Brown Sugar Ham and Bean Soup

I ran across this recipe some time ago and it caught my eye. I love navy bean soup, but usually do it with a basic vegetable combo: onion, celery, carrots and keep it around often for a low-fat, high-fiber "snack." This recipe sounded like the Cadillac of bean soups, a bit decadent calling for brown sugar and cream (I did cut the sugar in half and will half that amount next time, plus it called for cream which I switched to half-and-half). Holy Smokes! This stuff is good! I can hardly wait to get hungry again so I can go after some leftovers! BROWN SUGAR HAM AND BEAN SOUP

1 lb navy beans, soaked overnight

1 meaty ham bone (I would usually use a bone leftover from a spiral-cut ham, but this time I used a package of "Country Ham Pieces for Flavoring")

1 small onion, finely chopped

1 cup cream, half-and-half, or whole milk

1/2 tsp dry mustard

1/8 tsp ginger powder

1 cup brown sugar (I'll do 1/2-3/4 cup next time....original recipe calls for 1-2 cups!)

Place navy beans and ham bone in crock pot and fill with enough water to just cover beans and most of ham bone. Cook on low for 3-4 hours. Add remaining ingredients and cook an additional 2-4 hours. Take bone out and shred remaining meat off bone and add to soup.