Winstead Wandering

Prone to Wander

Sausage-Stuffed Mini Sweet Peppers

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Looking for a snack that’s satisfying to low carb eaters and non-low carb eaters alike? These spicy, cheesy, and perfectly crunchy Low Carb Sausage-Stuffed Mini Sweet Peppers will have everyone coming back for more.

Looking for a snack that's satisfying to low carb eaters and non-low carb eaters alike? These spicy, cheesy, and perfectly crunchy Low Carb Sausage-Stuffed Mini Sweet Peppers will have everyone coming back for more.

I took my oldest child and my only son, G, grocery shopping with me the other day. He doesn’t usually care to go, but this time he was eager. He was so helpful during the whole trip. G insisted on carrying the list, reading me the items, and checking them off when we put them in the cart.

I kept marveling at home sweet he was being and how much I was enjoying our time together. Until . . . We passed by the clothing section, and I stopped to admire a really cute top. I asked if he thought it was cute and, without hesitation, he replied, “I think it’s halfway to being cute.”

At least he’s tactful? I got a good laugh from his comment, and then we continued on to get the rest of the items on our list. Those items included everything necessary to make these Low Carb Sausage-Stuffed Mini Sweet Peppers. Y’all, these things are so good. I originally saw the recipe shared in a low carb Facebook group I’ve in, and I knew right away I had to make them, with my own spin, of course.

Low Carb Sausage-Stuffed Mini Sweet Peppers are the perfect example of a recipe that doesn’t feel like a “diet” recipe. How could it when it’s packed with cream cheese, pepperjack cheese, and sausage? These little bites are wonderful as an appetizer or a snack, and I think they’d be great as a side for dinner, too.

Looking for a snack that's satisfying to low carb eaters and non-low carb eaters alike? These spicy, cheesy, and perfectly crunchy Low Carb Sausage-Stuffed Mini Sweet Peppers will have everyone coming back for more.

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Two Ingredient Low Carb Whipped Chocolate Mousse

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With just two ingredients, this Low Carb Whipped Chocolate Mousse is the perfect treat to satisfy your sweet tooth without ruining all your hard work.

With just two ingredients, this Low Carb Whipped Chocolate Mousse is the perfect treat to satisfy your sweet tooth without ruining all your hard work.

Since my gluten-free experiment morphed into low-carb eating (it seemed to make the most sense), I haven’t had too much trouble curbing my sweet tooth. That’s not to say I haven’t craved sweets at all because, well, duh. Clearly I love chocolate. My solution to the need for chocolate? This stuff right here.

When we were in Oregon over the summer, my sister-in-law requested a low carb/ketogenic dessert to celebrate her birthday, so I made this Two Ingredient Low Carb Whipped Chocolate Mousse. To make it a little more special, I turned the mousse into parfaits. I layered it with sliced strawberries and topped it off with homemade whipped cream that I made using the leftover cream and a little sweetener (I used a sugar alternative, but I can’t remember which one).

It was a huge hit, even with those of us who were still regularly indulging our sweet tooths (sweet teeth?). The mousse was so good that I made it again during that visit, and now I’m making it at home. This mousse is the perfect evening treat to keep in the fridge. A little goes a long way due to its richness, so a batch lasts me about a week.

With just two ingredients, this Low Carb Whipped Chocolate Mousse is the perfect treat to satisfy your sweet tooth without ruining all your hard work.

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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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My Subchorionic Hemorrhage Story

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This is my subchorionic hemorrhage story: how it happened, what it was like, and how we’re doing now.

This is my subchorionic hemorrhage story: how it happened, what it was like, and how we're doing now.

Spoiler alert: this story has a happy ending. There were a few hours, though, hours that stretched into days and weeks, of anxiety and uncertainty.

My Subchorionic Hemorrhage Story

“I’m bleeding.”

It was the last Saturday in January. My aunt and uncle left around nine in the morning after a fun surprise visit. J took both kids to the golf course and I laid down for a nap. When they got home a few hours later, I got up and fixed the kids lunch and helped get them down for their naps. I got back in bed for another nap while the kids took theirs because I was still so tired.

I don’t know how long I slept before waking up, but I knew immediately something was wrong. If you’re a woman who’s had a period, you can probably relate to the feeling I had while laying in bed. I could tell I was bleeding, but in that strange state between sleep and wakefulness, it took me a few seconds to register the incongruity of the situation.

I was 14 weeks pregnant. Leaping out of bed, I found that I’d literally been lying in a pool of blood. After sprinting the few steps to the bathroom, not knowing what else to do, I sat down on the toilet. So much blood was pooled in my panties that, as I pulled them down, it splattered on the wall of the narrow water closet.

I shouted for J, but he was two rooms over and wearing headphones. I shouted again, and then I screamed his name. He came rushing into the room and I choked out, “I’m bleeding.” It was immediately clear to us both that I needed to get to the ER.

