School of Big Green Egg: Lighting the Grill

I have expressed my love for my Big Green Egg before. But I don't think you really understand the passion I have for my Egg. This is not just a grill. This is a smoker, an oven, and a grill that makes my food taste amazing. The best part......I get to take all the credit. 

Since I often express my love for my grill I get asked questions about it. I have decided to start a little series of posts teaching you how to use a Big Green Egg. In this section we are going to go over how to get your grill going. Now please excuse the condition of my Egg. It is old and has been used many, many, many times. It is going to get a makeover this Spring, but until then he is an old man. 

A Big Green Egg is a charcoal grill, but it does not use just any charcoal. Think of the Egg as a big cast iron skillet. The more you cook on it the more it seasons your food. Well because of this you want to use a natural lump charcoal. Now, you may think that you can just go get some regular charcoal and use it. And you could..BUUUUUTTTT.....do you really want your food to taste like chemicals? I know I don't. So natural lump charcoal! There is also an up side to using natural lump charcoal. I promise! It is reusable. Say what!!!! Yep, you heard right. Whatever you don't burn through during your cooking session, you can use again. Where can you buy said charcoal? Anywhere! Beware about some brands. Some don't even let you get through one cooking session before you burn through it. Big Green Egg dealers sell Big Green Egg charcoal and you can't go wrong with that! I have also used the Primo brand and I like that brand as well.

Okay, so look for that little 100% mark and you got yourself some charcoal. 

On to cooking! When you first open up your grill (unless it is brand new) it will look like this.  

                           
Take your trusty old shop vac and clean out the ashes. It is very important to start with a clean grill. If you leave the ashes in it keeps the air from flowing like it needs to. This will effect your temperature. You start your charcoal, not with lighter fluid, but with firelight's or firestarters. These help keep the flavor natural.

So you break your starters up and place them in the charcoal. Make sure your draft door is open all the way. Now light those firestarters and watch the magic happen.

It takes anywhere from 10 - 15 minutes and the coals will be ready.

Now that you can start the grill you are ready to go! Next week we will talk about how to control the temperature.

Have fun!

Pulled Pork BBQ Nachos

I love all things nachos. Almost every time we go out for Mexican you can count on me ordering nachos. It is a sad obsession that I have! Hey, the first step is admitting there is a problem. Right?! So tonight I needed something fast and easy for the leftovers from last night. Should we have pulled pork sandwiches? Nope, we have those often. Hmmm.......something different......and then it hits me, NACHOS! I raided my pantry and this is what I came up with. BTW, so yummy!

Pulled Pork Nachos:

leftover pulled pork

1 can of pinto beans

BBQ Sauce

White BBQ Sauce (find recipe here) 

Shredded Cheese (flavor of your choice, I used cheddar) 

Tortilla Chips

Feta Cheese (because Feta makes EVERYTHING betta)

jalapenos or other peppers

The first thing we want to do is warm up the pulled pork. You can do this in the microwave or on the stove top. I got home very late and was running short on time so I choose the microwave. I warmed it up for about 30 seconds. Go ahead and place your oven on broil so it can warm up while you assemble. Line a large baking sheet with aluminum foil and then spray with PAM. Place your chips down and cover the pan. Next, place the meat over the chips. I don't like to see tortilla chip so I use a lot of meat. Now sprinkle the pinto beans, feta cheese, and your peppers. Take your shredded cheese and cover all of those peppers up. Pop the pan into the oven until the cheese is melted and gooey. Plate and top with both BBQ sauces. Enjoy! Super easy and quick and packed with flavor! 

Enjoy!

The Froggy Mom

Slow Goin' Pulled Pork

I work six days a week. Some days I want to come home and just pass out on the couch and let the family fend for themselves for dinner. If I know I am going to have a hard week or that I am going to be working late, I will make a big batch of pulled pork. Pulled pork makes my taste buds sing! It also goes a long way. I try to keep one of these in the freezer for when I know I won't be able to get to the store for a couple of days. I will slow cook it one day and we eat off of it for two or three days after! Talk about an easy dinner! This is the dinner that keeps on giving....it gave us dinner Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday. You can make this in either a crock pot or in the oven. Personal preference, or the size of the shoulder can help finalize that decision. In my case the size dictated that I cook this one in the oven. 

