Author: reneelarrwrites

Easter Favorites

Easter Favorites

For as long as I can remember I have loved Easter. It’s probably my favorite holiday. The pastel colors, the little birdies and chicks, the buds on the trees blooming and spring weather all play an integral part in my love for Easter. Here are some of my favorite recipes

Besides the usual ham and potato salad (those are Larr family recipes that I’m not sure I’m allowed to share) we always have there is one food item that always reminds me of Easter…deviled eggs. I’ll admit I’m not much a fan of deviled eggs but everyone else I know loves them. So, I got to thinking what I could differently with deviled eggs to make them just a little more interesting. I decided to add two of my favorite things: bacon and cheese. YUM! Here’s the recipe.

First, place a dozen eggs in a large pot and cover with cold water. Bring the water to a boil. Once boiling, turn down the heat to a medium low and simmer for 10 minutes. Drain and rinse eggs with cold water. Crack and peel the eggs. Slice each egg lengthwise and remove the yolk. Place yolks in a bowl and add ½ cup of mayo, 1 cup of chopped cooked bacon, 1 cup of cheddar cheese, 2 tablespoons chopped chives, a dash of Worcestershire, a dash of hot sauce and pepper. Mix well and spoon mixture into each egg half. Refrigerate and serve! Click here for the full recipe.

 

Bacon Cheddar Deviled Eggs

Bacon Cheddar Deviled Eggs

 

The next recipe I love for Easter dessert is Mini Peep Pies. Melt 9 ounces (three small packages of Peeps) with ½ cup of milk. I used pink, purple and blue but you can use whatever colors strike your fancy.

 

Melting Peeps

Melting Peeps

 

After melted, let the mixture cool completely. Once the mixture has cooled fold in 8 ounces of Cool Whip (one small container). If you’re more ambitious than me you can make your own whipping cream and the graham cracker crusts but I’m all about efficiency when I’m making food for other people. Spoon mixture into mini graham cracker crusts and top with sprinkles or any other small candy you choose. Just make sure it’s nothing too heavy as the candy will sink into the Mini Peep pies. Click here for the full recipe.

 

Mini Peep Pies

Mini Peep Pies

 

My final recipe that I love for Easter is mini robin’s nests. First, melt 3 cups mini marshmallows and 3 tablespoons of butter over medium low heat. Add in 1 teaspoon of vanilla. Once melted stir in 4 cups of chow mein noodles. You can substitute Rice Crispies but I like the look of the chow mein noodles better. Spray a muffin tin with Pam or any other substitute. Form a ball the size of a small apple. Press into the muffin tin using your thumb to press down in the center to form a small well. Let the chow mein noodles and marshmallows cool down completely. Then add small Easter candies to the nest to look like eggs. Click here for the full recipe.

 

Robin's Eggs Nests

Robin’s Eggs Nests

 

I hope you enjoy my Easter favorites with your friends and family as much as I do!

Robin’s Nests

Robin’s Nests

3 cups of mini marshmallows

3 tablespoons of butter

1/2 teaspoon of vanilla

4 cups of chow mein noodles

Whoppers Easter Egg Candies

Robin's Eggs Nests

Robin’s Nests

First, melt 3 cups mini marshmallows and 3 tablespoons of butter over medium low heat. Add in 1 teaspoon of vanilla. Once melted stir in 4 cups of chow mein noodles. You can substitute Rice Crispies but I like the look of the chow mein noodles better. Spray a muffin tin with Pam or any other substitute. Form a ball the size of a small apple. Press into the muffin tin using your thumb to press down in the center to form a small well. Let the chow mein noodles and marshmallows cool down completely. Then add small Easter candies to the nest to look like eggs. Enjoy!

 

Mini Peep Pies

Mini Peep Pies

2 packages of 6 mini graham cracker pie crusts

9 ounces (three small packages) of Peeps

8 ounces of Cool Whip (one small container)

Sprinkles or Small Easter Candies

Mini Peep Pies

Mini Peep Pies

 

The next recipe I love for Easter dessert is Mini Peep Pies. Melt 9 ounces (three small packages of Peeps) with ½ cup of milk. I used pink, purple and blue but you can use whatever colors strike your fancy.

