Winstead Wandering

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Chocolate Cream Cheese Fruit Dip

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Skip the bland and boring store-bought options and make this rich, decadent and perfectly sweet Chocolate Cream Cheese Fruit Dip instead.

Skip the bland and boring store-bought options and make this rich, decadent and perfectly sweet Chocolate Cream Cheese Fruit Dip instead.

I hosted some family at our house several weeks ago and, as I’m sure is typical with most foodies, I spent an inordinate amount of time determining the menu. It was an early afternoon event, so I put together a small menu of appetizers and finger foods. It took some finagling to get what I considered to be the perfect balance of sweet and savory, light and heavy, but every dish was a hit, including this Chocolate Cream Cheese Fruit Dip.

Skip the bland and boring store-bought options and make this rich, decadent and perfectly sweet Chocolate Cream Cheese Fruit Dip instead.

Fruit dips, in my opinion, tend to have a bad reputation. A lot of people think of the sickeningly sweet store-bought version. You know the kind I’m talking about: the little tub that’s nearly grainy in texture? There’s nothing wrong with choosing that option in a pinch, but it can’t begin to compare to my Chocolate Cream Cheese Fruit Dip. This stuff is rich — duh, it’s got cream cheese and heavy cream in it — but the unsweetened cocoa powder provides a hint of bitterness that is offset by the sweet fruit. This recipe is perfect for making in advance to lighten your day-of load.

Skip the bland and boring store-bought options and make this rich, decadent and perfectly sweet Chocolate Cream Cheese Fruit Dip instead.

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Triple Berry Spinach Smoothies

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

Triple berry spinach smoothies are the perfect deceptively-nutritious, surprisingly-delicious way to make your mornings easier.

Triple berry spinach smoothies are the perfect deceptively-nutritious, surprisingly-delicious way to make your mornings easier.

Mornings. Ugh. Am I right?

Maybe it’s because I never seem to get enough sleep, or maybe it’s because I’m still adjusting to getting three kids ready to go every morning. Maybe I just suck at mornings.

Lately, though, I’ve been feeling like a bit of a mornings ninja. I’ve been religious about laying out clothes the night before- often on Sunday, for the entire week- for the kids and me. I’ve been getting lunches made and backpacks ready to go, water bottles filled and in the fridge.

Triple berry spinach smoothies are the perfect deceptively-nutritious, surprisingly-delicious way to make your mornings easier.

The one thing I’ve been doing that has made the biggest difference is making smoothie packets for the freezer. On Sunday night, I fill five freezer bags with the ingredients I’ll need for smoothies each morning. Everything goes in the freezer and, in the morning, I just add the contents of the bag, milk, and Carnation Morning Essentials® to the blender. Breakfast is ready in less than two minutes.

My triple berry spinach smoothies are met with approval by the entire family, which is a feat in itself. As a mom, I consider it a huge win that I can whip them up so quickly, and that my kids are actually happy about eating something that’s so good for them. Convenience, nutrition, and taste all in one? Yeah, I’m definitely a mornings ninja.

Triple berry spinach smoothies are the perfect deceptively-nutritious, surprisingly-delicious way to make your mornings easier.

There are a few other awesome things about these triple berry spinach smoothies. First, you can completely adapt them to suit your family’s needs and preferences. Any kind of milk will do, and you can change up the fruit, too. I like to use Carnation Breakfast Essentials® in Chocolate, but you can stock up on whichever flavor you prefer. Second, they’re nutrient-packed, thanks to the spinach and the Carnation Breakfast Essentials®. It’s so convenient to simply open a packet and have all those vitamins and minerals at the ready.

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Dark Chocolate-Dipped Clementines

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Looking for the perfect healthy snack for yourself, or a fun treat alternative to sugary goodies? Look no further than dark chocolate-dipped clementines.

Looking for the perfect healthy snack for yourself, or a fun treat alternative to sugary goodies? Look no further than dark chocolate-dipped clementines.

I’ve been having quite the love affair with Cuties lately. You know, the seedless, easy to peel clementines that are so popular this time of year?

I’m craving them like nobody’s business, eating at least four or five a day. Don’t get me wrong, I have zero complaints about craving something healthy and loaded with vitamin C. With previous pregnancies, I craved things like Burger King Whoppers and endless amounts of Juanita’s brand tortilla chips with my Granny’s homemade salsa.

That’s not to say I’m not craving anything unhealthy this time. I’ve got an unfilled hankering for some really good French fries, and I’ve been jonesing for some dark chocolate, which is where these guys come in.

It took just a few minutes for me to melt the chocolate, dip the little slices on, and sit back and admire my work. I sprinkled a few with sea salt and I added red or green sugar crystals to some others, because Christmas.

Looking for the perfect healthy snack for yourself, or a fun treat alternative to sugary goodies? Look no further than dark chocolate-dipped clementines.

Clementines are so bright and juicy; adding the swirl of dark chocolate gives you a perfect bite of flavor. These would be so great to whip up as a healthy treat for yourself, or to package and give away as a fun alternative- or addition- to traditional Christmas goodies.

