Lunchtime Links for December 22nd, 2014

• Kirbie's Cravings: Hot chocolate cookies.
• Handle the Heat: Gingerbread fudge.
• Averie Cooks: Soft and chewy M&M chocolate chip cookies.
• Picky Palate: 5 minute holiday cookies. 
• Crazy for Crust: Cookie dough Ritz crackers.

Shake Shack Coasters

Nothing like some Shake Shack home goods to class up my apartment, haha.  

I saw these coasters on Shake Shack's website while they were offering a Black Friday discount, and I knew I wanted to have these for my place.  They're a nice lightweight wood with cork on the bottom so they won't scuff up your table.  I love the engraved burger logo, it's such a fun way to show some Shake Shack love in my own home :o) 

Lunchtime Links for December 19th, 2014

• Crazy for Crust: Chocolate mocha snickerdoodles.
• Kirbie's Cravings: Thick Nutella hot chocolate.
• Oh, Sweet Basil: Cashew chicken.
• The Pioneer Woman: Gingerbread cookies. 
• The First Year Blog: Gingerbread men Oreo balls.

Starbucks - 40% Off Holiday Merchandise

I was VERY pleasantly surprised to find out that one of my local Starbucks stores was having a 40% off holiday merchandise sale until Christmas Eve - the perfect time for me to grab the items that I've been eyeing for a few weeks!

I love the Gold Dot tumbler - it reminds me of a Kate Spade or C. Wonder design, and it's very cute in person.  I heard some bad reviews about the ceramic lid (mainly that it doesn't stay on once the tumbler is filled), but since I plan on using this as a regular (non-traveling) mug, that shouldn't be an issue.  And of course I had to get the holiday cup ornaments - there were so many new ones this year!  I already had the rest (gold and the red holiday design) so these three will complete my collection haha.  I'm not sure that every store is offering 40% off, but be sure to check multiple locations if you're interested in any of the holiday items! 

Lunchtime Links for December 18th, 2014

• Brown Eyed Baker: Chocolate crinkle cookies.
• Averie Cooks: Cinnamon-sugar streusel baked French toast.
• Table for Two: Homemade whipped body butter.
• Bake at 350: Mini gingerbread houses.
• The Comfort of Cooking: Soft chocolate chip cookies.

Andy Cohen - DC Book Signing

I recently had my second opportunity to see the fabulous Andy Cohen - he made a stop at Sixth & I in DC during his book tour for "The Andy Cohen Diaries"!  I'm very happy to have been able to see him at signing events for both of his books - this one included a fun interview session by Wolf Blitzer, how very DC!

Although the book signing portion was very strict (and with good reason, there were hundreds of people waiting to get their book signed, haha), I definitely wanted to bring a little something for Wacha, Andy's dog.  I saw this super cute bagel with cream cheese, and I thought it was the perfect gift for Wacha that Andy would also appreciate, haha.

The employees working the event were in charge of taking photos with our phones/cameras, and luckily the guy took some photos as I was giving Andy my gift for Wacha.  As you can see I also wore my Target doughnut sweater to "coordinate" with the bagel, haha.  

It was so fun seeing Andy again, and I love his new book so far! Everyone should go buy it, or ask for it as a holiday gift! 

Lunchtime Links for December 17, 2014

• Crazy for Crust: Kit Kat fudge. 
• Averie Cooks: Chocolate dipped chocolate chip cookie.
• Kirbie's Cravings: Hot chocolate mug cake.
• Picky Palate: Cookie dough chocolate bark.
• Brown Eyed Baker: Peanut butter blossoms.

Lunchtime Links for December 16th, 2014

• Averie Cooks: Skinny pumpkin pie dip.
• The Comfort of Cooking: No-knead crescent rolls.
• Damn Delicious: Beef noodle stir fry.
• Crazy for Crust: Chocolate peanut butter truffle cookies. 
• Kirbie's Cravings: Vietnamese garlic butter noodles.

Starbucks - Ornament Mugs

I always love getting Christmas ornaments from some of my favorite stores (Starbucks, Dunkin' Donuts, Shake Shack to name a few), and this year Starbucks really stepped it up with a LOT of little decorative items available during the holidays.  

The "Oh, what fun" mug is actually a functional mug - it's the same as this boxed demi cup online, just with a different design.  Since it really only holds espresso (which I don't drink at home), I thought it was a cute item to have sitting under my tree alongside some of the heavier decorations I have.  

