Ingredients:
1 spray cooking spray
2 medium onions, roughly chopped
1 carton fresh mushrooms, sliced
1/2 pounds sweet potato(es), peeled and chopped into 1/2-inch cubes
2 medium carrots, thinly sliced
2 medium garlic cloves, minced
2 Tbsp ginger root, fresh, minced
1/2 tsp ground cloves
1/2 tsp table salt
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
4 cups vegetable broth
6 Tbsp peanut butter, natural, creamy
4 cups spinach, leaves, stemmed, packed, chopped

Instructions:
Coat a large saucepan with cooking spray and set over medium heat. Add onion, mushrooms, sweet potato, carrots, garlic, ginger, cloves, salt and cayenne; cook, stirring often, until softened, about 20 minutes.

Pour in the vegetable broth and bring to a simmer, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Stir in the peanut butter until smooth.

Cover, reduce the heat to low, and simmer slowly, stirring once in a while, until the sweet potatoes are tender, about 30 minutes.

Add the spinach; cook, stirring occasionally, for 10 minutes. Yields about 1 1/2 cups per serving.

Servings: 5
Calories per serving: 195 (1.5 cups)

Notes:
Keep the heat low as the soup simmers so the peanut butter doesn’t break (that is, in culinary terms, “doesn’t fall out of suspension” or separate).

Adapted from this Weight Watchers recipe: http://bit.ly/aAXhMu

12 oz. fresh cranberries, rinsed
1 cup Splenda
1 cup water
1 teaspoon each: orange zest, cinnamon, nutmeg

Bring water, Splenda and spices to a boil, add cranberries and bring to boil again, reduce heat and simmer for about 30 minutes, until the water has reduced, and sauce has reached the consistency you prefer.

Ingredients:
1 can pumpkin (15 oz)
1 can evaporated skim milk (12 oz)
3/4 cup egg substitute (or 3 egg whites)
1/2 tsp salt
3 tsp pumpkin pie spice
1 tsp vanilla
2/3 cup Splenda

Combine all ingredients and beat until smooth. Pour into a 9″ sprayed pie pan

Bake at 400 for 15 minutes, and then at 325 for 45 minutes or until a knife inserted in center comes out clean.

1 serving (1/8 pie) = 54 calories

Note: I add 4 tablespoons of fat free Cool Whip which adds 30 calories, but it’s TOTALLY worth it. Yummmm…

1 large can (49.5 oz) chicken broth
1 large can (28 oz.) Italian cut green beans
1 can (14.5 oz.) corn
1 can (10 oz.) Rotel diced tomatoes HOT
1 can (14.5 oz.) petite diced tomatoes
1 can (5.5 oz.) Spicy V8 juice (opt.)
1/2 head of cabbage chopped
2 cups chopped carrots
2 cups chopped celery (with leaves)
2 cups chopped onion

Pour first 6 ingredients, including liquid, into large stock pot and place on stove on medium heat. Chop the remaining ingredients (fresh veggies) and add them to the stock pot. Add water until all veggies are covered. Increase heat until soup comes to boil, then reduce heat and simmer on low only until carrots are “al dente” (approximately 20-30 minutes). DO NOT OVERCOOK or all the veggies will be mushy, taste the same, and will be bland in color.

I pour the soup into individual containers (approximately 2 cups each) so that it is easy to pop into the microwave for lunch or dinner.

Makes: A lot! One batch lasts me about a week and a half.
Serving size: Approx. 2 cups
Calories: Approx. 120

Yummy additions:
I like to get Jennie-O Italian seasoned ground turkey, brown it, squeeze out as much fat as I can, and store in 3 oz baggies (approx. 130 calories). Adding to a serving of soup makes it a very filling meal that’s protein-filled, but still low fat. Over Christmas, I added ham bits from our spiral-sliced ham, and it made the soup absolutely divine!