A Baptism and Bean and Ham Soup

McKenzie, Mark (dad), Tanner- the special boy of the night, and Michael.

 Last week my oldest was Baptized. In my church, we are baptized when we turn 8. We are so proud of Tanner for making this decision. It was an amazing night. I was blown away by the number of family and friends that came to witness this special event.  My younger brothers were able to be "witnesses". My youngest brother is leaving on a mission in February, and so he had the authority to stand in the Priesthood circle to ordain Tanner a member of the church.  

I made the mistake of saying the opening prayer. I could barely get the words out, I was so overcome with emotion. My BABY is now old enough for this! I cried that he was old enough, and I cried because this is an amazing act in his young life. Later, as I listened to those around me singing Hymns, I was overcome by the LOVE that filled the room. These people were here for MY family. To celebrate with us, and to support us. It is an overwhelming feeling.

Thank you to those who came. It was a night that we will never forget. 

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After the baptism, we held a dinner to thank those that came, and to celebrate. We had a variety of appetizers, ham, potatoes, salad, and cheesecake for dessert. Everyone enjoyed the dinner, and some recipes will be shared here in the next few days.

As I was cleaning up, I asked my Father-In-Law if he wanted the ham bones to make soup with. He didn't, and I just couldn't throw them away. I decided to try my hand at it! After cruising a few recipes, I tweaked them into my own. Everyone I shared it with (it makes a TON) loved it. I served it with Homemade Cornbread from Mels Kitchen Cafe. This is seriously the best cornbread ever! 

I made the soup in the crockpot, but it can also be made in a large soup pan. You can also do this without a ham bone- just add more chopped ham.

The Best Bean and Ham Soup

Recipe by The Double Dipped Life

1 (20oz) package of dried beans, soaked overnight (I used Great Northern White, but you can use any kind you like!)

1 ham bone

2 1/2 cups cubed ham (or more if you don't have a ham bone)

1 large onion, chopped

3 stalks celery, chopped

5 large carrots, peeled and chopped 

1 (14.5oz) can of diced tomatoes, with liquid

10 cups low sodium chicken broth (I used 10 cups water and 10 teas. chicken granules)

2 TB Worchestershire Sauce

1 TB Chili Powder (I had to use Cayenne, and it turned out great!)

3 Bay Leaves

1 teas. ground black pepper

1 Tb dried parsley

3 Tb lemon juice

1 teas kosher salt

1. Take the beans you have soaked overnight, and drain. Place them in a large pot, and fill with enough water to cover by about 1 inch. Bring to a boil, and then simmer on low for at least 20 minutes, while you prepare the rest of the ingredients.  

2. Chop the veggies, and add everything to the crockpot.  Add in the beans.  The liquid should cover the ingredients. (I have a large crockpot, and it was full! I had to siphon off about 1/2 cup of liquid, and add it back in later) 

3. Set your crockpot on high for 6-8 hours. Stir every few hours- quickly.  The more time the lid is off, the longer it takes to cook! 

4. Remove the ham bone and the bay leaves.  

5. Optional step: Take a hand or immersion blender, and blend 1/4 - 1/2 of the soup. It ended up giving it a grainy-looking texture, but the taste was a lot smoother.  

Serve warm with Cornbread! 

Enjoy! 

Smokey Black-Bean Soup

It's starting to look, and feel, a little like Fall! I love soups, and this is one that is great all year round! This smokey, spicy soup is a Weight Watcher's recipe! So, make some up and enjoy the rich taste of this healthy soup!

Smokey Black-Bean Soup
Weight Watchers

4 cans black beans
1/4 lb canadian bacon
1 onion, chopped
1 green bell pepper, seeded and chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 teas ground cumin
1/2 teas ground chipotle chile pepper
4 cups reduced sodium chicken broth
1/4 teas salt

1. Place 2 cans of the black beans in a colander; rinse and drain. Transfer the beans to a bowl and stir in the remaining cans of beans.

2. Spray a large saucepan with non-stick spray, and set over medium-high heat. Add the bacon and cook, stirring occasionally, until browned, 3-4 minutes. Add the onion, bell peppers, and garlic. Add in the Cumin and Chipotle Chile Pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add the beans and broth; bring to a boil. Reduce the heat, and simmer until slightly thickened; about 30 minutes.

3. Remove the saucepan from the heat; allow to cool about 10 minutes. Pour 4 cups of the soup in a blender and puree. Return the pureed soup to the saucepan and stir in the salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, until heated through, about 2 minutes.

This is a hearty meal all by itself. If desired, serve with a salad, or pair with bread or even a warm tortilla!

Black Beans and Rice

Well, it's Tuesday. And this is obviously not a Thai recipe. I apologize for that, but it was unavoidable this week. I did make 2 Thai meals this past week, but with sick kids I was unable to get the pictures touched up and downloaded. If I can get to it, I'll post a new Thai recipe on Thursday!

I Love Mexican food. I mean Love with a capital "L". I could literally eat it every day. So, the other night when I was making chicken, I came across this recipe, had all of the ingredients, so I decided to whip it up. It was fast, and delicious! The best part is that it's a healthy side dish.

Black Beans and Rice
6-7 servings as a side dish
from: Bush's Best Black Beans can

1 TB olive Oil
3/4 cups onion, chopped fine
1/2 cup green pepper, chopped fine
1 cup tomatoes, diced
1 can (15oz) Low Sodium Bush's Black Beans- drain, but reserve juice
1/2 teas thyme
1 teas garlic salt
3 TB cider vinegar (I used red wine vinegar)
1/2 teas hot pepper sauce (I didn't have this- added some dried chili flakes)
2 cups cooked rice
Lime wedge or sliced mango (optional)

In a large skillet, heat olive oil; cook onion and green pepper until tender. Stir in tomatoes, beans, thyme, and garlic salt. Cook for 3 minutes; add vinegar, pepper sauce, and reserved juice. Continue to cook 5 minutes.
Serve over rice. Garnish with lime wedges or sliced mango.