Products | Trader Joe’s Rants & Raves (mostly raves, a few rants)

Trader Joe’s Sliced PUMPKIN SOURDOUGH BREAD with pumpkin purée

16 Sep 2026 Leave a comment

by promacnyc in All Natural, baked, bread, dairy, Fall Season, fresh, General, Holiday, New, News, Pantry, Prices, Products, Rave, recipe, Recipes, review, seasonal, snacks, spices, Staple, sweets, tea, Trader Joes, Uncategorized, vegetarian, WhatsGoodAtTJ?, Xmas season Tags: bread, dinner, fall, Food, gluten, item, Limited, no preservatives, product, Products, Rave, recipe, Recipes, review, Trader Joes, vegetarian

Trader Joe’s Sliced PUMPKIN SOURDOUGH BREAD with pumpkin purée & pumpkin spices

A package of Trader Joe's sliced pumpkin sourdough bread featuring an illustration of a pumpkin and a label indicating it's made with pumpkin puree and spices.

Sliced bread resting on a wooden cutting board, showing a light brown crust and airy interior.

$4.99 (17.6 oz, 500 gr)

NEW ITEM (LIMITED TIME)

As I mention every Fall while I’m not one of those people who goes nuts when Trader Joe’s comes out with all the pumpkin stuff, on occasion I do see something that looks interesting and peaks my interest

Like this : Trader Joe’s SLICED PUMPKIN SOURDOUGH BREAD. I saw loaves of this bread featured in the New Items area. Supposedly shoppers are raving about this bread and snapping it up. So I got one to try out. Here’s my honest review.

I like it, for one thing, that it does taste of pumpkin and its fairly subtle. Not overly flavored with spices which I find cloying. Here those pumpkin spices (cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg) are subtle. It has a slight sweetness but tastes like bread not dessert.

This bread is made with pumpkin puree which is the third ingredient listed (flour, water, pumpkin purée). Its got a nice dense crumb, tastes a tiny bit sweet plus has a tiny bit of tang of sourdough, and that’s in quotation marks as I think of this as a “sourdough style” bread.

As is untoasted, I thought it tasted OK, however like many breads my feeling with this is you need to TOAST it! This is great for toasting or grilling. This bread makes fantastic toast. That is what you want to do with it. First I just toasted it and tried it simple ,just spread with good butter. Simple and delicious. Also excellent with Which Jams? Experiment and find your favorite combo. Trader Joe’s APPLE JAM?

FRENCH TOAST. I didn’t try it yet but I know this Definitely would make fantastic french toast. Make that with this bread over the holidays?

Close-up of a grilled cheese sandwich, cut in half, revealing melted cheese between two slices of toasted bread, with a slice of cucumber on the side.

What about using this for a Grilled Cheese Sandwich? I got the idea somewhere on the internet to make a grilled cheese with this bread. It sounds a little odd but you know what? They were not wrong. We really liked the way these came out.

Cheese: I saw the recommended one to use as Trader Joe’s GRUYERE CHEDDAR MELANGE and that’s what I did.

Here’s the PUMPKIN SOURDOUGH GRILLED CHEESE.

A slice of whole grain bread with large pieces of white cheese on top, partially covered by another slice of bread.

Slice up your Gruyere Cheddar Melange cheese, then spread the bread slices with a thin layer of your favorite mustard. I used a mix of Dijon and Regular mustard. Add a decent amount of cheese and carefully close up the sandwich. Grill in a heavy pan with a bit of butter on medium. Let it grill up for about 3-4 minutes per side until it looks nice and Golden Brown and Delicious (check occasionally after 2 3 minutes, it can get dark easily) Flip the over carefully, press gently with a spatula until the second side is done and the cheese is all melty and delicious. Serve with pickles.

I’m sure also great with a cheddar but I have to say, that gruyere melange perfect, subtle and nutty and matched perfectly with the pumpkin sourdough.

Nutrition facts label for a sliced pumpkin bread from Trader Joe's, including ingredients, serving size, calorie content, and nutritional information.

My only complaint with this its kind of small, just over a pound of the bread for five bucks. Our loaf went pretty fast! We were fighting over who would eat the last slice of this toasted.

