Senate Bean Soup - cooking recipe

Ingredients

1 meaty ham bone
1 lb. navy beans
1/2 tsp. thyme
dash of cloves (powdered)
2 cloves minced garlic
1 c. chopped onion
1 1/2 c. chopped celery
salt and pepper to taste
chopped fresh parsley to garnish

Preparation

Soak beans in water to cover (add a pinch of baking soda) overnight.
Drain and cover with fresh water.
Add ham bone and simmer until beans are tender (1 to 1 1/2 hours).
Remove the ham bone, pull off all bits of meat and return to the soup pot.
Add vegetables and simmer another hour.
Place remaining ingredients in soup pot (except the parsley) the last 10 minutes of cooking. You may find it necessary to add water during cooking.
The goal is to have a thick, not watery broth.
Garnish with parsley.