Lunchtime Links for October 31st, 2011

• Kirbie's Cravings: Pumpkin pound cake.
• Cupcakes and Cashmere: Caramel corn.
• Serious Eats: Bread bakeries in San Francisco.
• Gossip Girl: Recap from NYMag.  
• A Passion For Food: Halloween macarons. 

Happy Halloween!

 

Happy Halloween everyone!

Halloween bag courtesy of my local Dunkin Donuts :o)

Lunchtime Links for October 28th, 2011

• Serious Eats: Sandwiches in Philly.
• Eat Drink Pretty: Pumpkin bars.
• Bakerella: Halloween sprinkles.
• Kirbie's Cravings: Pumpkin rolls. 
• Jen's Kit Kat Blog: Tiramisu Kit Kat.

Extra CVS Deal - Week of 10/23/2011

I wanted to pass along an extra deal that I picked up on Wednesday night at CVS:

• Three Glade Sense and Spray starter kits: each $5 on sale, three $4 off manufacturer's coupons, $4 Extra Bucks back (for any $12 Glade purchase)

Considering that these Sense and Spray starter kits are normally sold for $11.79 each at my CVS,  this is a great deal on a high-value item!


Happy shopping, everyone!

Lunchtime Links for October 27th, 2011

• Serious Eats: Salted caramel shortbread cups.
• Real Housewives of NJ: Recap from TVGasm.
• Lululemon Blog: Pumpkin protein smoothie.
• Picky Palate: Chocolate peanut butter cake for one.
• Metrocurean: Pumpkin hummus.

Jersey Shore Recap

Here with the finale recap is The Unit... I mean B!

Another disappointing season of Jersey Shore came to an end, and the only thing more disappointing than the final episode had to be the crappy reunion show that followed.   There haven’t been any recaps lately and I apologize for it.  I was in such tropical locations as Burlington, Vermont and Toledo, Ohio the past few weeks, and writing a recap was really difficult.  Plus, the show sucks.  It’s terrible.  Once the novelty of retards in a foreign country wore out, I stopped caring.   We went from focusing on one shitty relationship (alleged-hitter Ronnie and confirmed-pain-in-the-ass Sam), to another (future-Betty-Ford Clinic-patient Snooki and standard- Italian-stereotype Jionni).  And for reasons beyond me, we focused on the lesbian meatballs instead of the bromance.  It’s all bewildering.  Each episode didn’t deserve its own recap, so here are some general observations from the past four worthless weeks. 

You’re a Playboy photo shoot away from being Lindsey Lohan:  Snooki, I appreciated the remorse you showed for your actions that pissed off Jionni.  I especially appreciated that after Jionni told you how stupid you get when you drink that you proceeded to wake up the next day and drink beer…by yourself…in a bar…during the middle of the afternoon.  At least you didn’t do something stupid like fuck Vinny an hour after you were on a break with Jionni… 

I’d rather get it in with Pauly D:  Of course I’m talking about Vinny.  WTF man?  Why are you even cuddling with Snooki.   Did your genitals accidentally end up combining like two puzzle pieces?   I know you guys are having a dry spell over there, but this is no time for slump busting!

As innocent as Casey Anthony:   Vinny claimed he only did Snooki because he didn’t realize she was inebriated.   That’s a fair statement, because Snooki is a great drunk.  Jionni broke up with her over political views, not because she was a sloppy mess.   And it’s not like Vinny has spent any time around her when she’s drunk to deduce that on his own. 

I’m no Inspector Gadget…:    But doesn’t alcohol smell on one’s breathe?   We all know Snooki doesn’t do mints unless it’s shots of Rumplemintz…

It’s called Google bro:  I can’t imagine that Jionni met Nicole and never checked out an episode of this show to see what she was like.  I spent 30 minutes watching HGTV at midnight yesterday because some idiot was trying to buy a giant condo in Washington, DC and I knew the neighborhood.  Don’t tell me you had no idea your girlfriend was a bigger wreck than the Titanic and the Hindenburg combined.   It’s shocking that you’re shocked by her behavior.  You should be more shocked that Amy Winehouse died of alcohol poisoning than this…

Someone has a bad Napoleon complex :  Get over yourself Jionni.  I bet your family’s waste management company is doing well, but somehow Snooki has at least 15 more minutes of fame.  Quit trying to change her.  Enjoy the MTV money train (and then the VH1 Celebrity Rehab money train), before Nicole ends up looking like Selma from the Simpsons.

