Fat Frog Diary

Hoppin' John   A classic American dish from the Deep South, this was commonly served at my family home on New Year's Day. It's a superstition (or a way for Mom to get us to eat black-eyed peas) that the more black-eyed peas you eat on New Year's Day, the more money you'll get in the coming year. Serve with a side of cornbread because it's gold and also brings wealth. Besides, it soaks up the juice from the beans.  Notes: 1. This is a crock pot recipe but starts in a skillet. It's worth the extra trouble to collect those lovely brown bits. If Mama celebrated a bit too much the night before, this recipe won't strain her brain too much.  2. I don't add the crab meat because I'm allergic. I'd love to hear from someone else how they felt it tasted.  3. For the dirty rice mix, I used Zatarain's, but Tony Chachere's or any other brand would work.  Disclaimer: I am not a chef, nor a licensed food service professional of any kind. I'...

  Slow Cooked Pork and Beans You are not going to believe how good this is. While it makes a fine side dish, adding a package of Little Smokies made it a meal. I keep several varieties of dried beans in the pantry in clear jars recycled from other meals. I try to buy a certain brand of tasty spaghetti sauce just because of the large square jars that not only are mason jars, but the square shape makes them more efficient for storage. Notes: 1. I used dried beans. I measured out 1/2 cup dried beans for each type, added 1 cup of water for each type (yes, 4 cups plus a little) and used the Instant Pot pressure cooker feature to cook them for 25 minutes with an NPR (Natural Pressure Release). Once done, I proceeded to make the recipe as suggested, using the Instant Pot Slow cooker feature.  Sources: Taste of Home Halloween ************************ Disclaimer: I am not a chef, nor a licensed food service professional of any kind. I'm a grandmother who loves to cook and lov...

Cabbage Beef Soup Ingredients: 2 T vegetable oil 1 lb ground beef ½ lg onion, chopped 5 cups chopped cabbage 2 (16 0z) cans red kidney beans, drained 2 cups water 24 oz tomato sauce 4 beef bouillon cubes 1-1/2 tsp ground cumin 1 tsp salt 1 tsp pepper Directions: Heat oil in a large fry pan or electric fryer and cook ground beef and onion until beef is well browned and crumbled. Drain and transfer to a large slow cooker. Add cabbage and the rest of ingredients. Stir to dissolve bouillon cubes. Cover with slow cooker lid. Cook on high 4 hours or on low 6-8 hours. Stir occasionally. Serve in large soup bowls with crusty artisan loaves if desired.

Spicy Cheese Soup Serves 4, doubles easily 1 lb Velveeta, cubed 1 lb ground beef, cooked and drained 1 can (8 oz) whole kernel corn 1 can 15 oz kidney beans 1 can (4 oz) minced jalapeno 1 14oz diced tomatoes with chiles 1 14oz stewed tomatoes 1 envelope taco seasoning mix Throw them all in the slow cooker on Low for no more than 6 hours. After that, reduce to Warm. Serve with corn chips if desired. (Yeah, it's that easy.) Lena Austin http://www.LenaAustin.com http://depravedduchess.blogspot.com

Twenty Clove Chicken Fix-It and Forget-It Lightly, p. 7 Nancy Savage, Factoryville, PA Makes 6 servings Ideal slow-cooker size: 4-qt. ¼ cup dry white wine 2 Tbsp. chopped dried parsley 2 tsp. dried basil leaves 1 tsp. dried oregano pinch of crushed red pepper flakes 20 cloves of garlic (about 1 head) 4 celery ribs, chopped 6 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves 1 lemon, juice and zest fresh herbs, optional 1. Combine wine, dried parsley, dried basil, dried oregano, and dried red peppers in large bowl. 2. Add garlic cloves and celery. Coat well. 3. Transfer garlic and celery to slow cooker with slotted spoon. 4. Add chicken to herb mixture. Coat well. Place chicken on top of vegetables in slow cooker. 5. Sprinkle lemon juice and zest in slow cooker. Add any remaining herb mixture. 6. Cover. Cook on low for 5-6 hours or until chicken is no longer pink in center. 7. Garnish with fresh herbs if desired. Note: For browned chicken, saute uncooked breasts in la...

My grandfather was born and raised during the Great Depression. Consequently, he was one of those incredibly frugal men who lived well below his income because he "didn't need much." He drove a POS car until it became a classic, then an antique, then he sold it for ten times what he'd bought it for. He even had his own garden until he was too old to tend it properly, but his neighbors all had gardens and felt sorry for the lonely old widower and brought him extras from their gardens for free! When he died, he left my Mom a small fortune. One thing grandpa did very well was save money on food. He rarely threw anything out. He composted his organic garbage right back into his garden, washed out his cans and took them to a steel mill that happily bought all his cans long before "recycling" was even a word. Even his soups were recycled. Grandpa kept several containers stacked neatly in his freezer. Three were for cooked meats he shaved off the bones and save...

Easy Chicken Rarebit Prep: 20 minutes Cook: 4 to 5 hours (low) or 2 to 2 1/2 hours (high) omg - this sounds soooooo good - for summer crockpot users: cook on back porch to keep heat out of kitchen and house cooler!   Ingredients 1-3/4   pounds  skinless, boneless chicken breast halves (Yeah, I'll just use cheap thighs, thanks) 1   14- to 16-ounce jar  cheddar cheese pasta sauce 1   tablespoon  Worcestershire sauce 1   large  onion, halved crosswise and thinly sliced 6     pumpernickel or rye buns, split and toasted, or 6 slices pumpernickel or rye bread, toasted and halved diagonally Lower the carb count by skipping the bread. Serve on romaine lettuce rollers. 4     slices bacon, crisp-cooked, drained, and crumbled (optional) 1     tomato, chopped (optional)     Kosher dill pickles (optional) Directions 1. Cut chicken diagonally into 1/2-...