If you’re not up for dipping (you should be; it’s totally easy) you could always drizzle the melted chocolate over the clementines. It would speed up an already quick process, and you could even use both white and brown chocolates. You wouldn’t get as much chocolate per bite, but they’d be healthier, your chocolate would stretch further, and they’d set up and be ready to serve or package quicker.

Looking for the perfect healthy snack for yourself, or a fun treat alternative to sugary goodies? Look no further than dark chocolate-dipped clementines.

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glazed strawberry lime scones

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These glazed strawberry lime scones are so light and fluffy! The strawberries baked inside are sweet and juicy, and the lime glaze is the perfect balance of tart and sweet.

These glazed strawberry lime scones are so light and fluffy! The strawberries baked inside are sweet and juicy, and the lime glaze is the perfect balance of tart and sweet.

 

Some of my best recipes come to be through a desire to use up expiring ingredients. In this case, I bought a pound of strawberries and promptly forgot about them in the fridge. When I remembered them a few days later, they were just past the eat-them-raw stage. They hadn’t quite moved into completely inedible, though, so I knew I could bake them into something to avoid throwing them away.

I had pinned this scone recipe a few weeks earlier and knew it was just the vehicle for these almost-spoiled berries. Scones have a reputation for being the dry, unappealing cousin of biscuits or coffee cake, but I’m here to tell you that’s not true.

My only experience with scones has been the ones my mom makes, and those are moist, light, and full of flavor. The key to producing a fluffy scone- and not a triangle-shaped hockey puck- is to not over mix your dough. Once you add your wet ingredients to your dry, stir everything just until it’s combined.

These glazed strawberry lime scones are packed with pockets of fresh berries and swirled with lime juice. Before going in the oven, they’re sprinkled with coarse sugar for a sweet crunch. Next, they’re baked until golden and light and then drizzled with a tart sugar lime glaze.

These glazed strawberry lime scones are so light and fluffy! The strawberries baked inside are sweet and juicy, and the lime glaze is the perfect balance of tart and sweet.

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easy puff pastry fruit wraps

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These easy puff pastry fruit wraps offer the perfect fluffy crunch and can be customized with whatever fresh or canned fruit you have on hand.

These easy puff pastry fruit wraps offer the perfect fluffy crunch and can be customized with whatever fresh or canned fruit you have on hand.

Hey! The month of July has me crisscrossing the country, from a road trip to Chicago to a plane ride “home” to Oregon. While I’m away, I’ve lined up some awesome guest posts for y’all.  Today, Jane is sharing a recipe for a quick and easy fruit-filled dessert.

 

Hello everyone, I’m Jane from My Imperfect Paradise. Thanks to Abby for having me here as a guest – while she’s away on a lovely holiday.

Summertime is really great for entertaining, but when it’s hot and sticky and you’d rather be sitting by the pool or at least just sitting with friends and enjoying a glass of wine, who wants to be slaving over a hot stove cooking?

I’ve been married for over thirty years and I must admit that at times I am completely over cooking and add to that coming up with ideas for meals that everyone will eat without protest – well, say no more!   Mind you that is where meal planning in advance comes in, because it really does take the brain power required out of the equation at the end of the day when you’re tired.

However, on the weekend I was in the mood to cook and I fancied creating a dessert with just what I had in the freezer and pantry.

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simple skillet peach cobbler

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This cobbler is prepared & baked right in a cast iron skillet. The result is a gooey, rustic pan of fresh peach goodness best served topped with ice cream.

Hey! The month of July has me crisscrossing the country, from a road trip to Chicago to a plane ride “home” to Oregon. While I’m away, I’ve lined up some awesome guest posts for y’all.  Today, Leah is sharing her family’s easy peach cobbler recipe.

Hello Winstead Wandering Followers!

First let me say a big hearty thanks to Winstead Wandering for letting us be a guest on her blog. We love what Abby does here and her recipes are amazing (thanks, Leah! You’re too sweet!).  We have added several to our list of family favorites. We are honored to be a part of such a special place….now let’s cook.

I love the farmers market.  There are just so many things to love about buying directly from a farmer that makes his living growing vegetables for our table. I love the smells, the free tastes and the proximity of buying fresh food for dinner that night.  Plus how can you not enjoy meeting and getting to know local growers that bring you yummy goodness ever single week.  I love my local grocer and I am thankful for the convenience of it, but buying from the Farmers Market is just so wonderful.

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homemade strawberry sauce

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your spring and summer won't be complete without this three-ingredient homemade strawberry sauce | winstead wandering

The days are longer, the temperature is warmer, and the local Piggly Wiggly has some beautiful produce.

Because it’s Spring, y’all.

What better way to welcome the season than with a batch- or four- of this sweet homemade strawberry sauce?

My favorite way to enjoy this sauce is in a glass of cold lemonade. The strawberry and lemonade combo? Red Robin has nothing on me.

In addition to the lemonade, strawberry sauce adds a sweet freshness to cheesecake, ice cream, or waffles or pancakes.

Or you can just enjoy it right off the spoon.

your spring and summer won't be complete without this three-ingredient homemade strawberry sauce | winstead wandering

homemade strawberry sauce

2 cups sliced or diced strawberries
1/4 cup sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract

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