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Easy Game Day Recipes

February 3, 2016 by Abby

These easy game day recipes are diverse enough to please any palate, but they all have on thing in common: they’re quick and simple to prepare.

These easy game day recipes are diverse enough to please any palate, but they all have on thing in common: they're quick and simple to prepare.

Y’all, the Super Bowl is in just a few days! While I’m a pretty big football fan, I’m most excited about what everyone is most excited about come Super Bowl Sunday: the commercials and the food. I can snack with the best of them, and I’ve posted plenty of recipes to prove that. Today, for the benefit of you and the guests at your Super Bowl party, I’m sharing my favorites in one mouthwatering post.

Easy Game Day Recipes

Baked Onion Rings

These easy game day recipes are diverse enough to please any palate, but they all have on thing in common: they're quick and simple to prepare.

You’d never guess these crispy, crunchy onion rings aren’t fried.

Quick & Easy Fresh Salsa

These easy game day recipes are diverse enough to please any palate, but they all have on thing in common: they're quick and simple to prepare.

Step up your chips and dip game with this super simple fresh salsa.

Homemade Buttermilk Ranch Dressing

These easy game day recipes are diverse enough to please any palate, but they all have on thing in common: they're quick and simple to prepare.

If you’re one of those party hosts- the ones that serve veggies- you owe it to your guests to serve this ranch, too.

Potato Nachos

These easy game day recipes are diverse enough to please any palate, but they all have on thing in common: they're quick and simple to prepare.

Potato rounds topped with cheese, bacon, and the toppings of your choice.

Hot Spinach & Artichoke Dip

These easy game day recipes are diverse enough to please any palate, but they all have on thing in common: they're quick and simple to prepare.

This mouthwatering twist on a tired classic will be a hit with your party-goers.

Mexican Cornbread

These easy game day recipes are diverse enough to please any palate, but they all have on thing in common: they're quick and simple to prepare.

Does your game day menu include chili? This cornbread is the perfect complement.

Southern Pimento Cheese

These easy game day recipes are diverse enough to please any palate, but they all have on thing in common: they're quick and simple to prepare.

This classic dip is made with freshly-grated sharp cheddar cheese, pimentos, mayonnaise, and more. It’s great as a dip for chips or vegetables, but it’s also phenomenal served in:

Twice-Baked Pimento Cheese Potatoes

These easy game day recipes are diverse enough to please any palate, but they all have on thing in common: they're quick and simple to prepare.

Potato skins are so 2009. These adorable twice-baked potato cups are sophisticated yet easy.

Roasted Red Pepper Hummus

These easy game day recipes are diverse enough to please any palate, but they all have on thing in common: they're quick and simple to prepare.

You’re bound to have a few health nuts around for game day, or at least a few people who just love the taste of hummus and enjoy pretending they’re all about its healthfulness.

Bacon Cheddar Ranch Chicken Roll-Ups

These easy game day recipes are diverse enough to please any palate, but they all have on thing in common: they're quick and simple to prepare.

These little rolls combine the convenience of bite-size food with the protein of a full meal. Bonus: you can make them ahead and freeze them.

Cinnamon Roll Bars with Cream Cheese Frosting

These easy game day recipes are diverse enough to please any palate, but they all have on thing in common: they're quick and simple to prepare.

When it comes to easy desserts, it doesn’t get much easier than anything in bar form. When it comes to delicious, it doesn’t get much better than these.

Monster Cookies

These easy game day recipes are diverse enough to please any palate, but they all have on thing in common: they're quick and simple to prepare.

You can’t go wrong with cookies, and you really can’t go wrong with cookies stuffed with M&Ms, oatmeal, peanut butter, and chocolate chips.

Peanut Butter Cup Bars

These easy game day recipes are diverse enough to please any palate, but they all have on thing in common: they're quick and simple to prepare.

A no-bake recipe that will have party-goers licking their fingers and begging for the recipe.

Double Chocolate Brownies

These easy game day recipes are diverse enough to please any palate, but they all have on thing in common: they're quick and simple to prepare.

