Lunchtime Links for December 22nd, 2016

• The Kitchn: 12 cookie recipes.
• How Sweet It Is: Christmas morning Mimosas.
• Creme de la Crumb: One hour cream cheese cinnamon rolls.
• Oh Sweet Basil: Hot cocoa no bake cookies.
• Dessert for Two: Hot chocolate party.

Lunchtime Links for December 21st, 2016

• Kirbie's Cravings: Cookies and Cream hot chocolate.
• The Kitchn: Brown butter sugar cookies.
• Damn Delicious: Champagne punch.
• Gimme Some Oven: Homemade whipped cream.
• This Week for Dinner: Sea salt brown butter Rice Krispie Treats.

Michaels - Food-themed Washi Tape

I love Washi tape to use on cards or to "seal" envelopes, so I'm always on the lookout for fun and colorful patterns. I was super excited to find this set at Michaels with lots of fun food themes! It basically covers some of my favorite Emoji as well, haha.  

This tube of Washi tapes is $10.00 but I was able to get it at 50% off with a store coupon! If anyone is also looking for a fun way to decorate a paper planner as well, Washi tape is great because they add lots of color and are re-usable, so you can remove them easily if your plans change.  I definitely plan on coming to Michaels more often to check out their new tapes! 

Lunchtime Links for December 20th, 2016

• A Kitchen Addiction: Gingerbread soft pretzel bites with cream cheese dip.
• Creme de la Crumb: Salted caramel chocolate thumbprint cookies.
• Kirbie's Cravings: 4 ingredient flourless Nutella cookies.
• The Live in Kitchen: Dark chocolate salted caramel cups.
• Picky Palate: Festive holiday cookies.

Lunchtime Links for December 19th, 2016

• A Kitchen Addiction: 3 ingredient swirled cookie butter bark.
• Kirbie's Cravings: Copycat Levain bakery dark chocolate chocolate chip cookies.
• I Heart Naptime: Snickerdoodle hot chocolate.
• Joy the Baker: Cream cheese cinnamon rolls.
• A Spicy Perspective: Layered desserts.

Lunchtime Links for December 16th, 2016

• Kirbie's Cravings: Chocolate cookies and cream mug cake.
• Damn Delicious: Cheesy garlic bread.
• The Kitchn: Gingerbread cookies.
• Dessert for Two: Chocolate cookies with salted caramel buttercream.
• A Kitchen Addiction: Vanilla fudge.

Lunchtime Links for December 15th, 2016

• Averie Cooks: Red velvet poke cake with cream cheese frosting.
• A Beautiful Mess: Peanut butter and pumpkin dark chocolate cups.
• Gimme Some Oven: Extra bold Chex mix.
• Brown Eyed Baker: Mini cheesecake cookies. 
• The Kitchn: Blooming marshmallows.

Lunchtime Links for December 14th, 2016

• Handle the Heat: Red velvet cheesecake bites. 
• A Spicy Perspective: Snickerdoodle sandwich cookies.
• Crazy for Crust: Cookies n' cream Oreo cake roll.
• The Kitchn: Gingerbread chocolate chip cookies.
• Kirbie's Cravings: Nutella hot chocolate.

Lunchtime Links for December 13th, 2016

• Creme de la Crumb: Cinnamon sugar biscuit waffles.
• Joy the Baker: Thai beef bowl with vegetables.
• Oh Sweet Basil: No-bake chocolate pie.
• Averie Cooks: Peanut butter blossoms.
• Handle the Heat: Hot chocolate pancakes.

Shake Shack - 2016 Christmas Ornament

It's that time of year again when a new Shake Shack Christmas ornament comes out, yay!  

Once again Shake Shack is offering a free ornament with a $25+ gift card purchase, so it was an easy decision for me haha.  As you can see I also got the Pumpkin Pie holiday shake to make the visit extra festive.  This year's ornament is very cute, with their burger logo wearing a Shake Shack knit hat, haha.  I hope they keep coming out with these ornaments every year, I love collecting them! 

Lunchtime Links for December 12th, 2016

• Oh Sweet Basil: Salted milk chocolate caramels.
• The Kitchn: Ravioli pasta bake.
• Two Peas and Their Pod: Chocolate dipped Oreos.
• Creme de la Crumb: Cheddar bacon scalloped potatoes.
• Handle the Heat: Gingerbread hot chocolate.

Julie Ann Art - Christmas Cards

I am a big fan of Julie Ann Art's regular birthday cards, so I knew I had to pick up some of her Christmas cards on Black Friday!  I especially love the shopping one because I weirdly don't mind being at the mall during the crazy "before Christmas" season when there's tons of people shopping, haha.  In addition to these fun Christmas cards, she also has a bunch of funny baby/wedding/birthday cards that I love as well, so be sure to check out the website for lots of fun snail mail ideas! 