1 slice is 110 calories.

Trader Joe’s HAIR OIL and JOJOBA OIL

12 Sep 2026 Leave a comment

by promacnyc in Health & Beauty, New, News, Prices, Products, Rant, Rave, review, Staple, Trader Joes, Uncategorized, update Tags: beauty, cleaner, Food, hair, hair-care, health and beauty, makeup, moisturizer, no preservatives, oil, product, Products, Rave, recipe, Recipes, review, skin, Trader Joes

TRADER JOE’S (pricey) HAIR OIL vs. my recommendation JOJOBA OIL

I’m a guy with curly hair. Long ago I discovered my hair looks better if I just put a little oil on it. So for years I’ve been putting a little bit of some kind of oil on my hair when I get out of the shower. My Go To oil is usually a jar of coconut oil or similar.

I tried Trader Joe’s HAIR OIL. They call it “salon quality”.

https://www.traderjoes.com/home/products/pdp/hair-oil-075750

“Trader Joe’s Hair Oil is filled with a salon-quality Hair Oil that’s made with some of the most sought-after hair care ingredients, including: argan oil, moringa seed oil, chia seed oil, and vitamin E. It helps fight frizz, tame fly-aways, and smooth split ends, all while adding incredible shine. Plus, its moisturizing ingredients help protect against potential damage your hair can sustain from blow dryers and other heat styling tools.

I guess the words, “salon quality” justify the Salon Price of this tiny little bottle. They are selling this little one ounce bottle for six dollars! Here’s my honest review of Trader Joe’s Hair Oil.

I kind of liked Trader Joe’s Hair Oil. It smells nice, Its a little heavy and thick. Over a few days the hole where the oil comes out got gunked up, to the point of almost not working at all. However to me the main thing is this price. This stuff is just WAY too expensive. $5.99 for just one ounce to me seems like a rip-off and very un Trader Joe’s.

Perhaps some of you with way more experience with beauty products might disagree and say well this stuff has many special ingredients in it. That’s why it cost so much. Fine. If you think, its worth it, go for it. I’m a guy. I don’t want to spend that and honestly for years, I’ve bought and used other products like Trader Joe’s very good LEMON GRASS COCONUT OIL. That works fine on my hair. 4 ounces are about $4 dollars.

Which brings me to another Trader Joe’s oil: 100% PURE JOJOBA OIL. It’s perfect for my hair, as well as just as “body oil” and apparently is excellent as a facial oil and cleanser too. The 4 ounce bottle costs $7.99. So two dollars an ounce, not six. This is 100% pure jojoba oil. It’s a very light oil, not heavy or greasy at all. In fact, Trader Joe’s expensive Hair Oil contains some jojoba oil (Simmondsia Chinesis). It’s well known to be good for hair as well as for face and body.

So I say try this lovely 100% Pure Jojoba Oil for your hair instead of overpaying for the tiny bottle of HAIR OIL but that of course is just my suggestion. If you try both, please let us know if you think the little bottle of Hair Oil is worth the difference in price.

(for hair, skin, and scalp….remove makeup….cleanse pores….softens hands and feet…. prevents dry skin… leave-in hair treatment…. after shave moisturizer)

Trader Joe’s Thin Sliced ORGANIC 21 GRAINS & SEEDS BREAD

09 Sep 2026 Leave a comment

by promacnyc in All Natural, baked, bread, condiments, DIY, fresh, General, New, News, organic, Pantry, Prices, Products, Rave, recipe, Recipes, review, snacks, Staple, Trader Joes, Uncategorized, update, vegetarian, WhatsGoodAtTJ? Tags: baking, Food, health, healthy, no preservatives, nutrition, product, Products, Rave, Recipes, review, Trader Joes, vegetarian, Whole Wheat

Display of organic 21 grains and seeds bread packages in a store, with a price tag of $4.49 and a sign describing its texture as hearty and nutty.

Trader Joe's Organic 21 Grains & Seeds Bread, Thin Sliced, 20.4 oz package, featuring nutritional information including 70 calories per slice, good source of fiber, and 13g of whole grains per serving.

