Fat Frog Diary

  THERE'S NO POINT IN RE-INVENTING THE WHEEL. When someone else posts an awesome recipe, they deserve the shout-out. For years, like so many of you, I reached for the jar of Alfredo Sauce from the grocery store and figured that was as good as I was going to get.   Wrong! Oh, I was so very wrong. Picture this. It's a few days to payday and the fridge is beginning to look a little on the lean side. We'd been working in the yard and garden all day, and we had no energy for lengthy preparations. The heat had sapped enough out of us that a heavy meal was out of the question. Dave came up with the brilliant idea of a pasta and sauce. A quick raid of the pantry provided pasta, but not enough tomatoes for a red sauce. Alfredo? Nope, no jar on the shelf. By now, our mouths were watering for Alfredo, and we knew we had the ingredients for that. A quick internet search found Cookie Rookie's recipe and we decided to give it a try.  This stuff is so easy to make, I was amazed. Wh...

1 can Eagle Brand Sweetened Cond. Milk 1/3 c lemon juice 8 oz sour cream 1 t. vanilla or almond extract fruit of your choice Mix the first four ingredients with a whisk. Pour 2-4 T over the fruit. Serve cold.  Easy to make, easy on the budget. Great on a hot day. Let me know if you try this and what fruit did you use. I used a fresh fruit mix with grapes, melon, strawberries, and pineapple.  

 What makes a recipe qualify to call itself by that illustrious title of the Versatile and Time-Saving Casserole? A casserole contains the following basic ingredients. 1 cup of aromatics such as onion, carrots, celery, peppers, and/or mirepoix. 3-4 cups of cooked protein or beans 2-3 cups of cooked carbs (pasta, rice, couscous, potatoes, chips, etc.) 1-2 cups of vegetables 1-2 cups sauce or binder (condensed cream of soups, white sauces, cheese sauce, gravy, sour cream, ricotta, tomato sauce Seasonings to taste 1 cup topping such as breadcrumbs, cheese, snack chips, nuts, etc.  This is the basis for almost every "dump and go" casserole ever invented. Even the layered casseroles like lasagna follow this rule. Stir the first six ingredients together in a large bowl, spray a casserole dish with non-stick spray, dump in the mix from the bowl, sprinkle on the topping, and bake at 350F for about 30 minutes.  Why do you think grandma loved this type of recipe? Because so much of...

 Ever watched those gardening shows where they use bags of expensive soil mix and fertilizer add-ins? Can you spot the sponsors? Yeah, those expensive soil mixes and fertilizer manufacturers. I'm too cheap for that.  Here's my formula. Note that it's measured in "PARTS" not ounces, pounds, cubic meters, or whatever. I use a bucket. I recommend using sunglasses and gloves. Perlite is very dusty and gets in your eyes. Gloves just protect your hands and manicure.  The links included are simply to give you an idea of cost and size available, not necessarily a recommendation to buy that product.  3 parts peat moss  Fafard Sphagnum Peat Moss 3Cf Organic Peat Moss Moisture Control in the Soil Amendments department at Lowes.com 3 parts compost  Black Kow 1 Cubic Foot Organic Compost and Manure Provides Organic Nutrients in the Soil Amendments department at Lowes.com 1 part perlite.  Arctic Gro 4-cu ft Organic Perlite Improves Soil Structure in the Soil Amendme...

  (29) How To Build a RAISED BED Garden-Grow Tons of Vegetables Pot Plants in EASY Tote METHOD Small Spaces - YouTube A couple of years ago (I think) I saw this video and was inspired to try this innovative and relatively cheap technique for having a raised bed garden that was easier on someone who couldn't crouch or kneel to weed. I had tried with limited success to have raised bed gardens. Most at least gave me a few delighted moments of harvesting food for our tables wherever we lived.  But that was the problem. We moved a lot. We never staying in one location for very long, and most raised beds can't be moved easily. I'd finally get the soil nice and black and...(sigh) we'd move away.  This garden can be moved! If your zucchini is getting too much sun (or not enough) then you can put the tote in the wheelbarrow and move it. In fact, you should keep some soil in each tote, even if you aren't planting in it yet. The soil keeps the tote moist and pliable. If you...