“Good for chomping flies and taking names” ! $5.99. Looked super healthy too. I guess they’ve been eating well?
Great science / nature project for the kids?!
Trader Joe’s has VENUS FLY TRAP plants!
11 Sep 2025 Leave a comment
in All Natural, DIY, fresh, General, Home Goods, New, News, organic, plants, Prices, Products, Rave, review, seasonal, Staple, Trader Joes, Uncategorized, update, WhatsGoodAtTJ? Tags: healthy, no preservatives, Not Vegetarian, Products, Rave, review, Trader Joes
Trader Joe’s MINI CAN FOLIAGE PLANTS
08 Sep 2025 2 Comments
in fresh, Home Goods, plants, Prices, Products, Trader Joes, Uncategorized, update Tags: #instagram, #plantlife, #plants, #traderjoefinds, #traderjoes, fall, foliage, healthy, no preservatives, plants, product, Products, review, Trader Joes, vegan gluten free
Trader Joe’s say this about these “mini can foliage plants” that have come out for Fall now :
“Here, designs from some of our favorite canned products ever to grace our grocery shelves, including items from both the past and present, have been re-imagined as holders for a variety of beautiful, (and, we mention with appreciation, quite low-maintenance) tropical plants.”
https://www.traderjoes.com/home/products/pdp/mini-can-foliage-082987
These new Trader Joe’s plants in cans, seem to gotten a lot of attention all over Social Media. I am going to bet that almost every dorm room now has one of these in them! Granted these are cute because they are not not in a little pot, but in Trader Joe’s cans, with labels for actual TJ’s products like the canned corn.
So yes, I totally get these look cute and kind of cool and OK, I like the recycling take added to design philosophy. Frankly though I have a feeling they are not actually in recycled cans, I think they were produced just for this use. I know that that tomato paste comes in a very skinny little can, not this size can, which is way bigger which leads me to assume these cans were made just for this purpose.
Frankly though I had a few reservations when I saw them at my local (NYC) Trader Joe’s.
First, the price?! Whaaaaa?! 4.99!? Five bucks for one of these just seemed a little steep when I saw them. When I search their website I saw a few kinds of plant varieties. But at my TJ’s (UWS NYC) there were only these one kind a fern species. The ones I saw appeared to be not in great shape, at all. The ones I saw looked like they would die in about a week after you took them home. They were already dying.
I would not buy the ones I saw (the ferns) again which are not even shown as you can see in the top picture I got right off TJ’s website which shows other plants – which all look robust. And better varieties of plants some worth five bucks.
I did see healthy plants for that exact same $4.99. Those looked way healthier and more robust looking plants Also labeled “mini foliage in pot”. Those will last if you take care of them. Not sure if those ferns could be rescued.
This guy on Instagram got much luckier to find good little cans of plants that had more of the varieties as they are shown on TJ’s website. Perhaps you will in your area.
Still as cute as you think the (frankly over priced) plants in those little metal labeled cans are, in general those plants will live longer if you eventually re-pot them into a bigger pot with hopefully some drainage holes at the bottom (or at the very least be careful not to over or under water these) If you find more robust varieties in these cans, you might get lucky.
(update: a reader Commented below that depending on the exact plant variety you find, it might be well worth $5 – but repot them)
By the way, these looked very healthy!! Some has been feeding them flies?
Update on Trader Joe’s CARNITAS (M.I.A) and the realities of business in the current economic environment
20 Aug 2025 3 Comments
in Blog, Discontinued, Mexican, News, Products, Trader Joes, Uncategorized, update Tags: discontinued, MIA, Products, Trader Joes
Unfortunately Trader Joe’s Traditional CARNITAS (Mexican roasted pork) went Missing In Action not long ago. Now as we all know Trader Joe’s products can go MIA. Many eventually come back as stock comes in.
