Lunchtime Links for April 30th, 2014

• Damn Delicious: Chicken with 40 cloves of garlic. 
• Gimme Some Oven: Peanut butter banana cookies. 
• Kirbie's Cravings: Healthier orange chicken.
• Weelicious: Chocolate chip cookie cake. 
• Kevin & Amanda: Gooey Ritz peanut butter cup s'mores bars. 

Georgetown Cupcake - May Cupcake Flavors

Starting tomorrow and through May, Georgetown Cupcake is offering a few special flavors:

Lavender Earl Grey Teacake: Classic Madagascar Bourbon vanilla cupcake infused with lavender sugar and Earl Grey tea, topped with an Earl Grey tea-infused buttercream frosting, a sprinkling of lavender sugar, and a lavender fondant flower

Chocolate Peanut Butter Cheesecake: Creamy peanut butter cheesecake cupcake baked with an Oreo crust, dipped in a rich chocolate ganache icing and topped with a peanut butter swirl

White Chocolate Raspberry: Classic madagascar bourbon vanilla cupcake baked with fresh raspberries topped with a white chocolate buttercream frosting and a fondant flower

There are also vanilla and chocolate Mother's Day cupcakes which are super cute and would be a great gift for any mothers out there! 

Lunchtime Links for April 29th, 2014

• Damn Delicious: Garlic butter shrimp.
• Crazy for Crust: Soft chocolate peanut butter cup cookies. 
• Seasons & Suppers: Warm skillet pretzel rolls and Mexican cheese dip.
• Love & Olive Oil: White chocolate Funfetti Blondies. 
• Kirbie's Cravings: Single serving peanut butter cookie.

Georgetown Cupcake x BaubleBar

I'm already a big fan of BaubleBar for fun and (mostly) reasonably priced pieces of jewelry, but I was SUPER excited to see that they collaborated with Georgetown Cupcake as guest bartenders!  

I really liked the look of the Candy Tab Bangle especially, so I purchased one of those in Pink.  It's thin, so it goes with other bracelets if I stack them on one arm, but it also is a great standalone bracelet with a pop of color.  Also, look at how great it looks alongside a Strawberry Cheesecake cupcake, haha!  I look forward to seeing what other guest bartenders BaubleBar connects with in the future! 

Lunchtime Links for April 28th, 2014

• Handle the Heat: Copycat Swedish meatballs.
• Crazy for Crust: Perfect sugar cookies.
• Two Peas and Their Pod: Parmesan crusted scalloped potatoes. 
• Brown Eyed Baker: Snickers cheesecake. 
• Kirbie's Cravings: Three cup chicken. 

Oster Versa Blender

A huge "Thank you!" to Averie Cooks for hosting such great giveaways - I recently won this Oster Versa blender from one of her giveaways and I couldn't wait to try it out.

I had been using a basic blender that I got from my parents before they moved to the West Coast, but it had been on its last legs for some time now, and this blender came at the perfect time.  I quickly decided to try making peanut butter, as my old blender wouldn't have really had the power to be able to do this.

For this peanut butter, I used a 1lb bag of reduced salt roasted peanuts from Trader Joe's, and just dumped the whole bag in.  In just a few minutes, fresh peanut butter was ready!  Since I didn't add any sugar or other sweeteners to the peanuts, this is a very natural peanut taste.  I liked that I can add or change it if I wanted to depending on what I'm using it for - say, a sandwich spread versus a Thai peanut sauce.  I look forward to making lots of foods in my new blender! 

Lunchtime Links for April 24th, 2014

• Damn Delicious: Parmesan cauliflower bites. 
• Serious Eats: Chocolate chip brownie cookies.
• Brown Eyed Baker: Homemade Pierogi. 
• My Baking Addiction: Chocolate poke cake.
• Seasons & Suppers: Baked Gnocchi with arugula, cherry tomatoes, and Bocconcini.

Kenwood, Maryland Cherry Blossoms

Yes, this is another set of cherry blossom photos, haha.  These cherry blossoms are from the Kenwood neighborhood by Bethesda, Maryland, and they are a not-so-secret "secret" spot for DC area folks to enjoy beautiful cherry blossoms.  Ever since I heard about this neighborhood a few years ago, I've made a point of checking it out at least once every season!  

