kim, Author at Lovin' From the Oven

Root Beer Float Cookies and a Giveaway

March 11, 2014 by kim 27 Comments

Whoa mama… These cookies taste exactly like root beer floats in cookie form. Thanks to McCormick and their root beer concentrate for making this cookie possible!

Did you know that root beer extract was one of Willoughby M. McCormick’s first products that he sold door to door way back in 1889? Yup, that’s right.. you read that correctly. There are no typos there. McCormick is celebrating its 125th anniversary this year!

In order to celebrate their anniversary, they started a program called Flavor of Together. It’s a yearlong initiative to share 1.25 million stories about how flavor both unites and defines people across the globe.

For every story shared on any of McCormick’s brand websites or social channels, McCormick will donate $1, up to $1.25 million, to United Way to help feed those in need. All you have to do is join the conversation on flavoroftogether.com where you can share your flavor story. 1.25 million stories equals $1.25 dollars! You can also share your stories on social media using the hashtag #flavorstory. It’s that easy.

If you’ve never tried McCormick’s root beer concentrate before, you should know that the consistency is a bit thicker than say, vanilla extract. The moment you pop open that seal, the aroma of root beer floats lingers into the air and you are instantly taken back to popping open a glass bottle of root beer to pour over your cup filled with scoops of vanilla ice cream. It’s amazing how spot on it is.

These cookies are tame at first and it will get your guests wondering what that familiar taste is, but the after bite is where you’ll taste it. There will be no doubt in your mind that the cookie you just ate is a root beer float. The creaminess of the white chocolate chips are reminiscent of vanilla ice cream.

Want a chance to try McCormick products? Now’s your chance!

Share your own unique flavor story by commenting on this post and using the hashtag #flavorstory and be entered for a chance to win a McCormick Anniversary Pack. The pack (which values for $50) includes:

exclusive McCormick Anniversary Edition product (both black pepper and vanilla extract–which aren’t available in stores!)
a McCormick recipe book
a branded canvas tote

Root Beer Float Cookies

Yield: 2 dozen cookies

Ingredients

1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
1/4 cup sugar
3/4 cup brown sugar
1 egg yolk
1 tbsp vanilla soy milk (plus more, if needed)
1/2 vanilla extract
1 tbsp McCormick's root beer concentrate
1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
3/4 tsp cream of tartar
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp baking powder
pinch of salt
1 1/2 cup white chocolate chips

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Cream together the butter and both sugars.
Add in egg yolk, soy milk, vanilla, and root beer concentrate.
Gradually stir in the flour, cream of tartar, baking soda, baking powder, and salt until the dough comes together. Use more soy milk (sparingly), if necessary.
Add the white chocolate chips.
Use a medium cooke scoop and place rounded dough balls onto your cookie sheet. Bake for 12-14 minutes.

https://lovintheoven.com/root-beer-float-cookies/

This is a sponsored post, but the opinions expressed are my own.

Perfect Chicken

March 7, 2014 by kim 1 Comment

Apologies, for I’ve been MIA this past week because we’ve been celebrating my DF’s grandma’s 90th birthday in Vegas and then meeting up with my family in Hawaii for a little relaxation time. Now that we’re back home, it’s time for me to get back into the flow of things. I have so much to blog about!

I just landed back in SF about two hours ago and wanted to get a post up before I got into bed. That’s how much I love you guys.

We’ve been eating a lot of red meat for the past week and really need to cut back on that. Chicken to the rescue!

This really is perfect chicken. It’s great to serve as is, with rice, on top of a salad, or in pasta. You can do whatever you want with it.

All I’m dreaming about is getting into bed and not scratching all these dang bug bites that I have on my legs from hiking Manoa Falls yesterday. Good night to all!

Recipe slightly adapted from The Recipe Crayon Box

Perfect Chicken

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 25 minutes

Serving Size: 2-4

Ingredients

2-4 boneless chicken breasts
1/2 t. salt
1/2 t. pepper
1/2 t. garlic powder
1/2 t. dried chopped onions
1/2 t. paprika
1/2 t. red cayenne pepper
2-3 T. olive oil

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Mix together the salt, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, and paprika in a small bowl.
Coat the chicken breasts in the seasoning, rubbing in to coat.
Heat olive oil in a pan over medium high heat. Add the chicken and cook 2-3 minutes per side, until browned.
Move the chicken to a baking sheet and bake for 25 minutes or until juices run clear.
When done, let the chicken sit on a plate 5-10 minutes before cutting, shredding, or eating.

https://lovintheoven.com/perfect-chicken/

Avocado, Spinach, and Egg McMuffin

February 28, 2014 by kim 1 Comment

It’s a great day for a hearty breakfast. By that, I mean it’s pouring rain outside with no sun in sight so I might as well spend the morning inside creating something fulfilling to eat. Doesn’t food just made gloomy days that much better?

I practically grew up on Sausage McMuffins from McDonald’s, so I wanted to make a healthier “McMuffin” (not to mention more adult-like!). This one has some more color and not as much fat or sodium. It will, however, still leave you full for a good couple of hours.

Some people are very anti McDonald’s and would never feed their child something from there. I have no shame eating McDonald’s as a child. As a matter of fact, I loved it and have fond memories from spending my afternoons on the playground. I still eat it now— definitely not as much as I used to and in moderation, but I won’t turn down a McDonald’s run for breakfast if asked.

Did I ever tell you guys that my parent’s first date was at Carl’s Jr? My dad was broke and couldn’t afford more than that. My mom came from Paris, so she never really tasted a hamburger until then. I don’t even think she knew what fast food was. She thought it was delicious! About 239048 Carl’s Jr dates later, they got married and it was a match made in heaven.

This green McMuffin may take a little more time to make, but the end result is worth it. The creamy avocado and the slight saltiness from the spinach truly brings together every single bite. I left one side of the muffin off to save some carbs, but you can certainly make it a closed face sandwich if you prefer. It’s also less messy to eat when you have two pieces of bread to hold onto instead of one.

I just like looking at the perfectly toasted cheese on top. Isn’t she a thing of beauty?

Avocado, Spinach, and Egg McMuffin

Ingredients

1 whole wheat english muffin (I only used half of one to make it open faced, but you can use both)
1 egg, scrambled
handful of spinach
drizzle of olive oil
pinch of sea salt
half of an avocado, sliced
1 1/2 tablespoons shredded mozzarella

Directions

In a small skillet over medium heat, warm up the olive oil and toss in your handful of spinach. Sprinkle sea salt on top. Cook until the spinach has fully wilted, about 4-5 minutes. Remove from heat, drain, and set aside.
Place the scrambled egg on top of your english muffin. Layer it with the spinach, avocado, and cheese.
Toast your open faced sandwich for a minute or two. You can also do this under the broiler in your oven until your cheese begins to melt, but make sure to keep an eye on it because it can burn quickly. Enjoy!

https://lovintheoven.com/avocado-spinach-egg-mcmuffin/

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