The Washington, DC cup is actually an ornament, and part of the You Are Here collection.  I love the gold design, it's perfect as a holiday decoration and a gift for anyone that just moved to the area, or has a lot of DC-area pride haha.  I think these are a great addition to my growing holiday decorations! 

Lunchtime Links for December 15th, 2014

• Bakerella: Mini mummies.
• My Baking Addiction: Pumpkin cheesecake with salted caramel sauce.
• Damn Delicious: One pot garlic Parmesan pasta.
• Oh, Sweet Basil: Nutella bars.
• Cookies & Cups: Pumpkin gooey butter cake.

Turkey Hill - Pumpkin Pie Ice Cream

As soon as I heard about Turkey Hill's Pumpkin Pie ice cream, I knew I had to try it out!  Luckily, I was offered the chance to sample this flavor soon after I heard about it, which was especially good since I hadn't yet seen it in stores by me.

As you can see, this Pumpkin Pie isn't just pumpkin flavored ice cream; the dark lines are cinnamon graham cracker swirls.  I love the extra flavors that the swirls had, and it really made the ice cream taste like a pie, rather than just pumpkin ice cream.  Which isn't to say the pumpkin ice cream wasn't good - it was really a very tasty and creamy ice cream that any pumpkin dessert lover would enjoy.  Would it be too much to top a slice of real pumpkin pie with this ice cream? Perhaps, but it's a delicious idea nonetheless, haha.  This is a limited edition flavor, so be sure to check your supermarket ASAP if you're interested in trying it out!

Note: I was offered a sample of this Turkey Hill ice cream, but not paid or required to write a post about it. 

Lunchtime Links for December 12th, 2014

• Averie Cooks: Sourdough bread.
• Simply Happenstance: Pumpkin ice box cake.
• Dessert for Two: Butter cake cookies.
• Oh, Sweet Basil: Banana bread muffins with crumb topping.
• Kirbie's Cravings: Momofuku's corn cookies. 

Sugar Paper x Target

I heard about the Sugar Paper x Target collaboration last year, but by then they were already gone from the stores and not sold online anymore.  This year, I definitely didn't want to miss the chance to get some planners and calendars!

In addition to the two planners above, I wound up also getting two calendars and an additional monthly planner. I am SO excited to use these come January! Each one is so cute, very well organized, and reasonably priced.  Definitely check out your local Target, they should still be out on the shelves if your location carries them. 

Lunchtime Links for December 10th, 2014

• Cookies & Cups: Campfire cookies. 
• Damn Delicious: Crab Rangoon dip.
• Oh, Sweet Basil: Chocolate peanut butter truffles.
• Averie Cooks: Baked French Toast muffins.
• I Heart Naptime: One hour cinnamon rolls.

Lunchtime Links for December 9th, 2014

• Dine and Dish: Pumpkin snickerdoodles.
• Picky Palate: Pesto chicken noodle soup.
• The Pioneer Woman: Pumpkin sheet cake.
• Kevin & Amanda: Dark chocolate salted caramel Oreo pie.
• My Baking Addiction: Banana bread coffee cake.

Shake Shack - 2014 Ornament

This year's official Shake Shack ornament is soooooooooooo cute - as soon as I saw them advertising it online I knew I had to go and get one.  

They are currently running a promotion where if you buy a $25+ gift card you can get this cute gingerbread man ornament for free.  Knowing that I'll be spending my money there often anyway, I got my gift card and free ornament right when they were available, haha.  This wooden ornament is very lightweight, which is good for someone like me that has a very tiny tree that can't handle heavy ornaments.  The ornament on its own is also available for $9, and makes a great gift for any fans of Shake Shack! 

Lunchtime Links for December 8th, 2014

• Oh, Sweet Basil: Pumpkin cheesecake dip.
• How Sweet It Is: Thai crunch Brussels sprouts.
• I Heart Naptime: Creamy mashed potatoes.
• La Fuji Mama: Graham cracker brownies.
• Kirbie's Cravings: Baked sweet and sour chicken.

City Sports - Rockville, MD

I was recently invited to check out the new City Sports location in Rockville, Maryland as part of their Bloggers' night, and I was excited to check out this new store with my friend A.  You might think this is a little random for my blog... it is, but I always like checking out new stores in my area, and I always like fun workout clothes haha.  This City Sports is located in the new Pike & Rose complex, which is still under construction but coming along very nicely.  There's a big parking garage in the space, and already a few new restaurants and shops that are open for business.

