Fat Frog Diary

Halloween Fudge Intro: I love fudge, especially when I can choose the type of chocolate chips.    Notes: Watch it! This is a microwave recipe and you can burn the chocolate. Seriously, don't shortcut this recipe. Do it the way it says.  Sources Disclaimer: I am not a chef, nor a licensed food service professional of any kind. I'm a grandmother who loves to cook and loves efficient cooking. Anything I post has been checked out by me, but in no way do I guarantee that my suggestions will work for you. YMMV (Your mileage may vary.) Some links may give the original poster a small commission on products sold via the link. I personally am not an Amazon affiliate and make no money on any links given. Lena Austin www.fatfrogdiary.blogspot.com

I hope this can be read easily. I had to do a bit of sizing to get it to fit. If it can't be read, please let me know. The braided Dinner rolls are the best for a cheat hack to make you look like a genius baker.    Notes: 1. The braided roll can be made using store-bought pizza dough, roll it out and cut it into three long strands. Brush them with melted butter, braid them, brush with a simple egg wash, and bake at 375F until golden. Optionally, you can sprinkle with poppy seeds over the egg wash.  2. Store bought dinner rolls from the refrigerated section of the grocery store can be made into Parker House style rolls by flattening them with a rolling pin, buttering them, and then folding them into the classic Parker House shape Bake at 400F for about 10-12 minutes, or whatever the bag says.  Disclaimer: I am not a chef, nor a licensed food service professional of any kind. I'm a grandmother who loves to cook and loves efficient cooking. Anything I post has been chec...

HERB GRILLING SAUCE Notes: This shelf special is easy, and fast. You can grill or, if the weather is not suitable for grilling, you can broil.  Sources Disclaimer: I am not a chef, nor a licensed food service professional of any kind. I'm a grandmother who loves to cook and loves efficient cooking. Anything I post has been checked out by me, but in no way do I guarantee that my suggestions will work for you. YMMV (Your mileage may vary.) Some links may give the original poster a small commission on products sold via the link. I personally am not an Amazon affiliate and make no money on any links given. Lena Austin www.fatfrogdiary.blogspot.com

  Broccoli Chicken a la King Am I a fan of Campell's soups? Yes, I am! I'm from the era of "Casseroles will Set You Free" from the drudgery of the kitchen, and that view has only strengthened over the years. Note that you can also switch out and use ham instead of chicken. I cheat and use Spam. This is a microwave recipe as well. Can you get any easier?    Notes: 1. Serve over split baked potatoes, cooked noodles, or biscuits. I personally have served it over cooked farro as well.  2. Cheap casserole dishes can be found at thrift stores. I have a whole collection that cost me less than $20 in total, and that includes Corning Ware with lids. Stock up! That way, if you're ever asked to bring a casserole to the potluck, you won't be annoyed if the dish disappears. Never take your *good* casserole dishes out of the house. Be prepared to be that cook who whips up a casserole, brings it in a dish, and is totally stress free.  Disclaimer: I am not a chef, n...

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I don't need to add anything to this recipe, but I did. I added some cooked cubed pork I had left over from another meal and needed to use up. I started this recipe in the morning.  This was another one I made in the Instant Pot. I cooked the dried chickpeas on high pressure for 25 minutes, with about 4 cups of water. Most of the water had been absorbed when I did an NPR (natural pressure release.) I drained the rest and set the chickpeas aside.  I sauteed the onion, garlic and celery in the olive oil in the Instant Pot, then added back the chickpeas, potatoes, tomatoes, water, pork, and spices. I then set the Instant Pot to slow cook, covered without locking pressure, and walked away for a few hours. One hour before I planned to serve, I stirred in the pasta. The aroma was glorious! 

  Beef and Bean Burritos Did I use steak for this? Nope! I used plain old ground beef. I'm cheap that way. Keep the napkins handy. This is a messy but fun recipe, and no one will know it's for diabetics.    Notes: 1. Instead of canned beans, I used dried beans and made them in the Instant Pot: 1 cup of beans to 2 cups of water, Pressure Cook 25 minutes and NPR (Natural Pressure Release.) This has never failed me, except for chickpeas. After cooking chickpeas this way, I slow cook them for another 8 hours. I like my chickpeas soft enough to make hummus.  Sources: Diabetic Cooking Magazine Disclaimer: I am not a chef, nor a licensed food service professional of any kind. I'm a grandmother who loves to cook and loves efficient cooking. Anything I post has been checked out by me, but in no way do I guarantee that my suggestions will work for you. YMMV (Your mileage may vary.) Some links may give the original poster a small commission on products sol...

