Bean Soup

Ingredients:
1# bag Great Northern Beans, sorted & rinsed
2# smoked pork neck bones or smoked ham bone
2 1/2 quarts water
16 oz can Grandma Browns baked beans or16 oz can re-fried beans
2 potatoes, peeled & cubed
1 large carrot, peeled & large dice
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon ham base (use beef if you can't find ham)
1 tablespoon horseradish
2 teaspoons to1 tablespoons salt (adjust to your taste)
1 tablespoon parsley (dried or fresh)
1 tablespoon chives (dried or fresh)
1 tablespoon white vinegar
1 small onion, minced
1 tablespoon garlic pepper
1 teaspoon sugar
1 bay leaf
1 cup V8
1/2 cream (dairy free, at my house) 


Directions:
1) In a large stock pot, boil in a quart of water 2 minutes, let them soak for an hour, drain.
2) While beans are draining, sweat the onion, garlic & carrots in olive oil.
3) Add the water,V8, drained beans, bones, salt, ham base, garlic pepper, bay leaf, chives, parsley & horseradish ~ bring to a boil.
4) Reduce heat to simmer, stirring occasionally, simmer (uncovered) until beans are soft and the meat falls off of the bone. 
5) Remove the bones, cool, pick the meat off & put into the soup.
6) Stir the Grandma Browns or re-fried beans into the soup (this will thicken the soup).
7) Add the diced potatoes, simmer (uncovered) another15 minutes.
8) Add the cream, taste broth ~ adjust seasonings if needed.
9) Continue to simmer (uncovered) until potatoes are cooked through and serve.