Crockpot "Baked" Beans

1 pound (about 2 1/2 cups) dried navy beans5 cups cold water6 bacon slices, trimmed of as much visible fat as possible1 cup tomato juice 1/2 cup chopped onion 1/4 cup ketchup (see note) 1/4 cup molasses 1/4 cup dark brown sugar1 1/2 teaspoons salt1 teaspoon chili powder1 teaspoon dry (ground) mustard 1/2 teaspoon fresh-ground black pepperPlace beans in a large stainless steel or glass bowl and cover with enough cold water so that there's at least an inch of water above the beans (they'll expand) and soak overnight.Drain beans, place in a large saucepan, cover with 5 cups cold water, place over high heat and bring to a low boil. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer until tender, about 1 hour. Drain beans, reserving 2 cups liquid, and place beans in a slow cooker.Place a nonstick skillet over medium heat. When hot, add and sauté bacon until lightly browned, about 4 to 5 minutes; drain on paper towels and then stir into beans.In a medium mixing bowl, stir together tomato juice, onion, ketchup, molasses, brown sugar, salt, chili powder, dry mustard and black pepper; add and stir into beans. Cover and cook on low setting for 7-9 hours or on high for 4 to 5 hours, until beans are tender. Check beans once in a while; add and stir in some of the reserved liquid as necessary.Serves 12 ( 1/2-cup servings).Leannotes: To put a Mauer family twist on the recipes, substitute 1 pound dried lima beans for an equal amount of navy beans. The nutrition values remain largely unchanged. Substituting reduced-sugar ketchup will lower the calories. Omitting the added salt reduces sodium to 194 mg per serving.Nutrition values per serving: 187 calories (10 percent from fat), 2.1 g fat (0.7 g saturated fat), 33.7 g carbohydrates, 9.5 g fiber, 9.7 g protein, 2 mg cholesterol, 484 mg sodium.