Lunchtime Links for November 25th, 2014

• Kirbie's Cravings: 7 layer pizza dip.
• Damn Delicious: Bang Bang shrimp pasta. 
• Table for Two: Fudgy Biscoff swirl brownies.
• The Pioneer Woman: Sesame chicken salad.
• Gimme Some Oven: Chicken and stars soup.

Georgetown Cupcake - Toasted Marshmallow Cupcake

This pretty little cupcake is Georgetown Cupcake's Toasted Marshmallow flavor, and it's a delicious treat if you're a fan of s'mores! 

It's a "Valrhona chocolate cupcake topped with a toasted marshmallow frosting", and I love the torched look of the marshmallow frosting on top.  It was just gooey enough without being too messy to eat, haha.  I hope they bring this flavor back again soon! 

Lunchtime Links for November 24th, 2014

• Averie Cooks: Homemade Funfetti cake with vanilla buttercream. 
• Gimme Some Oven: Asian broccoli salad with peanut sauce.
• Oh, Sweet Basil: Twix caramel blonde brownies.
• Brown Eyed Baker: Honey muffins.
• Love & Olive Oil: Loaded junk food brownies.

CVS ExtraBucks Deals

CVS has some great ExtraBucks deals this week until Wednesday, 11/26 - I would highly recommend heading over before then to grab these deals!

Here are the items that I picked up today:

- Kraft macaroni and cheese: $0.99, get $0.99 ExtraBucks back.
- Reese's FastBreak bar: $0.79, get $0.79 ExtraBucks back.
- Sour Patch gum: $1.57, get $1.57 ExtraBucks back.
- 5 gum: $1.00, get $1.00 ExtraBucks back.
- M&Ms snack pouch: $0.79, get $0.79 ExtraBucks back.
- Swedish Fish theatre box: $1.67, get $1.67 ExtraBucks back.
- Starbucks DoubleShot drink: $1.50, get $1.50 ExtraBucks back.
- Advil 4-count: $0.99, get $0.99 ExtraBucks back.

Since you get the same amount of ExtraBucks as the price you pay, you essentially get that money back to spend on a later purchase.  Make sure you have a CVS ExtraCare card to get these deals this week!

Lunchtime Links for November 21st, 2014

• Dessert for Two: Chicken pot pie.
• I Heart Naptime: Cream cheese filled pumpkin bread. 
• Dine & Dish: Dan Dan noodles.
• Gimme Some Oven: Pumpkin desserts. 
• The Kitchn: Pull-apart cheese bread.

Eggless Nutella Cookies

I don't normally bake with dietary restrictions in mind, but I thought it would be interesting to try out Kirbie's Cravings eggless Nutella cookies mainly because it uses Greek yogurt as one of the ingredients.  I enjoy eating Greek yogurt for breakfast, but I've never tried baking with it before.

The best part about these cookies have to be the large chocolate chunks I put in, hahaha.  But aside from that, these cookies turned out pretty tasty! I was a little worried that they would be so soft that I wouldn't be able to get them off the cookie sheet, but it wasn't an issue.  The cookies are soft, but not so much that they crumble in your hands or anything - it was easy to transport them to work the following morning.  If you're looking for an egg-less cookie recipe, or just want to try something out with Greek yogurt like me, give this recipe a try! 

Lunchtime Links for November 20th, 2014

• Serious Eats: Pumpkin swirl cheesecake chocolate brownies.
• Dessert for Two: Coffee cake muffins.
• My Baking Addiction: Pumpkin white chocolate chip cookies. 
• Handle the Heat: Creme Brulee pumpkin chocolate cheesecake bars.
• Averie Cooks: 4 ingredient peanut butter cookies. 

Shake Shack - Salted Caramel Hot Chocolate

One of the lesser-known but equally delicious menu items at Shake Shack is their hot chocolate, which is normally available every day during the cold winter months.  I've had it before, and it is a rich and tasty cup of chocolate, good to the last sip.

This year, it looks like they are changing things up a bit and offering a Salted Caramel Hot Chocolate, woo! This year’s Shack hot chocolate features a blend of bittersweet dark chocolates, caramel sauce, sea salt and fresh milk.

This sounds like a delicious variation to their regular hot chocolate and I can't wait to try it out! 