The store is spacious, and I noticed something that I'm not sure was on purpose.  As far as I could tell, the shelves and signage weren't tall enough to block the rest of the store behind it - which is great for someone that is really short, haha.  Even I could look around the store and see each section easily.  Everything is laid out clearly so it's easy to figure out which section you're looking for.  The staff was very friendly and eager to help out, so be sure to ask any questions you have - especially about running shoes!

For the event, there was a Brooks rep at a table with different products displayed, and their different shoe designs (and each one's benefits) on the display board.  A lot of the shoes looked familiar because I regularly see them on The Hungry Runner Girl's blog :o)

You might notice a theme in the items I was drawn to, haha. I love the combination of dark grey/black with the bright mint/turquoise! I feel like these bright pops of color would actually make me happy to work out, haha. 

I also kept coming back to this SUPER SOFT Nike running hoodie (pretty much the same as this one online, I believe).  It looked so comfortable, and I maaaaaaay be going back to the store to take another look at it.  

Thank you to City Sports for inviting me, the delicious Del Frisco's Grille appetizers, and the super fun gift bag as well. Welcome to the neighborhood, City Sports! 

*I was invited to a blogger's night at this City Sports location but not required to write a blog post, I just wanted to share my shopping experience!*

City Sports - Rockville

11600 Old Georgetown Road

North Bethesda, MD 20852

Lunchtime Links for December 5th, 2014

• Kirbie's Cravings: Reese's spread mug.
• The First Year Blog: Gingerbread chocolate fudge.
• Oh, Sweet Basil: Pumpkin pie cake.
• Love and Olive Oil: Pumpkin chocolate chip Bundt cake.
• Dine & Dish: Biscoff pancakes.

Starbucks - $3 Frappuccinos

Calling all Frappuccino lovers!  Starting today through Sunday (12/5-12/7) starting at 2pm each day, participating Starbucks locations are offering grande Frappuccinos for only $3!

This is a great little treat for the weekend, and a chance to try out a new flavor at a cheaper price. This might be a good time for me to try the Chestnut Praline Frappuccino, since I LOVE the latte version so much :o)

Lunchtime Links for December 4th, 2014

• Kirbie's Cravings: Churros con chocolate.
• The Comfort of Cooking: Cinnamon-sugar spiced pumpkin pie donuts.
• The Pioneer Woman: Pumpkin ravioli.
• Cookies & Cups: Biscoff cloud cookies.
• Crazy for Crust: Homemade sugar cookie mix.

Picky Palate's Perfect M&M Cookies

I saw this Picky Palate recipe for "Perfect M&M cookies", and I was intrigued by the use of instant pudding mix.  The recipe was very easy to follow, and the raw dough smelled even more delicious with the vanilla pudding haha.  

While my cookies turned out considerably rounder than Picky Palate's version, these cookies were soft and super delicious.  I highly recommend this for anyone that is looking for a new twist on a classic cookie recipe! 

Lunchtime Links for December 3rd, 2014

• Picky Palate: Peanut butter pumpkin spice chocolate chunk cookies. 
• Damn Delicious: Bang Bang shrimp.
• Crazy for Crust: Candy bar pie.
• Handle the Heat: Mini Calzones.
• Kirbie's Cravings: Chewy pumpkin chocolate chip cookies. 

Lunchtime Links for December 2nd, 2014

• Kirbie's Cravings: Skinny pumpkin mug cake.
• Cookies and Cups: Pumpkin spice caramel sauce.
• Dine & Dish: Minestrone soup.
• Bake at 350: Cake batter blondie bars.
• My Baking Addiction: No-bake peanut butter bars.

Shake Shack - December Custard Calendar

Seeing the custard flavors change each month at Shake Shack is always fun, but it's especially nice when it's the holidays and there's a theme to the month's flavors.  This month we have the following:

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

Christmas Cookie is delicious, and I'm glad it came back again this year! I also look forward to trying the Gingerbread and Sweet Potato Marshmallow custards, yum!

Lunchtime Links for December 1st, 2014

• Kirbie's Cravings: Honey orange chicken.
• The First Year Blog: Pumpkin Scotcheroos.
• Dessert for Two: Homemade gingerbread latte.
• Two Peas and Their Pod: Brown butter pasta with sweet potatoes and Brussels sprouts.
• Bake at 350: Peanut butter pumpkin cookies. 

Georgetown Cupcake - December Flavors

December always means a lot of fun holiday-themed flavors at Georgetown Cupcake- this year's lineup looks great!

- Chocolate Egg Nog: Valrhona chocolate egg nog cupcake topped with a rum-infused frosting, a dusting of nutmeg and a light blue fondant snowflake.

