"Souper Soul" Wednesdays in February 2018On Wednesdays at RH, the house is open for feeding the soul. Actually, we are open every day. But Wednesdays are special.  We offer a spiritual practice paired with a hearty bowl of soup (Vegan soups prepared as prayer by house chef Deanna Hollas).  A house favorite is Gumbo.  See the recipe below!You can taste Deanna's awesome Vegan Gumbo on "Souper Soul" Wednesday - February 28 at RH.2/14 Tomato Garbanzo Bean Pasta (lunch at Noon) paired with Ash Wednesday Music and Meditation with Patsy Sadowski at 11 am (come at 10:45 to claim your spot).  Following the music meditation we will have the Imposition of Ashes.2/21 Chili over Baked Potato (lunch at Noon) paired with Painting and Prayer with Clay [Brantley] 1 to 3 pm2/28 Gumbo! (lunch at Noon) paired with Creating and Praying with Prayer Beads at 11 am

See you soon at Retreat House!GUMBO!This soup is a combination of 2 recipes. One is my mother-in-law's which is full of oil and animal products that I had to do away with and the other is Josh LaJaunie's - a former 400+ pound "coonass" man turned athlete by following a no-oil plant based diet. Check out Josh's transformation on his website https://joshlajaunie.com/1 lb bag of small red beans1 cup oat flour1-2 onion8 stalks celery2 green peppers5-6 cloves garlic, minced½ cup chopped fresh parsley3 tsp Cajun spices, Tony Chachere's2 16 oz bags of frozen okra2 32 oz box vegetable broth4 cups water½ cup Worcestershire sauce2 tomatoes, chopped4 bay leaves1 tsp thyme1 tsp rosemarysaltpepperRiceRinse and soak red beans overnight. Chop onion, celery, green peppers and garlic. In large pot, cook (toast) oat flour over medium heat stirring constantly (this can burn quickly - so be patient and stay close). When it is toasted to a light brown (a little darker that the color of peanut butter), add the trinity mix (onion, celery, and green pepper) and garlic. Stir to combine.Next add one box of vegetable broth and 4 cups of water - stir to combine. While heating to a boil add parsley and Cajun seasonings. Let this simmer for about 30-40 minutes, stirring frequently.Drain soaking water off beans and add beans to soup mixture. Add okra, tomatoes, additional broth and seasonings. Salt and pepper as needed and to taste. Bring to a boil and let simmer for around 2 hours or until beans are soft.And don't forget to make the rice! Serve over rice.