The cold winter air makes one wish for a good hearty soup that can be made in a slow cooker. Try this it is really tasty.

You need:

• 1 butternut squash, peeled and cut into pieces
• 1/2 of 450g  pkg. of dried yellow split peas
• 3 carrots, peeled and coarsely chopped
• 2 celery stalks, strings removed
• 1/2  onion, coarsely chopped
• 1 cup of diced ham steak (250 ml)
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 tsp. cumin
• 900 ml carton chicken broth

Rinse the peas and drain. Place all the ingredients in a crock pot, set on medium and leave for work. Check to see the peas are cooked. Discard the bay leaf. Enjoy.

When cooled, keep covered in the refrigerator up to 3 days, or frozen for 2 1/2 months.

Taste Rating: 8.7

Rival 6.5-qt. Crock-Pot with Bonus Little Dipper, Chrome

For today’s busy families, the Crock-Pot is an essential piece of cookery. Start your meal before leaving for work or school and it’s ready by the time you return home! This Rival 6-qt. slow cooker is roomy enough to hold an entire chicken or roast and vegetables, too. It features two heat settings and a keep-warm setting, an auto-protect safety system, and a rinse-clean, stick resistant coating in the removable stoneware pot. The glass lid lets you view contents as it cooks, so you retain moisture without the need to lift the lid. Attractive chrome exterior with side handles. Included with your Crock-Pot, a Bonus Little Dipper. Perfect for entertaining, the 16-ounce stoneware server keeps dips and sauces at perfect serving temperature for hours. Recipes included.

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