Lunchtime Links for December 23rd, 2013

• Crazy for Crust: Gingerbread cookie cake. 
• The Kitchn: Tips for the ultimate hot chocolate. 
• How Sweet It Is: DIY glittery winter white Mason jars. 
• Warm Vanilla Sugar: Honey chocolate chunk cookies. 
• Seasons & Suppers: Hot chocolate pudding cake. 

This will be my last post for 2013 - Happy holidays everyone!! See you all in 2014!

See's Candies

I was recently offered a chance to check out the See's Candies store to try some of their holiday items.  I opted to receive a $5 gift card so I could pick out the items that I wanted, and got the following treats:

- Dark Chocolate with Almonds bar
- Peanut Brittle bar
- Scotchmallow tree (regular Scotchmallows are here)

These three items were just over $5, and make great additions to Christmas gifts or stocking stuffers for anyone that's a fan of chocolate/sweets. This was my first time trying a Scotchmallow, and OMG it is delicious! I wish I had tried these before because they're pretty much amazing, and the cute Christmas tree shape just makes them all the more festive this time of year. The caramel, honey marshmallow, and dark chocolate combination is SO good.  If you're in a mall this time of year, chances are you will pass by the See's candy kiosk, so be sure to check out what they have before they're gone again after the holidays!

Note: I was given the chance to receive samples of See's holiday candies or a $5 gift card to go get my own selection, but not otherwise compensated or required to write a review about what I got. But seriously, those Scotchmallows are amazing so you should totally go buy some. 

Lunchtime Links for December 20th, 2013

• Kirbie's Cravings: Pumpkin bread. 
• How Sweet It Is: DIY metallic Mason jars. 
• Love and Olive Oil: Peanut butter swirl brownies. 
• Alaska From Scratch: Gingerbread waffles. 
• Crazy for Crust: Peanut butter snickerdoodles. 

Union Market - Toki Underground Pop-Up

Back in late November, a few friends and I met up at Union Market to check out the shops and the Toki Underground pop-up restaurant.  The pop-up menu has changed a few times, and during our visit it was this rice noodle soup below:

This noodle bowl definitely warmed and filled me up!  The broth especially was very flavorful without being heavy, which I liked.  I could eat something like this for breakfast regularly, haha. 

After we ate, some of us walked over to the nearby Trickling Springs Creamery shop for some ice cream.  I got the Midnight Dreams and Pumpkin ice cream flavors for my bowl.  Chocolate and pumpkin is always a good combination in my book, and this was no exception.  It was a delicious and fun day with friends in DC!

Lunchtime Links for December 19th, 2013

• Love and Olive Oil: S'mores pumpkin pie. 
• Picky Palate: Favorite Christmas cookies. 
• Weelicious: Crumb cake muffin doughnuts. 
• Sugar et al: Garlic and chili prawn spaghetti. 
• Averie Cooks: One-hour homemade cinnamon rolls with cream cheese frosting.  

Shake Shack - Pumpkin Pie Oh My Concrete, Take 2

Although you may not believe me, I wasn't originally planning on getting the Pumpkin Pie Oh My concrete again this year, since I had already enjoyed it last fall.  Then, I got the following Tweet reply from Shake Shack: "So happy you're a fan! The pumpkin pie is new this year, developed specially by our culinary director. Graham cracker crust = yes."

Well, of course now that meant it was NEW, so I HAD to get it this year...

Mmm, this concrete is just SO SO SO SO SO SO good.  There are big chunks of the pumpkin pie throughout the creamy vanilla custard, and it is a must-have for anyone that is a fan of pumpkin pie. I love that Shake Shack does seasonal menu items like this, especially during my favorite PUMPKIN EVERYTHING season, haha!

Lunchtime Links for December 18th, 2013

• Serious Eats: Pumpkin custard with cookie crumble. 
• The Pioneer Woman: Pretzel turtles. 
• Averie Cooks: Brown sugar-topped cinnamon sugar coffee cake with vanilla cream cheese glaze. 
• Handle the Heat: How to temper chocolate. 
• Brown Eyed Baker: Gingersnap cookies. 

J. Crew Jewelry Tray

On Black Friday, I perused a few shops in a shopping center in NJ, and came across these super cute mint colored accessories in J. Crew.  I was instantly drawn to the little jewelry tray, but also loved the coasters, phone chargers, mini notebooks, and other accessories.  There were a number of color themes on the long display table- and I wanted them all! 

