Fat Frog Diary

Everyone knows the summertime grilling season here in the Northern Hemisphere. We Americans will soon celebrate Independence Day on July 4, and most of us will grill out, picnic, and other forms of mayhem. My family will include a family reunion in the mayhem. I'll probably bring the hot dog sauces. Here are my favorites below. Be aware some must be made well in advance. Who says hot dogs are boring? Not my family! Tart Apple Mustard 1/2 cup honey mustard 2 T shredded green apple (I used Granny Smith) 1/2 t. ground black pepper In a small bowl stir together all ingredients. Cover bowl and allow flavors to marry for at least 2 hours. Makes about 2/3 cup. Bacon Brown Sugar Mustard (Family favorite!) 3/4 cup yellow mustard 3 slices crisp cooked bacon, cooled and broken up 4 t. brown sugar or 2 t. Splenda Brown Blend them all together, cover and refrigerate overnight to blend the flavors. Hot Ketchup 2/3 cup ketchup 2 T. Worcestershire 1 t hot sauce (Tabasco) or a...

Country Sausage and Bean Soup The original version of this recipe was published by Favorite Name Brand Recipes in 2006. I have made certain changes and recommendations. 4 cans (14 oz ea) chicken broth or the equivalent in ounces of homemade chicken broth. 2 cans black beans, drained (Be careful! Don't get refried beans) 2 cups yellow onion, chopped 4 bay leaves 2 tsp sugar substitute (Splenda) 1/8 t cayenne pepper 12 oz bulk pork sausage 2 c chopped tomato 2 T chili powder 2 T Worcestershire sauce 4 tsp olive oil (opt) 3 t ground cumin 1 t salt Fry sausage until no longer pink. Drain, pour into lined crock. Combine broth, beans, onion, bay leaves, sugar substitute, and cayenne. Pour on top of sausage. Add the rest of the ingredients. Stir to combine. Cover and cook on low 8 hours. You may serve with cornbread if desired. We dieters didn't need it, but the guys expressed a wistful request that cornbread would be a great accompaniment. (sigh)

Check this out! Honey, this is like eating pizza or lasagna! It's gooood! Who says we can't have casseroles? Party-Pleasing Beef Dish 1 lb ground beef 1 medium onion, chopped ¾ cup beef broth 1 can (8 oz) tomato sauce 1 can (6 oz) tomato paste ## 2 tsp sugar 1 garlic clove, minced 1 tsp chili powder 1 tsp ground cumin 1 tsp dried oregano 1 cup cooked rice Optional (but recommended) toppers Tortilla chips Shredded cheddar cheese Chopped green onions Sliced ripe olives Sour cream Chopped fresh tomatoes Taco sauce Hot sauce In a large skillet, cook beef and onion over medium heat until meat is no longer pink; drain. Line your crock pot. Dump the meat and onion mix in a 3-qt slow cooker. Add the next eight ingredients; mix well. Cover and cook on low 4 hours or until heated through. Add rice; cover and cook at least 10 minutes longer. Serve over the tortilla chips with the toppings of your choice. I had to double the recipe to feed four hungry adults....

This is a "We can convert this to Low Carb!" recipe. Read the original, then see the substitution. Yes, go ahead and use the cream of chicken soup in a can. Condensed soups work well in a crock pot, and since you're only going to have a tablespoon or so of sauce, it's not going to blow your low carb regimen. Hash Browns with Ham 1 pkg (32 oz) frozen cubed hash browns (Substitution below) 1 cup cubed fully cooked ham. (Yeah, I used Spam. Get over it.) 1 small onion, chopped 2 cups (8 oz) shredded cheddar cheese **DIVIDED** 1 can (14.75 oz) condensed cream of chicken soup, undiluted ½ cup of butter, melted (1 stick) 1 cup sour cream Line your slow cooker or spray it well. Combine the potatoes, ham, onion, and 1 cup cheese. Combine the soup and butter. Pour over the potato mixture. Cover and cook on low 3-4 hours or until potatoes are tender. (Switch on warm until dinner.) Stir in the sour cream. Cook for 15 minutes. Sprinkle each serving with remaining chee...

Hey, guys! Are you having a problem with your diet? Can't find a way to substitute? Let's talk about it. Tell me what you need, please. Me, I'm delving into working with my crock pot lately. There are many recipes out there that just need a little tweak or two. I hope. Wish me luck! You know I'll share. Tonight is a family classic-- Pot Liquor Stew. Back in Grandpa's day, they saved the "juices" from cooking vegetables and roasts, adding them to one big freezer container until the pot was full to the brim with beef juices and vegetables. One free meal from the crock pot!