Apparently Snooki didn’t get the moral of the story:  Who doesn’t double-fist mimosas and pass out on wine barrels.  Hey Mike, open your fly, I think you have a chance again…

It’s like finding out Bruce Willis was dead before seeing the Sixth Sense:  Hey MTV, the drama about Jionni/Snooki is super real as Snooki tweets during the breakup episode that she and Jionni are back together…

Maybe the real problem is you’re just idiots:  There aren’t Guidoproblems or meatballsproblems.  Can we drop the whole bit please? 

Things I don’t believe:  Deena says she is a good time in bed.  No man would enjoy having sex with that leprechaun unless she promised them a pot of gold in advance.

I thought Italians only revolted against mafia snitches:  At one bar the crowd starts yelling shame and “piece of shit” at the entire cast.  And this comes from people who elected a Prime Minister that loves hookers!

Even the Gaddafi family feels bad (too soon?):  Seriously, it must be fun for Jionni to watch Snooki and Deena get hammered everyday and pass out all over what they think is Rome.

That sound is a collective yawn from the viewers:   Sam and Jenni are friends now

Things I don’t really care about:   Snooki and JWoww fighting about being a good friend.  Snooki, JWoww spent all night in stripper heels chasing down Jionni.  Although she didn’t find him, it’s still more work then you did.  Quit throwing a tantrum every time she doesn’t pat you on the head and say “that’s a good lush”.

Things I do really care about:  Sammi and Deena, can we stop referring to Unit as “The Unit”.   If he got a medical degree would we call him Dr. Unit?  I don’t think so.  None of these stupid Jersey nicknames deserve a definitive article.  I’m sure Wikipedia can explain what it is…  

Cancel the Amber Alert:  Apparently T is dead.

As for Ronnie, Sam, and JWoww:  I. Don’t. Care.

Last and absolutely least:  Mike, just shut the fuck up.  You’re like the Shores’ version of Lindsey Lohan.  You’re not a victim, and you’re not famous.  So please stop trying.  I shouldn’t give you the attention, but let’s break down your faults the past few weeks:

• What you have just said is one of the most insanely idiotic things I have ever heard. At no point in your rambling incoherent response were you even close to anything that could be considered a rational thought. Everyone in this room is now Dumber for having listened to it. I award you no points, and may God have mercy on your soul:  I don’t know what rat you were sniffing out with your little “I told Unit to call Jionni” prank.  Sam and JWoww told you they were telling Snooki what you said.  If it wasn’t for Snooki and Deena being pumped about their prank involving putting plants on the kitchen table, this would be the stupidest thing to happen.   You’re either deaf, don’t know what “rat” means, or too stupid to realize that you are the rat by concocting this whole plan.
• Which came first, the idiot or reality programming:  Mike would fight a toddler if it could get him airtime.  And MTV would be dumb enough to give him that airtime…
• I’d say it’s because you’re an asshole:   Stop sitting around moping all the time because no one likes you.  And quit saying things like they gang up on you because you’re so strong.  If you want them to like you, start doing likeable things. 
• Signs you might want to look for a new place to live:  You got punched in the face by a roommate, rammed your head into a wall to avoid fighting that same roommate, had a champagne bottle thrown at you by a roommate, and most embarrassingly, a spatula thrown at you by another roommate.  Way to set feminism back 30 years with that last one Deena…
• Scared straight?:  If Ronnie is telling you to quit being a jerk, you should know something is wrong.
• I don’t think the crickets even chirped:  Mike says he’s not going to Jersey next summer because no one wants him there.   No one seems to mind…
• Once again, it’s so meta:  It must be depressing to realize that the only way you can get on TV is to tell people you don’t want to be on TV.
• Can we change your nickname to The Postpartum:  That six pack really looks like a c-section scar now…
• Let’s have a toast for the douchebags, let’s have a toast for the assholes, let’s have a toast for the scumbags, every one of them that I know:  Hey, I think Kanye is talking about Situation in this song
• As evil as Frankenberry:  Mike just figured out that villains make for great TV…

On that note, I will leave MTV with three suggestions for future of Jersey Shore:

1)  Get rid of this cast, and bring in a whole new set of Guidos.