If you are driving there, they are pretty strict about parking (rightfully so, in my opinion since it's a neighborhood), so I would recommend parking in Bethesda and walking briefly along the Capital Crescent Trail that hits right at the entrance to Kenwood.  There's always a ton of people checking out the cherry blossoms, but at a much more relaxed pace with plenty of space for everyone.

Lunchtime Links for April 23rd, 2014

• Handle the Heat: Honey soy chicken thighs.
• Bakerella: Chocolate bunnies.
• Picky Palate: Parmesan rosemary Brussels sprouts and bacon pizza.
• Kirbie's Cravings: General Tso's chicken.
• Cookies & Cups: Banana blondies. 

2014 DC Cherry Blossoms

Every spring I try to make it out to the Tidal Basin area of DC to check out the beautiful display of cherry blossoms. Yes, it gets insanely crowded and you will want to punch everyone that is in your way, but it's totally worth it!  I would recommend going very early in the morning (especially if you work nearby), or go after work on a weekday like I normally do.  It's still crowded, but not nearly as soul-crushing as a weekend day can be, trust me.  It's also tricky to get there right at the peak bloom time, but with a little planning and patience it can be done! 

Lunchtime Links for April 22nd, 2014

• How Sweet It Is: White pizza grilled cheese. 
• Handle the Heat: Salted caramel milk chocolate chip cookies. 
• Table for Two: 20-minute Teriyaki chicken and broccoli.
• Love and Olive Oil: Chocolate mousse brownies.
• Kevin and Amanda: Creamy Pesto Gnocchi with bacon and Parmesan.

Georgetown Cupcake - Easter 2014 Cupcakes

This year, Georgetown Cupcake offered two very cute Easter-themed cupcakes, as well as an Easter-themed free secret cupcake on Easter Sunday.  Starting clockwise from the top right, you'll see: 

- Free Hoppy Easter Cupcake (which appears to be Carrot cake with Vanilla frosting)

- Caramel-filled Vanilla Easter Egg: Classic Madagascar Bourbon vanilla cupcake with a creamy dulce-de-leche core, topped with light pink buttercream frosting and a fondant Easter egg

- Caramel-filled Chocolate Easter Bunny: Valrhona chocolate cupcake with a creamy dulce-de-leches core topped with a light green vanilla buttercream frosting and fondant bunny

With pastel colors and cute fondant decorations, these are a fantastic touch of spring to their regular cupcakes.  As far as I can tell, the Easter Egg and Easter Bunny cupcakes are still available if you order online, so be sure to place an order if you're still in the mood for Easter/spring foods! 

Lunchtime Links for April 21st, 2014

• Averie Cooks: Flourless peanut butter and chocolate fudgy brownies. 
• Kirbie's Cravings: 5 minute microwave sprinkles sugar cookie. 
• Eat, Live, Run: Cinnamon sugar pull-apart bread. 
• Brown Eyed Baker: Banoffee pie. 
• My Baking Addiction: Monkey bread muffins. 

Georgetown Cupcake - Free Lucky Lava Fudge Cupcake

Sometimes Georgetown Cupcake comes out with cute variations on a regular menu flavor - like this Lucky Laval Fudge cupcake.  It's pretty much like the Lava Fudge cupcake, but with a pretty light mint colored frosting.  It was much brighter in person than in the photo above, and was a really pretty cupcake with the dark chocolate contrast.  The Lava Fudge cupcake is delicious and the fun mint color made it even cute! 

Lunchtime Links for April 18th, 2014

• Cookies & Cups: Bisquick chocolate chip cookies. 
• Averie Cooks: Fontina and Mozzarella grilled cheese sandwich.
• Crazy for Crust: Peanut butter Oreo trifles.
• Kirbie's Cravings: Milk and cookie shots. 
• Brown Eyed Baker: Oreo Rice Krispie treats.

Birthday Cake M&Ms

As most of you probably know, I am a sucker for Limited Edition flavors, especially for standard grocery store items.  So when I saw these Birthday Cake M&Ms at CVS, and they wound up being free with my ExtraCare card and sale, I couldn't get these in my hands fast enough!

These M&Ms are thicker than regular milk chocolate M&Ms - very similar to the peanut butter flavor.  I expected to see white chocolate inside, maybe with sprinkles; however they were solid milk chocolate.  They definitely tasted different than the regular milk chocolate flavor, but I couldn't quite put my finger on it.  Not quite frosting, but like chocolate with an extra taste of sugar, maybe to mimic the sprinkles on a cake?  Unfortunately these weren't amazing and I probably wouldn't buy them again, but I'm definitely happy to have tried them out! 

