Lunchtime Links for December 23rd, 2015

• Crazy for Crust: Flourless brownie cookies.
• Creme de la Crumb: Firecracker shrimp wonton tacos.
• Handle the Heat: Peanut butter brownies.
• Buzzfeed: Food pun cards.
• My Baking Addiction: Indoor s'mores kit.

Lunchtime Links for December 22nd, 2015

• Warm Vanilla Sugar: Double chocolate slice and bake cookies.
• The Pioneer Woman: Mashed potatoes.
• Handle the Heat: DIY cookie butter.
• Brown Eyed Baker: Nutella pretzel truffles.
• My Baking Addiction: Sugar cookie cheesecake.

Lunchtime Links for December 21st, 2015

• Oh Sweet Basil: Santa hat brownies.
• Gimme Some Oven: Cashew chicken curry.
• Smitten Kitchen: The browniest cookies.
• Kirbie's Cravings: One skillet Lasagna.
• Averie Cooks: No-bake mini cheesecakes.

Georgetown Cupcake - Christmas Butterscotch Cheesecake

Here we have Georgetown Cupcake's Christmas Butterscotch Cheesecake - What a cute and festive way to celebrate the holidays - and hey, cheesecake is always a good idea! This flavor consists of a "Callebaut butterscotch cheesecake with a graham cracker crust topped with a butterscotch frosting and fondant holly".

I always enjoy Georgetown Cupcake's cheesecakes and this one was extra rich with a double dose of butterscotch.  I especially loved the tiny little holly decoration to add a pop of color to the butterscotch layers.  Even if you're not a huge fan of butterscotch, this is a decadent and creamy treat for anyone that is a fan of sweets and cheesecake :o)

Lunchtime Links for December 18th, 2015

• Two Peas and Their Pod: Peanut butter chocolate swirl bark.
• How Sweet It Is: Cheesy Bucatini pie with mini meatballs.
• Oh Sweet Basil: Reese's marshmallow frosted cookies.
• Crazy for Crust: Creme Brulee cookie bars.
• Brown Eyed Baker: Homemade marshmallows.

Lunchtime Links for December 17th, 2015

• Dessert for Two: Skillet Lasagna.
• Averie Cooks: Soft frosted chocolate-chocolate chip sprinkles cookies.
• How Sweet It Is: Pretzel peanut butter stuffed chocolate bark.
• Cookies & Cups: M&Ms wreath cake.
• Kirbie's Cravings: Single serving cookie butter cake.

Anthropologie & Starbucks Gold Mugs

I love these metallic gold coffee goods that Anthropologie and Starbucks has out this season - so cute and festive for the holidays!  Anthropologie has had the gold monogram mugs out for a few years now I think, but I finally caved and bought one recently.  The Starbucks gold heart cup ornament has little gold hearts all around, and is a super cute addition to my growing collection.  If you're looking for some nice holiday gifts for someone, or some affordable gold accents for your home, be sure to check these items out! 

Lunchtime Links for December 16th, 2015

• Cookies & Cups: Oreo cheesecake cookies.
• Dessert for Two: Vanilla steamer.
• The Kitchn: Nutella skillet s'mores.
• Averie Cooks: Soft batch no-roll holiday sprinkles cookies.
• I Heart Naptime: Reese's Pieces blondies.

Target- Brunch Pajamas

I loved these brunch-themed pajamas at Target as soon as I saw them, and then they happened to go on sale which was even better! Who wouldn't love pajamas with pancakes, waffles, and bacon strips throughout, haha.  These would be a perfect gift for anyone that loves brunch, breakfast, or carbs in general :o)

Lunchtime Links for December 15th, 2015

• Kirbie's Cravings: Oreo lava cakes.
• Handle the Heat: Hot chocolate cupcakes.
• I Heart Naptime: Reese's no bake chocolate peanut butter cheesecake.
• Warm Vanilla Sugar: Funfetti birthday cake.
• This Week for Dinner: Chocolate chip pie.

Shake Shack - Holiday Shakes

Instead of a custard calendar this month, Shake Shack is offering 3 decadent shakes that are perfect for the holidays:

- Gingerbread : Gingerbread spiced frozen custard topped with whipped cream and cinnamon cookie crumble
- Chocolate Peppermint: Chocolate frozen custard blended with peppermint and topped with whipped cream and crumbled chocolate covered candy canes.
- Christmas Cookie: Sugar cookie frozen custard topped with whipped cream and red and green sprinkles.

