Ham and Lentil Crockpot soup

This is a VERY common dish in Spain. I like to make this if I have leftover ham in the winter months.

This lentil soup recipe is made with ham and garlic, cooked in the crockpot.
Cook Time: 9 hours
Ingredients:

* 2 cups lentils
* 1 to 1 1/2 cups diced ham
* 1 cup chopped onion
* 1 bay leaf
* 2 ribs celery, chopped
* 1/2 cup diced carrots
* 1 clove garlic, minced
* seasoned salt and pepper, to taste

Preparation:
Combine all ingredients with 2 quarts water in the slow cooker. Cook on low, covered, 8 to 10 hours. Taste and adjust seasonings and serve.

You can add the seasonings at the end so that you can get it to taste just right. I usually add about 2 tsp of salt, 1 tsp sugar, 1/2 tsp pepper and a dash of extra virgin olive oil.

Thanksgiving Sweet Potatoes

These are a twist on traditional candied yams, they are very yummy! I made these without the pecans and liked them much better that way:

Drain and Mash
2 29oz cans of yams
add
1/2 cup milk and 2 beaten eggs
add
1 c sugar
1/3 c melted butter
1 tsp vanilla
1 tsp salt

Put mixture in 9x13 glass casserole

Mix together
1 c shredded coconut
1 c crushed pecans
1 c brown sugar
1/3 c flour
1/3 cu melted butter

Sprinkle this mixture on top of yam mixture. Bake for 30 minutes at 325

I think that the smoother you can get the yams, the better they taste. I put mine in a blender and it got them really smooth.