Then a reader here reported left a Comment that the Carnitas Discontinued. My heart sank as I have loved that product ever since I had first tried it years ago. Its just the best roast pork cooked in a certain way one could never do yourself. So yesterday when I was at Trader Joe’s I tried to investigate. I spoke with a manager at the Front Desk who looked up the Carnitas on the computer. She told me something interesting which I thought I would pass along as it reveals a little bit not just about Trader Joe’s products but their suppliers they work with.
She showed me the Product page for the Carnitas. It says “Not Orderable” – meaning they did not actually discontinue it – however stores can not order it. The product page explained why: “supplier went out of business“. Yikes!
The page adds that they looking for new supplier for the item. Hopefully they will find one, eventually. But unfortunately for the time being we can’t buy Carnitas anymore at Trader Joe’s. I for one am quite Bummed as I loved it. I could even came up with a hack to make Cha Siu with the Roasted Pork.
Anyway if you don’t see something on the shelf, ask the Front Desk if they could check it for you as thats always the best way I’ve found to get actual info.
Trader Joe’s BACON CHEDDAR cheese
18 Aug 2025 Leave a comment
in cheese, dairy, DIY, fresh, General, New, News, Pantry, pasta, Prices, Products, review, snacks, spices, Staple, Trader Joes, Uncategorized, update, WhatsGoodAtTJ? Tags: bacon, cheese, cheeseboard, item, Limited, Products, Rave, review, Trader Joes
“Smokey and highly satisfying”
I haven’t tried this before but I saw BACON CHEDDAR was a featured item in their Fearless Flyer so I thought I would check it out. It was something as I kept tasting it, I kept saying to myself, OK let me try just one more bite, and a little bit later after some more taste testing, I noticed I ate a good hunk of it! I don’t usually buy processed cheese (like American cheese) but I have to say this tasted good, a little smokey with savory notes from the tiny pieces of applewood bacon in it. Semi soft. This will melt easily so good to cook with. You can slice and add to a grilled cheese sandwich to add a smokey bacon note to it.
Says “while supplies last” which I assume means a limited item.
https://www.traderjoes.com/home/ff
Fearless Flyer: When Bacon Met Cheddar
“Trader Joe’s Bacon Cheddar Cheese is handcrafted for us in upstate New York by a master cheesemaker with extensive experience in traditional European Cheddaring techniques and an instinct for blending. Aged for 18 months, the Cheddar is full flavored and mildly sharp with firm, smooth texture….merged with pieces of our very own Trader Joe’s Uncured Applewood Smoked Bacon, which contribute richly savory, sweet-smoky character to every bite. From snacking on while watching a game, to serving as part of a charcuterie board…..baked potatoes, French fries, burgers, broccoli, apple slices, macaroni, biscuits, quiche… ” (from the TJ Fearless Flyer Aug 2025)
Trader Joe’s (Trader Giotto’s) PIZZA PARLANNO
12 Aug 2025 2 Comments
in baked, cheese, dairy, DIY, frozen, General, Italian, Prices, Products, Rave, review, snacks, Staple, Trader Joes, Uncategorized, update, WhatsGoodAtTJ? Tags: crust, dinner, Food, gluten, Italian, pizza, popular, product, Products, Rave, recipe, Recipes, review, Trader Joes, wheat
PIZZA PARLANNO with Italian sausage, uncured pepperoni, roasted peppers and onions
Trader Joe’s on Pizza Parlanno:
https://www.traderjoes.com/home/products/pdp/pizza-parlanno-002517
“First, there’s that its stone baked, with a wheat flour crust, which our supplier imports all the way from Italy. Next, there’s the impressive array of toppings piled high on every pie: zesty tomato sauce; a savory trio of mozzarella, Parmesan, and Romano cheeses; sweet roasted bell peppers and onions; savory crumbles of Italian sausage; and finally, delightfully spicy slices of uncured pepperoni.”
Apparently Trader Joe’s / Trader Giotto) Pizza Parlanno is said to be quite a customer and crew member favorite. The proof of which it’s been around for 15 years.
I hadn’t tried this yet so finally got around to trying it for a review.
My honest review is: Both my wife and I really enjoyed this pizza. We both gave this a big thumbs up.
