Fat Frog Diary

Loaded Cauliflower Ingredients: 1 large head of Cauliflower cut into bite size pieces (approx 6 cups) 6-8 strips of bacon cooked and crumbled (Cooked in oven at 400° for 20 mins) 6 Tbs chopped Chives 1/2 cup Mayonnaise 1/2 cup Sour Cream 2 cups Colby Jack Cheese ( may use cheddar) 8 oz container sliced mushrooms Directions: Preheat oven to 425° In a large pot boil water and cook Cauliflower for 8 - 10 minutes, drain and let cool. In a large bowl combine sour cream, mayo, 1/2 of crumbled bacon, 3tbs chives, 1 cups of cheese,mushrooms and cauliflower and mix well... place in baking dish and cover with remaining 1 cup of cheese and rest of bacon crumbles. Bake for 15-20 minutes until cheese is melted. top with remaining 3Tbs chives and serve.

 Egg Sausage Casserole 1 lb bulk pork Sausage 1/4 cup butter 1/4 cup all-purpose flour 1/2 tsp salt 2 cups milk 4 hard-cooked eggs, sliced 1 17-oz can whole kernel corn, drained 3/4 cup soft bread crumbs (1 slice) 1 tbsp butter, melted in the microwave Spray a 1-1/2 qt casserole with non-stick spray. In a skillet cook sausage until browned and drain fat. Allow to drain while you make the sauce. Turn on the oven to 350F. In a saucepan, melt the 1/4 cup butter; stir in flour and salt. Add milk all at once. Cook and stir until mixture is thickened and bubbly. Cook and stir 1-2 minutes more. Put the sausage, sliced eggs, and drained corn in the prepared casserole. Stir to mix. Add the sauce and stir to combine. Smooth out with top of the spoon. Toss bread crumbs in the melted butter. Sprinkle atop the casserole. Bake, uncovered, at 350F for 30 min or until heated through. Makes 6 (small) servings.   *´¨) ¸.· ´¸.·*´¨) (¸.·*  Lena Austin http://www...

Dante just saw this on TV. Slice onions fairly thick for rings. Flour Buttermilk Egg for egg wash Spices such as Cajun seasoning Crushed potato chips and crackers (ones with flavor) Set up three bowls. One is flour. One is buttermilk and egg and spices. Third is chips and cracker crumbs Dredge onion rings in flour. Then buttermilk, then crumbs. Bake at 350 for 16-18 min. Serve hot. Dips such as ranch dressing, remoulade, or mustard are fine.

A little something different. My pic of my free motion embroidery practice. It's not perfect, but it is easy! People say free motion is scary, but it's really not. The right equipment makes a huge difference. 1.You do need to invest in a open toe foot. Don't skimp! I got the metal open toe foot appropriate to my machine. ( http://www.sewvacdirect.com/brother-sa187-open-toe-quilting-foot/?gdftrk=gdfV2739_a_7c861_a_7c9636_a_7cbrot_d_sa187&gclid=CIm10-n8sLICFQYGnQodkHsA2w ) Try not to have a heart attack at the price. 2. Next you need stabilizers. Now this choice varies widely depending on what you're working on. I have several kinds-- the cut away, the wash away, and the ultimate Super Solvy. http://www.sewvacdirect.com/sulky-solvy-405-01-20-x-1-yd/ 3. Use embroidery needles for your machine. Why? They've got a groove in them you can't see that helps feed the delicate embroidery thread so it frays less. Can you use a standard needle? Yes, but be pr...

On Pinterest, I learned of a new way to save meals called Mason Jar Meals. The idea is to save homemade foods in mason jars to take for lunches, or simply save leftovers in a container that is microwave safe yet seal-able and secure. At first, I was dubious. Glass? In my lunchbox? Could we say, "recipe for disaster?" Actually, no. While mason jars are made of glass, it's pretty darn sturdy glass. If I bang my lunchbox around that much, I deserve to have to starve for stupidity. Same goes for microwaving a meal inside. Have some common sense and remove the lid. Cover with a paper towel, and nuke. Mason jars are made to be dunked in boiling liquid and remain there. Sturdy stuff, but fair warning-- the glass is an excellent conductor and food heats up pretty quickly. Don't boil your meal. Okay, so I gave it a shot. Buying meals from fast food joints is more than bad for your diet, it's bad for your wallet. By making meals ahead of time like salads (put the dres...

