Lunchtime Links for January 31st, 2019

• Gimme Some Oven: Buffalo chicken dip.
• A Spicy Perspective: 5 ingredient cheesy chicken chili.
• Table for Two: Mini chocolate malt cake.
• Averie Cooks: Cheesy beef taco dip.
• The Kitchn: Creamy pesto shells.

Lunchtime Links for January 30th, 2019

• The Kitchn: 5 ingredient spinach dip.
• Two Peas and Their Pod: Honey BBQ baked chicken wings. 
• Love and Olive Oil: Black sesame cinnamon rolls with matcha glaze.
• Gimme Some Oven: Pepperoncini chicken noodle soup.
• Oh Sweet Basil: Creamy herb chicken with sun-dried tomatoes.

Peanut M&Ms Chocolate Bar

I recently came across these new M&Ms chocolate bars, and I honestly wondered how these had not been old before because they're so good and such a simple idea, haha.  There's a handful of varieties as far as I've seen so far, and I got this Peanut one because I tend to like candy bars with peanuts in them.

This chocolate bar was really delicious! There's a bunch of mini M&Ms and peanuts scattered throughout the chocolate bar, which adds a ton of texture and flavor.  It's also very easy to share, but I understand if you want to keep it all for yourself, haha.  I definitely want to try the other chocolate bar flavors now, and I hope these stick around for a while! 

Lunchtime Links for January 29th, 2019

• The Kitchen: Baked spaghetti.
• Kirbie's Cravings: Snickerdoodle mug cake. 
• Damn Delicious: Garlic butter steak and scallops.
• How Sweet Eats: Avocado citrus salad.
• Crazy for Crust: Peanut butter chocolate chip cookies.

Lunchtime Links for January 28th, 2019

• The Impulsive Buy: Starbucks red velvet loaf cake.
• Gimme Some Oven: Spicy Arrabbiata sauce.
• Table for Two: Buffalo chicken pizza.
• The Kitchn: Garlic butter shrimp. 
• How Sweet Eats: Ground beef tacos.

Georgetown Cupcake - Salted Caramel Marshmallow Ganache Cupcake

Soooooo, chocolate ganache isn't exactly the most photogenic in the realm of cupcake toppings, haha.  Despite the less than favorable appearances, this secret flavor at Georgetown Cupcake was delicious! I love the marshmallow core combined with the tasty salted caramel cake, and of course the rich chocolate layer on top.  It might sound like a lot of different flavors mashed together, but I can assure you that in spite of its appearance, it all works out to a great cupcake :o)

Lunchtime Links for January 25th, 2019

• Steamy Kitchen: Ribeye cap steak.
• Picky Palate: Spinach dip mini bread bowls. 
• Handle the Heat: Thin and crispy chocolate chip cookies.
• Creme de la Crumb: Sheet pan chicken, potatoes, and green beans.
• Serious Eats: Smoothie recipes.

USPS - Heart Blossom Stamp

I periodically check to see if any new stamp designs come out from the US Post Office, and I was happy to see this cute Heart Blossom design right before Valentine's Day! The little "love" handwriting is super cute, and it's the perfect mix of floral/heart designs.  I'm glad there's still some cute designs coming out and hope there's more moving forward too!

Lunchtime Links for January 24th, 2019

• Seasons and Suppers: Buddha bowl with chicken.
• Brown Eyed Baker: Super Bowl food ideas. 
• Cookies and Cups: Hot corn dip. 
• Damn Delicious: Thai basil chicken bowls.
• Crazy for Crust: Oven baked chicken breasts.

Lunchtime Links for January 23rd, 2019

• Gimme Some Oven: Pad Thai.
• Two Peas and Their Pod: Sheet pan pasta bake with chicken and kale.
• The First Year Blog: Doctored up chocolate cupcakes.
• Love and Olive Oil: Tortellini soup with sausage and kale.
• Handle the Heat: Soft chocolate chip cookies.

Target - Smartly Citrus Grove Products

Ah, the power of social media, haha.  I started to see a few Instagram stories on TargetDoesItAgain's page about Target's Smartly Citrus Grove products being VERY similar to the Capri Blue Volcano products sold at Anthropologie.  It's a very popular scent (if you've been inside an Anthropologie store you'll likely know it, haha), so I was very curious to check out the Smartly products!

On my first trip it was a little difficult to find the Smartly products, but I did come across the dish soap in the Citrus Grove scent later on.  It really does smell a lot like the Volcano candles!  I've since also purchased the larger cleaner spray as well, so I am very happy to have found these.  If you're also a fan of "the Anthropologie scent", be sure to check these out at your local Target.