Update as of 11/19: Last night my friend S and I were by a Shake Shack after dinner so we both got this new hot chocolate.  I'm not sure if it was only because Tuesday also happens to be Salted Caramel custard day this month, but we were VERY pleasantly surprised to find a scoop of custard inside our cups of hot chocolate. This was AWESOME - I loved the contrast of the hot drink and the cold, creamy custard.  I'll have to try this out again (not on a Tuesday) and see if it comes with ice cream inside, haha. 

Lunchtime Links for November 18th, 2014

• Oh, Sweet Basil: Chocolate banana cake.
• Love & Olive Oil: Spicy Italian meatball sandwiches.
• Two Peas and Their Pod: Apple bread with brown butter glaze.
• The Comfort of Cooking: Creamy broccoli chicken shells and cheese.
• Handle the Heat: Peanut butter chocolate chip cookies.

Georgetown Cupcake - Free Chocolate Sunshine Cupcake

This free Chocolate Sunshine cupcake from Georgetown Cupcake consists of their regular chocolate cake base with a bright yellow vanilla frosting.  This is very similar to the Vanilla Sunshine cupcake, with of course chocolate cake replacing the vanilla cake in this version.

I've actually had the Chocolate Sunshine cupcake before, but that version came with sprinkles on top, so I guess technically you can say these two are different, haha.  The bright yellow frosting would definitely be a big hit with little kids, and contrasts very nicely with the chocolate cake.  

Goldfish Grahams - Vanilla Cupcake

I never really grew up eating Goldfish crackers, so I can't say that I've ever really paid attention to them in the supermarket.  However, one day when I saw some displayed at Target, I was amazed at just how many different variations of  Goldfish there were!

Of course the ones that caught my eyes immediately were the sweets-based flavors, like this Vanilla cupcake Grahams above.  As you can see, these are not crackers at all but Grahams = little goldfish shaped cookies.

And man oh man, are these delicious.  Right when you open the bag you get a strong vanilla scent, and it's very similar to Funfetti cake/frosting.  There are tiny bits of color in each cookie, which I'm assuming are the sprinkles on the cupcake.  These are very addictive and if you aren't careful, I'm sure you can polish off most of the bag without noticing!  

Lunchtime Links for November 14th, 2014

• The Pioneer Woman: Sweet potato fries. 
• The First Year Blog: Espresso chocolate chunk brownies.
• Kirbie's Cravings: Matcha green tea mochi cookies. 
• Handle the Heat: Pumpkin s'mores pancakes.
• Brown Eyed Baker: Pumpkin cupcakes with cream cheese frosting.

Shake Shack - Banana Bread Custard

I was looking forward to Shake Shack's Banana Bread custard, mainly because I've enjoyed banana bread in its regular form but I never really think to make it that often.  Normally banana bread only comes to me when I'm faced with overripe bananas that I forgot to eat, haha.

This custard reminded me somewhat of banana bread, but wound up tasting more like the spices used in banana bread for me.  Nutmeg? A little cinnamon? I couldn't quite put my finger on it, but the banana flavor was definitely pushed out by some sort of spice throughout the cup.  This wasn't a bad cup of custard by any means, but not quite what I expected.  

Lunchtime Links for November 13th, 2014

• The Comfort of Cooking: Cheesy stuffed garlic butter crescent rolls.
• Weelicious: Pumpkin recipes.
• Damn Delicious: Shrimp and corn chowder.
• Averie Cooks: Cream cheese cookies. 
• Crazy for Crust: Caramel peanut butter cups. 

Peanut Pocky

I love the original Pocky, and have always enjoyed trying out special or limited edition flavors that they have.  Of course I jumped right on to these Peanut Pocky, since I love peanut butter as well.  

These had a great roasted peanut aroma, and they were pretty tasty.  I always like the firm "snap" of Pocky sticks when you're eating them, and these were the same as the original chocolate version.  They did have more of a peanut flavor than peanut butter, if that makes sense - a little less sweet, in a good way.  I hope I can find these again! 

Lunchtime Links for November 12th, 2014

• Crazy for Crust: Pumpkin s'mores dip.
• Handle the Heat: Ultimate muffins.
• A Kitchen Addiction: Pumpkin spice cinnamon knots. 
• Gimme Some Oven: 2-ingredient queso dip.
• Kirbie's Cravings: Pumpkin pie mug cake.

