Fortified with 8 Vitamins Plus Iron. Zero Cholesterol
Ingredients: wheat bran, corn flour, corn bran, cane sugar, whole wheat, oat bran, and fortified with vitamins plus iron (60% of the DVI for Iron).
NINE GRAMS OF FIBER!
So what’s not to like?! Will this win any awards for the way it tastes? Probably not but it actually tastes OK. Its not bad. I kind of like the taste. It doesn’t taste terrible and frankly you don’t buy this for taste ; you want it cause its a very healthy option and you want to add Fiber easily into your body. Granola tastes better but isn’t as healthy a choice as this. First, as the name implies the main purpose of this cereal is simple, to deliver quite a bit of dietary Fiber into your system. It does this mainly from all kinds of bran (wheat, corn, oat).
So on the fiber front it delivers, without tasting too bad. Not exciting, but fine especially as you are probably not eating just this by itself, you are probably adding real milk or a milk :beverage”, and maybe added a banana, maybe berries, or other fresh fruits or maybe some dried fruits. Maybe yogurt, Kefir, so this is just one part of your breakfast bowl. That stuff will make it taste good!
My wife bought this high fiber cereal for her gut, as she felt she needs more fiber in her diet, though I think we eat pretty well in the fiber department.
Trader Joe’s HIGH FIBER CEREAL has 9 grams of dietary fiber per serving (2/3 cup). That is about 33% or 1/3 of the recommended daily amount of fiber.
Also in the plus column is it’s low in calories, very low in fat, is low in sodium, has zerocholesterol, PLUS this cereal is low in Added Sugars, compared to almost any other cereal Trader Joe’s sells. So really compared to many others, this is a “healthy choice” in the Trader Joe’s cereal department. Maybe the healthiest cereal they sell?
It kind of resembles thin little crunchy bits of brown stuff, clearly extruded, and I assume baked. I am not very familiar with Nabisco’s FIBER ONE cereal but its a little similar. I think the shape of that cereal is thicker that this.
Taste wise? Well I doubt anyone would say “this is the best cereal I ever had”. The best I could say is I didn’t think it tastes it’s OK. Not bad. Fairly neutral in flavor, it is nice and crunchy. A bit naturally sweet. It taste healthy. Generally I myself use it like a topping, and put it on top of my breakfast mixture of chia seeds, fruit, yogurt and sometimes kefir. I sometimes add a little bit of granola on top to improve it. But again, if you want an easy way to add some extra fiber in your diet, this cereal is certainly an easy way to add some to your breakfast in the morning, which will be good for you!
(You can compare to FIBER ONE)
Personally I have always liked the classic GRAPE NUTS cereal also pretty high fiber, and prefer it to this, however my wife prefers TJ’s High Fiber cereal over Grape Nuts. She has brought this home quite a few times now, so she really likes it, and says it helps keep her regular! 😉
Cheddar is one of my favorite cheeses, so it’s one kind of cheese that I buy all the time at Trader Joe’s.
I love me a good cheddar. As we know, Trader Joe’s carries a pretty amazing variety of cheese. Go there looking for a “cheddar cheese” and you may see 8 or more kinds.
But which ones are really good cheddars? While this is a very personal choice of course at least to my taste, one cheddar which would go right at the top would be the Cabot Vermont Extra Sharp. Its one of the best cheddar cheese’s they have if you like your cheddar Extra Sharp in a New England style of cheddar. What something a little bit less less sharp? Then I would say get the New Zealand Sharp cheddar. Another great choice. Then there is TJ’s famed Unexpected Cheddar which is in a class by itself of course.
This is a think a fairly recent addition… ENGLISH COASTAL CHEDDAR which comes from Dorset, located on England’s Southern coast. How is these one? Great. I add this English cheddar to the list of EXCELLENT CHEDDAR cheese at Trader Joe’s.
I found it bold and delicious. I would name this cheddar as one more “gourmet” level cheese Trader Joe’s sells, equal to something you would find at a very good cheese store. This what I might call an “adult” cheddar both figuratively and literally. It’s aged a minimum of 15 months. Its a sharp cheddar. Bold, mature, a bit crumbly, a bit rugged, tangy sharp with a lovely nutty taste. A bit in the realm of the Unexpected Cheddar. I tried to slice it thinly but found it easy to crumble when cutting.
This is one cheddar that will go great with a good crusty bread or crackers. It goes really well with fruit, in fact I just loved eating this with an ENVY APPLE. It was great melted. I would try this for an omelet for sure.
This cheese would be great on any #cheeseboard or #charcuterieboard. They say it’s a must for one of those, here. If you really like a cheddar cheese, this is well worth a try.
I heard about this new cheese and had to try it. My review? Yes, it’s as good as they say. I really, really liked it. In fact, I could not stop eating it. This cheese is pretty damn delicious.