Lunchtime Links for January 22nd, 2019

• The Kitchn: Easy wonton soup.
• I Heart Naptime: Smoothie recipes. 
• Dessert for Two: Fish taco bowls. 
• Cookies and Cups: Chocolate chip cookies.
• How Sweet Eats: Parmesan roasted broccoli.

Lunchtime Links for January 18th, 2019

• Seasons and Suppers: Honey mustard chicken with potatoes and bacon.
• The Impulsive Buy: Most Stuf Oreos.
• Picky Palate: Cheesy bacon biscuit pull-aparts.
• The Kitchn: Bacon cheeseburger pasta.
• Table for Two: Mug cakes.

The Baked Bear - Gooey Butter Cake Cookie

 

I'm a big fan of The Baked Bear's crazy ice cream sandwiches in general, but I can also say that their cookies are fantastic on their own!  Even if you're not in the mood for ice cream, they have a wide selection of cookies that you can purchase for a sweet snack or dessert.  

In addition to a rotation of regular cookie flavors, they also switch up one cookie every month or so, which is a fun thing to look forward to.  Currently, the special cookie is this Gooey Butter Cake cookie, and it's just as rich and delicious as it sounds.  It's like a rich yellow butter cake in cookie form.  If you're a fan of those classic boxed cake mixes (I am, no shame in that) you'll definitely like this cookie!

Lunchtime Links for January 17th, 2019

• How Sweet Eats: Sheet pan Gnocchi.
• Crazy for Crust: Easy white bread.
• Handle the Heat: French silk pie.
• Cookies and Cups: Buffalo chicken pizza. 
• Dessert for Two: Bacon chicken recipe with Guacamole.

Lunchtime Links for January 16th, 2019

• Seasons and Suppers: Pork Prosciutto meatballs and Polenta.
• Crazy for Crust: Chili cheese dip.
• Table for Two: Low-carb chicken Parmesan Gnocchi bake.
• Averie Cooks: Chicken, rice, and vegetable skillet.
• What's Good at Trader Joe's?: Pancake bread.

Dark Chocolate Oreos

I am always excited to see what new (and sometimes downright odd) flavors that Oreo comes out with, and these Dark Chocolate Oreos are a clear winner for me!

Don't be put off by the fairly "plain" sounding flavor - these have a very rich chocolate flavor, and are really delicious. The dark chocolate creme filling reminds me of a thick chocolate ganache, so anyone that likes chocolate will love these.  While these are great on their own, I could also see them being a great ice cream topping/mix-in, as well as for use in baked goods.  I hope they keep these in the regular rotation!

Lunchtime Links for January 15th, 2019

• How Sweet Eats: Chicken noodle egg drop soup.
• The First Year Blog: Peanut butter whipped cream. 
• The Kitchn: Trader Joe's potsticker stir fry.
• Oh Sweet Basil: Lemon garlic herb roasted chicken.
• I Heart Naptime: Meatball subs.

Lunchtime Links for January 14th, 2019

• The Kitchn: Greek salmon salad.
• Crazy for Crust: Blondie recipe.
• Smitten Kitchen: Crispy rice and egg bowl with ginger-scallion vinaigrette.
• The Cozy Apron: Cashew butter. 
• Kirbie's Cravings: Microwave custard pudding.

Brunch at Nada - North Bethesda, MD

I recently had the opportunity to try the brunch menu at Nada in Pike & Rose with my friend C, and we had a great time catching up after the busy holiday season with some delicious Mexican food!  We got there at 11:00AM last Saturday when just a few tables in the large dining room were filled, but by the time we were leaving the place was very crowded and lively.  I wasn't really surprised though, because I've walked by here at night and it's been very crowded, especially on weekends.

The regular menu has a nice variety of appetizers, salads, entrees, as well as a number of street taco options.  The weekend brunch menu items were attached (on the yellow card below) - everything sounded great.  We ordered a few items from both menus to share so that we could try a bunch of their menu offerings, and everything was delicious!  Their version of the lobster roll was especially amazing, and anyone that likes lobster rolls should definitely order this one.  I loved the thoughtful plating of each dish and how each dish just tasted very fresh.  Service was attentive but not intrusive - we ordered a few items at a time and the pace wasn't rushed at all.  Thank you to Nada for a delicious brunch, and I look forward to trying more dishes (especially the street tacos) soon! 

  

Menu 

  

Weekend Brunch Menu

Chips & Trio of Salsas: Fire-roasted tomato ancho, tomatillo verde cruda, and habanero kreeper 

 

C's drink: Horchata cold brew

 

Lobster Roll Bolsa: Maine lobster + Old Bay aioli; 

Chorizo and egg Enchiladas 

 

Street Tacos: Carne Asada - charred tomato salsa, crema, pickled fresnos; 

Fried Tofu - guacamole, pickled pepper, guajillo diablo salsa

 

Love the airy and colorful interior - especially the hallway to the restrooms!