Be sure to try these out while they're available through January 3rd!

Lunchtime Links for December 14th, 2015

• Picky Palate: Cream cheese iced red velvet waffle rolls.
• Averie Cooks: 30-minute Lasagna soup.
• I Heart Naptime: Chocolate dipped Reese's pretzel bites.
• The First Year Blog: Gingerbread men slice and bake cookies.
• Kirbie's Cravings: Red velvet lava mug cake.

Anthropologie - Pumpkin Card

I'm a big fan of buying cards to use as decoration for my apartment, and as soon as I saw this one at Anthropologie I knew I had to add it to my collection! It's the perfect way for a PSL fan like myself to show how much I love them, haha.  It has the perfect amount of metallic details to make it totally display-worthy! 

Lunchtime Links for December 10th, 2015

• Kirbie's Cravings: Oreo stuffed cookies and cream cookies.
• How Sweet It Is: Puffy tacos.
• Warm Vanilla Sugar: Nutella cheesecake.
• Handle the Heat: Chocolate peanut butter caramel mousse pie.
• Gimme Some Oven: Chicken pot pie soup.

Georgetown Cupcake - December Flavors

There are a TON of December-only flavors at Georgetown Cupcake currently, and they're the perfect way to celebrate the holiday season!

- Chocolate Eggnog: Valrhona chocolate egg nog cupcake topped with a (non-alcoholic) 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

- Reindeer Munch Crunch: Valrhona chocolate cupcake with a peppermint chocolate ganache center, frosted with Callebaut white chocolate peppermint buttercream frosting, and topped with crushed peppermint and a drizzle of peppermint chocolate ganache

- 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

- Hanukkah: Baby blue-tinted traditional sweet vanilla buttercream frosting on a madagascar bourbon vanilla cupcake with a silver fondant Star of David

- New Year's Sparkling Vanilla: Classic Madagascar Bourbon vanilla cupcake topped with a vanilla buttercream frosting, sparkling sanding sugar, and a shimmering silver fondant snowflake embossed with "2016"

Lunchtime Links for December 9th, 2015

• Averie Cooks: 30-minute Minestrone soup.
• Creme de la Crumb: Christmas fudge.
• Oh, Sweet Basil: Grilled peanut butter Nutella and banana sandwich.
• Kirbie's Cravings: Molten Nutella lava cakes.
• Cookies and Cups: Nutella hot fudge sauce.

Shake Shack - Hanukoncrete

Shake Shack always does a good job with holiday and limited edition items, and this year there's a fun Hannukah-themed concrete to enjoy!

The Hanukoncrete (yes, that's really the name, haha) consists of vanilla custard, strawberry puree, and a glazed doughnut - all of the components for a delicious dessert. This is perfect for anyone that loves sweets in general, but even more so for anyone that loves jelly doughnuts.  If the idea of a doughnut in ice cream sounds like too much, don't knock it until you've tried it - soooo totally worth it, haha.  This special concrete is available at Shake Shack until December 14th!

Lunchtime Links for December 8th, 2015

• Oh, Sweet Basil: Soft pumpkin cinnamon rolls.
• The Kitchn: Bacon-wrapped dates.
• A Beautiful Mess: Ice cream pie with a sugar cookie crust.
• Joy the Baker: Chicken spinach meatball soup with broth and rice.
• Averie Cooks: Soft frosted holiday sprinkles cookies.

Starbucks - Mini Cup Ornaments

I always love seeing what new designs Starbucks comes out with for their holiday mug and ornament collection, and this year they did not disappoint!  I love collecting the mini travel cup ornaments, and they have lots of cute designs this year.  Two of my favorites so far are the ones pictured above- a confetti design and a DC-specific design.  I'm not exactly sure how many cities are included in the special holiday ornament collection as they're not sold online, but I am glad that DC made the list! I really like that there are so many different patterns and colors to choose from, and these mini cups would make a great gift for anyone that loves Starbucks! 

Lunchtime Links for December 7th, 2015

• Picky Palate: Creamy garlic chicken rice bake.
• Serious Eats: Sugar cookies.
• The First Year Blog: Chocolate chocolate cake.
• Oh, Sweet Basil: Baked potatoes with loaded broccoli bacon cheese sauce.
• Crazy for Crust: Mini marble cheesecakes.

