Two good things

Good thing #1: I wore Arroway today.  To prove it, I offer up this exceedingly unflattering self portrait.

Better pics will come I promise.  At least the cat is looking cute over my shoulder.  She always sits like that... so regal.  I'll just say that it's super warm and I loved having it up around my neck all day.  It kept me nice and toasty all day.  Definitely going to be in my scarf/shawl rotation.

Good thing #2: I made split pea soup last night and now I have a whole fridge of split pea soup carefully ladled out into bowl sized portions! (If you don't like split pea soup 1: my excitement about this will not make sense to you; 2: you're crazy; 3: no need for you to read the rest of this post.)  Split pea soup is my favorite.

To say that my "recipe" is easy is to make it sound harder than it is.  If you can chop celery, you can make this.  (You do need a crock pot though.)  Here goes.

Ingredients:

• 1 bag split peas (the reasonable size bag, not the industrial size)
• 1 pound carrots--I buy the ones that come already shredded because they mash really well and I don't have to do any chopping.  If you want to do more chopping buy whatever is cheapest
• 1 bunch of celery 
• 1 giant can chicken broth--I use the 99% fat free reduced sodium kind.  I mean giant, buy the biggest can at the store
• 1 pound pork (I use pork instead of ham, I have never liked ham, I think it has a greasy texture that gives me the willies, if you like ham and can't imagine split pea soup made with mere pork substitute as you like) I've used pretty much any cut of pork from pork loin to thick-cut boneless chops to shoulder.  Hint: sometimes the supermarket will put a sticker on it that says "great for crock pot"--pick that.  

Directions:

1. Put split peas on bottom of crock pot.  They must go on bottom.  This is a cardinal rule.  Do not violate it.
2. Put pork in crock pot on top of peas.  
3. Put carrots in crock pot on top of pork (if you didn't buy shredded carrots, chop them up first.)
4. Chop celery then put it in crock pot on top of carrots.
5. Empty chicken broth into crock pot.  All of it.  Trust me.  You need it.
6. Add extra water to crock pot.  I have the big circular sized crock pot.  After all the ingredients are in, I fill it to the top with water.  If you have the giant oval crock pot I have no suggestions for how to properly measure the water you add.  Guess.  You may think the giant can of chicken broth gives you enough liquid since it covers all the ingredients.  It does not.  If you don't add the extra water you will have split pea sludge, not split pea soup.
7. Set crock pot for low and try to be patient for 16 hours.  It will start to smell good after hour 9.  This can be torturous if you are hungry.  Best to let it cook while you will be out/asleep.  
8. If pork hasn't fallen apart on its own, use a fork to shred it.  If vegetables have not disintegrated into green soupyness mash them with a potato masher, they should disintegrate into soup at the slightest pressure.

This will make 9 seriously good sized bowls.  If you use relatively lean pork you are looking at 150 calories per bowl.  That's right 150!  Delicious and healthy.  It will be a good week.