Friday, March 29, 2013

Lunchtime Links for March 29th, 2013



Perks of Being a Wallflower DVD


If you haven't read/seen The Perks of Being a Wallflower, go do it NOW, NOW, NOW! 

Seriously though, I loved the book when I first read it years ago, and I was really happy with the movie adaptation as well.  The movie really captured the fragile and emotional moments of such an endearing story.  There's almost always the feeling that a movie won't be as good as the original book, but I think they did a great job with this one. I look forward to re-watching this as much as I've re-read my worn out copy of the book :o) 

Thursday, March 28, 2013

Lunchtime Links for March 28th, 2013


Krispy Kreme - Cookies and Kreme Cake Doughnut



Oreo + Doughnut = Hello, I am SO trying this. I came across this at work one morning and just couldn't pass up a chance to try Krispy Kreme's new Oreo doughnuts.  This specific one is the Cookies and Kreme Cake doughnut.  It's a glazed chocolate cake doughnut topped with Oreo crumbles, and the doughnut hole is filled with Oreo frosting, because that's really what you need to top off this sugar bomb, haha. 

Unsurprisingly, I love this doughnut. I already love the chocolate cake doughnut, so adding Oreos to it was really only going to make me love it more. Could I eat a lot of it without any consequences? Of course not. But for anyone that loves Oreos as much as I do MUST try this out while it is available, it's your civic Oreo duty! 

Wednesday, March 27, 2013

Lunchtime Links for March 27th, 2013


West Elm Modernist Bowls



I've had my eye on these West Elm Modernist bowls for a while now, so as soon as they were having a dinnerware sale I snatched these up immediately.  I also got a matching serving bowl (not pictured) afterwards because I really liked the design of these bowls. 

The smaller bowls are a little smaller than an average soup bowl, which is good because I am severely lacking in cabinet space as it is.  I use them for cereal, ice cream, side dishes, and as candy bowls when I have friends over.  If you're into more bold colors in your kitchen, the other designs would be perfect for you as well! 

Tuesday, March 26, 2013

Lunchtime Links for March 26th, 2013


The Art of Sending Mail - Hey Love Designs

I'm so happy to have a guest blog post over at my friend M's Hey Love Designs blog today, in her "The Art of Sending Mail" series!

I love sending mail and I was happy to put together a list of resources that I use for making and buying cards. I look forward to seeing the other posts in this series as well, it's always nice when people share my love of sending real mail!

Monday, March 25, 2013

Lunchtime Links for March 25th, 2013


New Justin Timberlake CD



He's baaaaaaaaaaack!!

I enjoy going out to physically get CDs when they come out, and this new Justin Timberlake CD was no exception.  The 20/20 Experience CD came out last Tuesday and I've been listening to it in my car ever since.  The mood of this CD is definitely very different compared to his last CD, with the most notable difference being the song lengths.  I think each song on this new album is at least 7 minutes long, haha.  I am so so happy that JT is back to making music, and looking as dapper as ever!!

Friday, March 22, 2013

Lunchtime Links for March 22nd, 2013


Shake Shack - Chocolate Chip Cookie Custard



As I've tasted and documented many of Shake Shack's custard flavors, I've come to notice that the photos don't always showcase the special menu items properly, haha.  Case in point - if you look closely, you might see some chocolate swirls in this cup, but you probably wouldn't guess this as the Chocolate Chip Cookie custard.

That being said, Shake Shack definitely doesn't skimp on making each special flavor taste exactly as they are named, haha.  This vanilla custard base had swirls of chocolate throughout, and little chunks of chocolate chip cookies in the bottom of the cup.  It was like eating a Chipwich, in cup form, mmm.  This is a classic flavor combo, and anyone that is a fan of chocolate chip cookies will love this one! 


Thursday, March 21, 2013

Lunchtime Links for March 21st, 2013


Target Shirt + Paper Source Macaron Stamp



I recently bought some cute items at Target and Paper Source - two stores that definitely fuel impulse purchases, haha.  The grey button down shirt is casual and cute, a great pairing with colored skinny jeans (which have become my weekend staple).  I especially like the tiny polka dots that gives the shirt more detail without looking TOO cutesy.  

Paper Source has a wide range of macaron-themed items on display, and this stacked macaron stamp was too cute to pass up.  Now I can properly express my love of macarons in paper form, haha.  I can't wait to make lots of cards using this stamp! 

