A Trader Joe’s fan blog with some NYC attitude. Mostly raves with a few rants.
17 Jul 2023 Leave a comment
in All Natural, General, Italian, New, News, organic, Pantry, Prices, Products, Rave, recipe, Recipes, Staple, Trader Joes, Uncategorized, update, vegetarian, WhatsGoodAtTJ? Tags: Food, no preservatives, product, Products, review, Trader Joes, vegetarian
NEW PRODUCT section. Five different shaped pastas. Trader Joe’s organic pasta is really good quality pastas and this new one looks like a good addition to the lineup. One thing that came to mind looking at these shapes was it could be good for a cold summer pasta salad. $1.99 for 1 lb bag. PS- Her first summer pasta dish looks like it uses a very similar mix of these shapes.
16 Jul 2023 4 Comments
in General, New, News, Pantry, pet, pets, Products, Rave, snacks, Staple, Trader Joes Tags: cat, cats, product, Products, review, snacks, Trader Joes, treats
“MADE WITH REAL CHICKEN”
These were in the NEW PRODUCTS sections and when I saw this package I couldn’t resist getting it for my felines Aspen & Kuro to “guest review” for the blog. Let’s face it, this package is just too cute and makes you want to buy it. As far as my Guest Reviewers, all I can tell you when I opened up the bag both of my cats immediately went bonkers. They loved these and went crazy, even trying to tear the bag right out of my hands!
The package says “Made with real chicken”. OK but to be honest Joe, the first ingredient listed is “chicken meal” and lower down the list it says “chicken”. These treats list “Chicken meal, potato starch, rice flour, bone marrow, chicken, chicken fat….”
Ingredient wise I don’t think these treats hold up to little jar of cat treats I regularly buy at Trader Joe’s, the really good Bench & Fields HOLISTIC CAT TREATS. Still if you want to give your cats a different treat they may love these, especially if they don’t like the B&F treats which are fishy. My cats love both brands. These treats come out to 4 calories per treat. With 19% protein (B&F has 32%) . These treat are $2.99 a bag (5 oz)
These treats are way better than another cat treats TJ’s once sold a few years back and thankfully dropped. That one listed potatoes as the first ingredient.
I do hope though TJ’s plans on keeping the Bench & Fields treats and not replacing them with these. Over the last few years Trader Joe’s have really screwed us pet owners, especially us cat owners with horrendous changes , like completely dropping carry any canned cat food, dropping TJ’s own brand of dry cat food and most maddening to me, dropping their TJ Pine Kitty Litter which was so convenient to buy at TJ’s for a reasonable price. ARGH!!!#$! At least they still are carrying B&F Natural Dry Cat food which is an excellent dry food.
25 Jun 2023 Leave a comment
in General, Health & Beauty, Home Goods, New, News, Prices, Products, Rave, Staple, Trader Joes, Uncategorized, update, WhatsGoodAtTJ? Tags: beach, body, body butter, cream, creme, deal, health and beauty, inexpensive, product, Products, Rave, review, skin, skin care, Trader Joes, treatment, women
All of Trader Joe’s versions of body butter are good. My wife and I love the smell of their Pumpkin Body Butter which might be seasonal?
However I have to admin that this new one, Trader Joe’s BRAZIL NUT Body Butter, seems even better though than the other one’s. This has the addition of oils from “Bertholetia Excelsa Seeds” (aka Brazil Nuts) plus other ingredients from Brazil, like Acaî and Guarana. When we compared the Pumpkin Butter to this Brazil Nut Butter, this one has a creamier feel. It’s just a dollar more than the pumpkin body butter.
I even read online somewhere that this very reasonable TJ’s product ($6) is being called similar to a crazy expensive brand called Bum Bum Brazilian body creme which is something like 5 times the price of this one… Honestly I wouldn’t know about that, however my wife and I both thought this body butter was very creamy and smooth and it made our skin feel smoother and smelled terrific.
Trader Joe’s BRAZIL NUT BODY BUTTER is $5.99 for 8 oz. TJ’s also has two other related Brazil Nut products, a body wash and a body scrub. My wife and I said we’d buy this again.
“Thick, rich, and smelling of summer, this mega-moisturizer is crafted with an impressive list of ingredients, including coconut oil, shea butter, açai extract, guarana extract, and, of course, bertholletia excelsa seed oil—a.k.a. Brazil nut seed oil.”
https://www.traderjoes.com/home/products/pdp/brazil-nut-body-butter-071211
23 Jun 2023 1 Comment
in All Natural, cereal, Dried Fruits and Nuts, fresh, New, News, Pantry, Prices, Products, Rave, Staple, Trader Joes, Uncategorized, WhatsGoodAtTJ? Tags: Food, gluten free, healthy, no preservatives, product, Products, Rave, review, Trader Joes
I liked this granola. Its a bit different from TJ’s regular oat based granolas – which by the way are gluten free if made from oats!)
