Aunt Ginny'S Bean Soup - cooking recipe

Ingredients

1 (20 ounce) bag 16 bean soup mix (or you can make your own mixture by using an assortment of dried beans, peas, and lentils.)
1 ham bone, with some meat attached
1 (12 ounce) package of diced ham (I use the Hormel brand)
2 large onions, diced
2 bell peppers, diced
4 -5 stalks celery, diced
1 (28 ounce) can diced tomatoes
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 bay leaf
1 lemon, juice of
salt and pepper

Preparation

Wash beans and add water to cover 2 inches over the beans.
Soak overnight.
Drain and put in a 6-8 quart pot.
Cover with 2 quarts water, or use the ham stock made the day before (you may want to use chicken or vegetable broth if you didn't use a ham bone to make a stock).
Remove meat from ham bone and dice, discarding any fat.
Add the remaining ingredients and the meat removed from the ham bone and bring to a boil.
Lower heat and simmer for 3-4 hours, or until the beans are tender.
Sometimes I will add about 1 T chili powder to the soup for a change of pace.