Fat Frog Diary

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...

Just a quick little tip for a snacker who doesn't want to fall off the wagon. (Me!) I'm sure you've seen those mini-peppers in the store in bags, looking colorful and tempting. Were you scared of the heat? Don't be. No heat! Those things wouldn't cause a hot flash even if Leonardo DiCaprio walked by stark naked. (Sorry Leo!) Cut them in half and you can stuff them with cream cheese and ground beef, but for a simple snack with no fuss, cut a mozzarella stick in half and stuff the pepper with that. I stuffed four peppers with four halves of two mozzarella sticks and microwaved them for a minute to melt the cheese to gooey deliciousness. Yum!

I don't know about you, but most Jell-o Jiggler and Knox Blox recipes want you to use 4 boxes of Jell-o, and the Knox Blox formula looks like a chemist's list of ingredients. But what if you want enough for one person? What if you only have one box of three different flavors? Now what? Break out the calculator and guess? NOPE! Here's your simple formula. You can commit this to memory. For every one box of Jell-o, use one cup of hot water. Now here's the rest of the tricks: 1. Use a spray like Pam to lubricate the inside of your mold. Wipe most of the foam away with a paper towel, leaving just a slick surface. 2. When mixing the gelatin and hot water, stir with the whisk for two minutes. Yes, set a timer. There's one on your phone, microwave, and probably your stove. Use your Echo device. Use a timer. Seriously. Stir for the whole two minutes and pay attention. Create as few bubbles as possible. Stir, don't whisk. Bubbles leave unsightly pock marks on...

You can actually make it with any flavor of Jell-O. It's worth the time and trouble when you're craving ice cream!

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Lena Amanda Austin thought you would be interested in this link to "Bake-tastic Butternut Squash Fries" on the Cooking Channel: http://www.cookingchanneltv.com/recipes/lisa-lillien/bake-tastic-butternut-squash-fries-recipe/index.html Comments from Lena Amanda Austin: I think this is just what you've been looking for to replace those nasty french fries. I don't have a crinkle-cutter, but it's not necessary.

1/2 lb fully cooked bratwurst (about 3), cut into 3/4-inch pieces 1 1/3 cups drained sauerkraut (from 14-oz can) 1 cup shredded Swiss cheese (4 oz) 3/4 cup Original Bisquick® mix 1/2 cup milk 1/2 cup regular or nonalcoholic beer 2 eggs Print these coupons... About Concordance™ Heat oven to 400°F. Spray 9-inch glass pie plate with cooking spray. Sprinkle bratwurst, sauerkraut and cheese in pie plate. In small bowl, stir remaining ingredients until blended. Pour into pie plate. Bake 30 to 35 minutes or until knife inserted in center comes out clean. Let stand 5 minutes before serving. Success Pie plates vary in size from manufacturer to manufacturer. Using too small a pie plate will cause the pie to run over while baking. Pie plate sizes are usually marked on the backs of the plates; if not marked, measure from inside rim to inside rim. Serve With Make a quick salad of sliced beets and red onion rings on a bed of greens drizzled with vinaigrette dressing. Serv...

Yes, for Dieters. Really. Sure, it's a little high in carbs, but compared to a graham cracker crust cheesecake, the carbs are negligible. You do know to use Splenda instead, right?

While this does have more carbs than usually allowed, when compared with a "normal" pie, the differences can save your shrinking butt. Just don't eat the crust! The DH or the dog will thank you.

This recipe has saved me several times for going down that evil path. Is it worth the extra trouble? Yes! I've used just about every flavor of sugar free pudding I could find. It works just as well.

For the next few days, I'll post some delectable alternatives to naughtiness. If you're crazy with need for a treat, this may be just what keeps you from a trip to the bakery.

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...

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 ...

Are you finding it more and more difficult to feed your family with ever-rising food costs and all the health experts screaming at us to eat healthier? Who can afford to go to the fast food joints these days? Not us, even if my band would allow me to eat there. So, I'm planning ahead a whole lot better. We're eating less meat, and less expensive cuts when we do. No one will die if they don't have beef every night, even if I do have a husband who believes that "Real Food Says Moo!" He'll live a lot longer this way, if I don't kill him myself for his comments. So from now on, here's my plan: 1. Sunday-- Breakfast for Dinner. Eggs, Pancakes, Sausages, Bacon, Biscuits, and many other Egg dishes will be featured. DH can survive quite well on frittatas, quiches, and egg casseroles if I feel like working that hard. Eggs are inexpensive. Add veggies, cheeses, and a bread for those not on low-carb diets, and you have a meal fit for kings. 2. Mondays-- B...

