So Trader Joe’s used to carry “whole wheat couscous” , a nice whole grain which a lot of people loved, including yours truly.
A while back they discontinued it! It’s been off the shelves for a year or more. However its come back reincarnated this time as Organic Couscous.
The old whole wheat couscous came as a 500 gram (17 oz.) package and cost $1.99. With this organic version the sign says 12 oz. for the same price as before, $1.99. More Shrinkage? Yes, I know its now Organic. On a side note, a TJ’s Captain told me a some point they took some products off the shelves in order to eventually replace them with an organic version, like this case with couscous. The Captain said he thought Trader Joe’s will try to make all of their products Organic in the future, kind of like Whole Foods?
In any case I’m happy to see the couscous back. I love it as its one of the easiest and fastest grains to prepare. Add the grain to boiling salted water (or stock), with some butter, turn it off and let it sit for 5 minutes, fluff it up and serve as a side dish.
“It can be prepared a number of different ways, including in the microwave, but if you ask us, our favorite method is to bring a cup of your favorite broth, combined with two tablespoons of butter, to a boil, remove it from heat, then stir in one cup of this Organic Couscous, cover, and let sit. After only five minutes, you should have a hearty, fork-fluffable side that’s ideal for serving alongside grilled salmon, Shawarma Chicken Thighs, or any other protein you’d prefer.”
New Item (Feb/Mar 2024) For years Trader Joe’s has carried the TOM’S OF MAINE deodorant and that’s what I’ve bought. I have found it fine. Like all of TOM’S stuff its good and Trader Joe’s carries a few TOM’S items as well for example their toothpaste, also good!
TOM’S is one of those rare brands Trader Joe’s actually sells under the original name and not re-brand it as their own.
Recently I saw this in the New Items section – TRADER JOE’S UNSCENTED DEODORANT which comes in a round cardboard tube and thought I should check it out for review.
First this is not oval like all other deodorants we’ve tried before? This one is Round…interesting!
To use it, you just twist the cardboard tube which will raise the round stick up. The first ingredient listed here, is Coconut Oil so that’s what it smells lightly of, the natural aroma as this is Unscented and has no strong aroma. As a deodorant it seems to work fine.
One thing about this I do find odd, as unlike almost any deodorant you or I’ve ever tried before, this one is actually a bit hard to apply. The stick is a bit solid and doesn’t melt instantly under your arms. You have to rub it a bit to get it on. This doesnt go on as easy as say the TOM’S stick which applies easily. A minor gripe but still. Just so you know.
It is coconut oil and even my jar of TJ’s coconut oil can change from a clear liquid oil to solid white mass depending on how warm the room is. If its warm enough it liquefies, it its cold it hardens to solid. But even when its in the more solid state, the coconut oil melts pretty fast in my palm at skin temp maybe with just a little rubbing in a few moments.
TIP: I’ve found out that if I just hold the stick in place under my arm for say 10 seconds or so, letting my body temp warm it, it makes it easier to apply. Do it like that and it works.
As a deodorant it seems to work quite well. Price wise the two brands cost about the same. The TOM’s has a bit more of it: 2.25 oz vs 1.8 oz here.
So I do like this new deodorant and I think I would buy it again. Still I hope they will get enough customer feedback and perhaps reformulate the stuff so it melts just a little more easily (more “ozerkerite wax” perhaps in the formula or less arrowroot? 😉
PROS – Pleasant natural unscented smell (coconut oil). Works fine. One Plus: the packaging is (mostly) paper not plastic like Tom’s. Bit more eco friendly, though now I see the tube inside is plastic. So mostly paper.
CONS – A little too solid so hard to apply, a minor gripe.
UPDATE – I got it again. Seems a bit easier to apply now, so perhaps they took note! (sept ’24)
$4.99
I’m posting pix of both this and TOM’s so you can compare the ingredients:
Well it took 20 years but Trader Joe’s decided to finally raise the price of one of it’s most popular products, and the internet became abuzz with this new.
Trader Joe’s raised the price for BANANAS. They raised the price 20%. For the last 20 years Trader Joe’s has sold bananas individually at 19 cents each.
They’ve stayed 19 cents for 20 years!
However Trader Joe’s decided to raise the price of bananas from 19 cents to 23 cents (regular bananas) with Organic bananas, which were 25 cents for the same amount of time, now costing 29 cents each. Yes, this price increase looks small but this does work out to about a 20 per cent price hike. Inflation is supposedly down to 3 or 4%. So its a noticeable jump as most people who buy say 5 bananas at a time will be at least 20 cents more for them.
One more sign of inflation. As if we needed another one, right?
One Trader Joe’s spokesman said due to inflation they have finally had to raise the prices due to cost increases. Street vendors in New York City sell them usually 4 for $1 (25 cents each) Trader Joe’s used to undersell the guys on the street but now they are about the same price. I may buy them from them now, we’ll see.
