kim, Author at Lovin' From the Oven

Sidebar: I’m Engaged!

August 16, 2013 by kim 32 Comments

Guess what?! My DB (dear boyfriend) has turned into my DF (dear fiance)! He popped the question two days ago, on August 14th, and I’m going to tell you allll about it! Sorry there’s no recipe in this post.

A little back story: My DF and I met in Irvine over five years ago, but found out we had a class together at UCLA. I’m the type of girl that usually books it after class is done. I do my time and then I’m out of there. Per usual, I’m the first one out the doors when class ended and I’m outside of the building when I hear my name being called. When I turned around, I saw that it was my DF from a distance and he ran (I kid you not) to where I was. That’s how we began talking. I make fun of him for that until this very day.

Now let’s fast forward to two days ago.

I had plans to get froyo with one of my friends on Wednesday, and she had asked me if I wanted to go to UCLA afterwards to run some errands with her. She said she had to pick up some transcripts (which made sense to me because she had just finished nursing school and was applying to jobs) and I didn’t think anything of it. As I left, my dad asked me where I was going and I told him my plans.

My friend and I finished our froyo and then were on our way to UCLA. After we parked and were walking to the elevator, my friend screams out, “Oh crap! I forgot something in the car!” and bolts off. I stand there, waiting for her while reading blog emails on my phone. She finally comes back and we walk around because she says she needs to use the restroom. Instead of walking around the buildings, she insists on walking up Janss steps and I follow her.

The moment we pass by Haines Hall (where we had our first class together), I hear someone yell, “Kim!” I turned around and noticed a familiar shirt (I buy all my DB’s clothes), but figured it was a mistake and kept walking. I’m a teeny tiny bit near sided so I couldn’t make out the face of the guy, which is why I ignored it. He shouts out my name again and then I realize it’s my DB.

With flowers in his hand, I knew exactly what he was going to do. His two friends were following behind him, one with a camera in hand. He gets down on a knee and proposes. Just like that, it was done! We were engaged. My DB told me that my dad was also there, being paparazzi at the building across from us. Of course, I couldn’t even see him when I was looking for him, but he got some great shots of the whole event.

A little story about this picture above: My DF posted it on FB and made it official literally two seconds after he proposed. I didn’t even have time to call anyone to let them know! Not even my own mother.

Also, remember when we were in the parking garage and my friend forgot something in the car? It turns out my DF and my dad were waiting at the elevator 15 feet away from me. My DF had planned to get there ten minutes prior to us, but he parked in the wrong garage and had to re-park, making us arrive at the same time. My friend saw my dad and DF and delayed us going to the elevator by “getting something from her car.” My DF told me the elevator literally took 40 seconds to come down. Lucky for him, I’m oblivious to my surroundings (I know, so bad) and I was blog emailing! Thank you guys for keeping me distracted!

I’m pretty sure the first thing 90% of the people ask after saying I’m engaged is, “Show me a picture of the ring!” So here it is! Do you know how hard it is to take a picture of your own hand? It’s darn difficult.

My DF chose the ring on his own with no help whatsoever from me. I’m really indecisive and have no idea what I like, so I told him it was all on him when the time comes. The only thing I told him was that it has to be a skinny band because I have little fingers. That’s it. The rest was all him!

He did such a good job. I can’t stop staring at it. But yeah…. that’s our story! Now it’s time for all the planning to commence! If you guys have any recommendations for pretty much anything wedding related since I’m starting from a clean slate with a tight budget, do let me know in the comments! Advertise yourself or your favorite venue/stores/food/photographers/DJ’s/designer/wedding invitations/wedding websites. Oh, I’d also be getting married in Southern California if that helps. I’d love and appreciate it so much!

Thanks for all of your overwhelming support (especially on Facebook and Instagram!)

Red Lobster Copycat Cheddar Biscuits

August 7, 2013 by kim 3 Comments

Sometimes, when I open my oven, I get so grateful for Pinterest introducing me to a little recipe from heaven. This is one of those times– Red Lobster Copycat Cheddar Biscuits.

I admit that this isn’t a healthy recipe, but that’s the reason why it’s so mouthwatering. Make it for special occasions: family reunions, block parties, or even a kid visiting home from college.

These biscuits don’t require any yeast, which made it an appealing recipe for me. There’s no time waiting for any dough to rise! It’s like baking cookies, but you get savory instead of sweet.

