Navy Bean Soup

I'm back after a brief hiatus. Things have been busy for the Soup's lately. We are in a new routine and hopefully, I can get back to writing on a regular basis again.

This is incredibly comforting - serve with a splash of Tabasco, and a grilled cheese sandwich.

1 lb. dry navy beans
1 ham bone with meat (my store had ham shanks - they were perfect for this)

Soak beans overnight in 3 quarts water. Drain. In a large soup pot put ham bone and beans. Add 2 quarts cold water and simmer for 2 hours.

Add:
4 c. mashed potatoes, minimum (more makes soup thicker)
3 med. onions, chopped
2 garlic buds, minced
2 stalks celery, chopped
4 tbsp. fresh parsley, chopped
1 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
Simmer all for 1 hour more.

Amish Oatmeal Bread

I'm on a crazy quest to make a really really good home made multi grain bread. This is once recipe I've tried and liked a lot. It's pretty straight forward and is a crowd pleaser. I got this recipe from another blogger - Bethany. Here is a link to her blog: http://lollipoponabudget.blogspot.com/. She is an uber bargain hunter - she's even figured out how much each item costs her! Amazing!

Amish Oatmeal Bread
1 pkg or 2-1/4 tsp yeast
1/2 cup warm water
1 cup old fashioned oats
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 T. salt
2 T. Butter
2 cups boiling water
5-6 cups AP flour


Dissolve yeast in warm water. In a large bowl combine oats, whole wheat flour, brown sugar, salt, and margarine. Pour boiling water over it and allow it to sit until it is lukewarm. Stir in 1 cup of flour and the yeast. Stir in the remaining flour enough to make a soft dough. Knead until smooth and elastic. Cover and let rise until double. Punch down and split into two loaves. Put in greased bread pans and let rise until double again. Bake at 350* for 30-40 minutes.