Slow Goin' Pulled Pork:

2 - Apples (Doesn't matter what brand or color) 

5 - 8lb Pork Shoulder

2 - Cans of Root beer (A&W)

1 - Onion, quartered

2 - Tbs of grape jelly

1/2 Cup of BBQ Sauce

Salt 

Pepper

Meat Tenderizer

First thing's first, quarter your onions and one apple. Lay them down on the bottom of the pan so that you can lay the pork shoulder on top.  Take your jelly and scoop it out on top of the pork and rub it all around with your hands. Yep, you gotta get those hands dirty! Lay the pork on the apple and onion. Season with your salt, pepper, and meat tenderizer. Flip the pork over carefully and do the same to the other side. Now take root beer and pour it into the pan, both cans......don't be shy! Quarter your other apple and lay the pieces over the top of the meat. Pour your BBQ sauce on top and cover. Place the meat in a preheated oven at 200 degrees and let it cook for 6 hours. About half way through you want to come back and flip the shoulder and baste. When you pull this out of the oven it is falling apart! I put it on the counter to shred the meat and most of it was already shredded! Love it when the meat does all the work. Take two forks and shred all of the meat. Place all of your shredded meat into a large bowl and add a couple of spoon fulls of the remaining liquid from the pan over the top! Yummo! Ready, Set, EAT!!!!!!

 

Stop by tomorrow to see how we put the leftovers to good use! 

Enjoy!
The Froggy Mom

Mashed Potatoes

Mashed potatoes are a staple. Their recipes have been handed down from Mom's to Daughter's for years. I used to go through all these steps and ingredients to make my mashed potatoes. Here lately I have tried substituting some ingredients and there is absolutely no difference. And, these mashed potatoes are better for you than adding an entire block of cream cheese. (At least that is what I keep telling myself!) So because we have these every time we have meatloaf, chicken fried steak, BBQ anything, and whenever we get a craving I wanted them to be easy to whip up. I hope you enjoy!

Easiest Mashed Potatoes I Have Ever Made:

6-8 Yukon Gold Potatoes

1 Stick Butter

1/2 Cup Greek Yogurt (Trust Me!)

1/4 - 1/2 Cup Half & Half

Salt 

Pepper

Peel your potatoes, quarter them, and throw them into some boiling water. Let the potatoes cook for about 30 minutes or until you can slide a fork into them with no resistance. Drain the water and place the potatoes into a large bowl.

 Add your butter into the potatoes and let it melt. Now add in your Half & Half and start mashing. Pause for a second and lets talk about the entire mashing process. Mash with a hand masher, always mash by hand. I used to use a mixer and I would end up with mashed potatoes that looked like grits. Potatoes have starch in them and when you use an electric mixer it breaks that starch up and you end up with goo. So moral of the story, hand mash! OK, back to mashing. I only mash a little before I add in the yogurt, salt, and pepper. Now it is time to roll your sleeves up and get down to business. Mash until they are the consistency that you like. We like ours slightly lumpy, so when I get all of the big lumps mashed, I stop.

Look at that creamy, lumpy, goodness! YUMMY! 

 

See, the easiest way to make mashed potatoes! The longest part of making these is boiling them. Time to eat!

Froggy Mom

Homemade White BBQ Sauce - Thursday's Tip

I have a new love! White BBQ sauce! Heaven, super yummy, amazing! I recently went to a local BBQ restaurant and there I discovered white sauce! I came home determined to make my own version. The one at the restaurant was very good, but had a lot of vinegar. Here is my version of how to make white BBQ sauce. Enjoy!