Lunchtime Links for December 6th, 2016

• Two Peas and Their Pod: Salted caramel pretzel fudge. 
• I Heart Naptime: Hot chocolate cookies. 
• Table for Two: Peanut butter blossom cookies.
• Cookies and Cups: Chocolate truffle cookies. 
• Averie Cooks: Holiday sugar cookie bars with cream cheese frosting.

Lunchtime Links for December 5th, 2016

• The Kitchn: Pumpkin magic cake.
• Creme de la Crumb: Cinnamon roll icing.
• Averie Cooks: Soft and chewy chocolate chip cookies.
• Damn Delicious: Fried mac and cheese balls.
• Crazy for Crust: Chocolate peanut pie.

Lunchtime Links for December 1st, 2016

• The Kitchn: Vanilla magic cake.
• Oh Sweet Basil: Potato rolls.
• Weelicious: Crispy smashed potatoes.
• Table for Two: Pumpkin cornbread muffins.
• My Baking Addiction: Garlic Parmesan pull-apart bread.

Lunchtime Links for November 17th, 2016

• Table for Two: Homemade Churros.
• Gimme Some Oven: Roasted Brussels sprouts.
• Smitten Kitchen: Cheesecake marbled pumpkin slab pie.
• Handle the Heat: Death by chocolate cake.
• Oh Sweet Basil: No-bake pumpkin pie with gingersnap crust.

Lunchtime Links for November 14th, 2016

• The First Year Blog: Pumpkin pie bars.
• Bakerella: DIY candy cane treat box.
• Dessert for Two: Peanut butter cup cookies.
• Oh Sweet Basil: Pumpkin chocolate chip bread.
• Brown Eyed Baker: Pumpkin yummy dessert.

Lunchtime Links for November 10th, 2016

• Oh Sweet Basil: Pumpkin cupcakes with 7 minute frosting.
• Crazy for Crust: Chocolate chip chess pie.
• US Weekly: Starbucks Red Cups.
• Table for Two: Apple cider doughnuts.
• The Kitchn: Buffalo chicken stuffed potato.

Lunchtime Links for November 8th, 2016

• Kirbie's Cravings: Flourless Nutella brownies.
• My Baking Addiction: Apple cider doughnuts.
• How Sweet It Is: Pumpkin Nutella hot chocolate.
• A Spicy Perspective: Creamy chicken Tortellini soup.
• The Kitchn: Pumpkin cheesecake.

Sugar Paper LA x Target

It was a lovely surprise to see the new 2017 Sugar Paper LA for Target planner and calendar collection all set up! 

There are lots of new desk accessories this year, like business card holders, memo notes, and a wax seal kit- so fun!  And then there are all of the lovely planner and calendar designs to suit all sorts of tastes.  I'm especially glad that the notebook monthly calendar is back because I love it for birthday reminders and sending out cards.  I'll definitely be back to pick up more planners, haha! 

Lunchtime Links for November 7th, 2016

• The Live in Kitchen: Pumpkin gingerbread loaf.
• Two Peas and Their Pod: Pumpkin cheesecake with brown butter gingersnap crust.
• Crazy for Crust: Chocolate chip pumpkin doughnut muffins.
• The First Year Blog: Espresso cheesecake.
• Dine and Dish: Pumpkin spice cake recipe for one.

Paper Source - 20% off Sale

I walked by the Paper Source store yesterday, and saw a lovely sign saying that everything was 20% off - so of course I had to keep walking around Bethesda until 12:00PM to check out what I could buy, haha.  As far as I know they very rarely have store wide sales like this, so I'm glad I went in! I looked around for a while and decided on some of these fun little items above.  The "baby seal with ear muffs on an iceberg" stamp was a last minute decision, but I am really glad I got it :o)  

Lunchtime Links for November 3rd, 2016

• Handle the Heat: Sweet potato dinner rolls.
• Cookies and Cups: Chocolate crunch cookies.
• Dessert for Two: Pumpkin Nutella muffins.
• I Heart Naptime: Chocolate dipped Oreo snowflakes.
• Crazy for Crust: One bowl brownies.

Shake Shack - November Custard Calendar

This month Shake Shack is bringing out the holiday flavors, yay!

11/1 - 11/6: Pumpkin Pie
11/7 - 11/13: Pretzel-dential Caramel
11/14 - 11/30: Merry and Bright holiday flavors - Chocolate Peppermint, Pumpkin Pie, and Christmas Cookie

If you're a fan of Pumpkin Pie you get lots of time to head over to Shake Shack this month, and the other flavors (except Chocolate Peppermint, haha) are delicious too!

Lunchtime Links for November 2nd, 2016

• Love and Olive Oil: Giant Swiss cake roll.
• Crazy for Crust: Candy filled brownie cake.
• Handle the Heat: Pumpkin old fashioned doughnuts.
• Dessert for Two: Matcha marshmallows.
• My Baking Addiction: Nutella chocolate chip pumpkin bread.