After I got back home, I still really wanted the mint "lovely" tray, so I went out to J.Crew where luckily the store was still doing the 30% off sale!  This is the perfect size to hold some rings and earrings, and is pretty enough to leave out on a table or on a dresser.  All of these small accessories would be a great gift for anyone that's a fan of J.Crew! 

Lunchtime Links for December 17th, 2013

• Serious Eats: Pumpkin roll with white chocolate cream cheese. 
• Apartment Therapy: DIY gilded mugs. 
• Cookies & Cups: Soft gingerbread cookies. 
• Kevin & Amanda: Hot chocolate bar and cookie swap party. 
• How Sweet It Is: Cheesy Brussels sprouts lasagna. 

Georgetown Chocolate Tour

In the very end of November, my friend O and I took advantage of a great Groupon for a Georgetown Chocolate Tour by Great Food Tours. It was a chilly but fun afternoon walking around Georgetown and eating lots of chocolate!  We got to try lots of different forms of chocolate and even got to check out a new (to me) shop, Fleurir Chocolates.  If you're a fan of chocolate, this is a great way to check out lots of shops in Georgetown in one day!

 

Mini dark chocolate cupcake - Sprinkles

Sea salt caramel and Dark chocolate fudge - Thomas Sweet 

Chocolate and double chocolate Babka - Marvelous Market 

We didn't get these chocolates at Fleurir, but we did get a great chocolate covered salted caramel. 

Brown butter chocolate - Dean & Deluca. A mint chocolate was also offered but I didn't take it :o) 

Lunchtime Links for December 16th, 2013

• Table for Two: Ham and cheese pull-apart bread. 
• Oh, Sweet Basil: Browned butter butternut and pork lasagna. 
• Handle the Heat: Homemade peanut butter cups.
• The Kitchn: Creamy braised chicken with Pappardelle.
• Two Peas and Their Pod: Pesto, roasted red pepper, and cheese crescent rolls.

Georgetown Cupcake - Veterans Day Vanilla Cupcake

Back in November, Georgetown Cupcake celebrated Veterans Day with a free Veterans Day Vanilla cupcake as the free secret flavor for the day. This cupcake consisted of a vanilla cake with vanilla buttercream frosting and a fondant American flag.  It's always nice how Georgetown Cupcake acknowledges holidays throughout the year with themed cupcake flavors! 

Lunchtime Links for December 13th, 2013

• BGSK: Frozen hot chocolate. 
• The Kitchn: 40 homemade gifts. 
• Table for Two: Broccoli, rice, and chicken casserole. 
• Averie Cooks: Nutella layered and swirled peanut butter bread. 
• Cookies & Cups: Salty pretzel chocolate chip cookies. 

Shake Shack - Cranberry Almond Custard

The holiday-themed custards have come to Shake Shack in full force, and of course I wanted to try all of them out, haha.  I actually hadn't planned on getting this Cranberry Almond custard but since I was already there for dinner, I figured I might as well.

This review should probably be prefaced by the fact that while I like almonds on their own, I really don't like almond-flavored things, such as marzipan, almond cookies, or almond paste.  Unfortunately, that's exactly what this tasted like, a big cup of cold almond paste.  The dots of cranberries were nice and made this look festive as well, but couldn't save my personal feelings about almond foods, haha.  

If you're a fan of marzipan/almond cookies/almond paste though, you will no doubt love this custard, so feel free to have some on my behalf too, haha. 

Lunchtime Links for December 12th, 2013

• Kirbie's Cravings: Pumpkin cheesecake mug cake.
• Buzzfeed: Why potatoes are the most perfect food.
• The Slow Roasted Italian: Snickerdoodle s'mores bars.
• Weelicious: Double hot chocolatey hot cocoa in a jar. 
• Averie Cooks: Dark chocolate peanut butter-stuffed peanut butter cookie cups. 

Holiday Items

Every year I look forward to accumulating new holiday stuff, and this year was no exception.  

I love the new holiday gingerbread house stamps - they are super cute and festive for holiday cards!

After Thanksgiving I popped into Sur La Table and spent some time perusing their fun food-themed ornaments.  A 30% off sale didn't hurt!

I picked up this cute macaron ornament for my tree - it said "Lemon" on the tag, but I'll pretend it's vanilla, haha.