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.
Many people wonder how to use Trader Joe’s Soy Chorizo, so here’s one idea that I use it for quite frequently. I cook up potatoes and onions and add the Soy Chorizo to it for a very tasty (vegetarian) version of the famous Mexican dish “Papa con Chorizo” (potatoes with chorizo).
Here’s my recipe . We substitute Trader Joe’s soy chorizo for real pork chorizo making this dish vegetarian. Some people may not even know that its vegetarian when they taste it. In fact, though I’m not vegetarian I like this quite a bit as its a bit healthier. I make this dish about every other week as an easy dish which is good to have on hand in the fridge as it can make a few things. This is especially good as a filling for quesadillas, tacos or burritos, it works really well with eggs too mixed into it. You can make up a whole package of the Soy Chorizo to have on hand for the week.
INGREDIENTS
Trader Joe’s SOY CHORIZO
Trader Joe’s TACO SEASONING (optional)
Potatoes (waxy potatoes are best, like Red potatoes, Yukon Gold or similar) 1 pound
Onion (medium – diced)
Fresh garlic (optional, chopped)
(optional – fresh cilantro)
I usually make this for about 2 people/portions. Adjust amounts as needed
RECIPE – Soy Chorizo with Potatoes
Boil about a pound of potatoes cut in half in lightly salted water. Cook for about 12 minutes or so or just until done, meaning when a knife goes in pretty easily.
Drain and rinse them with cold water until they are cool enough to touch. Cut the potatoes up into bite size pieces.
In a cast iron or non-stick skillet, sauté an medium size onion (diced) in about a tablespoon of olive oil for a few minutes (add a few cloves of fresh chopped garlic too if you like). Toss in the diced potatoes. Let potatoes and onions sauté together on medium heat until the potatoes take a little bit of color which may take about 10 minutes or so, stirring gently every 3 minutes. Sprinkle on some Taco Seasoning (optional) if you like. If you are not using it, just add a sprinkle of salt and pepper.
Next add your Soy Chorizo. Lower the heat. Gently mix in and combine the Soy Chorizo into the onion and potatoes. How much chorizo to use is up to you. I usually add about 1/2 the tube for about about a pound of potatoes but you can add more or less as you see fit.
Saute the mixture on low heat for about 5 minutes or so and it’s ready. If you like cilantro, sprinkle on a big handle of it, chopped up, which brightens the dish really nicely.
Optional: Eggs work great with this mixture. If you want them at the end just mix in 3 beaten eggs and let the eggs cook slowly until done. Serve immediately with warm tortillas or make quesadillas with this as your stuffing.
PAPAS CON CHORIZO is a tasty mixture which is great for tacos or burittos and my favorite, cheese quesadillas. To make those,use flour tortillas, (or corn if you like) and sprinkle some grated cheese on the tortilla in a lightly oiled pan. Top with the potato mix, fold in half and cook for a few minutes on each side until the cheese is melted. For even cheesier ones, also put a little grated cheese under the tacos and let them get golden brown and a little crusty. These are really my favorite. And if you want to use corn tortillas instead, those will also be great with this filling.
Besides tacos or tortillas, mix this potato mixture into scrambled eggs for a great dish.
TJ’s says: “Made with Lady Clair and Dakota Pearl potatoes grown in western Canada, our supplier fries these Chips in small batches, then kettle-cooks them until they’re ready to be seasoned and cooled. This method, as opposed to the typical “continuous fry” method of chip-making, results in extra-flavorful chips with a harder, crunchier bite.”
My wife bought these and we we tasted them we both loved them from just one bite. So Delicious.
Theses are kettle cooked and cut a little thicker, so are very crunchy. I would say they taste like the best, high quality, kettle cooked potato chips you’ve had. Those “gourmet” level ones. The “EBTB” Seasoning is delicious here. Blends in well, and just enough. Not overpowering to the chips, just enhancing them. They use just enough for a great extra taste but not where you don’t taste “potato” first and foremost, not the added “flavoring”, so way better than say Lay’s in this respect.
One thing about these though. The bag should have a Warning label about being: “Highly Addictive”.
Trader Joe’s THAI PEANUT SATAY SAUCE is a new addition to their line of Thai and Asian sauces and condiments. (Jan 2024)
TJ has this to say: “Made for us by a supplier in Thailand, our Peanut Satay Sauce starts with a base of rich coconut milk, peanuts, and aromatic red curry paste, to which our supplier adds a mix of savory seasonings including lemongrass, shallot, garlic, galangal, and tamarind paste. In addition to making a delicious dipping sauce for grilled, skewered proteins of all kinds (we’re especially fond of it with shrimp, pork loin, or tofu), it also makes a fantastic condiment for burgers and lettuce wraps, and a superb sauce for serving over Thai Wheat Noodles. And for an effortless and flavorful salad dressing, simply add a bit of Rice Vinegar to a few spoonfuls of Satay Sauce in a bowl, mix, and enjoy.”