November - Thanksgiving Cards

It's November, which means that Thanksgiving is already around the corner.  In the spirit of Thanksgiving and giving thanks, I will be sending a card out every day this month.  This will be a great way for me to stay in touch with my friends (and some "friends" like Shake Shack, Georgetown Cupcake, and Andy Cohen if I can, hahaha), and also actually use some of the massive stock of stationary that I have - so a win/win situation, really.  A lot of people associate Christmas with the time to send cards to others, but I highly encourage everyone to just send cards any time of year! 

Lunchtime Links for November 1st, 2016

• The First Year Blog: Tiramisu cake.
• Smitten Kitchen: Broken pasta with pork ragu.
• Kirbie's Cravings: Flourless pumpkin bread.
• The Comfort of Cooking: French onion soup.
• Love and Olive Oil: Pumpkin chess pie bars.

Georgetown Cupcake - November Flavors

Happy November everyone! There are lots of delicious special flavors at Georgetown Cupcake this month as we approach the holiday season:

- Pumpkin Spice: Pumpkin spice cupcake with a maple-infused cream cheese frosting topped with a fondant maple leaf.

- German Chocolate Fudge: Valrhona chocolate cupcake with a caramel and pecan core, topped with a caramel buttercream frosting, toasted coconut flakes and a fudge and caramel drizzle.

- Caramel Apple: Fresh apple cupcake with a caramel core topped with a vanilla cream cheese frosting and a caramel star drizzle.

- Thanksgiving Vanilla: Madagascar vanilla cupcake with vanilla buttercream frosting and topped with a brown fondant turkey.

- Thanksgiving Chocolate: Valrhona chocolate cupcake with vanilla buttercream frosting topped with a brown fondant turkey.

- Democrat Donkey Red Velvet: Red velvet cupcake with fondant Democratic donkey.

- Republican Elephant Red Velvet: Red velvet cupcake with fondant Republican elephant.

- VOTE Red White & Blue: Madagascar vanilla cupcake infused with red, white, and blue nonpareils, topped with a vanilla buttercream frosting, and decorated with red, white, and blue nonpareils and VOTE fondant.

- Black Forest: Valrhona chocolate and rum* syrup cupcake with a dark cherry & buttercream filling, topped with a Madagascar vanilla buttercream frosting, chocolate shavings, and a fondant leaf. *Note: Rum syrup is non-alcoholic.

- Pumpkin Cheesecake: Pumpkin cheesecake cupcake with a graham cracker crust, topped with maple cream cheese frosting and a fondant maple leaf.

- Maple Chocolate Chip: Maple cupcake studded with Callebaut chocolate chips and topped with a maple cream cheese frosting and a fondant maple leaf.

Lunchtime Links for October 25th, 2016

• Steamy Kitchen: Yangzhou fried rice.
• My Baking Addiction: Pumpkin spice marshmallow dip.
• The Kitchn: Loaded baked potato skin casserole.
• Dessert for Two: Pumpkin swirl brownies.
• How Sweet It Is: Beer cheese soft pretzel garlic bread.

Lunchtime Links for October 24th, 2016

• Averie Cooks: Pumpkin gooey butter cake.
• The Comfort of Cooking: Gnocchi with pumpkin, bacon, and sage sauce.
• Oh Sweet Basil: Southern macaroni and cheese.
• Warm Vanilla Sugar: Buttermilk pumpkin doughnuts.
• Kirbie's Cravings: One pot taco spaghetti.

Lunchtime Links for October 21st, 2016

• Averie Cooks: Loaded peanut butter cookie pie.
• Damn Delicious: Ground beef noodle stir fry.
• Cookies and Cups: Cinnamon roll layer cake.
• Brown Eyed Baker: Classic Calzones.
• A Kitchen Addiction: Salted caramel pumpkin cake.

Old Navy Sweatshirts

Old Navy has had a great selection of activewear and loungewear recently, with lots of cute designs!  I stopped in earlier this week and came across two in particular that I thought were fun:

I loved the coral-pink color of this sweatshirt, and also that the font was pretty small for being one of those "quote shirts", which made it a little unique.  

As soon as I saw this "Hello There" sweatshirt on the mannequin, I knew I wanted it!  Unfortunately there were none of these below or close to the mannequin that had this sweatshirt, and as I looked around I was starting to wonder if this was the only one available.  But then, I went into the clearance section and someone had left behind the sweatshirt in my size no less, woo!  Unfortunately it was not actually on clearance which would've been a nice bonus, but I was happy to find one at all.  It's super soft and cozy, perfect for fall and winter weekends! 

Lunchtime Links for October 20th, 2016

• The Kitchn: Food themed notecards.
• Warm Vanilla Sugar: Buttermilk pumpkin muffins.
• Picky Palate: Cheesy garlic toast pull apart bread.
• Oh Sweet Basil: Maple glazed pumpkin pie cinnamon rolls.
• Gimme Some Oven: Creamy Tortellini soup with Italian sausage.

