Lovin' From the Oven

White Chocolate Brownies

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Berkeley is a very dog friendly city. Almost everyone has dogs despite their small apartments. There are dog parks on every block and lots of space to go on walks or run around. The weather is also ideal for being outside. The sun’s out all the time and there’s a nice breeze.

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Seriously, I’ve seen some of the most beautiful dogs in my life living in Berkeley. The weird thing is that the cutest puppies belong to the homeless. I understand that they are the best owners for dogs because they give them the love and support that a dog needs. They devote their time to being with their dog 24:7, which is something a lot of people can’t do.

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But what I don’t get is where do they get the puppies from? They have purebreds, puppies that are eight weeks old, and breeds that people pay thousands for. Those puppies are everywhere by UC Berkeley and I always wonder the same thing. How do the homeless get them?

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Don’t get me wrong, I’m happy the puppies have found loving owners, but man do I want their dogs! What’s the secret? How do I get an adorable puppy like theirs?

Not that I can even get a puppy right now. My DB’s busy with school and I’m in the air a hundred hours a month, so we’re not exactly the ideal parents for a newborn pup.

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My DB and I have decided that when the time comes, we’ll be getting two dogs at once. They’ll also be german shepherds. I get a fuzzy feeling just talking about my non existent dogs. Does that make me the crazy dog lady? Nah… There’s no such thing as crazy dog ladies. Dogs are too darn lovable.

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Brownies are typically made with chocolate, but what about the people that don’t like chocolate? And yes, there are people in the world that aren’t very fond of chocolate. Do they just live without eating brownies? What a terrible life that must be!

Good thing white chocolate brownies exist. They solve that terrible problem.

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These still have the same shiny top as regular brownies. The middle is moist and the white chocolate really comes through since it’s melted into the batter and folded into it. Recipe from Cookies And Cups.

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White Chocolate Brownies

Yield: 16 bars

Ingredients

  • 1 1/2 cups white chocolate chips, divided
  • 5 Tbsp butter
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 cup granulated sugar
  • 2 tsp vanilla
  • 1 cup all purpose flour
  • 1/2 tsp baking powder
  • 1/2 tsp salt

Directions

  1. Preheat oven to 350°. Grease a 9x9 pan and set aside.
  2. In a saucepan over low heat, melt together the butter and 3/4 cup white chocolate chips. Continuously stir to keep it from burning.
  3. When the white chocolate is just melted, remove from heat and stir together with a fork until mixed.
  4. In another bowl, stir together the sugar, eggs and vanilla until smooth. Pour in the white chocolate mixture and mix until combined.
  5. Gradually add the flour, baking powder and salt. Finally stir in the remaining 3/4 cup white chocolate chips.
  6. Spread evenly into prepared pan and bake for 20-25 minutes until set. Cool completely before cutting.
https://lovintheoven.com/white-chocolate-brownies/

No Bake Chocolate Chip Granola Bars

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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?

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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 

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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

  1. Line a small jelly roll pan (12x8x1) with wax paper.
  2. In a large bowl, stir oats and rice cereal together. Set aside.
  3. 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.
  4. Once done, stir in the vanilla.
  5. Pour the mixture over the dry ingredients and gently fold until evenly coated.
  6. 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.
  7. Sprinkle with mini chocolate chips and press down lightly. Cool to room temperature (about 2 hours) before cutting.
  8. To store, wrap in plastic wrap and leave at room temperature.
https://lovintheoven.com/no-bake-chocolate-chip-granola-bars/

 

Puppy Chow Brownies

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I was just at Lake Tahoe this past weekend with my family and DB, and it’s crazy to think how much of a different lifestyle it is. I only live about three hours away from Tahoe, but the amount of snow they get is incredible.

I’ve lived in Southern California for 24 years of my life, so I have no idea what it means to wake up early to de-ice your windshield, shovel the driveway, or put on chains.

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The closest experience in SoCal that I ever got to snow was hail. Let me tell you, those things are definitely not the same. Instead of little snow flurries nestling upon your nose, you get mini cue balls aiming for your eyeballs and denting your cars.

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I used to think that I’d love to retire to Lake Tahoe when I’m older, but this past weekend made me change my mind. I’m terrified of driving on a road where one side says “Caution for falling rocks” and the other side says “Caution for 4000 feet cliff.” That’s pretty much the only way to get in and out of Tahoe, too.

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Not only that, but snow makes everything so dang dirty. Sure, it looks pretty when it’s freshly fallen, but after a couple of days with no snow, everything turns black and runny.

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Snow gets everywhere— your house, your car, your shoes. Once it melts, you’ve got water everywhere. It’s truly a pain to deal with.

All in all, I still love going to Tahoe for a week or two out of the year. Nothing beats the view, the people, and the experience. Just as long as I’m not stuck there, I’m a happy camper.

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The best part about snow is having lots of desserts to enjoy the serenity. These brownies would go great with a cup of hot cocoa, cause you know, you can never have enough chocolate.

I thought the cereal would get soggy from baking, but the puppy chow pretty much kept its consistency. The brownies have a nice fudgy texture and create a wonderful base for the puppy chow. Don’t skimp on the powdered sugar; it completes the look and the taste. These brownies are another winner in my book and I’ll be making them again throughout the year.

Recipe From Sugar Plum and makes about 16 brownies.

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Puppy Chow Brownies

Yield: 16 brownies

Ingredients

  • 1/2 cup unsalted butter
  • 1 1/4 cups granulated sugar
  • 1 3/4 cups semisweet chocolate chips, divided use
  • 3 large eggs
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
  • 3/4 cup all purpose flour
  • 3 tablespoons creamy peanut butter + 2 tablespoons
  • 2 cups rice chex cereal
  • Confectioners' sugar

Directions

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a 8x8 pan.
  2. In a small saucepan over medium heat, completely melt the butter. Add in the sugar, stirring constantly, and bring to a boil.
  3. Remove pan from heat and stir in 1 cup chocolate chips until melted and smooth. Let cool for 5 minutes.
  4. Beat together eggs and chocolate-butter mixture for 8 minutes, or until well combined and doubled in volume.
  5. Turn the mixer speed to low and carefully mix in baking soda, baking powder, salt and cocoa powder.
  6. Add in flour and 1/2 cup chocolate chips until just combined. Evenly spread batter in pan.
  7. Using a butter knife, swirl 3 tablespoons peanut butter through batter. Bake 10 minutes.
  8. Meanwhile, prepare the puppy chow: Melt together the remaining 1/3 cup chocolate chips and 2 tablespoons peanut butter in a saucepan over low heat.
  9. Once that is completely melted and smooth, carefully fold in cereal until well coated.
  10. Place cereal on top of brownies. Lightly cover pan with foil.
  11. Put the pan back into the oven for an additional 20 minutes, or until well risen and set. Cool completely on a wire rack. Dust with confectioners' sugar.
https://lovintheoven.com/puppy-chow-brownies/

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