gimme some oven

Entertaining does not need to be crazy stressful.

Case in point.

This past weekend, I ended up doing an impromptu lunch on Saturday with friends.  Being me, and the crazy schedule that is often my life, I had somehow also booked plans for breakfast out with my small group from church beforehand and then a late afternoon wedding afterwards.  Which pretty much left me with 30 minutes to prepare a meal for friends.  But hakuna matata!  I had some new Monterey Gourmet Foods™ ravioli pastas in the fridge that I was stoked to try.  So whipped up a batch of their “Creamy Ricotta Florentine”, some “Butternut Squash Ravioli with Brown Sugar Walnut Sage Butter” (recipe below), paired it with some simple pesto stuffed mushrooms and a salad, and voila — a super delicious meal was literally ready to go in less than 30 minutes!

Definitely my kind of meal.  Classy, quick, and oh-so-delicious.  And the best part was that my friends completely enjoyed it!  They went on and on about the delicious flavors of the ravioli, and the decadent (although secretly super-simple!) sauces that had everyone asking for more.  And they really loved the bright green “Basil, Almonds & Pine Nut Pesto” that was served with the ricotta ravioli and the stuffed mushrooms.  So fresh and vivid!

I also loved the fact that the food my friends were enjoying was all natural.  I have learned that all of Monterey Gourmet Foods‘ pastas and sauces are actually all natural, which is a definite priority in my kitchen.  (And makes me, as the cook, feel better about enjoying the meal as well!)

All in all, definitely a great Saturday with even greater friends.  And a needed reminder for me that some of my favorite meals can be quick and easy, saving time to be enjoyed with the friends I’m privileged to have in my life.

So to celebrate many more great meals to come, we are going to be giving away a $100 Visa giftcard and some rockin’ Monterey Gourmet Foods VIP coupons this week!  Read below for giveaway details, and to also learn how to make these yummy recipes!

see recipe for $100 visa giftcard giveaway

Merry Christmas, everyone!!!

To conclude the “25 Days of Giveaways” here at Gimme Some Oven, I would love to do a different kind of giveaway.  :)

Heifer International has been one of my favorite organizations ever since I was a little girl.  Established back in 1944, this amazing non-profit has a mission to “end poverty and hunger in a sustainable fashion”.  They are probably most known for inviting people to give “live” gifts to those in need.  When I was younger, I remember saving up to sponsor little chicks or goats to be sent to families across the world.  And now as an adult, they’re still at it, and I’m even more impressed with the organization’s structure and mission behind the scenes.  They are a non-prof run with such integrity and care, and the work they are helping do in the world is making an unbelievable and needed difference.

So for the final giveaway, I will be sponsoring a $150 gift certificate for the winner to use at www.heifer.com.  You could use it to buy a goat, a sheep, llama, pig, or rabbits.  You could use it to buy a flock of chicks, ducks, or geese.  Or you could use it to buy a gardener’s gift package, or any number of other amazing gifts.  So many amazing options that will truly be a gift to one of our brothers and sisters around the world.

So please check out Heifer International’s amazing organization, and feel free to enter the giveaway below.  And so many thanks for participating in this month’s giveaways, everyone!  You are the best!!!  I wish you all a meaningful, inspiring Christmas…and a great new year of cooking to come!  :)

see recipe for 25 days of giveaways: $150 heifer international gift certificate

This giveaway is dedicated to all of you who love wine.  And all of you who may not be the best with a corkscrew.  (Yours truly would fall into both categories!!)

This Ozeri Pro Electric Wine Opener will literally do all of the work for you with just the push of a button.  And unlike many electric wine openers, it won’t destroy the cork!  It comes with a sleek little recharging stand, although the battery’s charge will last for up to 40 wine openings.  And it also includes a compact foil cutter, and a bonus pourer and stopper.

Love it!!!

So check out Ozeri and read the directions below to enter today’s giveaway!

***This giveaway is now closed.  The winner’s information is posted below.  Thanks to everyone who participated in the giveaway!***

see recipe for 25 days of giveaways: ozeri pro electric wine opener

This night owl is not always the best “morning person”.  :)

But I’m pretty sure that today’s giveaway would inspire me to hop out of bed any day!!

Today I’m stoked that we are giving away a De’Longi 15 Bar Pump Espresso & Cappuccino Maker.  Dreamy, yes?  This stainless steel little machine does everything — it brews, it froths, it steams, and it will make fantastic cups of espresso and cappuccino.  And it heats up oh-so-quickly.  Perfect for mornings on the run, if you’re like me!