J’s parents had just left for a few days out of town, so he called his grandmother to come sit with the kids. I changed my panties and pants and grabbed a heavy duty pad absorb the blood during the 35-minute ride to the hospital. As soon as I stood up, though, I felt the pad fill with blood. I sat back down, replaced it with a fresh one, and tried again. Just like the first time, the pad filled with blood before I could make it to the hallway. Finally, after the third attempt, the bleeding seemed to have stopped enough for us to head to the car. We didn’t stop to grab a snack or pack a bag; J folded a couple bath towels for me to sit on and off we went.

I don’t remember what we talked about on the ride to the hospital; I remember praying, over and over again, “God, please don’t take this baby from us.” I knew what that amount of blood meant. It had to mean I was miscarrying the baby. After miscarrying our third pregnancy at 12 weeks, I’d just begun to feel hopeful again. J would tell me later that he was praying he wouldn’t lose the baby and me. He was concerned by the amount of blood he’d seen.

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Banana Bread Protein Bites

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Banana bread protein bites are full of big banana flavor and filling protein. No gluten, dairy, or added sugar here!

Banana bread protein bites are full of big banana flavor and filling protein. No gluten, dairy, or added sugar here!

I used to make energy bites pretty often, way back before we had kids. I made homemade granola bars, too. It was a period when we had more time than money and I enjoyed experimenting in the kitchen, discovering homemade versions of store-bought favorites. The energy bites and granola bars I made were a hit, but sometime around baby number two’s arrival, it just became easier to buy that type of thing.

Fast forward to now. We just welcomed baby number three, but that hasn’t deterred my desire to feed my family more homemade snacks and fewer processed ones. For J and the kids, I want something they enjoy eating and don’t necessarily recognize as healthy. For myself, I want nutritious, calorie-dense snacks that give me the boost I need while nursing.

Banana bread protein bites are full of big banana flavor and filling protein. No gluten, dairy, or added sugar here!

That’s where these banana bread protein bites come in. First, they’re gluten-free (assuming your oats are). They don’t contain dairy or added sugar and, aside from the honey and peanut butter, they get their sweetness mostly from the ripe bananas. The bites themselves aren’t overly-sweet; they won’t be confused with a dessert, but they’re also unlikely to be turned down by my toddlers.

Banana bread protein bites are full of big banana flavor and filling protein. No gluten, dairy, or added sugar here!

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Essentials for When You’re Sick

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Not feeling well sucks, but there are a few products out there that can, literally, help ease your pain. Here are some essentials for when you’re sick.

Not feeling well sucks, but there are a few products out there that can, literally, help ease your pain. Here are some essentials for when you're sick.

I hate to be sick. I hate it. And maybe that sounds obvious, because who really likes to be ill? But I hate losing sleep due to a sore throat or congestion, I hate calling in sick to work, and I hate the way missing one day of school throws off my lesson plans for the whole week. Most of all, I hate feeling yucky.

I woke up Monday feeling just that way, though, and I knew this week wasn’t going to allow room for me to lounge in bed. As much as I wanted to spend quality time at home with my favorite sweatshirt and a bottle of Dayquil, I had a field trip to chaperon, a playoff softball game to cheer at, and an awesome economics game to introduce my students to. Sick time didn’t factor in.

Over the years, I’ve learned there are a few things I consider essentials for when you’re sick. Products to take as much unpleasantness out of the situation as possible; products to minimize down time and get you back at it. These are my favorite products to keep around when I’m sick.

Essentials for When You’re Sick

Kleenex Cool Touch Tissues

I stock two different kinds of tissues in my house. The first kind is regular tissues, for regular nose-blowing and face-wiping. I also keep these tissues on hand, and we call them sick tissues. When you’re sick and wiping your nose every ten minutes, ordinary tissues don’t cut it. It doesn’t take long for them to leave your nose feeling raw and abused.

These Kleenex are magical. They feel, literally, cool and soothing against your nose when you seem to be blowing and wiping it nonstop. Keep these guys on hand for sick days and, I promise, your nose will thank you.

Throat Coat Tea

Not feeling well sucks, but there are a few products out there that can, literally, help ease your pain. Here are some essentials for when you're sick.

J and I aren’t always big into drinking hot tea. We go through phases where I’ll make us each a cup in the evenings, but then we’ll go through periods of time when I don’t. As soon as my throat starts to hurt, the first thing I reach for is Throat Coat tea.

Tea, by its nature, is soothing because it’s hot. In addition, this formula includes fancy roots and herbs that are intended to settle your throat. The taste isn’t bad; I much prefer it to any sort of liquid medicine. And, yeah, I typically add a little sugar or honey to mine to sweeten it up, but the benefits are still there.

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how i used coconut oil to finally get clear skin

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One frugal product replaced the creams and cleansers I’d used for years to, unsuccessfully, treat my breakouts. My skin is clearer and softer than ever.

