Holiday Recipe to Warm You Up; Spinach Bacon & Bean Soup

Normally, the weather in Florida doesn't get below 30 degrees, but apparently, this year, Mr. Frosty the Snowman and the Snow Miser had other things in mind...(that reminds me of a song from " Year Without a Santa Claus" claymation Christmas classic - c'mon, sing it with me... " I'm Mister White Christmas, I'm Mister Snow, I'm Mister Icicle, I'm Mister Ten Below, Friends call me Snow Miser, What ever I touch, Turns to snow in my clutch, I'm too much! " -see full Snow Miser song and lyrics at the bottom of this article).
Yes, an arctic cold front came blowing in last night and as soon as I headed out the door to grab the morning newspaper, I immediately checked the temperature, and saw actual ice forming on my car. ICE!- in Florida! Needless to say I was aghast, and freezing at the same time. The temps read 28 degrees F., and I had an inkling to find Mr. Frosty and the Snow Miser and open up a can of whoop-ass on them. How dare they bring such frigid weather to my warm and wonderful Florida? The nerve!
Well, since I couldn't do much about the cold, I figured I might as well make the best of it and create a big pot of hot & steamy soup. So this is what I came up with from the ingredients I had on hand:

Spinach, Bacon & Bean Soup ....ok, it may sound strange, but this filling, yet warming soup is perfect for those cold months of winter when you just can't seem to get rid of the biting frost edging its way under your door.

Ingredients:
1 cup pinto beans fully cooked
3-4 slices of bacon cut into small pieces
¼ cup diced onion (or ⅓ of a med. sweet vidalia)
1 box (32 oz) of Chicken Broth
3 cups water
3 tsp. crystal chicken bullion
1 box of frozen spinach
2 tsp. garlic powder
salt to taste
egg noodles (as many as you like- I used about 1 ½ cups)

Directions:
Cook up bacon and onion until crispy and drain. Meanwhile boil pinto beans in water until fully cooked, or use pre-cooked beans. Add chicken stock, water and bullion to large soup pot and put on high heat until boiling. Add drained bacon and onions, egg noodles and cook until noodles are almost tender. Next add the frozen spinach, garlic and salt to taste. Lastly, add the cooked beans and warm until all is heated through. Taste and adjust seasonings. Serve with crusty bread and prepare to be warmed inside and out.

Are you still singing that song? Here's some of the lyrics:

From the claymation classic - Year Without A Santa Claus
Snow Miser Lyrics:
I'm Mister White Christmas
I'm Mister Snow
I'm Mister Icicle
I'm Mister Ten Below
Friends call me Snow Miser,
What ever I touch
Turns to snow in my clutch
I'm too much!
He's Mister White Christmas
He's Mister Snow
He's Mister Icicle
He's Mister Ten Below
Friends call me Snow Miser,
What ever I touch
Turns to snow in my clutch
He's too much!
I never want to know a day
That's over forty degrees
I'd rather have it thirty,
Twenty, then Five, then let it freeze!
(brrrrrrrrrrr!)
He's Mister White Christmas
He's Mister Snow
He's Mister Icicle
He's Mister Ten Below
Friends call me Snow Miser,
What ever I touch
Turns to snow in my clutch,
Too much.
Too Much!
read the rest of the lyrics here .

Resources;
Snow Miser song and lyrics
http://www.santasearch.org/music.asp?PID=1&SongID=1821