White BBQ Sauce:

3/4 cup mayonnaise

1/8 cup water

1/8 cup white vinegar

1 tsp. lemon juice

1/2 tablespoon creole mustard

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon sugar

1 garlic cloves, minced

This is the hardest part.....ready.....focus......mix it all together in a bowl. That is it! I made BBQ nachos and we used this over the top! YUMMMMMMM!!!!!!!!!! I will post that recipe later. 

Breakfast Tacos

I grew up in San Antonio where you can find a breakfast taco on every corner. You take the amazing food for granted when you live in a place like San Antonio. I moved away about twelve years and man do I miss GOOD Mexican food! Here in Florida people look at me like I am crazy when I say "breakfast taco." I am often corrected and told it is a burrito and not a taco. Whatever! Just feed me one! :) 
Here is a quick and easy version of what I am missing in my life right now..........breakfast tacos! 

First thing is first, melt your butter in the pan. I know this is not very healthy but work with me here. When your butter is melter add in your onion and saute until the onion is clear. Once the onion is clear add in the minced garlic and saute for 2 minutes. Now we are going to add in the bell pepper and diced tomatoes. Cook this mix for another 3 minutes. 

 

Add in your spicy sausage and brown. Once the meat has fully cooked, put it in a large bowl and set off to the side. 

 

Leave all of the sausage drippings in the pan. Now it is time for your eggs. Crack your eggs in a medium sized bowl and add your half and half. Beat the eggs until the mixture blends well. Scramble the eggs until they are nice and fluffy!

Add the sausage mix into the egg mix and combine.  

Warm your tortillas on a plate in the microwave (covered with a paper towel of course) for no more than 2 minutes. Now plate the tortillas and fill them with the sausage mixture. Top them with cheese, salsa, and anything else that tickles your fancy!

These are easy to make and hit the spot when I have a breakfast taco craving! Enjoy!

Froggy Mom

Chocolate Chip Apple Cinnamon Pancakes!

I love to make breakfast for my family in the mornings! They are the first thing I want to see and this way I can give them a warm breakfast. Sadly, this does not happen often anymore. With work, school, work, and more school, we just don't have a ton of time in the morning. I love my family, but I am not waking up at o'dark thirty to make pancakes! This past weekend was a long weekend for us. Thus came the pancakes at nine am, an ok time for a non-morning person! My kids insisted on the chocolate chips and I had some sitting around. Instead of sitting at the table in shifts (depending on who gets up first) and heading off to watch cartoons, my kids and I had a wonderful breakfast date. I hope you enjoy these as much as we did!

Grab your ingredients: milk, white vinegar, flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon applesauce, chocolate chips, and your melted butter. In a medium size bowl combine your milk and white vinegar and let it sit until it starts to separate. It normally takes anywhere from 5 to 10 minutes. When you look at it and say "ewwww" you know it is done. In another large bowl, add your flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Mix these until they are combined.

 

In your milk/vinegar mix add your cinnamon applesauce, melted butter and mix well. Add this into the flour mixture. You don't want to over mix this, no lumps or bumps, and then stop mixing.

Spray your pan with non-stick cooking spray and get it nice a warm over a medium temperature. Pour your batter in. Now this was the kids favorite part, sprinkle chocolate chips over the top of the pancake. By saving the chocolate chips until last they don't all sink to the bottom of the batter. You now have evenly distributed chocolate chips.This prevents half a batch of pancakes with a small amount and the other half with so many you get sick eating your pancake. 

Sooooo good! 

Chocolate Chip Apple Cinnamon Pancakes:

3/4 cup milk

2 tablespoons white vinegar

1 cup flour

1 1/2 tablespoons sugar

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup cinnamon applesauce

2 tablespoons butter

1.  Combine flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in large bowl. Mix well.

2.  In a medium sized bowl mix milk and white vinegar. Let sit 5-10 minutes.

3.  After milk separates, add in the cinnamon applesauce and melted butter.

4.  Pour the milk mixture into the flour mixture. Mix well getting out all the lumps, being careful not to over mix.

5.  Spray pan with non-stick spray and heat over medium heat.

6. Pour the pancake batter in pan and sprinkle chocolate chips over the top.

7.  Let it sit until the bubbles are gone and flip to the other side.

8.  Enjoy with a big glass of milk!

Thursday's Tip of the Day - Cleaning with Vinegar

White Distilled Vinegar. I always end up with a lot of this after Easter. This past summer we moved into a new house and I found three bottles of vinegar. What can I do with all this vinegar? Hmmm........turns out that there are a ton of uses for vinegar! 

