Winstead Wandering

Prone to Wander

Toasted Peperoncini and Tomato Pesto Pita

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Need a last-minute appetizer or a quick lunch? Toasted Peperoncini and Tomato Pesto Pita, with two kinds of pesto, plump tomatoes, and the unexpected brightness of peperoncini, is the perfect easy recipe.

 Need a last-minute appetizer or a quick lunch? Toasted Peperoncini and Tomato Pesto Pita, with two kinds of pesto, plump tomatoes, and the unexpected brightness of peperoncini, is the perfect easy recipe.


One of the first vegetables I remember falling in love with is peperoncini. There were other veggies I ate, of course, but I don’t remember the first time I tried them. Peperoncini, though, I first tried on my sandwich at a popular sub shop. I immediately loved the mildly spicy flavor and the hearty crunch.

Now, I don’t order a sub sandwich without them. In addition, I always have a jar of Mezzetta peperoncini in my refrigerator. I love to eat them on salads, in omelets, and on these Toasted Peperoncini and Tomato Pesto Pita. Basically, I’m constantly looking for new ways to eat them. I even have a recipe that uses the liquid from the jar because I’m not about to waste even one little bit. Don’t worry, that won’t be a problem now that you have this recipe on hand.

Need another reason to love Mezzetta? They’re currently offering a sweepstakes with Chef’d to give away 52 meal kits! Plus, all entrants get a 10% off coupon.

 Need a last-minute appetizer or a quick lunch? Toasted Peperoncini and Tomato Pesto Pita, with two kinds of pesto, plump tomatoes, and the unexpected brightness of peperoncini, is the perfect easy recipe.

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Tips for a Fun Technology-Free Road Trip

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This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #RoadTripTreats #CollectiveBias

Are you ready to give your kids the same old-fashioned road trip you enjoyed as a child? Check out these easy, creative tips for a fun technology-free road trip!

Are you ready to give your kids the same old-fashioned road trip you enjoyed as a child? Check out these easy, creative tips for a fun technology-free road trip!


Road trips were a huge part of my life when I was younger. My siblings and I lived in New Hampshire with my mom and my dad lived in Mississippi. Semiannual drives south (and then back again) meant we were well-versed in all things road trip. All that time spent in the car took place long before smartphones and tablets and DVD players (although I do think my older brother got an old-school GameBoy at one point).

With all the technology-related entertainment options available to us now, it can be tempting to hand the kids a music player or a video game and let them zone out for hours on end. That makes for a pretty easy trip and, trust me, I’ve done it a time or two. But if you long to leave the gadgets at home, keep reading for tips for a fun technology-free road trip.

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Double Chocolate No-Bake Cookie Protein Bites

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With just the right amount of good-for-you sweetness, Double Chocolate No-Bake Cookie Protein Bites are the perfect healthy treat for breakfast or for on-the-go snacking.

With just the right amount of good-for-you sweetness, Double Chocolate No-Bake Cookie Protein Bites are the perfect healthy treat for breakfast or for on-the-go snacking.

My kids had a lemonade stand a few days ago. It was all their idea (I have no idea where they see or hear about half the things they come up with), so I made a batch of homemade lemonade, set up a table and two chairs in the carport, and helped them sound out “l-e-m-o-n-a-d-e” for construction paper signs.


They had it in their heads we needed to offer snacks, too, and since I’d been meaning to make a batch of Double Chocolate No-Bake Cookie Protein Bites to photograph for the blog, I obliged. I stirred the protein bites ingredients together, mixed up the lemonade (with their assistance, of course), and then shaped the bites into balls.
With just the right amount of good-for-you sweetness, Double Chocolate No-Bake Cookie Protein Bites are the perfect healthy treat for breakfast or for on-the-go snacking.

The only problem? We live in the country. Like, we have one neighbor and that’s my husband’s parents. So I texted grandma and she drove over, and then our sweet mail-lady came by a few hours later. They were so excited! I see another lemonade stand or two in our future.

Know what else I see in our future? More Double Chocolate No-Bake Cookie Protein Bites. The whole family loved these, and there’s no obvious indication that they’re a healthier version of the classic cookies. These guys are perfect for keeping in the freezer for school lunches, quick snacks, and easy breakfasts. They’re simple to make, too, so you can easily double or triple the batch.

With just the right amount of good-for-you sweetness, Double Chocolate No-Bake Cookie Protein Bites are the perfect healthy treat for breakfast or for on-the-go snacking.

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Southwestern Corn Cakes with Jalapeño Lime Cream

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Southwestern Corn Cakes with Jalapeño Lime Cream offer perfect lightly-fried bites of sweet corn, cheese, and peppers topped with a slightly-spicy citrus sour cream.

Southwestern Corn Cakes with Jalapeño Lime Cream offer perfect lightly-fried bites of sweet corn, cheese, and peppers topped with a slightly-spicy citrus sour cream.