This Loaded Fruit and Nut Gluten Free Granola is made with corn for one thing, in the shape of some thick corn flake things…they are round cup shapes that are kind of a very thick and crunchy “corn flakes” TJ says they’re “super crunchy, lightly sweetened, corn-based, cup-shaped, circular flakes”.
It also has some rice based small round things that may remind you of Rice Crispies but much better of course. It has just enough fruit and nuts to justify the name “loaded”. I still usually toss in a few dried cranberries. This gluten free granola is super crunchy. It holds up very well to milk, and it matches great with yogurt. I like this as nice super crunchy topping on my morning yogurt & fruit. “Enjoy it as a snack right out of the bag”
Yes do I like this stuff by itself as a snack, again super crunchy. TIP: I usually turn the bag a few times and shake it to distribute all the things before pouring some out. TJ’s GLUTEN FREE GRANOLA is $3.99 for a 12 oz bag. It contains among other things, almonds, coconut, hazel nuts, pecans, Brazil nuts, raisins, cranberries, coconut….
I would buy it again.
https://www.traderjoes.com/home/products/pdp/gluten-free-granola-loaded-fruit-and-nut-096330
20 Jun 2023 Leave a comment
in All Natural, Asian, condiments, DIY, General, Home Goods, hot sauce, jar, New, News, organic, Pantry, Prices, Rave, snacks, spices, Staple, sweets, Trader Joes, Uncategorized, update, vegetarian, WhatsGoodAtTJ? Tags: Food, healthy, honey, no preservatives, organic, product, Products, Rave, review, spicy, Trader Joes, vegan gluten free, vegetarian
Trader Joe’s SPICY HONEY; it’s honey with chili, so obviously sweet and spicy. Make that Quite Spicy!
Now back in 2010, I had first heard of something called “Mike’s Hot Honey” . It created a bit of a buzz in the NYC food scene when it came out. I actually first tasted Mike’s Hot Honey on a delicious pizza from Paulie Gee’s in Greenpoint, Brooklyn that Mike had come up working there doing pizzas. His Arugula Pizza with Honey was Mike’s hot honey drizzled over fresh arugula on the pizza after it came out of the oven. The whole thing was just terrific. Also the place (if you can, go try a Paulie Gee’s pizza). Mike was marketing his hot honey (his was made with a Brazilian birdseye chili). Hot Honey began to catch on with chefs. Hot honey became a thing. Other vendors came out with similar products. Trader Joe’s jumped on the hot honey bandwagon too a few years ago. They came up with what they call “Spicy Honey”. TJ’s spicy honey is quite good. It’s quite spicy as I said so you use it sparingly, just drizzles of it at the end on something. Interestingly I just realized as I had a bottle Trader Joe’s first sold it in an 8 oz container and the sold it for I think $3. Recently they increased both the price and the size. Its now 12 oz for $5. It’s Organic too I think. This is really Terrific if you’re into Sweet and Savory. I drizzled some on my Japanese Curry Rice last night, perfect addition.
“From something as simple as a baked sweet potato to something as rich as a slice of New York Cheesecake, a drizzling of Organic Spicy Honey Sauce instantly gives anything it’s added to an extra element of complexity. Try it on sandwiches, pizza, or shrimp tacos for an elevated everyday eating experience. Give it a go over pan-fried Gnocchi, roasted carrots, or barbecued meat skewers for a bit of gourmet experimentation…”
-Trader Joe’s description
https://www.traderjoes.com/home/products/pdp/organic-spicy-honey-sauce-069094
12 Jun 2023 Leave a comment
in dairy, fresh, frozen, General, ice cream, Mexican, New, News, Prices, Products, Rave, snacks, sweets, Trader Joes, Uncategorized, update, WhatsGoodAtTJ? Tags: Food, no preservatives, product, Products, Rave, review, Trader Joes
If you’ve never heard of it before, “horchata” is a beloved and famous Mexican drink. It’s made from milk, rice, water and cinnamon and super refreshing served ice cold on a hot day. I didn’t know of horchata until I first visited Mexico years ago. I absolutely fell in love with it with my first sip.
