cooking – Pollywog's Place Blog

5th Saturday Weenie Roast: A Memorable Family Tradition

Published on October 1, 2025October 5, 2025 by Susie @ Pollywog's Place Blog2 Comments

Some of our favorite memories from North Carolina were from the 5th Saturday Weenie Roasts that our church would have. It was so much fun to gather ’round an open fire and roast hot dogs (and marshmallows). The kids all played until they couldn’t play anymore, and everyone feasted on the potluck dishes that were brought. It was definitely a time of fellowship that we will cherish forever in our hearts.

We haven’t found anything similar to that here, but I was determined to keep that tradition alive so we would have our own version of 5th Saturdays at home. Sometimes friends and family will join in, but sometimes it is just us, and that’s ok.

An added benefit is that you and your kiddos will get comfortable cooking on an open fire, and that could come in handy during an emergency or power outage!

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My Kids Surprised Me With Their Knife Skills!

Published on September 23, 2025September 18, 2025 by Susie @ Pollywog's Place BlogLeave a comment

I used to think letting my kids near sharp knives was a recipe for disaster. Turns out, it’s the exact opposite.

When kids learn real knife skills, they actually become safer in the kitchen. They gain confidence, take ownership of meals, and (bonus!) start helping with dinner instead of just asking when it’s ready.

That’s exactly what this free knife skills class for kids delivers: practical instruction, real safety techniques, and fun activities that make kids excited to cook. My kids surprised me and so will yours!

👉 Grab the free knife skills class here**

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Special Holiday Meals: A Hobbit Inspired Menu w/printable menu

Published on September 18, 2025September 28, 2025 by Susie @ Pollywog's Place Blog4 Comments

My family loves the Hobbit books and movies, so when I saw that there was an actual ‘Hobbit Day’ on September 22nd, I had to make a note of it on our Fall Perpetual Meal Plan. Last year, we were in the middle of wedding prep, followed by hurricane prep, so it kind of got forgotten about. This year, my kiddos have not let me forget!

We worked together to make a menu so that we can celebrate… we might even watch the movies, if we can! We might also enjoy our Elevenses outdoors under our garden arches… so many ideas. Our kids love reading and we love to encourage them so this is a cute way to keep that spark ALIVE!

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Keto Fried Chicken

Published on April 15, 2024April 17, 2024 by Susie @ Pollywog's Place Blog2 Comments

One of Mr. Awesome’s most talked about memories of his Granny is about her Fried Chicken and he loves it when his mom brings over Fried Chicken… on the other hand, I can take it or leave it. When we started eating healthier the idea of giving up his favorite fried foods was almost a deal-breaker until I came up with a recipe that didn’t require a ton of special ingredients and that tasted almost as good as the ‘REAL’ thing… if it’s got Mr. Awesome’s stamp of approval then you know it’s got to be GOOD!

We like to use the chicken with the skin on but this would also work with boneless skinless chicken or chicken tenders… just adjust the cooking time. This recipe is similar to the recipe that we use for the Fried Gizzards so you might want to check those out too! While I’m not particularly crazy about Fried Chicken, I can eat my weight in Fried Gizzards… no jokes!

These are the measurements that I use but sometimes I do have to make extra breading mixture up. That’s ok though because I just add a little to the bowl for the chicken and then store any leftover breading or pork rinds in the freezer which makes it easy to fry up a quick snack when we want one later on. If you don’t care for pork rinds you can just omit this step in the recipe.

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Flea Market Finds and a Special Delivery from Zoe’s Toolbox!

Published on April 8, 2024September 15, 2025 by Susie @ Pollywog's Place BlogLeave a comment

We recently went to the local Flea Market for a family outing and we found a few interesting items… not as many as our last Flea Market shopping trip but still a few. We didn’t really have anything in particular that we were looking for… just some fun, quality time as a family.

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