 

Melting Peeps

Melting Peeps

 

After melted, let the mixture cool completely. Once the mixture has cooled fold in 8 ounces of Cool Whip (one small container). If you’re more ambitious than me you can make your own whipping cream and the graham cracker crusts but I’m all about efficiency when I’m making food for other people. Spoon mixture into mini graham cracker crusts and top with sprinkles or any other small candy you choose. Just make sure it’s nothing too heavy as the candy will sink into the Mini Peep pies. Enjoy!

 

 

Bacon and Cheddar Deviled Eggs

Bacon and Cheddar Deviled Eggs

One Dozen Eggs

1/2 cup of mayo

1 cup of cooked, chopped bacon

1 cup of cheddar cheese

2 tablespoons chopped chives

A dash of Worcestershire

A dash of hot sauce

Pepper

Bacon Cheddar Deviled Eggs

Bacon Cheddar Deviled Eggs

 

First, place the eggs in a large pot and cover with cold water. Bring the water to a boil. Once boiling, turn down the heat to a medium low and simmer for 10 minutes. Drain and rinse eggs with cold water. Crack and peel the eggs. Slice each egg lengthwise and remove the yolk. Place yolks in a bowl and add ½ cup of mayo, 1 cup of chopped cooked bacon, 1 cup of cheddar cheese, 2 tablespoons chopped chives, a dash of Worcestershire, a dash of hot sauce and pepper. Mix well and spoon mixture into each egg half. Refrigerate and serve!

Why I Love Pilates

Why I Love Pilates

Michelle’s recent post about why she loves to cook got me to thinking about all the things I enjoy doing besides cooking. Hear me out before I write this next sentence. I enjoy working out. There I said it. I used to hate people that said that but I have really started to enjoy the mental benefits along with the physical. I lift weights three times a week and do cardio four times a week. Nothing crazy just walking on the treadmill for 30-45 minutes. I was starting to get bored with my routine and needed something to switch it up.

I noticed a new Pilates studio was opening in my neighborhood and thought I might try it out. I was very intimidated. We live in an area that has a lot of stay-at-home moms that are very fit and very intimidating to me. I mean, I start sweating just walking up and down the stairs and these women have full-on makeup at the gym, looking very put together. So, I procrastinated for a while.

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Let me give you some background info. According to About.com, Pilates is a form of exercise, developed by Joseph Pilates, which emphasizes the balanced development of the body through core strength, flexibility, and awareness in order to support efficient, graceful movement. Ha. “Graceful movement”. If you know me, you know there is no part of me that is graceful. I fall down just walking all the time. Knowing this about myself and in spite of that I decided to sign up online for a private session.

I showed up and I was greeted by a very friendly, non-intimidating woman who walked me into the room. She showed me the reformer and explained all the parts of it to me. The reformer is a piece of equipment that uses springs, pulleys, bars and straps to perform over 500 different exercises in different positions. You can lie down on the reformer, sit on it or stand in front, behind and beside of the machine. A majority of the exercises I’ve completed  involve lying down on the machine.

 

Photo Courtesy of About.com

Pilates Reformer Machine-Photo Courtesy of About.com

 

Pilates focuses on core strength. Your core muscles are responsible for a lot of your balance and strength. Many people like Pilates because it helps them to overcome constant back pain. In fact, I have benefitted from this added bonus of Pilates. During the exercises you focus on breath, control and form. You complete a small amount of reps for each exercise. There is less strain on your joints vs. other methods of training such as weight lifting. It’s a great workout and you burn anywhere for 400-500 calories in a one hour session.

I’m the type of person that is never able to turn off my mind. I have to be constantly engaged. If I’m watching television, I’m also on Pinterest on my phone. For me, Pilates helps me to turn off my thoughts. When you’re focusing on your breath, all the moves you’re completing, and controlling those movements you’re not focusing on all the other areas of your life. That is the best bonus for me.

The studio where I attend classes, Reforming Indy, is all about empowering women. It’s a place where women can feel comfortable and come together to discuss life’s stresses and successes. You don’t feel intimidated about other people’s abilities being better than yours. In fact, you really have a hard time telling what the other people are doing because you’re lying down, staring up at the ceiling.

