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Trader Joe's Jerk Style Plantain Chips

Oh Trader Joe's...how 2019 has become the year of the snack food on shelves. But you see, Trader Joe's Jerk Style Plantain Chips are different. We've now officially elevated the snack into something completely delicious.

Taste and review

Most of the time when I bring home snacks from Trader Joe's, my husband leaves them alone. Either they are too adventurous for him or they aren't a flavor profile he would like. Fortunately, I did the photography within moments of walking in the door.

Because I found this same bag with 10 plantain chips rolled up in a corner as if he were hiding it from me. Yes, part of married life is hiding the good snacks from your spouse.

After realizing that he had polished off the vast majority of the bag in less than 12 hours from me bringing it home, I figured I had to see what all the hype was about.

The hype is real.

If you like spice and heat, then here is a snack for you. This is one of those rare bags where they don't just lump all the spices together in the ingredients list as: "spices." Nope, they actually spell it out for you.

If you are unfamiliar with the flavors of jerk seasoning then it is pretty much everything the bag lists: all spice, black pepper, cinnamon, coriander, red pepper, and thyme. But if that weren't enough, you also have garlic and onion powders rounding out the flavor profile.

Each chip is crisp and is thicker than a potato chip. The plantain is a perfect carrier for this spice mixture.

When I asked my husband how he liked the chips, he described them as "awesome." Words he doesn't use often. Best of all, aside from snacking on these, he mentioned that he put some on his black bean and cheese burrito. To which I suddenly felt astonished that he had gotten that culinarily adventurous.

But also, it was seemingly brilliant at the same time.

Here is some untapped potential in these chips to be added to salads, burritos, they might even be good in other ways as well.

Overall

But for $1.79 these are affordable, delicious, and very well done. Probably not a nutritional necessity, but if you find yourself snack-ish, then these are a solid buy.

These aren't the only jerk seasoned item on shelves. Usually we see the return of Trader Joe's Grilled Jerk Chicken Thigh Skewers on shelves.

Overall, if you can handle a mild to medium heat, then this is a solid buy.

Did you try it? Let me know what you think in the comments section!

Product photos

A new bag of Trader Joe's Jerk Style Plantain Chips:

An unopen bag of Trader Joe's Jerk Style Plantain Chips

Calories and ingredients

Want to see more items I've reviewed from Trader Joe's? Click on Thoughts & Reviews of Trader Joe's for a searchable list.

The Bottom Line

Don't forget to share your thoughts by going to the "user review" at the bottom of the box (click on the number of stars you believe this product deserves) and leave a comment below.

You can also FOLLOW ME on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and Pinterest to see what I'm up to.

Trader Joe's Buttermilk Protein Pancake Mix

Nothing in my household says weekend quite like pancakes. And bacon for that matter. But every now and again I need to venture away from our old standby: Bisquick. There is something about that mix that I've never quite been able to replicate at home. My husband likes it, so we seem to stick with it. This past week, I found a new item: Trader Joe's Buttermilk Protein Pancake Mix.

Taste

What's nice about this box is that if you are making pancakes for one person, you finally have those directions without extra batter or pancakes to contend with.

But how would this taste? Would it be more like a buttermilk pancake, would it taste like protein powder?

Well, if you have tried the rumored soon-to-be discontinued Multigrain Baking and Pancake Mix, this ends up tasting a little bit more like that than say the Buttermilk Pancake Mix already on the shelves of Trader Joe's.

Yup, this tastes of whole graininess. It does not share that very smooth taste of Bisquick. This is a bit nuttier and tastes more like whole grains.

Fortunately, not much of the protein powder came through flavor-wise.

The directions were spot on, and there was no waste after making the appropriately sized pancake. These didn't seem to want to get to that familiar golden brown color for me. They seemed to cook a bit lighter.

And on a side note, I didn't try this in the waffle iron. So I can't tell you how they taste in the waffle iron.

But the pancakes here are basic. Nothing standout. I maybe felt a little fuller longer because of the protein present, but your mileage may vary on that aspect.

