“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?
Trader Joe’s Baladi Egyptian Sourdough Pocket Bread (pita)
19 Aug 2025 10 Comments
in All Natural, baked, Blog, bread, fresh, frozen, hot sauce, New, News, Pantry, Trader Joes, WhatsGoodAtTJ? Tags: Arab, Arabic, bread, Cooking, dinner, Egyptian, Food, gluten, healthy, Levant, Middle Eastern, no preservatives, pita, pocket, product, Products, Rave, recipe, Recipes, review, Trader Joes, vegan, vegetarian, viral
(Scroll to end for latest update on the status of these which have been MIA for months!)
RAVE
“Perfect for hummus and dips and for sandwiches. Heat and enjoy!” (frozen)
I really love good pita bread. The fresh “pita bread original pockets” at Trader Joe’s have been OK in a pinch but its far from what I would call good pita (not too mention they used to give you 6 and now its just 4! Shrinkflation in action)
This “original pita bread” ($1.59) Trader Joe’s is fairly large, and on the thin side. I’ve always found these quite not sturdy enough to count on to make a pocket in, and hold the food. They kind of tend to fall apart when you fill them with ingredients as you are eating them.
This has changed with this new pocket bread/pita.
With the new Egyptian Baladi sourdough pocket bread Trader Joe’s finally has an excellent and authentic pita which is sturdy enough to split open and make a pocket that will hold ingredients, for say a falafal sandwich. And it’s Delicious. The BALADI SOURDOUGH POCKET BREADS are made by an Egyptian bakery for Trader Joe’s. So the real McCoy. These say “Product of Egypt”. Baked, then frozen, so as close to fresh as possible.
Trader Joe’s says: “We now offer Trader Joe’s Baladi Egyptian Sourdough Pocket Bread in our freezers. Made for us by a supplier in Egypt, these versatile (vegan) Baladi Pocket Breads take only a matter of minutes… to heat… before they’re puffed up, toasty, and ready to eat. Once heated, they have a tasty, slightly tangy Sourdough tinge to their flavor profile, and are ideal for stuffing with your favorite fillings. We’re partial to going with a classic combo of Falafel, chopped cucumbers, and our Garlic Spread-Dip, though they’re equally excellent when stuffed with our Gyros or Shawarma Chicken Thighs, too. And, of course, you can just serve them for dipping in hummus or tahini, as they do in Egypt.”
https://www.traderjoes.com/home/products/pdp/baladi-egyptian-sourdough-pocket-bread-078015
Here is my honest review of Baladi Pocket Bread. Wow. These are EXCELLENT. A great product. I was so impressed at how good these are and found them these pita breads to be so tasty and satisfying. They were even delicious just eaten simply with butter on them too as bread with our meal. Versatile. Between this new Baladi pocket bread and TJ’s Lavash I am super happy to have these Middle Eastern bread options.
Nice light whole wheat flavor. Natural ingredients. No preservatives. They come frozen in a resealable bag, with 5 breads inside the package and cost just $2.29. What a great deal. They are soft, fluffy inside yet sturdy enough for a pocket, or to use to scoop up any dip like hummus or what have you, pick up foods, hold up to falafal, or use for any sandwich, or even I think used as the base for mini pizza (see below).
Match these with your favorite hummus for sure!
HEATING: I took them out for about 10 minutes, left them out on the counter to defrost a bit (optional). I heated them, trying two ways; in the oven and on top of the stove in a covered pan. About 4-5 minutes. Both methods worked fine. In a pinch you could nuke them from frozen, but I think they will still benefit from a few seconds over the burners turning and flipping for the best texture like they just came out fresh from the oven they were baked in.
180 calories per bread. 7g protein
You will love these as much as I did.
Baladi Pocket Bread (5 breads, 14 oz) $2.29 (under 50 cents each!)
I would buy them again.
PS – I did try them for the base for pizza. Came out quite tasty! I’d say it kind of worked for a pizza base, if you are OK with the knife and fork kind of pizza. Next time I may split one open and just use the half for a thinner base, and see if I can get more of a bake on the bottom and get it more crisped up. Worth trying for easy pizza.
