July 3, 2009: Happy Plates

Yesterday I lamented that my dishes weren't really conducive to food photography. They are a bright, cheerful pattern that brought a smile to my face when I got them, and they still make me smile, over ten years later. They fit my laid back lifestyle. I don't do fancy dinners or entertaining, and my family only cares about what I put on the plate, not how the plate looks.

I think I said I'd "bought" a 12 place setting of them. Actually, I got them with points we'd earned from our visits to Laughlin, Nevada. We happened to be there when the offer was discontinued, and they brought in a truckload of boxes that were practically given away. I ended up with a service for 15 (I gave two of those to a friend, and kept extras for "breakage replacement"). What would have cost around 6000 points, I got for 600 points! They might end up as a collector's item, they are all stamped "Colorado Belle" on the bottoms. Of my 13 place settings, Mr. H broke the handle off of one mug, and just this week I chipped a salad plate. They've held up beautifully through many years of everyday use.

The plates have been photographed a LOT! I remember when, a few years ago (early 2006 to be exact), my friend and I had a competition. I was in Arizona for the winter, Teresa was in Illinois, or Iowa, or one of those "I" states (I don't even know for sure where she lives!). She and I both had a collection of frogs, and we both liked to cook, so we took photos of our meals and each photo had to have a froggy name and a frog from our collection. She won, as she had quite a few more frogs than I, but it was a fun and funny competition. We're still virtual friends, we've never met...but I love you, Teresa!

I must have been bored that winter. I made all of my bread from scratch!

A few of my "froggy" entries......................


A place setting of my "happy plates".


Baked Frog Breast and Stuffing, Green Beans and Toad Slaw


Frogcabbage Casserole (this is the same casserole I blogged about last week!) with Corn/Green Beans, Wadorfroggy Salad and French Bread


Swiss Frog Steak with Baked Potatoes, Froggybeans, Froggygreens and Fruit Cup


Froghetti with Fresh Steamed Asparafrograss and Garlic Bread.


Frog Hash with Broccoli and Corn.


Cottage Wheat Frog Bread and Froggy Burger Buns


Crockpot Roast Frog with Potatoes, Carrots and Gravy, Basic White Frog Bread and Tossed Frog Greens with Balsamic Vinaigrette.


Polynesian Frog Wings on Brown Rice, served with Frog Greens (broccoli and tossed salad)


Froghetti with Frog Balls Marinara and Italian Toad Bread


Frog Stew and Light Wheat Bread


Dakota Frog Bread


FrogMama and Kids Herb Bread, Seared Salmon with Balsamic Frog Sauce, Rainbow Potato Frogcakes with Sour Cream, Mixed Veggies, Cabbage Slaw and Iced Tea.
This was my favorite, but most difficult bread to make. The flavor is delicious, but you try making bread dough look like a bunch of frogs!

OK, I'll stop now *smile*

*****

27 comments:

  1. The FrogMama and Kids are my favorite!!! They look froggilicious! You must have a lot of patience to do that... I've been making my own sandwich bread for a few months now, but the bread machine does all the hard work--I just split it into pans & bake.

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  2. You're a woman after my own heart. :)

    Actually, I like cows better than frogs. They're cute, fuzzy and taste good. YUM!

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  3. Momma_S, I used to use a bread machine to mix the dough (never to bake it), but now I use my food processor. It's ready to rise in less than five minutes. I love to bake bread that way, but I don't do it often in the summer, it's too hot here. My old Cuisenart processor died a couple of weeks ago (it was like 25 years old!)and I bought a cheaper one, so I'm not sure if it will handle the dough or not. I might have to drag out the big old bread machine again.


    Ribbit, I LOVE cows. I have a story (true) that would turn you into a vegetarian....or at least a chikenarian. I'll have to blog it someday when I feel like a good cry.

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  4. Oh, I love the frog bread-how cute. I can't imagine you ever having had the time for that-you're so busy with so much stuff.

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  5. Sue, I only made the frog bread once, that was enough! Teresa made frog bread too, so it was a contest between us to see who did the best. I had time to do a lot of stuff that winter, as I only had a dial up internet connection. Now, with an always on, high speed connection, I don't get much else done :-(

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  6. I love the little frog that hangs off the edge of your white dish. He looks hungry and really wants to have some of that dinner. I shouldn't be reading this blog right before dinner. I'm hungry.

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  7. Daphne, I love him, too. He hangs off of a candy dish when he isn't trying to eat my dinner ;-) I think he steals my candy!

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  8. Oh how fun! That was a great post and cute frog pics. Love that frog bread. Do you have a specific bread recipe that you really like?

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  9. Crystabel, yes, I do! I'll post the recipes for you soon.

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  10. I'm kinda liking Dakota Frog. I can hear him saying, "I'm just sit'in here chillin'."

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  11. you are such a kick! Every year that goes by can't take that from you. Your food looks great and I love your frogs!

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  12. Cheryl, the Dakota Bread is really good, too...that's why she looks so happy sittin' on it!

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  13. Zoey, you should know, as you've known me for most of those years! I love you! I miss you, too.

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  14. The frogs are so much fun! What a great little competition to have some fun with them and spur the creative juices too. I am most impressed with the frog family bread. That must have taken some doing.

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  15. KitsapFG, oh, it did! The eyes kept falling off so I had to "help" a couple of them with toothpicks! But you are correct, it got the creative juices flowing! I should have posted a picture of Teresa's frog family...she worked hard on hers, too.

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  16. I enjoy your blogs. Your food looks delish!!

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  17. Thank you, MissyM! That's very nice of you.

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  18. Loved the Dakota Frog Bread!!!!

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  19. Thanks so much for sharing that! Made me smile bigtime. I liked the see-no-evil, speak-no-evil froggies... all of the food made my mouth water, and I just love your happy crockery. :)

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  20. Toni, me too!

    Hidinginmygarden You're welcome!

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  21. None of my food ever looked at good as yours. I stink at presentation, lol. The Dakota bread was the one that started the frog war.

    Oh, and I live in NW Iowa. In the middle of a big cornfield. 'Course, the state of Iowa *IS* a big cornfield ....

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  22. noname (Teresa), I should have known that! Mr. H's grandfather was one of those storm Lake, Iowa pig farmers! And your food looked (and tasted) great. Your oatmeal rolls are still one of my favorites.

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  23. your frog bread is too cute! i bet the eyes were nice and crunchy! =)

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  24. Kelli, that herb bread was really good, but I hated to eat it after all the work it took to make the frogs!

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  25. Thank you! I can't wait to check out your bread recipes (and any others) :)

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  26. One summer, we were infested with frogs in Atlanta. I remember coming home from a party and the sound of mating bullfrogs was all over. Then a bullfrog greeted us at the door and wouldn't let us get by. We stayed outside for a good half and hour staring down this bulging-eyed frog. Finally he got bored and leapt out of the way. Long story short, I see a frog, I just give them space.

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  27. Kalena Michele, LOL! I didn't start off collecting frogs. I actually began collecting lizards to put in my cactus garden in AZ. A friend thought my lizard was a frog, and before long she was gifting me with frogs for the garden. About that time, I would lose my cactus plants each summer (due to a zealous overwatering by a neighbor)so, having had a few frogs given to me, I started "planting" the frogs' butts on rocks in the garden to replace dead cacti! Of course, that started friends and family on a frog buying frenzy. Now I have frog gardens ;-)

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