Starbucks Japan - Tokyo Mug

Big thanks to my oldest brother that was able to pick up this Tokyo Starbucks mug at Narita Airport during his recent business trip to Japan!  While these don't look exactly like the "You Are Here" collection that is sold here, it's a very fun design that has some of the icons of Tokyo (like the Tokyo Skytree building).  And, since I have been collecting the Starbucks location mugs for places that I have been to, of course I had to have the Tokyo one!

In related news, it looks like Starbucks Japan is coming out with a new Geography series which is a very colorful and fun set of designs to celebrate different areas of Japan - I hope to see these in person sometime soon!! 

Lunchtime Links for October 19th, 2016

• The Kitchn: Pumpkin slab pie.
• Picky Palate: Cheesy pizza bread.
• Good Life Eats: Pumpkin chocolate chip cookie s'mores.
• The First Year Blog: Chocolate whipped cream.
• Serious Eats: Pumpkin spice muffins.

Paper Source - Yoga Pants Card

I came across this card at Paper Source over the weekend and had to snap a photo because it's so true, haha!  And while I'm sure there are plenty of people that actually wear yoga pants to work out in.... but it's safe to say I'm not exactly one of them.  I hope this can give you a little chuckle on this Wednesday! 

Lunchtime Links for October 18th, 2016

• Averie Cooks: Chocolate chip marshmallow skillet cookie.
• Crazy for Crust: Extreme cookies n' cream Oreo cake.
• Serious Eats: 20 Japanese recipes.
• Picky Palate: Peanut butter s'mores dessert pizza.
• The Kitchn: Roasted tomato soup.

Georgetown Cupcake - Midnight Cookies and Creme + Chocolate Ghost Cupcakes

I love that Georgetown Cupcake has a lot more Halloween-themed cupcake flavors this year - the more new flavors the better!  

Here we have the Midnight Cookies and Creme (Valrhona chocolate cupcake topped with a milk chocolate cookies & crème buttercream frosting and cookie crumbles) and the Chocolate Ghost (Valrhona Chocolate cupcake topped with whipped Callebaut chocolate ganache frosting and decorated with a white fondant ghost) cupcakes.  Both cupcake flavors are perfect for any chocolate lovers!  

The extra cookie crumbles on the Midnight Cookies and Creme cupcake add lots of texture and extra chocolate flavor.  The Chocolate Ghost is a fun twist on the regular menu Chocolate Squared cupcake, and the thick chocolate ganache frosting adds a decadent touch.  And the little fondant ghost makes this perfect for a Halloween treat or a party.  Be sure to check out all of the fun Halloween flavors being offered this year!     

Lunchtime Links for October 17th, 2016

• Averie Cooks: S'mores poke cake.
• Smitten Kitchen: Pumpkin bread.
• Kirbie's Cravings: Honey garlic shrimp.
• The Kitchn: Caramel desserts.
• Crazy for Crust: Caramel pumpkin cake roll.

Duck Donuts - Pumpkin Pie Doughnut

This pumpkin pie doughnut from Duck Donuts is the perfect fall doughnut!  As soon as I saw this flavor advertised on their Facebook page, I knew I had to go check it out.  The delicious smell hit me as soon as I opened up the box, and it's a strong, perfect blend of pumpkin pie spices.  This wasn't so much a thick frosting, but you could taste the spices and glaze with every bite - perfect with a cup of coffee! If you like pumpkin spice flavors this doughnut is a must-have! 

Lunchtime Links for October 14th, 2016

• Brown Eyed Baker: Black-bottom cupcakes.
• Crazy for Crust: Mini Snickers cheesecakes.
• Dessert for Two: Pumpkin spice Rice Krispie treats.
• Cookies and Cups: Amish cinnamon brown sugar cookies.
• Averie Cooks: Chocolate peanut butter candy bars.

Target - Pumpkin Pie Towels

A few weeks ago I noticed a nice display at the front area of my local Target, with lots of Fall and Thanksgiving-themed dinnerware and kitchen items.  When I went again recently, I was happy to see all of the items in that section now on clearance!  

I had my eye on this set of pumpkin pie flour sack towels, and of course at $1.75 (+ Target Cartwheel discount) I had to get it!  There are lots of serving dishes, mini dip bowls, and dessert plates - including a Latte-themed plate that I already bought previously which is super cute.  Be sure to check out this section at your Target if you're in the market for some new Thanksgiving wares or Fall kitchen items.  

Lunchtime Links for October 13th, 2016

• The Kitchn: Chocolate sheet cake.
• Table for Two: Cheesy Chorizo chili dip.
• The First Year Blog: Pumpkin brownie pudding.
• Warm Vanilla Sugar: Pumpkin spice latte.
• The Comfort of Cooking: Soft and chewy double chocolate cookies.

Starbucks - Pumpkin Spice Latte Turns 13!