How to make real aish baladi pita bread
https://www.mycookingjourney.com/aish-baladi-egyptian-flatbread-vegan-flatbread/
“This is so good, it’s home. This might actually make me cry,” says TikToker @foozydoes after tasting TJ’s new Egytptian Aish-Beladi.
UPDATE – (Aug/Sept ’25) Unfortunately Trader Joe’s Sold Out of all the stock of these quickly as these seemed to have gone Viral on social media soon after they first appeared. Trader Joe’s staff looked it up for me and said, they are waiting for new stock to arrive, Late Fall or Early winter. They expected it sooner but that it was likely held up due to tariffs(!)
UPDATE 2 – MID OCT 2025 – HURRAY! THESE ARE FINALLY BACK!!
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.
\
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 “Creamy Dreamy Hummus”
29 Jul 2025 1 Comment
in All Natural, bread, condiments, DIY, fresh, General, Meh, New, News, Prices, Products, review, Trader Joes, vegetarian Tags: healthy, no preservatives, product, Products, review, Trader Joes, vegan gluten free, vegetarian
Trader Joe’s has come out with a ton of HUMMUS varieties as you probably know from checking the shelves….
“(we’ve come out with versions like) …. Roasted Red Pepper, Olive Tapenade, and Crunchy Chili Onion. But even aside from adding flavors, just adjusting the proportions of one of the existing base ingredients yields remarkable results. Take Trader Joe’s Dreamy Creamy Hummus, for instance. Here, our supplier doubles the amount of tahini of a standard hummus recipe to create a texture so thick, rich, and exquisitely Creamy that it’s simply Dreamy.”
https://www.traderjoes.com/home/products/pdp/creamy-dreamy-hummus-080337
Ingredients as you know must be listed in order of quantity. When I looked at the label closely, I was a little surprised to see the first ingredient listed here is actually water, not chickpeas, which are listed second.
This is the reverse of (for example) the Organic Hummus which I liked (label below). As you can see in that version, chickpeas are the first ingredient. I mean, of course, right? Pretty sure any recipe witll list chickpeas as the main ingredients. The Organic Hummus list first “Fresh steamed chickpeas” with water, which is needed to smooth out the chickpeas, as the second ingredient.
Knowing that the “creamy dreamy” has more water than chickpeas in it is kind of a turn off to me. So I kind of think I would not buy this “dreamy” one again.
Creamy Dreamy Hummus $2.49
2 TBLS, about 50 cal
- WATER
- CHICKPEAS
- TAHINI (PUREED SESAME SEEDS)
- SEA SALT
- DEHYDRATED GARLIC
- CITRIC ACID (ACIDIFIER)
- GUAR GUM
The hummus at Trader Joe’s I usually get are the Mediterranean, Roasted Garlic and Organic hummus. I’ve found all of those pretty solid choices. I will pass on this one.
Seen at Trader Joe’s: MUM PLANTS (chrysanthemums)
25 Jul 2025 Leave a comment
in All Natural, Asian, frozen, Health & Beauty, Home Goods, New, News, organic, Pantry, plants, Prices, Products, Rave, review, seasonal, Staple, Trader Joes, Uncategorized, update, WhatsGoodAtTJ? Tags: chrysanthemums, healthy, live, mums, no preservatives, plants, pot, Products, Trader Joes, vegetarian
I got one of these lovely yellow live Mums live potten plant for my wife yesterday. They looked super healthy. These cost only five bucks, not a bad deal at all.
Mums are pretty hardy. If indoors, they need a good window that gets some good sun for about 6 hours. Keep them a bit moist.
Trader Joe’s Chrysanthemum Plants $4.99 (summer 2025)
PLANT CARE: Caring for mums (chrysanthemums) involves providing them with proper sunlight, water, and soil conditions, as well as occasional fertilization and deadheading. Mums are generally low-maintenance but thrive with a few key care practices. Mums need at least six hours of direct sunlight per day to bloom well. Choose a location that receives ample sunlight, whether in the garden or on a patio. For potted mums, ensure they get enough light, but avoid intense midday sun which can fade blooms. Watering: Mums prefer moist but not waterlogged soil. Water regularly, especially during dry spells, ensuring the soil is kept moist but not soggy. Potted mums may need more frequent watering than those in the ground. Deadheading: Remove spent blooms (deadheading) to encourage more flowering and keep the plant looking tidy. Simply pinch or cut off the faded flower heads.