Finally - none of these mugs are new, but as you can see I'm a big fan of holiday themed mugs! Some have been office party prizes, while others have been ones that I bought during the holidays in the past. The big one on the left and two up top are from Starbucks; the reindeer mug is from Target; and the skating gingerbread man is from Crate & Barrel. 

Lunchtime Links for December 11th, 2013

• Kirbie's Cravings: Flourless peanut butter mug cake. 
• I Heart Naptime: Homemade macaroni & cheese. 
• Picky Palate: Oreo cookie ball stuffed cookies. 
• Crazy for Crust: Gingerbread spice cinnamon rolls with maple frosting.
• Hummingbird High: Chocolate pumpkin pie. 

Georgetown Cupcake - Caramel Fudge Cupcake

Recently, Georgetown Cupcake's free "secret" flavors have included fudge and frosting-filled flavors, which have been a nice change of pace. 

This one is a Caramel Fudge cupcake, with a caramel cake, chocolate ganache top, and a fudge core in the middle.  I love both caramel and chocolate, so this was a great combination for me! While the ganache top means not as much frosting as the other cupcakes, the thick fudge core definitely made up for anything you might think was missing otherwise.  I'm glad I got the chance to try out this flavor!

Lunchtime Links for December 10th, 2013

• Picky Palate: Salted Nutella shortbread bars. 
• How Sweet It Is: Sweet potato chili cheese rounds. 
• Handle the Heat: Brownie bottom cookie dough cheesecake bars. 
• Cookies & Cups: Pumpkin crumb cake. 
• Averie Cooks: Salted caramel pretzel-topped fudgy brownies. 

Shake Shack - Shack O' Lantern Shake

A bit delayed, but I had to share my experience with the Shake Shack Shack O' Lantern shake from the very end of October - or should I call it, the OMGGGGGGGGGGPUMPKIN shake, haha

This limited edition shake was offered from 10/25 through 10/31 this year, and consists of "vanilla frozen custard handspun with pumpkin, marshmallow, and autumn spices".  

Clearly, I knew that I would love it before I even got my hands on the gigantic cup.  But really though, this shake was DELICIOUS.  It wasn't just a single note of pumpkin, but lots of spice and the creamy marshmallow flavor throughout, mmm.  It's a super rich and thick way to ingest pumpkin pie with ice cream, in the best way possible, haha. I can't wait for this to come back again next Halloween! 

Lunchtime Links for December 9th, 2013

• Closet Cooking: Loaded smashed potatoes. 
• Cookies & Cups: French toast Krispie treats.
• Dessert for Two: Mini pumpkin pies. 
• Raspberri Cupcakes: Funfetti skillet cookie with white chocolate chips. 
• Two Peas and Their Pod: Pumpkin cheesecake mousse. 

Bath & Body Works - Winter Candles

I've always been a fan of Bath & Body Works candles, and every year I look forward to the fall and winter seasonal scents. Of course I love the pumpkin-themed candles during the fall, but these winter scents were a pleasant surprise to see in the stores recently! 

As soon as I saw this Red Velvet Cupcake candle, I knew I had to get it! Aside from the cute label design, the candle smells like cocoa with a hint of cream cheese, yum! The deep red color is great to have out for the holidays as well.

During another mall visit, I happened to come across these cute candles with champagne glasses on the labels- super cute!  I'm glad I checked these out because a lot of them are in scents that I loved, like Peach Bellini, Champagne Toast, and Cranberry Pear Bellini.  These aren't so much holiday specific as they are more party/celebration-themed, which makes these a great gift idea even after the holidays! 

As anyone that shops at Bath & Body Works may know, they regularly offer coupons and deals both in-store and online, which is normally when I stock up on these seasonal candles. I would definitely recommend stopping in the store or checking out their website if you're looking for some fun candles for the holidays! 

Lunchtime Links for December 6th, 2013

• Averie Cooks: White chocolate-dipped Oreo cookie balls. 
• I Heart Naptime: Homemade Snickers. 
• The Comfort of Cooking: Baked honey-Sriracha chicken wings. 
• Cookies & Cups: Salted caramel cookies. 
• How Sweet It Is: Pumpkin s'mores tart. 

Georgetown Cupcake - Holiday Cupcakes

Every year around the holidays, Georgetown Cupcake ramps up their monthly featured flavors and offers a ton of holiday-themed cupcakes, woohoo!