Oven Roasted Asparagus and Leeks Serves 4 Note: If thick asparagus is unavailable, use thin spears and adjust cooking time accordingly. Thin asparagus will cook faster. 6 medium leeks 20 thick asparagus spears (about 1 pound) 1 tablespoon olive oil 1/2 teaspoon salt Freshly ground pepper to taste Balsamic vinegar (optional) 1. Trim each leek at the root end, making sure the stalk stays intact, then cut off the top where the green part begins. Cut leeks in half lengthwise. Immerse in a bowl of cold water to loosen any sand or grit. Rinse under cold water, and pat dry. 2. Heat oven to 400°F. Trim tough ends from asparagus. In a large bowl, combine asparagus and leeks. Drizzle olive oil over vegetables and toss to coat. Add salt, pepper, and toss again. 3. Place vegetables in a heavy roasting pan, and transfer to oven. Roast until ...

Originally, we lost this recipe in a move. Then along comes Google and we found it again! Saved, thanks to the internet. This has been our favorite for twenty years, and we see no reason to change. Lena Austin http://www.lenaaustin.com/ http://depravedduchess.blogspot.com/

Ham Breakfast Braid Rated: Submitted By: MHFAB1 Photo By: Kelly Krocker Prep Time: 30 Minutes Cook Time: 30 Minutes Ready In: 1 Hour Servings: 6 "Crescent roll dough is covered with ham, eggs and cheese and then the ends are brought together to form a braid shape." Ingredients: 1/2 cup milk 4 ounces cream cheese, softened 8 eggs salt and pepper to taste 2 (8 ounce) packages refrigerated crescent roll dough 4 ounces cooked ham, thinly sliced 1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese Directions: 1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). 2. Beat milk and cream cheese together until smooth. Mix in eggs, and season with salt and pepper. Heat a lightly oiled skillet over medium high heat and cook egg mixture until eggs are almost s...

Reprise for my dear cousin, Karen. 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. -- Posted By Lena Austin to Fat Frog Diary at 6/07/2010 02:53:00 PM

This recipe totally surprised me with how good it was. It's not nearly the bother you'd first assume. I found it in a very old cookbook called "Joys of Jell-O." I cannot find a print date, nor an ISBN. Yes, you can use the sugar free Jello. In fact, I used the lime flavor. Delicious, and so cool after a hot day. Apple Cheese Salad 1 3 oz pkg Jell-o Lemon or Lemon-Lime gelatin 1/2 tsp salt 1 cup boiling water 3/4 cup cold water 1-2 T lemon juice dash pepper 1-1/2 c. cottage cheese 3/4 c diced unpeeled apples (tart ones work very well, like Granny Smith) 1/4 c chopped pecans Dissolve gelatin and salt in boiling water. Use a whisk to stir for a full two minutes. Add cold water, lemon juice, and pepper. Chill until very thick, about 45 min. (When you can drag a spoon through it and it leaves a clear mark, it's done enough.) Fold in the cheese, apples, and nuts. Pour into a mold, if desired. Chill until firm. Un-mold. Makes about 4 cups, or 4 entree servings.       *...

While I can agree with most of these, I have to admit there are some (like clam juice) that I consider specialty items. I wouldn't keep them in stock. That's the way we roll here. However, overall this list pretty much guarantees a way to have most of what you need on hand. http://www.savingdinner.com/news/UltimatePantryStockUp.html Check it out and see if you don't agree.  I think I'm going to merge this list with my regular grocery list and see how well it matches.