Trader Joe’s UMAMI MUSHROOM SEASONING
23 Jul 2025 1 Comment
in All Natural, Asian, fresh, General, jar, News, Pantry, pasta, pescatarian, plants, Prices, Products, Rave, recipe, Recipes, review, seafood, spices, Staple, Trader Joes, Uncategorized, update, vegetarian, WhatsGoodAtTJ? Tags: blend, Cooking, dinner, Food, healthy, no preservatives, product, Products, Rave, recipe, Recipes, review, seasoning, spices, Trader Joes, umami, vegan gluten free
“Have you heard about umami? You’ve most certainly tasted it, even if you’ve never heard the word. Umami is the word used to describe the fifth taste – in addition to sweet, salty, sour, and bitter. Taken from Japanese, the word translates to ‘pleasant savory taste’, and really, it’s just that. And it’s really just something you’re going to want to put on everything. To create this Umami Seasoning Blend, we began with kosher salt, and used a flavor base of porcini and white button mushrooms – earthy mushroom flavor really is the cornerstone of umami, which is why we named it Mushroom & Company. The ingredient list also includes onion, mustard seed, red & black pepper, and thyme… If you follow an eating plan like we do, also known as Anything and Everything, Trader Joe’s Mushroom & Company Multipurpose Umami Seasoning Blend will elevate the flavors of Anything and Everything, a sprinkle at a time” – Trader Joe’s
I’ve read some discussions on Reddit where people wonder if this seasoning actually “does anything”. Trust me, it does. Trader Joe’s Mushroom & Company Multipurpose Seasoning Blend is useful. It contains two kinds of mushrooms, porcini and button, along with other seasonings. Mushrooms contain glutamates. Glutamates give food that “umami” taste.
Sometimes when I’m making something and it just tastes a little flat, and I don’t know what to add to make it taste better, I frequently turn and try adding a bit of this seasoning (aka Magic Mushroom Powder) and it usually does just the trick of making things just taste better. Seriously you won’t know until you’ve tried this magic powder. For just one little instance where I use this really useful is ground turkey. I add this seasoning to ground turkey to improve it’s bland flavor, for example making turkey burgers. They are vastly improved with the Umami seasoning. Or chicken, fish, veggies, tofu, eggs or frankly anything for that matter.
As this blend does contains some salt, you want to use a little less salt than you normally might add, Use this and correct the seasoning to see if any additional salt is needed. However I don’t find this seasoning blend to be a salt bomb, it’s got a lot of other ingredients. I’ve even come up with using this seasoning to create a little veggie broth in a pinch.
I would buy this again.
Trader Joe’s Mushroom & Company Multipurpose Seasoning Blend, $2.99 (2 oz)
NEW @ Trader Joe’s FRIED SHALLOTS
22 Jul 2025 1 Comment
in All Natural, Asian, baked, condiments, fresh, General, New, News, Pantry, Prices, Products, recipe, Recipes, review, snacks, spices, Staple, Trader Joes, Uncategorized, update, vegetarian, WhatsGoodAtTJ? Tags: Food, new item, no preservatives, product, Products, Rave, review, shallot, South East Asia, Thai, Trader Joes, vegetarian, Vietnamese
Fried shallots, particularly crispy fried shallots, are a popular topping or garnish in various cuisines, adding a savory and crunchy element to dishes. I have read so many Thai, Vietnamese, Indian or other recipes that start with frying up some shallots till crispy for a topping to be used later. Many South East Asian dishes use them for a finishing touch. Cooks here just love them though they are a bit of a pain to make, so to just open up this package and have some to use makes these super handy.
Trader Joe’s came out this new item, a foil pouch of fried shallots which you can use in various ways. They have a very crispy texture, nice delicate flavor and a little bit of crunch. The foil pouch has a seal so they will stay crispy too.
Crispy shallot slices are fantastic sprinkled over all kinds of things, for example chicken, fish, chops and burgers, and just as good on salads or vegetables.