Wednesday, March 20, 2013

Lunchtime Links for March 20th, 2013


BYT DonutFest, DC

On March 2nd, a few of my friends and I embarked on a sugar high like none other, in the form of BYT's DonutFest - an afternoon of doughnuts as far as the eye can see, seriously.  As you might imagine, this event was AWESOME for a doughnut-lover like myself, and I really hope that they have this event again.  I especially liked trying out shops that are not yet opened, which makes me even more excited to try them out (hopefully) soon. 

Here's a quick rundown of the gluttonous day:




GBD doughnut holes; Zeke's DC Donutz red velvet doughnut




Store-bought doughnuts, in case the 293483948739247374324 options weren't enough, haha.




Jackie's brioche doughnut with blood orange glaze




Astro Doughnuts selections




Astro Doughnuts' samples, including s'mores, creme brulee, passionfruit, etc.




Eventide - I especially loved the yuzu sesame on the bottom center! 




Mac's cider doughnut on a stick, perfect for a crowded event like this one.




Farmers Fishers Bakers - vanilla crullers 




Pizzeria Orso - Nutella doughnuts




District Doughnut offered lots of tasty choices as well as coffee, which was a nice touch.




Poste - Yes, they really served duck fat doughnuts with bourbon maple glaze, haha.




Hot Hot Bakery - Vanilla custard doughnuts (they also had a Nutella version, not pictured).




Heller's Bakery brought a TON of doughnut options, as you can see here.




 A little memento from GBD - I can't wait to try their fried chicken too!

Tuesday, March 19, 2013

Lunchtime Links for March 19th, 2013


Georgetown Cupcake - Strawberry Cheesecake Cupcake



My first thought writing this post is that I love how the frosting of this Strawberry Cheesecake cupcake matches my cupcake stand, haha.

As soon as I saw that this was the free secret flavor of the day, I knew that I would love it.  I love cheesecake + Georgetown Cupcake's strawberry frosting, so this was a no-brainer for me.





You can see how the "cake" portion really is like a mini cheesecake, complete with a graham cracker crust.  Both the frosting and the cheesecake had strawberries mixed in for a delicious and decadent mini-cake.  I hope they bring this flavor back again sometime!

Monday, March 18, 2013

Lunchtime Links for March 18th, 2013


Daikaya DC - Miso Ramen



After trying Daikaya's shoyu ramen, I knew I'd be back SOON to enjoy their ramen again, haha.  On this visit I ordered the Mugi-Miso Ramen, topped with roast pork, chashu, bean sprouts, onions, garlic, ground pork, and scallions.  I couldn't get enough of the nitamago last time, so I added on an order of the egg to this miso ramen. 

Once again, I really enjoyed this bowl of ramen.  The mugi-miso broth was lighter than other miso ramens I've tried before, but still had the delicious richness.  Again, even being not much of an egg lover, LOVE LOVE LOVE the partially cooked marinated egg here. It's SO good!  As of the beginning of March, Daikaya is also open for lunch, which makes me super jealous of everyone that works in the area!

Friday, March 15, 2013

Lunchtime Links for March 15th, 2013


Kate Spade Postcard



I recently placed an online order from the Kate Spade website, and along with the cute pink wrapping paper, the package came with this card above.  I thought it was super cute and such a fun, Kate Spade-ish message.  

I have since purchased a frame for it and have it displayed in my living room.  It's always nice to have a fun little quote art in your apartment, don't you think?  

Thursday, March 14, 2013

Lunchtime Links for March 14th, 2013


White Chocolate Easter M&Ms at Target



Ooh la la - another fun limited edition find!

This year, Mars offered a white chocolate M&M for Easter, only available at Target stores.  Their shape is very similar to peanut butter M&Ms - a little fatter than the regular milk chocolate version.  If you're a fan of white chocolate, you will definitely love these. I likened them to white chocolate vitamins - way too easy to eat a handful or two, haha.  Even if you're not a huge white chocolate fan, I think these would be a nice addition to a snack mix, or even better in baked goods.  Give them a try if you like trying out seasonal candies!

Wednesday, March 13, 2013

Lunchtime Links for March 13th, 2013


Hey Love Designs - Blair Waldorf Notecards



Some of you may recall my "Mean Girls" notecards from Hey Love Designs that I got last year - it was only a matter of time before I'd order a new set of fun cards, haha.  

This time I ordered Gossip Girl-themed cards in tribute to the fabulous Miss Blair Waldorf. I loved Blair's character on the show, and I totally could see Blair giving these cards to her minions, haha.  Again, I will probably have a problem actually using up too many of these cards, because they are so so cute! 

Tuesday, March 12, 2013

Lunchtime Links for March 12th, 2013


Pumpkin Cinnamon Chip Cookies



Am I the last person to find out about these Hershey's cinnamon chips? I honestly had never noticed them before, until I started to see them popping up in a bunch of baking blogs in the fall/winter.  Luckily, it didn't take me too long to find them- as always Wegmans came to the rescue!




