Fat Frog Diary

Use a good sherry for the best results. If you won't drink it, don't cook with it.

Did you know the classic fondue is back? Now that technology has introduced the electric fondue pot, I say we throw out those useless cans of sterno and avacado green fondue pots from the late 60's and early 70's for some 21st century technology that doesn't burn the bottom while allowing the top to grow cold! Bring back this tasty treat! I'll bring the sausage, okay? Cheddar Fondue (4.41 Points) 1/4 cup butter or margarine 1/4 cup all-purpose flour 1/2 teaspoon salt -- optional 1/4 teaspoon pepper 1/4 teaspoon mustard powder 1/4 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce 1 1/2 cups skim milk 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese bread cubes, ham cubes, bite-size sausage In a saucepan, melt butter; stir in flour, salt if desired, pepper, mustard and Worcestershire sauce until smooth. Gradually add milk. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened. Reduce heat. Add the cheese; cook and stir until melted. Transfer to a fondue pot or slow cooker; keep warm. Serve with brea...

Bloody Mary Chicken (6 PTS) 4 whole boneless skinless chicken breast 33-3/4 ounces Bloody Mary mix (I use extra spicy) Wash, skin and remove fat from chicken breasts and place in a slow cooker. Pour Bloody Mary mix over the chicken breasts, turn slow cooker to low and cook on low for 8 hours. Per Serving: 305 Calories; 3g Fat; 56g Protein; 11g Carbohydrate; 2g Dietary Fiber; 137mg Cholesterol; 1026mg Sodium.

This recipe left out a step to me. I stopped and mixed together the stir-fry sauce, sugar, curry powder, and ginger. I recommend creating the mix first and allowing the flavors to marry a bit before starting the cooking.

This is easy, cheap, and low carb! Don't neglect that sauce.

Not nearly as spicy as the name implies, this is still good eats.

I had another version of this recipe (sans the sunflower seeds) for years. Now that I can't have any nuts, I'll have to depend on someone else to tell me how this recipe stacks up to the meatless burgers available in the frozen section of the grocery store.

Basil Chicken (6 PTS) 4 whole skinless chicken breasts 1/2 teaspoon pepper 1/2 teaspoon basil 1 can cream of celery soup 1/2 whole green pepper -- sliced Place chicken breasts in slow cooker. Sprinkle with pepper and basil. Spread soup on top of chicken. Arrange slices of green pepper on top of soup. Cover and cook on low 6 to 8 hours. Per Serving: 287 Calories; 4g Fat; 55g Protein; 3g Carbohydrate ; 1g Dietary Fiber; 141mg Cholesterol; 391mg Sodium.

According to my bathroom scale this morning, my weight has now dropped to 242, down from my official start of 286. That's 44 pounds, gone forever. More significantly, my BMI has now dropped below 40, and I'm no longer considered "morbidly obese" and am now merely (!) "obese." BMI charts seem to differ, but I wanted to be sure that, by all their numbers, I'm now simply "obese." Uhhh...thanks? In some ways, it's significant that I'm merely on the chart at all! Some BMI charts don't even go as high as 250 lbs, as if such a weight does not bear noticing. It should be noticed. In fact, moreso than the weights closer to the ideal, IMHO! Those who are morbidly obese need MORE help, not less! Am I saying they (formerly, "we") need sympathy? Not necessarily. However, because there are issues --health and social are the two main ones-- the morbidly obese need to be on the charts and in the sights of the medical community. Not to men...

Do chill the crab mixture. It makes a big difference in the flabor. However, make sure you use a container with a good seal on the lid or your butter will smell funny. Note the serving is 4 scrumptious pieces. That's a meal for a bandster! Yum!

California Vegetable Cheese Bake (3 Points) 4 cups frozen carrot, broccoli & cauliflower blend, thawed 1/2 cup finely chopped onion (can use frozen chopped onion) 1 (10-3/4 oz) can Healthy Request Cream of Mushroom Soup 1/4 cup (one 2-ounce jar) chopped pimiento, drained 1-1/2 cups cubed Velveeta Light processed cheese Spray slow cooker container with butter-flavored cooking spray. In prepared container, combine thawed vegetables & onion. Add mushroom soup, pimiento & cheese. Mix well to combine. Cover & cook on LOW for 4 to 6 hours. Mix well before serving. 140 calories, 3 gm fiber, 4 gm fat 13 gm protein, 13 gm carbohydrate, 236 mg sodium, 373 mg calcium (3 points per 2/3 cup serving)

Because I'm allergic to nuts, I substituted water chestnuts. It worked very well.

Can you think of a better way to grill out than kabobs and a cool salad? Try this set now, then save it for hot weather!

I've skipped the wild rice and substituted Cauli-rice with no loss in flavor, or done without it entirely. I've also changed out the corned beef for other sliced deli meats to create different flavors. With these little guys in the fridge, safely stowed in a storage container, I have no fear of the mid-afternoon or late night snack attack.

(Reprise from a post on LapBandTalk.com in one of the forums) I knew it was coming. I knew I hadn’t lost any weight, or not nearly enough to be pleasing to myself. Sure enough, I’d lost a mere 5 pounds in the past six weeks. Despite the reassurances of the nurse taking my weight that almost everyone had the same difficulties due to the weather being so cold, I knew I could do better. My appetite had been on the increase, and consequently, my caloric intake on my FitDay.com report showed a gradual increase. So, I went in today for my visit, determined to have maybe a couple of cc’s just to nip that trend toward weight gain in the bud. Nope! Once these pounds come off, they are not going back on by golly! See ya! Buh-bye! I’d only lost 5 pounds, but about 4.9 of those pounds was pure fat! Now, that’s a reason to celebrate. I might have lost more, but Dr. Baptista’s nifty machine said I had water weight issues. Yes, I did, mostly in a swollen left ankle from doing too much this past weeke...

What better way to welcome Spring than the ultimate spring vegetable-- Asparagus!

I'm posting this delicious crock pot goodie everywhere! It was fast, easy, and convenient. However, the big draw for me was that, if you cut the beef small enough, even the toughest meat gets stewed down enough to not get stuck in th band if you're a bandster! Who cares about calories and carbs? This is holiday food.

These quick appetizers can also fill a void right around mid-afternoon when the urge to snack hits. Much better than hitting the more common snacks-that-shall-remain-nameless.

My DH loves these so much, he actually requests this meal. He swears it can't be diet food because it tastes too good. LOL!! I use Polaner All Fruit.