Newsflash:  No one actually cares about these people, and will be more than willing to forget them to watch fresh faces make mistakes.  This group went from using trash bags as a suitcase to Louie Vuitton luggage.  It’s time for a change.  Just think, you could spin off a whole new Challenge series as well.  Jersey Shore vs. Real World/Road Rules.  The steroids market alone could bring us out this recession…

2)  If you must keep this cast, focus on the best relationship

That’s right, I’m talking about Louie and Tony.  They are actually entertaining (see http://youtu.be/sOcGMxkYayA for proof).  I thought that was the point of TV.  While we’re at it, cancel the spinoff with Snooki and JWoww.   Young women do not need to see these two idiots in action unless you’re worried you’ll run out of future “Teen Mom” casts.  If you follow my first rec, I promise you will never run into that problem.

3)  Find some competent After Show hosts

When did the only qualification become “boobs”?  I miss Daisy Fuentes…

Now that we have that cleared up, once again I want to give a quick shout out to loyal reader and friend Dan McCaffrey for letting me run bad jokes by him and editing this wonderful email (assuming I write it).  If everyone had a friend like Dan (someone who understands punctuation, but also loves crap like Jersey Shore and YouTube rap videos) the world would be a better place.  Ciao Italy!  Hopefully we’ll all be like Mike and only threaten not to follow you to Jersey…

Lunchtime Links for October 26th, 2011

• Serious Eats: Dessert Club Chickalicious' new desserts.
• Rachel Zoe Project: Recap from NYMag.
• Picky Palate: Crunchy caramel Reese's cookie bars.
• Tasty Kitchen: Oreo peanut butter truffles.  
• Kirbie's Cravings: Pumpkin popovers.

Shake Shack - Shacktoberfest + S'mores Custard

Hellllllllllllllllloooooooooo, Shake Shack Shacktoberfest!

I was a bit late to the game on checking out Shacktoberfest, but I'm glad that M and I got there the last weekend before it ended!  Unfortunately they were out of the Shacktoberfest beir steins but that just means I'll have to come back next year when the promotion starts up again.

I did get a ShackMeister marinated cheddar brat which is served with sauerkraut and grainy mustard.  My feelings about sauerkraut (blahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh) aside, this was one delicious bratwurst, fo sho.  The brat was snappy and really delicious.  I wound up taking off part of the sauerkraut but even I can admit that it tasted pretty darn good with the brat.  The grainy mustard added some texture and a little pop to the whole dish.
 

Being that we went on a Saturday, of course I HAD to try the Saturday custard, the S'mores!  As you can see there's chunks of graham crackers in the custard which add a pleasant crunch throughout.  Unfortunately I barely got any marshmallow flavor or texture and it tasted like regular chocolate custard, but it was still good regardless.

I look forward to checking out Shake Shack's Shacktoberfest again next year!

Lunchtime Links for October 25th, 2011

• Serious Eats: Salted caramel mocha at Starbucks.
• Real World San Diego: Recap from TVGasm. 
• Kirbie's Cravings: Jack o' lantern pumpkin Nutella cakes.
• Picky Palate: Cinnamon roll pumpkin vanilla sheet cake.
• The Pioneer Woman: Indian fry bread and Indian tacos.

Dessert Happy Hour at Art & Soul Restaurant

On October 10th, a group of bloggers got together for the monthly dessert happy hour- this time it was at Art & Soul restaurant in DC!  Once again a great group of ladies met up: 

- Brunch and the City

- Cupcakes for Breakfast

- French Twist DC

- My DC

- Thrifty DC Cook

We all split the following desserts:

Seasonal fruit cobbler with vanilla bean ice cream

Chocolate pecan tart with pecan caramel, manjari ganache, bourbon whipped cream

Rosemary scented pavlova with lemon curd, crème fraiche, local berries

Sweet potato-ricotta beignets with bourbon chocolate sauce, spiced anglaise

 

Art & Soul Babycakes 

(I believe there was a carrot cake, white chocolate cake, and a chocolate tart in the bunch?)

