Creamy Northern Beans and Ham

I got a little head of myself this week.  The forecast was cooler than normal and I had a couple hearty dishes ready to make....it was 83 degrees the day I decided to make this pot of ham and beans.  But it was well worth it.  Brenn had 3 bowls and asked me to make it again soon! That makes it a hit here. There is quite a bit of liquid that is not showing up in this picture.  I served it with corn bread.  The whole house smelled wonderful.

~Recipe~

1 pound pkg northern beans, rinsed and picked through
3-4 meaty ham shanks.*I only had 2 so I cut up a ham steak to throw in with the shanks*
1 onion diced
2 cloves garlic minced
salt and pepper to taste
water
1/3 cup brown sugar at the last minute

Throw the rinsed beans, onion, salt, pepper and ham to a crock pot and add enough water to cover the beans by about 2 inches, around 7 cups. Cover and cook on low for 6-8 hours or until beans are tender. Pull the meat off the bones and return to the crock, add the brown sugar and stir.  YUM! Easy, warm and even easy clean up! Ta da...a winner! Enjoy~