Sugar Paper x Target

I first got a few of the Sugar Paper LA x Target planners last year and have loved using them throughout this year.  This year, I was super excited to find out that they were coming out with another set of planners, calendars, and journals for 2016 AND holiday wrapping supplies!  Everything is super cute and comes in a wide range of colors and patterns.  As you can see I definitely leaned more towards the light peachy pink, gold dot, and mint items but there are also lots of bright-colored items as well.  I love how they all coordinate perfectly with each other and will be very helpful in keeping my organized!

Lunchtime Links for December 1st, 2015

• The Pioneer Woman: Nutella wontons.
• Damn Delicious: Cajun chicken pasta.
• Creme de la Crumb: Microwave peanut brittle.
• Handle the Heat: Loaded mashed potato balls.
• My Baking Addiction: Mini sweet potato pies.

Gingerbread Oreos

I was pleasantly surprised to come across a display of Gingerbread Oreos at Target a few weeks ago, because I hadn't really heard too much about it online beforehand.  I have to admit I don't normally seek out gingerbread foods, but the smiling Gingerbread man got me, haha. 

Right off the bat the filling smells like a warm spice-blend frosting, and it pairs perfectly with the golden Oreo cookies.  Taste-wise it doesn't have quite the punch that some true gingerbread cookies have, but there's enough to let you know the gingerbread roots.  These were great with a cup of coffee at work!   

Lunchtime Links for November 30th, 2015

• Kirbie's Cravings: Peanut butter pumpkin pie mug cake.
• The Pioneer Woman: Hot chocolate pancakes.
• Two Peas and Their Pod: Pumpkin ice cream pie.
• Picky Palate: Gooey Krispie treat stuffed brownies.
• The First Year Blog: Hot chocolate cake.

Hallmark - Doughnut Ornament

I happened to browse in a Hallmark store recently and couldn't resist buying this cute little doughnut-themed ornament - perfect for my food/drink Christmas tree!  It's a little hard to tell in this photo, but this ornament is seriously tiny - around half the size of my thumb, haha.  This is the perfect ornament for anyone that loves doughnuts, or just miniature food in general :o) 

Lunchtime Links for November 24th, 2015

• Kirbie's Cravings: Cookie butter chocolate lava mug cake.
• Averie Cooks: Chicken Tortellini soup.
• Crazy for Crust: Peanut butter cup cake roll.
• Oh, Sweet Basil: Thanksgiving side dishes.
• The First Year Blog: Pumpkin pie cheesecake shooters.

Skoshbox - November Box

The November Skoshbox included a bunch of little samples, and a nice mix of sweet and savory flavors.  Along the bottom of the photo are sesame mochi filled chocolates, Hello Kitty chocolate-filled marshmallows, and strawberry milk candies.  I especially loved the sesame mochi chocolates because they had a very strong and nutty sesame flavor.  At the top of the photo are panda chocolate biscuits, a savory senbei (rice crackers with soy sauce flavor), and dinosaur shaped milk biscuits.  Milk biscuits are very popular with young children (I think they also dissolve quickly so little kids can eat them safely), but they're just as tasty for adults, haha.  I really enjoyed everything in this month's box, and I'm already looking forward to December's box!

Lunchtime Links for November 23rd, 2015

• Kirbie's Cravings: Pumpkin magic cake.
• Creme de la Crumb: Hot chocolate meltaway cookies.
• A Kitchen Addiction: Pumpkin Creme Brulee.
• Crazy for Crust: Chocolate chip banana bars.
• Averie Cooks: Loaded M&M Oreo cookie holiday bars.

Target- Reindeer Mugs

I need a new mug like I need a hole in the head, but of course I just couldn't resist looking at the holiday offerings at Target when they were starting to roll out, haha.  Clearly, it did not take long for me to pick up one of these cute little reindeer mugs!  

This reindeer has such a cute face and is wrapped in a bright red plaid scarf on the bottom.  In addition to drinking out of it like a regular mug, I think this would be a really cute pen holder or holiday decoration for your home with some ornaments inside or little flowers.  Be sure to check out this mug and the other super cute holiday kitchen items that are available at Target soon! 

Lunchtime Links for November 20th, 2015

• Kirbie's Cravings: Cookies and cream chocolate candy cups.
• Oh, Sweet Basil: Mini pumpkin pies.
• Sugar and Cloth: Christmas cookie s'mores.
• How Sweet It Is: Bacon, egg, and Brussels Carbonara.
• Crazy for Crust: Hot fudge cheesecake brownies.