• To shine chrome sink fixtures that have a lime buildup, use a paste made of 2 tablespoons salt and 1 teaspoon white distilled vinegar.
• Make your own scouring cleanser by combining 1/4 cup baking soda with 1 tablespoon liquid detergent. Add just enough white distilled vinegar to give it a thick but creamy texture.
• Clean counter tops and make them smell sweet again with a cloth soaked in undiluted white distilled vinegar.
• Clean and deodorize a drain by pouring in 1 cup baking soda, then one cup hot white distilled vinegar. Let this sit for 5 minutes or so, then run hot water down the drain.
• Deodorize the garbage disposal by pouring in 1/2 cup baking soda and 1/2 cup hot white distilled vinegar. Let sit for 5 minutes then run hot water down the disposal.
• Deodorize and clean the garbage disposal with white distilled vinegar ice cubes. Make them by freezing full-strength white distilled vinegar in an ice cube tray. Run several cubes down the disposal while flushing with cold water.
• Clean the microwave by mixing 1/2 cup white distilled vinegar and 1/2 cup water in a microwave-safe bowl. Bring it to a rolling boil inside the microwave. Baked-on food will be loosened, and odors will disappear. Wipe clean.
• Clean the shelves and walls of the refrigerator with a half-and-half solution of water and white distilled vinegar.
• Cut the grime on the top of the refrigerator with a paper towel or cloth and full-strength white distilled vinegar.
• Avoid the bad smell when you heat up a newly cleaned oven by using a sponge soaked in diluted white distilled vinegar for the final rinse.
• To clean a grease splattered oven door window, saturate it with full-strength white distilled vinegar. Keep the door open for 10 to 15 minutes before wiping with a sponge.
• Remove soap buildup and odors from the dishwasher by pouring a cup of white distilled vinegar inside the empty machine and running it through a whole cycle. Do monthly.

You can find these helpful tips and more at www.vinegartips.com. 

Here is to a safer way to clean in the new year! 

Froggy Mom

Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Cake Balls

I am a sweets lover! If it is sweet, I love it! That is a big part of my weight issue. But enough of that talk. This is a very rich sweet treat! I mean R.I.C.H.! But oh so goooood! 

I love chocolate chip cookie dough and I love cake balls. So why not combine the two? Here is my take on a chocolate chip cookie dough cake ball! Enjoy!

Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough:
2 1/2 cup all purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
2 sticks of butter, room temperature
3/4 cup sugar
3/4 cup brown sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1/3 cup milk
1 cup chocolate chips, I like to use mini chips


















Cake Mix:
1 box of French Vanilla (or any flavor you like) Cake Mix
1 cup water
1/2 cup vegetable oil
3 eggs
1 can of vanilla frosting
2 lbs. of almond bark (chocolate)

  In a large bowl, mix your butter, sugar, and brown sugar together. It should look light and fluffy. Add milk and vanilla until well blended. Mix in baking soda, salt, and cinnamon. Add the flour in 1/2 cup at a time, making sure it is mixed well before starting the next 1/2 cup of flour. Turn your mixer off and get your wooden spoon out. Add in your chocolate chips and put that spoon to use. Do not overly blend, you just want the chips to be mixed in evenly. Take your bowl, cover it and put it into the freezer for 30 minutes.  
  While you are waiting on your dough to set we can get started on the cake part. Heat your oven to 350 degrees. In a large bowl mix your cake mix, water, eggs, and vegetable oil. Beat the batter on low speed for 30 seconds and then on medium speed for 2 minutes. Pour the batter into a 9x13 pan and pop it into the 
oven for about 30 minutes, or until a fork comes out clean. Let your cake sit for about 30 minutes or until cool. Now back to the cookie dough. The yummy goodness that is sitting in a bowl just waiting for you to eat it. 
Sorry, you can wipe the drool off your screen now! Get out two cookie sheets and cover them with wax paper. Lightly flour your hands and now it is time to shape the balls. We are going to have these balls inside a cake ball, so we don't want them to be to big. It is up to you on how big you make your ball, but I am making mine about 1/2 inch. Form your balls and then place them onto the cookie sheets. Once you have all your batter shaped into balls, pop the cookie sheets back into the freezer for another 15 minutes.

