When it started snowing last night – and the pundits were forecasting the end of the world – I thought that regardless of how much snow we may (or may not) get, I was going to be in the mood for beans.  I took a 1-pound bag of navy beans out of the cupboard and soaked them overnight. (We didn’t get nearly what was forecasted, but it sure was a nice, quite day around the neighborhood!)

Today, bean soup sounded like a winter winner.  And soup calls for bread – homemade bread.

Navy Bean Soup

• 1 pound navy beans, soaked overnight
• 1/4 cup bacon grease
• 1 onion, diced
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 qt water
• 1 ham hock
• 1 qt chicken broth
• 6 ribs celery, chopped
• 6 carrots, chopped
• 1 can diced tomatoes
• 1 can tomato paste
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 tsp herbs d’provence
• 1 tbsp Hungarian paprika
• salt and pepper, to taste

Cook diced onion in bacon grease in soup pot until wilted.  Add garlic and continue cooking until browned.  Add water and ham hock, bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer about an hour, or until beans are almost done.

Add remaining ingredients and cook until vegetables and beans are tender.

Can be made early and then reheated.

It really is a throw stuff in a pot soup.  Add sausages, linguica, chunks of ham or pork… Go for it.

The bread is my favorite beer bread, compliments of George and Suzanne.

Beer Bread

• 3 cups self-rising flour
• 2 tbsp sugar
• 12 oz beer

Use a 4″ x 8″ bread pan. Mix and bake at 350° about 1 hour. Top with melted butter.

It really is that easy.  I used a pumpkin ale for today’s bread.  It was really good!

The snow stopped, the roads look clear, and it’s back to work, tomorrow.  It was a perfect dayt off.