It’s a kind of “half and half” pepperoni / sausage- one side sausage and roasted peppers and the other side pepperoni.
The favorite of the two sides for us both was the sausage side, having much more flavors from lots of different things. It has crumbled bits of (cooked) sausage plus roasted red bell pepper, green pepper, roasted onions, plus the tomato sauce and the cheese. The small pieces of uncased pork sausage was good. I can really taste fennel seeds, which for me makes it really taste Italian. I loved the roasted red and green bell peppers.
Personally I am not a huge pepperoni pizza eater as I usually find pepperoni too greasy and oily but here the uncured pepperoni on this was tasty, thin and not at all greasy. Didn’t curl up either. Stayed flat.
The (imported) crust on the Pizza Parlanno is on the thin side. More crunchy than chewy, it kind of reminded me of the “bar pizza” style though its not that thin. The crust held up and didn’t bend under the toppings. I make my own dough on occasion so am quite picky. I would prefer a crust a bit thicker with more chew however the crust is not bad and pretty crispy.
I baked the pizza quite well as I read that you should get this well browned and really take Trader Joe’s suggested time of “bake for 10 minutes” with a huge grain of salt. Every oven is a bit different but 10 minutes as they list is probably not enough time to go from frozen to ready so plan to give it a bit longer, an extra two minutes at least, if not more. I did more like 14-25 minutes in total? I just watched it closely towards the end and let it it get just to the point where it’s really browned which is how I like pizza.
Originally I thought the pizza looked like it might be a little big for two people. Ha! I thought my wife and I might not eat the whole pizza at one go. That we might leave a slice or two for the next day. But guess what? I was wrong . I was so good, the two of us ended up devouring the whole thing. Along with an arugula salad. We said, it’s never going to be as good as right now fresh out of the oven.
COOKING: Pre-heat your oven to 450. If you own a pizza steel or stone put that in. Depending on your oven it may take 15-25 minutes to get to temp. When oven is ready, slide the pizza onto the steel or stone. If you don’t have those, just put on a baking sheet and put that on the center or top rack. I put foil underneath the pizza, for easy clean up. Bake the pizza until it looks very well browned. They say 10-12 minutes at 450 but I think it will be more like 12-15 minutes depending on your oven). Take it out and let it cool for about 2 minutes before cutting. I cut ours into 4.
Figured at 4 slices to the pizza this states, 330 calories per slice.
This pizza makes a very easy snack or meal in about 15 minutes, all for about the price of what you might pay for a pepperoni slice at a pizza joint. For just over five bucks, you can not go wrong with this pizza, if you like sausage, etc.
I gotta say, pretty amazing for $5.50.
I would buy this again.
Trader Giotto’s PIzza Parlanno $5.49 (18.2 oz)
Toppings: Italian sausage, uncured pepperoni, roasted bell peppers, and roasted onions. Crust: Stone-baked wheat flour crust. Sauce: A savory sauce, described as not spicy or sweet. Cheeses: Mozzarella, Parmesan, and Romano. Customer Favorite: A popular item at Trader Joe’s, often praised for its flavor and topping variety.
Trader Joe’s ROMANO CAESAR Salad Dressing
05 Aug 2025 1 Comment
in bread, cheese, condiments, dairy, Italian, jar, Pantry, Prices, Rave, recipe, Recipes, review, seafood, spices, Staple, Trader Joes, Uncategorized, update, vegetarian, WhatsGoodAtTJ? Tags: dressing, dressings, healthy, Italian, no preservatives, product, Products, review, Salad, Trader Joes, vegetarian
Trader Joe’s Romano Caesar Dressing is a vegetarian take on the classic Caeser. This does not contain anchovies but has got a lot of other other ingredients like Romano cheese, olive oil, garlic and spices plus mustard, Worcestershire, lemon and capers, to compensate and provide Umani.
You can use it as well as a marinade for chicken, fish or most anything. About $3 for a 12 oz bottle.
