Split Pea Soup

This recipe was on the back of our bag of split peas. I had a headache this evening, so Jeff took over dinner-making duties. He proudly proclaimed that he followed the recipe exactly! He measured the vegetables and seasonings and everything. Except that he added chopped ham instead of a ham hock or meaty ham bone - we use what we have. But other than that, he made it exactly as it said to. That's kind of a big thing for us!
Green Split Pea Soup with Ham
1/2 lb. green split peas
4 cups water
1 ham hock or meaty ham bone (here Jeff made his only substitution and added 1/4 to 1/2 lb. cubed ham)
1 bay leaf
1/3 cup chopped onion
1/3 cup chopped celery
1/3 cup chopped carrots
1/2 tsp. salt
1 garlic clove, minced

Wash, sort and drain split peas. Combine all ingredients in a large pot with lid. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer covered, approximately 1 hour or until cooked through; stir occasionally.

Before serving, remove ham hock or bone. cut ham off bone; dice. Add to soup and serve (since our ham was already chopped and bone-free, we were able to skip this step. I keep saying "we," but Jeff was the only one who did any of this. He's great.)
Tip: Green split pea soups are very thick and may need thinning. To thin, heat slowly and stir in small amount of either water, stock, light cream, or undiluted evaporated milk. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Cook with lid ajar to avoid boil over and add water if needed.

1 cup = 200 calories