Top view of a slice of brown bread with seeds and a textured surface.

A slice of toasted whole grain bread with a golden-brown crust placed on a black skillet.

Certified Organic, 13g Whole Grains per serving, 70 cal slice

This is a NEW ITEM (AUG 2026)

21 Grains and Seeds Thin Sliced Organic Bread, with whole wheat and “organic seed and nut mix” containing organic sunflower, flax, pumpkin, sesame, black sesame, poppy, millet, rolled oats, quinoa, rye, spelt, yellow corn, amaranth, buckwheat, khorasan, purple corn, brown rice, sorghum, vital gluten, seeds and flours and other goodies like molasses.

A very nice slightly nutty tasting light brown whole wheat bread. Sliced thinly. One slice is 70 calories.

Made great toast with this as well as grilled cheese sandwiches. I would buy this again.

$4.49 for a 20 oz loaf

“Trader Joe’s Organic Thin Sliced 21 Grains & Seeds Bread is multi-faceted. Each Grain and Seed contributes its own characteristic taste and texture to produce a brown bread that is moist and slightly sweet, with a satisfyingly robust flavor. It’s excellent for sandwiching Organic Reduced Sugar Strawberry Preserves and Creamy Salted Peanut Butter. It’s also fantastic when two pieces are toasted in a pan with a generous number of Cheddar & Gruyere Mélange slices all melty in-between. And since our supplier has Sliced each loaf nice and Thin, it’s ideal for smaller-portioned sandwiches and toasts: each Slice comes in at about 70 calories.”

https://www.traderjoes.com/home/products/pdp/organic-21-grains-and-seeds-bread-thin-sliced-084820

PRODUCT OF CANADA

Ingredients

ORGANIC WHOLE WHEAT FLOUR, WATER, ORGANIC CANE SUGAR, ORGANIC WHOLE GRAIN AND SEED MIX (ORGANIC SUNFLOWER SEEDS, ORGANIC WHOLE FLAX SEEDS, ORGANIC PUMPKIN SEEDS, ORGANIC SESAME SEEDS, ORGANIC GROUND FLAX SEEDS, ORGANIC BLACK SESAME SEEDS, ORGANIC POPPY SEEDS, ORGANIC MILLET, ORGANIC ROLLED OATS, ORGANIC QUINOA, ORGANIC ROLLED BARLEY, ORGANIC ROLLED RYE, ORGANIC ROLLED WHOLE WHEAT, ORGANIC ROLLED SPELT, ORGANIC TRITICALE FLOUR, ORGANIC AMARANTH FLOUR, ORGANIC YELLOW CORN FLOUR, ORGANIC KHORASAN WHEAT FLOUR, ORGANIC BUCKWHEAT FLOUR, ORGANIC PURPLE CORN FLOUR, ORGANIC BROWN RICE FLOUR, ORGANIC SORGHUM FLOUR), ORGANIC VITAL WHEAT GLUTEN, ORGANIC OAT FIBER, ORGANIC CRACKED WHOLE WHEAT, CONTAINS 2% OR LESS OF YEAST, ORGANIC CULTURED WHEAT FLOUR (TO PRESERVE), SEA SALT, MICROBIAL ENZYMES, ORGANIC MOLASSES, WHEAT FIBER, ORGANIC VINEGAR, ORGANIC ACEROLA CHERRY POWDER, ORGANIC UNBLEACHED ENRICHED FLOUR (ORGANIC WHEAT FLOUR, ASCORBIC ACID [DOUGH CONDITIONER], NIACIN, IRON, THIAMINE MONONITRATE, RIBOFLAVIN, FOLIC ACID).

CONTAINS SESAME, WHEAT.

Trader Joe’s 100% POMEGRANATE JUICE

25 Aug 2026 Leave a comment

by promacnyc in All Natural, drink, fresh, General, jar, juice, New, News, Pantry, Prices, Products, Rave, review, snacks, Staple, Trader Joes, Uncategorized, vegetarian, WhatsGoodAtTJ? Tags: All Natural, drink, healthy, juice, no preservatives, Not from concentrate, Product of Turkey, Products, Rave, review, Trader Joes, Turkiye, vegan gluten free, vegetarian

PRODUCT OF TURKEY

INGREDIENTS: Pomegranate Juice

No added sugar or other ingredients. Just 100% juice from real pomegranates. Not from concentrate.