My very picky wife liked this dressing and she doesn’t like a lot of TJ’s dressings.
Want to use this to make a Caesar Salad? Get some Romaine, tear or cut up in to pieces. Add some CROUTONS. Pour on some dressing. Toss. Done! Unless you want options of adding perhaps some lightly cooked eggs or maybe some chicken to make it into a full meal.
I would buy this again.
PS – there’s nothing preventing one to add a few smashed anchovies to this to make it into a classic Caesar dressing.
160 calories per 2 tbls.
\
Are Trader Joe’s products GMO free?
04 Aug 2025 Leave a comment
in All Natural, General, New, News, Trader Joes, update Tags: GMO, Policy, Products, Statement, Trader Joes
First, just let me state for the record I don’t work for Trader Joe’s, obviously. I’m just a regular consumer like you. So I am not shilling for them, just reporting information.
A reader recently sent a Comment in which he stated, as if it were fact, that Trader Joe’s ORGANIC SOY BEVERAGE use GMO soybeans. So I thought, let me research this. I spent all of 20 seconds checking if I could find anything. What I found is Trader Joe’s official statement regarding GMO’s as well as other things (see link below). Just for the benefit of all, I am re-posting what it says here but please go to their website and read for yourself what they state about Trader Joe’s policy on GMO ingredients, which I am just copying verbatim below from their website….
https://www.traderjoes.com/home/FAQ/product-faqs
“Q: Do Trader Joe’s products contain GMO’s (Genetically Modified Organisms)?
A: Trader Joe’s Products are sourced from Non-GMO ingredients.
“Our efforts began in 2001, when we determined that, given a choice, our customers would prefer to eat foods and beverages made without the use of genetically engineered ingredients. When developing products containing ingredients likely to come from genetically modified sources, we have the supplier of the product perform the necessary research to provide documentation that the suspect ingredients are from non-GMO sources. This documentation is in the form of affidavits, identity-preserved certification of seed stock, and third-party lab results from testing of the ingredients in question. In addition to this work done in developing a given item, we conduct random audits of items with potentially suspect ingredients, using an outside, third-party lab to perform the testing.”
In summary, Trader Joe’s states they DO NOT use GMO ingredients in their products.
Trader Joe’s ITALIAN APERITIVO MEDLEY cracker snack mix
04 Aug 2025 1 Comment
in All Natural, baked, bread, cheese, drink, General, New, News, Pantry, Prices, Products, Rave, review, seasonal, snacks, spices, Staple, Trader Joes, Uncategorized, update, vegetarian, WhatsGoodAtTJ? Tags: crunchy, Food, no preservatives, product, Products, Rave, review, snacks, tasty, Trader Joes
NEW ITEM (AUG 2025) LIMITED TIME
https://www.traderjoes.com/home/products/pdp/italian-aperitivo-medley-snack-mix-079821
Here’s what Trader Joe’s says about this new snack mix, ITALIAN APERITIVO MEDLEY:
“This is a Snack Mix that is gastronomically designed by our supplier in Bari, Italy to satisfy your cravings for a savory crunch. The diverse combination of textures, shapes, and flavors includes rosemary Focacce (squares), traditional Taralli (loops), and black olive Trecce (nuggets). The presence of extra virgin olive oil and white wine in the recipes promotes flavor profiles that are more complex than your average crackers—but similarly pleasing to enjoy with your favorite TJ’s cheese.”
My review? All I have to say is that once I opened up the bag, I couldn’t stop eating them. The bag went pretty quickly. They are that good! Addictive?
This cracker medley is just SO savory and delicious.
All of these five or six different, crunchy crackers / snacks are tasty. I especially love the twisted and small nubbin ones (trecce), both of which are flavored with rosemary or black olives. The round circles are little Italian biscuits I know as “tarralucci” (or here, “taralli) often served with wine or drinks. The square “focacce” one are perfect as a cracker base for cheese or what have you.
