  Tag along if you like.

My impromptu glaze.  Butter, Splenda brown sugar, honey, cloves and a bit of ginger.

I cooked the ham about 20 min @ 350 then poured some of the glaze over it.  Keep basting about every 15-20 for about an hour.

This ham is not for show, it's for flavor, so I pulled the slices apart to get more glaze in them.

Separate the ham slices for sammies and set the bone aside.

I put the beans in the crock last night to soak overnight.  I've got a secret to tell you.  I've never used dried beans before.  I've always had them in the pantry canned (convenient).  This time I used dried.  Easy.

The next morning, poof.  These are Great Northern (White Kidney) Beans.  They were larger but still firm.

I triple rinsed them.

Start with your "trinity"...Butter, carrots, celery, onion and I also added a bag of frozen red and yellow peppers for taste and color.  Separate the ham slices for sammies and add the bone to the soup.

10 cups of water 1 can of diced tomatoes and the beans.  Bring it to a boil then back it down to low.

4 hours later I pulled the bone out along with the larger pieces of meat.  I broke up the meat and put it back into the soup.  The bone went into a zippy bag in the freezer...it still has more to give.

Easily, 6 quarts of soup.  4 go in the freezer.  I'll be making the cornbread later.


Whenever I cook, I cook big.  Freezer bags are my friends.  I don't cook during the week. I get home too late for that.  But a soup, add a grilled cheese sammie or a salad...now you've got a meal.

Just wait until I post about my lasagna.  I cook it in the turkey pan.