  Milk Sherbet Yes, you can make sherbet with Jell-o. It works! And because you can get sugar free Jell-o, it won't hurt your weight as much as ice cream.    Notes: 1. Put the large bowl in the freezer before starting. The first "chill until syrupy" takes between 30-60 minutes, and you should check often. It happens faster than you think.  2. It will look curdled when you add the milk. Keep going. Trust the process on this one. Start this one in the morning, or do up to the 4-5 hours of freezing, then go to bed. It'll be done in the morning. Whichever works better for your lifestyle.  Sources:  Joys of Jell-o, 6th Edition Disclaimer: I am not a chef, nor a licensed food service professional of any kind. I'm a grandmother who loves to cook and loves efficient cooking. Anything I post has been checked out by me, but in no way do I guarantee that my suggestions will work for you. YMMV (Your mileage may vary.) Some links may give the original pos...

What can top a colored pound cake? Anything you want. I prefer nothing at all but maybe a sprinkle of powdered sugar. Think of the possibilities! I would want a robin's egg blue raspberry cake at Easter time, green/lime for St. Patrick's Day, Orange or Lemon yellow for June, etc.  Notes: There are many options listed for the vessel to cook in. I do prefer the tube pan option.  Sources Disclaimer: I am not a chef, nor a licensed food service professional of any kind. I'm a grandmother who loves to cook and loves efficient cooking. Anything I post has been checked out by me, but in no way do I guarantee that my suggestions will work for you. YMMV (Your mileage may vary.) Some links may give the original poster a small commission on products sold via the link. I personally am not an Amazon affiliate and make no money on any links given. Lena Austin www.fatfrogdiary.blogspot.com

 Toilet Paper Roll Pumpkins Supplies:   1 fat quarter of Halloween colored or themed fabric, your choice. 1-2 cinnamon sticks or sticks from the yard. 1-3 silk or fabric leaves Instructions: Place the toilet paper roll in the middle of the fabric. Wrap the edges of the fabric up and into the toilet paper roll. Repeat until all of the fabric is tucked in. The fabric will hold itself in place! Add cinnamon sticks or twigs/branches. Stick in a couple green leaves.

 How do you make yourself look like a star baker when you barely have time to slice and bake those sugar cookies from the store or whip up a mix? Wilton Candy Melts.   No, they are not my sponsor. I'm just lazy. Lazy means I am always seeking the most efficient way to do things.  How easy is it to do? Just melt the candy and drip or drizzle. Literally, that's it.  No, really. That's it. The picture above is simply Rice Crispy Treats with a popsicle stick stuck in them, then dipped in melted Candy Melts. Some were sprinkled with candy decorations before the candy hardened.  You can do the same with brownies, pretzels, or even store-bought cookies. I've stuck a stick in Oreos then dipped them in Candy Melts. Dip plain old slice and bake sugar cookies into Candy Melts and they'll call you a brilliant baker. Drizzle different colors of Candy Melts to make a theme like orange and green for Halloween or red/white/blue for patriotic, and do I really need to mentio...

  Basic Bavarian Another classic from the unjustly maligned Joys of Jello 6th Edition, this dessert is a versatile workhorse for the busy cook. I personally modernized it by substituting Cool Whip for the original Dream Whip.    Notes: 1. Note it can be molded or made into a pie. While Jello molds can be great fun, don't hesitate to try out any of the new flexible silicone molds. One year, I used a brain-shaped mold at Halloween and squeezed red decorative gel for a bloody look.  2. Line a 1-1/2 quart mold with ladyfingers before putting in the filling. This works especially well in a trifle bowl or any clear glass bowl. Different cookies change the look and the taste. Even graham crackers jazz this versatile recipe.  3.  You can use this recipe plain, add fruit, coconut, nuts, candy or cubed colorful Jello, or layer two different flavors for a spectacular yet easy effect. You can even change out the cold water for juice or add flavors to the cold w...

  Easy Pastel Dessert This recipe comes from the much-maligned Joys of Jello. While those who can afford expensive ingredients or buy their tasteless frozen pies can laugh, I'll have something fun to serve and easy to make with no weird ingredients. These recipes sit happily at the juxtaposition of a little effort, a few common ingredients, and fun. I make it in the morning and spoon the finished product into small jelly jars to cool in the fridge. This trick limits serving sizes to easily managed amounts for those on diets.  Notes: This recipe is so easy and versatile, you're only limited by what flavors of Jello gelatin are in the grocery store. However, you cannot change the Cook and Serve Vanilla Pudding and Pie Filling in this recipe. You can, however, change out the Dream Whip for a tub of Cool Whip. I do recommend keeping a box of Dream Whip available for those emergency times when the Cool Whip you thought you had suddenly isn't there anymore.  Sources:...