Here's the lineup for this year:

- Chocolate Egg Nog
- White Chocolate Peppermint
- Chocolate Peppermint
- Gingerbread
- Snowball Coconut
- Rudolph Red Velvet
- Snowy Vanilla
- Christmas Caramel
- Holiday Lava Fudge
- Cranberry Spice
- Santa's Chocolate Chip
- Sticky Toffee Pudding

I always look forward to the holiday cupcakes because there's usually at least a few new ones mixed in with some old favorites. These are all super festive and would be a great treat to bring to holiday parties!

Lunchtime Links for December 5th, 2013

• Table for Two: Mashed sweet potatoes.
• Crepes of Wrath: Crock Pot Asian-style ribs. 
• Picky Palate: Bacon pesto mac and cheese. 
• Weelicious: Pumpkin pie parfaits. 
• Oh, Sweet Basil: Twice baked sweet potatoes. 

Shake Shack - 2013 Ornament

After getting the Shake Shack Ornament last year during the holidays, I was excited to see that a new design came out for their ornament this year! This hungry little snowman is part of the same deal - Buy a $25 gift card, get the ornament for free!

This Shake Shack snowman makes a lovely addition to my food-centric Christmas tree.  In this one section you'll find ornament representation from Shake Shack, Dunkin' Donuts, and Starbucks :o) 

Lunchtime Links for December 4th, 2013

• Averie Cooks: Red velvet cupcakes with vanilla cream cheese frosting. 
• My Baking Addiction: Pumpkin dip. 
• Cookies & Cups: Cinnamon Toast Crunch cookies. 
• I Heart Naptime: Homemade hot cocoa kits. 
• Kirbie's Cravings: Bacon roasted Brussels sprouts. 

Blog Prize - Keep It Sweet Desserts

A big "Thank you!" to the Dessert for Two blog, that recently hosted a great giveaway of Keep It Sweet Desserts!  

For my prize, I chose the Pumpkin Pie Blondies because they sounded seasonally appropriate and delicious! They came packaged in packs of 4 to a bag, with cute ribbon and tissue paper in the box (above). These were rich and delicious, with a deeper pumpkin pie than regular pumpkin cookies or blondies that I've had before.  If you're looking for a cute and delicious holiday sweet to send to someone on your list, I would recommend checking out the Keep It Sweet Desserts website!

Lunchtime Links for December 3rd, 2013

• Picky Palate: Gingerbread baked doughnuts with gingersnap icing.
• Brown Eyed Baker: Sausage cornbread stuffing. 
• Bakerella: Scarecrow cake pops. 
• Cookies & Cups: Pumpkin butter frosting. 
• Kirbie's Cravings: 3 ingredient banana pancakes. 

Georgetown Cupcake - Peanut Butter Chocolate Caramel Cupcake

Peanut butter + chocolate + caramel? Yes, please!  This fantastic combination was a recent freebie from Georgetown Cupcake. As expected, this was a delicious cupcake, with a great balance between the three flavors.  

Peanut butter and chocolate isn't such a unique cupcake flavor, but the addition of the rich caramel core was a tasty addition.  As I've likely mentioned before, Georgetown Cupcake's peanut butter frosting is AWESOME, and that was definitely my favorite part of this cupcake. 

Lunchtime Links for December 2nd, 2013

• Beantown Baker: Cinnamon roll Bundt. 
• How Sweet It Is: Sage butter biscuits. 
• Kirbie's Cravings: Mini pumpkin pies. 
• My Baking Addiction: Butternut squash soup. 
• Oh, Sweet Basil: Scalloped potatoes. 

Shake Shack - December Custard Calendar

It's hard to believe that yet another year of Shake Shack custard flavors has gone by - here is the last custard calendar for 2013!

Monday: Frosted Holiday Cookie
Tuesday: Eggnog
Wednesday: Sweet Potato Marshmallow
Thursday: Chocolate Pecan Pie
Friday: Jelly Donut
Saturday: Gingerbread
Sunday: Candy Cane Crunch

I've got my eye on you, Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday!

Happy Thanksgiving Week!

For most of us, this week is a short work week due to Thanksgiving being on Thursday. So the blog will be putting on stretchy yoga pants and taking a short break as well!

I hope everyone has a wonderful Thanksgiving filled with lots of delicious food and fun with friends/family!