Trader Joe’s came out with this pure 100% pomegranate juice in a small, single serving size bottle, about 8 ounces. Easy to carry. This tasted just like I was eating a pomegranate. Naturally sweet-sour.

Want my honest review? It’s yummy, people! If you love pomegranates you will love this. I found it delicious and very refreshing ice cold. A bit tart, but a bit sweet just like pomegranates taste. Deep ruby red color.

Trader Joe’s version of POM maybe? Pretty sure this a bit cheaper though.

Trader Joe’s has a bigger 1 qt. bottle of pomegranate juice however that one is from concentrate. This isn’t. Just real natural juice from pomegranates.

PRODUCT OF TURKEY

Small bottle (250 ml, 8.45 oz) bottle was $1.69.

https://www.traderjoes.com/home/products/pdp/100-pomegranate-juice-080326

I would buy it again.

Trader Joe’s MANDU KOREAN KIMCHI POTSTICKER DUMPLINGS review

20 Aug 2026 Leave a comment

by promacnyc in All Natural, Asian, frozen, General, New, News, review, Trader Joes, vegetarian, WhatsGoodAtTJ? Tags: Cooking, dinner, Food, healthy, product, Products, Rave, recipe, Recipes, review, Trader Joes, vegan, vegetarian

NEW ITEM – AUGUST 2026

Trader Joe’s MANDU, Korean Kimchi Potsticker Dumplings (frozen)

Product of Korea

VEGAN

Mandu is Korean for “dumpling”.

Trader Joe’s just introduced these new Mandu Korean Kimchi Potsicker frozen dumplings. These have an interesting rectangle shape, and they’re made in Korea. They are plant based (vegan). Price-wise they are pretty good deal. A one pound bag which is about 18 dumplings goes for ~~$3.49~~ (NOTE: the 2nd time I got them, they had raised the price on the sign at my TJ’s to $3.99!!?)

“Korean dumplings (mandu) come in an array of shapes and fillings. These particular pot-stickers are made with Kimchi, Glass Noodles and Vegetables with traditional spicy and tangy flavors from the kimchi which comes though in savory, piquant notes. They are best prepared “gun mandu” style, crisped in a pan on both sides to create a textural variety” -on the package

Eat these square dumpling with your favorite dipping sauce (Tip: no sauce is included) However even if you eat them without any sauce, the kimchi filling is nice and savory and a bit juicy.

These Kimchi Mandu could be served as a snack, appetizer, a lunch, or as part of a dinner.

We ate them for dinner, pairing the dumplings with rice, some kimchi, and a tofu dish I made. Braised Korean style tofu (dubu jorim) and all those combined to make a great dinner.

So how are Trader Joe’s latest frozen dumplings? TJ’s new Mandu are quite good as long as you like “spicy” food. In fact, I think these new frozen dumplings may now be up there among the best dumplings Trader Joe’s sells., along with the very popular pork and ginger Soup Dumplings of course. Theses are a little different.

I cooked the mandu up as they suggest which is to pan fry them. This gives the wrappers a nice chewy, yet crispy texture which contrasts nicely with the soft kimchi and glass noodle filling inside.

How To Cook Trader Joe’s Kimchi Mandu Dumplings: A good pan is important. Heat a good non-stick or cast iron pan, which is what I use for dumplings. Add about a scant tablespoon of oil (Added Korean points if you use a bit of toasted sesame oil. TJ sells that). On medium heat, add your frozen dumplings (carefully) to the pan. Let them cook, for 2 minutes. Flip after two minutes, and keep turning them every two minutes as well as moving them in the pan until they look all golden brown and delicious. This may take about 8 – 10 minutes total, though they say 6-8. Be sure to turn them over and move them around the pan to get an even cook all over. The edges of the pan have less heat than the center.