Empowering Women-Photo Courtesy of acelebrationofwomen.org

Empowering Women-Photo Courtesy of acelebrationofwomen.org

 

If you’re looking to change up your workout routine I highly suggest checking out a Pilates class in your neighborhood. Your mind, body and psyche will thank you.  Don’t be scared or intimated. Life is too short to not try new things. Happy hump day, friends!

Body Image Issues

Body Image

I wanted to touch on a topic that seems to be a huge issue for most any woman I know. Body image issues. I can remember the first time I ever questioned my body and felt inadequate. It started in middle school as I’m sure it does for most people. I was the skinny, tall awkward girl with pink glasses and no boobs. Kids would call me “flatty two backs”, make comments about how I must not even need a bra, so on and so forth. Kids can be cruel. But you know what? It doesn’t stop at middle school. I’m 33 years old and it hasn’t stopped. Adults can be just as cruel as kids. So why do we do this to ourselves and each other? How do we stop doing this to ourselves and others?

If you look at any of the images of women you see on television or magazines you’ll see an impossibly skinny woman with huge boobs, long flowing hair and perfect skin. How many actual, REAL women do you know that look that in your everyday life? I would venture to say none. I know I don’t and I have beautiful friends! So, why are we comparing ourselves to them?

 

The images we're presented with on a daily basis.

The images we’re presented with on a daily basis.

 

Let’s take a look at the men you see in the media. Some are muscular and chiseled but I see more men on television that look like actual men. I know my husband doesn’t strive to be muscular, chiseled perfection. In fact, I doubt the images of the men he sees that look like that don’t even register to him! Maybe men don’t feel the pressure as much as women. Maybe men see more realistic role models than women. Or maybe men just don’t put that much pressure on themselves. Whatever the reason, there is a disparity between men’s body image and women’s.

Channing Tatum-The unattainable male body.

Channing Tatum-The unattainable male body.

 

I’ve always been fairly thin. I could eat whatever I want and it never mattered. I never had to work out, either. Then I met my husband and so began the decline of my amazing metabolism. Beer, deep dish pizza, those little pretzel bits with peanut butter inside, wine, cheese (lots of cheese!), fast food on road trips, you get the picture. In short, I ended up gaining around 23 pounds all in my stomach, butt, hips and thighs. I found myself at 153 pounds. I know that isn’t a lot on a 5’7” but I didn’t like what I saw and felt uncomfortable. Shopping wasn’t fun anymore. I found myself constantly comparing myself to other women which just made things worse. I was just miserable and ended up taking it out on those around me. I finally got to the point where I realized I needed to stop making myself miserable and take action. I started working out and went on a diet. Normally, I don’t advocate for diets but this was more of a healthy choices diet. Never once did I feel like I was starving myself or not live my life.

I ended up losing the 20 pounds but during that journey I realized something. I don’t give a rip what other people think of me! I started becoming more comfortable with myself. I stopped putting on makeup every time I left the house. I stopped comparing myself to women around me. I started realizing the images I had been presented with my whole life weren’t attainable or sustainable. I had friends, family and a husband that love me not for what I weigh or look like but for whom I am as a person. To me, that is all that should matter. I know I’m never going to have a flat stomach and guess what? I’m okay with that! I’d rather live my life doing the things I enjoy with the people I enjoy than spending time obsessing over a number on a scale. Do I still work out and try to watch what I eat? Sure. However, if I feel like a piece of pizza I eat it. If I don’t feeling like doing cardio for one day, I don’t do it. It doesn’t run my life. I do. That’s my wish for anyone reading this post. Have a lovely weekend, friends.

Creating Your Own Compound Butters

Creating Your Own Compound Butters

I love shopping at Whole Foods for their great, organic meats and veggies. I’ve been known to peruse the cheeses while there, as well. The last time I went I bought a couple of different compound butters purely out of convenience. I’m all about making things easy on myself while entertaining if I can. Plus, it was an impulse buy. I’m sure we’ve all been there, done that! I purchased a bleu cheese butter and a roasted garlic butter. Well, as I’m sure has happened to everyone else they sat in my fridge until they were expired. Wow, I thought. I just wasted $7 or $8 on that when they’re something I could easily make.

Roasted garlic and bleu cheese butters from Whole Foods.

Roasted garlic and bleu cheese butters from Whole Foods.