It was a great night of catching up with some lovely ladies and trying out the delicious Art & Soul dessert menu.  My favorite was definitely the piping hot beignets with the pecan tart coming in a close second!

Art & Soul

415 New Jersey Avenue NW

Washington, DC 20001

202.393.7777 and on Open Table

Lunchtime Links for October 24th, 2011

• Serious Eats: Trying every soda in the Coke Freestyle machine. 
• My DC: Faux mac n' cheese.
• Jersey Shore: Recap from TVGasm.

CVS Deals - Week of 10/23/2011

This week's CVS deals have last week's $10 gift card for purchasing $30 worth of specially marked items.  I've received a $10 American Express gift card from last week's purchases and got another one this week with the specially marked items. 

Remember, the $30 requirement is for the price of the items, not the price after coupons.  So with a little planning, you can spend less than $30 and still get the gift card.

I got:

• Scott extra soft toilet paper 12-pack: $8 on sale, $1 manufacturer's coupon.
• Scott mega roll paper towel 6-pack: $6 on sale, $1 manufacturer's coupon.
• Five Kleenex 100-count tissues: $1 each on sale, one $1/4 manufacturer's coupon.
• Excedrin extra strength 250-count: $10.99 on sale, one $1.50 manufacturer's coupon.

 There's also a good deal on gum:

• Six Extra 15-count gum: 3/$3 on sale, three $1/2 manufacturer's coupons.

Finally, there are deals on two Halloween-related items (Note: These two deals are only valid until Tuesday the 25th!):

• Gold Emblem candy corn: $0.99, $0.99 Extra Bucks back.
• Pumpkin Masters carving tool: $2.49, $2.49 Extra Bucks back. 

Happy shopping everyone!

Lunchtime Links for October 21st, 2011

• Kirbie's Cravings: Pumpkin pancake muffins.
• Bakerella: Halloween cake pops. 
• Gossip Girl: Recap from NYMag. 
• In Good Taste: Pumpkin puree and pumpkin chili.
• Real Housewives of Beverly Hills: Recap from TVGasm.

Missoni For Target Laptop Sleeve

 

A big "Thank you!" to Target for having such a fun giveaway before the launch of the Missoni for Target line.  At the time that the giveaway was going on, I had no idea that the Missoni for Target launch would be such a complete sh-tshow, so it's a nice little extra bonus that I won this laptop sleeve, haha.  

I like this laptop sleeve especially because it's very different from the rest of the zig-zag Missoni pattern that the majority of the collection.  It's still a fun, noticeable pattern without being too crazy.  Unfortunately, my laptop is too old to actually function as a laptop (aka it stays plugged in in one place haha), and is too small for this sleeve.  So, I brought it into work and have been using it as a portfolio of sorts for meetings and keeping my folders together.  Adds a little bit of fun to a regular workday :o)

Lunchtime Links for October 20th, 2011

• Kirbie's Cravings: Pumpkin soft pretzel bites.
• Serious Eats: Pumpkin beer. 
• Millionaire Matchmaker: Recap from TVGasm.
• Metrocurean: Pumpkin spice pancakes.
• Picky Palate: Itty bitty Oreo stuffed chocolate chip cookies.

Dunkin Donuts' Heroes Recognition Program

I recently received a press release from the DC/MD/VA-area Dunkin Donuts with information on a fantastic promotion they are holding through the end of this year. It's a great way to recognize and thank a local hero - who doesn't love FREE coffee?

If you know of anyone that is an everyday hero in your life, please take a minute to nominate them!

Here are the details from Dunkin Donuts:

Dunkin' Donuts Announces New Heroes Recognition Program

"Thanks Local Heroes" Serves Washington, D.C. Area Markets

 

Washington, DC (October 17, 2011) - Dunkin' Donuts, America's all-day, everyday stop for coffee and baked goods, has introduced its enhanced local heroes program in the Washington area to recognize the accomplishments of community heroes: teachers, nurses, EMTs, firefighters, military personnel, and police officers.

 

Building off of the program's success over the past four years, Dunkin' Donuts is expanding the program to offer a "Thanks Local Heroes" card which entitles the community hero to four free medium coffees, which can be redeemed once a week (on the day of their choice) from now through December 31, 2011, when they show their work ID or badge. These cards are valid at any participating in the Metropolitan Washington, D.C. area Dunkin' Donuts locations.

