Wash bean mixture. Cover with water, add salt and soak overnight, or bring to a boil for 5 minutes, remove from heat, and soak 1 hour. Drain. Place beans in water, add ham bone or ham and simmer for 3 hours. Add Ro-Tel, onion, garlic, lemon juice, red or green chili pepper, and simmer for 2 hours. If using sausage, add and simmer for 1 more hour. Yield: 8 to 10 servings.

Bean Mixture: The base mixture for this soup is 8 assorted packages of dried peas and beans. For example: lentils, split peas, baby limas, black beans, red beans, black-eyed peas, navy beans and barley.

Suggestion: 1-1/2 cup amounts can be packaged in a plastic bag and tied with a plaid ribbon with recipe enclosed for a Christmas remembrance.

Susan Diffey Johnson

From <Traditions: A Taste of the Good Life>, by the Little Rock (Ar) Junior League. Downloaded from Glen's Mm Recipe Archive,