According to Dictionary.com, a compound butter is a chilled mixture of whole butter and flavoring ingredients such as herbs, used to flavor and color dishes. Herbs are great. I love them. A dill butter sounds fabulous on a hot, freshly baked roll but I got to thinking why do herbs get to have all the fun? I mean, Whole Foods understands and offers the aforementioned butters. So, I’m sitting here thinking about all the things I like to eat.

I LOVE olives of all different kinds. Maybe a Kalamata olive butter would be delicious so I tried it out. Here’s what I did. First, I purchased a good quality, pitted Kalamata olive. Buying the pitted olives just saves time and energy that you could be using to concoct your own versions of a compound butter. Also, I bought a good quality unsalted butter left out at room temperature. Next, I finely diced the Kalamata olives in my handy dandy food processor. Man, I love that thing but I digress. After letting ½ cup of butter come to room temperature, I whipped it with a hand mixer just until it became slightly fluffy. Then I added ¼ cup chopped olives, a pinch of garlic salt and a pinch of pepper and mixed gently with a spatula until combined. Let the butter mixture rest at room temperature for about half an hour to allow the flavors to marry. Finally, you can either place the butter on plastic wrap to form into a log for freezing or you can use any container you already own (you know the crazy Tupperware mess you have hidden in your kitchen cabinets). If you choose to use your own container just scoop the butter into the container and place in the fridge. Freezing is a good idea if you think you won’t go through the butter quickly. If you think your family will plow through it or you’re using it for entertaining I’d recommend the Tupperware container. Next enjoy that salty, buttery goodness.

The finished product!

The finished product!

Here are some other compound butter ideas I had. Roasted Red Pepper Butter Dill Butter Jalapeno Butter Bacon Butter

Salted Caramel Chocolate Chip Cookies

Salted Caramel Chocolate Chip Cookies

I’m all about getting my savory along with my sweet. One of my new obsessions is anything “salted caramel”. I’ve always loved caramel. As a kid there was nothing I loved more for a sweet treat. Soft and chewy and dare I say better than chocolate. Until very recently I had never had a salted caramel. During the holidays, our neighbor dropped off a box of different goodies she made for us. Inside were the most delicious salted caramels I’d ever eaten. So, I got to thinking about different sweets that I could make keeping with the theme of salted caramels. I found this recipe through Pinterest and thought I would give it a whirl. It’s now become my favorite go-to cookie recipe.

2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons cornstarch
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
3/4 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 large egg
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
1/2 cup Kraft Caramel Bits
Sea salt, for sprinkling on cookies

Yes, you'll be using these Kraft Caramel Bits again.

Yes, you’ll be using these Kraft Caramel Bits again.

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 F. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside. You’ll want to use parchment paper so the cookies won’t stick.

2. In a large bowl, whisk flour, cornstarch, baking soda and sea salt together. Set aside.

3. In the bowl of a stand mixer (if you don’t have a stand mixer you can use a hand mixer), cream together butter and sugars until smooth and creamy, about 3 minutes. Add egg and vanilla extract and beat until combined. It’s important to use room temperature butter so that the sugars will easily cream.

4. Slowly mix in the dry ingredients.

5. Stir in the chocolate chips and caramel bits. Form cookie dough into tablespoon balls and place on prepared baking sheet, about 2 inches apart. Sprinkle each cookie with sea salt. Be careful not to forget this step. It’s the whole essence of the cookie.

This is what your cookies should like when finished cooking.

6. Bake cookies for 10-13 minutes, or until slightly golden brown around the edges. Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for two minutes. Transfer to a wire cooling rack and cool completely.

Salted Caramel Chocolate Chip Cookies Cooling

Salted Caramel Chocolate Chip Cookies Cooling

5 Kitchen Tools I CAN Do Without

5 Kitchen Tools I CAN Do Without

If you’re anything like me you can get easily overwhelmed in the kitchen accessories section of any store. Once I’m overwhelmed I don’t make good decisions. I will buy anything on a whim to get out of there and to stop the sensory overload.