*(Note: I took the picture about 1/2 way done.)*

When done, the dumpling wrapper will have a nice slightly chewy, slightly crispy texture.

Tip: The instructions on the bag don’t mention air fryers, however some people online say they can be made in them If you do it that way, I would spray or brush them with some oil to get crispy texture. Please add a COMMENT if you make them in the air fryer with how they do that way.

Here’s my honest review of these new KOREAN KIMCHI MANDU.

These dumplings are good. Tasty and filling and yes they are a bit spicy. So if you hate “spicy” these may not be for you.

I think Trader Joe’s Korean supplier did a pretty good job with these, which come in a little unusual shape, rectangular, with a pretty good wrapper thickness in relation to the filling. The texture of the wrapper is good when pan-fried. Filling is tasty and you will know they do contain kimchi when you eat them. Even my (Korean-Japanese) wife approved of them as “tasting Korean” as regards the filling which is savory from kimchi and has a slightly chewy texture from “glass noodles”which are made from potato starch, plus other vegetables and flavorings.

NOTE: These dumpling are a bit spicy with a bit of kick from the kimchi – I would not call it crazy spicy, I would say the heat level is on the low-middle side? Unless you are extremely sensitive to spicy, these should be OK.

Each small dumpling is about 2 inches long and is about 2 or 3 bites. 3 dumplings = 100 calories.Nutrition label says 1 serving = 3 dumplings (Ha! More like 5 or 6 for me)

You don’t have to have sauce with these but I think are good with some dipping sauce, even if just soy and some rice vinegar.

I made a nice dipping sauce for them with soy sauce, rice vinegar, garlic, ginger, sesame oil and scallions. Make your own sauce with your favorite ingredients. The easiest could be just soy sauce and some rice vinegar. Or just use your favorite bottle of Trader Joe’s sauce you like for dumplings. Chopped scallions would be nice and/or cilantro if you like it.

Product of South Korea

KOREAN KIMCHI MANDU – $3.49 (16 oz bag) *TJ website says $3.49, however my local TJ’s has a sign for $3.99 (NYC) Confusing!

I would buy these again.

https://www.traderjoes.com/home/products/pdp/mandu-korean-kimchi-potstickers-082762

Tip; Kimchi is of course spicy and gives these dumplings a bit of a kick. If you are very sensitive and can’t handle any level of “spicy” these may not be your jam.

Ingredients: water, flour, kimchi, soy, chives, glass potato noodles, scallion, radish, sugar, starch, salt, garlic, rice flour, red pepper, black pepper.

VEGAN – contains soy and wheat

Trader Joe’s spicy new DARK CHOCOLATE BARK with Pistachios, Dried Jalapeños and Sea Salt

18 Aug 2026 2 Comments

by promacnyc in All Natural, fresh, General, New, News, Pantry, Products, Rave, Recipes, review, snacks, spices, Staple, sweets, Trader Joes, Uncategorized, update, vegetarian, WhatsGoodAtTJ? Tags: bark, chocolate, dessert, Food, no preservatives, Products, Rave, recipe, Recipes, review, sweets, Trader Joes, travel

NEW ITEM

(New, Aug 2026) With the addition of this chocolate bark I think Trader Joe’s carries three different chocolate “barks” now? There is the original regular bark, the dried raspberry one and now this one with pistachios and jalapenos. Yes, you read that correctly. This chocolate bark contains (dried) jalapeños. So this new one is a bit of an unusual chocolate as it is has some Heat.

While I was going to the checkout line, I saw this bag in the NEW ITEMS stand next to the line. A new Chocolate Bark ? Yes please. I just grabbed the bag without looking too hard. Somehow my brain saw the word “pistachios” but somehow I actually missed “dried jalapeños”! Ha ha, I only noticed it when I got home.

Fortunately I actually like spicy chocolate and I was intrigued. Chocolate with spice is not that unusual. In Mexico for example this is common. Chocolate with something spicy is a combo that goes well together. Sure that may not be for everybody but it is for yours truly.

