THE ham & bean soup

I made this soup a couple of months ago, and I have been pestered by my guy to write it down ever since. It's a simple ham and bean soup made fragrant with the addition of herbs. Great for the bone of your holiday ham. Please understand that I don't cook with measuring cups and spoons. I just do it. So view this not as a recipe, but as an outline. Enjoy!

Rinse and Soak 2 cups of dried beans overnight
(I keep a jar of mixed beans on the counter, as they are the beans I love for soup and chili. I use black beans, great northern beans, red beans, and pinto beans)

Pour beans and their water into a 5 or 6 qt stock pot.
Add your ham bone (I get a nice little smoky pork bone from my butcher. I don't know what it is, but it looks a little like a gyro nub - you know, the bit that you would imagine is left over after all the gyro meat is shaved off, if gyros were an animal and there was actually a bone inside that ook) and cover with water.
Add 1 bay leaf
Add 1 or 2 dried chilis (optional)

Bring to boil and lower heat to simmer covered until beans are done (2-3 hours, depending on type of bean)

Prepare:
1 large onion - chopped
2-3 celery ribs - sliced
1 carrot sliced

Herbs - 1-2 T each of any/all of the following
(basil, oregano, rosemary, thyme, marjoram, savory)

When beans are tender, add vegetables and herbs. Season with salt and pepper (be generous with the salt. It takes a lot to season beans!) Cook 20-30 minutes more. Remove bones, chilis, and bay leaf. Mash some beans against side of pot. Voila. Enjoy. Next time, you'll make a double batch and freeze some. It's that good.