Overall

This did not wow me. It's just an average multigrain pancake mix. But this is nearly double the price of the Buttermilk pancake mix and half the size at $3.49 for a one-pound box.

As for me, this is a one-time purchase here. Nothing terrible, but nothing outstanding either.

Did you try it? Let me know what you think in the comments section!

Product photos

The box of Trader Joe's Buttermilk Protein Pancake Mix:

An unopened box of Trader Joe's Buttermilk Protein Pancake Mix on a marble surface

Calories and ingredients

Calories, ingredients in and how to make these are waffles or pancakes

After being cooked you get:

A stack of pancakes made from Trader Joe's Buttermilk Protein Pancake Mix topped with butter and maple syrup

Want to see more items I've reviewed from Trader Joe's? Click on Thoughts & Reviews of Trader Joe's for a searchable list.

The Bottom Line

Don't forget to share your thoughts by going to the "user review" at the bottom of the box (click on the number of stars you believe this product deserves) and leave a comment below.

You can also FOLLOW ME on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and Pinterest to see what I'm up to.

The Ultimate Chocolate Martini Cocktail Recipe

My Chocolate Martini recipe uses three simple ingredients: vanilla vodka, Godiva chocolate liqueur, and creme de cacao to make a deliciously balanced vodka martini. Modifications are listed if you wish to make this recipe dairy-free and still have the best homemade chocolate martini without the bar bill or a cab ride home.

A close up of two chocolate martinis with chocolate shavings on the black surface

There used to be a place I used to go to in Queens called Lounge Bartini. Every single drink was served in a martini glass. At the time, it was a hip place to go. And seemingly everyone was having a good time. But like some establishments, they didn't keep the good vibe up.

No matter. When you know how to make a good drink at home, there is no need to go out. And for what you'll spend on a single drink, you can just about buy a bottle of decent quality at the local liquor store.

Best of all, when it's time to go home, you won't need an Uber either.

Now, if you have a love of chocolate, then here is a drink that might satisfy that need for something chocolatey while also satisfying something sweet and something that will bring a bit of a buzz. It's the perfect pick me up or wind down to a long week (or day).

Why a martini glass?

Ultimately, you can serve this in pretty much any glass you would like. However, when you order a drink in a martini glass (or margarita glass) you aren't getting much in the way of product.

A martini glass makes you look very cool and it makes you look like you know what you are ordering. Let me show you how a martini glass compares to a rocks glass in terms of liquid:

A quick visual guide to realize how little a martini glass really holds. Blue liquid is shown in a martini glass full which only fills a rocks glass half way. — Here I used blue liquid to illustrate how little liquid a martini glass really holds

Ingredients

For this recipe, I'm using Godiva Liqueur, Vanilla Vodka, and Creme de Cacao. Obviously, this can be altered but serves as a starting point. Should you like something else, by all means, try it out.

Could you swap the Godiva Chocolate Liqueur for a different brand? Sure. Could you potentially use Bailey's instead? I don't see why not.

The best cocktail is the one that tastes great on your palate. A recipe is just a framework for inspiration. Here are my ingredients for this cocktail:

Ingredients in my Chocolate Martini: Godiva Liqueur, Vanilla Vodka, and Creme de Cocoa

Tips for making this

Always use good quality ice
Be sure to shake this long enough to get the drink chilled. The sides of the shaker are always a good indication.
You can use the chocolate syrup as decoration in the glass or use it in the drink before shaking it
If you want to make this dairy-free then swap out the Godiva Milk Chocolate Liqueur for Godiva Dark Chocolate Liqueur and double-check a vegan-friendly list like this for suggestions.

Watch me make this (51 Seconds)

How to make this

Step 1 In your martini glass add a chocolate swirl with your chocolate syrup while spinning the glass. Set aside.

Step 1 of Making a Chocolate Martini Adding Chocolate to the glass as decoration

Step 2 In a cocktail shaker with ice, add vanilla vodka, Godiva Chocolate Liqueur, and Creme de Cacao (can be either)

Step 2 showing the ice, chocolate liqueur, vanilla vodka, and creme de cocoa going into a shaker

Step 3 Shake vigorously for 30 seconds until the shaker is ice cold

A frosted boston shaker showing how cold it is

Step 4 Strain into a martini glass, sip, and enjoy!