Last week I saw a Starbucks Facebook post that the Pumpkin Spice Latte was celebrating its 13th birthday (!) and they were offering pumpkin spice whipped cream for the weekend, along with some cute little PSL themed pins.  Luckily at the Starbucks I went to, the barista had the pins on their apron already so I didn't have to try to explain what it was that I was looking for, haha.  The pumpkin whipped cream was a decadent addition to the PSL that I got, and I love that the pin has a little pumpkin on it too, so cute!  Happy 13th birthday, Pumpkin Spice Latte!   

Lunchtime Links for October 5th, 2016

• Love and Olive Oil: Chocolate chip peanut butter banana bread.
• Picky Palate: Mashed potatoes.
• Dessert for Two: Pumpkin cakes.
• Oh Sweet Basil: Bacon tomato and avocado Crostini.
• The Cozy Apron: Chocolate chip banana bread with peanut butter icing.

Lunchtime Links for October 4th, 2016

• The Kitchn: Broccolini, chicken sausage, and Orzo skillet.
• My Baking Addiction: Mocha coffee cake.
• I Heart Naptime: Pumpkin blondies.
• The Comfort of Cooking: Tomato basil soup with grilled cheese croutons.
• The Kitchn: Pumpkin recipes.

Georgetown Cupcake - October Cupcakes

There are a TON of special October-only cupcake flavors this month at Georgetown Cupcake - especially lots of fun Halloween-themed ones that would be great for a party! 

• Pumpkin Spice: Pumpkin spice cupcake with a maple-infused cream cheese frosting topped with a fondant maple leaf.

• Pumpkin Cheesecake: Pumpkin cheesecake cupcake with a graham cracker crust, topped with maple cream cheese frosting and a fondant maple leaf.

• Chocolate Ghost: Valrhona Chocolate cupcake topped with whipped Callebaut chocolate ganache frosting and decorated with a white fondant ghost.

• Vanilla Bat: Classic Madagascar vanilla cupcake topped with orange buttercream frosting and a black fondant bat.

• Vanilla Candy Spider: Classic Madagascar vanilla cupcake baked with chocolate candy pieces, topped with orange buttercream frosting and a black fondant spider.

• Chocolate Toffee Spider Web: Valrhona chocolate cupcake baked with crushed toffee pieces, topped with purple buttercream frosting and a fudge spider web drizzle.

• Vampire Red Velvet: Red Velvet cupcake decorated with a black fondant bat.

• Halloween Surprise: Madagascar vanilla cupcake infused with orange and black non-pareils, topped with a whipped Callebaut chocolate frosting and decorated with a white fondant ghost.

• Haunted Chocolate Cheesecake: Valrhona chocolate cheesecake with a cookie crust, topped with a whipped Callebaut chocolate frosting and decorated with a white fondant ghost.

• Midnight Cookies and Creme: Valrhona chocolate cupcake topped with a milk chocolate cookies & crème buttercream frosting and cookie crumbles.

• Democrat Donkey Red Velvet: Red velvet cupcake with fondant Democratic donkey.

• Republican Elephant Red Velvet: Red velvet cupcake with fondant Republican elephant.

• VOTE Red White and Blue: Madagascar vanilla cupcake infused with red, white, and blue nonpareils, topped with a vanilla buttercream frosting, and decorated with red, white, and blue nonpareils and VOTE fondant

Lunchtime Links for October 3rd, 2016

• Oh Sweet Basil: Pumpkin cake with cinnamon white chocolate cream cheese frosting.
• Damn Delicious: Sheet pan Asian stir fry.
• Cookies and Cups: Chocolate chip cookie dunkers.
• The Kitchn: Chicken Alfredo casserole.
• Buzzfeed: Pumpkin Spice Latte banana bread.

Shake Shack - October Custard Calendar

With the way that the weeks are situated in October, there are lots of fun custard flavors this month at Shake Shack, woohoo!

10/1 - 2: Shacktoberfest Shakes
10/3 - 9: Candied Apple
10/10 - 16: Malted Marshmallow Milk Chocolate
10/17 - 23: Oatmeal Creme Pie
10/24 - 30: Shackenstein
10/31: Pumpkin Pie

Lunchtime Links for September 30th, 2016

• Averie Cooks: Pumpkin lush.
• Gimme Some Oven: Honey beer bread.
• I Heart Naptime: S'mores mix.
• Love and Olive Oil: One-pot lemon chicken and Orzo soup.
• Oh Sweet Basil: Brownie batter dip.

Shake Shack Shacktoberfest - Bavarian-style Pretzel

I always look forward to the limited edition/special menu items at Shake Shack, and I was very happy to see a new soft pretzel on the Shacktoberfest menu! 

This Bavarian-style soft pretzel is a "toasted soft pretzel topped with Bavarian spices", and you have the option of adding the Shack cheese sauce for $1, which can you see behind the pretzel.  The pretzel was nice and hot, with a crunchy bottom and soft inside.  I can't quite figure out what all of the spices are, but it was delicious and certainly not bland - and it was perfect with the gooey Shack cheese sauce to dip in.  I'm glad I had a chance to try this out before Shacktoberfest ends this weekend (October 2nd)! 