I got a jar to taste and review recently. My initial take is it’s pretty good. Thai food can be very bold with flavors. For my taste buds while this Satay Sauce is kind of tasty, I just wish it had more “oomph”. That is way bolder with flavors so that it really tasted “Thai”. Personally I wanted more more of everything (more peanuts, more galangal, and way more red curry paste)
Its OK but just way too much on the tame side, and Thai food is not tame in the least. I’m pretty sure a Thai baby could handle this and I don’t mean just in the heat level. So while I wish it was a little bolder never the less this new sauce is kind of tasty — IT CAN BE IMPROVED.
So I I say it has potential. If you fix it up a bit, adding a thing or two. Certainly a squeeze of lime juice for a little more sourness. It’s not spicy, so if you like spicy, just add a bit of your favorite spicy condiment. For instance Peri-Peri or Bomba to jazz it up. Want it more peanut-y? I sure do. I mixed in a few spoons of crunchy peanut butter and it got way better. Crushed garlic too.
But even if you just use as-is, this can be OK in a pinch (if you are not Thai). Satay usually means grilled items so you can use this for grilled proteins or the like. Say with chicken, shrimp, fish, pork, beef or grilled tofu for that matter. You can marinate them in some sauce for say 30 minutes, then grill it. You can also brush some sauce on at the end of grilling for a nice glaze. It can burn so be careful.
The Satay Sauce can be used in a number of ways. At it’s simplest you could just use it on the side or spoon some on top. Say with grilled chicken, meat, fish, shrimp or tofu. Here I served the satay sauce with a grilled chicken breast, and it works great with chicken. Or anything for that matter.
Salad Dressing – “For an effortless and flavorful salad dressing, simply add a bit of Rice Vinegar to a few spoonfuls of Satay Sauce in a bowl, mix, and enjoy.” – Trader Joe’s.
Is THAI SATAY sauce good for noodles? Very much so! This sauce will definitely be good with say your Thai Wheat Noodles or Squiggly Noodles dishes. Add a bit of soy sauce and a squeeze of lime juice too and maybe some chopped cilantro. And again, I would mix in a few tablespoons of crunchy peanut butter.
Thai Peanut Noodles: Mix the sauce into your cooked noodles. Add a nice amount and also a a little soy sauce, some lime juice, and if like spicy maybe some Sriracha, Bomba, or Peri-Peri. Mix in a few tablespoons of crunchy peanut butter. I would add vegetables of ones choosing: maybe shredded cooked carrots, peppers, and green onions. Cilantro too if you like it. If you have some crushed peanuts on top that will help.
So I think one could come up with something tasty using this sauce, especially if you experiment a bit with it. Adding some stuff.
It’s $2.29 for an 8 oz jar.
I would buy it again (I just wish it were more authentically Thai)
“Trader Joe’s Dark Chocolate Coffee Buzz Bars are made using a unique combination of conched Columbian Cacao Nibs and Columbian Coffee Beans, blended with sugar and natural vanilla flavor. There’s a distinct yet mild coffee flavor and 70 mg of caffeine in each bar”
(a regular cup of coffee has about 95 mg of caffeine)
First off, I have to mention I love this package design. Eye catching colors with lovely hand made drawings of coffee and cacao on thick paper stock.
Trader Joe’s really cares about package design, more than other grocery stores. They focus on designing products that make you want to pick them up. If you are interested in learning a bit more about that here’s a link about Trader Joe’s product design
OK, ok but how’s this chocolate? I liked it but my wife did not. To state the obvious this is not a kids bar of chocolate. Definitely for Grown Ups. Barely sweet, just sweetened enough to balance out the bitterness of coffee and cacao nibs. Me, I think they got it just right, definitely a nice balance of quality chocolate with coffee undertones and a nice balance of bitter and sweet however some may not go for this. On the other hand if like me, you are someone who loves both your coffee and your chocolate you may like this. Worth trying to find out.
They were giving out samples of these yesterday so I took one to taste. Didn’t like it at all. For me the cookie was crazy sweet, just overpoweringly sweet. I have no idea what “Cinnamon Bun Inspired” even is supposed to mean. I barely tasted cinnamon flavor, just an overpowering amount of sugar.
Now the TJ’s Regular Joe Joes are not bad; they are an Oreos copy. This one though, I thought whoever dreamed up this “Cinnamon Bun Inspired” variation had a terrible idea that failed in execution. On the plus side this says its a “limited edition”. I expect it to fade away and make room for another decent product.
I do love cinnamon and TJ’s I just love TJ’s Old Fashioned Cinnamon Grahams, which are a are wonderful cookie with a ton of great cinnamon flavor, so if you want a great cookie with cinnamon taste get some of those. They are absolute Classics and a great product.
Trader Joe’s Rants & Raves (mostly raves, a few rants) 
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