Pouring a Chocolate Martini into a Martini glass that has been drizzled with chocolate

A view from the top after I added some chocolate shavings:

An overhead shot of two chocolate martinis on the black surface surrounded by chocolate shavings

And straight on:

I hope you enjoy this Chocolate Martini!

If you try this, would you mind hitting the "Rate" button? I'd love to know what you thought of it. If you modified the original recipe here, please let me know how it turned out. I love comments!

If you've tried this Chocolate Martini or any other recipe on the blog, I'd love the hear what you thought about it in the comments below. I love hearing from you! You can also FOLLOW ME on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and Pinterest to see what I'm up to.

Other cocktails you might enjoy

Print Recipe

4.65 from 17 votes

Chocolate Martini

My Chocolate Martini recipe features Godiva liqueur, vanilla vodka, creme de cocoa make for this easy recipe that will give you a fix of chocolate, satisfy your sweet tooth, and a bit of a buzz.

Prep Time5

Total Time5

Course: Drinks

Cuisine: American

Keyword: chocolate martini

Servings:

Calories: 358kcal

Author: Brenda

Ingredients

ice
2 ounces Godiva Chocolate Liqueur
1 ounce Vanilla Vodka
1 ounce Creme de Cacao
chocolate syrup or shavings as garnish

Bar Equipment

Instructions

Fill Shaker with ice
Pour Chocolate Liqueur, Vanilla Vodka, and creme de cocoa into shaker
Shake for about 20-30 seconds until shaker is very cold
In your martini glass, use chocolate syrup to garnish the inside, or use chocolate shavings for the top of your drink (or both). No judgement from me ever.
Strain your drink and enjoy responsibly.

Video

Notes

Tips for Making this:

Always use good quality ice
Be sure to shake this long enough to get the drink chilled. The sides of the shaker are always a good indication.
You can use the chocolate syrup as decoration in the glass or use it in the drink before shaking it
If you want to make this dairy free then swap out the Godiva Milk Chocolate Liqueur for Godiva Dark Chocolate Liqueur and double check a vegan friendly list like this for suggestions.

Nutrition

Trader Joe's Freeze Dried Strawberries

I remember going to the Hall of Science as a kid. And most childhood museum trips, the highlight was hitting the gift shop for some reason. The Hall of Science is no exception. They sold something that had all of our imagination going: Astronaut Food. Which reminds me a whole lot of Trader Joe's Freeze Dried Strawberries.

Taste and review

Freeze-dried just didn't seem as cool, even though that is exactly what they were selling us: a way overinflated price that museums seem to be able to charge.

For the most part, a lot of us ponied up for some Astronaut Ice Cream. It looked like ice cream. But had the texture of styrofoam. It was cool and bizarre in the same way.

Fast forward to adulthood, now I buy freeze-dried fruit regularly.

For $3.29, you'll love this or hate this. They have taken 12 ounces of fresh strawberries and turned them into 1.2 ounces. More importantly, you need to know what you can do with this. If you like freeze-dried fruit in your cereal, this can definitely be added in.

In rice crispy treats, chopped up they are tasty as well. Added to a muffin mix (again chopped up) these would add a fruity kick although the moisture levels might need to be adjusted a bit.

But whether you are snacking on this out of the bag it has no moisture. It's got the exact same texture as this.

But it is concentrated and delicious. Perfect to add to your overnight oats or blend to add some intense strawberry flavor. Perhaps blend this up to make a naturally flavored and colored Strawberry icing. Yes, this is as a natural flavoring as you can possibly get without adding any extra water to a recipe.

Interestingly enough one bag is one serving. Under normal circumstances, one would probably never sit and eat 12 ounces of fresh strawberries. Removing the moisture makes this a tenth of that. Would I eat the whole bag? No. Do I pop a few when I'm craving something crunchy? Yes.

