Bacon. It’s like meat candy all on its own. Add something sweet and spicy and you have on heck of a combination. The combined saltiness and textural elements work so very well in Trader Joe’s Sweet Sriracha Uncured Bacon Jerky.
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spice
Trader Joe’s Korma Fish Curry
Lunches. There are so many times I am so guilty of not making my lunch. Before I moved close to a Trader Joe’s I existed off of frozen meals. But truthfully, they were pretty terrible. The calorie count was reasonable, but there was a sacrifice in taste. Most of those frozen meals tasted like cardboard. Trader Joe’s Korma Fish Curry tastes like anything but cardboard.
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Trader Joe’s Golden Spiced Milk Chocolate Bar
The pros: Quinoa and chocolate work in Trader Joe’s Golden Spiced Milk Chocolate Bar to make a crisp texture and in fact I wish and would be willing to buy many bars containing this combination. It’s a healthy improvement to a familiar flavor & texture combination.
The cons: Eating this whole bar is 70% of your saturated fat for the day. Spice combination that might not be for everyone.
The verdict: …
Trader Joe’s Gingerbread Molasses Cookie Dough
The pros: Trader Joe’s Gingerbread Molasses Cookie Dough are the quickest cookies you can get short of buying them already cooked. They were done in under 15 minutes. They had that true gingersnap texture. There is a very nice spice beyond just ginger.
The cons: The package contains 12 cookies. If you need more than that you’ll need to pick up a few of these.
The verdict: …
Trader Joe’s Kung Pao Chicken
The pros: Trader Joe’s Kung Pao Chicken has savory dark meat chicken served with some veggies and a medium heat sauce. This bag was mostly chicken and light on the veggies.
The cons: Two packets of sauce were included. Not really sure why they couldn’t have put it all into one packet. Meat is a wide range in sizes which lead to some uneven cooking.
The verdict: …
Trader Joe’s Winter Wassail
The pros: If there were a non-alcoholic juice box geared for adults, this would be it. Tolerable at room temperature. Color wise it is very festive. Taste wise there is a lot of spices going on here.
The cons: Straight from the bottle, it feels like it’s missing something. Maybe fruit juice because it’s only 5% juice.
The verdict: …
Trader Joe’s Greens, Beans, and Grains
The pros: Trader Joe’s Greens, Beans, and Grains is a tasty entrée that would make a light lunch of dinner, yet filling enough to be a whole meal. Cooked perfectly in the microwave and was ready in about 6 minutes. Medium heat so be warned.
The cons: I felt after eating this there was the lingering aftertaste of garlic. Not everyone will enjoy cilantro (I liked it) as for some people they are tasting something soapy.
The verdict: …
Fruit Yard Winery’s Funvalia Spiced Wine
The weather outside is changing here in New York and in October things don’t get better. This time of year you can easily find yourself wearing a winter coat in the morning and wishing for shorts by the afternoon. With the chill in the air I got out a bottle of wine that I had purchased over the summer at Fruit Yard Winery’s Funvalia Spiced Wine. You’re not going to find this wine in most local places. If you don’t live in the Finger Lakes area of New York, you’ll have to either travel there (which we did) or place an order and have it shipped….
Trader Joe’s Korean Style Beef Short Ribs
The pros: Trader Joe’s Korean Style Beef Short Ribs have tasty Korean flavors. Short ribs were tender, thin cut, don’t require hours of cooking like many short rib recipes do. It’s already marinaded and waiting for you to defrost.
The cons: You can’t just grill these out of the bag. They absolutely have to defrost. Not a deal breaker, but if you are starving please plan accordingly. This isn’t a 5 minute meal. I also wish there were more in the bag. As one person it would be easy to polish off the whole bag. Not a deal breaker though. Can’t use a microwave.
The verdict: …
Trader Joe’s Pumpkin Waffles
The pros: Trader Joe’s Pumpkin Waffles are easy freezer waffles, some pumpkin present, but the taste of pumpkin will not overwhelm you. More of a pumpkin spice to this waffle than actual pumpkin. For $1.99 for the box it was a good deal.
The cons: If you like completely plain waffles, then stick to them.
The verdict: …
Trader Joe’s Spiced Cider
It’s fall and one of my favorites is Starbucks Carmel Apple Cider or whatever they call it these days. It’s the right blend of spices and apple. It’s served warm with whipped cream and a drizzle of caramel. While I adore Starbucks’s attempt. However, the Trader Joe’s version is ok in it’s own way. It’s not a replacement for that drink. Trader Joe’s Spiced Cider is loved by many, but I felt the balance of spice was a bit off….