The dough itself is a little sticky to work with, but that’s not a problem since you literally drop the dough onto a baking sheet. You don’t have to mold them and they’ll still come out looking delicious because of the cheese, butter, and rosemary/basil on top.

I don’t even think I ever ate at Red Lobster when I was little, so I can’t tell you if these taste like the real thing or not. All I know is that they’re dang good and you can’t eat just one.

I love how the bottom of each biscuit got a nice and crunchy layer, making every bite that more special. The cheese on the bottom also hardens, like the asiago cheese on top of a bagel.

I did find it a little strange that the biscuit itself didn’t brown very much, though. I would have liked them to come out of the oven more “toasted” looking rather than ghostly looking.

Recipe from Erecipe Cards

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Ingredients

1 1/2 Cups Flour
3 TBS Butter, COLD, cut into dice size
1 TBS Baking Powder
1 tsp Garlic Powder
3/4 Cup Grated Cheddar Cheese
3/4 Cup Milk
1 tsp Salt
2 TBS Butter, Melted
1 tsp Garlic Powder
1 tsp Fresh Herbs (I used Rosemary and Basil)

Directions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees
Add 1-1/2 Cups flour to a Kitchenaid mixer with the dough hook attachment. Cut in 3 TBS COLD butter. Add the baking powder, garlic powder and salt.
Slowly stir in the milk and cheese and knead for 30 seconds. Do not over mix.
Divide into 8 Balls, drop on lined cookie sheet. Bake for 14 minutes.
Meanwhile, melt 2 TBS butter, mix in Garlic Powder and Herbs
When biscuits come out of the oven, brush with garlic herb butter mix.

https://lovintheoven.com/red-lobster-copycat-cheddar-biscuits/

Smucker’s Ice Cream Sundaes

August 6, 2013 by kim 53 Comments

As the summer temperature slowly rises, I’ve got ice cream on my mind. Mint chocolate chip, java chip, mud pie, french silk, cookies ‘n cream, s’mores, coffee…. Have I mentioned your kryptonite yet? Vanilla bean, neapolitan, pistachio, strawberry, almond fudge, pralines ‘n cream, rocky road, sherbet, chocolate chip, butter pecan…. How about now?

Let’s not forget about the toppings. What’s an ice cream sundae without a cherry on top?

I’m headed to Hurricane Harbor (a water park) with my nieces and nephew and couldn’t think of a better way to end the day after hours in the sun. Plus, kids love being able to decorate and create their own “masterpieces.” By creating a little ice cream sundae bar, kids can choose what flavors of ice cream they want and what toppings to add. Who says you can’t have your own mini party indoors at home and avoid the sweltering heat?

You can use whatever ingredients you want, but here’s what my layout looks like:

Smucker’s has released four new toppings for your ice cream sundae party: Hot Butterscotch, Hot Milk Chocolate, Magic Shell Pink Lemonade, and Magic Shell Rootbeer. Magic Shell was mesmerizing to me when I was little, and it still is twenty years later. As for the microwavable topping, it’s come a long way. There’s no more heating it up in a separate bowl, trying to get the right temperature, and then dripping it all over the place and making a mess. You just pop open the lid, microwave it for 30 seconds, let it sit for a bit, and then pour away. Pure genius.

But we’re jumping ahead of ourselves. Let’s start out with the waffle bowl– much more impressive than the waffle cone.

Fill it up with ice cream, whipped cream, and toppings.

Then, pour away!

Here’s my finished product.

I used cookie dough ice cream, sliced bananas, both chocolate and regular whipped cream, chopped nuts, chocolate chips, hot milk chocolate microwaveable topping, rainbows sprinkles, and of course, a maraschino cherry. Need a better picture? I created a little GIF just for you!

Want a chance to win a Smucker’s “Top Summer Fun with a Sundae” Kit (approximate retail value of $150)? It includes:

Smucker’s Pink Lemonade Magic Shell Topping, Smucker’s Root Beer Magic Shell Toping, Smucker’s Hot Milk Chocolate Microwavable Topping, and Smucker’s Hot Butterscotch Microwavable Topping
$50 American Express gift card
Beach themed disposable camera
Colorful beach towel
Banana Republic beach tote bag

Just leave a comment on this post with your favorite ice cream flavor by Friday, August 9th at 11:59 PM!

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