A reader told me I had to try out this new flavor ice cream Trader Joe’s came out with recently, so I did. All I can say is boy were they right. I thought it was SO good. In fact I believe via social media, the word has gotten out about it and it’s become so popular, it seems to be flying off the shelves. Also it was a Flyer Item. When I recently went to my TJ’s to buy some I was crushed to see just an empty row where it should be.
Fortunately though that might have been my Lucky Day. An employee just happened to be restocking the case with it just at that time, and he saw my crest fallen face looking at the empty shelf. He put a pint in my hand and told me to enjoy it. O frabjous day!
After I tasted some I understood why it’s flying off the shelf. It’s quite good, with a fairly unique flavor concoction that reminds me of something Ben & Jerry would come up with. If you love bananas (raises hand) you may love this. Yes it has some kind of really good banana flavor, and they list actual puréed bananas as the third ingredient listed. The taste does kind of remind you of banana pudding. In addition to some salted caramel swirls it even has tiny bits of vanilla cookie bits (‘Nilla wafers) like banana pudding has. It all blends up very well for a unique, subtle flavor combo.
As good as it was by itself I couldn’t help wonder how it might taste if I added some bananas on top! I cut up 1/2 a banana and added that and yes, super Yum with them. Like a banana, banana split. Trust me and try it with a banana! So good.
Still I did have one problem with this ice cream; It was so good the tiny little pint magically vanished so quickly. I put this ice cream into “dangerously good” category. If it’s in the freezer, I’m going to have a hard time staying away. It’s $3.79 pint (well it is a premium custom seasonal ice cream)
I would buy this again. If I can find it, that is. It was sold out when I went back a few days later. And a few days later again I could not find any in the freezer. So consider yourself lucky if you see this, and grab one. You won’t be sorry. Oh and it’s a “Limited Edition” flavor. So don’t expect to see this forever. Maybe it will be seasonal?
TJ’s says: “Made for us by the same supplier as some of our other (widely celebrated, if we do say so ourselves) seasonal ice cream pints, each bite of Trader Joe’s Banana Pudding Flavored Ice Cream expertly evokes the taste of a classically sweet and creamy banana pudding…We’re not just saying you’ll love it—we’re saying you’ll love it a whole bunch”
Now just in case you can’t find this flavor and want some recommendations for other flavors at Trader Joe’s I’d say you can’t go wrong with the COFFEE BEAN BLAST or MINT CHOCOLATE CHIP ice creams.
This is a good “new” spice blend TJ’s has recently introduced. It’s two spices, a blend of Spanish smoked paprika (aka “Pimenton”) they’ve carried for some time and added Chile to that to make a spicier Pimenton. The blend is carefully balanced with just enough of chile to make a not too spicy version of the smoked paprika (aka pimenton). Spanish smoke paprika is a fantastic spice, which I’ve always loved and when I tried this version I really liked it as well…. This spicier blend was delicious on many things. For example super tasty sprinkled generously on chicken breasts sautéed in butter with garlic and parsley (a variation on Jacques Pepin’s classic chicken “persillade”, see link below).
This seasoning blend would be perfect on Trader Joe’s ARGENTINIAN RED SHRIMP. Or steak or pork or burgers of any kind. Or probably even tofu.
TJ’s says: “Made with just the right ratio of smoked paprika and chile powder to create just the right ratio of smoke to heat, our Smoky & Hot Chile Powder is super handy for making savory soups, sauces, and stews, and nearly indispensable when creating homemade BBQ rubs and Cajun-style seasonings. It adds a remarkable depth of flavor when sprinkled over scrambled eggs, roasted veggies, or grilled seafood, and can take snack foods like popcorn and potato chips into an entirely new dimension. Here’s a hot (and smoky!) tip: try mixing it with sour cream to make a fun and fiery crema for topping tacos.”
“A medium roast Arabica with note of cocoa, pineapple and cherry”
NICARAGUA La Bastilla Estate, Small Lot Coffee
“The coffee beans within this bag are also known as “blueberry candy” on the farm – dubbed so for their unique sweetness and subtle aroma….”