I used these cinnamon chips in place of chocolate chips for my usual pumpkin chocolate chip cookie recipe, and they turned out pretty tasty! The cinnamon chips melt into the dough slightly, and add lots of great cinnamon flavor.  I did miss the chocolate taste a little bit, but that's because I really love chocolate, haha.  I think the cinnamon flavor went well with the pumpkin for the perfect cold-weather treat.

For more recipes using these cinnamon chips, check out the Hershey's recipe archive here.

Monday, March 11, 2013

Lunchtime Links for March 11th, 2013


Han Dynasty - Cherry Hill, NJ

I had heard of Han Dynasty restaurant here and there on food blogs, but had never tried it when I've been in Philly.  Luckily, a Cherry Hill, NJ outpost opened, which is right by where my best friend and her husband live, woo!




Here we have the Dry Fry style beef which consists of triple flash fried beef with dry peppers, celery, bamboo shoots, and Sichuan peppercorns.  This had a heat that grew with each bite, even avoiding the peppers in the dish didn't make it any less spicy, haha. It was definitely that specific type of addictive spicy though, and I loved it!



This isn't a very pretty-looking plate, but it sure was delicious.  We also got the pan fried dumplings and Dan Dan noodles. A lot of beige, but super tasty, haha.  I would love to go back again and try more dishes, especially the spicy ones! 


Han Dynasty - Cherry Hill
404 Route 70
Cherry Hill, NJ 08034
856.428.0088

Friday, March 8, 2013

Lunchtime Links for March 8th, 2013


Super Bowl Party - Cheese Plate



While this cheese plate idea didn't come directly from Pinterest for me, seeing all of the Super Bowl food pins on there definitely got me thinking!  

Since part of my contribution was cheese, I figured I would take some regular cheese blocks and make them a little more festive.  I probably could've spent a little more time rounding out the edges, but I think these still turned out pretty cute :o)  These cheese blocks could be carved into a variety of sports or party-theme shapes for any occasion - best of all, everything is edible so you don't have to get a lot of "extras" to make this work! 

Thursday, March 7, 2013

Lunchtime Links for March 7th, 2013


Bon Chon - Rockville



Some of you may recall my obsession with the crispy, ohmygahh obsession that I have with Bon Chon chicken, which I've had in VA.  Well, as of a few weeks ago, there is a Bon Chon DANGEROUSLY close to both my apartment and work, and there is no turning back now.

So far, I have only managed to go a few times, but I'm not sure how long this actual restraint will last, haha.  For anyone that hasn't tried Bon Chon (or Korean fried chicken) in general, it is unlike any regular wings or fried chicken you have probably had before. SUPER crispy and the sauces (Soy Garlic and Hot) are fantastic. Definitely try it out if you get a chance!! 


Bon Chon - Rockville
107A Gibbs Street Unit A
Rockville, MD 
301.637.9079



Wednesday, March 6, 2013

Lunchtime Links for March 6th, 2013


Zeke's DC Donutz



Mmm... doughnuts! 

Or specifically, "donutz", I guess, haha.  Zeke's DC Donutz is conveniently located right by Dupont Circle, which works out well for me because I frequent that area. N and I checked them out the morning of Presidents' day, which was great because we had a lot of doughnuts to choose from that were available.  




We split both the Vanilla Creme Brulee (left) and Peanut Butter Bacon (right), and they were both delicious! I will say, the Vanilla Creme Brulee was really really really good, way better than even I expected it to be.  The top of the doughnut had a hard sugar shell just like a creme brulee, and the vanilla custard inside the doughnut was plentiful and rich.  Don't get me wrong, the peanut butter bacon doughnut was great too (how could it be bad?), but the Vanilla Creme Brulee was really fantastic.  I can't wait to come back to try their other flavors! 


Zeke's DC Donutz
2029 P Street NW
Washington, DC 20036

Friday, March 1, 2013

Lunchtime Links for March 1st, 2013


Shake Shack - March Custard Menu

Yay, another new month of Shake Shack custard flavors!

Monday: Boston Cream Pie
Tuesday: Buttery Caramel Cocoa Nib
Wednesday: S'mores
Thursday: Lime Coconut Crumble
Friday: Salty Chocolate Peanut Butter
Saturday: Waffles & Bacon
Sunday: Mint Chocolate Chip

Ummmmmmmmmm HELLO FRIDAY AND SATURDAY I AM SO EXCITED!!!!!!!!!!