Nada North Bethesda

11886 Grand Park Avenue

North Bethesda, MD 20852

301.770.4040

Note: This meal was complimentary, but I was not paid for this post.

Lunchtime Links for January 11th, 2019

• The Kitchn: Millionaire's bacon.
• The Impulsive Buy: Starbucks cinnamon shortbread latte.
• Averie Cooks: Very veggie rice and beans.
• Apartment Therapy: West Elm bath collection.
• Creme de la Crumb: Mango salsa chicken.

Lunchtime Links for January 10th, 2019

• Handle the Heat: Creme Brulee cheesecake bars.
• Crazy for Crust: Oven roasted potatoes.
• I Heart Naptime: Meatball recipe.
• The Impulsive Buy: Dark chocolate Oreos.
• The Kitchn: Cheesy garlic and herb smashed sweet potatoes. 

Lunchtime Links for January 9th, 2019

• Table for Two: Shrimp Fajita bowls.
• Serious Eats: Smoothie recipes.
• Cookies and Cups: Chicken dipping sauce.
• Damn Delicious: Creamy red pepper shells.
• The Kitchn: Honey mustard chicken and potatoes.

Candelles Holiday Swap Candle

At the end of 2018, I signed up to be a part of the Candelles holiday gift swap and wound up exchanging super fun gifts with my friend which was a funny surprise!

As part of the holiday gift swap, Candelles also sent out this Pepperberry Greens candle to everyone that participated.  I love the pink candle wrapping and the festive design!  I love that they add this bonus gift after the gift swap is over - it's a cute little surprise since we don't know what it is until it arrives.  I encourage anyone that likes buying gifts or doing gift exchanges to sign up for their next gift swap!

Lunchtime Links for January 8th, 2019

• Damn Delicious: French onion soup.
• Table for Two: Fajita seasoning. 
• Averie Cooks: Sesame chicken and broccoli. 
• Love and Olive Oil: Winter tomato soup with cheesy croutons.
• Bakerella: Snowy cones.

Lunchtime Links for January 7th, 2019

• The Kitchn: Open-faced sandwiches for a crowd.
• Averie Cooks: Chicken, vegetable, and ramen noodle stir fry. 
• Dessert for Two: Sweet potato toast.
• The Cozy Apron: Parmesan crusted chicken.
• Damn Delicious: Creamy pesto shells.

Sugarfina Fukubukuro Surprise Bag

I was so happy to see that Sugarfina offered their Fukubukuro surprise bags at the beginning of this year, because it's always fun to see what flavors I get in the mystery bag!  "Fukubukuro" are surprise or mystery bags that are regularly offered in the New Year in Japan - lots of different brands offer bags and packages for a set price that are worth more than what you pay for. 

For this Sugarfina bag, I got the $35 version, which came with everything you see above, plus the taster bag of Bourbon Bears that was the monthly member freebie.  This is such a fun way to try out some of the candies that I don't normally check out in the store, and also make for some great gifts too. I hope they keep offering the surprise bags in the future too!

Lunchtime Links for January 4th, 2019

• The Kitchn: Crispy oven baked chicken tenders.
• How Sweet Eats: Lunch ideas. 
• Table for Two: Stovetop chicken Tortilla soup.
• Handle the Heat: Banana bread. 
• Creme de la Crumb: Chicken recipes.

Lunchtime Links for January 3rd, 2019

• Two Peas and Their Pod: Brown butter salted caramel snickerdoodles.
• The Kitchn: Big batch brownie batter hot chocolate. 
• Joy the Baker: Overnight biscuit cinnamon rolls.
• Damn Delicious: Fish taco bowls.
• Kirbie's Cravings: Flourless Nutella muffins.

Lunchtime Links for January 2nd, 2019

• Dessert for Two: Oreo balls.
• Gimme Some Oven: Chicken and sweet corn soup.
• Averie Cooks: Snickerdoodle bars with cream cheese frosting.
• How Sweet Eats: Lobster bisque.
• Kirbie's Cravings: Beef and broccoli.

Georgetown Cupcake - 2019 New Year's Cupcakes

Happy New Year everyone! I hope you're all off to a good start in 2019.  Mine is off to a very sweet start, thanks to these cute New Year's cupcakes from Georgetown Cupcake!

Happy New Year Confetti Chocolate: Valrhona Chocolate & Madagascar Bourbon Vanilla Buttercream cupcake decorated with edible New Year's party confetti and a gold fondant disc embossed with 'Happy New Year' 

2019 Confetti Vanilla: Madagascar Bourbon Vanilla & Vanilla Buttercream cupcake decorated with edible New Year's party confetti and a gold fondant disc embossed with '2019'