Nothing like the good old red and white Better Homes and Gardens Cookbooks when I need a simple, old-fashioned recipe for the classics like stuffed mushrooms. Here's some goodies guaranteed to make a great bandster lunch. Imagine this on a portobella mushroom!   You may want to make your own mix, and don't forget to substitute ground up fried pork skins for the bread crumbs for even less carbs. I find bags and bags of the pork skins on the same aisle as potato chips, and they're so useful to keep around! I've been known to measure out a serving just to have a bit of crunch while everyone else snacks, so I don't feel deprived. However, their best use is when you grind them in the food processor and keep them around to replace those carb-laden bread crumbs. 

Overnight Oatmeal Here is an easy way to serve a crowd a hearty breakfast before facing the elements for a day of winter sports. You can assemble it in the slow cooker in the evening and wake up to a bowl of hot, nourishing oatmeal. The slow cooker eliminates the need for constant stirring and ensures an exceptionally creamy consistency. It is important to use steel-cut oats; old-fashioned oats become too soft during slow-cooking. READER'S COMMENT: "Easy and delicious! I would award 5 stars except for the fact that the dried fruits lost their flavor during the overnight cooking. Hereafter for better flavor, I'll add fresh or hydrated dried fruits when I serve the oatmeal in the... Lena's note: Raisins work very well, but I recommend adding fruits and flavorings just before serving. Steel cut oats are better for you anyway. However, compared to the sugar bombs many moms are forced to serve in the name of effciency, this kind of breakfast wins hands down despite t...

http://green.yahoo.com/blog/the_conscious_consumer/96/five-kitchen-gadgets-that-save-you-money-and-time.html For me, the soda machine is not necessary, even ridiculous. However, I agree on the others. C'mon, give up the carbonated beverages. You know they're bad for you, so stop lying to yourself. This is very, very true even though I no longer use my bread machine the way I used to. However, baking my own bread in the bread machine does save money. I make the dry ingredients in ziptop bags all at once, and then all I have to add is the wet ingredients and the yeast. Fast and easy! Most bread machines come with recipes. The slow cooker is a godsend! Right now, I have Carolina Slow Pork in there, and have since about 6:30 AM. By the time the guys come home, even I will be able to choke down a little well-cooked pork, something my band usually hates. The coffeemaker is my biggest money saver. While I was never a Starbucks addict, I do love flavored coffee. I use the DaVinci Sugar...

Yeah, they're a bit heavy on the carbs. I recommend trying this with honey first, then attempting to substitute with Splenda for Baking to lower the carbs. As one of the unlucky bandsters who cannot do any form of bread, I'm hoping someone will tell me how this tastes. Better yet, don't.

Jo's Sweetened Condensed Milk 1/2 cup cold water 1-1/3 cups Carnation Nonfat Dry Milk Powder 1/2 cup Sugar Twin or Sprinkle Sweet Place cold water in a 2-cup glass measure. Stir in dry milk powder until mixture makes a smooth paste. Cover and microwave on High (100% power) 45-60 seconds or until mixture is very hot, but not boiling. Stir in Sugar Twin. Mix well to dissolve. Cover and refrigerate at least 2 hours before using. Will keep up to 2 weeks in the refrigerator. Use in any recipe that calls for sweetened condensed milk. Makes the equivalent of one 12-oz can of commercial brand. Each recipe contains (the whole thing) 366 calories 0 gm fat 32 gm protein 59 gm carbs 520 mg sodium 0 gm fiber From: The Diabetic's Healthy Exchanges Cookbook by JoAnna M. Lund ISBN 0-399-52235-2 Lena Austin http://www.LenaAustin.com Writing blog: http://depravedduchess.blogspot.com Recipe and Pagan blog: http://third-infinity.blogspot.com Low Carb Diet blog: http://fatfrogdiary.blogspot...