Mean Girls Holiday Shirt

Anyone that is a fan of the "Mean Girls" movie will love this holiday shirt at Target! It's one of the most popular lines in the movie (in a movie FULL of popular lines, haha) all decked out in a festive holiday theme.  We may never actually see Glen Coco in the movie, but this is a fun twist on the usual festive holiday clothing that comes out around this time of year.  As an extra bonus, it's a slouchy and very soft fabric!  Target also has a ton of other quote t-shirts and holiday tops, so be sure to check them out soon! 

Lunchtime Links for November 19th, 2015

• Oh, Sweet Basil: Spicy sausage Rigatoni.
• My Baking Addiction: No-bake pumpkin cheesecake.
• Cookies & Cups: Salty peanut butter s'mores truffles.
• Handle the Heat: Oreo truffle cheesecake.
• Warm Vanilla Sugar: Buttery soft pretzels.

Japan Visit - Bus Tour

While most of my visit to Japan was spent staying with family, my mom and I did get a chance to go on a one-day bus tour to spend some time outside of Tokyo.  Unfortunately it rained pretty much all day, but we all made the best of it and had a great time.  In my experience I've found that bus tours in Japan are always packed with a lot of activities, sightseeing spots, and plenty of food haha.

The bus tour that we chose included lunch at a hotel, a small local art museum, tea and cheesecake at a cheesecake factory, "all you can fit" dorayaki (red bean paste pancake snacks), jellies, as well as local carrots, potatoes, and onions, into 2 separate bags, and all you can pick and eat Pione grapes. So as you can see, basically all food mixed with a bit of sightseeing haha.  We also stopped at some local rest areas in between, which is always fun in Japan because there's a ton of gifts and things to look at.  Even thought it was raining, it was still fun getting to see things outside of Tokyo all in one day!

These Shinshu apple souvenirs were so cute, especially the Arukuma apple-bear mascot!

The tea and cheesecakes at the cheesecake factory were delicious- Japanese cheesecakes are usually lighter in texture and more creamy than the ones in the US.  Of course we bought some at their gift shop to share with family.

It had finally stopped raining by the time we got to the Pione grapes, and we got to see row after row of these perfectly shaped bunches.

These Pione grapes were seriously unlike any other grape I've had before - super sweet and each grape is packed with a ton of flavor and juice.  One of the stipulations of "all you can eat grapes" here was that you had to finish the whole bunch, haha.  Meaning, you couldn't just eat a few off of the first bunch and take a second, third, etc. bunch " to-go".  Which is very smart on the owners' end because Pione grapes are very expensive and if you didn't have that stipulation, people would just wind up taking a whole bucket full of grapes home with them, haha.  I wish they sold these grapes in the US, they are so delicious! 

Lunchtime Links for November 18th, 2015

• Averie Cooks: Hot chocolate cookies.
• The Pioneer Woman: Brussels sprouts.
• Love and Olive Oil: Bittersweet chocolate pumpkin tart.
• Kirbie's Cravings: 4 ingredient molten Nutella lava mug cake.
• A Spicy Perspective: Layered pumpkin cheesecake bars.

Japan Visit - Kit Kats

Of course it wouldn't be a visit to Japan without getting some limited edition Kit Kats! I always love Japan's enthusiasm for different Kit Kat flavors, and this fall's selection at the airport did not disappoint.  From the top left we have Sweet Potato (meant to be toasted in a toaster oven), Pumpkin Purin (like a Flan/pudding), Adzuki bean (sweet red bean), and Strawberry Cheesecake.  

I love that there are more of these "toaster oven" versions of Kit Kats.  They are plenty delicious on their own, but warming them up in the toaster oven browns the mini bars and makes it taste more like a dessert.  The pumpkin purin is also a personal favorite - just a hint of pumpkin and custard flavor, which of course is something I would like.  I've actually had the Adzuki and Strawberry Cheesecake flavors before, but I like them a lot so of course I had to pick some up.  No matter what time of the year you go to Japan, there are pretty much always new Kit Kat flavors available, especially at the airport - be sure to check out the shops before your flight out of Japan! 

Lunchtime Links for November 16th, 2015

• Cookies & Cups: Chocolate chunk kettle chip cookies.
• Picky Palate: Pancake recipes.
• A Kitchen Addiction: Apple cider coffee cake.
• Handle the Heat: Chocolate chip cookie cheesecake bars.
• Averie Cooks: Snickerdoodle Bundt cake.

