Bethenny Offers Recipes to be Thankful For

This year, Bethenny Frankel's taking the stuff out of stuffing and giving Thanksgiving the Skinnygirl touch. "This time of year always gets me excited for the endless cooking possibilities. The holidays are a great time to experiment with a variety of dishes, both traditional and not," she writes on her site. "If you are hosting your own Thanksgiving get together this year, or even if you are attending someone else's party, it is always nice to have/bring an appetizer for the event."

So without further ado, get your Thanksgiving fest started with B's Easy & Healthy Butternut Squash Soup:

Ingredients: (Serves 6 to 8)
1 medium butternut squash, cut into smallish pieces
1 medium onion, diced
4 cloves garlic, chopped
2 1/2 to 3 cups water
pepper to taste
cooking spray or 2 tablespoon olive oil, if desired
soy milk, if desired

"Using cooking spray to coat, sauté the onion in a pot or pan until it is soft," Bethenny instructs. "Add in the garlic and continue sautéing for a few more minutes. Add the water and squash at the same time and bring to a boil. Turn heat down and simmer for as long as it takes to soften the squash completely, usually less than 45 minutes."

Next, "Take the contents of the pot and pour it all into a blender. Blend thoroughly, and add in spices to your liking." For B's final flourish, check out Bethenny.com, where she's also offering up Vegan Stuffed Squash Blossoms, Stuffed Portabello Mushrooms and more Thanksgiving-related recipes throughout the week.