Slow-Cooker Black Bean and Sausage Soup

This was awaiting HH and I when we got back from visiting our friend Darla from school.  Can I ever stop singing the praises of the invention of crock-pots?

Crock Pot Black Bean and Sausage Soup

1 (16 ounce) package dried black beans
1/2 (2.2 ounce) package been onion soup and dip mix
5 cups of water
1/2 pound smoked pork sausage
1/2 cup chopped carrot
1/2 cup chopped celery
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 bay leaves
1 cup canned crushed tomatoes
2 teaspoons hot sauce
Garnish: chopped green onions

1. Rinse and sort beans according to package directions.  In a large bowl, place beans, and cover with water.  Let stand for eight hours.  Drain.

2.  In the crock-pot, stir together beans, soup mix, 5 cups water, sausage, carrot, celery, salt, and bay leaves.  Cover and cook on LOW for ten hours, or until beans are tender.  Remove and discard bay leaves.

3.  In the container of an electric blender add three cups of bean mixture; process until smooth.  (When processing hot foods, the heat needs to escape.  Remove the cap from the blender's lid, and cover with a dish towel before processing.)  Remove sausage, and chop into small pieces; add sausage and pureed bean mixture to the remaining bean mixture in the slow cooker.  Stir in tomatoes and hot sauce.  Garnish with green onions.

HH liked it, but said it had too much sausage in it (I doubled the amount of sausage), so he got heart burn.  HH put all of our window A/C units in today.  I am a very cranky gal when it comes to not having a cool place when it is warm.

I am making my first Easter Ham.  We need four hams for church on Sunday, so I volunteered to make one.  I am thinking maybe a Coca-Cola/Pineapple/Brown Sugar type recipe, but I am open to other ideas too.