Pan Roasted Sausage, Peppers, Onions, and Potatoes, oh and yes, PenneVodka, PLUS BLOWOUTS

This post will be a threefer. Three recipes in one post. Three times the food , Three times the calories, three times the work, three times my lady..i looooooooovvvveee you.. Once again, a song enters my head. Must be real empty up there. Not only are we making two dishes, we are going to make these super-dee-duper cookies. Did ja know they have peanut butter cups, honey roasted peanuts, and chocolate chips in them? Did you know I have 4 children under 11 and 4 stepchildren under 12, and a puppy named Clooney.. think George...George, Oh, George, beg Clooney,beg..No, how could you know that?Dinner before dessert, they say. Due to that line of etiquette, I will begin with the Pan Roasted sausage chock full of all things good!! I sooo enjoy this dish by Rachael Ray. Yes, another Rachael Ray, actually 2 of the dishes are hers, the other is a cookie! I highly recommend both of these dishes, the pan roasted sausage and the penne vodka have been "keepers and repeaters" in our home for years. Both are so very tasty, relatively easy, and that's enough for me:) Remember what you find here is the girl-who loves to cook and bake- next door kinda cooking.. Nothing fancy schmancy, nothing high-faulutin, nothing overly gourmet, just your basic YOU ROCK ,tastes great,food. Onto the -oh so yummy - palate satisfying--

Pan Roasted Sausage, Peppers, Onions, and Potatoes

**Recipe from Rachael Ray's Comfort Foods Cookbook

**Let's begin by getting the potatoes ready, ok big buddy

6-8 red new potatoes, cut in wedges..I use about 10 Generous drizzle olive oil

Montreal Steak Seasoning

2 Tablespoons fresh rosemary, chopped--I have subbed dried before, works well

Sprinkle Paprika ( I use more than a sprinkle)

Preheat a nonstick skillet over medium high heat. In a bowl, toss the delightful tiny red potato wedges with a drizzle of olive oil. Thinly enough to coat all wedges. Then sprinkle(Every time I hear the word sprinkle the old rhyme enters my head.. do you know which one.. If you sprinkle when you tinkle please be neat and wipe the seat.. Geez, can't I ever focus?) with the montreal seasoning, rosemary, and paprika. Add the potatoes to your nonstick panCover and cook for 15 minutes or so, turning occasionally. They will look like this: Keep warm and set aside. This would actually be a neat side dish by itself. But, when partnered with the rest of the ingredients in this recipe, you just know its where they belong.

Your ingredients include:

4 links hot sausage and 4 links sweet sausageGosh these are short and squat. Nothing at all like this Remember our kielbasa, our friend, it conjures images in our head that these short sausages just do not. I digress.. Forgive me..

Back to what we need , again people, focus, don't think about the kielbasa, just don't. Pot calling the kettle black here.

You will need

Olive oil, about 1 tablespoon

2 Italian Cubanelle Peppers (I use 3)

3 red peppers(my addition)

1 medium onion

6 cloves garlic

Handful chopped, fresh parsley, chopped

Colorful veggies=healthy.. I just love peppers, I always have to add extra.. have you ever tried Peppadew peppers.. check this out, you might enjoy it for superbowl.

2 tablespoons juice from pickled sliced hot cherry peppers(I use 3-I like it hot, I'm married to a fireman after all)

4 slices hot sliced, cherry peppers (I use more, same reasoning as above) Chop them You will need warm crusty bread for mopping, sopping, soaking up the juice from your plate.

To start, Cut your -do nothing for your libido- sausages into large chunks. Seed and slice your peppers, peel and slice your onion, crack your cloves of garlic from the skins, leave and them whole, my darling. Skip to my lou while you're at it.

Can I just ask you a question, cyber people? Do the ribs on peppers annoy you? They so totally annoy me .. do you know what I'm talking about .. these thingsI despise having to trim them all out, but I do, because in my mind, I think they would add water to the dish, I mean, does anyone know if there is flavor in the ribs?Is there lime in the coconut?

Back to the business at hand.

Heat a large deep skillet over medium-high heat and add one tablespoon of olive oil, brown sausages on all sides.

