Peanut Butter Brownie Bites

This is a sneak peek at what I am serving at a party tomorrow night! I have been wanting to make these for awhile but really have not had a chance. I was so excited about the results that I had to share them immediately. I know you have seen these all over Pinterest so I decided to give them a try. If you can make box brownies, you can make these!

• 1 box of brownie mix and all ingredients called for on the box
• creamy peanut butter
• peanut butter chips
• chocolate chips (I used mini chips because I had an open bag in the cupboard)

Start by mixing the brownies according to package directions. Grease a mini muffin pan and pour brownie batter in each space filling about 3/4 full. Bake at 350 for about 15 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Let the brownies cool for about a half hour and remove from tins. Smooth some peanut butter on each brownie. I mixed the chips together in a bowl. Dip each brownie into the bowl. Store in a airtight container until ready to serve.

Freezer Meal Meatloaf

So... I have not posted for a very long time. Long story short, my computer was stolen, had to buy a new one and then I started three accelerated summer classes. But I'm back! I have been cooking and baking a lot of new recipes that I am excited to share with you.

I've been thinking ahead to this fall.  I have an awfully busy fall. Two on-line classes and I will be working at a corn maze for the youth group at our church. I am excited to do all of this but know I will not have much time for cooking. This usually leads to us McDonald's, Subway, cereal, or going out for ice cream for supper. Definitely not healthy or budget friendly options. I'm sure you have all been browsing Pinerest and have see the new rage with Freezer Cooking. I have attempted this a couple different ways. The first time, my mom and I did it together. We each bought ingredients for ten recipes then we got together on one day and cooked it all. I have never seen such a mess in all my life. But in the end I had 39 meals in my freezer and I believe my mom had 20. I bought loaf pans at the Dollar Tree (3 for a buck!) so that it was the perfect size for my little two person family. My mom used more 9x9s and 9x13s so she came out with less meals. This has saved us countless trips for fast food and poor eating choices. This second round, I am attempting a little differently. As I have time throughout my week I do some cooking for a couple hours and throw it in the freezer - creating a stockpile for this fall. For those of you who don't even have a couple hours here and there, you could just start doubling the recipes that you are already cooking and throw one in the freezer for later.

I like meatloafs for the simple fact that I can pull them out the morning I need them and they will be thawed. I have noticed that casseroles can take a few days to thaw so meatloafs cater to the spontaneous family. I found this recipe while cruising around Pinterest and absolutely love it. I put a few changes on it, she bakes all the meatloaf before, while I just freeze them raw. I also do not use as much stuffing mix. My mom told me it was hit at her house too. I just made this recipe and doubled it a couple days ago and was able to stockpile 8 meatloaf meals in an hour, including clean-up!!!

• 3 pounds ground beef
• 3 pounds ground turkey
• 6 oz stuffing mix
• 3/4 cup oatmeal (you could use bread crumbs but I like the whole grains)
• 6 eggs
• 1 cup BBQ sauce
• 5 Tablespoons onion powder
• 4 Tablespoons garlic salt
• 6 Tablespoons Worcestershire sauce

Pack meatloafs into loaf pans, cover, and freeze.

To use: Thaw meatloaf and bake at 350 for 45 minutes to an hour. Your cooking time will vary based on the size of your loaf pans.