Lunchtime Links for April 17th, 2014

• Kirbie's Cravings: Single serving cookies and cream cookie.
• Two Peas and Their Pod: Double chocolate hazelnut cookies with sea salt. 
• Bake at 350: Springtime peanut butter chocolate chip cookies. 
• Brown Eyed Baker: Brownie pudding. 
• Bakerella: Carrot cake pops. 

Shake Shack - Shackbury Easter Egg Concrete

Hop to it! Our special edition "Shackbury Easter Egg" concrete will be available from April 17th-20th at all US Shacks (excluding ballparks). This beloved holiday classic features fresh-made vanilla frozen custard blended with caramel sauce and milk chocolate chunks.

Single: $4.25 / Double: $6.50

I am soooooooooo happy to hear that Shake Shack is bringing back the delicious Shackbury Easter Egg concrete again this year!  I LOVED it when I tried it last April, and I look forward to having it again on Sunday.  Be sure to head over to try this out if you can! 

Lunchtime Links for April 16th, 2014

• Damn Delicious: Spaghetti Carbonara. 
• A Kitchen Addiction: Dark chocolate chip graham banana bread.
• The Comfort of Cooking: Garlic Parmesan knots.
• Oh, Sweet Basil: Asian crispy honey chicken.
• Gimme Some Oven: Sea salt and vinegar kale chips. 

DSW - Mint Polka Dot Scarf

I got this pretty mint scarf at DSW a while back, and I love how the little silver polka dots play off the sheer mint color! I don't normally wear too many scarves, but I'm seeing lots of cute and unique designs more recently, and I'm trying to remember to actually wear them haha.  These breezy spring days are the perfect time to add a scarf as a fun touch to my regular outfit! 

Lunchtime Links for April 15th, 2014

• Kirbie's Cravings: Single serving birthday cake cookie.
• My Baking Addiction: Skillet brownies.
• Damn Delicious: Shrimp Scampi.
• Averie Cooks: Caramel-stuffed quadruple chocolate cookies. 
• The First Year Blog: French toast maple sausage muffins. 

Godiva - Birthday Cake Truffle

How cute is this Birthday Cake truffle from Godiva??  I tried this truffle flavor as one of the monthly free chocolates for being a Godiva club member, and I'm really glad I had a chance to try it.  The pink color is really pretty, and the white pearl nonpareils add a lot of texture to it.  Inside you'll find a vanilla cake mousse with sprinkles mixed in, making this as fun to look at is it is to eat it.  Like a grown up, bite-sized Funfetti cake, haha :o) 

Lunchtime Links for April 14th, 2014

• Brown Eyed Baker: Peanut butter cup overload cake. 
• Kevin & Amanda: Hazelnut butter cookies. 
• Handle the Heat: Peanut butter cup ice cream sandwiches.
• Two Peas and Their Pod: Homemade flour tortillas.
• Oh, Sweet Basil: Gooey cinnamon roll French toast casserole.

Georgetown Cupcake - Sunshine Vanilla Cupcake

Occasionally, Georgetown Cupcake steps out of their mainly soft and pastel color scheme and brings out a pop of neon for their special cupcakes.  One example is this free Sunshine Vanilla cupcake that I received a while back, and if it's possible the frosting is even more bright in person, haha.  This is also called the Vanilla Sunshine cupcake on the current online menu; however I'm keeping this one as the way it was listed that day. 

While the electric yellow frosting definitely looks different from their standard vanilla frosting, this cupcake tastes just like the Vanilla Squared cupcake that is on the regular menu.  This can be special ordered at any point, and would make a fun base for Spring or Summer-themed cupcakes with cute decorations on top! 

Lunchtime Links for April 11th, 2014

• Brown Eyed Baker: Braised short ribs with cheesy grits. 
• Averie Cooks: Caramel peanut butter chocolate chip gooey bars. 
• Kirbie's Cravings: Honey walnut shrimp.
• Gimme Some Oven: 4-ingredient Easter egg Golden Oreo truffles. 
• Damn Delicious: Coffee cake muffins. 

Daikaya - Spicy Miso Ramen

I was looking forward to trying Daikaya's Spicy Miso ramen, as I usually enjoy spicy dishes, and of course their ramen! 