One frugal product replaced the creams and cleansers I'd used for years to, unsuccessfully, treat my breakouts. My skin is clearer and softer than ever.

I’ve written before, briefly, about my love of coconut oil as a skin care product. I wanted to go into more detail, though, because I still can’t believe how clear my skin is with so little effort and expense.

the background

I fought bad skin for so long. From the time I was an early teen, my face was constantly broken out. I tried several over-the-counter remedies before progressing to prescription creams. Sometimes my skin would get more clear, but it never lasted long. I don’t remember a time between junior high and my mid-twenties when I didn’t need at least a little concealer.

My complexion has gotten better in the last few years. Pregnancy notwithstanding, I probably had more days of skin I was happy with than not. But I still fought pimples. It was all so frustrating because here I was, 26-years old, still fighting the breakouts my mom had assured me I would grow out of.

One frugal product replaced the creams and cleansers I'd used for years to, unsuccessfully, treat my breakouts. My skin is clearer and softer than ever.

J. and I in 2008, just after we got married. My skin looks pretty good here, but when I look closely I see bumps on my forehead and cheeks.

In addition to breakouts, I also dealt with an uneven tone and combination skin. I’m pretty fair-skinned, so harsh products always seemed to redden my cheeks and irritate my skin. My t-zone stayed pretty oily, but my cheeks would get dry, especially in the winter.

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parmesan and panko crusted baked vegetables

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Green beans and asparagus are coated in crispy bread crumbs and Parmesan cheese and baked until tender for a healthy side dish with a satisfying crunch.

Green beans and asparagus are coated in crispy bread crumbs and Parmesan cheese and baked until tender for a healthy side dish with a satisfying crunch.

If you’re in the “a vegetable with a few added calories is better than no vegetable at all” camp, you’ve come to the right place. I make my home in that camp.  I’m Head Counselor of that camp. I fly that camp flag with pride.

Today, I’m showing my camp spirit by sharing with you how to take ordinary asparagus or green beans, dust them with flour and soak them in egg, and then crust them with crispy panko bread crumbs and Parmesan cheese. It’s a dish our whole camp can get behind.

When I made this dish, I used a combination of green beans and asparagus, because that’s what I had. The two work well together because they’re of similar thickness, but you could choose to use both or one or the other.

Green beans and asparagus are coated in crispy bread crumbs and Parmesan cheese and baked until tender for a healthy side dish with a satisfying crunch.

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150 calorie dark chocolate almond bites

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Dark chocolate chips are melted and drizzled over whole almonds, and then sprinkled with sea salt, to make this indulgent yet healthy low calorie chocolate snack.

Dark chocolate chips are melted and drizzled over whole almonds, and then sprinkled with sea salt, to make these indulgent yet healthy low calorie chocolate snack.

Y’all, this blogging thing is hard. Sometimes you make a to-die-for new recipe. You make it a few times before it dawns on you to share the recipe with your blog readers. So you make it again- oh, the hardship- in order to photograph the delectable little morsels.

But there’s a problem. In your haste, you melt the chocolate too fast. It gets lumpy and not super appealing looking (but don’t worry, it still tastes amazing).

Dark chocolate chips are melted and drizzled over whole almonds, and then sprinkled with sea salt, to make these indulgent yet healthy low calorie chocolate snack.

I know that my readers expect- nay, they demand– only the very best from winstead wandering, and because I aim to please, I was forced to make these dark chocolate almond bites yet again.

The things I do for my readers.

Dark chocolate chips are melted and drizzled over whole almonds, and then sprinkled with sea salt, to make these indulgent yet healthy low calorie chocolate snack.

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better for you triple chocolate banana bread

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Better for you triple chocolate banana bread has no butter, oil, or added sugar- except for the chocolate, of course- while still delivering big on flavor. With sweet, moist bananas and three kinds of chocolate, this bread tastes decadently indulgent.

Better for you triple chocolate banana bread has no butter, oil, or added sugar- except for the chocolate, of course- while still delivering big on flavor. With sweet, moist bananas and three kinds of chocolate, this bread tastes decadently indulgent.

Several years ago, when we were still living in Oregon, I had a favorite better for you banana bread recipe. When we came back from the beach a couple weeks ago with several overripe bananas, I went in search of that recipe, only to discover that the website had been removed.

Removed.

The author of my absolute favorite all-time best ever better for your banana bread deleted her blog without consulting me. The nerve.

Not to be deterred, I decided I was up to the challenge of re-creating the recipe. After all, I’ve made my share of quick breads– a lot of quick breads– and I remembered the basics of the original recipe.

It took two tries to get things just right, but I had no shortage of willing recipe testers. My sources tell me that this one is a keeper.

Better for you triple chocolate banana bread has no butter, oil, or added sugar- except for the chocolate, of course- while still delivering big on flavor. With sweet, moist bananas and three kinds of chocolate, this bread tastes decadently indulgent.

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