Lunchtime Links for November 22nd, 2013

• How Sweet It Is: Chocolate chip cookies and cream pumpkin marshmallow ice cream. 
• Warm Vanilla Sugar: Garlic bread pepperoni pizza. 
• Kirbie's Cravings: 5 minute microwave peanut butter fudge. 
• Table for Two: Roasted garlic Brussels sprouts. 
• Two Peas and Their Pod: Mini pumpkin cinnamon rolls. 

Dunkin' Donuts - Pumpkin Pie Doughnut

As soon as I heard about the new Pumpkin Pie doughnuts at Dunkin' Donuts, I knew that I had to try it out immediately, haha.  This doughnut is "a pumpkin pie-flavored, buttercreme-filled yeast shell, frosted with white dipping icing and sprinkled with graham cracker topping".

Luckily for me, it didn't take long to find this doughnut at a nearby DD, compared to other times that I've searched for limited edition items that I couldn't seem to find anywhere near me.  So, first things first - yes, this doughnut is sweet. VERY sweet. But really, what do you expect from a pumpkin pie themed doughnut from Dunkin' Donuts? Restraint isn't exactly in their vocabulary, haha. The filling was a touch harder than I would've liked - but remember that I'm a fan of their Boston Kreme doughnuts, which is a much softer consistency.  The graham cracker crumbs on top were a nice little touch, although they didn't do much for the flavor for me.  Overall I wouldn't eat this every day - I don't think anyone should be, haha - but I am always happy to try out pumpkin foods and I'm glad I got to try this one! 

Lunchtime Links for November 21st, 2013

• I Heart Naptime: Marbled brownies. 
• Kirbie's Cravings: Orange chicken.
• Raspberri Cupcakes: Chocolate mousse layer cake. 
• Weelicious: Buttermilk bacon whipped potatoes. 
• How Sweet It Is: Gravy recipe. 

DSW - Fall Booties

These are just two of the few (ok fine, many) shoes I've bought this fall from DSW - I can't help it, there are so many cute styles this season!!  I've especially liked the booties that can be dressed up or down depending on my outfit - these are totally versatile and I've already gotten a lot of wear out of them.  

If you're in the market for fall/winter booties, I would definitely recommend checking out DSW frequently, as they always have new styles coming in! 

Lunchtime Links for November 20th, 2013

• I Heart Naptime: Salted peanut butter blossoms. 
• Averie Cooks: Peanut butter chocolate chip Nutter Butter bars. 
• Cookies & Cups: Whole wheat chocolate chip cookies. 
• A Kitchen Addiction: Sweet potato dinner rolls with honey butter glaze. 
• Sweets with Sara: Peanut blossoms. 

Shake Shack - Marshmallow Peanut Butter Swirl Custard

I never grew up eating Fluffernutter sandwiches, but I feel like this Shake Shack custard definitely took all of the best parts of that sandwich into an insanely delicious custard flavor.  This marshmallow peanut butter swirl custard was awesome, and really managed to highlight both the marshmallow and peanut butter, instead of it tasting too much like one and not the other.  I wonder how this custard would be in an actual sandwich, haha!

Lunchtime Links for November 19th, 2013

• Kirbie's Cravings: Pumpkin bread pudding mug cake. 
• Seasons & Suppers: Beef ragu pasta sauce. 
• Handle the Heat: Chocolate chip cookie pie. 
• A Kitchen Addiction: Hot chocolate pods. 
• Serious Eats: No-bake chocolate pumpkin mousse pie. 

District Flea Visit

Back in October, my friend M and I checked out the District Flea "pop-up" in DC. The District Flea is an extension of the famous Brooklyn Flea in NY, and I was looking forward to checking it out while it was in town. 

There was a good mix of vintage, crafty items, and lots of local food vendors set up in the parking lot. Considering the relatively small size of the market, there was a lot to look at as we walked around.  I especially loved the vintage Pyrex pieces, as well as the cute paper goods!  For lunch I decided to try out the Number 1 Sons' grilled kimcheese, which was definitely a unique and tasty combination. I hope they decide to bring the District Flea back to DC again soon!

Lunchtime Links for November 18th, 2013

• Kirbie's Cravings: Flourless Nutella muffins. 
• Two Peas and Their Pod: Greek yogurt biscuits. 
• Serious Eats: Parker House rolls. 
• Sweets with Sara: Mini M&M cookies. 
• Brown Eyed Baker: Pumpkin gingerbread trifle. 

