Lovin' From the Oven

Berry Nut Oatmeal

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I’ve been eating a lot of oatmeal recently. The packets are easy to pack, a cinch to make (all you need is some hot water!), and it’s nutritious. Not only that, but it tastes good! It took me a while to jump on the oatmeal train, but I’m glad that I finally did. Start your kids off early and introduce oatmeal to them at a younger age. They’ll appreciate it when they’re older. I know I would have! I change up my flavors quite a bit. Depending on my mood, I’ll add bananas and honey or cinnamon and apples. Today, I was feeling berries and nuts. The great thing about oatmeal is that you can adjust it to your liking. Some like it sweet, some like it hearty. I’m all about the sweet.

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I was so excited to try C&H® Pourable Golden Brown Sugar and C&H® Quick Dissolve Superfine Sugar, which are perfect for mornings. Light brown sugar is usually clumped together and harder to separate, so it was wonderful to use a brown sugar that’s made for pouring. You can pour them onto your oatmeal, fruit, or even into your coffee without worrying about chunks of brown sugar coming out thanks to the convenient dispenser. It’s never been easier to portion your sugar servings. The packaging fits into my hand perfectly, so I have better control when pouring. Even when you use it for baking, there’s no longer the need for “packing” your brown sugar. Each cup of pourable light brown sugar is equal to a regular cup of brown sugar. My favorite part is that it has a re-closeable flip top lid! There’s no more worrying about your sugar drying out.

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The Quick Dissolve Superfine Sugar is available in the same packaging as the Pourable Light Brown Sugar. Its finer texture makes it ideal for rapidly blending into drinks. Look for the new flip-top sugar canisters from C&H® Sugar, or its sister brand, Domino® Sugar (available in the eastern half of the U.S.), at a grocery store near you. For a coupon, visit chsugar.com/flip-top-sugars or for Domino® brand, visit dominosugar.com/flip-top-sugars.

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1 packet instant oatmeal 1 tablespoon crushed walnuts 2 tablespoons assorted berries (I used frozen) 1 teaspoon C&H® Pourable Golden Brown Sugar Prepare the oatmeal according to the packet directions. Add the walnuts and berries on top. Sprinkle the sugar over the toppings and enjoy!

What is your favorite use for brown sugar? Leave an answer in the comments below and you will automatically be entered for a chance to win a $100 Visa gift card.

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Blackberry Crumble

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Did you know that September is the most popular birthday month? I missed it by 6 days (My birthday is August 26)… Bummer! McCormick didn’t miss the deadline, though. They’re celebrating their 125th birthday/anniversary on September 28th!

They’ve introduced a new version of vanilla extract to celebrate their birthday: Extra Rich Pure Vanilla Extract. The name says it all… it’s deep, flavorful, and rich. It’s twenty five percent stronger than the classic vanilla and is a mix between sweet caramel and bourbon-rummy flavors. Since vanilla extract is used in practically every dessert, it only makes sense to make it a bit stronger. Less is more, in this case!

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McCormick is also celebrating their birthday by giving back to communities around the world through stories and conversations about the importance of flavor in our lives through their Flavor of Together program. It’s a yearlong initiative to share 1.25 million stories about how flavor brings together people from around the world. For every story shared on McComick’s social sites and website, McCormick will donate $1 to United Way.

Come join the conversation at flavoroftogether.com or use the hashtag #flavorstory to help contribute to a wonderful cause!

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In elementary school, all I ever had was cake for my birthday. It was always an ice cream cake from our local ice cream chain store with lots of frosting and mini ice cream cones on the side. I LOVED it when I was little, but as I grew older, I realized that I didn’t really care for cake. There are so many other good desserts out there! Cake just seemed kind of… ordinary.

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For my latest birthday, I celebrated it with a peach and strawberry crumble. It was perfect– something sweet, but not too powerful, and felt just like home. Crumbles are something that I envision a grandma making for having her grandkids over. You know, something made when the sun is shining and the birds are chirping through the window.

I have no idea where I get these visions from. It’s just what crumbles to do me.

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They’re so easy to make, too. There’s no rolling out dough or cutting anything out. You simply lather one layer on top of another and bake away.