Lunchtime Links for September 29th, 2016

• Warm Vanilla Sugar: Cookie butter Rice Krispie treats.
• Gimme Some Oven: Apple spinach salad.
• Crazy for Crust: Oreo red velvet cookie bars.
• The Kitchn: Sheet pan miracle meals.
• A Kitchen Addiction: Cinnamon maple yogurt bread.

National Coffee Day

Happy National Coffee day! Although I've never really liked straight hot coffee, I love the smell (haha), and of course I love iced coffee and flavored coffees as well.  There are a few companies that are celebrating with deals if you are near one today!

Krispy Kreme: Free small coffee and original glazed doughnut today.
Dunkin' Donuts: $0.66 Medium hot coffee today.
Peet's Coffee and Tea: Free coffee with a breakfast item purchase.

Lunchtime Links for September 28th, 2016

• Kirbie's Cravings: Flourless Nutella pumpkin bread.
• The Kitchn: General Tso's tofu.
• Oh Sweet Basil: Cinnamon pumpkin cookie bars.
• Serious Eats: Nordstrom tomato soup.
• Picky Palate: 15 pumpkin recipes.

Hello Kitty Cafe Truck - Bethesda

A few weeks ago I met up with my friend L to check out the Hello Kitty Cafe truck's pop-up shop event in Bethesda - along with about a million other Hello Kitty fans, haha.  The line moved pretty slowly but I am generally OK with lines (v. Japanese of me, ha), and it was fun to see all the different Hello Kitty outfits people were wearing in line.  

 

Below are the items that I got:

- T-shirt (for a friend that couldn't make it)

- Mug

- Free button and sticker from the event

- Frosted cookie set

I am SO happy I got the mug - it is super cute and even has a little Hello Kitty doughnut that you can see when you finish your drink.  I hope more Hello Kitty events come to this area in the future! 

Lunchtime Links for September 27th, 2016

• A Kitchen Addiction: Pumpkin swirled pancake muffins.
• Bake at 350: Cream cheese coffeecake cookies.
• I Heart Naptime: Caramel frosted pumpkin cookies.
• A Spicy Perspective: Apple cider cinnamon knots.
• Averie Cooks: Pumpkin chocolate chip gooey bars.

Target - Thanks a Latte Plate

The seasonal housewares section at my local Target is always located right when you walk in, so there's a good chance I will see something that I like every time they bring in new merchandise, haha. 

This recent visit was no exception, as I was instantly drawn to these cute metallic dessert plates that are part of the fall/Thanksgiving collection!  I got one of the "Thanks a Latte" plates and can't wait to use it.  The design is in a very pretty metallic gold color, and it would even make a cute decorative item for any time of the year!

Lunchtime Links for September 26th, 2016

• Two Peas and Their Pod: Funfetti cake.
• Seasons and Suppers: Soft pumpkin spice cookies.
• Gimme Some Oven: 20 minute tomato soup.
• Love and Olive Oil: Caramel cookie crunch ice cream.
• Oh Sweet Basil: Shortbread M&M cookies.

Trader Joe's Petite Pumpkin Spice Cookies

I'm not sure if these are totally new, but as far as I know I have not seen these cookies at Trader Joe's in past fall seasons so they are new to me! I love checking out the fall pumpkin items that Trader Joe's comes out with every year, and these sounded really delicious right off the bat.  The cookies indeed are petite sized, smaller than an Oreo cookie but not quite miniature sized.  They are coated in a pale orange and white yogurt with sprinkles all over them.  I loved these cookies - they actually reminded me of the frosted gingerbread cookies from Trader Joe's over the holidays, with a stronger pumpkin spice addition.  They're the perfect little cookies to nibble on with tea or a Pumpkin Spice Latte - haha! 

Lunchtime Links for September 23rd, 2016

• A Spicy Perspective: Baked Spaghetti pie.
• Dessert for Two: Pumpkin chocolate chip cookies.
• Crazy for Crust: No bake peanut butter cup pie.
• Kirbie's Cravings: Flourless Nutella banana bread.
• Creme de la Crumb: Gooey caramel pumpkin brownies.

Starbucks $3 Fall Drinks

Fall is upon us, and while the Starbucks seasonal drinks have been out for a little while now, this week is the perfect time to try out anything you've had your eye on.

Until September 25th, all of the Fall drinks are $3 for a Grande size between 2-5pm each day.  This includes the following:

- Hot/Iced Pumpkin Spice Latte
- Hot/Iced Chile Mocha
- Hot/Iced Salted Caramel Mocha
- Pumpkin Spice Frappuccino
- Chile Mocha Frappuccino
- Salted Caramel Mocha Frappuccino

If you've been thinking about trying any of these seasonal drinks, be sure to go while they are "on sale", haha!