I enjoy the lighter taste of Daikaya's regular Miso ramen which uses white miso, so the addition of the spicy flavor was a nice touch.  I will say, this isn't a crazy level of spicy, like burning your mouth off by any means. Even if you're not a fan of spicy foods normally I would recommend trying this out if you're looking for something warm with a little kick on a cold day! 

Lunchtime Links for April 10th, 2014

• Serious Eats: Chocolate chip Brookies. 
• The First Year Blog: Small batch cinnamon rolls with espresso glaze. 
• Handle the Heat: Ultimate macaroni and cheese. 
• Crazy for Crust: Peanut butter cookie dough cheesecake pie. 
• Kirbie's Cravings: 3 ingredient biscuits. 

Baked & Wired - Pretty Bitchin' Cupcake

Pretty Bitchin' cupcake - Chocolate cake with a crunchy peanut butter frosting

One of the many things that I love about the baked goods at Baked & Wired is that they really don't half-ass anything, including portions and flavor.  The rich chocolate cake is topped with a thick layer of crunchy peanut butter frosting.  I would say this cupcake is great for sharing... but I won't blame you if you keep it for yourself, haha.  Peanut butter and chocolate is a delicious combination, and this cupcake is definitely proof of that! 

Lunchtime Links for April 9th, 2014

• Weelicious: Po-tacos.
• The Comfort of Cooking: Creamy stovetop jalapeno-bacon macaroni and cheese. 
• Brown Eyed Baker: Ciabatta bread. 
• Damn Delicious: Garlic Parmesan fries. 
• Averie Cooks: Big soft and chewy peanut butter crinkle cookies. 

Shake Shack - Honey Roasted Peanut Brittle Custard

If you love peanuts and/or brittle candy, you will LOVE this Honey Roasted Peanut Brittle custard that was recently at Shake Shack! This creamy custard was packed with sizable chunks of peanut brittle.  The pieces were large enough that luckily I could see them before biting down too quickly - it definitely would've hurt if I tried to eat this too fast, haha.  To be honest, I'm not normally a big fan of brittle candies because I'm always afraid they will break or get stuck in my teeth - but coated with Shake Shack's creamy custard definitely made me a fan :o) 

Lunchtime Links for April 8th, 2014

• Handle the Heat: Garlic, herb and cheese bread rolls. 
• The Pioneer Woman: Short rib sandwiches. 
• Kevin & Amanda: 15 minute lasagna.
• Picky Palate: Classic cheesy stuffed sausage pasta bake. 
• Kirbie's Cravings: Shrimp toast. 

Ben & Jerry's - Free Cone Day

Ice cream lovers - I hope there is a Ben & Jerry's Scoop shop near you, because it's Free Cone Day once again!  I always look forward to seeing if there are any new flavors to try, or a Scoop shop-only flavor whenever I go for Free Cone Day. This offer is only from 12-8pm today at participating shops, so be sure to go enjoy your free ice cream!

Lunchtime Links for April 7th, 2014

• How Sweet It Is: Banana blondies with chocolate peanut butter ganache.
• Handle the Heat: Double chocolate cookies. 
• Gimme Some Oven: 4 ingredient Easter egg Oreo truffles. 
• Crazy for Crust: Peanut butter chocolate cookie dough bars. 
• Oh, Sweet Basil: S'mores munchies mix. 

Georgetown Cupcake - Sticky Toffee Pudding Cupcake

Let's just ignore the obvious holiday-ness of this photo, and focus on the deliciousness, shall we?

This is Georgetown Cupcake's Sticky Toffee Pudding cupcake from 2013 - a chocolate cupcake with a pudding core, topped with vanilla frosting and toffee caramel drizzle.  This cupcake was really good - the soft pudding and frosting added extra richness to the chocolate cake.  As you can see this cupcake is different from the one on this year's menu; I look forward to trying this year's version and comparing it to this one! 

Lunchtime Links for April 4th, 2014

• Crazy for Crust: Triple dark chocolate pudding cookies. 
• Averie Cooks: Salted caramel sticky buns. 
• Brown Eyed Baker: Soft batch chocolate chip cookies. 
• The First Year Blog: Mocha chocolate chip muffins.
• Gimme Some Oven: Chocolate peanut butter skillet cookie. 