Here’s another recent addition to Trader Joe’s collection of Small Lot (limited edition) coffees that I recently saw on display in New Items. This is a coffee from Nicaragua. I’m pretty sure I never tasted a coffee from there before. After tasting it, all I can say is I was very impressed, and found this small lot coffee to be excellent. The description on the bag in this case was not all hyperbole, it delivers.
The bag says its a “Medium Roast” and in this case that is fairly accurate, with beans a lovely cinnamon color. When I opened up the vacuum sealed bag I got wonderful fresh aroma and the beans looked and smelled really promising. A bit fruity in a nice way. When I ground them up and took a big whiff of the ground coffee, I did get a heavenly smell with yes, “notes of cocoa, pineapple, cherry, blueberry….” I would say pretty much all of that but lovely and subtle and natural. And the resulting brew I made (Moka pot)? It was so good. To me it tasted pretty much like what I would call a “perfect cup of coffee”, hitting all the right notes. I found this coffee really, really drinkable, so much so that when I finished it I wanted to brew another cup. That’s really when you know you found a good coffee. I have a feeling any brewing method will produce a nice brew including espresso machines.
So if you are interested in a very nice coffee, I would say this Nicaraguan one at Trader Joe’s is well worth trying. It was a bit higher in price than other small lot coffees I’ve gotten for around $8.99. Trader Joe’s is selling this Nicaraguan Single Estate coffee for $10.99 (12 oz.) But I bet you if it were some cool Williamsburg coffee vendor they would be selling this for more like $20.
Here’s a link I found to the website of the coffee producer in Nicaragua so you can learn more about the region and the farm (in English)
“High in iron and protein and a great source of natural fiber”
So what’s one of the best (not to mention healthiest) item you can buyfor less than $1 at Trader Joe’s?
Probably a can of beans for 89 cents 99 cents (2025)
Just a few years ago, TJ’s used to have a number of items one could pick up for a buck or less, but these have dwindled to a mere handful, especially over the last year due to price increases at all supermarkets.
However one tasty and healthy food you can still buy at TJ’s for less than a buck at TJ’s are canned beans. Here I will focus on the ever so useful black beans. However TJ’s has lots of kinds, including chick peas (garbanzos) and red and white/canellini beans as well. All are good and I always have a mix of at least a few cans in the pantry.
I especially like having black beans around as I find black beans really useful to come up with a quick meal or side dish. For instance fast and easy CUBAN BLACK BEANS.
I’ve been known in the past to make black beans from scratch, meaning soaking dried black beans, etc etc. But sometimes I’m lazy or forgot to soak them the night before, so I just open up a can of beans. However I always doctor them up and you should too. Straight out of the can black beans are OK but boring.
With very little effort you can make them very tasty into Cuban Black Beans.
EASY CUBAN BLACK BEANS RECIPE – Fast and easy – Sauté about 4 cloves of chopped garlic and 1/2 a chopped onion in a good slug of olive oil for 5 minutes. (optional: a 1/2 green pepper, or some japaleno) Then add a can or two of black beans; dump them without draining into the pot. Add dried oregano and ground cumin. Let it simmer for 10-15 minutes. Before serving I suggest you mash up about 1/3 of the beans with the back of a spoon or a potato masher, as this gives a lovely creamy texture. Voila, you have a nice dish of Quick Cuban Black Beans, a perfect match for a plate of rice or tortillas or what ever you want to serve with these.
Spend a little more time and you can really make a decent Cuban or Mexican bean dish with a few more ingredients so follow the links below for some recipe suggestions. BTW if you want organic you can buy TJ’s OrganicBlack Beans, now $1.19)
Everybody now knows that San Marzano Tomatoes are considered the ultimate canned tomatoes to make an Italian dish. Trader Joe’s came out with these that are “Marzanino tomatoes” (little Marzano) which I guess are in the same family but smaller than the standard San Marzano and possibly sweeter. The can has the small tomatoes in juice, cooked and peeled and ready to use in a dish. I usually get down and dirty and just dump them into a bowl and crush them up with my fingers to prep them for cooking in a sauce or dish.
