My dear friend, Kristy, gave the most delicious homemade spaghetti sauce with a package of pasta and a few other goodies to help make life easier for me and several other women who were under her leadership. Her recipe took years to perfect and it is just that. Perfectly thick tomato with mild herb flavors and a bit of sweetness. It makes a lot, so there will be plenty of leftovers. I will freeze some for later — the only step left will be to cook the pasta and any kind works well from spaghetti to rigatoni to penne.

Spaghetti Sauce

• 2 pounds ground Italian sausage
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 cans (28 ounces each) crushed tomatoes
• 2 cans (12 ounces each) tomato paste
• 3 cans (15 ounces each) tomato sauce
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 teaspoon garlic salt
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 3 tablespoons brown sugar
• 2 teaspoons oregano
• 2 teaspoons basil
• 1 teaspoon thyme
• 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg

1. Brown Italian sausage with onion and garlic.
2. While sausage mixture is cooking, add remaining ingredients into crockpot and mix together.
3. Cook on low for 7 hours. Makes about 7 quarts. Freezes up to 6 months.
4. Serve with rotini cooked al dente or pasta of your choice.