Trader Joe's blog and cooking.
Does anyone else celebrate Taco Tuesday? I think we celebrate it on a lot of days during the week. I have a soft spot for nachos in particular. Who doesn’t love cheesy chips? I adore them. Just not Trader Joe’s Queso Dip. One of the cardinal rules of a dip is that it should never be watery or thin. This vegan dip does a better job of being cheesy than queso.
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So if I’m going to do all these bread reviews, it’s only fair to share something that could use some bread. Or something for all that bread to sop up. I love a good sauce, but with almost a foot of snow being predicted by the weekend, I was thinking about some hearty meal planning and lots of staying indoors by the weekend.
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Let me apologize in advance if my reviews seem carb heavy. Because most of the new items hitting shelves are for some reason breads. I thought I was done reviewing bread last week when I tried Chocolate Chip Pain Au Lait. Nope, not only does the frozen Indian section have a new bread, there is also a pancake bread (review to show up in the near future). So while Trader Joe’s does an excellent job of serving certain food communities, I feel like the low carb crowd might be left out here a bit.
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I wasn’t going to write this review given the time of year. In fact, I’m shocked they picked now to release Trader Joe’s Chocolate Chip Pain Au Lait. I mean we have one Pain Au Lait. Why would we possibly need a second variety right after New Year’s?
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Well, it wouldn’t be the beginning of the year without looking at the lighter options available at Trader Joe’s. Now, I’ve had my fair share of Mac and Cheese offerings from the Pepperoni Mac and Cheese, Truffle Mac and Cheese, Gluten Free Mac and Cheese, Butternut Squash Mac and Cheese, and Hatch Chile Mac and Cheese. And yes, they are mostly pretty good.
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Trader Joe’s sells Umami take two. Yes, this isn’t Trader Joe’s first dive into selling us something that is simply just umami. A couple years ago they sold Umami paste. That paste was all sorts of umami from tomatoes, to mushrooms, parmesan cheese, olives, balsamic and other forms of umami. This product is clearly different.
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I got an email today from Trader Joe’s about their annual survey of most loved food items. In fact, they do this every year. That had me thinking: Where is the list of things we don’t like and don’t care for? In the spirit of “out with the old and in with the new”, here is my take on the worst things I’ve tried at Trader Joe’s. I’ve done nearly 1,000 Trader Joe’s reviews. No, I haven’t tried it all. Not even close. But from what I have tried and written about I’ve got enough to choose from.
This is completely unscientific and my own humble opinion. It is also the opinions of those who shared their thoughts with me as well.
While I have liked, if not loved, most of what I’ve tried here on this blog, there have been some that have stood out in all the wrong ways. I did also put it out there to my followers on Instagram see what they said. Their thoughts and commentary follow. If you have something you would like to add, then feel free to leave a comment at the end. I can’t wait to see what made your “Trader No” list. …
Happy New Year! I hope 2019 is off to a good start for everyone. I spent a bit of the last week relaxing on the couch and spending time with Netflix, Hulu, and my other streaming services.
Last night I had found a new series on my Amazon Prime membership that I had not seen before. I grew up watching Emril Lagasse when I was a kid and a teenager. I think he is one of the many Food Network stars that helped inspire an entire generation of Foodies.
If you happen to be a prime member, the name of the show is Eat the World. It’s episode 2 that I got to watch last night which just happened to be about Shanghai Soup Dumplings. In the episode, they focused more on the traditional pork flavored dumpling: Xiao Long Bao. …
Oh Trader Joe’s, you know most people won’t keep the New Year’s Resolution. So they are giving us another popular product double. And yes, this adds to a long list of product doubles that I’ve tried, especially in the snack food section. Behold, Trader Joe’s answer to the popular snack: Takis.
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Well, after having some of Trader Joe’s Brookies, I guess my next view has to be some lighter fare. And just in time for dieting season is this frozen entree. From what I’ve been seeing posted around the internet, there are going to be some new additions in the freezer aisle. Certain items are scheduled to be discontinued like Trader Joe’s Cream Cheese Broiche Pastries, their French Toast, and even the tasty Sunflower Seed Drops are rumored to be discontinued. So with extra freezer room, I guess we will be seeing new items hitting shelves.