Lunchtime Links for September 22nd, 2016

• A Kitchen Addiction: Pumpkin bread with maple buttercream.
• Table for Two: End of summer Orzo salad.
• Brown Eyed Baker: Salted caramel chocolate chip cookie bars.
• Oh Sweet Basil: Bacon belts.
• The First Year Blog: Chocolate pumpkin dessert Lasagna.

Happy First Day of Fall!

Happy first day of Fall everyone!  While the weather here in Maryland might not exactly feel like Fall just yet, it's only a matter of time before we're all complaining about the cold winter, so enjoy the warm fall days ahead!  Be sure to go get a Pumpkin Spice Latte now that it's officially Fall! 

 

Lunchtime Links for September 21st, 2016

• Kirbie's Cravings: Rice cooker pancake.
• Handle the Heat: Pumpkin cookie butter truffles.
• How Sweet It Is: S'mores French toast.
• The First Year Blog: Espresso coffee cake.
• Two Peas and Their Pod: Pumpkin truffle Bundt cake with chocolate ganache.

Choco Chip Oreos

In just the past few years, it seems like Nabisco has come out with a TON of crazy limited edition Oreo flavors -  and some are definitely better than others, haha.  Luckily, these Choco Chip Oreos are definitely in the "better" category and they did a great job with this one!

One of the things I liked most about these Oreos is that both the cookie and creme components are chocolate chip - often times the creme is just changed to suit the different flavor.  I think it also helps that an Oreo and chocolate chip cookie aren't really that far off in terms of the general flavor, so this was an easy transition from the standard Oreo.  If you're a fan of the Golden Oreos and also love chocolate chips, this is the perfect Oreo for you! 

Lunchtime Links for September 20th, 2016

• How Sweet It Is: Chocolate chip cookie s'mores bars.
• Kirbie's Cravings: Levain Bakery.
• Crazy for Crust: Salted caramel mocha cheesecake dip.
• Brown Eyed Baker: S'mores cheesecake.
• A Spicy Perspective: Gooey caramel stuffed brownies.

Target - Pumpkin Spice T-shirt

I regularly check out the t-shirt/tank section at Target because they usually have some fun designs all throughout the year.  And considering my obsession with all things pumpkin, of course I couldn't pass this one up! It's a super soft tank that shows everyone that you are Team Pumpkin, haha.  And for $12.99, this is also a great little gift for someone that loves everything pumpkin! 

Lunchtime Links for September 19th, 2016

• The First Year Blog: Brookie cups.
• Seasons and Suppers: Vietnamese chicken noodle bowl.
• The Pioneer Woman: No-bake chocolate peanut butter pie bars.
• Brown Eyed Baker: Skillet meatball Parm.
• How Sweet It Is: Cookies and cream puff pastry doughnuts.

Bath and Body Works - Pumpkin Candles

This year, Bath and Body Works has lots of pumpkin scented candles in their fall collection which is very exciting!  There are lots of different pumpkin based scents to choose from, and I love the cute labels! Of course I lean more towards the baked/sweet pumpkin scents, but I can see why this collection is one of the more popular ones each year!

Lunchtime Links for September 16th, 2016

• The First Year Blog: Caramel apple Snickerdoodles.
• Averie Cooks: Pumpkin cinnamon roll bake.
• Oh Sweet Basil: Pizza potato skins.
• Brown Eyed Baker: Apple cinnamon muffins.
• Two Peas and Their Pod: Crunchy no-bake chocolate peanut butter bars.

Lunchtime Links for September 15th, 2016

• Averie Cooks: Honey garlic meatballs.
• Crazy for Crust: Pumpkin spice banana bread.
• The Kitchn: Banana cream pie doughnuts.
• Cookies and Cups: Snickerdoodle Krispie treats.
• The First Year Blog: Salted caramel Mocha fudge.

Lunchtime Links for September 14th, 2016

• Oh Sweet Basil: Peanut butter marshmallow fudge cookies.
• A Kitchen Addiction: Pumpkin coffee cake muffins with maple glaze.
• A Spicy Perspective: One pot spaghetti Carbonara.
• Dessert for Two: Donut gooey butter cake.
• Averie Cooks: Mini pumpkin chocolate chip muffins.

Lunchtime Links for September 13th, 2016

• Crazy for Crust: Mega chocolate chip cookie cake.
• Picky Palate: Pumpkin s'mores cake bars.
• Gimme Some Oven: Bruschetta baked shrimp.
• Handle the Heat: Pumpkin cupcakes with Nutella frosting.
• Oh Sweet Basil: Cosmic brownies copycat recipe.

Lunchtime Links for September 6th, 2016

• Simply Happenstance: Vanilla malted marshmallow ice cream.
• Picky Palate: Weeknight creamy sausage pasta.
• My Baking Addiction: S'mores skillet brownies.
• Oh Sweet Basil: Loaded cinnamon chip pumpkin bread.
• Paper & Stitch: Iced coffee popsicles.

