Tried this one tonight. Yummy.

Kale and Roasted Vegetable Soup Recipe | Simply Recipes

Modify this by cubing the butternut squash in advance and then roasting time can be cut in half and you don't get shriveled carrots like I did...also, I didn't cook the kale as long as it said to. I didn't want to cook out all the goodness of the veggies! I didn't use half as much oil as it said, either, and didn't use any added salt. In other words, use common sense to make this healthier. It's already pretty healthy, so imagine how great it can be :)

Healthy eats

I'm going to use this as my tried-and-true healthy recipe bank. I figure since most of you who read it are doing my program, it won't hurt. Once you reach maintenance, you'll be glad I did it :)

So here my favorite healthy things I had today:

Oatmeal with applesauce, frozen blackberries, walnuts and yogurt

Green smoothie (kale, water, kiwi, blackberries, applesauce)

Eggplant sandwich (sprouted whole-grain bread, eggplant, red bell pepper, mashed avocado, fat-free feta)

Kale chips

A recent find I'm obsessed with:

Butternut squash and bean tacos with green salsa (recipe on EatingWell.com) I modify a few things to make it a little healthier, like using whole grain wraps instead of tortillas, but the recipe is already pretty healthy as-is.

Ok. I'll be annoyingly persistent if I can.

Healthy and tasty

Roasted Eggplant Spread--an Ina Garten recipe that doesn't have a pound of butter in it :)

Taco Soup-- new & improved

2 cans beans, drained & rinsed (any variety)
2 cans diced tomatoes
1 can green chilies
1 cup water
1 pkg. guacamole seasoning mix
1 tsp. cumin
1 tsp. white pepper
1 tbsp. dried cilantro
1 cube beef bouillon
1/2-1 lb. ground beef, browned & drained

Mix ingredients together in a crock pot & allow to cook on high heat for 2-3 hours or on low heat for 3-4 hours. Topping suggestions: fresh cilantro, dollop of fat free sour cream, tortilla strips, green onions, olives.

Dad's Sunday Supper Waffles

2 cups All Purpose Flour
4 tsp. Baking Powder
1 tsp. Salt
2 cups Milk
4 eggs,Separated
1 cup Melted Butter, Margarine, or Salad Oil
1 tsp. Vanilla

■Start by heating waffle iron.

■Sift together flour, baking powder, and salt.

■Combine milk and egg yolks. Beat egg whites until stiff.

■Add flour mixture to milk and egg yolks and beat. Beat in melted butter, margarine, or oil.

■Add vanilla.

■Fold in Egg whites carefully to form batter. A few “pillows” of egg whites may remain. (This is similar to an angel food cake batter but with no sugar.)

■Cook on griddle until golden. Stack on their sides to keep them crisp. (If you don’t like crisp just pile them up).

Pork Roast Carnitas

(this is Jessica's recipe; we love it dearly)

1 Tbsp. beef base
1 Tbsp. dried cilantro leaves
2 teaspoons brown sugar, packed
1 tsp. garlic powder
1 tsp. onion powder
1 tsp. oregano leaves
1 tsp. coarse or kosher salt
1/4 tsp. freshly ground pepper
1 4-lb. pork roast, trimmed
1/2 cup water
Juice of 1 fresh orange
Juice of 1 fresh lime
2 Tbsp. low sodium soy sauce

In a small bowl, combine the beef base, cilantro, brown sugar, garlic powder, onion powder, oregano, salt, and pepper. Set aside.

Brown pork roast on all sides in a large cooking pot over medium heat.

Reduce heat & evenly coat the roast on all sides with spice mixture.

Add the water, orange juice, lime juice, and soy sauce. Heat to boiling. Reduce heat, cover, and simmer over low heat for 3 1/2 to 4 hours or until roast is so tender it falls apart.

Discard any fat and pull roast apart with 2 forks, allowing meat to absorb any juices left in the pan. If needed, continue cooking until all juices have been reduced and absorbed into pulled meat (but DO NOT overcook; keep meat moist). Makes 16 servings.

Note from Amy: I usually cook it in a crock pot over low heat all day. I start it after breakfast & let it cook until about an hour before dinnertime before I pull it apart. Then I let it soak in the juices until ready to serve.

Serving Accompaniments & Toppings:

Fresh corn or flour tortillas, warmed
Fresh cilantro
Pico de Gallo
Lime wedges

Note from Amy: I love to serve this with Cowboy Salsa, also known as black bean salsa. They go very well together.

Yam Balls

This is a recipe Marianne made for Thanksgiving years ago. Very good.

Yam Balls

2 pounds sweet potatoes (yams)

Brown Sugar topping:
1/2 c. packed brown sugar
3 T margarine
3 T water

Prepare and cook sweet potatoes: Heat enough salted water to cover sweet potatoes (1/2 t. salt to 1 c. water) to boiling. Add potatoes. Cover and heat to boiling; reduce heat. Boil until tender, 30-35 minutes. drain. Slip off skins.
Mash potatoes. Scoop up a handful of potatoes (please wash your hands first, you slob) and put a large marshmallow in the middle of it. Roll the ball in crushed Raisin Bran or corn flakes. Place ball in a 9 x 13 pan. Continue until all the potatoes are used up. Pour brown sugar mixture over all the balls. Bake at 350 until the potatoes are heated through.

Note: Marianne said she was guessing at the amount of yams, so you may need to make more of the brown sugar topping. I think you should just make more anyway. How could you ever possibly have enough brown sugar topping?