Drain the excess oil and add your peppers, onions, and garlic.. Cover your pan and cook 10 more minutes. Or until peppers are done to your liking. These are to my liking.. Uncover your dish and toss in your parsley, splashes of your hot cherry pepper juice--that sounds like a chant--hot cherry pepper juice, hot cherry pepper juice, hot cherry pepper juice--, and your chopped cherry peppers Add your cooked potatoes Combine. Done. Doesn't that look so freaking good? Grab your bread and dive in!! Looking for a good crusty one ?? Wow, that doesn't sound too appetizing.. good crusty one.. But these breads certainly are.. Why not try Amber's Crusty Italian loaf from Amber's Delectable Delights? How about this one from Farmgirl Fare? Both of those look spectacular!! Oh yes, yes, yes!!Come to mama baby!Along with this, every time I make it, I MUST make Penne Vodka. Why? because all of my 4 children will not eat the hot sausage dish, only one or two will. However they will all eat Rachael Ray's Penne Vodka, of which the recipe can be found here It is a simple recipe, but is delicious and as I said, even the children love it! This is from Rachael Rays 30 Minute Meal cookbook She calls it her You Won't Be Single For Long Vodka Cream Pasta Yes she does, that's what she calls it.

• 3 Tablespoons olive oil
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 can crushed tomatoes
• 20 leaves basil, roughly cut or torn
• 2/3 cup vodka
• 1 pound ( or less) Penne
• 1/4 cup heavy cream( or more)
• Grated parmesan cheese

Heat your olive oil and garlic in deep saucepan over medium heat. When the garlic speaks, add tomatoes and heat through. Stir in your basil leaves

When the basil wilts, stir in your vodka, and bring to a boil. Give the pan a shake and reduce heat to low. Simmer until the pasta is done to your liking. When you drain the pasta Add the cream to your sauce, then stir in your cream until the sauce blushes a shade or two lighter. (Are you blushing still thinking about the kielbasa?) Toss sauce with your hot pasta, top with grated cheese, and again use some crusty bread. Now pair that with the sausage and peppers, potato dish and you have a splendid combo! Splendid, I say.

IMPORTANT!!!!

There is one step , when making the penne vodka that Rachael Ray left out!! A VERY IMPORTANT SIGNIFICANT ABSOLUTELY MUST DO step.

Ready, listen up, listen, when you are pouring in the vodka, STOP and pour yourself a shot

and down that sucker. Really, it makes for a more satisfying experience.

For the final part of our threesome, I mean threefer, I baked up some Awesome Blowout cookies! Recipe is from Better Homes and gardens and can be found here. I am not typing this one out. My hand is shaking from the shots (I mean shot of vodka).

Onto the sinful, calorie-laden cookie!

How awesome are these cookies?? They include honey roasted peanuts, peanut butter cups, and chocolate chips, oh my.

First you must get your peanut butter cups

Strip them, (visions of kielbasa)I mean unwrap them, and chop them up coarsely.

In a mixing bowl, you will mix your butter and peanut butter for 30 seconds

Then add your sugar, baking soda and salt

Beat till combined and scrape down the darn sides when needed. Now add your egg, vanilla, and milk

Then beat in your flour. Now, for the best part, add in your honey roasted peanuts, oh God, your chocolate chips, oh my, and your peanut butter cups, Yipppeeekayayayea......

Stir these babies in. Just try not to steal any pieces before you do so. I admit, I plead guilty. I had to put a little of each in my hand and try the combo.. (Have you ever tried peanut M&M's mixed with buttered popcorn at the movie theatre.. holy lord is that good stuff!! Make sure you say extra butter.. so what run another mile)

Bake for 10 minutes, cool on wire rack

And INDULGE

Oh yeah, quick tip, if you decide to try these cookies, place peanut butter cups in the freezer for a bit, they are easier to chop..

Guess what!! II am sure you all know Madeline of Everything Rachael Ray, well, I *spoke* with her , and pleaded to know her 2 favorite Rachael Ray dishes!!!!!! She said it was a really tough decision, but if she had to choose, she would pick....., NOT telling you, hahahaha.. I will be making it next week.. NaNaNaNaNaNa .. she picked one healthy one (not making that one) and one not so healthy.. that would be mine. Thank you Madeline for sharing with me!!

One more thing and I will let you go,, And again, I value your thoughts, Can anyone tell my why in God's green earth, my husband and my children, constantly return to the refrigerator with hopes that something new to eat will have materialized out of thin air? Could ya let me in on that one??