Or as I like to call them To Die For Peanut Butter Chocolate Bars! There were many times growing up that we created our own ice cream cakes. This was well before they were the norm at every grocery store. But if we’d had this recipe I would never have eaten anything else for my bday again. lol

Peanut Butter Chocolate Bars

* Your favorite brownie mix, prepared and cooled
* 1-1/2 cups powdered sugar
* 3/4 cup peanut butter
* 8 oz. pkg. cream cheese, softened
* 1/2 cup peanut butter
* 1/2 cup powdered sugar
* 6 serving size pkg. instant vanilla pudding mix
* 2-1/2 cups milk
* 8 oz. container frozen whipped topping, thawed

1. In a large bowl combine 1-1/2 cups powdered sugar and 3/4 cup peanut butter until crumbly and all powdered sugar has been incorporated into the peanut butter. Put half of peanut butter mixture in a separate bowl. Add cream cheese to the peanut butter left in the large bowl and beat until fluffy.

2. In medium bowl, combine pudding mix and milk and beat with wire whisk briskly for 2 minutes.

3. Add pudding mixture to cream cheese mixture, beating until smooth. Fold in whip topping, do not stir.

4. Spread the mixture over the cooled brownies. Top with the separated peanut butter crumble mixture.

5. Freeze until solid, about 2.5 hours. Take out of freezer 20 minutes before serving to soften for easier cutting.

I’d like to thank guest blogger Ann Martin for a fun article about catfish and some recipes to try out.  As with most white fish, it is a little more difficult to freeze once cooked.  Not impossible though!

Once you’ve cooked your fish, you can set them on a cookie sheet and freeze the fillet for approximately an hour.  Then gently place frozen fillets into freezer bags or vacuum seal.  Just make sure that the fillets are frozen before you add them to the freezer bags or they will stick together.  Reheating can be done in the microwave quickly or do a quick fry and get that gently crispness back to it.

National Catfish Month

By Ann Martin

Did you know that august is national catfish month? Catfish is perfect to enjoy throughout the summer and brings that touch of New Orleans right to your table. There are many ways to enjoy catfish, but here a few easy recipes that will have you savor that southern flavor of catfish. Enjoy!

Easy Cajun Catfish Recipe

Ingredients:

• 4 tablespoons butter
• 2 tsp paprika
• ½ tsp cayenne pepper
• ¼ tsp black pepper
• ½ tsp dried thyme
• ½ tsp dried oregano
• 2 lbs catfish fillets

Directions:

Combine first six ingredients. Heat butter up in a frying pan. Coat catfish with seasoned mixture and place in frying pan. Fry catfish until golden brown on each side.

Blackened Catfish

This is an easy quick recipe for catfish that has a twist! I often visit southernfood.about.com and browse their southern food section and discover exciting new recipes and I have found that are also extremely delicious. This is one of those recipes that is worth trying!

Ingredients:

• 1 pound catfish fillets
• 1 envelope Margarita cocktail mix
• 1 egg, beaten
• ½ cup seasoned bread crumbs or cornmeal, seasoned with salt & pepper

Preparation:

Combine breadcrumbs and Margarita mix in plastic bag. Moisten catfish fillet in egg, then shake or roll in crumbs, pressing them firmly into the fish. Pan fry in 2 to 4 tablespoons oil or margarine, or broil on greased pan in oven at 12 to 14 minutes per side. Serves 2 to 3.

Easy Grilled Catfish Recipe

Ingredients:

• 2 lbs. catfish fillets (should be about individual fillets)
• 3-4 tbs. Dijon mustard
• Vegetable oil
• Salt
• Pepper

Directions: Preheat grill. Spread the Dijon mustard evenly on both sides of all the fillets. Let fillets marinade for an hour. Sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste. Brush the grill grates with oil. Place fillets on the grill and for about 4 minutes on each side.

Variation: Substitute Creole seasoning in place of the Dijon mustard to enjoy a southern treat!

Easy Lemon Grilled Catfish Recipe

Ingredients:

• 1 tbs. lemon juice
• ½ softened butter
• 1 clove crushed garlic
• 3 ½ lbs catfish (5 fillets about 5 ounces each)
• 2 tbs. lemon pepper

Ingredients for Lemon-Parsley Relish:

• ½ cup lemon juice
• ½ cup dried parsley flakes
• ½ cup minced onions

Directions:

Combine all relish ingredients, stir and set aside. Preheat the grill. Rinse fish and pat dry. Combine lemon juice, butter and garlic in a bowl; mix well. Coat both sides of filets lightly with some of the butter mixture; sprinkle with lemon pepper. Brush grill grates with oil. Place fillets on grill and grill catfish for about 5 minutes on each side. Serve fillets with a side of lemon-parsley relish.

About the Author:

Ann Martin is a writer for dinnerware center, an online tableware store. Dinnerware Center specializes in tableware sets from major brands, including the Noritake Colorwave Graphite and Noritake Colorwave Blue dinnerware sets.