Japan Visit - Matcha (Green Tea) Snacks

Japanese snacks come in all sorts of varieties and flavors, but I'd say that the dominant "special" flavor is matcha/green tea.  In a standard supermarket or conbini (convenience store) you can find at least a handful of snacks with matcha somehow incorporated in it.

These are some of the fun matcha flavored sweets that I picked up during my visit.  From the top left we have Oreo bits (Mini Oreos in the US) with a matcha cream filling, Sakura matcha Kit Kats, Galbo mini round chocolate biscuits with a matcha coating, and Milky brand matcha latte chocolates.  As you can see, chocolate is a common pairing with matcha sweets, which makes sense because they are a tasty combination, and pretty to look at, haha.  I've been slowly making way through these snacks and they are all very delicious! 

Lunchtime Links for November 13th, 2015

• How Sweet It Is: Gnocchi mac and cheese with crispy kale.
• Dessert for Two: Hazelnut cookies with chocolate drizzle.
• BGSK: Thai style shrimp fried rice.
• Averie Cooks: Gooey chocolate peanut butter bars.
• My Baking Addiction: Mini pumpkin cheesecakes.

Japan Visit - Japanese Cakes

Food in Japan is pretty much delicious anywhere you go, but I have a deep affinity for Japanese sweets.  There's just so many different flavors and types of cakes, tarts, cupcakes, pies, etc. that it can get a little overwhelming, haha.  I'm not saying sweets in the US are bad by any means, but there's just something about the way they make sweets in Japan that is so, so good.

While I was in Japan, a bunch of my relatives were able to get together, and my aunt brought this insane looking box packed with Fujiya cakes, haha.  Just some of the more interesting flavors include purple sweet potato, green tea, and chestnut - all popular flavors for sweets in Japan.  The Fujiya brand has been around for forever, so it's always a nostalgic taste for most people in Japan.

  

These pretty cakes were slightly fancier and super delicious as well.  My mom and I enjoyed these cakes at a cafe inside of a department store, which had a giant display of about 20 different cakes to choose from - how could you resist?  We both went with seasonal cake flavors - chestnut Mont Blanc, and a muscat grape cake.  A cake with grapes on it might sound a little strange, but these are incredibly sweet seedless grapes that are very popular in the fall in Japan.  A perfect afternoon stop between shopping with lots of tea! 

Lunchtime Links for November 12th, 2015

• Averie Cooks: Pumpkin cream cheese pie.
• How Sweet It Is: Nutella latte.
• Gimme Some Oven: Shrimp pasta with creamy tomato basil sauce.
• Cookies and Cups: Lazy cookie bars.
• The Pioneer Woman: Rice Krispie treats 3 ways.

Japan Visit - Food Displays

One thing you may notice when you visit Japan is the sheer volume of food displays outside of restaurants.  They've been around for as long as I can remember, but I always love seeing all of the different plastic foods because they really do look so real, haha.  I've seen countless TV programs in Japan about how these display foods are made, and they really do put in a lot of effort to make them look as realistic as possible.  It's also a great way for people that don't read or speak Japanese to easily decide where to eat or what to order, since you don't need to read menu to figure it out.

This is just a small part of the food display outside of a sushi restaurant (surprise) that we went to the day I arrived in Japan.

And here's the real sushi - not too much of a difference unless you're looking at them really closely, haha.

And here we have a food display outside of a Chinese restaurant inside of a department store, showing some of the entree options as well as the sides that come with certain set meals.

While these dishes are not in the previous photo, I thought it was pretty awesome that this Chinese restaurant offered so many different set menu options - I mean, who wouldn't want a small tonkotsu ramen as a side dish to the entree?  

Finally, we have a delicious shrimp burger from Mos Burger - and I didn't take a photo of the fake one, but at first glance it would be really difficult to figure out if this was real or fake, because both the display and the real burger look identical, haha.  And this is a fast food burger place - when's the last time you got a burger in an American fast food place and it looked just like the photo??  Especially the perfectly toasted bun, not smashed down into a sad sliver of bread, haha.  

These are just a fraction of the amazing food displays you can see everywhere in Japan - such a fun and practical way to figure out what you'd like to eat!! 

Lunchtime Links for November 11th, 2015

• Gimme Some Oven: Cheddar bacon ranch dip.
• Averie Cooks: Pumpkin waffles.
• The First Year Blog: Reese's cupcakes.
• Handle the Heat: Focaccia pizza.
• Brown Eyed Baker: Chocolate chip cookies.