  Drop Cookies Plus Variations I'll apologize in advance for the shabbiness of the image. This is one of my stand-by recipes I used when it was 7 PM and one of my daughters "remembered" to tell me she'd volunteered me to make cookies for her class the next day. <Insert panic mode here.> Thank goodness someone gave me one of those red-checked Better Homes and Gardens Cookbooks. I've collected and used those cookbooks most of my adult life.  Notes: 1. Any meltable candy can work for the Gumdrop Variation. I've used caramels, Rollos, cut up Tootsie Rolls, and smashed Heath Bars in desperation. Save those Jolly Ranchers and Dum-dums from Halloween! They are great smashed to bits with a hammer inside a plastic bag.  2, Remember the peanut, coconut, pineapple, pecans, and even the raisins may cause allergic reactions if serving to strangers. An allergy check is always a wise move.  3. Keep a roll or two of parchment paper handy for cookie baking. You can d...

  This is one of my kitchen basics, right along with a classic White Sauce. Learning to make this elevates a plain old cheesecake or ice cream to divine. Think how a raspberry sauce would go over plain old pear halves, for instance. This makes keeping a can or two of fruit cocktail in the pantry and a few single-serve cans of orange juice hidden away well worth the trouble. Or better yet, how to elevate plain Greek yogurt to something even Aphrodite might enjoy. Since cheesecake and yogurt qualify as creamy, I am sharing it now. You'll thank me for giving it to you early in the year.  Please note this sauce is more than just sugar, water, and fruit. It has cornstarch to thicken it and you get to decide how much sugar to use. I personally use a tablespoon of sugar, and sometimes a tablespoon of Splenda, because I have a diabetic in the house.  Hiding the orange juice is the trickiest part. Single serve bottles and cans do best. Sneak thieves find the stash and drink it all...

  Syllabub Yes, I know the name seems rather –pardon the pun—silly. But Syllabub (sil-la-bub) is a delightful, no cook, easy recipe that only requires one slightly exotic ingredient- orange blossom water. ( Orange Blossom Water: https://amzn.to/2XxCLBh ) Here’s the original video where I learned about this delightful dessert: (3) History's Fluffiest Dessert! - Everlasting Syllabub - YouTube MODERN RECIPE INGREDIENTS 1 1/4 pint (590ml) heavy cream (or double cream) 1/2 cup (120ml) of a medium sweet wine (white port, sherry, etc) The Juice of 1 orange (approx. 1/4 cup) The Zest of 1 large lemon (or 2 small)  1/2 pound (227g) powdered sugar  1 tsp orange blossom water METHOD 1. Mix the cream and sugar together in a large bowl until sugar is dissolved. 2. Whisk in the remaining ingredients. 3. Whisk either by hand for 30 minutes or with an electric mixer until you form stiff peaks. Yes, it’s worth breaking out the stand mixer for this part. ...

  Haymakers’ Gatorade aka Switchel Note: This recipe makes a LOT of liquid. Use a gallon jug/pitcher for my recipe, 2 gallons for the original. ************** Original Recipe: 1-1/4 gal water (5 qts) 2 cups molasses, honey, and/or maple syrup 1 cup apple cider vinegar 2 T. powdered ginger Rum (optional) *************** My Reduced Version 2-1/2 qt water 1 cup molasses, honey, and/or maple syrup (Mix it up until it equals 1 cup. Molasses is too bitter to be used alone. I personally use 1/2 honey and 1/2 molasses) ½ cup apple cider vinegar 1 T powdered ginger, though candied ginger can be substituted. Rum (to taste, still optional)   No, seriously. That’s it. Mix it up in the jug, jar, or pitcher. Chill and serve. I know, it’s weird, but oddly refreshing. This is an old New England recipe used during the hay harvest to refresh the weary farm hands while they worked in the summer heat to bring in the hay for winter. I discovered it works best for ...

