The night before, add 4 cups cold water to slow cooker/crockpot; stir in the dried green split peas; do NOT turn on the slow cooker/crockpot.

Cover and let soak overnight; In the morning drain and rinsed the split peas; Return the rinsed peas to the slow cooker/crockpot.

Add the chicken bouillon cubes (or the chicken bouillion granules), the onion, the garlic and the salt and pepper; do NOT stir.

Place the ham hock on top of everything, in the middle of the slow cooker/crockpot; Slowly pour in the 6 cups of water; do NOT stir.

Cover and cook on low for 8-10 hours or on high for 4-5 hours; resist the urge to open the lid for a peek; do NOT stir.

When the cooktime is over, remove the ham hock and remove the meat from it; Chop the meat finely and return to the soup.

NOW you can stir and see if it is thick enough for you; if not, remove half the soup and puree it in a food processor or a blender.

Return the pureed soup to the slow cooker/crockpot and stir; Serve hot with crusty rolls or biscuits.

Leftovers may be frozen for OAMC purposes and reheated in the microwave at a later date.

Prep time listed does not include overnight pre-soaking of the peas.