Here’s my honest review:

I tasted it. I soon realized I could not stop eating it after that first bite. To me, it’s addictive. After you bite a piece of the bark, you first taste the delicious sweet dark chocolate, then a few seconds later your tongue will register a bit of heat (dried jalapeño). Not a crazy level of heat. Just enough to let you know its there. And to make you want another bite. The pistachio element is a bit overshadowed by the jalapeno but it’s there somewhere in the background, and blends well with the chocolate. There’s just a hint of sea salt.

HOW SPICY IS THIS? “Low to Medium” spicy? Its a bit spicy. Not Crazy. You will taste the heat but it’s not blow the roof of your mouth off stuff (to me). I don’t appreciate crazy Hot Ones levels of heat. This is not that – though of course spicy tolerance is personal. You will have to try it for yourself.

They got the balance right. Sweet and savory and a bit spicy. While this is a bit spicy its more than tolerable as the sweetness of the dark chocolate matches perfectly to the amount of heat. I love it. But this will not be for everyone. My wife didn’t like it, even though she likes a little spiciness in food.

Trader Joe’s has this to say about their new product:

“Now, separately, the four elements of Dark Chocolate, Pistachios, Jalapeños, and Sea Salt may make utterly intuitive pairings with one another. But it’s only within the context of this Bark that this curious combination gets to shine together. And so, every bite becomes a symphony of rich, buttery, nutty, grassy, spicy, savory, and sweet, all at once.” https://www.traderjoes.com/home/products/pdp/dark-chocolate-bark-with-pistachios-dried-jalapenos-sea-salt-083323

I really liked this new chocolate bark. If you like spicy chocolate, you will too. If you are very sensitive to spicy heat, maybe its not for you but I say, try it. Worst case, you bring it back and tell them you didn’t like it. That’s the great thing about Trader Joe’s, isn’t it? If you are not happy, just bring it back for a refund.

I would buy it again. I have to. The bag went very fast.

$5.99 (8 oz)

Trader Joe’s SHEEPISH PESTO CHEESE

17 Aug 2026 Leave a comment

by promacnyc in All Natural, bread, cheese, New, News, Products, Rave, review, seasonal, snacks, spices, Trader Joes, WhatsGoodAtTJ? Tags: #cheeseboards, cheese, cheeseboard, España, Food, product, Products, Rave, review, Spain, Spanish, Trader Joes

LIMITED TIME (AUGUST)

Trader Joe’s SHEEPISH PESTO

A Spanish cheese made from sheep’s milk and flavored with basil pesto. It’s crafted for Trader Joe’s by a Spanish cheese maker using a sheep milk cheese which is brined and then aged for at least six months. Then they inject the cheese with an herby pesto, thoughout the cheese which you see as streaks of green all over.

“Available in our stores only for the month of August, The Sheepish Pesto makes an eye-catching and appetizing addition to any cheese board, charcuterie platter, or hors d’oeuvres table. It can be enjoyed cubed and skewered with tooth picks, sliced into triangles and savored with wine, or shaved thin and sprinkled over a leafy green salad. And for an easy entrée, try shredding it fine, melting it with butter, diced onions, and garlic, and serving over your favorite pasta with cracked pepper for a one-of-a-kind “Cacio e Pesto.”

It’s pretty bold. At first I thought the pesto had a slight tendency to overpower the cheese itself but this is an interesting cheese and quite tasty, and grew on me as I kept eating it. I can easily see this as something cheeseboard aficionados would like to add to a nice #cheeseboard as this is a bit unusual, and very tasty with lots of herby umami notes. Matches well with grapes and other fruits. Good melted too. They suggest using it for a Cacio and Pepe pasta.

LIMITED TIME (AUGUST) If it sounds like something you want to try, better hurry which it lasts

SHEEPISH PESTO $6.49 (5.3 oz)

https://www.traderjoes.com/home/products/pdp/the-sheepish-pesto-084210

(Label says don’t eat the rind. I ate some before seeing that, but it’s pretty thin so not a biggy)

PRODUCT OF SPAIN

Trader Joe’s (New & Improved) REFRESHING CITRUS BODY WASH, reviewed

13 Aug 2026 1 Comment

by promacnyc in DIY, General, Health & Beauty, Home Goods, New, News, Prices, Products, Rave, review, Staple, Trader Joes, Uncategorized, update, WhatsGoodAtTJ? Tags: Bath, beauty, deal, Health & Beauty, prices, Products, Rave, review, summer, Trader Joes

NEW ITEM – Health and Beauty Products

“New & improved” – Trader Joe’s had this Body Wash previously but they’ve had it *reformulated and are re-introducing this Refreshing Citrus Body Wash.

