Home Day

Today is home-day.  All the crafting and wrapping, cooking and baking is behind us and we are enjoying a quiet day in. No plans, no schedule, just putter and munch, read, nap, watch movies, "play with our new toys", and munch and nap some more!
I woke up and put on a pot of split pea soup to simmer on the stove.  I guess it should be turkey soup given yesterday's turkey-feasting, but Big Sister scored the turkey bones without even so much as an arm wrestle from me (you deserve them after all your many hours spent on handmade gifts!) and I had a ham bone in the freezer just waiting to be used.
We have lots of delicious leftovers in the fridge and freezer, and cookies and treats abound.  A pot of soup to round out the goodie-to-nutritive-food-consumption ratio seemed in order.

This is really easy, but does take time to simmer and thicken, so it's perfect for a day you don't plan to leave the nest.

I chop a large onion, 3 cloves of garlic, a large carrot, and a couple of leafy stalks of celery along with a small sweet potato and throw it all into a large pot with 2 cups of split peas, a couple of chicken bouillon cubes and six cups of water. If you have a ham bone, throw that in too, but this is really delicious even without.  If you don't have a ham bone, you could also throw in some leftover cooked ham or leave it out entirely for a vegetarian meal.  Simmer until the meat is falling off the bone and the split peas are soft and vegetables are tender. More stock or water can be added if your soup is too thick.
I often toss in a handful of spinach or chopped swiss chard at the end of the cooking time and continue to warm until the greens are wilted.
Leave simmering on low and enjoy at your leisure ... between your treats and sweets and mile high leftover turkey sandwiches, of course!