  Homemade Spice Blends from AllRecipes.com I love spice blends I make myself, and not just because I save a ton of money. I know what's going into my spice blends and can make adjustments if needed. For instance, I'm slightly allergic to rosemary and both my roommate and I can't stand cilantro. These adjustments are important to us, since they truly affect our enjoyment of food.  These links below are my go-to recipes for some of my favorite spice blends, plus a few I'm dying to try too! Who says an old dog can't learn new tricks?  Homemade Spice Blend Recipes (allrecipes.com)   Homemade Seasoned Salt Recipe (allrecipes.com) (1) How to Make Pumpkin Spice (Pumpkin Pie Spice)! - YouTube   4 DIY Spice Blends | Recipes (tasty.co) In a previous recent post on September 12, I mentioned making your own blends to keep around in Ziploc snack bags. Well, I'm correcting myself. I have an alternative place to store your single-use or small batch seasoning blends. Pop one o...

  Sweet Quick Bread Mix Not only does this make a great "shelf special", it's a gift you can give with a few additions and a card.      Recipe Notes:  Preheat oven to 325F. To make the bread, use 3-1/2 cups of the mix. Add 2 eggs, 1/3 cup of vegetable oil, 1 tsp of vanilla or other flavoring, and enough liquid like juice, milk, or water to moisten. Keep in mind that your add-in like pumpkin, banana or zucchini may also have moisture inherent to the add-in, so you may want to hold off adding liquid until after you've included your add-in. Nuts may be rolled in the powder mix before beginning the recipe to avoid them sinking to the bottom. On average, most sweet breads take about an hour to bake in a standard loaf pan.    Personal Notes: As seen in the picture, the possibilities are varied and may be adjusted to fit what's seasonally available. Carrot-Orange loaf in the spring, Zucchini Bread in early summer, Pumpkin Bread with Pumpkin Spices...

 SLOPPY JOE SEASONING MIX and PANTRY GOOPS This one is a good one for keeping handy in the pantry. There will always be nights when you can barely manage to shuffle into the kitchen to cook a meal for yourself, much less something nutritious and filling for anyone else in your household.  While the recipe for the seasoning mix says to create a foil packet and label it, I recommend instead a small snack-sized Ziploc bag.  That way you can create several bags at once to keep on hand for those nights when you might be able to manage something quick and easy in the electric skillet.  Now, let's take this concept of "dinner on the shelf" a step further. Why buy boxed products to make up a dish full of chemicals when you can have your own ready on the shelf?  Think of the different boxes of dinner "options" available in the grocery aisles. Most of them are a starch (pasta or rice) in one container, a seasoning packet made of seasonings appropriate for that particular ...

 Bonus Post! Conventional wisdom says that when you have to measure a sticky ingredient like honey or molasses, spray the appropriate measuring cup with cooking spray, then pour in the sticky ingredient. The cooking spray will help keep the ingredient from sticking. For the most part, this works. However, you still have to clean the cooking spray and residual sticky ingredients from the measuring cup. This is a better way.  Will it work every time? No. In some cases, the recipe instructions say to mix the sticky with other things before adding to the dry ingredients. In that case, go back to spraying your measuring cup and proceed on as usual.  But...when you can get away with this hack, do it! I used it in the bread machine, since I knew the recipe well enough to not mix the sticky molasses with the liquids and get away with the minor change. This was not on delay cycle! I hit start as soon as the last ingredient (yeast) went in.  Example: The recipe calls for 1/3 c...

Slice and Bake Sugar Cookies  This is another "prepare for the holidays now!" recipes. By making these up and stowing them for later, you make your life easier when you get the "Mom! I forgot to tell you that I'm supposed to bring cookies to the class party tomorrow!" It happens to all of us. Save your stress and have these rolls ready in the freezer.  Note that there are thousands of ways to up the cookie game besides sprinkling colored sugar or dumping on some frosting. One of my favorites is to take the foot of a toy T-rex and other dinosaurs for cookies that have been "walked on" by dinosaurs.  10 Cookie Shaping Hacks to Impress All the Cookie Lovers!! So Yummy - YouTube I'm the surprise cookie obsessed that wraps cookie dough in caramels and other candies. Have a great time and I hope you learned a lot from this one post. Let me know what's your favorite method or trick to making cookies that wow. 

RUSSIAN REFRESHER This delicious hot drink was the thing to give your friends and family in a fancy jar set  back in the 1970's. I loved it as a kid, and my mother was happy to make a big batch every fall.  Tang can be purchased via Amazon using this link:  Amazon.com : Tang Jumbo Orange Naturally Flavored Powdered Drink Mix 2 Count 63 Oz Canisters : Grocery & Gourmet Food My choice for the lemonade mix is Countrytime Lemonade, but you can decide based on what's available to you.  Please note that I personally substituted instant tea for 1 cup of the orange drink mix (aka Tang.)  Get creative with this, especially for any tea drinkers in your friends and family. What if you sealed this in a fancy jar and included it with a fun and fanciful tea set for a host(ess) gift or housewarming? 