Layered Mexican Casserole   1 lb lean ground beef 1 jar (16 oz) Old El Paso Thick n Chunky salsa 8 soft corn tortillas (6 inch), torn. (Recommendation: tear 4 in one bowl, then 4 in another bowl.) 1 can (16 oz) Old El Paso refried beans 1-1/2 cups shredded Mexican cheese blend (6 oz) 1 can (15 oz) Spanish rice 1 cup coarsely crushed tortilla chips Diced tomato, if desired Chopped green onion, if desired Sour cream, if desired   Heat oven to 350F. Spray an 11x7 (2 quart) glass baking dish with cooking spray.   In a 10-inch skillet, cook beef over medium-high heat 5-7 minutes, stirring frequently, until thoroughly cooked. Drain. Sir in 1 cup of the salsa; heat about 2 minutes or until hot.   Line baking dish with one bowl of the tortilla pieces. Stir the refried beans and remaining salsa; spoon and spread evenly over tortillas. Top with 1/2 of the meat mixture and 3/4 cup of the cheese. Layer remaining tortilla pieces over the cheese. Spoon a...

Woohoo!! I got the coolest "toy" for Mother's Day a week early! Anyone who knows me for more than a week, knows I love FlyLady.net and the organizational tools therein. Today, I can add another "toy" from FlyLady to my list of "you gotta try this!" items-- The Rubba Sweepa. Okay, I admit I was skeptical. Really, how great could a rubber-headed "broom" be? Brooms are brooms. You sweep with them. Not much to it, right? Wrong!! Brooms are a pain in the tush, and limited. They have to be somewhat tall, so they can't get under things easily. I never got my broom to reach all the way under my china cabinets, where the dust bunnies accumulated like tribbles on Star Trek. My broom never could get all the cat littler that accumulated around the litter box. I'd see a fine white-ish gray dust trail left behind and sweep until I gave up in frustration. Sweeping the entire house was even more of an exercise in frustration as the wind from my swee...

For those who haven't popped into my Yahoo Group, "Catitude" recently, I recently posed about a new concept for me-- Homemade Freezer Meals. The concept came from The Dinner Diva, Leanne Ely, who has recipes especially for this concept. She's the one who also came up with SavingDinner.com and she's a genius! Basically, the idea is to come home from the grocery store, but instead of putting away all the food, immediately pre-prepare your meals into Ziploc freezer bags. A roast might be seasoned before freezing. Ground beef may be made into an uncooked meatloaf and frozen. In the case of a soup or stew, the meat can be quickly browned and thrown into the bag with the other ingredients.Think how nom-nom good a steak would be if it marinated in its sauce for days. (Excuse me, my mouth is watering. ::Dab, dab::) Label with recipe and page number in cookbook, date, and store in the freezer. It works! I tried it! I'm sold on this method. (More on this ...

  Grapefruit Chicken Salad Serves 4 1 1/2 cups grapefruit segments; cut into bite- sized pieces 2 cups diced cooked chicken breast (no skin) 1/4 cup chopped celery 1/4 cup red onion, chopped fine 1/4 cup reduced-calorie mayonnaise 1/4 cup low-fat plain yogurt 1/4 cup minced fresh parsley Very easy! Just combine all the ingredients, mix thoroughly, and throw on top of a bed of mixed baby salad greens!   Lena Austin http://www.LenaAustin.com http://depravedduchess.blogspot.com

One of my Dinner Diva newsletters had an idea I just love. I may try this concept of making your own Freezer Meals. She specifically cited meatloaf. You make up the meatloaf, then freeze it raw. Defrost and cook when ready. That's what stopped me from making make-ahead meals before. They were essentially frozen leftovers that always came out soggy and terrible. With the Dinner Diva concept, you leave it raw and ready to cook. No soggy meatloaf when you cook it, because it hasn't been cooked before. Wow! What a revelation. I began to think of all my favorite recipes, many of which could be easily frozen in their ready-to-cook state, defrosted overnight, then popped into the oven or crock pot. My mind races ahead to soups and stews, casseroles, and even pre-preparing roasts/meats but adding the veggies at the last minute. Wow, now there's a marinade that really has a chance to work on a steak. I'm so thrilled with this concept, I can barely stand to go to work today. I s...