  
In a large bowl you are going to take your cake and break it into fine pieces. It should look like cornmeal. 

Add in 3/4 of the can of the vanilla frosting and mix it up real well with your hands. Yep, your hands! Get ready to get mushy. After you clean your hands of cake mush get out two baking sheets and line them with wax paper. Lay them next to your cake mix and then get your cookie dough balls out of the freezer. When you are rolling the cake balls it is very important to keep your hands clean. I normally wash my hands with water after every four or five. Once the batter starts to stick to your hands it does not make pretty round balls anymore.
  So onto making cake balls! Take a spoon and shell out some of the cake mixture into your hands. Make a pretty ball and then insert your cookie dough ball into the bottom of your cake ball. Push it into the middle and pinch the bottom of the cake mix back together. Place the ball onto the wax paper and onto the next one. Once you have all of the cake mix balled up and onto the cookie sheet you will melt your almond bark in a big bowl. 

Follow the directions on the package for melting the bark. Take a fork, place the ball on the fork, and dip into the melted chocolate yumminess. Lift the fork up and let the excess chocolate come off of the ball. Set the ball onto the baking sheet and let the chocolate harden. 

After you have finished with all of your balls you can bask in your cookie dough cake ball glory!

I know this seems like a lot of work, but trust me it is not! And it is sooooooooo worth it!

Big Green Egg

Oh Big Green Egg, how I love the! Let me count the ways....one, two! Seriously I LOVE my Egg. I have been a proud owner for almost six years now. I cook tons on it. Although lately it has been seriously neglected. For those of you that do not know what a Big Green Egg is, let me school you.
A Big Green Egg is a ceramic bbq grill. It cooks your food to perfection and leaves the meat tender and moist. The best part of all is that the charcoal and fire lites are all natural. There are no chemical in them. the Egg is like a big cast iron skillet, in the fact that it absorbs the flavors of the food that you are cooking. The more you cook on the Egg the more it gets seasoned and the more it in turn seasons your food. This grill is so super easy to use and I love it!
Go to www.biggreenegg.com and check it out for yourself! Better yet, find someone who owns one and make them cook for you. Then you will understand my obsession! In the next couple of weeks, I will post a reciped made on the Egg. Amazing!

Have a good evening!

Froggy Mom :)

Easy, Quick Homemade Bread

I have said for a while now that I want to bake my own bread. Homemade bread is so much better tasting than the bread you buy in the store. We ran out of bread over the weekend and the kids wanted a sandwich. So I thought what better time than to try out my bread baking skills than now! I found this recipe in an old book. It was handwritten so I don't know where it came from. Soooooo yummy though! 

Ingredients:
2 cups warm water
2/3 cup white sugar
1 1/2 tablespoons active dry yeast
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1/4 cup vegetable oil
6 cups all purpose flour

1.  In a large bowl, dissolve the sugar in warm water, and then stir in the yeast. Allow to proof for 20 minutes.

2.  Mix salt and oil into the yeast. Mix flour in one cup at a time. Knead dough on a lightly floured surface until smooth. 

3.  Place in a well oiled bowl, and turn to coat the dough. Cover with a damp cloth and store in a warm, dry place for 1 hour.

4.  Punch dough down. Knead for a few minutes, and divide in half.
5.  Place in well oiled bread pans and shape dough into loaves. Cover the pans and let them sit for 30 minutes. The dough should rise more.
6.  Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.

