Lazy to the bone

Spent a very lazy day yesterday building a K'nex model as a family, playing board games and just hanging out together. Bob is able ( most years) to take vacation time the week before Christmas , so for us it means that Solstice Day can be spent in blissful relaxation. It is really necessary as a recharging of the batteries before the Christmas frenzy begins as a rule. Between church commitments and family commitments things get a little crazy, and then add end of the year inventory at work immediately following, it really wears you out !

So as we snapped the plastic pieces together and laughed at our errors, I made a batch of Lentil Soup. I think the fact that one has a ham bone in the kitchen makes creating either lentil or split pea soup an imperative ! Heck, some times I will simply make a ham for no reason just to get the ham bone because I want Lentil soup ! Don't know why that idea got stuck in my head, but it is there. In the old days I would simply toss in the lentils because I was led to believe that they required no soaking and were the fast food of the bean world. While this is still true, I have come to learn that lentils and any bean , grain and nut can be improved by soaking in a mild lactic acid solution for 8-24 hrs before preparing. So this time I made my soup with soaked lentils.

                                                                         Lentil Soup

Bone from a shank ham
4 cups bone broth
2 cups lentils ( soaked the night before in 4 cups water and 1 tsp cider vinegar- removes phytic acid)
4 onions,peeled and chopped
2 carrots, sliced
3 ribs celery, sliced

Drain and rinse lentils. Place everything in the crock pot and cook on low 6 hrs or till lentils are mushy.