Spaghetti Sauce

1 jar spaghetti sauce
1 can tomato paste
1 can diced tomatoes and juice
1 can kidney beans
1 can tomato juice (small)
1 onion
1 pound turkey sausage
1 bag baby spinach (it looks like a lot, but it isn't!)
10-15 baby carrots
1 yellow squash
2 stalks celery
1 orange pepper
4 cloves garlic
10-12 mushrooms
1 bag frozen mixed vegetables


Put first 5 on list in a pot on medium heat.Dice onion, saute with the turkey sausage. Just as the meat is browned, add the spinach. Let it wilt. Put in with the sauce.
Slice carrots and squash. Put in the pot.
Simmer for approximately 1 hour.
Slice celery, pepper. Add to pot.
Simmer ½ hour.
Crush garlic.
Thinly slice mushrooms.
Add garlic, mushrooms, and frozen vegetables to the pot.
Simmer for about ½ hour.

Goal: soft (not mushy - just without crunch) carrots, peppers and squash. Slightly crunchy celery.
You may have to simmer a little longer.
We also like a sauce with more vegetables and less meat, but I have made this with another pound of turkey sausage or with 1 each turkey sausage and ground beef.

We really like garlic - I almost always ad 6-9 cloves (depending on size).
You can also add any other vegetables to it. Depending on how we feel, sometimes we also add zucchini, red pepper, fresh tomatoes, etc.