So for all of you latte lovers out there, check out De’Longhi’s great products, and enter today’s giveaway for a chance to win this one!

***This giveaway is now closed.  The winner’s information is posted below.  Thanks to everyone for your participation!***

see recipe for 25 days of giveaways: de’longhi espresso & cappuccino maker

You all know how much I love to make cupcakes.

So I’m excited that today we are giving away an adorable mini-cupcake maker, made by our very own local Babycakes here in Kansas City!  I’m sure you have seen these all around, as (hooray for Babycakes!) they seem to be oh-so-cool lately.  But this amazing little cupcake maker gained its fame for promising to make 8 mini cupcakes in just 5-8 minutes!  Or you can also use it to bake mini pies, tartlets, appetizers, and so much more.  It also comes with an icing bag, four decorating tips, crust tools, and a fun recipe book.

And just in case you need any cupcake recipe ideas, I happen to know where you might find a few good ones.  ;)

So enter today’s giveaway to bake up some deliciousness of your own!

***This giveaway is now closed.  The winner’s information is posted below.  Thanks for your participation, everyone!***

see recipe for 25 days of giveaways: babycakes cupcake maker

Today’s giveaway features a perfect place to store those flours and whole grains from yesterday — this wonderful “Dry Ingredients Keepers” set from the creative folks at Progressive International.

It is a fantastic way to stay organized.  And it provides all sorts of perks that cooks will appreciate, such as built-in levelers in each keeper for easy measuring, airtight seals, and shakers for decorating.  Definitely a step up for normal storage containers!

The lucky winner of this giveaway will receive four keepers, including:

• Flour Keeper
• Brown Sugar Keeper
• Powdered Sugar Keeper
• Mini Keeper

So check out these great new keepers over at the Progressional International site, along with so many of their other amazing products that I love.  And enter today’s giveaway below!

***This giveaway is now closed.  The winner’s information is posted below.  Thanks to everyone for participating!!!***

see recipe for 25 days of giveaways: progressive international dry ingredients keepers set

Ten years ago, I never would have dreamed that I would so love and admire a flour company.  But any of you who are familiar with King Arthur Flour know what I’m talking about.

King Arthur Flour has not only taught our generation how to cook and bake with their healthier, quality-made flours and whole grains…they somehow made it oh-so-hip.  :)  Their website has long been one of my favorite resources for recipes, and they even have a baking hotline that you can call for advice if you run into questions in the middle of a recipe.  (How many times have you needed that?!)  Also, being the granddaughter of Kansas wheat farmers, I so appreciate and respect the way King Arthur Flour honors the relationships with their farmers.  Always reassuring to know where your food comes from.

So today, I’m excited that we’re giving away a copy of their “Whole Grain Baking” cookbook – an amazing one that every baker should have in their collection.  And then the winner will also receive a coupon for a bag of free flour to use at your local grocery store.  (I highly recommend their white whole wheat flour, pictured below.  I use it now the majority of the time in place of all-purpose!)

So if you’re new to King Arthur Flour, or a longtime fan, pop over to their website to look around.  And enter this yummy giveaway!

***This giveaway is now closed.  The winner’s information is posted below.  Thanks everyone for your participation!!!***

see recipe for 25 days of giveaways: “king arthur flour whole grain baking”

I became a big Nostalgia Electrics fan years ago when I bought one of their chocolate fountains (one of my favorite entertaining centerpieces!).  Little did I know until I moved in with my current roommates that they also make some seriously stellar popcorn makers!!!  I’m a pretty tough popcorn critic, and can vouch that theirs is absolutely scrumptuous.  And addictive.  :)

So now it’s your turn to become a fan!  Today we’re giving away not one, but two amazing Nostalgia popcorn makers — their Hollywood Series™ Kettle Popcorn Maker and the 6-Quart Theater Popcorn Maker TPM100.  Oh yes.

Your movie and game nights will never be the same again.  These guys are perfect for entertaining, and they are super-simple to use and have those adorable, classiclooks!  You even get to personalize the marquee on the Kettle Popcorn Maker.  Um…perfect!

So check out the Nostalgia Electrics website to learn more about all of their amazing other products, or visit your local Bed, Bath & Beyond to see some in person.  And enter the giveaway to hopefully win this popcorn-tastic pair!

***This giveaway is now closed.  The winner’s information is listed below.  Thanks everyone for participating!!!***

see recipe for 25 days of giveaways: nostalgia electrics popcorn & kettle popcorn makers