 ONION SEASONING MIX Love this! I hate paying extra for a box of two envelopes of onion seasoning mix when I use this several times a month at minimum! If you can't find the Bon Appetit Seasoning, try this: Simply Organic All Purpose Seasoning . I've also substituted Bea Monde seasoning in a pinch.  So easy! Save a bottle from the recycle bin to keep it in. I keep mine in a pint jar. Yes, I use that much! Each foil bundle saves me so much time and money. 

 MUFFIN MIX  First, the basic mix, then how to make it into muffins, and then what you can do with that very basic muffin to jazz it up.  How to make Melt-in-Your-Mouth Muffins This recipe comes from the Make a Mix Cookbook I've mentioned in previous posts. It's well worth a place on your cookbook shelf. I recommend writing the ingredients below on the container of the muffin mix so it's handy. Add a note about the time and temperature of the oven and you're set to make muffins even after only one cup of coffee.  2-3/4 cups Muffin Mix  1 egg, beaten 1 cup milk 1/2 cup butter, melted or 1/2 cup vegetable oil  Preheat oven to 400F (205C). Spray your muffin tins with cooking spray or use cupcake liners. Put muffin mix in a big bowl. Mix all wet ingredients and then add all at once to dry. Stir until just moistened. Do not overbeat. It's supposed to be lumpy, trust me. Fill your muffin tins with your batter until 3/4 full. Bake 18-20 minutes until golden brown...

 HOT CHOCOLATE MIX Some of you may be laughing at me for posting this now, but I do have a reason. You see, I plan ahead. I'm already buying and making Christmas gifts. I'm finalizing my recipes for Halloween and starting early-stage menu for grocery lists for Thanksgiving. So, while it's hot and the grocery items are not yet overpriced or sold out, I'm making Hot Chocolate Mix, Russian Mixer (aka Russian tea), and several other make-ahead mixes to make my life easier when I plan to be socially active. Versatile recipes and advance planning take the stress out of unexpected guests and kinks in your social calendar.  Please note that this is a very basic recipe. It's made to be enhanced! This makes it ideal for a quick hot chocolate buffet party. All you need to do is set out different enhancements like crushed peppermint candy, candy canes to stir with, a big bowl of marshmallows, Baileys, Fireball whiskey, Khalua, Grand Marnier, pumpkin spice mix (see below), candy...

I keep a giant pickle glass pickle jar of this in my pantry at all times, winter and summer. You'll want some big bowls and some crusty bread for this one. This bean mix works well any time you want some extra "filler" in your soup, stews, and chili. If you don't have a giant pickle jar like I do, then make up 2-cup increment zip-top bags, label, and store in the pantry for immediate use.  Calico Bean Soup Note: while you can boil then soak your beans overnight, a faster method is to use your Instant Pot. To the two cups of beans add 4 cups of water. Add salt, if desired. Lock down the lid, set to Pressure Cook, 25 minutes. Walk away. Natural Pressure Release (NPR) for at least 30 minutes after it's done, then release any excess pressure. Drain the beans, keeping them in the pot.  Add:  8 cups water 1-1/2 lb ham hocks or ham bone 1 onion, chopped (about a 1/2 cup or more if you like onions) 1 garlic clove minced or 1/2 tsp garlic powder 1 tsp chili powder 1 28-oz ...

 Corn Bread Mix This recipe makes a sweeter version of corn bread. Some folks prefer to have a more corn-forward recipe. Adjust as needed.  Remember that this is made using the muffin method, so don't over-beat. Just mix until moistened. A lumpy batter is better than an overbeaten one. I actually prefer this as corn muffins, so don't be afraid to change the baking vessel to a greased muffin tin, if desired. 

  Canned' or 'Jarred' Butter!! I'm re-sharing this post because I've been hearing and reading about a possible butter shortage and continuing high prices for butter. I don't know if that will happen (I hope it doesn't), but just in case it does I wanted to share this again to help you all be as prepared as possible for whatever may come... bad weather, shortages, rising food prices, inflation, illness, job insecurity, etc... The more prepared we are the better we can handle whatever comes our way! I firmly believe we should 'Be Prepared - Not Scared'!! Before I go on I want to post a portion of what I've written in my 'about' section... I'm not an expert, but I am a wife, a mother, a grandmother, and a great-grandmother who likes to cook and bake and store up for my family! I'll be sharing some favorite recipes. I will also be sharing canning recipes - methods - and pictures. Some of the canning recipes I share may not be FDA or U...