Try this spread on crackers or on a slice of good crusty sourdough bread. Toast some up and spread this on a Crostini. It pairs great with fruit. Apples, grapes, figs….. On the other hand, they recommend putting on a burger!! Even a turkey burger or Veg. Masala Burger would be improved if you put some of this on top.
This would be great for #Holidays, gatherings….
If you included it on a #cheeseboard or charcuterie board I think this would get a ton of “where did you get this cheese ?” comments.
Goes great with eggs, I am thinking about mixing this into an omelet. Should be wonderful like that…
$2.99 – Says “LIMITED SUPPLY” so grab one while you can… (or two!)
“…And for a tangy and tart goat’s milk cheese? Something sweet, umami-rich, and irresistibly alliaceous will make it sing— something like the combo found in Trader Joe’s Caramelized Onion Goat’s Milk Cheese, in fact. Whether it’s enjoyed on a cracker, a bit of crostini, or a well-toasted bagel, this Caramelized Onion Goat Cheese creates a synergistic symphony on the palate. It elevates cheese plates and charcuterie boards with its balance of sweet and savory. It uplifts burgers and sandwiches when used as a spread. And when baked with a bit of puff pastry and fresh fig, makes a truly unforgettable hors d’oeuvre. Just be sure to stop by the cheese section of your neighborhood Trader Joe’s soon, because supplies are limited!”
Trader Joe’s ATLANTIC SALMON WITH LEMON HERB BUTTER (FROZEN)
This is one of those thing almost everybody loves. You can probably tell just from the picture this is a nice hunk of salmon. Center cut boneless skin on Norwegian Farm Raised Atlantic Salmon fillet, with three round pats of tasty lemon herb butter. The package is seven ounces, so what I would consider a generous portion for one person. One piece could possibly make two smaller portions, as these days a portion of protein is now generally said to be about 4 ounces. But I could easily eat the whole thing myself!
The Lemon Herb butter consists of butter, lemon zest, parsley, chives, sea salt and pepper. It’s make a very tasty sauce. The herb butter really adds something, elevating this to “gourmet” level. Its quite tasty.
To defrost: ideally I leave the fish in the fridge for a slow defrost (the overnight thaw method) as this is the best method to defrost fish. In a pinch you could leave it out on the counter for a few hours, or submerge the package under cold water (quick thaw method).
Cooking: broiled or pan fried would be my Go To methods to cook the salmon but baking works too. (AirFryer? I don’t have one but people on the Net report its a good method)
What to do with the butter… One can either take the pats of butter off, then add them during the last two minutes of cooking. Or just leave the butter on the fish and cook it like that, for example under the broiler. This will give you more of a cooked “brown butter” sauce. You can baste with it during cooking as well.
Serving with a bit of fresh lemon juice too will elevate the fish even more. This will go well of course with maybe some rice or boiled potatoes and a veg and/or a salad.
TJ’s SALMON WITH HERB BUTTER makes a yummy dinner and is well worth your trying. Googling it I found a ton of web stuff and TikTok’s with people making this salmon. Its popular.
I would buy this again.
$6.99 (7 oz, 198 gr)
35 gr protein per fillet! 510 cals (all that butter) You could remove one or two pats if you want less calories.
“Our newest Cream Cheese Spread is celebratory, creamy, super savory, and full of flavor for all your summer schmearing needs. Trader Joe’s Red Bell Pepper, Garlic & Parmesan Cream Cheese Spread is a zesty combo with a heavy-handed sprinkle of Parmesan cheese, is flecked with red bell pepper, and studded with minced garlic throughout.”
( FYI it says “Limited”) so you may or may not find this…)
When I just tasted it on a spoon by itself. It seemed a bit on the strong side, predominately tasting of parmesan cheese. Of course its meant to be a spread, so I put a shmear of this cream cheese on a cracker. They were very good together. I used this spread the next morning on a toasted bagel spread with this stuff, topped with lots of slices of cucumber. That was quite good. It was good on bread and many things. In fact, I can easily see using some of this added to a pasta dish, thinned out with a bit of pasta water to make a creamy sauce. I’ve learned recently that some Italians actually use cream cheese mixed into pasta to make it creamy! I think this could match well in a sauce with sauteed cherry tomatoes.
So I do think this is worth a try if you see it. I would buy it again and experiment some more with it on different things, IF I can find it.
Chefs and pro cooks love these as its the purest, most natural form of vanilla. “Bourbon Vanilla” is considered the best vanilla, from Southeast Asia. I did check the label but assume these may be from Madagascar.
Pro cooks scrape out the tiny seeds inside these pods with a knife and use that in recipes that call for vanilla. Don’t throw out the pod after using either as they still have lots of aroma. You can put the pods into a large jar and and cover them with about a pound of sugar. Let that sit for a few days or more as the vanilla beans infuse the sugar so it becomes yummy Vanilla Sugar.
$2.99 for two vanilla beans
In addition to these Trader Joe’s has lots of other vanilla products like BOURBON VANILLA BEAN PASTE and they are all on the shelves now for the FALL/WINTER baking season.
