Trader Joe’s got two new artisan pastas in this month. A spiral radiatore and this SQUARE shaped rigatoni. Both look perfect for our favorite (hearty?) sauce.
I got the square rigatoni to start with for review as I have never seen a square rigatoni before and could not resist trying it. It looks cool, right? First thing I thought was this: but after cooking is this going to stay square when it’s softer?! Well guess what, the answer: YES it does stay square as you can see….
TJ’s says this: ” What makes this pasta noteworthy? It starts with the Italian pasta maker sourcing high-quality, organic, and local durum wheat semolina, then going the extra mile to mill the flour themselves. High-quality tools are equally essential —bronze-coated extruders are used to produce thick, textured noodles that deliver a perfectly al dente texture, which helps support the heftiness of its partnered sauce while maintaining a delicate chew….Pair this uniquely shaped Pasta with a hearty Bolognese sauce and be in awe of how much sauce clings to, and even fills, each noodle. It is a natural choice for baked pasta dishes, as it can hold up well in a casserole without losing its shape.”
I just made the simplest pasta that day just to test it out quickly just butter and cheese; We liked this pasta quite a bit. Its great and tasty of course as I’ve found all of the artisan pastas from Italy the sell are (these are all high end pastas, organic durum semolina, bronze die cut….) But ideally this shape will excel and be perfect for a heartier sauce, especially something like a Bolognese or ragu, meat sauce as they suggest, or a baked pasta. Greek Pastitsio anyone?
Cooking time on the bag is 13-14 minutes. This two new ones including this one were $1.99 (1 lb) I would buy it again (PS they say these two new pastas are LIMITED editions, grab them while you can)
I just saw these at my Trader Joe’s in the new items section next to the checkout line : they had these cute little plants in jars with a light. Scary cute. They call them “LIGHT UP CEMETARIUM”
A combination of TERRARIUM and CEMETERY?
In the glass jar there’s a plastic skull, and a gravestone that says RIP which has a ghostly blue light, and a bit of green moss, one air plant (Tillandsia) and a spiky spotted succulent (Haworthia).
“they contain some green moss, a spiky Haworthia plant, and a willowy tillandsia, along with a menacing skull and light-up headstone….. (CARE) requires only minimal care (simply mist the tillandsia once a week, and lightly water the Haworthia once every couple weeks)” “We particularly love the eerie way the blue light from their headstones casts shadows from the plants when placed in a dark room.”
“Great for gifting to anyone with a ghoulish sense of decor, and ideal for displaying at your desk during the autumn months, our Light-Up Cemetarium is a fanastically phantasmagorical way to celebrate fall.” (- TJ)
This is one of the worthwhile Fall Items that’s “pumpkin”. I gave it a good review previously and will repeat again here, that I loved this for making excellent French Toast.
$4.99; LIMITED SEASONAL ITEM
PS; I also saw this new bread “Sliced Apple Cinnamon Sourdough” but have not had a chance to try it yet. It’s a Fearless Flyer item. Looks interesting!.
“With their skeleton suits and wild green “hairdos,” these playful planters are equal parts Halloween spirit and everyday cheer.”
I love air plants. These are some quirky air plants they just came out with for Fall Season/Halloween; 4 varieties of either cat or dog skeletons (xray ?) planters of TILLANDSIA, a kind of Air Plant which they say only needs the occasional misting. White ones or black ones.
There’s a magnet on these so I can easily imaging them ending up on your Fridge?! Or bathroom mirror?
Funny and cute and with care they should last.
Trader Joe’s BOW WOW MEOW planters airplants, $5.99 (for an air plant i think that’s pretty reasonable, as they are usually fairly pricey)
“Seasonal limited time item.” If you want one, grab while you can.
Google Search: “How do you care for Tillandsia? To care for a Tillandsia (air plant), provide it with bright, indirect light, good air circulation, and water regularly by soaking it in filtered water for 20-30 minutes once a week, or more in dry conditions. After soaking, thoroughly shake off excess water and allow the plant to dry completely on its side or upside down to prevent rot.”
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.
“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)
“To herald the coming of summer, we’re offering Wildberry Cheesecake Ice Cream, featuring the vibrance of wild berries and bits of cheesecake. That’s right: in addition to a dreamy, sweet-cream ice cream base, you’ll find a generous mixed berry swirl (made with blueberries, elderberry juice concentrate, and a blend of raspberry, strawberry & blackberry purees) and tender bits of classic cheesecake.” – Trader Joe’s
Apparently Trader Joe’s had this two years ago, then it vanished. It’s finally made a come back. Someone on Reddit called this a “hidden gem”.
This lists first three ingredient as “cream, milk, cane sugar…” Yes this is actually Ice Cream. Not “ice cream style frozen dessert” . Just compare this to the fake-y tasting “Gelato Style Frozen Dessert” I reviewed. That stuff had coconut oil as the third ingredient. Here the ingredient list here reads like what you expect when you buy ice cream. If you like cheesecake, and see it, I would give it a try. I really liked it.
INGREDIENTS include : Cream, milk, cane sugar, cheesecake pieces…mixed berry swirl with blueberry, raspberry, blackberry, elderberry…
I was on the check out line, next to the ice cream case, and a worker was putting these in the case. There wasn’t even a sign for this ice cream yet but I was intrigued at the name of it. I asked him if he tried it and he said, yes he did and loved it.
So I got one to try. My honest review? Soo good; this is a delicious ice cream that tastes exactly like it’s name. It actually has little pieces of cheese cake in the ice cream mixed with swirls of berry. I found this on target. As good as something Ben and Jerry’s would come out with. It’s a delicious summer treat.
We enjoyed this for July 4th and to make it even more special I added fresh blueberries on top which of course made it even better with fresh fruit.
One thing to note though. As it got softer, and melted together, the important texture of the cheese cake pieces vanished, so try to eat this while it is still pretty cold.
“They’re made for us by pretzel experts out of Wisconsin, who know just the right ratio of ingredients needed to get that rich, mahogany color, delightfully chewy consistency, and malty flavor in every bite. We find that their flavor profile and texture make them a real boon to burgers, and many other styles of sandwich, as well” – Trader Joe’s
I saw these Trader Joe’s PRETZEL BUNS in the bakery section about a week ago. They looked just perfect for a hamburger. I wondered if they would be any good for a burger. Here’s my honest review.
Wow, these are So Good. They were as good as I could have hoped for. My wife really like them too. These buns are just perfect for burgers as well as to make sandwiches with. As soon as I saw them I knew I had to try them with a burger. Somewhere between a pretzel and bun, but leaning way more to the bun side. Don’t worry they’re not pretzels. They’re buns with a hint of pretzels. They are soft but not too soft. They have just the right texture, soft but slightly chewy, especially on the dark exterior. They are just a little bit denser than a regular hamburger bun .
I lightly toasted them for my burgers.
PRETZEL BUNS are $2.99 (4 buns) I would buy these again.
LIMITED (AVAILABLE DURING SUMMER / grilling season)
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