Georgetown Cupcake - Halloween Surprise Cupcake

This year for Halloween, Georgetown Cupcake offered this Halloween Surprise cupcake as their free flavor for the day.  It was like a Hostess cupcake, but with a cute Halloween-themed twist.  The frosting core was a bright orange color but still tasted like vanilla, which I was thankful for, haha.  

I love how Georgetown Cupcake often gives out special holiday-specific free cupcakes, it's always fun to see what they come out with each time!  

Lunchtime Links for November 15th, 2013

• Table for Two: Maple pumpkin cheesecake bars. 
• Averie Cooks: One-hour soft buttery breadsticks. 
• Picky Palate: Brown butter soft batch style gingersnaps. 
• Cookies & Cups: Banana bread crumb cake. 
• Serious Eats: Reese's Pieces blondies. 

Shake Shack - Strawberry Cheesecake Custard

I don't know how Shake Shack manages to create all of these spot-on flavors, seriously.  This Strawberry Cheesecake custard managed to taste just like cheesecake, and not just vanilla custard that could easily take the place of the "cheesecake" in the name. You are amazing, Shake Shack! 

I wasn't really expecting to love this flavor due to my long-standing "fruit + cream" aversion, but it was quite delicious, probably since it really did taste like cheesecake, which I love in all forms. As you can see the custard is blended really well, but you can sort of tell that there's a slight pink hue swirled throughout thanks to the strawberries, haha.  Thanks for another delicious custard flavor, Shake Shack! 

Lunchtime Links for November 14th, 2013

• I Heart Naptime: Pumpkin snickerdoodle muffins. 
• Kirbie's Cravings: Flourless chocolate peanut butter muffins. 
• Couponing & Cooking: Gingerbread M&M dessert cheeseball. 
• Averie Cooks: Vanilla Melting Moments sandwich cookies with Nutella-cream cheese filling.
• Cookies & Cups: Boston cream pie cheesecake. 

Anchorman: The Exhibit in DC

One of my all-time favorite movies has a special exhibit in the Newseum starting today!

Anchoman: The Exhibit sounds like a super fun exhibit for anyone that is a fan of the movie.  Of course, my favorite part of the description has to be - "I'm literally trapped in a glass case of emotion," said Burgundy about his inclusion in the museum's exhibit.

This exhibit is scheduled to be at the Newseum until August 2014, so be sure to jog (with a soft J) on over to check it out before it closes! 

Lunchtime Links for November 13th, 2013

• Two Peas and Their Pod: Dulce de Leche brownies. 
• Brown Eyed Baker: Pumpkin pancakes. 
• The Pioneer Woman: Chipotle chicken chili. 
• How Sweet It Is: Toasted bacon Fluffernutters. 
• A Kitchen Addiction: Pumpkin cinnamon twist knots. 

Starbucks BOGO

Starting today, Starbucks is offering Buy One Get One holiday drinks from 2-5pm, through Sunday the 17th.

This would be a great opportunity to try any holiday-only drinks that you've been curious about, and also to catch up with friends/family during an afternoon break.  I look forward to enjoying the Gingerbread Lattes again this year!

Lunchtime Links for November 12th, 2013

• Table for Two: Chorizo cornbread stuffing. 
• Handle the Heat: Chocolate chip cookie guide. 
• Damn Delicious: Broccoli chicken mac n' cheese. 
• Food Fanatic: Oreo ice cream cake. 
• Seasons and Suppers: Cinnamon crunch skillet bread. 

Georgetown Cupcake - Cinnamon Coffee Crumb Cupcake

As soon as I saw this Cinnamon Coffee Crumb cupcake on the Georgetown Cupcake online menu, I was sooooooo excited - who doesn't love coffee cake?

This cupcake is a "Cinnamon cupcake topped with a brown sugar and cinnamon crumble", and as you can see they definitely didn't skimp on the crumble portion.  Obviously cinnamon was the dominant flavor in this cupcake, and the crumbles added lots of texture to the soft cinnamon cupcake bottom.  This cupcake was delicious with a latte, and a great excuse to eat a cupcake first thing in the morning, haha. 

Lunchtime Links for November 11th, 2013

• I Heart Naptime: Loaded candy bar brownies. 
• A Kitchen Addiction: Pumpkin pie cheesecake ice cream. 
• The Pioneer Woman: Peanut butter cake with chocolate icing. 
• Oh, Sweet Basil: Pumpkin spice marshmallow cookies. 
• Two Peas and Their Pod: Pumpkin toffee chocolate chip muffins. 