 

These "Thanks Local Heroes" cards are being offered to local teachers, nurses, firefighters, EMTs, military and police. Organizations that would like to receive cards to distribute to members and/or employees should email their request to dunkinheroes@gmail.com with the address, contact name and number of cards needed.

 

In addition, beginning October 1, any individual can nominate someone they recognize as a community hero by submitting an online entry at http://www.dunkinheroes.com. Entries will be accepted through November 30, 2011. Dunkin' Donuts will select 20 nominated heroes and recognize them with a $250 American Express gift card and a coupon book redeemable for one year of free coffee and donuts at a special ceremony.

 

In addition to the 20 finalists, Dunkin Donuts will also identify 200 honorable mention nominees with coupons for one year's worth of free coffee and donuts.

 

For official rules, please go to http://www.dunkinheroes.com/include/rules.php.

Lunchtime Links for October 19th, 2011

• Eat Drink Pretty: Fall soup dinner party.
• Kirbie's Cravings: Pumpkin chocolate chip cookies. 
• The Pioneer Woman: Penne with chicken thighs.
• Real Housewives of NJ: Recap from TVGasm. 
• Brown Eyed Baker: Peanut butter and white chocolate rice krispies treats.

Restaurant 3 - Week o' Bacon Dinner

Anyone that is a fan of bacon and living in the DC area should definitely check out Restaurant 3's week o' bacon!  From October 13 - 22nd, the restaurant has a Bacon Fest at their bar, a bacon curing class, and a special $30 3-course bacon infused menu.  My friend T and I went to check out the 3-course dinner last Friday evening and it was great! 

For the first course in the bacon menu, you can choose from the following:
- Wedge salad
- Bacon noodle soup
- Bacon crusted chicken wings.

I went with the wings because they sounded the most interesting: "Our smoked chicken wings but breaded
and fried with a Panko Bread crumb & ground bacon coating tossed in a bacon buffalo sauce".  These wings were crispy and delicious!  I loved the idea of ground bacon being used to coat wings, and these were really tasty.  You also get a pretty large portion for an appetizer.

The second course had two choices:
- Country fried bacon
- Bacon wrapped pork loin.

I went with the bacon wrapped pork loin: "wrapped with pulled pork & Bacon, bacon & cornbread stuffing,
beer braised bacon brussels sprouts".  The pork was delicious and not dry at all.  I also really enjoyed the bacon and cornbread stuffing, it was a little sweet but went well with the pork.  The only Miss in my opinion was the brussels sprouts- they were soggy and not very appetizing at all.  I would've much preferred a different technique for them like oven baking or pan-frying, to get a little more crispness and texture to the plate. 

Finally, the dessert, the Bacon studded waffle: "a waffle with bacon bits mixed in the batter, topped with maple bacon ice cream and whipped cream, and yes the ice cream is made with bacon".  I really like the maple bacon ice cream a lot, it had such a great balance from the maple and the bacon flavors.  

There's only a few days left, but if you get a chance, definitely check out their menu.  If I had to pick one dish, I'd highly recommend the wings for sure!  

Restaurant 3 Bar and Grill

2950 Clarendon Blvd.
Arlington, VA 22201
703.524.4440or on Open Table

Lunchtime Links for October 18th, 2011

• Kirbie's Cravings: Pumpkin bread.
• Williams-Sonoma: S'mores brownies.
• Gossip Girl: Recap from TVGasm. 
• The Kitchn: No-boil chicken and tomato pasta bake. 
• Serious Eats: The best macarons in NYC.

Shake Shack October Custard Menu

OMG how did I forget to post the monthly custard menu at Shake Shack???

Monday: Shackenstein (if anyone could tell me what the heck this is, I'd appreciate it, haha).
Tuesday: Coconut Caramel
Wednesday: Fluffernutter
Thursday: Ginger Pear
Friday: Pumpkin Pie (Yessssssssssssssssssssssssssssss)
Saturday: S'mores (Yessssssssssssssssssssssssssssss)
Sunday: Apple Spice Cake

Woo!