These tomatoes were very tasty and a little sweet. They are great for making any tomato sauce or dish that calls for tomatoes, including pizza. I did make pizza using these as my fresh sauce. After crushing the tomatoes with my fingers, I used this as my fresh tomato sauce for my own version of a pizza Margherita, with fresh basil and mozzarella. The finished pizza came out terrific*. “Product of Italy” $2.99 a can.
*(Pizza dough – I made my own from scratch but if that’s too much for you, just buy the bag of fresh pizza dough from TJ’s ($1.49) – or you can use the ready to bake rectangular pizza crust there in the breads section.
“Invigorates with Peppermint, Eucalyptus and Tea Tree botanicals”.
With much of the U.S. going through a bad spell of hot weather, especially the South and SouthWest now I am re-posting this as a “public service”. Trader Joe’s TEA TREE TINGLE body wash is a must have for hot weather! If it’s hot where you are you owe it to yourself to get a bottle of this for your shower. I can not begin to tell you how refreshing it feels to scrub your body with this stuff. As soon as you put this on a wash cloth and put in on your skin, you will instantly feel better and 100% more refreshed.
TJ’s Tea Tree Tingle body wash contains tea tree oil, peppermint, eucalyptus, rosemary and other natural essential plant botanicals all of which make for a super refreshing and invigorating wash.
It has a terrific smell and I’ve even found its great to add some when I am washing out my gym clothes. It’s great for getting the smell out of sweaty gym clothes.
Certified Organic. Trader Joe’s sells this for just $3.99 for a nice huge 16 oz bottle. Trust me, you will love this to make yourself feel refreshed during hot weather.
These Are So Good! They kind of reminded me of a Creamsicle, but grown up and much better. But rather than orange and vanilla these bars have MANGO and Vanilla, which is just a super combination. The vanilla ice cream on the inside is really good. Surrounding that outside is mango sorbet which has a delicious, intense flavor of mango. These are perfect for Summer but frankly I would want to eat this anytime. If you see these MANGO CREAM BARS I suggest you grab them to try.
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.”
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.
Gluten Free? Sure, but most all granola is made with oats which are of course Gluten Free.
“WITH NOTES OF TROPICAL FRUIT, DARK CHOCOLATE AND HONEY….THIS MEDIUM BODIED LIGHT ROAST MAY SET YOUR SPIRITS SOARING LIKE IT’S NAMESAKE…”
This is a current offering (Summer 2023) at Trader Joe’s in New Products. Its another one of their Small Lot Coffees. Sure these can be hit or miss but frequently you can find a coffee which is a Gem – like that Ugandan Rwenzori small lot coffee, which was one of my favorite coffees I’ve ever gotten at Trader Joe’s.
Well here’s another small lot coffee coffee from Trader Joe’s to which I give a huge thumbs up. I thought this was another wonderful coffee, this time a coffee from Honduras estate, called “Colibri Esmeralda”* . I really liked it. First off as far as the roast description, Trader Joe’s calls this “Light Roast”. We know Trader Joe’s roast descriptions are all over the place and are sometimes off. This one is almost on point. Maybe I would say just this roast is wee bit darker than some of TJ’s other Light roasts (example, the excellent AZMARI BUUNNI blend) . so I will say “LIGHT MEDIUM” roast. Its perfect for the coffee.
I brewed the freshly ground beans in a Moka potand found the resulting brew to have a wonderful aroma and taste. Its pretty terrific. I think this would work well in any coffee brewing method, including drip or espresso machine. All the flavors in this coffee were well balanced and blended showing lovely tropical, fruity notes. Everything is balanced, smooth but with a tiny bit of pleasant acidity, so it even had a bit of boldness. It has many interesting flavors going on, and frankly as soon as I finished it I wanted another cup! I found this to be a terrific and interesting coffee.
It was $8.99 for a 12 oz bag. I found this particular small lot TJ’s coffee to be a Gem, and is certainly worth trying if you like exploring interesting new coffee’s without breaking the bank. Personally I intend to buy a few bags while it is available because as we know TJ’s Small Lot coffee’s frequently sell out in a month or two as they are “Limited Editions”. I do hope this Honduran coffee is one that we will see again in future.
Trader Joe’s Rants & Raves (mostly raves, a few rants) 
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