Lovin' From the Oven

Blackout Smoothie

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I was never one to get into the logistics of smoothie making. Apparently, the order in which you blend your ingredients makes a difference. Usually, I just throw everything into a blender and pulse until I don’t have any more chunks. Is that not the right way to do it?

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I don’t have a fancy blender or anything, so smoothie making is kind of a hassle for me. There’s a lot of shaking, moving, swirling, and banging going on in my kitchen. Lucky for us, our apartment has cement walls so I don’t wake anyone up while making my morning smoothie.

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My future MIL and abuela found out that we don’t have a very good blender and actually gifted us a compact blender for Christmas. I can’t wait to give it a try!

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This smoothie didn’t have a very pretty color, which is why I called it the “blackout smoothie.” Who cares what it looks like as long as it tastes good, right? 🙂

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Blackout Smoothie

Ingredients

  • 1 1/2 frozen bananas, sliced
  • 1 1/2 cups vanilla soy milk
  • 2 cups spinach
  • 1 cup frozen blueberries
  • 1/8 cup slivered almonds
  • 1 tsp ground flaxseed

Directions

  1. Mix all ingredients in a blender until desired consistency.
https://lovintheoven.com/blackout-smoothie/

Parmesan and Garlic Roasted Brussels Sprouts

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Sorry to continually be bugging you about a contest, but there’s only ONE DAY left of voting!! Please help me out. I’m currently in second place! It literally takes one click and they won’t ask you to sign up for anything– no email required. Click here to vote for my macaroni and cheese! I promise that if I win, I’ll make plenty of posts to share the grand prize with you (a trip to London)! Thanks for reading this whole schpeal! Vote Vote Vote!

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Sorry for the use of so many exclamation marks. I’m determined and hopeful! I’ve also been up since 3:30 AM for no reason, so I’m a little delirious and groggy.

It’s the worst waking up in the middle of the night and not being able to go back to sleep. There’s nothing to do and no one to keep you company. I’m sure I’ll pass out the moment I finish this post.

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How was your Thanksgiving? Mine was spent with my DF’s family and as every other holiday, we spent the whole day feasting. It was glorious.

A new dish on the table this year were brussels sprouts. I never ate them when I was little (I’m pretty sure they don’t exist in Asian dishes) and still rarely eat them now unless it’s prepared for me by someone else. They’re a foreign vegetable to me. I have no idea what to do with them or how to serve them.

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I thought to myself, “how hard can it be to cook them in the oven?” As it turns out, it’s pretty darn simple. Toss a little olive oil on any vegetable with a little bit of seasoning and you can bake your way to roasted goodness.

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Do you cook brussels sprouts at home? How do you prepare it?

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Parmesan and Garlic Roasted Brussels Sprouts

Ingredients

  • 12 oz brussels sprouts, trimmed and cut in half
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 2 1/2 tsp parmesan cheese
  • 1 tsp minced garlic
  • salt and peper, to taste

Directions

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
  2. Toss the brussels sprouts with the olive oil, parmesan cheese, garlic, salt, and pepper until evenly coated.
  3. Lay out evenly on lined baking sheet and bake for 20-25 minutes, tossing halfway.
https://lovintheoven.com/parmesan-and-garlic-roasted-brussels-sprouts/

Goat Cheese Hamburgers

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I’m curious… How many of you guys go tailgating for the football season? I know Niners fan must do it a lot because of the horrendous amount of traffic going into the city well before the game starts. Thanks SF for practically only having one way into the city.

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Believe it or not, I’ve never been tailgating in my life. Not once. I didn’t even do it in college and I went to a pretty big football college, too! Does that mean I have no school spirit? Sorry, Bruins!

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(note to self: pictures of raw meat are just not appetizing)

I may not have tailgated before, but I’m all about “table-gating” at home. There, I have the comfort of my kitchen and all of the amenities needed in order to cook. Forgot the ketchup? No problem, I’ll just walk over to the fridge and get it.

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I’m much more into the food than the game, anyways. I have no idea how football works and can’t for the life of me get into it. I’d like to think of myself as a pretty athletic gal, having played sports in high school, but football just seems so…. slow.

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Vlasic sent me a tailgating kit to get the party started. When I think of pickles, I immediately think of hamburgers and picnics at the park. Burgers and grilling go hand in hand. I “grilled” my burgers indoors on a grill pan on the stovetop, but they turned out just as good.

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Do you prefer your pickles inside your burger as chips or outside as dills? I’m into both. Farmer’s Garden by Vlasic also has great and crunchy varieties.

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I used to hate eating pickles when I was little, but I came around to them about five years ago. Now I can demolish those Disneyland pickles in a bag within minutes.

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What tailgating party doesn’t have chips? They’re a must. I’m partial to the jalapeño kettle baked ones, but most chips will do.

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This burger is nice and juicy, thanks to the 80/20. Even though it’s a little fattier than other ground beefs, it’s totally worth it. Don’t skimp.

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I’ll take two burgers, please.

Print
Goat Cheese Hamburgers

Yield: 3-4 burgers, depending on how big you want your patties

Ingredients

  • 1 pound ground beef (I used 80/20)
  • 7 dashes Tabasco
  • 1 tsp garlic salt
  • 1/2 tsp freshly ground pepper
  • 1 cup sliced crimini mushrooms
  • 1/4 of an onion, chopped
  • 1 tsp brown sugar
  • 1/4 cup crumbled goat cheese
  • 4 kaiser rolls (mine were topped with cheese)
  • any other toppings you'd like: lettuce, tomatoes, mayonnaise, pickles, etc.

Directions

  1. In a large mixing bowl, mix together the meat, Tabasco, salt, and pepper. Divide and form into four patties (or three if you're making bigger burgers). Cook over a grill on medium heat until desired doneness, flipping the burger halfway through.
  2. While the meat is cooking, cook the mushrooms, onion, and brown sugar in another saucepan until caramelized, about 8-10 minutes. Set aside.
  3. Toast your rolls and put together your burger with the caramelized mushrooms and all your remaining toppings, making sure to put the goat cheese on top of the meat so that it melts. Serve immediately.
https://lovintheoven.com/goat-cheese-hamburgers/

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

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