Lunchtime Links for October 17th, 2011

• Feisty Foodie: The Meatball Shop in NYC.
• Kirbie's Cravings: Pumpkin snickerdoodles.
• In Good Taste: Roasted butternut squash salad with apple cider vinaigrette.
• Picky Palate: Homemade peanut butter cups.
• LA Times: Nail polish naming.

CVS Deals - Week of 10/16/2011

This week's CVS deals have something that's not normally offered- a $10 gift card for purchasing $30 worth of specially marked items.  The great thing about this offer is that you can choose from a few gift cards, including an American Express gift card, so you can use it on just about anything.

Coupons make this deal even better- the $30 requirement is for the price of the items, not the price after coupons.  So with a little planning, you can spend less than $30 and still get the gift card.

I got:

• Two Colgate toothpastes: $1.99 each on sale, two $1 manufacturer's coupons.
• Wisk laundry detergent: $4.99 on sale, one $2 manufacturer's coupon.
• Two Duracell 8-pack batteries: $5.99 each on sale, two $1 manufacturer's coupons.
• Charmin Freshmates: 2/$5 on sale, one $0.50 manufacturer's coupon.
• Four Pringles cans: 2/$3 on sale, one $1/4 manufacturer's coupon.

 There's also a good deal on Ivory soap to have on hand or to donate:

• Ivory 3-pack soap: $0.99 on sale, one $0.20 manufacturer's coupon.

Two final deals, if you're interested, gets you some medication for super cheap:

• Prevacid 28-count: $18.99, $18 manufacturer's mail-in rebate on the CVS website.
• Two Theraflu packet boxes: 2/$11 on sale, two $2 manufacturer's coupons, $3 Extra Bucks back.

Happy shopping everyone!

Lunchtime Links for October 14th, 2011

• Maryland Pink and Green: Cute idea for displaying paper.
• Kirbie's Cravings: Mini pumpkin donut muffins. 
• The Kitchn: Greek pastitsio.
• Serious Eats: Smoothies in DC.
• Bakerella: Cakespy in Seattle.

Pink Hunter Boots

 

Looooooooooooooooove my new Hunter boots!  And yes, any of you that have seen DC Cupcakes or know the Georgetown Cupcake sisters might recognize these as the boots they wear, haha.  Which isn't the ONLY reason I got them... but it helped, haha.  

I saw these on a Gilt sale recently and had to snag them.  Unfortunately they're a little snug to wear with jeans but I look forward to wearing them with tights!

Lunchtime Links for October 13th, 2011

• Cupcakes for Breakfast: Pumpkin whoopie pies.
• Kirbie's Cravings: Mini chocolate chip pancake muffins.
• Mango & Tomato: French onion soup sandwich.
• The Budget Babe: Rachel Bilson's pink jacket and white dress.
• Picky Palate: Double chocolate pumpkin cake with pumpkin spice buttercream.

S'mores Wedding Favors

How cute do these look??

For S and D's wedding, they had chocolate-covered s'mores as their wedding favors.  I tried both the caramel and the pumpkin flavor and they were v. tasty!

The gift tags were a custom order, made by Hey Love Designs - I love the colors and the fun font.  They were the perfect compliment to the wedding colors and the romantic feel of the whole event.  Definitely check her out if you're interested in party accessories or other design work!

Lunchtime Links for October 12th, 2011

• Hostess with the Mostess: Pumpkin themed party.
• The Kitchn: Four meals featuring sweet potatoes.
• Bakerella: Cake pop kits and cards.
• Real Housewives of Beverly Hills: Recap from TVGasm.
• Take a Megabite: Cider and donut cupcakes.

CVS Deals - Week of 10/09/2011

• Playtex Sport tampons: $7.99 on sale, one $2 manufacturer's coupon, $3 Extra Bucks back.
• Finish Powertab dishwashing tabs: $2.99 on sale, one $1 manufacturer's coupon.
• Lipton iced tea bottles: 5/$5 on sale, three $1/2 manufacturer's coupons, $1 Extra Bucks back.

One thing I hadn't mentioned before is the benefit of joining the CVS Beauty Club.  It's free to join, and all it takes is to sign up and then link it to your existing CVS card.  You get $5 Extra Bucks back for every $50 in beauty products that you spend, and get coupons for items as well.