I went through a dirty martini phase for a while a few years back. What is a dirty martini without bleu cheese stuffed olives, right? It always seemed like a such a waste of time and a pain to pull the pimento without ruining the olive. So, I got the idea in my head that I need an olive pitter. Once I have an idea in my head, it rarely leaves until I act on it. I went to my local Williams-Sonoma and picked up a pitter that did double duty—cherries and olives. That evening I decided I had to have a dirty martini. Any excuse to have an adult beverage will do for me! So, I pulled out the cherry and olive pitter and got to work. The pitter seemed to rip the olives in half worse than I did with just using a fork. I haven’t used it since.

Cherry and Olive Pitter

Cherry and Olive Pitter

I love to watch the Food Network. During one episode of “Thirty Minute Meals” with Rachael Ray I noticed she was using a garlic press rather than go through the painstaking process of chopping garlic. So, naturally, I went out and bought one. For my next Italian dinner I decided to make use of the garlic press. I put the garlic in and pressed but barely any garlic popped out. I ended up having to use a knife to smash it through the press. The real problem with the garlic press is cleaning it. You can’t really just wash it like you would any other utensil. It takes a lot to get that garlic out. Too much work for me.

Garlic Press

Garlic Press

Not only do I love watching the Food Network I also secretly love those info-mercials on TV. I found one particularly interesting—the herb savor pod. I will typically buy fresh herbs, stick them in the fridge, use them once or twice and then forget about them until they go bad and I have to throw them out. So, when I got married I registered for the herb savor pod system. You just put the herbs in with a little water and according to the commercials your herbs stay fresher longer. Guess what? When you’re forgetful with the herbs in a plastic container you’re probably going to be forgetful of the herbs in the pod savor. I had the same problem I had before and they took up more in the fridge.

I love my kitchen. I love it. However, the pantry is just a little too far away every time I need olive oil, a spice or foil. In order to make things easier for myself, I bought one of Rachael Ray’s EVOO containers. They’re cute and colorful but seemed to be easy to sit next to my stovetop so my olive oil was right there when I needed it. Cut to three weeks after I filled it…I hadn’t used it once. In fact, I would still walk over to my pantry grab the bottle of olive oil and walk it over to my stove. The purple EVOO container ended up being just a decoration in my kitchen.

EVOO Container

EVOO Container

These four items ended up being a waste of money for me. They sit in my cabinets and take up precious shelf or drawer space. As any woman knows those two things are a commodity that is hard to come by in most kitchens! As with anything else you should try a product out and see how it works for you.

What are some of your least favorite kitchen gadgets you’ve purchased?

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Caramelized Banana and Caramel Bread

You may be thinking ‘Caramelized Banana and Caramel Bread’?? Or maybe you thought it was a misprint or something of an oxymoron. No, no. I assure you it is not a typo or an oxymoron. Maybe it’s a little crazy but hey, life is crazy sometimes. I found this recipe on Pinterest during one of my pinning binges. Don’t you just love Pinterest? It really aids in my OCD tendencies. I always have leftover brown bananas thanks to my husband so I make a lot of banana bread and was getting bored with it. I wanted to find a way to jazz it up. The caramelized bananas in this recipe should have been enough but no…I wanted more. I had half a bag of Kraft Caramel bits leftover from some delicious salted caramel chocolate chip cookies I made for my husband’s co-workers. This is where it gets crazy. I decided to caramelize the bananas AND add the caramel bits. I made a loaf and included it in with a “Welcome to the Neighborhood” gift basket for our new neighbors. Curtis stopped by to thank us for the basket and offered this rave review.

“My wife is a good baker but that bread is better than anything she’s made,” he said. Yikes.

¾ teaspoon baking soda

3-4 bananas mashed

¼ cup brown sugar

2 tablespoons butter

½ cup milk

2 eggs

2 cups flour

1 tablespoon vinegar

1 cup Kraft caramel bits

Kraft Caramel Bits

Kraft Caramel Bits

First, melt the butter in small sauté pan. Add mashed bananas and brown sugar. Stir around until mashed bananas are slightly caramelized.

Caramelized Bananas

Caramelized Bananas

 

Next, combine dry ingredients (flour and baking soda) in a bowl. In a separate bowl, combine eggs, milk vinegar and slightly cooled banana mixture.  Mix wet and dry ingredients and combine well. Add in 1 cup of the Kraft caramel bits. Pour mixture into a well-greased loaf pan. Bake at 375 degrees for 45 minutes until golden brown.

 

image (1)

 

Enjoy the yummy, sugary goodness!

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