kim, Author at Lovin' From the Oven

Crockpot Beef Stew Marinara Sauce and a Giveaway

January 29, 2013 by kim 65 Comments

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.

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.

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.

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.”

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.

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.

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.

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…

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

Put all of the ingredients except for the spinach into a crockpot. Give it a stir.
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:

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.

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.)

Now for the rules! How to enter:

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:

“Pin” this giveaway and come back leaving a separate comment saying you did so.
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.
Tweet this giveaway and post a comment with the link.
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.*

Apple Pie Parfaits

January 28, 2013 by kim 2 Comments

Do you have a dream book that you keep tabs in every morning? I don’t, but I certainly have a recurring nightmare that I get probably once a month. You might laugh at me for this, but I have a fear of losing my teeth. It happens differently in every nightmare, but it happens.

Sometimes I dream that I’ll be eating something and then POP! A tooth falls out. Other times, I’ll wake up and have no teeth. Not a single one. Maybe it’s because I think that a smile is a huge part of someone’s personality, and I’m terrified of losing mine. That doesn’t even make any sense.

I’ve never looked into the meaning behind dreams. Some people do that religiously. Dream books, symbolism, the meaning underneath it all… everyone interprets dreams differently.

So, for the sake of blogging, I googled it. “What does losing teeth in your dreams mean?”

What did I learn? Well, apparently the losing your teeth dream is very common. It’s also the most googled dream search. They say it happens when you’re stressed and have anxiety over something going in your life. Oh, it’s also a sign of depression for the person having these dreams.

Oh Google, your answers always amaze me. I’d like to think that I have a pretty good head on my shoulders and don’t stress easily. Que sera, sera, whatever will be, will be…

Now that makes sense why I never looked into the meaning behind various dreams. It’s all a bunch of gibberish. No offense to those who are totally into it. To each their own.

I was craving a parfait from Mcdonald’s one night (I get those fruit and yogurt parfaits on a weekly basis) and decided to whip up one of my own. I didn’t have blueberries or strawberries on hand, but I did have apples. Hard apples would have been boring on plain vanilla yogurt, so I chopped it up and cooked them down in some cinnamon and sugar to make these apple pie parfaits. Top it with some whipped cream and nilla wafers, put it in a fancy cup, and you’ve just turned breakfast into dessert.

Apple Pie Parfaits

Ingredients

2 apples, peeled, cored, and finely chopped
3/4 tablespoons butter
1 tsp lemon juice
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1 tsp cinnamon
slightest amount of salt
vanilla yogurt
whipped cream
2 Nilla wafers, crushed

Directions

In a small saucepan, completely melt the butter over medium-high heat. Add in the apple and lemon juice. Cook for 5 minutes, stirring constantly.
Add in the brown sugar, cinnamon, and salt. Cook for an additional 3 minutes, until the apples are tender. If you like your apples really soft, cook them for longer.
Let the apples cool completely by putting them on a plate and placing it in the fridge for a couple of minutes.
To serve, spoon apples over the vanilla yogurt (I layered mine). Top with whipped cream and Nilla wafers.

https://lovintheoven.com/apple-pie-parfaits/

No Bake Chocolate Chip Granola Bars

January 26, 2013 by kim 15 Comments

For a girl that’s dating a video game lover, I’m really bad at video games. My DB grew up playing with every console and every popular video game he could get his hands on. Sure, I played my fair share of Playstation one games (Spyro, Crash Bandicoot, Rayman, PaRappa the Rapper, Rampage, and Cool Boarders 2, just to name a few), but none of them were first person shooter. The games I played had bubbly characters, unlimited lives, and happy endings.

When I found out that The Walking Dead came out with a video game, I wanted to try it immediately. We’re big Walking Dead fans (heck, sign us up for anything zombie related), so naturally, playing my own story and being able to choose my own fate appealed to me. It’s one of those games where you have different situations and sayings you can choose from. Every decision you make in the game affects your storyline.

Remember those Goosebumps books? The “Reader Beware… Choose Your Own Scare!”? It’s like that, but on the television. The only difference is that you can’t cheat and read all the outcomes ahead of time before choosing which path you want to take.

I started playing The Walking Dead, but it just wasn’t the game for me. I didn’t know the Xbox controller well enough to quickly press the button when it pops on the screen. That means I couldn’t block when a zombie was lunging at my face. Let’s just say I didn’t last very long playing. Frustrated, I handed the controller back to my DB after a tough ten minutes.

Still, the storyline intrigued me. The Walking Dead has received many “game of the year” awards, so I knew it was going to be good. I watched my DB play and told him which phrases I would have chosen to say or what actions I would have done. That got too tiring, so I eventually let him play the game and I merely watched.

We’re currently on the last episode and I’m addicted. The story is so. so. good. If you don’t play video games, have someone else do the dirty work and just watch the story. It’s like being able to watch another season of The Walking Dead while it’s on break.

Pretty sure we’ll finish this final episode by tonight, but it’s okay because The Walking Dead comes back on air in a couple of weeks. There’s always a way to get your zombie fix.

Not that I’m saying zombies are a good thing. I’d be the first one dead in a zombie apocalypse. My DB, on the other hand, has trained for it pretty much his whole life. Did I ever tell you guys that when he was little, he used to shower with googles on? That way, no one could attack him when he was the most vulnerable and he could keep his eyes open the entire time. Who does that?

That’s okay, though… because until the zombie apocalypse comes, I’ll be baking my little heart away. Chocolate chip granola bars, anyone? There’s no baking required! No heat, no oven time, and no waiting in front of the oven.

These are easy to whip up and can be easily adjusted. Don’t want chocolate? Throw in some nuts. Want something healthier? Add in some flaxseeds. My DB even loved these granola bars more than the ones from the store, which is saying a lot.

If you don’t have a small jelly pan as the recipe calls for, you can use a large one and flatten them onto one half. Problem solved.

From Lauren’s Latest

No-Bake Chocolate Chip Granola Bars

Yield: 10 bars

Ingredients

1/4 cup butter
1/4 cup honey
1/3 cup packed brown sugar
2 cups quick cooking oats {not rolled oats!}
1 cup crispy rice cereal
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
2 tablespoons mini chocolate chips

Directions

Line a small jelly roll pan (12x8x1) with wax paper.
In a large bowl, stir oats and rice cereal together. Set aside.
In a saucepan, melt the butter, honey and brown sugar together over medium high heat until it begins to bubble. Turn the heat down to low and cook for an additional 2 minutes, constantly stirring.
Once done, stir in the vanilla.
Pour the mixture over the dry ingredients and gently fold until evenly coated.
Pour the entire mixture into half of the pan, pressing down in between. You want the bars to be about 3/4 inch thick. Make sure you pack the mixture tightly on top and the sides.
Sprinkle with mini chocolate chips and press down lightly. Cool to room temperature (about 2 hours) before cutting.
To store, wrap in plastic wrap and leave at room temperature.

https://lovintheoven.com/no-bake-chocolate-chip-granola-bars/

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