My grandfather (Gramps) brought fresh corn to a family gathering last week. Like, picked-from-the-field-that-day fresh. He and my aunt tried cooking it using that cooler and boiling water hack. I’m not sure it worked, but seriously, it didn’t matter. The room temperature corn I devoured – sans butter, salt, or pepper – was divine. So divine, in fact, that I brought a bag of leftover ears home and immediately began dreaming of what I wanted to do with it.


I have several go-to corn recipes, but only one that I had all the ingredients for: Southwestern Corn Cakes with Jalapeño Lime Cream. Just like regular corn cakes, these guys are packed with juicy kernels and cheddar cheese. To add a Southwestern twist, I toss in sweet bell peppers and jalapeños. The resulting corn cakes are on the spicy side (I use a full tablespoon of diced jalapeño), so the jalapeño lime cream is the perfect cool relief.

Southwestern Corn Cakes with Jalapeño Lime Cream offer perfect lightly-fried bites of sweet corn, cheese, and peppers topped with a slightly-spicy citrus sour cream.

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Chocolate Peanut Butter Cheesecake Protein Dip

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A healthy two ingredient snack that tastes like a sinful dessert? Yup! This Chocolate Peanut Butter Cheesecake Protein Dip is as good for you as it is delicious.

A healthy two ingredient snack that tastes like a sinful dessert? Yup! This Chocolate Peanut Butter Cheesecake Protein Dip is as good for you as it is delicious.

You can file this one under “recipes I should have posted years ago.” I first made this chocolate peanut butter cheesecake protein dip as a snack for my husband. He’s a picky eater, but he loves Greek yogurt, peanut butter, and apples. He’d often eat a serving of yogurt, as well as a sliced apple dipped in powdered peanut butter (mixed with water per serving instructions). One day it hit me that I could mix the powdered peanut butter with the yogurt and it’d probably taste pretty similar to cheesecake (another food J loves).


I was right. This stuff isn’t good for a healthy dip; it’s just good. One serving contains nine grams of protein and, depending on the brand of powdered peanut butter you buy, it’s gluten free, too. In addition, the recipe is low in carbs and calories and contains plenty of healthy fat.

Unsure what powdered peanut butter is? It’s exactly what it sounds like: peanuts are made into powder instead of fat-laden butter. Most peanut powders contain around 85 percent less fat than their butter counterparts. They also have healthy fiber and protein.

A healthy two ingredient snack that tastes like a sinful dessert? Yup! This Chocolate Peanut Butter Cheesecake Protein Dip is as good for you as it is delicious.

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Creamy Baked Jalapeño Popper Dip

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Warm, cheesy, melty, and perfectly spicy,  Creamy Baked Jalapeño Popper Dip is the perfect easy, crowd-pleasing, make-ahead recipe for your next party (or regular Friday night).

Warm, cheesy, melty, and perfectly spicy, Creamy Baked Jalapeño Popper Dip is the perfect easy, crowd-pleasing, make-ahead recipe for your next party (or regular Friday night).

We had yet another school staff party a few weeks ago, this time celebrating our sweet school nurse and our rock star high school counselor. The Creamy Cheese and Bacon Dip and S’mores Cheesecake Bars I’d made the week before were both huge hits, so I knew I had a lot to live up to.


This jalapeño popper dip is something I’ve wanted to make forever. I love real jalapeño poppers, so I knew there was no way I wouldn’t love an easy dip version. Also, I knew it’d be moderately spicy enough to appeal to a variety of preferences. Besides, who can resist a dish of oozy, melted cheese?

No one, it seems, because this jalapeño popper dip was gone by the end of the day. The secret to taking the dip over-the-top is the crunchy, cheesy topping. Breadcrumbs and Parmesan cheese are tossed with melted butter and sprinkled over the cream cheese mixture. The whole thing is baked, resulting in a crispiness that mimics the real fried version.

Warm, cheesy, melty, and perfectly spicy, Creamy Baked Jalapeño Popper Dip is the perfect easy, crowd-pleasing, make-ahead recipe for your next party (or regular Friday night).

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Healthy Whole Wheat Orange Muffins

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Healthy whole wheat orange muffins are sweetened with honey and fresh orange juice for the perfect bright, guilt-free snack or breakfast.

Healthy whole wheat orange muffins are sweetened with honey and fresh orange juice for the perfect bright, guilt-free snack or breakfast.

I love sharing my passions with my children as they get older. I love cooking and baking, of course, and B has recently expressed an interest in helping me in the kitchen. One of the biggest perks of this, I’ve discovered, is she ends up eating foods she otherwise wouldn’t.


One of our most recent creations was these healthy whole wheat orange muffins. B and I stayed home from church because she was dealing with some asthma issues, and we had a bag of oranges that needed to be used, so we pulled a bar stool over to the kitchen island and whipped these up.