Well this new ice cream from Trader Joe’s is “inspired” by this Mexican drink. They say its a “sweet cinnamon and rice ice cream with horchata flavored cookie pieces”. The little pieces add little bits of crunchiness in the smooth ice cream. I found TJ’s new flavor to be quite good. In fact, our pint went pretty fast! Here’s what TJ’s has to say….
https://www.traderjoes.com/home/products/pdp/horchata-ice-cream-074184“The popular Latin American beverage called horchata [or-cha-ta] is creamy and sweet, like ice cream. With no good excuse not to, we decided to take it all the way there—from smooth beverage to frozen dessert! Trader Joe’s Horchata Inspired Ice Cream delivers all the delicious flavors of horchata in every spoonful.
Like many ice creams, its rich base includes cream, milk, egg yolks, and cane sugar. We horchatized it by adding cinnamon and brown rice flour, plus a touch of sea salt. And since inclusions are fun, we also added pieces of horchata-flavored cookies, contributing a nice textural variation.”
A pint of Trader Joe’s HORCHATA ICE CREAM is $3.79.
06 Jun 2023 Leave a comment
in All Natural, condiments, General, New, News, Pantry, Prices, Products, Rave, spices, Staple, Trader Joes, Uncategorized, update, vegetarian, WhatsGoodAtTJ? Tags: Food, no preservatives, product, Products, Trader Joes, vegan gluten free, vegetarian
“Delicate flakes of Kosher salt perfect for finishing steaks, seafood, and veggies”
You may wonder as I did, why is Trader Joe’s selling huge boxes of Diamond Crystal Kosher Salt? Well if you’ve watched The Bear or seen any chef cooking on TV or Youtube you may have noticed almost every one seems to use – and specify – Diamond Crystal Kosher Salt in their cooking. Its the “Go To” salt for most professional cooks and has even gotten trendy now. It may be on THE BEAR but my Grandma (and probably yours too) used it for 70+ years.
If a recipe specifies “1 tsp Kosher Salt” please know you that is you put that amount of regular table salt, it will be too salty. The bigger coarser grains take up more room than a fine salt if you are measuring it. Now I haven’t bought Diamond Crystal for a few years and when I saw this at Trader Joe’s the other day I got sticker shock seeing how much Kosher Salt seems to be now! $8.99 for a 3 lb. box?! ($3 bucks per pound!) Wow, I am pretty sure the last time I bought a box a few years back I paid about $5 so it’s really gone up, probably thanks in part to becoming Trendy via social media.
By contrast Trader Joe’s sells their regular Sea Salt (fine) for about $2 for over 1 1/2 lbs. However I am seeing “kids” (to me that is) buying the Diamond Crystal at Trader Joe’s recently. I was able to find a 1 pound box of kosher salt for about $2 on Amazon. (But it’s Morton’s brand not Diamond Crystal and you can’t just use the same amount, use less)
What even is Kosher Salt and is really the best (Bon Appetit)?
With minimalist branding and a higher price point, the salt brand is now chasing after “the aspiring home chef.”
The NY Times even wrote a whole piece about DIAMOND CRYSTAL !
(you may have to register to read)
01 Jun 2023 1 Comment
in All Natural, jar, New, News, organic, Pantry, Prices, Products, Rave, Staple, sweets, Trader Joes, Uncategorized, update, vegetarian, WhatsGoodAtTJ? Tags: Food, jam, jelly, no preservatives, organic, preserves, product, Products, Rave, review, Trader Joes, vegan, vegan gluten free, vegetarian
I really liked this blueberry preserve Trader Joe’s has come out with, which uses wild organic blueberries from “the Canadian Boreal Forest“. It has an intense and delicious flavor of wild blueberries which are much smaller than cultivated ones. It’s very tasty though I found it a bit on the sweet side, borderline overly sweet, so what I like to do with jams I find too sweet is tame down the sweetness with some lemon juice. I added the juice of about a 1/4 of a fresh lemon into the jar and mixed it in. That did the trick for me, cutting down the sweetness with some more acid and adding a very nice subtle lemon undertone. It made it even better and really improved the whole thing. So my recommendation is buy a lemon with this jam (if you didn’t have one already in the fridge).
TIP: after adding the lemon juice I add a little piece of the lemon rind and throw that it in to the jam for even more flavor from the rind’s oil. Just push it to the bottom.
The Organic Wild Blueberry Preserve is $4.49 for a 17.5 oz jar. Not cheap but then it is Certified Organic and taste-wise I would say this stuff is certainly a Gourmet Level jam. Probably elsewhere (say Whole Paycheck?) a similar one would probably go for more like six or seven dollars. Try this on just about anything but I really think it would be heavenly on a slice of TJ’s Sliced Brioche bread, toasted with butter, spread with the blueberry preserves. Ditto on an English Muffin, toasted Crumpet or on your pancakes….