Trader Joe’s has say this about them which includes a few ideas and ways for us to use them:
“Made for us by an esteemed supplier in Thailand, who specializes in crispy-fried veggies like these… we love about this versatile, tasty topper. We also love that sprinkling of Trader Joe’s Fried Shallots will spruce up a salad, soup, or chili-laden baked potato. We adore how they wake up the flavors of a weeknight casserole or slice of leftover pizza. We’re utterly taken with the texture they add when used as a topping for a taco, burger, or sandwich. And we’d be remiss if we didn’t mention how head over heels we are over their uses in savory baking, homemade appetizer dips, or, when given a spin in the food processor, as super flavorful breading for a chicken cutlet.”
https://www.traderjoes.com/home/products/pdp/fried-shallots-077785
$2.49 bag (5 oz)
VEGAN
Product of Thailand
Trader Joe’s Whole Wheat LAVASH FLATBREAD
16 Jul 2025 4 Comments
in All Natural, baked, bread, cheese, condiments, fresh, New, News, Pantry, Prices, Products, Rave, review, snacks, Staple, Trader Joes, vegetarian, WhatsGoodAtTJ? Tags: air fryer, Armenian, bread, breads, Flatbread, Food, healthy, hummus, Levant, low carb, Middle Eastern, no preservatives, pizza, product, Products, Rave, recipe, Recipes, review, Trader Joes, vegetarian, versatile, whole grains, Whole Wheat
“Trader Joe’s authentic Lavash Flatbread is a delicious and versatile alternative to sliced bread for sandwiches. Use for wrap sandwiches, burritos, soft tacos or flatbread pizza”
What’s Lavash? Its a traditional Armenian / Middle Eastern flatbread. In 2014, lavash was added to UNESCO’s list of Intangible Cultural Heritage, highlighting its cultural significance
I’ve been wanting to try TJ’s Lavash for awhile and finally got around to it. In short, I really liked Trader Joe’s LAVASH. This bread is a great Trader Joe’s product. I give this a big thumbs up.
As you can see in the picture, it’s a thin flatbread. It comes in a large square and is soft and flexible, especially after warming. Its good for many things, like making sandwich wraps or roll-ups, thin sandwiches, tacos, burrito type dishes or just using it to scoop up hummus or any kind of dip or pieces of food for that matter. Grilled meat or chicken? Great as a base for little cheese bites. Wrap some grilled halloumi cheese up in this. You could use it to make a Club Sandwich as they suggest on the package. This bread can even used as the base for making a thin pizza. (someone left a Comment here that they make pizza in the Air Fryer with this lavash) Again, this stuff is really versatile.
https://foodaciously.com/recipe/lavash-wrap
The Lavash becomes better warmed up a little bit. It will get more flexible and softer, so easier to roll. To warm it, I usually just put it right on the burner for about 10 seconds moving it around and flipping it. Or sometimes I warm in a pan or griddle, covered.
Once warm eat right away or keep the lavash warm as you would tortillas when you serve.
The sheets are large but are scored in the middle so they can be torn in half easily. To store it more than a day or two I keep the Lavash in the freezer, tightly sealed. It’s so thin it can defrost in just a few minutes and I am usually tossing it on a burner or into a pan to warm it.
It you baked it it would get crispy enough that it could be like a pita chip.
I like the Egg Burrito suggestion they have on the package: warm the lavash, add scrambled eggs and grated cheese and roll up like a burrito.
Its made with Whole Wheat so healthy. It’s low fat as it is so thin and low cal. A 1/2 flatbread has only 90 calories, yet has 5 gr of Protein and is a good source of fiber. It is also LOW CARB as its so thin.
Lavash is quite versatile, and as you explore using it, you will find many ways to use this interesting tasty flatbread. Again,perfect for scooping up hummus and middle eastern mezze or other dishes. Use it like Naan with Indian foods.
TIP: The lavash paired perfectly with Trader Joe’s Middle Eastern BEEF KEBABS. I cooked the kebabs, and put them in warm lavash with a garlic yogurt sauce with arugula; Or use the Tzaziki. Yum!! Basically a 2 ingredient meal….
Trader Joe’s Whole Wheat Lavash Flatbread, $2.99 (10.5 oz, 295g)
4 large squares per package (or 8 half squares)
I would buy it again
Trader Joe’s Rants & Raves (mostly raves, a few rants) 
Recent Comments