Crab Gumbo

1 lb crabmeat
1 md onion, chopped
1 lg stalk celery, chopped
1 clove garlic, finely chopped
1/2 stick butter
6 cups canned whole tomatoes (3 1-lb cans)
1 pk frozen okra (10 oz)
1 bay leaf
2 tsp salt
1 tsp sugar
1/2 tsp whole thyme
1/4 tsp chili powder
1/4 tsp pepper
3 cups hot cooked rice

Remove all cartilage from crabmeat. In a 4 or 5 quart
pot, cook onion, celery and garlic in butter until
tender. Add tomatoes, okra and seasonings. Cover and
simmer for 1 hour. Add crabmeat and heat through. Serve
over hot cooked rice.