Shake Shack - Cherry Pie, Oh My Concrete

Photo courtesy of Shake Shack

I always love when Shake Shack comes out with limited edition menu items, and this spring we have a Cherry Pie, Oh My concrete!

Here are the details from Shake Shack:

"Washington, DC's Shake Shack locations are bringing back an exciting partnership with Dangerously Delicious Pies. For a limited time, cherry blossom fans can indulge in a Cherry Pie, Oh My concrete. Available for two weeks between March 31 and April 14, the concrete blends fresh, creamy vanilla frozen custard with a whole slice of cherry pie from DC's own Dangerously Delicious Pies. The concrete is available at Dupont and F Street Shacks in two sizes: $4.25 for a half size, and $6.50 for a regular size."

The Pumpkin Pie, Oh My concrete that is offered in the fall is amazing, so I'm happy to see another "pie x ice cream" collaboration at Shake Shack haha.  Be sure to try it out before it goes away on April 15th! 

Lunchtime Links for April 3rd, 2014

• Brown Eyed Baker: Salted caramel blondies.
• Warm Vanilla Sugar: Double chocolate chunk cookies. 
• Weelicious: Greek nachos. 
• My Baking Addiction: Chocolate bread. 
• Oh, Sweet Basil: Banana coffee cake. 

Bath & Body Works - Sweet Shop and Fresh Picked Candles

A while back when I walked by Bath & Body Works, this Sweet Shop display of candles definitely caught my eye!  With fun scents like Raspberry Macarons, Doughnuts, Sorbet, and Cupcakes, these were all super cute and in fun colors to boot.  

While I was checking out the candle selection, I also came across this Fresh Picked candle in a Pomelo Grapefruit scent.  I love the smell and taste of Pomelos, and it came in such a pretty pink color that I had to bring one home!  There were lots of fruit scents that all smelled delicious and perfect for the spring.

Lunchtime Links for April 2nd, 2014

• Kirbie's Cravings: Crispy BBQ chicken wings. 
• The First Year Blog: No bake crunchy chocolate peanut butter bars.
• A Kitchen Addiction: Chocolate chip coffee cake.
• The Comfort of Cooking: Crispy baked fish sticks with tartar sauce. 
• Oh, Sweet Basil: Snickers chocolate cookie cups. 

Shake Shack - April Custard Flavors

Monday: S'mores
Tuesday: Salted Caramel
Wednesday: Red Velvet
Thursday: Strawberry Rhubarb Blondie
Friday: Chocolate Toffee Coffee
Saturday: Honey Almond Cake
Sunday: Malted Marshmallow Milk Chocolate

Another great month of Shake Shack custard flavors is upon us. There are some old favorites in the lineup for April, and I've definitely got my eye on you, Friday!

Lunchtime Links for April 1st, 2014

• A Kitchen Addiction: Reese's Pieces peanut butter cookie cheesecake bars. 
• Dessert for Two: Chocolate eclairs. 
• Oh, Sweet Basil: Beef and broccoli.
• Cookies & Cups: Oreo cream filled brownies. 
• Love & Olive Oil: Stuffed peanut butter chocolate chip cookies. 

Georgetown Cupcake - April Cupcake Flavors

Georgetown Cupcake has a lot of special cupcake flavors this month, mainly due to Easter and Passover.  I love all of the cute pastel colors and designs!

- Cherry Blossom: Classic madagascar bourbon vanilla cupcake baked with fresh cherries and topped with a cherry infused cream cheese frosting and a fondant cherry blossom

- Cherry Cheesecake: Fresh cherry cheesecake cupcake topped with a cherry infused frosting and cherry blossom fondant

- Caramel-Filled Chocolate Easter Bunny: Valrhona chocolate cupcake with a creamy dulce-de-leches core topped with a light green vanilla buttercream frosting and fondant bunny

- Caramel-Filled Vanilla Easter Egg: Classic Madagascar Bourbon vanilla cupcake with a creamy dulce-de-leche core, topped with light pink buttercream frosting and a fondant Easter egg

- Classic Passover Macaroon: Kosher for Passover Macaroon Cupcake

- Caramel Drizzle Passover Macaroon: Kosher for Passover Macaroon Cupcake with a dulce-de-leches drizzle

- Chocolate Drizzle Passover Macaroon: Kosher for Passover Macaroon Cupcake with a fudge drizzle