I find it curious... (UPDATED with recipe)

...how the same three children who will dramatically act as if you are poisoning them by placing a single pea on their plate will consume not one, but TWO bowls of split pea soup when I prepare it. 

In fact, they even request that I make it at least every other week.  And because it: A) is chock full of peas and carrots, B) is a cinch to layer into the crock in the morning, C) smells delicious while it simmers all day long, & D) makes more than we can eat in a meal but the leftovers freeze beautifully; I am more than happy to oblige.   (thanks again Nancy for sharing the recipe back in my plea for freezer pleasers before we left to meet Darcy) 

Of course, we do call it split ham soup.   We are, after all, fans of Dr. Suess and Green Eggs and Ham!  Guess there is something to say for the power of suggestive marketing after all...

***Oh, and if you ever blow our cover,  you are on my list!  


Since a bunch of you asked:

(By the way, you may take this recipe and use it.  I hope your family will enjoy it as much as we have.  But I'm telling you, if you ever tell my kids that you got a recipe for split pea soup from me, I will have to take you off my Christmas card list.  It is split ham soup.  Got it?)

16 oz pkg of dried split green peas, rinsed

2 cups of diced ham

3 carrots, peeled and sliced (but my kids don't mind the carrots, so I usually use at least 5)

1/2 cup onion, chopped (the finer the chop the better)

2 stalks of celery with leaves, chopped (same as onion, necessary for the overall flavor, but my kids don't like big pieces of celery in their soup)

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 bay leaf

1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped (I never seem to have fresh parsley on hand so I use a few shakes of dried)

2 tsp seasoned salt

1/2 tsp fresh black pepper

1.5 quarts hot water

2 - 14 oz cans chicken broth

Makes 12 servings.

Layer ingredients in slow cooker in order given in ingredient list.  Finish by pouring in water and broth.  Do not stir.  Cover and cook on low for 5-6 hours or until vegetables are soft.  Remove bay leaf.  Mash peas to thicken soup.  

I have prepared this soup in my 2.5 quart (circular stoneware) and also in my larger 5.5 quart (oval stoneware) crocks.  It thickened better in the larger one as it wasn't quite as full.

Leftovers may be frozen.  I use the large size yogurt containers.