Japan Visit - Starbucks Roasted Nutty Chestnut Latte

As you might be able to tell between yesterday's Mister Donut post and this one today, chestnuts are a big thing in Japan, particularly in the fall.  Starbucks even gets in on the seasonal fun with two chestnut-based drinks that were available through September - a Roasted Nutty Chestnut Latte and Frappuccino.

Luckily, there is a Starbucks located within 5 minutes of my oldest brother's apartment, so I was able to try the Roasted Nutty Chestnut Latte right before the end of the month.  This drink was SO pretty in person with the design on top, and looked EXACTLY like the photo which is impressively common with Japanese food/drink.  The only reason why the left part doesn't have the pattern on top is because I took the lid off to take the photo, haha.  This latte tasted amazing, with a deep chestnut flavor.  I will say that I'm glad I got this in the Tall (Short in the US) because it was definitely very decadent and sweet, so I'm not sure if I could've had a larger size.  I wish they would bring this flavor to the US, I think it would do well here! 

Lunchtime Links for November 10th, 2015

• I Heart Naptime: Chocolate cookie cups with pumpkin pie frosting.
• The Pioneer Woman: Crispy fried Brussels sprouts.
• Kirbie's Cravings: Pumpkin Nutella cakes.
• Creme de la Crumb: 30 minute cheesy chili mac.
• Oh, Sweet Basil: Classic pumpkin pie.

Japan Visit - Mister Donut

Of course a visit to Mister Donut was on the Must list during my trip to Japan!  It's always so delicious, and they have a good selection of seasonal items pretty frequently so there's always something new to try.

It being the end of September, fall and Halloween doughnuts were in full force in the shop that I went to - there were so many fun flavors to choose from! 

We wound up getting a chestnut marron cream doughnut, plain Pon de Lion, brown Pon de Lion, and a chestnut Pon de Lion.  If you ever find yourself at a Mister Donut in Japan or other Asian country, you must try a Pon de Lion- the little doughnut holes have mochi in them, which make them extra chewy and super tasty!  I also loved the fall-only chestnut doughnuts - not too sweet, with a deep chestnut flavor throughout.

In addition to the delicious doughnuts, there was one VERY important reason for the Mister Donut visit - right before I went to Japan, they started a promotion for these super fun Hello Kitty collaboration curry plates, with a number of purchases on a point card.  Of course I had to get one since it was still going on while I was there, and I'm so happy I was able to get the design I wanted.  As you can see, it was a very tasty and worthwhile trip to Mister Donut! 

Lunchtime Links for November 9th, 2015

• The Kitchn: Coffee cake muffins.
• The First Year Blog: Pumpkin chocolate cupcake.
• Warm Vanilla Sugar: Chocolate chip muffins.
• The Comfort of Cooking: Soft pumpkin doughnuts with cream cheese glaze.
• Crazy for Crust: Chocolate chip pumpkin pie.

Japan Visit - Starbucks Pumpkin Pie Latte

At the end of September, I had a relatively short but fun trip to Japan, mainly to visit family members.  While I wasn't able to get out and do a lot of stuff every day, of course I had a great time seeing everyone... and enjoying all the food and drink that I was able to cram in during my visit, haha.

One of the great things about Japan is the presence of Conbini, or convenience stores, just about everywhere.  The idea of a convenience store might be pretty boring to us in the US, but in Japan they are a mecca of delicious snacks, drinks, and even full on meals that are quick and tasty.  I was very happy to come across this Starbucks branded Pumpkin Pie Latte at one such conbini, and I loved it! It's basically like a latte in juice box form, and it had all of the sweet pumpkin flavor you'd expect from a pumpkin pie latte.  The relatively small size (which is average for Japan) makes this just the right amount of a sweet iced latte for an afternoon treat.  I wish they would sell these drinks in the US as well, I think they would be a big hit! 

Lunchtime Links for November 6th, 2015

• Damn Delicious: Easy potato pancakes.
• Creme de la Crumb: Pumpkin chocolate chip pancakes.
• Averie Cooks: Extra cheesy Tortellini bake.
• How Sweet It Is: Double dark chocolate peanut butter cup cookies.
• Dessert for Two: Indian butter chicken.

West Elm - Sweater Weather Tote

I found this tote bag on sale at West Elm a while back, but it's now a great time of year to start using it :o)  Of course it's no secret that I love fall, and this tote bag is the perfect way to celebrate the cooler season.  The bag is roomy and works well as a tote for the farmers' market, fall festivals, and weekend shopping trips.  While this specific tote bag doesn't look like it's available online anymore, West Elm has lots of cute tote bags out now - including states, cities, and holiday themes! 