For example, this week I received an email coupon for $2 off any Dial product.  I used that towards:

• Dial 3-pack soap:  $1.88 on sale, $1 Extra Bucks back.

Because CVS takes off the coupon amount ($2) even if it's over the item price ($1.88), it makes sense to buy something small to cover the remaining overage.  In this case, I bought a bag of CVS brand candy for $0.88 with the soap, and spent only $0.93 total for both.  

Happy shopping, everyone!

Lunchtime Links for October 11th, 2011

• The Pioneer Woman: Sausage, potato, and kale soup.
• Kirbie's Cravings: Mini pumpkin doughnuts with chocolate glaze. 
• The Kitchn: 10 uses for your microwave.
• Jersey Shore: Recap from TVGasm.
• Cupcakes and Cashmere: Pain au chocolat.

Golden Oreos

 

These Golden Oreos aren't really new to the scene, but I hadn't thought to try them until recently so they're new to me!  According to Wikipedia, the "Golden Oreo series have vanilla wafers with other fillings like vanilla and chocolate as Uh-Oh Oreo until its rebranding in 2007".  Anyone remember when they were called Uh-Oh Oreos??  Yeah, me neither.

Taste-wise, they were basically like a more textural Nilla wafer, obviously with filling in the middle.  I didn't mind these as cookies, but compared to a regular Oreo, I think I still prefer the original.  I could see these being useful in a setting where you want some color differences - like say a game night party where you could use both the Golden and the Regular Oreos as checkers pieces or something, haha.  Overall, a perfectly good taste but can't beat the original!

Lunchtime Links for October 10th, 2011

• Serious Eats: 15 pumpkin recipes.
• Top Chef Just Desserts: Recap from TVGasm.
• Two Peas and Their Pod: Pumpkin chocolate chip bars.
• Real Housewives of NJ: Recap from Jay Mohr.  
• Gossip Girl: Recap from NYMag.

Baked Mini Doughnuts

After months and months of resisting, I finally gave in and bought this Wilton mini doughnut pan!  It helped that I had won a Sur La Table gift card that I could use for this, haha.  But to be honest, I was debating on how practical it was- but then, at a certain point, you realize that the whole point is that it's NOT practical, but super cute and fun :o)

I made my first batch of mini doughnuts using a Japanese hotcake mix which I had heard before makes tasty doughnuts as well.  These turned out really cute and were a snap to bake.  One issue I had is that they were done almost too quickly- and having only one doughnut pan, it took a while to carefully spoon in the mix into each cavity so I could get the pan back into the oven.  But I think this is one of those things where repeated use will make the process go faster.

 

To make the hotcake doughnuts a little more interesting, I added some toppings I had on hand - cookies n' cream peanut butter on the left; Nutella on the right.  These were really delicious, and a great one-bite dessert or snack!

I'm looking forward to using this pan again to make other flavors of doughnuts very soon!

Lunchtime Links for October 7th, 2011

• Bon Appetit: Cooking and baking with matcha powder. 
• Most Eligible Dallas: Recap from TVGasm.
• Kirbie's Cravings: Pumpkin cakes with Nutella filling.
• Tokyo Terrace: Apple spice syrup.
• Picky Palate: Double chocolate Snickers chunk cookies.

Wedding Weekend!

This weekend my lovely friends S and D will be getting married in DC!!!!

It should be a super fun weekend of celebrating and seeing lots of fun people that are coming in for the wedding.  Also, FOOD, lots of amazing FOOD during this weekend as well, haha! I'm definitely looking forward to all of the desserts the most, of course.  Let's hope I still fit into the bridesmaid dress after the rehearsal dinner tonight ;o) 

Lunchtime Links for October 6th, 2011

• Elle Decor: Liberty of London + Hello Kitty.
• Serious Eats: Dan dan noodles.
• Whole Foods: Cream cheese cookies.
• In Good Taste: Baked pumpkin donuts.
• La Fuji Mama: Roasted parsnip fries with curry salt.

Whole Foods Flourless Chocolate Cake + Alexandria Cupcakes

For a dinner at my apartment not too long ago, I tried out this recipe for a flourless chocolate cake from the Whole Foods website.  Even without the glaze in the recipe, this cake was super chocolate-y and delicious, if I do say so myself.  The instructions for the cake are really easy and it's a great go-to recipe for gluten intolerant and regular dinner guests alike!

