Made bean soup with short ribs tonight. Came out pretty good. I am not big on ham, and is running almost $14 around here any for a canned ham. Ingredients I use Pkg great northern beans( I soak them over night in water and some baking soda, so they will not be so gassy) 4 shortribs(cut up into small peices and pan seared with a cheap meat tenderizer to break up fat in meat) 3large carrots( peeled or scraped and chopped into small peices) 4 celery stalks (cleaned and diced into small peices) 2 cans beef broth after preparing meat add to slower cooker rinse beans and add along with carrots and celery. Salt is restricted in my house! I added some garlic powder and 1 and 1/2 cups water. cooked on high 4 to 5 hours . meat was very tender. nice beefy flavor. Served with his favorite Sarah Lee cornbread which I purchased a mix to make. He is in now munching down his cornbread, after eating a large bowl of soup. Even the dogs got a small bowl and hubby b/f claimed the leftover for his dinner tomorrow.