Why make regular brownies when you can make this double chocolate version?

Salted Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies

These easy game day recipes are diverse enough to please any palate, but they all have on thing in common: they're quick and simple to prepare.

These cookies scream sophistication. How easy they really are will be our little secret.

Lemon Dream Bars

These easy game day recipes are diverse enough to please any palate, but they all have on thing in common: they're quick and simple to prepare.

Convert chocoholics with these rich and creamy lemon dream bars.

Better For You Triple Chocolate Banana Bread

These easy game day recipes are diverse enough to please any palate, but they all have on thing in common: they're quick and simple to prepare.

Great-tasting and better-for-you are not mutually exclusive terms when it comes to dessert. This banana bread is exhibit A.

Mud Hen Bars

These easy game day recipes are diverse enough to please any palate, but they all have on thing in common: they're quick and simple to prepare.

Don’t let the brown sugar meringue fool you: mud hen bars are ready faster than you can whip up a batch of cookies.

Maple-Frosted Sugar Cookie Bars

These easy game day recipes are diverse enough to please any palate, but they all have on thing in common: they're quick and simple to prepare.

Your guests will be too wowed by the unexpectedly delightful maple frosting to think about how easy these bars were to make.

What are your favorite easy game day recipes?

Like what you see? Follow Winstead Wandering on Facebook so don’t miss more like it!

These easy game day recipes are diverse enough to please any palate, but they all have on thing in common: they're quick and simple to prepare.

Easy Holiday Dessert Recipes

November 23, 2015 by Abby

This year, don’t waste time trying to impress everyone by replicating your grandmother’s famous recipe; knock their socks off with something new, like one of these easy holiday dessert recipes.

Do you have a signature holiday dessert? If so, by all means, stick with that this year. You wouldn’t want to disappoint the people who’ve spent 364 days looking forward to it.

But maybe you don’t have a go-to holiday dessert recipe? Maybe you’re the one who always volunteers to bring paper products to the gathering. Or maybe your idea of “homemade” is arranging store-bought cookies on a platter. Maybe you’re banned from the kitchen ever since the fire incident of ‘o9.

Whatever your reason for foregoing holiday baking, it’s time that changed. The easy holiday dessert recipes compiled here are all easy and mouthwatering. Some of them don’t even require you to use the oven. Be careful, though; you just might find a new signature holiday dish.

Easy Holiday Dessert Recipes

Brown Sugar Pound Cake with Caramel Icing

This pound cake is a decadent alternative to even the most indulgent pie. The cake itself is moist, buttery, and flecked with melty toffee bits. The whole thing is smothered with the kind of rich, gooey caramel icing that you haunts your dreams in all the best ways.

Peanut Butter Cup Bars

If you don’t think it was possible for a four-ingredient dessert steal the show at a holiday gathering, give these bars a try. They’re ridiculously easy to put together- no baking!- but your friends and family will go crazy.

[Read more…]

Easy Holiday Side Dish Recipes

November 16, 2015 by Abby

It’s totally possible to keep your stress level under control and still create a delicious meal. Here are seven easy holiday side dish recipes to help you do just that.

There’s something about holiday meal preparation that just seems synonymous with stress. Maybe it’s cooking for relatives you only see a couple times a year, or maybe it’s the pressure to create perfect memories on a day that only comes around once a year. Whatever the reason, it doesn’t have to be that way.

You can prepare mouthwatering, memorable meals for your guests while keeping your blood pressure in check. The trick is to choose dishes that are deceptively easy and crowd-pleasingly delicious. All of the recipes gathered here fit that criteria; now searching for the perfect dish is one less thing you have to worry about this holiday season.

Easy Ranch Roasted Carrots

These are the complete opposite of the mushy, flavorless carrots that are often served at holiday meals. They’re tender but still crunchy. The roasting adds a delightful carmelization, and the ranch seasonings are subtle, but present.

