Fat Frog Diary

Apple Orchard Bean Bake My daughters asked for this recipe for years. It was a family classic that could be served to fill bellies even when times were hard. Please note the handwritten notations. When serving the hearty appetites of two men and three women, doubling the recipe and serving over rice helped it stretch that bit more so that no one walked away hungry. Be aware that if you do double, a normal casserole will not hold it all. Upgrade to a deep roaster.  For the apple, you can core it and use a mandolin, or just simply chop the apple and sprinkle it on top to give everyone a taste of apple. Save the mandolin for guests. 

Quick Italian Soup Another in my many recipes off the bottles, boxes, cans and jars. This has a lot of flexibility built right in. For instance, I’m not fond of canned whole tomatoes, so I automatically substitute diced. When Zucchini isn’t in season, a cup of mixed vegetables is always a good bet for color. We eat with our eyes first, so make it colorful and appetizing. No canned corn? No problem! How about a can of kidney beans?   Let me know how you switch it up!

Chicken and Rice Casserole I love to cook, but I work forty hours a week. I don't have time to stop off at a farmer's market for the freshest produce, etc. I rely on pre-packaged items to make my evenings as stress-free as possible. Quick meals help to keep us from eating just before we crawl off to bed. When you don't get home before 6 PM, you want to eat ASAP! That's why I rely on the recipes off of bottles, boxes, cans, and jars. The manufacturer's test kitchens have tried it, and they're trying to show off their product in the best possible light. I can, and have, picked up a few boxes and cans and then proceeded to use the recipes on them for my entire week's menus. Give it a try! This is also a handy trick if you find yourself in possession of an odd ingredient. This jar of chicken gravy had been bought for a recipe, now long forgotten. I normally don't like gravy, but the casserole idea intrigued me enough to give it a try. I had all ...

https://peasandcrayons.com/2015/03/bacon-sriracha-potato-salad.html Ingredients 3 lbs red potatoes 3-4 slices of bacon 2.5 TBSP white vinegar 1/4 tsp salt 3/4 cup quality mayo [ homemade or store-bought ] 1/4 cup sour cream 1.5 TBSP sriracha chili sauce [ extra to taste ] 1/4 cup chopped green onion paprika, to taste Instructions 1.      Peel potatoes and chop into 3/4-inch cubes. 2.      Place potatoes in a large pot and cover with cold water, about 1 inch above the potatoes. 3.     Set burner to high and bring water to a boil. 4.      While you wait, line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper and top with 3-4 slices of bacon. Set oven to 400 degrees F and place the baking sheet inside [no need to pre-heat] on the center rack. Bake for 20 minutes until crispy and golden. Alternatively you can fry the bacon if you prefer. * 5.      Once a rolling boil is reached, reduce ...

Cherry Ham Glaze 2 cups cherry preserves 1/2 cup red wine (I used a cabernet sauvignon) 2 Tbsp brown sugar 2 tap ground allspice Stir all ingredients together in a medium saucepan. Place over medium heat and bring to a simmer. Reduce to low, stirring often until glaze thickens, about 10 minutes. Slather ham in last 30 minutes of ham cooking time. Reserve most of the glaze to drizzle over the ham when you serve. Lee Plumb, NCICS

Corn Pudding 1 12-oz can whole kernel corn 2 17-oz cans cream style corn 5 lightly beaten eggs ½ cup sugar 4 tbsp cornstarch 1-1/2 tsp seasoned salt ½ tsp dry mustard 1 tsp instant minced onion ½ cup milk ½ cup butter, melted Preheat oven to 400F. Grease or spray a 3-qt casserole. In a large bowl, beat the eggs and mix with the cans of corn. In a separate bowl, mix the sugar, cornstarch, salt, mustard, and onion together. Stir into egg and corn mixture. Stir in the milk and butter. Pour into the greased casserole. Bake ½ hour. Stir corn pudding. Bake another ½ hour. Serve warm. Original recipe: McCormick/Schilling spices. Notes: This recipe is good enough to be dessert. Serves four, in realistic portions.

Applesauce Bread ½ c softened butter 1 large egg 1-1/2 t baking soda ¾ t nutmeg 1 cup sugar 1-1/2 c. flour 1 t. ground cinnamon ½ t kosher salt 1-1/2 c applesauce 1 t. pure vanilla extract Preheat oven to 350F. Prepare two small loaf pans by spraying with cooking spray. Set aside. In large bowl, blend together the butter, egg and sugar Add flour, baking soda, spices and salt. Mix until dough is crumbly. Pour in applesauce and mix. Add vanilla and mix. Scrape into loaf pans. Bake at 350F for 40 minutes. Cool completely, then turn out of pans.

I found this on the side of a box of spice cake mix and decided to give it a whirl. Best choice to date to serve at church! It was a big hit. I omitted the walnuts because there are several people in my church with tree nut allergies.   Servings: 12 Squares   Ingredients: 1 pkg Duncan Hines Signature Spice Cake Mix 3 large eggs 1 can (21 oz) Comstock More Fruit Apple Pie Filling, chopped 1/3 cup vegetable oil 1 cup walnuts 1 container Duncan Hines Creamy Homestyle Classic Vanilla Frosting ½ tsp ground cinnamon   1.        Preheat oven to 350F. Grease and flour 13x9 pan. 2.        Combine cake mix, eggs, pie filling, and oil in a large bowl. 3.        Beat with an electric mixer at medium speed for two minutes. Stir in the nuts by hand. 4.        Pour batter into prepared pan. 5.        Bake 35-40 minutes or until toothpick i...

Almost done. Need to sew down the appliques and put the front and back together. To me it's beautiful. I hope Rev. Pat Ray likes it.I learned so much sewing this.

My goal is to make something this pretty.

Subject: Cake in a Cup Here is the recipe for you to send out to 'The Troops'…   In a large ziploc bag (or other suitable container) mix and store:   ·        1 package Angel Food cake mix ·        1 package regular cake mix (any flavor)   When the "sweet tooth" craving hits, mix in a coffee cup, ramekin (or other suitable container):   ·        1/3 cup cake mix ·        3 tablespoons water   Stir well, microwave for 90 seconds and enjoy! OMG!! So good!   3 PointsPlus   Add to recipe as desired – but don't forget to factor in those extra points.   Suggestions: ·        Add pineapple ring, diced apple or other item(s) prior to adding the mix ·        Add a caramel Hershey's Kiss for a 'molten lava' c...

Made For Rev. Pat Ray Purple fabric from Ladybug Quilt Shop. 

My friend Beth has this as her profile pic. You know I had to steal it. I want to make this into a stole.

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/