I make a dish like that in the slow-cooker. I've made it with limas, with kidneys, with black-eyed peas, with lentils, with bags of mixed beans (all dried, all soaked overnight, except for the black eyes and lentils, which don't require soaking). Sometimes I use bacon instead of ham. Sometimes I use ham hocks, which are cheap and give it a wonderful smoky flavor. Sometimes I add a can of chopped tomatoes or tomato sauce (but only after the beans have softened -- the acid in the tomatoes will keep them from softening).
What I love about the slow-cooker is you don't have to be in the house while it's cooking, and it gives you a lot of latitude as to when it's finished cooking. Usually it will say something like, "cook on low for 6 to 8 hours," which means if you put it in at noon you can eat anytime from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m.
I made a ham for Christmas. We didn't quite finish it, so I tossed the rest, including the bone, into the freezer. Sometime next week, probably, I'll thaw it out and throw it in the slow-cooker for a big pot o' beans.
