ITALIAN SAUSAGE PASTA

Mr. Thrifty has a favorite dish when we go out to eat at an Italian restaurant.

The dish must contain these two ingredients:  Italian sausage and red, yellow or orange peppers.

I found this recipe on the internet and tweaked it for my liking.


For the ingredients:

I began cooking up the Italian sausage.

 Once the sausage was cooked and drained, I moved onto the peppers.

Add the remaining ingredients and spices.

I liked having the extra sauce to soak in the pasta.

A good amount of fresh Parmesan can be added when serving.  This is delicious!



PICKLE JAR UPDATE 2020

My two sisters bought this pickle jar for my birthday a few years back. For Christmas, I added the acorns that I had collected with the girls back in Peoria.  I spray painted them silver to use in my holiday decorating.

Since I had my seashell tray on the library table, I remembered that I had a bag of tiny shells in my stash.  I polished the pickle jar and added those shells.

Instead of buying costly potpourri, I used what I had laying around.  I think the shells look great!

It's always fun to create displays and not spend a cent.

LOCKDOWN CHILI SEASONING IN A HURRY

Good morning!  Here it is Easter Monday and there is a chill in the air outside.  I started a batch of chili and realized that I didn't have any Chili Seasoning Packets.  Panic?  No.

I googled a recipe and thought I would share it with you. During these times of the Coronavirus, a person does not want to go to the store.  I opened up my spice cabinet and pulled out the spices and .

You will need:

1 T. chili powder

                                                                  1 t. cumin(I did not add this because my family does not like cumin)

   1/4 t. cayenne pepper

1/4 t. garlic powder

1/2 t. onion powder

1 t. salt

1/2 t. white pepper

When I brown the ground beef for my chili, I always add at least one half of a cut up onion.  I cook these together  and drain the grease off before putting this in the crock pot.

I used to make chili using just tomato sauce but now while making 2 batches, I add 16 ounces of tomato sauce and 16 ounces of canned stewed tomatoes. I also add 2 cans of light kidney beans, drained and rinsed to the pot.

 

Toss the spices into the crock pot.  I always add 1 soda can size of V8 juice.





 Stir and cover.

Let it simmer all day.  I make sure to have a pot of hot white rice, and grated cheddar cheese when I am ready to serve.




REVIEW:
THE CHILI DID HAVE SOME HEAT, BUT WAS NOT OVERLY HOT.  THE FAMILY LIKED IT BUT I WOULD LEAVE OUT THE CAYENNE PEPPER.  I CAN'T BELIEVE THAT 1/4 T. IN A DOUBLE BATCH OF CHILI WOULD CREATE SUCH HEAT.


I WOULD DEFINITELY USE THIS RECIPE FOR SPICES FOR CHILI AGAIN.



EASTER BUNNY AND MEMORIES OF THE GREAT LAKES CIRCA 2001

I put together a sweet Easter vignette the other day which flooded back memories of the girls growing up at Easter.  The picture was taken in 2001 and I just had to sit in out.  They were so young and sweet and the vignette just makes me happy.

I guess we were all young back then!  They look so cute in their bonnets.



HAPPY EASTER 2019

SPRING MANTLE 2020

It is time to freshen up the mantle for spring.  Freshness means white and lots of it.

Incorporated in the mantle are the two artichokes, a vintage glass gardening dome, a gingerbread wood decoration and finally, the new glass totem.