It’s made for them “by a trusted beauty supplier”. Yesterday I was on the checkout line there, I saw this in the NEW ITEMS shelf right next to the line. My eyes were drawn to the bottle with it’s bright yellow orange color and friendly round shape. It went into my basket! They really know how to tempt us on that checkout line, don’t they?

I tried it the next morning for my wake up shower. First thing I noticed is that this body was smells very nice! For this guy frankly that’s what I care about most. It has a nice and yes very refreshing citrus-y aroma from ingredients that include oils of “orange, grapefruit, tangerine, and lemon and also includes vitamin C, chamomile, ginseng, ginger, and vitamin B5″. The scent is a light and natural citrus, and is not overly perfume-y. Lather was fine, neither too much nor too little.

Here’s what they say about the * NEW FORMULA: “In this new formula, you’ll find a trio of highly sought after skincare ingredients—niacinamide, sodium hyaluronate, and squalane—that help support the skin’s moisture barrier, leaving it feeling soft, smooth, and hydrated long after you’ve showered.”

https://www.traderjoes.com/home/products/pdp/refreshing-citrus-body-wash-084007

I would say its a good product, especially for the price of just 4 bucks. I’m sure at say, a store like Sephora, a similar product would go for probably 3-4x the price Trade Joe’s sells this for? Plus its a nice big 16 oz bottle.

I am expecting this CITRUS BODY WASH to be very nice in the shower for the dog days of summer. Or frankly any time of the year.

I also like of course the TEA TREE TINGLE body wash, during hot summer days but the TEA TREE TINGLE is more “aggressive”. That’s good really tingly, which some people may not like, my wife find that a bit strong. This however is not tingly, just refreshing. Me I enjoy both.

PS (just for laughs, I googled one of those ingredients/words which I’ve never heard of in the list above — “Squalane is a lightweight, non-comedogenic oil that mimics your skin’s natural sebum. Derived from stable plant sources like sugarcane or olives, it deeply hydrates, restores the moisture barrier, and suits all skin types, including acne-prone skin”

(now I need to look up “comedogenic”!!)

$3.99 (16 ounce bottle)

I would buy it again

Trader Joe’s JUST SALMON SKIN BAKED DOG TREATS (and cats?!)

12 Aug 2026 2 Comments

by promacnyc in All Natural, baked, DIY, fresh, General, New, News, Pantry, pets, snacks, Staple, Trader Joes, Uncategorized, update, WhatsGoodAtTJ? Tags: dogs, Food, healthy, no preservatives, product, Products, review, Trader Joes

“Trader Joe’s Just Salmon Skin Baked Dog Treat are made from salmon raised without antibiotics in the cold waters of Northern Scotland. The skin is simply baked with nothing else added” (from the package)

INGREDIENTS: Salmon skin

These are pieces of Salmon skin and nothing else, baked into little pieces, ending up as crispy crunchy bite size snacks. They are not stinky, just the tiniest bit fishy smelling.

I think your dog will love these.

Me, I have cats. Sure these are labeled “for dogs” but is there any law that says cat owners, like yours truly, can’t give them to our feline friends too? I mean there’s nothing that is bad for cats in these. Its just salmon skin. Fish. Period. No additives, no nothin’. So I tested these to see if my two cats would like them for treats.

Result: One of my cats loves these treats and crunches a piece into smithereens in seconds. The other, a pickier eater, will on occasion eat one but sometimes will ignore the treat, while kind of looking at me like I’m cheating him with just skin and not the FREEZE DRIED SALMON pet treats which are pieces of salmon with flesh. Which by the way is labeled “For Pets” not just “For Dogs” like this one.

Your call if for just dogs or for your cats too.