Enjoy your very easy and very delicious bread!   

Jammin' Jambalaya

  I was going through some of my cookbooks and I ran across an old Jambalaya recipe. My Dad's side of the family is from New Orleans. My grandmother loves some Cajun food! I thought I would take one of her old recipes and jazz it up a bit! The jambalaya came out great but it is pretty spicy. If you don't like spicy foods you might want to cut back on the cayenne a bit.
  The good thing about jambalaya is that you can add whatever you want into it. You could have chicken and shrimp, or sausage and shrimp, or all three. I didn't have any shrimp in the fridge for this dish so I will be making chicken and sausage jambalaya. 
  First, you will need about two cups cooked chicken and shred it. In a medium sized bowl place the shredded chicken, 1 teaspoon paprika, 1 tablespoon garlic powder, 1 tablespoon salt, 1 tablespoon pepper,  1 tablespoon onion powder, 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper, 1 teaspoon dried oregano, and 1 teaspoon dried thyme and mix together. You want to mix this until the outside of the chicken has a nice coating.

Get out your big pot and add about two tablespoons of olive oil. Turn your heat on and start slicing up some sausage while your oil warms up. Add about 2lbs. of sliced sausage to the pan and cook until browned. 

When the sausage has a pretty dark brown crust on it you will want to add one small diced onion, one chopped bell pepper, and one cup chopped celery. Let this cook for about two to three minutes and then add one tablespoon minced garlic.

Let this mixture cook for another two minutes. Now you will add your spice coated chicken, two tablespoons of Worcestershire sauce, 1 1/2 cups rice, 1/2 teaspoon of hot sauce, and three cups of chicken broth to the pot. Let this come to a nice rolling boil.

Cover and let this simmer for about 30 minutes. Make some garlic bread for the side and dish it out! If you want to add any kind of seafood to this recipe you would cover and simmer for 20 minutes. Then add in your seafood and cook for the last ten minutes. You can add whatever your little heart desires! Crabs, you got it! Oysters, sure why not. Get crazy! Add whatever you like. This dish is simple, easy to make and has amazing flavor!

• 2 cups shredded chicken
• 1 teaspoon paprika
• 1 tablespoon salt
• 1 tablespoon garlic powder
• 1 tablespoon black pepper
• 1 tablespoon onion powder
• 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1 teaspoon dried thyme
• 2 tablespoons of olive oil
• 2 lbs. sausage (Andouille is best)
• 1 small onion, diced
• 1 bell pepper, chopped
• 1 cup celery, chopped
• 1 tablespoon garlic, minced
• 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
• 1 1/2 cups of rice
• 1/2 teaspoon of hot sauce (Louisiana Hot sauce is the best!)
• 3 cups chicken broth (hopefully homemade)

1.  In medium bowl mix shredded chicken, paprika, salt, garlic powder, black pepper, onion powder,      cayenne pepper, dried oregano, and dried thyme coating the chicken well.

2.  Heat olive oil in large pot. Add sausage and cook until it has a brown crust.

3.  Add in onion, bell pepper, and celery, let this cook for 2-3 minutes.

4.  Add in garlic and cook for another two minutes.

5.  Add in coated chicken, Worcestershire sauce, rice, hot sauce, and chicken broth. Bring this to a rolling boil. 

6.  Cover and simmer for 30 minutes.

7.  Serve with your favorite side and enjoy!

Froggy Mom

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Feelin' Fallish

If there was one thing you should know about me, it is that I am in love with fall. I love the red leaves, pumpkin everything, and the crisp air. Here in northern Florida we don't have fall in September, October, and November like the calendar says. We are just now getting our fair share of fall. I still made pumpkin everything back in October and November like I was supposed to. But I am just now getting to enjoy the leaves changing color. So while my husband has threatened to go on strike if I make anything else with pumpkin in it, I can still enjoy the leaves.

(Side Note: Pumpkin is amazing and should be made year round!)
Froggy Mom