Split Pea Soup

I like to have ham for dinner just so I can have split pea soup with the leftover ham and bone.  Surprisingly this is a hit with my kids (even the picky one). 

2 cups dried split peas
1 ham bone
3 celery stocks, chopped
5 carrots, chopped
1 large onion, chopped
1//2 tsp basil
1/4 tsp oregano
salt and pepper

Rinse split peas and soak overnight (sometimes I forget to soak over night, a couple hours works fine).
Boil ham and bone in water 4-5 hours. 

About 1 hour and 15 min. before serving add the rest of the ingredients to the boiling ham stirring occasionally until peas are tender and liquid is partially cooked down.  Stir frequently towards end of cooking to keep from scorching. 

 Before serving, transfer ham and bone to cutting board and cut into bite size pieces, return ham to soup and discard bone.  Season to taste with salt and pepper.  If soup is too thick add water.