· Baked Eggs Baked eggs are also called shirred eggs. If desired, they may be baked in ramekins, Pyrex custard cups, or even Corelle cereal bowls. These are the best "fast" breakfast, because they can be frozen and heated up in the microwave (on Low) and eaten on the run. Butter or margarine 6 eggs salt and pepper to taste 2 T light cream or milk 6 T shredded cheese crumbled bacon, Spam cubes, cooked broccoli, or other addistions, as desired Heat about 4-8 cups of water. Keep hot until needed. Butter a custard cup for each egg. Carefully break eggs into the prepared custard cups; sprinkle with salt and pepper. Add 1 tsp cream to each cup. Set cups in a baking pan; place on oven rack. Pour hot water around the cups in pan to a depth of 1 inch. Bake in a 325F oven about 20 minutes or until the eggs are firm. If desired, meat and vegetables may be added to the custard cup before adding the egg, and after 15 minutes of cooking, add 1 T of cheese per cup. Continue ba...

Pineapple Sherbert 1 envelope unflavored gelatin ¼ cup cold water 2 cups buttermilk ¾ c sugar 1 8-oz can crushed pineapple (juice pack) 1 t vanilla 1 egg white 2 T sugar Put hot water on to boil. If you have a double boiler, use it. If you don’t have a double boiler, put a pot of water on to boil, and make sure you have a heatproof bowl that will fit over the saucepan of boiling water without touching the boiling water. Soften gelatin in the bowl, in ¼ cup cold water.Place the bowl over the boiling water until the gelatin dissolves completely. In another large mixing bowl combine buttermilk, ¾ cup sugar, the undrained crushed pineapple, vanilla, and the gelatin mixture. Turn into an 8x8x2-inch pan. Cover and freeze until firm. Chill a large bowl in the refrigerator at the same time. Keep it cold until needed. Beat egg white to soft peaks; gradually add 2 T sugar, beating to stiff peaks. Break the frozen mixture into chun...

When you know how to make Cream Puffs, there's a world of things to do with them.  Cream Puffs ½ cup butter or margarine 1 cup water 1 cup all-purpose flour ¼ t salt 4 eggs In a medium saucepan, melt butter. Add water. Bring to boil. Add flour and salt all at once; stir vigorously. Cook and stir till mixture forms a ball that doesn’t separate. Remove from heat; cool slightly, about 5 min. Add eggs, one at a time, beating with a wooden spoon after each addition for 1-2 minutes or til smooth. Drop batter by heaping tablespoons 3 inches apart onto a greased baking sheet. Bake in a 400F oven about 30 min or til golden brown and puffy. Remove from oven; split, removing any soft dough inside. Cool on a wire rack. Fill with whipped cream, pudding, fruit mixtures, or ice cream. Makes 10. 279 calories, 11 carbs without filling. I recommend using Dream Whip and your food processor for a fast “CHEAP” filling, both monetarily and carb-wise. Also, certain pudding and cream cheese ...

Vanilla Ice Cream 1-1/2 cups sugar 2 envelopes unflavored gelatin 1/8 t salt 8 cups light cream 2 beaten eggs 4 t vanilla In a large saucepan combine sugar, gelatin, and salt. Stir in half the light cream. Cook and stir over medium heat until the mixture almost boils and sugar dissolves. Stir about 1 cup of the hot mixture into the beaten eggs; return all to the saucepan. Cook and stir 2 minutes more. Cool. Add remaining cream and the vanilla. Freeze in a 4-5 quart ice cream freezer according the the manufacturer’s directions. Makes about 3 quarts. (24 servings) 226 calories, 16 carbs per serving.

Think low carb means no desserts? Think again. Stirred Custard 3 slightly beaten eggs 2 c milk ¼ c sugar dash salt 1 t vanilla In a heavy saucepan combine the eggs, milk, sugar, and salt. Cook and stir over medium heat. Continue to cook until it coats a metal spoon. Remove from heat; cool at once by placing pan in a sink or bowl of ice water and stirring 1-2 minutes. Stir in vanilla. Pour custard mixture into a bowl. Cover surface with plastic wrap and chill until serving time. Makes six servings. 126 calories, 13 carbs.

Jell-O 1-2-3 Dessert   ¾ cup boiling water 1 pkg (.3 oz) Jell-O Sugar-Free Gelatin (any flavor) Ice cubes ½ cup cold water ½ cup thawed Cool Whip Lite Whipped Topping   Add boiling water to gelatin mix; Stir 2 min until completely dissolved. Pour into blender. Add enough ice to cold water to measure 1-1/4 cups; add to blender. Blend 30 sec. Add Cool Whip; blend until smooth. Pour into 4 dessert dishes. Refrigerate 20 min o until firm. Serves 4.     Lena Austin "Stop fighting the Wild," said the coyote. Coming Soon: Man vs. Wild http://www.LenaAustin.com