Lovin' From the Oven

Crockpot Beef Stew Marinara Sauce and a Giveaway

by 65 Comments

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I have a problem… I’m addicted to microwave popcorn and I can’t give it up. I know how it’s supposed to be really bad for you and all about “popcorn lung,” but it’s so. so. addicting. It’s the perfect snack that you can eat when you want something salty. It’s light, buttery, and never ending. I don’t feel as bad finishing a whole bag of popcorn as I do finishing a can of Pringles.

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I’ve tried the healthier versions that don’t require the microwave bags lined in butter, but it’s not the same. Why would you eat fat free popcorn when movie theater butter is sitting right next to it? I’ve even tried popping my own kernels and adding seasonings to it later: butter seasoning, salt, sugar.. you name it, I’ve tried it.

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To no avail. I bought the Costco sized pack of Orville Redenbacher’s movie theater style and that box calls out to me every night. What do I do when I’m catching up on my shows, when the DB is playing video games, or when we watch a movie on Netflix? Eat popcorn. It’s terrible.

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I did a little more research and I found out microwave popcorn’s really bad for you. Especially the kind I like. When I asked my DB if consuming 30% of my saturated fat in popcorn a day, his jaw dropped.

He then replied, “That’s for people that consume 2,000 calories a day and I doubt you eat that much…. soooo… it’s probably more like 40-50% for you. Saturated fat isn’t the kind of fat that makes you fat, though. It clogs your arteries.”

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How wonderful. I’m going to have a heart attack when I’m 28. Starting today, I’ve decided to give up my favorite snack for a while. Not cut it out completely, but maybe something more like once a week rather than six times a week. I’m sure that’ll be less harmful to my body.

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Little do we know how bad the food we eat is. If you don’t know how to read nutrition labels properly, then you could really be misguided. That means I should probably make my own food more, so I know exactly what goes into it.

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Throughout this whole “cooking more” stage of my life, I’ve learned that cooking is only as hard as you make it. There’s no need to stress about it, like I have been doing for too long. It’s really not that hard. The rules are a lot more flexible in cooking than baking. There are no precise measurements and it’s very forgiving.

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Still, as I get more comfortable cooking, I will never let the crockpot go to waste. I will use that thing until I die. Just look at all the beautiful and taste meals that can come from it!
This dish is very hearty and is definitely made for meat lovers. There’s practically more meat than sauce in this pasta topping. I love adding spinach at the end because I don’t feel as bad eating all that red meat. Ah, the things I do to make up for my bad eating habits…

Print
Crockpot Beef Stew Marinara Sauce

Ingredients

  • 1 pound beef stew
  • 1/2 jar of Trader Joe's Marinara Sauce (13 oz)
  • 1 green bell pepper
  • 1/4 of an onion
  • 1 tsp garlic powder
  • 2 tsp red pepper
  • dash of tabasco
  • handful of spinach

Directions

  1. Put all of the ingredients except for the spinach into a crockpot. Give it a stir.
  2. Cook on high for 4 hours or low for 6 hours. Just before serving, stir in a the handful of spinach until it completely withers. Serve over pasta.
https://lovintheoven.com/crockpot-beef-stew-marinara-sauce/

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And now for the giveaway! I’ll be giving away:

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This Wilton Baking Sensations 5 Piece Bakeware Set! I know how it was starting to bake… things are expensive! There are so many pans that are “essential” in your kitchen that you can’t do without. This Wilton set will cover your basics. Or, if you already have baking pans, consider this the time for an upgrade.

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You’ll be getting two 8 inch round cake pans.

A medium loaf pan.

A 6 cup muffin pan.

and a medium cookie pan.

(Those aren’t the exact links, but they’re the closest I could find online.)

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Now for the rules! How to enter:

  1. Leave a comment on the About Me page with a tidbit about yourself. I want to get to know my readers!
For additional entries, you can:
  1. “Pin” this giveaway and come back leaving a separate comment saying you did so.
  2. Become a fan of Lovin’ From the Oven on Facebook (if you aren’t already) and post a separate comment saying you’re a fan.
  3. Tweet this giveaway and post a comment with the link.
  4. Post a Facebook status about this giveaway and link back to this page. Then leave a separate comment with the link.
That’s a grand total of five entries that you can get. This contest will end a week from today, February 5th at 11:59 PM PST, and is only open to US residents. The winner will be chosen at random by random.org. I’ll be combining the comments on the About Me page plus this one to choose the winner from. Don’t forget to leave an email that I can reach you at in case you win.  Good luck!!
*This giveaway is solely sponsored by yours truly. Wilton has no idea who I am.*

Comments

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