These say, Limited Time! Knowing that these are not going to be around all the time, I am going to load up on as many bags of these fantastically tasty crackers/snacks, as I can carry on my next visit to TJ’s. Especially as they are a very reasonable $2.29. And the ingredient list is quite normal, natural, not filled with additives or chemicals. We like that.
I give these crackers a huge Thumbs Up. You should grab a package (or two) while you can and check them out.
Product of Italy
Trader Joe’s New BLACK SESAME MOCHI ice cream
28 Jul 2025 1 Comment
in Asian, Blog, dairy, frozen, General, ice cream, New, News, Prices, Products, Rave, review, snacks, sweets, Trader Joes, Uncategorized, update, WhatsGoodAtTJ? Tags: dessert, GF, gluten free, limited time, nutty, Products, Rave, review, sweets, thumbs up
Delightfully chewy rice dough exterior with interior of sweet ice cream infused with black sesame seeds.
Trader Joe’s recently released Black Sesame Mochi, a new frozen dessert featuring a black sesame-infused ice cream filling encased in a chewy mochi shell. The mochi is reportedly quite popular, with many finding the nutty and slightly savory flavor of the black sesame to be a unique and enjoyable addition to their dessert options.
The internet seems to be going crazy about these, for good reason. They are terrific. Many are saying Trader Joe’s new: BLACK SESAME MOCHI may be the best product they released in Summer 2025.
Inside the chewy, yummy mochi rice wrapper you find the ice cream filling, with the delicious, unique flavor of black sesame seeds (known in Japanese as “kuro goma”).
We tasted these and we all just loved the flavor of the black sesame. This is just a great dessert or snack. You are supposed to wait three minutes so they slightly defrost to get to the perfect texture and flavor. Waiting is the hardest part…
$4.99 for six pieces. (7.6 oz, 216gr)
LIMITED TIME – so grab them while you can
GLUTEN FREE, Contains milk, sesame (nut)
https://www.traderjoes.com/home/products/pdp/black-sesame-mochi-081384
“Our supplier infuses an ice-cream base of milk, cream, and cane sugar with a paste made from roasted, finely-ground Black Sesame seeds. This paste not only lends a rich gray-black hue, but also brings that characteristic nuttiness with a hint of savory to contrast with the flavor of the frozen sweet-cream. Surrounded by a rice-dough wrapper which has also been given the Black Sesame- seed treatment, the resulting couple-bite-sized frozen treat is intriguingly tasty, and an instant conversation starter during your dinner-party dessert course.” – Trader Joe’s
https://www.tiktok.com/tag/blacksesamemochi
Trader Joe’s Cottage Cheese Economics
26 Jul 2025 3 Comments
in All Natural, dairy, Staple, Trader Joes, update, vegetarian, WhatsGoodAtTJ? Tags: economics, economy, Food, good deals, maximize your dollar, pricing, Products, Trader Joes
Trader Joe’s Cottage Cheese (small curd, whole milk)
For $2.99 you can buy their excellent of cottage cheese in a one pound container.
But for only a dollar more, you will get twice as much. The big container has two pounds. That works out to about two dollars a pound instead of three dollars a pound for the smaller tub. Two dollars a pound is an amazing deal.
12 grams of protein per 1/2 cup!
All which is why I now only buy the big tub (32 oz) of cottage cheese. It just a way better deal economically, so my suggestion is buy the big one. One way or another it will get used. It is good for at least a month if not more. More ideas for using cottage cheese are below.
(UPDATE! They just raised the price from $3.99 to $4.29 Argh!$#@!!)
Update 2 (Oct 2025) Just about a month after that increase I see they raised the price again!!! It went up to $4.49. I can’t help thinking someone at Trader Joe’s read my first post and decided to up the price on us! Argh#!##%
BTW I understand people are now using it for Smoothies!
https://www.eatingbirdfood.com/cottage-cheese-smoothie/
Ideas follow:
https://www.foodandwine.com/cottage-cheese-recipes-tik-tok-8703529
Original review with some more ideas
Trader Joe’s Rants & Raves (mostly raves, a few rants) 
Recent Comments