It’s a BONUS post!!!

Ok, because I love each of you so very much (and I do have the very best readers in the blogosphere!!), and because we just ate one of the most incredible dinners I’ve ever made, I decided  it was only fitting to share.
No, I can’t wait until the end of the 365 days to share it because I’ll forget about it, or it will get completely lost in the recesses of my mind.
I saw a Sausage, Mushroom and Red Pepper Risotto on one of the blog posts in the past few days that I frequent and I’ll be darned if I didn’t write it down. I was SO mad. I went back and searched different sites that I thought it might be on, but I can’t find it and I even made a comment about it, too. so if you’re the blogger who very recently posted the risotto I said I was going to make, I apologize. If it’s the same or close to the same recipe, yours is fantastic, too!
I Googled sausage, pepper and mushroom risotto and saw that Michelle at Brown Eyed Baker had made one a few years ago. I am so completely glad that it hadn’t disappeared into cyberspace.
(SIGH)
I am so very content right now. My night will be complete when I finish the other half of the Twix bar I have hidden in my purse on the hall counter, but I’m too tired right now to get up to get it.
Yes, I just needed a little chocolate fix today.
I decided I had earned it when I was starting to make dinner, discovered I had forgotten to purchase butter (was completely out) and had to go out again to get it.
How aggravating is that?! Have you ever done it? 
And three people are sitting in the family room attached to the kitchen, they saw my little tirade, but did anyone bother to run to the store to help the momma out? 
No.
Only two of them are drivers, but still.
Hence the Twix bar.
It somewhat satisfied.
But dinner definitely made it all better.

Sausage, Red Pepper and Mushroom Risotto – serves 4-6 (Adapted from Giada DeLaurentiis)

5 cups chicken broth
2 tablespoons butter
8 ounces sausage with the casings removed
3/4 cup onion, minced
1 red bell pepper, chopped
4 ounces mushrooms, chopped
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1½ cups Arborio rice
3/4 cup dry white wine
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 tablespoon cilantro, chopped

Place broth in a medium saucepan and bring to a simmer. Cover and keep heated over low heat.
In a large saucepan, melt butter over medium heat. Add sausage and cook til golden, breaking apart over the course of about 5 minutes.
Add the red pepper, onion, and mushrooms and saute until all is tender, about 8 minutes.
Add salt and freshly ground pepper.
Add rice to peppers, onions and mushrooms, and combine thoroughly.
Pour in the wine and simmer until most of the wine has evaporated, about 1 minute.
Add 1/2 cup of the heated broth and stir until almost completely absorbed, about 2 minutes.
Again, add 1/2 cup of the heated broth and stir until almost completely absorbed, about 2 minutes.
Continue the process of cooking the rice, adding 1/2 cup of the broth at a time, stirring constantly  and allowing each addition of broth to be completely absorbed before adding the next.
This should be done until rice is tender yet firm when bitten and the mixture is creamy, about 30 minutes. Remove from heat.
Stir in 3/4 of the Parmesan cheese.
Place risotto in serving bowls or bowl. Sprinkle with remaining Parmesan cheese and cilantro.
Serve immediately.

This dish went extremely well with a loaf of bread. I was also going to make a salad to go with it, but I didn’t realize I was going to have to stand there and stir it for a half an hour straight.
Why didn’t anyone tell me that?
Did you tell me that? 
Because I swear I didn’t hear you if you did.
I wish you’d told me because I was standing there becoming impatient and frustrated that it was taking so long, not understanding the process of a great risotto.
But I will do it all over again because that dinner was SO worth it.
I rate everything I bake ( I didn’t bake this, but I’m a ratin’ it anyway!) on a scale of 1-4 with 4 being the best and this Sausage, Red Pepper, and Mushroom Risotto earned 4 rolling pins!
I honestly don’t think you’ve lived until you’ve had risotto.
My advice, just make the salad before you begin the risotto.
Now, onto the Twix bar.
Happy baking!