Trader Joe’s says: “Trader Joe’s Instant Cold Brew Coffee starts with 100% Arabica coffee beans from India. Our supplier uses an all-natural, proprietary extraction method that took them over two years to develop. It’s truly a unique process that yields a fine, dark powder. Add one heaping teaspoon of this Instant Cold Brew Coffee to 12 fluid ounces of cold or hot water, then stir until dissolved. The result is a cup of Cold Brew that’s full-bodied, dark, and smooth, with a caramel-like aroma and rich, cold-brew coffee taste.”
I am a big fan of coffee, a real coffee. While I am not half as geeky and fanatic about it as many coffee geeks, I do love me some (great) coffee. Hence I almost never drink any “instant” coffee, which I find not even in the same league as a brewed coffee.
As far as the Cold brewed coffee trend that has caught on the last few years, well I always will prefer a regular brewed coffee too over that. If I want it Cold, I let it sit, chill it and enjoy it then, maybe with ice. But Cold brew doesn’t excite me compared to a chilled down brewed cup of coffee or some pre-made, iced brewed coffee. Still, I wanted to try this “Instant Cold Brew” from Trader Joe’s.
As I am not a big fan of any instant coffee I can’t say I am crazy about this one either however I found it actually made me a drinkable cold coffee beverage on a hot day. So maybe this is good for one of your Coffee Emergencies, where you didn’t plan ahead!
The label says add 1 heaping teaspoon per 12 oz of water but I think I will play with this and add more to make it stronger. This is of course very convenient which is its main selling point. It is convenient I’ve even used it to add to something as an ingredient where coffee was called for.
MINT CHOCOLATE CHIP ICE CREAM BETWEEN TWO CHOCOLATE WAFERS
Well, my wife bought these for us to try. All I can say is this… about two days later she told me I had to go buy her another box as she found only one left. I had eaten most of them.
She barely got a chance to eat any of them and she wasn’t too happy about it. OK I confess this was true. I did eat almost all of them. I couldn’t stop myself! These are “Dangerously Good”, as we say in our house.
Basically these are small ice cream sandwiches; with mint chocolate chip ice cream between two chocolate wafers, like an Oreo/Joe Joe’s but these wafers are pretty soft.
The combination of mini and double chocolate inside and out is really good!
Eating just one of these is nigh on impossible, in fact I dare you to try eating just one (you will want another as soon as its finished)
Four of these have 240 calories, so figure one of the mini mouthfuls comes out to 60 calories.
The box goes for $4.49 (15 oz/12 mini ice cream sandwiches)
I would buy these again. (I have to. I ate almost the whole box myself)
This is a “Limited Edition” Trader Joe’s new addition to their cheeses. Trader Joe’s “April 2024 Spotlight Cheese”
A few months ago I saw it and made a note to get it the next day but as luck would have it, the next day I didn’t see it anymore. As they say “Limited Edition”. But after a few months, luckily I saw it appear again yesterday. I grabbed one to try for review. In short, if you are lucky enough to see this cheese in stock, I say Grab One while you can! Its very good!
“Crafted in the style of a Red Leicester, Ivy’s Red is a special edition among Wyke Farm’s variety of Cheddars. It definitely stands out for its burnt-orange color and nutty & fruity notes, which are delivered with a firm texture that is rich, creamy, a bit tangy, and… moreish. All this complexity develops over 12 months of aging, and benefits from the skills of award-winning cheesemakers.”
I loved it and found it delicious. Nutty, tangy, its a slightly crumbly reddish special English cheddar from Somerset, England. Very high quality. The kind of cheese that a high end cheese shop would sell (and probably for a lot more).
I tried it on its own, with a slice of apple and put on my new favorite TJ’s cracker (Savory Square). Just delicious. I can certainly imagine people putting this on a nice cheese board! You can’t go wrong with this.
Trying this for the first time, left me impressed. It is quite good. A very tasty English cheese. Here I find the addition of the onion/chives enhance the cheese, they don’t overpower it.
This is the kind of cheese you might find at an English pub. A semi soft cheese. Neither hard nor soft, its a bit softer than regular cheddar. Speaking of which this is fairly different than regular Cheddar cheese; as a “Gloucester cheese” is its own thing.
I first tasted it on its own, then on some plain crackers and found the flavor really lovely in both cases. Just very tasty. I think this would be great on a cheese plate or cheese board.
Equally nice is the way this cheese melted, which was very easily, as its not very hard to begin with. So this will be great to melt on things and cook with. I put it on a taco and it melted easily and was delicious especially when I let it get little brown. It would be great of course mixed into scrambled eggs. Would this make a great Welsh Rarebit? I think yes, so I intend to try that sometime.
This cheese is going for $10.99/lb, my hunk coming out to about $5. It is an Imported premium cheese, so that is not bad.
Trader Joe’s Rants & Raves (mostly raves, a few rants) 
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