My intention was to create a healthy muffin recipe, so I left out chocolate, sugar, and butter/oil. Instead, I sweetened the muffins with honey and used applesauce for moistness. I did sprinkle the tops of the unbaked muffins with organic cane sugar for a little texture and sparkle, but that’s optional.

Healthy whole wheat orange muffins are sweetened with honey and fresh orange juice for the perfect bright, guilt-free snack or breakfast.

We love this recipe. The muffins aren’t overly sweet; they’re definitely a healthy muffin as opposed to a dessert muffin, but that’s the point. The fresh orange juice and zest give the perfect amount of brightness, while the flax meal and whole wheat flour make them hearty.

I think these healthy whole wheat orange muffins are perfect as is, but you could definitely add dark chocolate chips, cranberries, or blueberries. I’d love to make a version with maple extract, too. Of course, if you want to lose the healthy part, you can make a sweet orange glaze.

Healthy whole wheat orange muffins are sweetened with honey and fresh orange juice for the perfect bright, guilt-free snack or breakfast.

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Cheesy Mexican Corn Dip

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Packed with creamy flavor, this cheesy Mexican corn dip is the perfect easy appetizer for your next party, and it’s perfect for enjoying on game day.

Packed with creamy flavor, this cheesy Mexican corn dip is the perfect easy appetizer for your next party, and it's perfect for enjoying on game day.

This dip is kind of a big deal. By big deal, I mean it’s crazy addictive and I may or might not have eaten as a meal on more than one occasion. But corn is a vegetable, so it’s all good, right?


My mother-in-law has been making this recipe for several years; it doesn’t feel like a real game-watching gathering until the cheesy Mexican corn dip appears. I love college football, especially when the Bulldogs are playing, but I’d be lying if I said this dip- along with brown sugar bacon-wrapped sausages– isn’t the reason I look forward to Saturdays.

Like so many great dip recipes, this one couldn’t be easier to make. If you buy pre-shredded cheese, the only real prep you have to do is dicing the green onions. You can make that step even easier by cutting them with kitchen shears. When that’s done, all that stands between you and this lovely dip is a little bit of mixing.

The recipe is ready to be served immediately, but we think it tastes even better when the flavors get a chance to hang out in the fridge for a while. Make it the night before your party or game and you’ll have one less thing to worry about the day of.

Packed with creamy flavor, this cheesy Mexican corn dip is the perfect easy appetizer for your next party, and it's perfect for enjoying on game day.

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Cheesy Bacon Rotel Phyllo Cups

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Cheesy bacon rotel phyllo cups are tasty little phyllo cup bites stuffed with melted cheese, chewy bacon, and the spicy goodness of Rotel tomatoes.

Cheesy bacon rotel phyllo cups are tasty little phyllo cup bites stuffed with melted cheese, chewy bacon, and the spicy goodness of Rotel tomatoes.

These cheesy bacon rotel phyllo cups are hard to describe. They’re an instant hit with everyone who tries them and, considering all the baby showers, tailgates, and family gatherings my mother-in-law has made them for, that’s a lot of people. Bite-size appetizers are always appealing, but when you throw in bacon and cheese, they’re irrestible.


Don’t let the use of mayonnaise throw you. I don’t care for mayonnaise in general, but you don’t taste it in this recipe. Instead, it just serves as a binder for all the ingredients you can taste, like the melted cheese and the chewy, salty bacon. If you’ve never had phyllo cups, you’re in for a treat. This Greek dough is thin and crispy, making it the perfect vehicle for what’s inside.

Cheesy bacon rotel phyllo cups are tasty little phyllo cup bites stuffed with melted cheese, chewy bacon, and the spicy goodness of Rotel tomatoes.

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No-Bake Triple Chocolate Breakfast Cookies

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Packed with flavor and with surprisingly healthy ingredients, no-bake triple chocolate breakfast cookies are a tasty alternative to a typical boring breakfast.

Packed with flavor and surprisingly healthy ingredients, no-bake triple chocolate breakfast cookies are a tasty alternative to a typical boring breakfast.

I’m always on the hunt for new and delicious easy breakfast ideas. More often than not, I make a smoothie for breakfast, but I sometimes go with overnight oats or some sort of make-ahead recipe like these no-bake triple chocolate breakfast cookies.


These cookies are deceptively delicious. My kids and my husband, who all tend to turn up their noses at anything healthy, dug in like they were eating dessert. I had to quickly transfer the cookies to a plastic container and hide it in the fridge so we’d actually have some left over for breakfast.

Don’t sweat it if you and your crew can’t wait until breakfast; these guys are perfect for snacking, too!

Packed with flavor and with surprisingly healthy ingredients, no-bake triple chocolate breakfast cookies are a tasty alternative to a typical boring breakfast.

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