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So in case you didn’t have enough sweets and cookies and candies yet, I figured I’d cover this item before New Year’s Day arrives when healthier eating seems in order. Yes, this is another example of a hybrid food much in the way a Cronut is kinda donut and kinda croissant.
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Merry Christmas! Happy Holidays and now happy (almost) New Year. I hope this time of year brings you rest, relaxation, and a quiet wind down to the rest of 2018. I apologize about the brief hiatus between this post and the previous one. This time of year does require some R&R time. The holidays can be exhausting, enjoyable, and demanding.
But fortunately, a product like this is meant for that rest and relaxation time.
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Behold, the most expensive thing I can get my hands on at Trader Joe’s. Clocking in at just shy of $50 for this one package is nearly four pounds of beefy goodness. However, beefy goodness is in the eyes of the beholder. How much you like this will be determined by how well you prepare this. So tonights review is a little bit of cooking with a bit of commentary on this slab of meat.
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I kind of hope this is one of those blog posts that my Mom isn’t reading. Because this is one of those things that I bought for the blog and then proceeded to buy just a few more to give as gifts. I haven’t tried many of Trader Joe’s Body Butters as I have enough lotion products to last me into the next decade of life.
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So here is a returning classic that hits shelves before Thanksgiving, but in my store these hang around until the start of the new year. So while the turkeys might be gone, these vegan turkey-less roasts are there for the vegan or people who prefer to enjoy less meat at the dinner table.
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So the Fall brought us Trader Joe’s Apple Caramel Granola, this winter we have been graced by yet another seasonal granola variety. This is Trader Joe’s Gingerbread Spice Granola. But if you loved the sweetness of the Fall’s seasonal granola, I’m not sure you are going to like this. And yes, this granola is vastly different from the Peanut Butter variety that is on shelves year round.
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So, true story: Just the other day I was listening to a podcast and they were talking about, of all things lip scrubs. Lip scrubs are new to the beauty scene and up until this set I have never bought one. I mean with all the scrubs out there, who would think you need one just for your lips?
After buying this I kinda like it.
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Let’s be honest for a second, whenever you get a “gift set” it would seem that there is at minimum at least one item you don’t truly care for. This might be true for anything sold as a set. Usually you get one item you really, really like and then you muddle through the other items. But here is a rare case where that did not ring true.
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It isn’t often that I complain about value at Trader Joe’s. Usually, that’s a high point for me. I usually believe that Trader Joe’s does provide an average or better value. Now, if this is your first holiday season shopping there then you are none the wiser. Or if you aren’t a blogger, you might not notice either, but this is one of those rare moments where I have to throw a bit of shade in the value department.
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For about a month, I’ve been putting together a list of the worst things I’ve had from Trader Joe’s. If this wasn’t seasonal, it would make the list. How bad was it? Well, the conversation in my household went something like this:
“How was lunch, honey?” my husband asked me.
“I’m making a new one,” I responded.
“Why?” he inquired.
“This was the biggest Trader No’s I’ve had in a while.” “Seriously?” “Seriously.”
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Behold, a two for one review. While most of this will center around the new and seasonal Black Truffle, I made it with the new seasonal pasta, Garganelli. Which by the way, looks a lot like a candy cane color. But for right now, truffle seems to be the flavor of the winter time. And there is no shortage of it.
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Cookie Butter had its year. I’m pretty sure 2018 was the year of Cauliflower. Are we seeing Jackfruit as the food item of the year for 2019? Perhaps, but time will tell. And it will all be based on how good the products coming out are. But for right now, there is now an additional frozen item that has jackfruit in it.
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If you are thinking about doing some holiday shopping at Trader Joe’s, then perhaps skip the sweets and start looking in the health and beauty aisle. This year there seems to be no shortage of new and fun items. This bath fizzers set is one of the new items I was excited to get into.
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My husband and I are suckers for having appetizers in the place of dinner. However, this box became just my dinner. I didn’t want to share these. Now, don’t judge me to harshly when I say, I like Chinese food better cold rather than fresh out of the takeout container. And there is a connection here.
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