Crock Pot Chicken and Sweet Potato Stew 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite-sized pieces 2 medium sweet potatoes, peeled and cubed 2 medium Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and cubed 2 medium carrots, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch pieces 1 can (28 oz) stewed tomatoes 1 tsp salt 1/2 tsp black pepper 1/4 tsp ground cinnamon 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg 1 tsp paprika 1 tsp celery seed 1 cup chicken broth 1/4 cup chopped fresh basil Combine all but the basil in the crock pot. Cover and cook on Low 6-8 hours until done. Sprinkle with basil just before serving.   Coming Soon! A Haunted Halloween Blog Tour Lena Austin http://www.LenaAustin.com http://depravedduchess.blogspot.com

Gravy helps it slide down...

Man, this is gooooood!

OMG!! This was so easy and smells so good! It's in my crock pot right now. The guys can have it over rice. Me, I'll just enjoy the meat and sauce. The only change I made was I used Splenda brown.

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...

Chicken Athena 6 (6-oz) boneless skinless chicken breast halves or boneless skinless chicken thighs 1-1/2 cups chopped onion 1/3 cup sun-dried tomatoes, chopped 1/3 cup pitted kalamata olives, chopped 2 T lemon juice 1 T balsamic vinegar 3 cloves garlic, pressed ½ t. salt Bandsters—whirl the meat, onion, tomatoes, and olives in the food processor before putting this in the crock-pot. You’re looking for small bits of meat like ground beef. Put everything in the crock-pot. Cover and cook on Low 4-6 hours. Six servings. You may substitute grape tomatoes in place of the dried tomatoes, but you will lose some flavor. For those with gluten sensitivity, make sure you use gluten-free tomatoes, olives, and vinegar. Low Carb serving suggestion—Stir-fry zucchini squash medallions. Top with a sprinkle of feta cheese. For non-bandsters, serve with steamed new potatoes or baby potatoes. Rice also works. Nutrition per serving 248 calories 6g fat 40g protein 7g carbs 1g dietary fiber 99 mg ch...

Kathy said: Hi Lena, I am making a split pea soup this afternoon. It has been simmering for about an hour now almost done. Just wanted to know if you had a split pea soup recipe? I am kinda winging it. There is a recipe on the back of the pea package but I did not have all those ingredients. I have only been make my own food these days and I think it has helped my weight loss. I control the salt, sugar and fats in my recipes. I will let you know how it turns out. Thanks for all the quick and easy recipes. imaluckydog kathy March 6, 2010 4:47 PM  Here's my best answer: Pea soup is normally high in carbs, but there is a way to lower the carbs by substituting some of the peas with creamy peanut butter. I've not personally tried this, so that's a rumor right now. If anyone does try it, please let me know. In the meantime, here's my best split pea soup:   Whoops. Came out crooked. Fortunately, it's still legible. Frankly, I follow the package dire...

While I think these are good, the author swore they were addictive and that's why she gave them the name. I'll grant they are a treat, and the batch I made served me lunches for quite awhile. I recommend cutting off the wing tips and throwing them immediately into a small crock pot of water, celery tops you've saved for this, onion, a little salt, pepper, and a little poultry seasoning for easy homemade chicken broth. Then make the wings and know you've not wasted a bit of your precious money. After the broth has cooked, strain out the used veggies and bones. Let it cool in a bowl on the counter, stick it in the fridge, skim off the fat that hardens at the top, and measure into one cup increments. Store in the freezer until needed. I put them in 1 quart ziplock bags and freeze in square storage containers. That way, I can remove the storage containers after they're hard, and they still stack nicely in a corner.

OMG!! I despise onions. Really hate them. I cook with them normally only when I can whirl them to oblivion in the food processor. This recipe made me change my mind. I'd serve this ANYTIME. I made one major recipe change. At my favorite grocery, the sweet onions were available by the bag. Knowing I'd have to make this recipe, I wrinkled my nose and bought the bag of sweet onions. Do try the sweets for this. Vidalia is the best known.They're only available late April through mid-June and only from a certain area of Georgia. However, other sweet onions are available at different times of year. Mine this time came from Peru. Ingredients: 3 small onions, thinly sliced 1/2 T butter, melted 1 T. Splenda 1 dried bay leaf 3/4 lb. beef stew meat. Note to bandsters-- I whirled my beef in the food processor to get them small enough to pass my band. You may have to decide if you can cut up the chunks finer, or if you need the processor. 16 oz condensed beef consomme 2 T. dry s...

From the Food Network! Again, I never bother with buying chicken breasts when I have leftover cut up cooked chicken or boneless chicken thighs available for much, much cheaper. (See my notes on the Slow Cooker Jambalaya on Feb 13 for more cheap cooking hints, like making your own chicken broth.)

I made a few changes to this recipe, I admit. First off, I used cut up cooked chicken from my stash of leftovers instead of the expensive boneless skinless chicken breasts. I did manage to find andouille sausage, but it wouldn't hurt my feelings if I had to substitute another kind. This is a Cajun recipe, and they're famous for making do with what they have. My chicken broth was homemade, and you don't get much more "reduced sodium" than that. (That's what I do with all those leftover bits like the pointy wing tips, necks no one wants, and the occasional "sale meat" that is a bargain only if you stew it to death. Grin) Also, here's a little trick to gladden the heart of any cook-- You can make your rice in the slow cooker too! Just use the "converted" rice (I use Uncle Ben's) and it cooks up just fine. (This is why I have two crock pots, and I'm thinking about getting another.) I'll make the jambalaya in the big pot, a...