One of my favorites for winter lunches.  This soup takes several hours to make, so I often start it early on a Saturday morning for lunch.

• 8 cups water
• 4 chicken bouillon cubes
• 1 small onion, chopped
• 1 cup chopped carrots
• 1 medium potato, peeled and cut in cubes
• 1 teaspoon chopped garlic or garlic powder to taste
• 1 bag dried green split peas washed)
• 1 smoked ham bone
• salt and pepper, to taste

Combine all ingredients in large pot.  Bring to a boil, then cook on low heat for about 2 hours.  Cut the meat off the bone and put in soup.  Continue cooking until the soup is desired consistency.  I’ll cook the soup for anywhere from 3 to 4 hours because we like it very thick.