Influenster Review | Reese’s Spreads

I don’t have much of a sweet tooth (obligatory chips and salsa reference). When I do get a sugar craving, there’s one standby that works year-round: Reese’s Peanut Butter cups (or Reese’s Pieces, depending). It’s somewhat problematic because the self-pay market in our building stocks a selection of Reeses’s Peanut Butter cups in the fridge. Delicious.

When I got an Influenster survey that had a lot of questions about Reese’s products,  I was stoked. A few weeks later a package arrived with my very own Reese’s spreads jar.

I know most of us think of Nutella when decadent chocolate nut spreads come into play, but this stuff is my non-jam product jam. I love it! It’s got a very thick consistency, and it’s sweet but not too sweet – the savory peanut butter carries the flavor (for me, at least). You can get an idea of just how thick the product is from some of my shots below:

 

No worry about that weird liquidy separation, or overly sticky messes (this is key if you’re clumsy and accident prone like me).

It also pairs well with snack products. My favorite pairing is animal crackers or shortbread/butter cookies; on the slightly healthier side (I mean, this is a peanut butter chocolate spread), I’d go with apples. This would also be a great add-in for yogurt.

I decided to experiment with protein shake recipes. I’ve been trying to use PB2 and chocolate protein powder, but the results are meh. Mixing in just a little bit of the Reese’s spreads made this a perfect treat! The recipe is below.

 

Disclaimer: I received this product compliments of Influenster for testing/review. All opinions are my own.

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Less Stress Thanksgiving

Okay, so you forgot about Thanksgiving.

Here’s your moment to freak out and really stress.

 

 

 

Done?

Okay, great. Now it’s time to move on, and, well, get moving.

First of all, let’s prioritize and make some decisions. Consider how many people you’re having over, or how many people you need to feed if you’re a guest expected to bring a certain item.

Do you need a turkey? If so, make it a priority to get yourself to a store today. If not, there are a variety of other routes you could take. It’s probably too late to order a ham (or not! I don’t know where you live; maybe ham isn’t a big ticket item), but you could go with some kind of steak, or even a roasted chicken for a smaller event.

Easy Proteins

Pan-Seared Bison Steaks: Scott made these when we hosted my parents for Christmas. Specialty butchers may carry these, as well as select Whole Foods-type stores. I like them because they’re healthier than beef, easy, and unique for a special event.

Roasted Chicken with Carrots, Fennel, and Onion: My standby chicken recipe. You cannot go wrong with this recipe. I made roasted chicken on my own for Scott one night and we both loved this. It’s fragrant and flavorful, plus you get a built-in side dish.

Braised Short Ribs with Vegetable Wine Sauce: One of my coworkers is making something similar and she’s really excited about it because she loathes roasting a turkey. My family and I made a similar recipe (from the Top Chef cookbook) for Christmas and it was a hit!

Balsamic and Whiskey Marinated Steak: So easy, the recipe is in the pin description.

Tuscan Chicken Skillet: I made this one night for Scott as a surprise; we both loved it! It’s packs a ton of Italian flavor, and it’s really juicy. I served it with orzo pasta. Definitely an easy, delicious recipe if you want to go for more robust Italian flavors this year.

Uh, but I’m definitely making turkey?: Here’s a simple, classic version then. But if you have a Costco nearby, you may find yourself in luck – they sell bagged organic brined, seasoned turkeys. Grab yourself a turkey bag and you are good to go, my friend. Scott and I swear by turkey bags; they fool-proof.

Vegetarian Main Dishes

Shepherd’s Pie: I love, love, love a good shepherd’s pie, so this lentil and kale version might do the trick. This one’s a bit more traditional, and minus the kale.

Vegetables Wellington: I tried finding the version I spotted in a magazine years ago and ended up finding a recipe that has mushroom “bacon,” a crispy, smoked meatless version. I’m not sure how easy this would be (puff pastry scares me a little), but it’s not roasting a turkey and it’s vegan.

Eggplant Stacks: Think a lighter, easier version of eggplant parm. This recipe is so easy, I made it in high school.

Salads

You cannot go wrong with this combo: Spinach + small fruit (sliced strawberries, mandarin slices, dried cranberries, etc) + almonds slivers + poppyseed dressing. This lean green recipe looks delish. Alternately, you could grab any kind of bagged salad available, though you probably want to steer clear of the Asian or Southwestern blends since those flavors are pretty bold.

Sides

Two-Toned Mashed Potatoes: I love this, because you get the sweet and the savory in one dish. We don’t have enough people to justify mashed potatoes and sweet potato casserole, so this is the perfect compromise. Bonus: it doesn’t require the oven. I’ve found that you need a good ratio of non-oven sides if you need to dedicate most of the oven space/time to your turkey.

Glazed Carrots and Ginger: I make this every year because you can do most of the prep work the night before, and it’s an easy stovetop recipe. I also like my carrots a little firmer, and the ginger flavor tempers the sweetness of the honey and brown sugar. It’s a good crowd pleaser.

Stuffing Muffins: These are the best! They’re easy to make and have the perfect crispy/moist ratio. I made them for the first time last year and we were all pleasantly surprised. It’s become a new family tradition.

Roasted Broccoli: I made this for Scott earlier this year, and it’s one of our favorite side dishes. We’re adding it to our Thanksgiving menu because it cooks quickly in the oven (just toss it in with the stuffing muffins once you pull the turkey!).

Glazed Asparagus: We’re considering adding this to the mix because I love asparagus, and my mom introduced us to this recipe earlier in the year. It’s very easy, and one we think we can accommodate with the oven space.

Basic Cranberry Sauce: Another day-ahead wonder, I scoured the Internet to find my favorite cranberry sauce recipe. This is tart and fresh, and earns me ample compliments when I make it.

Rolls

By far, the easiest thing to do is grab dinner rolls at a bakery or grocery store and just pop them in the oven (post-turkey) to warm ’em up. If you’re feeling adventurous, you could try these two-ingredient biscuits (spoiler alert, that recipe is a lie – there are four ingredients), croissants, or baguette.

Cheese Plate

Yeah, I got nothing for you. Here are some homemade and/or marinated cheeses. But, uh, your Thanksgiving event is much fancier than what this post will offer you. Why are you here? Go ask Gwyneth.

Dessert

You can always grab something from a local bakery or store – there’s plenty of pumpkin pie, apple pie, and pecan pie around. I’m a fan of this take on pecan pie, the Bourbon-Pecan Tart with Chocolate Drizzle. In our house, it’s called the bourbon chocolate pecan pie, and I simplify it by getting a frozen pie crust in a tin. Honestly, I would spend more time rolling out the dough and trying to fit it into a tart pan than any of the other prep, so this saves quite a bit of time.

Any tried and true recipes you have to share?

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