I'm not quite sure why my cake came out with two dents in it, but it did not affect the taste fortunately :o)

S and D were nice enough to bring over some cupcakes from Alexandria Cupcake.  The red velvet cupcake was good, not too sweet.  The frosting's texture was very interesting- almost like marshmallow fluff, it was different from other frostings I've tried before.

  

It was a fun night with good friends and good desserts for sure!

Lunchtime Links for October 5th, 2011

• Serious Eats: Perfect roasted chicken. 
• Most Eligible Dallas: Recap from TVGasm.
• Bella Nutella: Pumpkin Nutella mini cheesecake bites.
• Kirbie's Cravings: Chocolate mug cake.
• Picky Palate: Chicken and rice soup.

Pink Jams! Take a Bite

 For the month of October, Pink Jams! has a great DC-area event going on where people can eat great food and help out a great cause!  

Here's the background information from their site:

Take a Bite out of Breast Cancer is an outreach and fundraising campaign focusing on educating Washington, DC area residents about the importance of early detection and awareness, and supports Pink Jams!, a DC area non-profit promoting breast cancer awareness to young men and women. By combining this important message with fashion, art, social events, and live music, Pink Jams! is reaching out to men and women under the age of 40.

For the entire month of October, chefs and restaurateurs will commit their establishments for one day, a week, or the entire month, and generously donate a portion of their food and beverage sales so that Pink Jams! can continue their work to save lives. 

For more information, including the participating restaurants, please check out the link here. 

Lunchtime Links for October 4th, 2011

• Serious Eats: Dog shaped hot dog steamer, haha.
• Bakerella: Chewy chocolate meringues. 
• Real Housewives of Beverly Hills: Recap from TVGasm.  
• Gossip Girl: Recap from NYMag.  
• The Kitchn: Five chocolate dessert recipes.

Boot Accessories

I recently picked up this pair (or two pairs, rather) of knee high socks to wear under tall boots in the fall/winter.  This is a great way to pull together a seasonal look with some extra warmth as well.  DSW has a great selection of fun under-boot socks, ranging from simple ones like mine to crazy fur-attached ones, haha.  I look forward to buying a few more pairs to go with my tall boots this season!   

Anyone else excited for Tall Boots Season?

Lunchtime Links for October 3rd, 2011

• Serious Eats: Brewing coffee with a Japanese kantan dripper.
• Glee: Recap from TVGasm.
• The Kitchn: Asian pickled cabbage.
• The Pioneer Woman: Frito chili pie.
• Tokyo Terrace: Easy noodle stir fry.
  

CVS Deals - Week of 10/02/2011

This week there weren't any "free" deals but lots of Extra Bucks to snag for another purchase!:

• Irish Spring body wash and 3-pack soap: 3/$9 on sale, two $1 off manufacturer's coupons, $3 Extra Bucks back.
  
• Scope mouthwash: $4.49 on sale, one $1.50 off manufacturer's coupon, $1.50 Extra Bucks back.
• Oral-B Cross Action power toothbrush: $5.99 on sale, one $3 off manufacturer's coupon, $1 Extra Bucks back.
• Listerine Zero mouthwash: $3.99 on sale, one $1 off manufacturer's coupon, $2 Extra Bucks back.
• Pond's 30-count towelettes: $5.88 on sale, one $1 off manufacturer's coupon, $2 Extra Bucks back.
• Tampax Pearl 18-count: $3.99 on sale, $1 off manufacturer's coupon.
• Sure deodorant: Buy one get one free ($3.59), two $1 off manufacturer's coupons.
• Dawn Hand Renewal dish detergent: $0.97 on sale, one $0.25 manufacturer's coupon.
• Febreeze Set and Refresh: $2.99 on sale, one $1 off manufacturer's coupon.
  

One item this week is a really great deal if you can find the right product:

• L'Oreal Eversilk and Everpure shampoo/conditioner: Buy two get $5 Extra Bucks back, two $1 off manufacturer's coupons.  In a separate display section (aka not in the regular shampoo/conditioner aisle), I found bottles that had free corresponding travel-sized bottles attached, so be sure to look for those!