Trader Joe’s says: “Our supplier takes wild, organic blueberries, harvested from the Canadian Boreal Forest, and simmers them with organic cane sugar to complement their pleasantly tart and rich blueberry flavor.”
https://www.traderjoes.com/home/products/pdp/organic-blueberry-preserves-075999
I would buy this again.
19 May 2023 2 Comments
in All Natural, cereal, dairy, DIY, Dried Fruits and Nuts, fresh, General, New, News, organic, Pantry, Products, Rave, recipe, Recipes, snacks, Staple, sweets, Trader Joes, Uncategorized, update, vegetarian, WhatsGoodAtTJ? Tags: ingredients, kid friendly, kids, product, Products, Rave, review, snacks, three, Trader Joes
You may have heard of this super popular “recipe” if you can call it that, which is all over the internet. It makes a healthy snack or dessert. Basically there are actually two ingredients: chia seeds and almond milk (or whatever “milk” you want). Here ya go.
RECIPE: CHIA SEED PUDDING
In a glass or small jar, put about 2 tablespoon of TJ’s chia seeds. Next add about 1/2 cup of any kind of milk beverage (like almond milk). Give it a little stir. There are no rules that you must use almond milk, just use whatever you like best. Me, I alternate all the time between OAT, ALMOND or SOY MILK depending on my mood. Option: Add a bit of honey or any of your preferred sweetener (agave, maple syrup) and stir that in. While optional it does add some flavor and if you have kids you must use something like that. All you do now is wait for it to thicken so put it in the fridge and let the mixture sit in the fridge for at least about 30-60 minutes but it sets up best if you let it sit for 8-12 hours or overnight. When ready to serve put some fruit on top, or even something crunchy like Granola.
Chia seed pudding is super easy to make and of course very healthy. Now there is no rule that you can’t have use more ingredients and include a few other things. I usually mix in some yogurt or kefir too with the oat milk and sometimes add a few dried fruits like dried cranberries in. Basically figure about 1/2 cup of liquid to about 2 tablespoon of the chia seeds. If that is too thick (or not thick enough) adjust with more or less chia seeds until you get the consistency you, or your kids, prefer. This is a great snack.
06 May 2023 4 Comments
in All Natural, coffee, New, Pantry, Prices, Products, Rave, Staple, Trader Joes, Uncategorized, vegetarian, WhatsGoodAtTJ? Tags: african, coffee, Food, healthy, no preservatives, product, Products, review, Trader Joes, Uganda, Ugandan, vegetarian
Amazing stuff. I had read somewhere on the ‘Net that this Ugandan coffee was one of the best coffees Trader Joe’s has offered, so I told myself I had to check it out. I had seen it sitting in the NEW ITEMS shelf but I was done shopping and had too much to carry already, so made a mental note to buy a bag the next day. Well when I went back, as luck would have it there were no more bags. My bad luck. It sold out. Of course by their very nature “small lot” means these coffees come in a limited batch from small producers. Think a Limited Editions.
Fortunately it just so happened that my upstairs neighbor, another big TJ’s fan, happened to have gotten some of this coffee. Yeah baby! She generously offered me some of the coffee, so that I could review it.
Well right after grinding it, it smelled so fantastic that I had very high hopes. I mean it smelled AMAZINGLY good. Then I brewed it up and wow was I impressed.
I was almost shocked at just how good this coffee tastes. Not to mention this may be the first time I’d even tried a coffee from Uganda come to think of it. I am sold. A fan. I definitely agreed with all those who gave this high marks. This must be one of the best coffees I’ve tried from Trader Joe’s, period.
The Mountains of the Moon UGANDA RWENZORI coffee is just a fantastic tasting coffee, which I found wonderfully balanced. To my taste buds its just perfect, hitting all right notes. Bold and robust but not over powering, it was both a little sweet and a little bitter, both smooth and robust, tasting surely like an “African” coffee a little ascertic and winy and yes even had those “notes of chocolate” describe on the bag. This is just terrific. Also TJ’s got it right that this is actually a “medium roast” as described (sometimes TJ’s roast descriptions are off). I loved this coffee and want more. I’m crossing my fingers we see it again (might be next harvest?) If by any chance you see it, do yourself a favor and grab a bag if you can. I have a feeling anyone who considers themselves a coffee lover is going to love this. If/when I see it again, I will be sure to stock up on a few bags. ($8.99 12 oz bag, whole bean)
Trader Joe’s Rants & Raves (mostly raves, a few rants) 
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