Lunchtime Links for November 5th, 2015

• The Kitchn: 20 pumpkin recipes.
• Cookies & Cups: Skillet chicken Parmesan.
• Dessert for Two: Homemade peanut butter cups.
• The Comfort of Cooking: 4 ingredient spicy sausage and pepper mac n' cheese.
• Oh, Sweet Basil: Chocolate covered pumpkin cupcakes.

Shake Shack - Center City Pretzel Concrete

I visited some college friends in Philly a few weeks ago, and CONVENIENTLY one of my friends lived a few short blocks from the Center City Shake Shack, haha.  Of course being at a different location, I had to try out one of their location-specific concretes!

This Center City Pretzel concrete consists of vanilla custard, Philly-style soft pretzel, caramel sauce, marshmallow sauce, and banana.  As you can see, there were lots of big chunks of soft pretzel in the cups, which were definitely the best parts of the concrete! I actually didn't see the banana on the menu, but we definitely tasted the banana once we started eating this.  I'm not entirely sure what the banana has to do with the pretzel custard, but I can pretend like it's more healthy that way, haha.  I would definitely recommend trying out this custard if you like soft pretzels! 

Lunchtime Links for November 4th, 2015

• Crazy for Crust: Triple chip pumpkin cookies.
• Gimme Some Oven: Linguine with arugula, garlic, and Parmesan.
• My Baking Addiction: Pumpkin crunch cake.
• Two Peas and their Pod: Salted caramel Rice Krispie Treats.
• Handle the Heat: Frozen pumpkin pie.

Georgetown Cupcake - Chocolate-dipped Chocolate Toffee Crunch Cupcake

Before I talk about this cupcake, I want to mention how much I've loved the change to these cute patterned bags at Georgetown Cupcake - very festive! 

This Chocolate-dipped Chocolate Toffee Crunch cupcake has a very long name, first of all, haha.  But the many components made for a delicious secret flavor cupcake! The chocolate cake had little bits of toffee throughout, with a thick chocolate ganache on top.  This was perfect with my soy latte at Starbucks, and a very decadently chocolate-y way to start off my day :o)

Lunchtime Links for November 3rd, 2015

• Handle the Heat: Salted caramel cookie bars.
• How Sweet It Is: Peanut butter Nutella candy bar brownie.
• Picky Palate: Pumpkin recipes.
• Warm Vanilla Sugar: Caramel swirl brownies.
• Oh, Sweet Basil: Pumpkin pie dump cake.

Shake Shack - November Custard Calendar

Looks like another fun- but shortened- month of custard flavors at Shake Shack!

11/1: Shackenstein
11/2 - 11/8: Salted Maple
11/9 - 11/15: Grandma's Apple Pie

Be sure to check out the custard flavors before their Thanksgiving break!

Lunchtime Links for November 2nd, 2015

• Creme de la Crumb: Baked cheesy sausage Penne.
• Oh, Sweet Basil: Pumpkin chocolate chip milkshake.
• The Kitchn: Won Ton soup.
• Brown Eyed Baker: Chocolate blackout cake.
• Dessert for Two: Caramel banana pudding.

Georgetown Cupcake - November Flavors

Happy November everyone!  We have another month of great flavors at Georgetown Cupcakes in November:

- 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

- Election Red Velvet Donkey: Red velvet cupcake with fondant Democratic donkey

- Election Red Velvet Elephant: Red velvet cupcake with fondant Republican elephant

- Thanksgiving Maple Chocolate Chip: Maple Cupcake studded with Callebaut chocolate chips and topped with a maple frosting and fondant turkey

Lunchtime Links for October 30th, 2015

• Oh, Sweet Basil: Pumpkin spice chip cookies.
• Picky Palate: Chicken Caprese pasta bake.
• The First Year Blog: Pumpkin chocolate cheesecake.
• Averie Cooks: Buffalo chicken dip.
• Two Peas and Their Pod: Pumpkin French toast.

National Apple Harvest Festival - October 11th, 2015

It's pretty clear from my posts and rampant pumpkin purchases that I love fall, especially all of the foods associated with this time of year.  This of course includes all different kinds of fall festivals which pop up in the area during the fall, which is a great way to go somewhere new and enjoy the fall goodies.  