Trader Joe's - Pumpkin Items

Right at the beginning of the pumpkin lineup coming out at Trader Joe's, I made sure to stop in to check out all of the fun goodies.  This visit, I picked up a box of frozen pumpkin waffles, pumpkin Greek yogurt, and pumpkin body butter.  Yes, you read that right, pumpkin body butter, haha.  

As strange as it might sound initially, it's a rich whipped consistency with a lightly spiced scent. The pumpkin waffles and yogurt are delicious, and you can eat them together for that extra pumpkin taste, haha.  I don't always have frozen waffles on hand, but they are convenient for breakfast at work when I'm in a hurry too, since we have a toaster oven available in the office. There are always new pumpkin items at Trader Joe's every year, so it's always fun to see what's out! 

Lunchtime Links for November 8th, 2013

• Kirbie's Cravings: Pumpkin cinnamon mug cake. 
• Brown Eyed Baker: Compost cookies. 
• Table for Two: Pumpkin blondies. 
• I Heart Naptime: Pumpkin pudding cookies. 
• The Pioneer Woman: Pumpkin cinnamon rolls. 

Volt - Brunch

I finally got to check off a restaurant that I have wanted to visit for some time now: Chef Bryan Voltaggio's Volt in Frederick, MD! My friend S and met up for brunch there recently, and we were super pumped to be there - literally, I think we were "woo"-ing at the table once we sat down, haha. We opted for the 3-course brunch and it took a while for us to make our decisions as we sipped on mimosas- everything looked great!

The bread service was. Awesome. There were a selection of about 5 housemade breads to choose from, including these bacon-thyme brioche and chive biscuits. The biscuits especially were so fluffy and rich, I probably could've eaten a dozen on my own. 

Calamari Bolognese: Miso, squid ink Cavatelli, Parmigiano Reggiano

This was a no-brainer for me, as Chef Voltaggio had made this dish during his time on Top Chef Masters, and I really wanted to try it out. To say this dish was full of flavor would be an understatement- the components all came together in this decadent plate of savoriness, if that makes any sense.  Delicious!

Scallops, congee, country ham

There are actually more components to this dish but it is no longer on the online menu so I'm just going off my Instagram notes, haha. The scallops were huge, and cooked perfectly.  I loved the congee on the bottom, it reminded me of Japanese okayu (rice porridge).

For dessert, we both ordered the chocolate option- obviously, haha.  This was a really delicious dessert with lots of textures and components.  Chocolate, hazelnut, and marshmallow were the main components here, and clearly you can't go wrong with those! I loved the presentation, so pretty!

Along with our check, we also received these mini cinnamon coffee cakes to take home, which was a lovely touch for the end of the brunch! I tried this the following morning and it was super flavorful and crumbly, just what you would want from a good coffee cake. I am so happy that I got to try out Volt, and I would highly recommend it for brunch! 

Volt

228 North Market Street

Frederick, MD 21701

301.696.8658

Lunchtime Links for November 7th, 2013

• Two Peas and Their Pod: Chocolate pumpkin ice cream sandwiches. 
• Picky Palate: Chocolate pumpkin cupcakes. 
• Kirbie's Cravings: Four ingredient pumpkin muffins. 
• Averie Cooks: Caramel-stuffed chocolate chip cookie cups. 
• Bakerella: Pumpkin pecan cinnamon rolls. 

Apple Cinnamon Muffins

I'll admit that I am not the first to jump at fruit-based baked goods; I can't quite put my finger on it but I like them separately, and not mixed together.  And yes, that means that I don't like about 99% of pies, haha.  Even so, when I saw Table for Two's blog post about Weelicious' apple cinnamon muffins, I thought they sounded like a great way to use up some of my apple haul from a recent apple picking trip.  

For my version, I didn't have any whole-wheat flour at home so I used all white flour, and used a mix of apples (I can't remember which varieties I picked, haha). These muffins turned out great, and were a delicious fall snack.  Everyone at work really liked them, and they had just the right amount of sweetness in them.  Weelicious' recipes are predominantly for children, but I think anyone that loves apple baked goods will enjoy this recipe! 

Lunchtime Links for November 6th, 2013

• Cookies & Cups: Caramel apple cinnamon rolls. 
• Dine & Dish: Pumpkin magic brownie bars. 
• I Heart Naptime: Chocolate chip pumpkin bread. 
• Two Peas and Their Pod: Peanut butter honey yogurt dip.
• Dessert for Two: Pumpkin gooey butter cake. 