- White Chocolate Peppermint: White Callebaut chocolate peppermint-infused cupcake topped with a candy-cane striped white chocolate buttercream frosting.

- Chocolate Peppermint: Valrhona chocolate cupcake with a rich peppermint-infused Callebaut chocolate ganache icing topped with crushed peppermint candies.

- Gingerbread: Gingerbread cupcake topped with a cinnamon-infused cream cheese frosting and a fondant gingerbread man.

- Snowball Coconut: Georgetown Cupcake's holiday inspired coconut cupcake topped with vanilla cream cheese frosting and coconut flakes.

- Rudolph Red Velvet: Classic red velvet cupcake with a vanilla cream cheese frosting topped with a fondant red-nosed reindeer.

- Snowy Vanilla and Buttercream: Classic Madagascar Bourbon vanilla cupcake topped with a vanilla buttercream frosting, sparkling sanding sugar, and a shimmering light blue fondant snowflake.

- Christmas Caramel: Caramel cupcake with a salted caramel-infused buttercream frosting topped with a caramel drizzle and a green fondant Christmas tree.

- Holiday Lava Fudge: Valrhona chocolate cupcake with a rich fudge core topped with a vanilla icing, a fudge star drizzle, and a green fondant Christmas tree.

- Christmas Butterscotch Cheesecake: Callebaut butterscotch cheesecake with a graham cracker crust topped with a butterscotch frosting and fondant holly.

- Santa's Chocolate Chip: Vanilla chocolate chip cupcake with a whipped Callebaut chocolate frosting topped with a fondant snowflake.

- Sticky Toffee Pudding: Georgetown Cupcake's modern twist on the traditional English sticky toffee pudding - Toffee cupcake with a caramel core, topped with a toffee-infused frosting, and a caramel star drizzle and fondant holly.

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!

Lunchtime Links for October 31st, 2014

• Averie Cooks: Chocolate peanut butter fudge bars.
• Oh, Sweet Basil: Red velvet cupcakes.
• Aida Mollenkamp: Pumpkin spice Ricotta cheesecake bars.
• How Sweet It Is: Sour cream coffee cake with brown butter glaze.
• Picky Palate: Pumpkin spice snickerdoodles.

Shake Shack - Halloween Specials

Happy Halloween everyone!  In the midst of gorging on fun size (or full size, we're all adults here) candy, be sure to check out these fun specials that are available at Shake Shack this weekend:

- Halloweenie (Vienna all-beef hot dog wrapped with bacon and topped with pumpkin maple mustard; $4.50)
- Shack O’Lantern Shake (vanilla frozen custard handspun with pumpkin, marshmallow and autumn spices; $5.50)

I've had the Shack O' Lantern shake before and I can definitively say that it is AWESOME, and anyone that is a fan of pumpkin treats should try it out! 

Lunchtime Links for October 30th, 2014

• Averie Cooks: Pumpkin snickerdoodle blondies.
• Kirbie's Cravings: Bacon cheddar pull-apart bread.
• My Baking Addiction: Pumpkin bars with cream cheese frosting.
• Damn Delicious: Honey garlic chicken.
• Oh, Sweet Basil: Secret waffle recipe.

Pumpkin Spice Oreos

Here we have one of the most recent Oreo flavors, Pumpkin Spice Oreo.  Whoever comes up with the limited edition Oreo flavors must have so much fun at work, haha.  This Pumpkin Spice Oreo can be found in most supermarkets/Targets (at least around me here) so it shouldn't be too hard to get a hold of at this point.  

I love the original Oreo cookie, but I am quite fond of the vanilla/Golden Oreo cookie as well, so this was off to a good start.  The filling is bright orange and frankly a little scary when you first see it.  While it does have an overwhelmingly sweet small and taste, that's pretty much expected at this point so I wouldn't necessarily call that a negative issue.  There's a good amount of pumpkin spice-y notes in the filling, so there's no doubt or vagueness about what the flavor is supposed to be.  These are quite good if you like pumpkin flavored sweets, but you can't really eat too many of these at once, which is probably a good thing.  If you're worried about having a whole pack of these in your possession, do what I do and bring them to work so everyone can try them out! 

Lunchtime Links for October 24th, 2014

• The Pioneer Woman: Chocolate pie. 
• Oh, Sweet Basil: Philly cheesesteak soup.
• The First Year Blog: Candy bar cake. 
• Picky Palate: Pumpkin snickerdoodle cake bars. 
• Kirbie's Cravings: Salted caramel Mocha mug cake. 

