We had Nita's Rigatoni and Sausage last night. I doubled everything but the pasta, as per her notes. It was pretty good. Made a lot. I did catch DH sneaking a can of tomato sauce into the leftovers. Gotta have red sauce with pasta. LOL From NitaAZ Rigatoni and Sausage Penne Rigatoni 1 lb. 1-pound Italian sausage without casing 1 red bell pepper, diced 2 cups onion, finely chopped 1 tablespoon chopped garlic 1 teaspoon Basil salt and pepper � cup olive oil 2 large bunches spinach or one large bag Boil water, add some salt and Pasta and boil for 15 minutes until al dente, drain and put back in pan. Brown sausage, remove to a bowl. Add some oil to pan and cook onion until glazed. Add in red pepper, garlic, Basil, salt and pepper and heat through for a few minutes. Add meat back to pan and reheat. Dump all into pasta and add about � cup olive oil; stir. Throw in fresh spinach and stir around until it is wilted but not too wilted. Serve with freshly grated Parmesan cheese. A salad goes great with this meal. If you want to spice it up some you can use hot sausage or a mixture of both hot and mild. You can also add some red pepper flakes for some heat. * We like it best if you double everything and only use the one-pound of pasta. I don�t do the hot and spicy.

This recipe was in the food section of the Tampa Bay Times this morning. It isn't what you'd call a light dessert, but it sure sounds good if you like coconut. Coconut Poke Cake 1 (18.25 oz.) pkg. white cake mix 1 (14 oz.) can cream of coconut 1 (14 oz.) can sweetened condensed milk 1 (8 oz.) pkg. flaked coconut, toasted 2 c. heavy whipping cream 1 tsp. vanilla 1 tsp. coconut extract 2 Tbsp. powdered sugar Prepare and bake white cake mix according the package directions for a 9x13" pan. Remove cake from oven. While cake is still hot, using a large-tined utility fork or chopstick, poke holes all over the top of the cake. Mix cream of coconut and sweetened condensed milk together. Pour over the top of the still-hot cake. Cool completely. While cake is cooling, toast coconut. Place coconut in a dry skillet over medium heat. Stir occasionally and watch closely. Once it starts to brown, it will burn quickly. Remove from pan immediately or the residual heat will continue to cook (and burn) coconut. Let cool completely. Whip the cream until soft peaks form. This may take 5 minutes. Add flavorings and powdered sugar, continue until stiff paks form. Once the cake has cooled, spread whipped cream evenly over the top, then sprinkle with toasted coconut. Refrigerate immediately. NOTE: This cake gets better after refrigeration. The topping will deflate slightly, but the coconut flavor gets more intense. Still delicious two full days after it was made. Serves about 12.

Happy April, everybody! Spring will be in full swing soon and that's good news for all of us. I think I'll make this Sunday, since I have everything except the asparagus. TARRAGON SEAFOOD SALAD Water 2 tablespoons curry powder 8 ounces uncooked penne (tubular pasta) 3/4 pound medium shrimp, cooked and peeled (fully-cooked thawed frozen shrimp work well) 4 ounces smoked salmon, diced 1 1/2 cups lightly steamed, coarsely chopped asparagus 1 tablespoon chopped fresh tarragon (or 1 teaspoon dry) 1 teaspoon fresh-squeezed lemon juice 1/4 teaspoon salt 1/4 teaspoon coarse ground black pepper 3 tablespoons olive oil Fill a large saucepan 3/4 full of water and stir in curry powder until dispersed. Add pasta and cook according to package directions, omitting any salt. Drain well, cool with cold running water, and drain again; place in a large serving bowl. Add shrimp, salmon, and asparagus. In a small bowl, stir together the tarragon, lemon juice, salt, and pepper. Using a whisk, briskly whisk in the oil while pouring it in a steady stream. Pour dressing over pasta and toss gently to coat well. Serve right away. Slightly warm leftovers in the microwave before serving. Yield: 8 cups Serving size: 1 cup Per Serving: Calories: 219 Carbohydrate: 23 g Protein: 16 g Fat: 7 g Saturated fat: 1 g Sodium: 450 mg Fiber: 2 g

Super Short Ribs (Slow Cooker) 3 medium onions, cut into wedges 3 to 3-1/2 pounds bone-in beef short ribs 1 bay leaf 1 bottle (12 ounces) light beer or nonalcoholic beer 2 tablespoons brown sugar 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard 2 tablespoons tomato paste 2 teaspoons dried thyme 2 teaspoons beef bouillon granules 1 teaspoon salt 1/4 teaspoon pepper 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour 1/2 cup cold water Hot cooked noodles Place onions in a 5-qt. slow cooker; add ribs and bay leaf. Combine the beer, brown sugar, mustard, tomato paste, thyme, bouillon, salt and pepper. Pour over meat. Cover and cook on low for 8-10 hours or until meat is tender. Remove meat and vegetables to a serving platter; keep warm. Discard bay leaf. Skim fat from cooking juices; transfer juices to a small saucepan. Bring liquid to a boil. Combine flour and water until smooth. Gradually stir into the pan. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened. Serve with meat and noodles.