These can make a great gift. Take a pint jar, layer the different beans, put the spices in a small Ziploc bag. Print cooking instructions on paper and glue to a recipe card. After closing the jar with lid and ring, cover the jar top with fabric or wrapping paper. Tie with curling ribbon in maroon, dark green and gold, or black, to color coordinate with the beans in the mix. Punch a hole in the top of the recipe card and thread the card onto the back of the package.

Use 2 cups total beans.

You can include: pinto beans, small red beans, kidney beans, yellow split peas, green split peas, baby lima beans, small white beans.

Spice packet:

• 1/4 cup instant minced onion
• 2 teaspoons bouillon granules or powder (*chicken, *beef or vegetable)
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 TBS dried parsley

Recipe to Print

Ingredients:

• 8 cups water
• holiday winter bean soup mix
• 2 medium carrots, chopped (1 cup)
• 2 medium stalks celery, chopped (1 cup)
• * 2 pounds smoked ham shanks

Directions:

1. Heat water and Winter Bean Soup Mix to boiling in a 4-quart Dutch oven or soup pot. Boil 2 minutes; remove from heat. Cover and let stand one hour.

2. Stir carrots and celery into bean mixture. *Add ham shanks. Heat to boiling; reduce heat. Cover and simmer about 2 hours or until beans are tender.

3. * Skim fat if necessary. Remove ham shanks; remove ham from bone. Trim excess fat from ham. Cut ham into 1/2-inch pieces. Stir ham into soup.

Heat until hot. (6 servings about 1-1/2 cups each)

* (do not include for vegetarian soup)