Today appears to be RECIPE DAY!!

New "I'm Home" Peppers Spaghetti Sauce

I can't seem to get myself organized as I want to do everything at the same time.  Priorities just won't settle.  I'm bumbling about the house like a giant bee, trying to touch all my flowers!

Some people would call it dysfunctional for an adult to act like this.  Seems to be the mark of the very young or the very old.  Hmmm.

While I was away I got very few opportunities to cook.  That would seem like a godsend to many- me included!  But oddly enough, I missed it!

I won't say that I didn't eat well when I was in the States, but I think I cook better than most meals I had at many of the restaurants I visited!  Isn't it funny that years ago, when I was growing up, one would judge a restaurant by saying "The food was delicious!  It tasted "homemade"!"  and now we say when we fix something good at home that it's "almost as good as a restaurant."??

So, today's theme is a recipe.... (this theme day thing can get a bit out of hand, like the Mickey Mouse Club for the ditsy- so I'll try not to go overboard)

Though we all have our standard old favorite Spaghetti recipe, I thought I'd try something new!  (As I have been dipping my spoon in the sauce for the past half hour, I can affirm it was a very successful foray into the unknown for me!!)

My "I'm home" Peppers Spaghetti Sauce

this is something I just made up because I wanted to have some good flavorful spaghetti sauce for dinner tonight, and I had these ingredients handy!  The peppers make it look all festive and it tastes wonderful!


12 oz ground beef (round or very low fat)

4 oz veal/pork breakfast sausages chopped (almost no fat white, lightly seasoned sausage links- I get them at Lidl...)

2 t good dry basil (or fresh)
2 t paprika
pinch of cayenne (or to taste)
salt and fresh ground pepper

small stalk of celery chopped
1/2 large vidalia onion chopped
1/3 yellow pepper chopped
1/3 green pepper chopped
1/3 sweet red pepper chopped
2 cloves garlic chopped

2 jars of Barilla "Basilco" pasta sauce
1/2 jar water

Brown ground beef in some olive oil (I add a little butter when the meat has no fat), season with the basil, paprika, salt and pepper and cayenne, stir well together til blended then add onion and celery.  Cook til onion softens a bit then add the sausage, peppers, and garlic.  Add the tomato sauce (and any bits of fresh tomato you might have in the fridge- I had a half from sandwiches...) and water and stir til it starts to bubble. Cook over medium heat for about 5 minutes then lower the heat to simmer for about 45 minutes.  Turn off the stove and let sit for about 30 minutes.  (then serve or save for later to reheat... for some reason spaghetti sauce tastes better after it has cooled and then is reheated.)


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I may get to another post today but my Corfu life is getting in my way again, so "how I spent my spring break" will continue as I have time!