WONDERFUL SPLIT PEA SOUP

SPLIT PEA SOUP

OK, I KNOW THIS IS NOT THE MOST GLAMOROUS SOUP OUT THERE, BUT IT IS JUST GOOD OLE DOWN HOME GOODNESS.
THERE ARE A FEW THINGS THAT ARE A MUST WHEN MAKING THIS SOUP.
FIRST, USE A HAM BONE IF YOU HAVE ONE. IT MAKES THE TASTE JUST AMAZING. NOW IF YOU CAN SETTLE FOR A LITTLE LESS THAN AMAZING YOU CAN USE HAM HOCKS, AND IF YOU CAN SETTLE FOR JUST A LITTLE BIT LESS THAN LESS THAN AMAZING YOU CAN USE SMOKED PORK JOWLS, WHICH IS WHAT I HAD ON HAND AND REALLY I WAS SURPRISED AT HOW GOOD IT WAS. BUT STILL GO FOR THE HAM BONE IF YOU CAN.
THIS IS ONE OF THOSE RECIPES WHERE YOU REALLY DON'T MEASURE, YOU JUST KINDA THROW IT TOGETHER. ADDING MORE WATER IF YOU NEED IT, CAUSE YOU REALLY DON'T WANT A THICK STICKY SPLIT PEA SOUP. THAT REALLY ISN'T VERY APPETIZING TO LOOK AT, LET ALONE TRY TO GET DOWN. THE SALT AND PEPPER ARE ANOTHER THING YOU JUST HAVE TO ADD AND TASTE UNTIL YOU GET IT THE WAY YOU WANT IT.
WITH ALL THAT SAID HERE GOES:

1 PACKAGE SPLIT PEAS
HAM BONE, HAM HOCKS OR SMOKED PORK JOWLS
CARROTS
WATER
SALT AND PEPPER

RINSE THE SPLIT PEAS AND PUT THEM IN A SOUP PAN, YOU KNOW, THE PAN YOU MAKE SOUP IN.
ADD A BUNCH OF CARROTS THAT YOU HAVE CHOPPED UP. I USE MY PAMPERED CHEF CHOPPER FOR THIS. IT WORKS WONDERS!!!!!
ADD ENOUGH WATER TO COVER THE SPLIT PEAS
ADD THE HAM BONE OR WHATEVER KIND OF MEAT YOU HAVE CHOSEN FROM THE LIST I GAVE YOU. DO NOT STRAY FROM THE APPROVED LIST

BRING TO A BOIL AND TURN DOWN TO A SIMMER. COOK FOR AT LEAST 30-40 MIN.
SALT AND PEPPER TO TASTE. THE AMOUNT YOU USE WILL DEPEND ON HOW SALTY YOUR MEAT CHOICE WAS, SO START OUT WITH LESS AND ADD MORE AS YOU GO.

I THINK THE LONGER YOU COOK THIS THE BETTER IT IS.
WHEN IT'S ALL DONE, REMOVE THE MEAT AND GET AS MUCH MEAT FROM THE BONE OR THE FAT AS YOU CAN AND PUT IT BACK INTO THE SOUP.
LADLE IT UP AND
ENJOY!!!!!!!!!!!

GREEN BEANS

GREEN BEANS

OK, SO THIS IS ONE OF THOSE RECIPES WHERE YOU WANT TO USE YOUR BACON FAT, YOU KNOW THE STUFF WE TALKED ABOUT LAST TIME. I TAKE MY KNIFE AND DIG A GLOB OF FAT OUT OF MY BACON FAT CUP AND PUT IT IN MY PAN TO HEAT UP, THEN I ADD SOME SLICED ONION. I USUALLY USE ONE WHOLE ONION. YOU CAN USE HOWEVER MUCH YOU LIKE, BUT I LIKE ONION AND THINK EVERYTHING TASTES BETTER WITH IT.
COOK THE ONION TIL IT GETS SOFT AND STARTS TO BROWN A LITTLE BIT. I THEN ADD 2 CANS OF GREEN BEANS AND 1 PINT OF MY HOME CANNED HORTICULTURE BEANS. NOW I KNOW PROBABLY NO ONE ELSE OUT THERE HAS EVER HEARD OF THESE. MY MOTHER IN LAW HAS CANNED THEM FOR YEARS, SO THAT'S WHERE I FIRST FOUND OUT ABOUT THEM. I'M PRETTY SURE YOU COULD JUST USE PINTO BEANS IN THEIR PLACE.
JUST COOK AS YOU NORMALLY DO UNTIL THEY ARE HEATED THROUGH. THESE WILL GET NICE AND CREAMY LOOKING FROM THE JUICE THAT IS ON THE HORTICULTURE OR PINTO BEANS.
I JUST LOVE THESE GREEN BEANS. IT'S HARD TO GO BACK TO JUST PLAIN OLE GREEN BEANS OUT OF A CAN AFTER HAVING THESE.
ENJOY!

BACON FAT

BACON FAT

DON'T YOU JUST LOVE BACON FAT? OH, I DO! THIS IS MY CUP OF BACON FAT THAT I KEEP IN THE REFRIGERATOR. IT'S NOT THE BEST PICTURE I KNOW, BUT THE TASTE SURE MAKES UP FOR THE LACK OF BEAUTY HERE. IF YOU ARE NOT FAMILIAR WITH USING BACON FAT IN YOUR COOKING YOU ARE SURELY MISSING OUT ON ONE OF THE FINER THINGS IN LIFE. I MEAN WHO DOESN'T LIKE BACON FAT. IT MAKES EVERYTHING YOU COOK TASTE BETTER.

NOW SOME OF YOU MAY BE ASKING, WHERE DO YOU BUY BACON FAT? WELL, YOU DON'T. YOU JUST HAVE TO FRY UP SOME DELICIOUS BACON FOR BREAKFAST AND THEN POUR OFF THE FAT THAT'S LEFT IN THE PAN INTO A CUP OR SOME OTHER CONTAINER(NOT PLASTIC THOUGH OR IT WILL MELT) AND KEEP IT IN THE REFRIGERATOR UNTIL YOU ARE READY TO MAKE SOMETHING ABSOLUTELY DELICIOUS. I WILL BE POSTING SOME OF MY FAVORITES SOON. THERE ARE JUST SOME THINGS THAT IF YOU DON'T USE BACON FAT IN THEM YOU MIGHT AS WELL NOT EVEN BOTHER FIXING THEM CAUSE THEY JUST AREN'T GOING TO BE AS GOOD.

I KNOW IT'S NOT THE MOST HEALTHY THING TO COOK WITH, BUT IT'S OK ONCE IN AWHILE, I JUST WOULDN'T BE COOKING WITH IT EVERYDAY.
NOW GO FRY UP SOME BACON AND THINK OF ALL THE WONDERFUL THINGS YOU CAN DO WITH THAT GORGEOUS BACON FAT!!!!!!!