Leftover Christmas Ham = Split Pea Soup!

This Christmas, we had a spectacular meal at my uncle's house which included scalloped potatoes, green bean casserole, apricot yams, and ham. It was so delicious, and following dinner I asked my uncle what he was planning to do with the ham bone. Apparently my mom and dad already had "dibs" on the ham bone—can you believe it? After playing the "Oh, come on! We need it more than you!" game with my parents, I finally won out and got the ham bone. Seriously, what kind of family fights over a darn ham bone? Oh, I'll tell ya—one that LOVES pea soup! The scary part is, I think I'm going to owe my parents a favor sometime in the future, I can already see it coming..."Remember, last Christmas when you got the ham bone..."

I made the pea soup on Monday and we've been enjoying it for our lunch every day since. Seriously, it's the best!

Ingredients:
3 Slices of Bacon - diced
1-2 Onions - diced
3 Carrots - diced
2-3 Stalks of Celery - diced
3 Garlic Cloves - diced
1/2 Tsp Salt (sometimes I eliminate the salt due to the pork intake)
1/4 Tsp Pepper
1 Tsp Oregano
1 Bay Leaf
1 Package Split Peas
2 Quarts Water
Diced Ham - (if I have some leftover I add it, sometimes I just cut what I can off the bone or just use the bone)
Ham Bone

Render the bacon until it's crispy, then add the onions, carrots, celery, and garlic—sauté 5-10 minutes. Add the salt, pepper, oregano, and bay leaf—sauté for another minute. Add your peas, water, ham, and ham bone. Give it a good stir and bring it to a boil. Reduce the heat to a low simmer, cover it, and let it go for 3 hours. Stir it every half-hour or so to make sure all is well. Be sure to top the individual servings with more black pepper!

Because I'm Italian and put pasta in everything, I usually boil small pasta shells and add them in when it's time to serve it. Little shells are good because they fill with soup!
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Do you have a favorite use for Christmas ham leftovers? Please share! Also, if you try this recipe, let me know how it comes out.

Thanks for the world's greatest ham bone, Uncle Bob!