Starbucks - BOGO Holiday Drinks

Holiday drinks are back at Starbucks, and right now you can get a great deal on them!

Starting today and ending Sunday the 16th, between 2-5pm each day, you can buy one holiday drink and get one free.  I personally am looking forward to trying the new Chestnut Praline Latte, which sounds delicious.  There's no coupon or code needed, so be sure to go out and enjoy an afternoon treat with a friend or co-worker!

Lunchtime Links for November 11th, 2014

• Crazy for Crust: Homemade hot chocolate mix.
• How Sweet It Is: Cheesy pesto skillet pull-apart bread.
• Kirbie's Cravings: Starbucks secret menu.
• Oh, Sweet Basil: Broccoli cheese soup.
• Cookies & Cups: Rice Krispie Treat recipes. 

The Home T - New Jersey

I bought this NJ t-shirt from The Home. T a looooooong time ago, but I definitely think it's worth spreading the word about them.  First of all, it's such a simple but fun idea for a t-shirt, and it's super soft.  As if that wasn't enough, the company donates a portion of their profits to benefit Multiple Sclerosis research, which is a fantastic cause.  The company has branched out to offer hoodies, tote bags, and lots of other ways to show your hometown pride.  This would make a fantastic holiday gift for friends and family as well! 

Lunchtime Links for November 10th, 2014

• Crazy for Crust: Brownie bites.
• A Spicy Perspective: Pumpkin cupcakes and peanut butter frosting.
• Brown Eyed Baker: Chocolate chip cookie dough dip.
• Kirbie's Cravings: Microwave pumpkin chocolate chip cookie. 
• Serious Eats: Waffle iron Churros.

Georgetown Cupcake - Vanilla Sundae Cupcake

This party in a cupcake is Georgetown Cupcake's Vanilla Sundae cupcake.  It is almost identical to the Chocolate Sundae cupcake, but with a vanilla cake base instead of chocolate.  This is a great flavor for anyone that is a fan of vanilla flavors and a million toppings haha.  While the sundae cupcakes aren't my favorite, I still think it is fun to look at, and I'm sure it would be a big hit with little kids as well :o) 

Trader Joe's Cards

How cute are these greeting cards that I found at Trader Joe's recently?  They would be great cards to send out to friends, but I also thought that they would make for fun wall art in my apartment.   

The cards are $0.99 each, and I got these great matted frames from Target on clearance, which was a great find.  The one on the left is the same matted frame - I simply centered the card over the mat because otherwise some of the words were covered, haha.  Next time you see a cute greeting card that you want to keep, definitely consider turning it into cute wall art for your home! 

Lunchtime Links for November 6th, 2014

• Crazy for Crust: Red velvet brownie cups.
• Gimme Some Oven: 7 layer dip.
• Kirbie's Cravings: Pumpkin spice mug cake. 
• Averie Cooks: Inside-of-a-peanut-butter-cup cookies. 
• BGSK: Salted caramel chocolate marshmallow treats.

Georgetown Cupcake - November Flavors

There are lots of great fall flavors this month at Georgetown Cupcake:

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

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

- Pumpkin Cheesecake: Pumpkin-infused cheesecake cupcake topped with maple cream cheese frosting and a fondant maple leaf

- Thanksgiving Maple Chocolate Chip: Maple Cupcake studded with Callebaut 

chocolate chips and topped with a maple frosting and fondant turkey

The Thanksgiving cupcake is actually available all month, so I have already tried it out, haha.  All of these November flavors are delicious, and I would recommend trying all of them! 

Lunchtime Links for November 5th, 2014

• The Pioneer Woman: Self-rising biscuits.
• Warm Vanilla Sugar: Chocolate chip pumpkin muffins.
• Oh, Sweet Basil: Pumpkin banana bread.
• Cookies & Cups: Cream cheese brownie cookies. 
• Kirbie's Cravings: Flourless Nutella pumpkin muffins. 

Shake Shack - November Custard Calendar

Another month means another set of custard flavors at Shake Shack!

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

Looks like there are a lot of great fall flavors, I can't wait to try them!