Colcannon By: Marc Boyer   "This is a recipe from County Mayo. It is traditional Halloween fare but good anytime! Kale can be substituted for cabbage."  Serves 5 Ingredients 1 pound cabbage 1 pound potatoes 2 leeks 1 cup milk salt and pepper to taste 1 pinch ground mace 1/2 cup butter Directions In a large saucepan, boil cabbage until tender; remove and chop or blend well. Set aside and keep warm. Boil potatoes until tender. Remove from heat and drain. Chop leeks, green parts as well as white, and simmer them in just enough milk to cover, until they are soft. Season and mash potatoes well. Stir in cooked leeks and milk. Blend in the kale or cabbage and heat until the whole is a pale green fluff. Make a well in the center and pour in the melted butter. Mix well. Nutritional Information Amount Per Serving   Calories: 302 | Total Fat: 19.7g | Cholesterol: 53mg Powered by ESHA Nutrient Database Nutritional Information Colcannon Se...

Slow-Cooked Corned Beef and Cabbage   3 1/2 cups Swanson® Beef Broth or Swanson® Beef Stock 1/4 cup cider vinegar 2 medium onions, cut into quarters 5 medium potatoes, peeled and cut into quarters (about 5 cups) 5 medium carrots, cut into 2-inch pieces (about 2 1/2 cups) 1 corned beef or beef brisket (about 3 pounds) 1 head green cabbage, trimmed and cut into 6 wedges (about 2 pounds) Bouquet Garni Stir the broth and vinegar into a 6-quart slow cooker. Add the onions, potatoes, carrots, beef and cabbage. Submerge the Bouquet Garni in the broth mixture. Cover and cook on LOW for 8 to 9 hours or until the beef is fork-tender. Remove the Bouquet Garni. RECIPE TIPS Bouquet Garni: Lay a 4-inch square of cheesecloth flat on the counter. Place 4 cloves garlic, 1 tablespoon pickling spice and 2 bay leaves in the center of the cloth. Bring the corners of the cheesecloth together and tie with kitchen string into a bundle. Time-Saving : Or you may cook the ...

Cynnara does it again! Let's give her a hand! ----- Forwarded Message ---- From: Cynnara T <cynnara@gmail.com> Sent: Fri, February 18, 2011 9:49:24 PM   I get Taste of Home each month. (It's my treat to myself!) So, there was this recipe a couple of months back-- and it's on the website. :D http://www.tasteofhome.com/Recipes/Low-Fat-Chocolate-Muffins Low-Fat Chocolate Muffins Recipe * 12 Servings * Prep: 10 min. Bake: 15 min. + cooling Ingredients * 1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour * 3/4 cup sugar * 1/4 cup baking cocoa * 2 teaspoons baking powder * 1 teaspoon baking soda * 1/2 teaspoon salt * 2/3 cup fat-free vanilla yogurt * 2/3 cup fat-free milk * 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract * Confectioners' sugar, optional Directions * In a large bowl, combine the first six ingredients. Stir in the yogurt, milk and vanilla just until moistened. Coat muffin cups with cooking spray; fill two-thirds full. * Bake at 400° for 15-20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the cente...

Cynnara sure knows how to make a diet recipe sound delectable, doesn't she? ----- Forwarded Message ---- From: Cynnara T <cynnara@gmail.com> To: ChangelingPress@yahoogroups.com Sent: Fri, February 18, 2011 9:48:38 PM Subject: [ChangelingPress] Recipe: Low Fat Death by Chocolate   Death By Chocolate This low-fat dessert is made by layering prepared fat-free instant chocolate pudding, slices of fat-free chocolate pound cake, and fat-free whipped dessert topping in a large bowl, then sprinkling with chocolate chips. Ingredients: * 2 Pkgs fat-free instant chocolate pudding * 1 fat-free chocolate pound cake * 1 container fat-free Cool Whip, thawed * Sprinkle of chocolate chips Directions: Prepare pudding according to instructions. Cut cake into 12 slices. In a trifle or clear glass bowl, layer cake slices, pudding, and Cool Whip; repeat 3 times. Sprinkle top with chocolate chips. Chill.