"A Bowl Full Of Pea-ness"-A Recipe for Pea Soup

My Mom has been making pea soup for as long as I can remember. And for as long as I can remember, my sister has refused to eat it. Once when she was in high school, she exclaimed "I don't want to eat that...Its a bowl full of PEA-NESS". My Mom and I nearly died of laughter and I think my Dad nearly passed out. A bowl full of penis. HA!

Today I'm sharing my favorite soup reciepe (really, its my Mom's) in the hope that real winter is actually coming and we will soon need a reason for warm soup!

Here's what you'll need:
-2 carrots (I used 5 because they were little)
-4 stalks of celery (really only 2, but seriously I love celery)
-Bag of peas found next to the lentils in your grocery store
-1 can of tomato sauce
-1 whole yellow onion
-1 clove garlic
-Olive Oil
-Ham of some sort (ham steak, pork butt, bacon...pork)
-An immersion blender
-The cookbook your Mom lovingly put together for you for your Bridal Shower

Here's what you do:
-Chop celery, carrots, onions and clove or garlic. Coat the bottom of your pot with olive oil and throw your veggies in

-While your veggies are cooking, put your peas in a strainer and rinse them off. You should pay particular attention in case there are rocks in your bag of peas (which my Mom says sometimes happens!)

-Throw in your meat of choice into the pot on top of the vegetables

-Cook the vegetables until the onions are transparent. Once they are, put 8 cups of water or chicken/vegetable broth into the pot.
-Put peas in the pot and bring everything to a boil. Once its boiling, cover the pot, lower the heat and let simmer for 60 minutes.

-After 60 minutes, turn off the stove and take your meat out
-Use your brand new immersion blender and blend everything together
-Chop up meat, but back in the soup and stir
-ENJOY!