Caramel Pumpkin Spice Protein Shake

Usually for a quick, pre-workout energy boost I'm all about those chocolate peanut butter protein shakes.

Since it's finally PSL season, I was itchin' to try and make a pumpkin protein shake.

BBQ Cheddar Meatloaf: A Recipe Review of Iowa Girl Eats

Friday afternoon as I was sitting through my final class of the day, I suddenly had the urge to cook a nice feast. Being in college, I prefer to do quick and easy meals (and healthy usually). And I honestly don't spend a lot of time cooking. I'll have a smoothie here or there. Bake some chicken and add some teryaki to my stir fry and call it a healthy meal. But hardly ever do I cook real meals for myself. I love doing that at home in Indiana, but here in my apartment I'm not a huge fan of it. My roommates usually like to do that for me anyways (No lie, I really lucked out).

So I browsed through my FAVORITE cooking blog Iowa Girl Eats.

I stumbled on her recipe for  BBQ Cheddar Meatloaf, and the easiness of it sold me.

 Now of course I made a few modifications to the recipe that was personally fitting for me, and I will share it all below!

Ingredients: 

1 LG Sweet Onion

1lb Lean Ground Beef

2oz Sharp Cheddar Cheese
1 Tablespoon Butter 

1 Egg, whisked
1 TBS Worcestershire sauce
1/4 cup + 2 Tablespoons BBQ sauce, divided
1/4 cup Bread Crumbs
Pinch of Pepper
Pinch of Salt

Preparation time: 20 minutes

Cook time: 40 minutes or until no longer pink.

Preheat: 425F

Step 1.  Cut up Sweet Onion into thin slices. Melt butter in a frying pan, and add onion. Cook until 

              golden brown.

Step 2.  Toast two pieces of wheat bread. Break into small crumbs until completely fills a 1/4 cup.   

             Cut up 2 oz of cheese into small cubes. 

Step 3.  Preheat oven to 425F.

Step 4.  Whisk egg into a large bowl.

Step 5.  Add ground beef, bread crumbs, Worcestershire sauce, cheese cubes, fried onions, 2 TBS of 

             BBQ Sauce (I used Sweet Baby Ray's), and a dash of pepper to the egg. Mix it all up.

Step 6. Once everything is combined, make the meat into a large block, and then cut up into 4 equal  

             parts.

Step 7. Line baking pan with aluminum foil. Add the meat.

Step 8. Bake the meatloaf for about 40 minutes or until no longer pink in the middle!

I had broccoli, mashed potatoes, and a roll on the side!

Recipe Review: Baked Peaches

Last weekend I found a unique recipe that's just perfect for peach season! It seemed rather simple, so I gave it a try. 

Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Pancakes

My breakfast yesterday morning was extra yummy and sweet. Some days I just wake up and decide that it's pancake day. Sunday was one of those mornings. I then realized that my family actually had chocolate chips! What a perfect combination. I love to make my pancakes with oats and flax seeds, so I knew adding some peanut butter would be the perfect touch.

Healthy Strawberry Oatmeal

Good morning everyone! I can am looking forward to a sunny and warm day here in Indiana. I don't know about you, but I get pretty tired of eggs every morning. I don't like cereal that much either, so sometimes I just love me some strawberry oatmeal!

Here's my extra-simple recipe:

Recipe Review: Chocolate Chip Gooey Butter Cookies

Alright guys, THESE are amazing!

The "I Hate Vegetables" Pasta Salad

I always seem to look back on my past days and I realize that I haven't had vegetables in a while. Do you ever do that? And i'm not talking the vegetables that actually taste good. I'm meaning the extra-healthy kinds. When did I last eat a GREEN veggie? Who knows. How about fruits? This morning, no problem. Those actually taste good.

Sausage Stuffed Mushrooms from Epicurious.com

Okay so I HAD to share a stuffed mushrooms recipe I found online- this tasted too dang good! I give it double thumbs up!