Shake Shack - Pumpkin Pie Oh My Concrete

It's that time of year again...

From Shake Shack's Facebook page on Monday: Starting today and running through the end of the month, our fan fav "Pumpkin Pie Oh My" concrete is available at all US Shacks (except JFK Airport). Rich & creamy vanilla frozen custard blended w/ a slice of our Shack-made pumpkin pie. Get some!

Seriously, GET SOME. This concrete is SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO good. 

Lunchtime Links for November 5th, 2013

• Cookies & Cups: Peanut butter cup Blizzard whoopie pies. 
• Half Baked Harvest: Burrata cheese-stuffed spicy meatball subs. 
• A Kitchen Addiction: Peanut butter overload cookie bars. 
• Oh, Sweet Basil: Roasted red pepper macaroni and cheese.
• Serious Eats: Custard tart. 

Georgetown Cupcake - November Flavors

As we roll into a new month, here's a friendly reminder of the November cupcakes at Georgetown Cupcakes:

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

- Caramel Apple: Fresh apple cupcake with a dulce de leche core topped with a vanilla cream cheese frosting and a dulce de leche star drizzle

There are also special Election and Thanksgiving-themed cupcakes this month as well - enjoy! 

Lunchtime Links for November 4th, 2013

• Cookies & Cups: Circus cookie Krispie treats. 
• The Kitchn: Fluffy vanilla marshmallows. 
• Table for Two: Pumpkin cheesecake swirl brownies. 
• Warm Vanilla Sugar: Nutella-stuffed chocolate chip cookies with sea salt. 
• How Sweet It Is: Sweet potato pecan pie doughnuts. 

Shake Shack - November Custard Calendar

November's custard calendar at Shake Shack seems to be variations/flavors that could be pie, which is fitting for one of the most pie-centric months of the year, haha.

Monday: Grandma's Apple Pie
Tuesday: Cranberry Almond
Wednesday: Pumpkin Pie
Thursday: Toffee Pear
Friday: Salted Caramel
Saturday: Maple Gingersnap Cheesecake
Sunday: Chocolate Hazelnut

Lunchtime Links for November 1st, 2013

• Bakers Royale: Pumpkin s'mores doughnut muffin.
• Two Peas and Their Pod: Taco salad with homemade tortilla bowls.
• Brown Eyed Baker: Pumpkin spice latte cupcakes. 
• Hummingbird High: Dark chocolate and Earl Grey tea cookies. 
• Serious Eats: Marble pumpkin chocolate bread. 

Japanese Kit Kat - Pumpkin Purin

A big "Thank You!" to my friend L for sending me a fun package from her trip to Bali/Tokyo, including these Japanese Pumpkin Purin Kit Kats! Purin is the Japanese word for creme caramel, or flan as some people might know it.  

I think we all know where this review is headed, considering my love of pumpkin sweets and love of the regular Japanese Purin Kit Kat. This had a great pumpkin cream smell right when I opened the wrapper, and tasted very sweet and delicious.  Speaking of the wrapper, I loved the festive illustration, including the kabocha (Japanese pumpkin) with purin inside (on the bottom left), and a somewhat sad expression on its face, haha. Thanks again to L for sending me the lovely package! 

Lunchtime Links for October 31st, 2013

• Serious Eats: Chicken ramen. 
• Food Fanatic: Snickerdoodle cupcakes. 
• Table for Two: Korean bulgogi. 
• Averie Cooks: Soft baked mini cream cheese puffs. 
• Kevin & Amanda: Ritz peanut butter cup s'mores. 

Ben & Jerry's Pumpkin Cheesecake Ice Cream

What better way to celebrate Halloween than with something PUMPKIN!?  I had heard about this Pumpkin Cheesecake flavor from Ben & Jerry's recently, but hadn't expected to see it in grocery stores yet. As always, Wegmans managed to surprise me by carrying this flavor in their store, woo!

This ice cream consists of "Pumpkin Cheesecake Ice Cream with a Graham Cracker Swirl", and although the actual ice cream doesn't have as distinct of a graham cracker swirl as the carton illustration, it's still a delicious combination.  This really does taste much creamier than regular pumpkin ice creams as well, and you may notice that the color is very pale compared to some other pumpkin ice creams that are out these days. I thought this ice cream was great and I'm so happy that I got to try it this season!