This was my second year going to the National Apple Harvest Festival, and it was a beautiful day to go check it out! I met up with my friend T and her family for the day, and we had a great sunny day to walk around.  This festival is just outside of Gettysburg, PA, and it's an easy drive from the DC area to go for the day.  There's lots of things for kids and adults to enjoy there, and of course lots of tasty food! 

This was the perfect snack to get things started, haha - once you order, a whole apple is cut up and then topped with warm caramel and chopped nuts - a much easier way to enjoy the taste of a caramel apple, haha.

 Sort of ironic that one of my favorite foods at the apple festival is actually pumpkin, but seriously- make sure you get this!! The pumpkin funnel cake with the cinnamon sugar topping is soooooooooo delicious.  

Of course I had to pick up some apple cider before heading out - apparently everyone else at the festival had the same idea because there was a huge line (especially since it was the last day of the festival).  I didn't want anything too big, so this little jar was perfect for me.  If you live close enough to drive out to this festival, it's definitely a worthwhile visit! 

Lunchtime Links for October 29th, 2015

• Cookies & Cups: Biscuit cinnamon rolls.
• Warm Vanilla Sugar: Pumpkin cheesecake Streusel muffins.
• Averie Cooks: Three cheese baked Ziti.
• Two Peas and Their Pod: Chocolate chip cookies.
• Dessert for Two: Quick pumpkin cinnamon rolls.

Dunkin' Donuts Mug Candles

I recently came across this lovely sight at my local Dunkin' Donuts - coffee candles!! The best of both worlds, in my opinion.  Currently there are two scents - Pumpkin Spice and French Vanilla, and the candles come in cute glass mugs with the Dunkin' Donuts logo on it.  Of course I'm partial to the Pumpkin Spice scent, but I think these would make such a cute gift for anyone that is a fan of coffee, especially Dunkin' Donuts :o) 

Lunchtime Links for October 28th, 2015

• A Beautiful Mess: Doughnut milkshakes.
• Creme de la Crumb: Sriracha orange beef.
• I Heart Naptime: Pumpkin pie cream puffs.
• Damn Delicious: Baked shrimp Scampi.
• Dessert for Two: Pumpkin chocolate cupcakes.

Georgetown Cupcake - Halloween Bat + Halloween Ghost Cupcakes

Here we have the remaining two Halloween flavors from Georgetown Cupcake that are available for the rest of the month: Halloween Bat and Halloween Ghost!

Halloween Bat is a Classic Madagascar Bourbon vanilla cupcake topped with orange buttercream frosting and a black fondant bat, and Halloween Ghost is a Chocolate squared cupcake with a fondant ghost.  Compared to the other two Halloween cupcake flavors, these don't sound AS exciting when you read the description because they're pretty much Vanilla and Chocolate Squared cupcakes.  However, the bright orange frosting and cute fondant shapes make these totally fun for Halloween!  These would be perfect for anyone that wants to keep the classic flavors, but with a themed twist.  If you want to try them out be sure to get them before the end of October! 

Lunchtime Links for October 27th, 2015

• Warm Vanilla Sugar: Peanut butter banana smoothie.
• Averie Cooks: Chicken tortilla lettuce wraps.
• Picky Palate: Pumpkin chocolate chip banana bread.
• Two Peas and Their Pod: Chicken Gnocchi soup.
• Cookies & Cups: Chocolate peanut butter gooey butter cake.

Starbucks - Pumpkin Spice Latte Sleeve

Everyone that knows me knows my love of pumpkin foods, especially Starbucks' Pumpkin Spice Latte!  When I saw online that Starbucks was running a promotion on Twitter for a PSL coffee cup sleeve, I was all over it immediately!

I wasn't exactly sure what to expect, but I was very pleasantly surprised to see this nice little box in the mail...

...with this awesomely cheesy and wonderful celebration of Pumpkin Spice Lattes inside! The knit sleeve is a bright orange color and says "TEAM PSL", and it's the perfect way to declare my love of the Pumpkin Spice Latte, haha.  Thank you to Starbucks for having such a great promotion! 

Lunchtime Links for October 26th, 2015

• A Kitchen Addiction: Cinnamon sugar pumpkin donut muffins.
• Bakerella: Chocolate chunk banana snack cake.
• Kirbie's Cravings: Pumpkin macaroni and cheese.
• The Pioneer Woman: Greek yogurt pancakes.
• Damn Delicious: Pumpkin churro waffles.