Twice-Baked Potato Casserole

This casserole combines everyone’s favorite baked potato toppings in a hot, cheesy dish of goodness. It’s loaded with sour cream, cream cheese, bacon, garlic, cheddar cheese, and more.

[Read more…]

Father’s Day Gift Ideas

May 27, 2015 by Abby

A unique selection of Father’s Day gift ideas, perfect for the impossible-to-buy-for dad in your life.

1. sandalwood shaving kit
Pampering isn’t just for women anymore. Give Dad the male equivalent of a bubble bath kit with this sandalwood -scented shaving kit.

If fancy oils and creams aren’t Dad’s thing, grab this Nivea aftershave– it’s my husband’s favorite.

2. team pride toolbox
Is Dad a handyman? Does Dad wish he was a handyman? Or does Dad just jump at any opportunity to represent his favorite team? If the answer to any of those questions is yes, a team logo toolbox might be just the gift you’re looking for.

If you’re buying for a dad who’s just starting his tool collection, this toolbox will help him get started.

3. darth vader shirt decal
Come on. Darth Vader? I am your father? Star Wars gear for Father’s Day is a no-brainer. This decal is an iron-on transfer, meaning you can put it on Dad’s favorite brand of t-shirt or sweatshirt.

If you’d like to buy something ready-made, this Star Wars Darth Vader t-shirt is my favorite.

4. periodic table “father” mug
Got a chemist in your life? J. teaches high school chemistry, so he appreciates all things periodic table. This mug is just the kind of thing a science nerd would appreciate.

For a dad who likes to cook or grill, this apron is an amusing choice.

5. grill branding iron
J. loves red meat. So does my dad. For a lot of guys, grilling is an art form. What better way to brag about your barbeque prowess than to stamp your steak with your initial?

If the dad in your life is a big sports fan, maybe a logo brand is more his style.

6. men’s messenger bag
Does your dad use a briefcase? Or does he still carry his old college backpack? Upgrade him to a hip messenger bag.

If you aren’t a fan of the Backcountry bag, this one from Fossil is a sharp-looking choice.

Don’t see anything that grabs you? A few months back, I wrote a post with Valentine’s Day gift ideas, many of which would make perfect Father’s Day presents, too.

Who is the most difficult dad in your life to shop for?

(note: this post contains affiliate links; to learn more, see my disclosure policy)

3 easy, tasty breakfasts under 300 calories

April 6, 2015 by Abby

It’s three months into the new year. Maybe your weight loss resolutions aren’t going as well as planned. Or maybe they are, but you’re growing tired of the same boring, low-calorie options. Here are three winstead wandering-approved recipes to break you out of your breakfast rut without busting your resolutions.

egg sandwich from a cup of jo

This recipe is touted as “the best egg sandwich you’ll ever have. While I have to disagree (the breakfast sandwiches J. and I make, my mom’s recipe, are hands-down the best ever) this is likely the best for under 300 calories. The recipe is actually written by Deb of Smitten Kitchen, so you know right off that it’s a winner.

The recipe basically has you beat an egg and and pour it into a pan. You cook the egg a little, like a crepe, pile cheese in the middle, and wrap the egg up around the cheese. When you put the egg-wrapped cheese on a toasted English muffin, you have a delicious treasure chest of hot egg and gooey cheese, all wrapped up in a 270 calorie* package.

*calories are based on using a whole wheat English muffin and a slice of American cheese

[Read more…]

10 best crescent roll dinner recipes + 3 desserts

March 23, 2015 by Abby

I try my best to create meals for my family that include more whole ingredients and fewer canned and processed foods. A lot of nights, I’m successful.

There are plenty of nights, though, that I’m mostly concerned with just getting something on the table. For the nights when I don’t have anything to pull from the freezer, I try to keep a tube of crescent roll dough in the fridge.

While crescent rolls may not be the most nutritious choice, they’re a super convenient way to pull a meal together quickly. Here’s a roundup of some of my favorite crescent roll recipes.

1. sausage, egg, and cheese crescent roll bake from Winstead Wandering