Georgetown Cupcake - September Flavors

There are lots of fun cupcake flavors at Georgetown Cupcake this month, including a few new ones!

- Caramel Apple: Fresh apple cupcake with a caramel core topped with a vanilla cream cheese frosting and a caramel star drizzle.

- Banana Chocolate Chip: Banana cupcake baked with fresh banana and topped with a whipped ganache frosting.

- PB & J: Peanut Butter cupcake cored and filled with grape jelly and topped with a twist of peanut butter and grape jelly frostings.

- Caramel Cheesecake: Caramel cheesecake topped with a caramel frosting and caramel star drizzle.

- Peanut Butter Fudge Cheesecake: Valrhona chocolate cheesecake with an Oreo cookie crust, cored and filled with fudge, and topped with a peanut butter frosting and a fudge star drizzle.

- Chocolate Ganache Surprise: Valrhona chocolate cupcake cored and filled with vanilla buttercream, dipped in chocolate ganache, and decorated with rainbow nonpareils.

Lunchtime Links for September 1st, 2016

• Cookies and Cups: Fall dessert recipes.
• Love and Olive Oil: Homemade Pita bread.
• Handle the Heat: Ultimate cheesecake.
• Love Swah: No bake peanut butter pretzel slice.
• My Baking Addiction: Peanut butter pie.

Shake Shack - September Custard Calendar

Happy September everyone! There are lots of fun custard flavor offerings this month at Shake Shack!  This month's flavors include one of my favorites - the Red Velvet custard.  Shacktoberfest is also at the end of September, so I am looking forward to seeing what this year's menu items will be for that!

9/1 - 9/4: Peanut Brittle
9/5 - 9/11: Red Velvet
9/12 - 9/18: Strawberry Graham Cracker
9/19 - 9/22: Mast Brothers Chocolate Mint
9/23 - 9/30: Shacktoberfest Shakes

Lunchtime Links for August 31st, 2016

• The First Year Blog: Peanut butter bread.
• Oh Sweet Basil: Nutella crepes.
• Table for Two: Summer Panzanella.
• Crazy for Crust: Fudgy pumpkin Brookies.
• Two Peas and Their Pod: Mini no-bake cheesecake.

Lunchtime Links for August 30th, 2016

• Crazy for Crust: Double decker cookie gooey bars.
• The First Year Blog: Brookie donuts.
• Cookies and Cups: Snickerdoodle muffins.
• Steamy Kitchen: Pork belly lettuce cups.
• Averie Cooks: Pumpkin caramel poke cake.

Lunchtime Links for August 29th, 2016

• Averie Cooks: Cinnamon roll bars with cream cheese frosting.
• Bakerella: Peanut butter chunky chocolate cookies.
• Table for Two: Spicy Chinese cucumber salad.
• Bake at 350: Homemade Kit Kat bites.
• Crazy for Crust: Frosted cupcookies.

Lunchtime Links for August 26th, 2016

• Bake at 350: Copycat Levain bakery chocolate peanut butter chip cookies.
• Crazy for Crust: Pumpkin pull-apart loaf.
• Handle the Heat: Ultimate cheesecake.
• Averie Cooks: Loaded baked BLT dip.
• Cookies and Cups: Sugar cookie double doozies.

Lunchtime Links for August 16th, 2016

• Crazy for Crust: Fudgy brownie cookies.
• Oh, Sweet Basil: Mozzarella tomato tart.
• Two Peas and Their Pod: Grilled corn guacamole.
• Paper and Stitch: Peanut butter treats.
• Table for Two: Ginger garlic shrimp noodle stir fry.

Lunchtime Links for August 15th, 2016

• Smitten Kitchen: Chocolate peanut butter icebox cake.
• Creme de la Crumb: Caramel butter bars.
• A Kitchen Addiction: S'mores cinnamon twists.
• How Sweet It Is: Heirloom tomato and Burrata grilled cheese.
• The Pioneer Woman: Peanut butter and pretzel icebox cake.

Lunchtime Links for August 12th, 2016

• The Kitchn: Watermelon and Prosciutto bites.
• Handle the Heat: No bake rocky road cheesecake.
• Serious Eats: The Shake Shack story.
• Cookies and Cups: Buttermilk brownies.
• Kirbie's Cravings: Rosé gummy bears.

Lunchtime Links for August 11th, 2016

• My Baking Addiction: Chocolate Scotcheroos.
• Serious Eats: Cacio e Pepe.
• The Kitchn: Donut s'mores.
• Handle the Heat: Bagel bombs.
• The First Year Blog: Funfetti brownie mocha milkshake.

Lunchtime Links for August 10th, 2016

• The Kitchn: Caprese avocado toast.
• Bake at 350: Peanut Bundt-er cake with peanut butter fudge frosting.
• I Heart Naptime: Apple snickerdoodle mini muffins.
• Crazy for Crust: Small batch skillet blondie for two.
• Oh, Sweet Basil: Chocolate-dipped s'mores granola bars.