Recipe ideas

For recipe inspiration with this check out my Strawberry Scone recipe here. But they can be rehydrated for many recipes using just ¼ cup of liquid or they can be blended into a powder which will provide natural color and flavor. A win, win in my book.

Overall

Would I buy this again? Yes. Trader Joe's Freeze-Dried Strawberries doesn't make the weekly list, but it's on the pantry list. When I run out, I pick up another bag. It's fewer calories than potato chips, but you'll also have to be willing to not have the salty snack. A good choice if you can adjust to the texture.

You can pick this item up at Trader Joe's or through third-party sellers on Amazon.

Product photos

The package in the nuts and dried fruit aisle:

Calories and ingredient

Trader Joe's Freeze Dried Strawberries nutritional information and ingredients

How to Trader Joe's describes this product:

Trader Joe's Freeze Dried Strawberries description on the bag

Out of the package you get:

Trader Joe's Freeze Dried Strawberries out of the bag to see the texture

As seen in my Strawberry Scone recipe:

Strawberry scone with glaze on a wooden lazy susan with glaze dripping off the side

Want to see more items I've reviewed from Trader Joe's? Click on Thoughts & Reviews of Trader Joe's for a searchable list.

The Bottom Line

Don't forget to share your thoughts by going to the "user review" at the bottom of the box (click on the number of stars you believe this product deserves) and leave a comment below.

You can also FOLLOW ME on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and Pinterest to see what I'm up to.

Trader Joe's Maple Bourbon Glazed Ham

Now, in case you didn't know April 15th is not only Tax Day, but it is also National Glazed Spiral Ham Day. I'm not kidding either, there is a website to keep track of these things. So in honor of such, tonight's review is on the seasonal Trader Joe's Maple Bourbon Glazed Ham. I figured it's close enough and it's back on shelves.

Taste and review

Now, just a point of culinary bias right here: my personal favorite ham was from HoneyBaked Ham. Hands down, that is the ham against which I compare all hams.

Sadly though, this Maple Bourbon Glazed Ham just doesn't compete well.

Let's start off with the name: Maple Bourbon Glazed. That's mouth-watering. What you get here is a packet of sugar in the bag that you add some water to make a slurry. Brush it on and boom: not very maple bourbon-glazed flavor.

Perhaps it is the cooking directions where there is extra water in the bottom of the pan steaming away from the flavor, but no real glaze forms on this.

So, despite not tasting much like maple, bourbon, or being glazed, let's talk about the meat here.

In this vacuum-sealed package is half a ham that has been spiral sliced. The one I picked up was just under 3 pounds and most of them seemed to be about the same size. This store-bought ham is fully cooked and just waiting to be reheated.

While the spiral cut made it much easier to get into, you'll still need your knife. The final ham wasn't as moist as I would have liked despite the steaming to reheat in the oven.

Overall

But for the most part, this is a roast that is as easy as can be. It is seasonal and tended to show up around the holidays.

This is priced at $5.99 per pound or $16.53 for the ham I brought home.

Would I buy it again? No, Trader Joe's Maple Bourbon Glazed Ham is a pass from me. It was dry, it wasn't maple bourbon-glazed enough for me, and didn't quite live up to the gold standard of a HoneyBaked Ham.

Did you try it? Let me know what you think in the comments section!

Product photos

An unopened Trader Joe's Maple Bourbon Glazed Ham:

Calories, ingredients, and directions

The cooking directions for Trader Joe's Maple Bourbon Glazed Ham, plus the calories and ingredient list

After being cooked in my roasting pan you get:

A fully cooked Trader Joe's Maple Bourbon Glazed Ham in a le creuset baking dish

Want to see more items I've reviewed from Trader Joe's? Click on Thoughts & Reviews of Trader Joe's for a searchable list.

The Bottom Line

Don't forget to share your thoughts by going to the "user review" at the bottom of the box (click on the number of stars you believe this product deserves) and leave a comment below.

You can also FOLLOW ME on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and Pinterest to see what I'm up to.