Trader Joe’s PANEER Indian Style Cheese

11 Aug 2026 Leave a comment

by promacnyc in All Natural, Asian, baked, cheese, dairy, fresh, General, Trader Joes Tags: Cooking, Fearless Flyer, Food, item, Products, protein, recipe, Recipes, review, Trader Joes, travel

Paneer is a fresh, non-melting Indian cheese that you can cube, slice, or crumble. It absorbs flavors and holds its shape when heated. Use it in curries, stir-fries, salads, or as a substitute for tofu or halloumi

Apparently twice before, Trader Joe’s used to sell a paneer cheese, first way back in the 90’s and again around 2000. But they say it just didn’t catch on back then so they dropped it.

Now with a few very popular items like PALAAK PANEER and PANEER TIKKA MASALA – which they sell a lot of – people are more familiar with paneer. So once again, TJ’s just came out with this, Indian Style Paneer Cheese. This is made for Trader Joe’s by a cheese producer in Wisconsin.

What makes paneer cheese useful to cook with is that it doesn’t melt. Paneer stays pretty solid when cooked. So good for adding to dishes as well as for grilling. Trader Joe’s says marinate it in your favorite spices before grilling. Or simply add it for extra cheese into one of entrées like PALAAK PANEER. I love Palaak Paneer but I think theyve gotten chincier with how much paneer is in it (Which I think it used to have more, and maybe they cut back for cost reasons?)

“Made for us in Wisconsin, this pasteurized cow’s milk cheese is produced by curdling the milk with acetic and lactic acids, resulting in a firm and crumbly fresh cheese with a subtle tang.”

https://www.traderjoes.com/home/products/pdp/paneer-indian-style-cheese-083749

This cheese is just milk and acid to coagulate it. It has zero salt and no flavor really. Think of it as a blank canvas like tofu.

Here’s my honest review of this new PANEER cheese. I was expecting this to be like the paneer in their entrees (made in India) like Palaak Paneer or Tikka Masala Paneer. This seemed firmer (before I learned the hot water soaking trick) and needing to let it cook at least 10 minutes or more.

(hot water trick!) *What I have learned since I started is that some people recommend putting paneer in very hot water for about 5 minutes before using it.

I tried to “crumble” it as they describe it as being “firm and crumbly”. I couldn’t really crumble the cheese with my fingers (tip: this worked better after the hot water trick*).

I cut the paneer into cubes and sauteed/grilled it in butter, sprinkling on some Indian masala spices and curry powder. Not bad that way grilled up. Grill it low and slow.

I tried the hot water soak, the second time I cooked with it and it did seem to help with the texture being too firm. Worth trying this hot bath trick before you use it. Also I learned to cook it for longer periods. If putting in a stew or curry let it cook at least 10 minutes to soften and absorb flavors. If grilling this, try low and slow till nice and golden brown. Flavoring: you need to add a ton of things to give it flavor. Garlic is wonderful and lemon juice at the end will perk it up nicely. Don’t forget a pinch of salt! It has zero.

RECIPE: PAN FRIED SPICED PANEER

https://healthynibblesandbits.com/spiced-pan-fried-paneer

Trader Joe’s “PANEER, Indian Style Cheese”

PRO: Good for grilling; will stay firm. People say Trader Joe’s price is far better than Whole Foods’ paneer.

CON: A bit too firm? But the trick with hot water seems to fix that.

$4.99 (10 oz)

Preparation Basics

Soften: Soak paneer in very hot water for 5-10 minutes to make softer and more pliable.
Cut it: Slice into slabs or into bite-sized cubes.
Season: Toss with oil, salt, and spices like turmeric, chili powder, or garam masala or curry powder before cooking. Fresh garlic works great

Popular Cooking Methods

Pan-fry: Heat a little oil or ghee in a skillet over medium heat. Cook the cubes for 3 to 4 minutes per side until golden brown.
Simmer in Sauce: Add raw or fried paneer cubes into hot curry sauces (like palak paneer or tikka masala) and let simmer for 10-15 minutes.
Grill or Skewer: Marinate chunks in yogurt and spices, then grill or pan-sear for a smoky flavor.