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Those butter slices kind of look like potato chips, don’t they?

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I had a lot of blackberries on hand from my end of summer haul and decided to use them to make a crumble in order to bring back birthday memories. It was everything that I hoped for and more.

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Seriously, it was perfect. Look at the beautiful color oozing out of the sides!blackberrycrumble-6

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The crumble on top was crispy, buttery, and crunchy.

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Thanks to McCormick, I’ve got a McCormick Anniversary Pack to give away to one lucky reader! It includes exclusive McCormick product, a McCormick recipe book, and a branded canvas tote. Enter in the rafflecopter below!

Print
Blackberry Crumble

Ingredients

  • 1 cup fresh blackberries
  • 1/4 cup sugar
  • 1 teaspoon McCormick’s Extra Rich Vanilla
  • 2 teaspoons lemon juice
  • 1/4 cup oats
  • 1/4 cup flour
  • 1/4 brown sugar
  • 1 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 2 tablespoons butter, divided

Directions

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
  2. Mash together the blackberries, sugar, vanilla, and lemon. Pour into shallow baking dish.
  3. In another bowl, mix together the oats, flour, brown sugar, cinnamon, and 1 tablespoon of the butter until coarse. Pour evenly on top of the blackberries.
  4. Cut the remaining 1 tablespoon of butter on top.
  5. Bake for 25 minutes. Serve warm.
https://lovintheoven.com/blackberry-crumble/

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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

Goji Berry White Chocolate Chip Cookies

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I think the worst part about planning a wedding is waiting for the RSVP’s to come back in. Whenever I receive a wedding invitation, I usually send it back within the first week after receiving it. Well, mine have been out for over three weeks and I only have 50% of them back! The longer it takes, I’m sure the more likely they’ve been forgotten about.

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I’m not one to stress about wedding details, but I think I’ve just become more impatient than anything. I still have to put together the seating arrangements! So far, this whole wedding this has actually been quite laid back. We’re more focused on the bar than anything. The countdown to the bar is only two weeks!

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While my DF is studying, I’m baking. I’m in the kitchen all day trying to figure out what to make with the new ingredients that come in the mail. This time, I was sent some goji berries from Oh Nuts! This was the first time I’ve ever had goji berries and I was a bit caught off guard with the taste.

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You’d think that since they were berries, they’d be sweet like strawberries, blackberries, and blueberries. Nope! They’re actually quite bitter and have a strong aftertaste. They start out okay, but then have such a strong taste afterward that leaves you feeling tricked.

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I threw them into some cookies to see if the the dough and white chocolate chip could help with the goji flavor. No such luck. Baking them in the oven in cookie dough doesn’t change or mute the berry taste at all.

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Let’s just say goji berries are an acquired taste, kind of like pickles and mustard. You have to enjoy eating goji berries alone in order to like these cookies. Otherwise, it’s a lost cause.

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The cookie itself, however, is wonderful. Sub the goji berries with craisins, raisins, nuts, or just about anything else and you’ve got one solid cookie.

Recipe adapted from Averie Cooks. The only thing I did differently was sub the cranberries for goji berries. Stick with the cranberries. 🙂

Print
Goji Berry White Chocolate Chip Cookies

Ingredients

  • 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened (1 stick)
  • 1/2 cup granulated sugar
  • 1/2 cup light brown sugar, packed
  • 1 large egg
  • 2 tablespoons cream or milk
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 1 cup all-purpose flour
  • 3/4 cup bread flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt, optional and to taste
  • 1 cup dried goji berries
  • 1 cup white chocolate chips

Directions

  1. Cream together the butter and sugars
  2. Add the egg, cream, vanilla, and beat on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, 4 to 5 minutes. Gradually mix in the flours, baking soda, salt, and mix until just combined.
  3. Stir in the goji berries and white chocolate chips. Cover the dough and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.
  4. Preheat oven to 350°F.
  5. Roll cookie dough into tablespoon sized balls and bake for 8 to 10 minutes.
https://lovintheoven.com/goji-berry-white-chocolate-chip-cookies/

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