Shake Shack - Apricot Jam Crumb Custard + DogMeister

I normally get the burger at Shake Shack, but I have also enjoyed their hot dog offerings as well.  This DogMeister is "topped with Shack cheddar and American cheese sauce and crispy ShackMeister Ale-marinated shallots."  I LOOOOOOOOOVE Shake Shack's fried shallots, they are SO SO good.  The crunchy shallots layered with the gooey cheese and griddled dog... mmm!

I also had the Apricot Jam Crumb custard on this visit, which had a bright yellow/orange hue from the apricot, I'm assuming.  There were big chunks of crumb topping mixed in which I definitely liked.  Fruit-based desserts aren't always my favorite, but the buttery crumbs definitely made up for it. 

Lunchtime Links for October 23rd, 2014

• Averie Cooks: Snickerdoodle bread.
• I Heart Naptime: Pumpkin cheesecake dip.
• Kirbie's Cravings: Parmesan cauliflower bites.
• Oh, Sweet Basil: Cinnamon burst pancakes.
• Brown Eyed Baker: Pumpkin spice latte fudge. 

Atlanta Visit - Doughnuts, Jeni's, and BBQ

As I mentioned in yesterday's post, I had a wonderful visit to Atlanta last month to see my friends A and D. We had a lot of food plans in our agenda, and it was great getting to check out so many places in one weekend!

My first meal upon landing in Atlanta was this plate of deliciousness, courtesy of Cypress Street Pint & Plate.  After some appetizers, D and I split an order of the Sublime Doughnut: 

½ lb burger. cheddar. caramelized onion. applewood bacon. two sublime doughnuts.  Yes, we were totally being responsible by deciding to split one order, hahaha.  The doughnut buns were so good and didn't fall apart at all from the inside ingredients, which I was very impressed by.  

After dinner, we stopped in Jeni's for ice cream.  I was super excited to check out my first Jeni's scoop shop since I normally can only buy their ice cream at grocery stores. I tried a scoop each of the Bangkok Peanut and The Milkiest Chocolate in the World.  The Bangkok Peanut was more spicy than I thought it would be, but I thought it was an interesting flavor and went well with the sweet milk chocolate.  The shop is super cute and in a very nice area with lots of shops and restaurants around it! 

One more food highlight of our weekend was at Fox Bros Bar-B-Q - mmmmmmmmmm this was so good!  We split this combo plate with chicken, ribs, wings, and beef brisket, as well as two sides of macaroni and cheese. This order was a great way for us to try a little bit of all the options, and everything was great. This was super delicious and I would definitely go back for more BBQ.

I always have a great time when I visit A and D in Atlanta and this weekend was no exception.  Special thanks to them for taking me to all of these fun places, and appreciating good food and trying new places! 

Lunchtime Links for October 22nd, 2014

• Handle the Heat: Ultimate gooey brownies.
• The Kitchn: Pumpkin snickerdoodle cookies.
• Dessert for Two: Homemade caramels.
• Seasons and Suppers: Individual loaded baked potato pull-apart bread.
• Crazy for Crust: Apple cider cinnamon rolls.

Atlanta Visit - Sprinkles Ice Cream and Cookies

During my visit to Atlanta last month to see my friends A and D, I had to schedule some time to check out the Sprinkles Ice Cream and cookie shop!  The shop is located in a mall, but there is a separate outside entrance as well - which also houses the cupcake ATM.

The interior was SUPER cute, and there was so much to look at.  Cupcakes, ice cream toppings and cones, cookies, and an extensive menu along the wall.  

Since I can get Sprinkles cupcakes in DC, I knew that my purchases would definitely be ice cream and a cookie.  The ice cream above is a kid's cup of their red velvet ice cream.  The kid's cup was the perfect size for a little snack, and as you can see there is plenty of red velvet cake inside.  I also love how the ice cream coordinated with the cup and spoon, haha.

I also bought a peanut butter pretzel chip cookie to take home - this cookie is huge!  I loved the flavor combination of this cookie, and I think this would be a big hit with any sweets fan.  Since there aren't too many outposts of Sprinkles' ice cream/cookie shops, I definitely recommend checking it ouf if you are in Atlanta! 

Sprinkles - Atlanta

3393 Peachtree Road

Atlanta, GA 30326

Lunchtime Links for October 21st, 2014

• Kirbie's Cravings: Flourless peanut butter pumpkin mug cake.
• Damn Delicious: Easy Lo Mein.
• Dessert for Two: Pumpkin Tiramisu.
• Oh, Sweet Basil: Pumpkin blondies.
• Averie Cooks: Pumpkin French toast.