Trader Joe's

[Quof]

I bought 4 small bags of the dark chocolate peanut butter cups the first week of June.  I don't have the willpower to buy the big tub.  Or at least, I never had in the past. 

I just ate the last one.  That's 36 peanut butter cups spread over 16 weeks.  Did I mention I've lost 55 pounds since February?  Guess I found some willpower.

But damn, I crave them every day.

[chessiegal]

15 minutes ago, Quof said:

Did I mention I've lost 55 pounds since February?

That's impressive! Good for you.

[Mindthinkr]

25 minutes ago, Quof said:

I bought 4 small bags of the dark chocolate peanut butter cups the first week of June.  I don't have the willpower to buy the big tub.  Or at least, I never had in the past. 

I just ate the last one.  That's 36 peanut butter cups spread over 16 weeks.  Did I mention I've lost 55 pounds since February?  Guess I found some willpower.

But damn, I crave them every day.

Were you trying to lose weight? If so I’m happy for you. 

[Quof]

Yep. About 10 pounds to go.

In olden days, those 4 bags would have lasted 4 days. 

Edited September 24, 2018 by Quof

[Mindthinkr]

19 minutes ago, Quof said:

Yep. About 10 pounds to go.

In olden days, those 4 bags would have lasted 4 days. 

Good for you. Your efforts and willpower has paid off. 

[annzeepark914]

I'm hooked on TJ's Arrabbiatta marinara.  It doesn't have that "jarred marinara" taste at all.  Reminds me of the marinaras Italian American neighbors would cook.  Just don't add dried red pepper flakes to it until you've tasted it.  It's got a teeny bit of warmth to it (but if I can handle it, I think almost anyone can!!)

Good job, QUOF!!

[Brookside]

TJ's Everything but the Bagel Sesame Seasoning Blend.  Yum!  I learned about it on the Toby's Tofu Pate site as a suggested topping.

[theredhead77]

TJs sweetened lemon and sweetened orange slices. I can eat dried fruit like no tomorrow (I know it's full of sugar) but these are the perfect blend of sweet, tart and bitter (from the rind) that one slice is all I need to meet that craving.

[chessiegal]

I went yesterday to see if they had pumpkin or butternut squash ravioli to take to a pot luck lunch next week. They didn't. On the way home I stopped at my regular grocery store for groceries and, on a lark, checked the fresh pasta section and they had both.

[DeLurker]

Hot Cocoa Dunkers are a big hit in the DeLurker household.

I don't know if they are going to be a regular item or a limited time only, but they are quite yummy.

[fairffaxx]

Trader Joe's chocolate-covered espresso beans are a nice thing to have around on their own, but they're an excellent amendment of the very good Hearty Boys' Espresso Shortbread recipe, replacing the "1/4 cup espresso beans roughly ground".  And I was grateful for the comment on the Food Network site that produced a much neater result than I'd otherwise be capable of:

Quote

I took the pan I was planning to use -- before I sprayed it or added the ground beans -- lined it with waxed paper, and patted the dough into it. Then, I removed the dough, paper and all, and prepared the pan as directed. Once it was ready, I merely inverted the dough rectangle onto the crushed coffee beans and remove the waxed paper. A couple of quick pats and it was ready to bake without disturbing the beans I had so artfully arranged in the pan.

[annzeepark914]

Can't remember if I've already mentioned the alstromeria on sale at TJ's.  You get a big bunch which can make several arrangements and they last over a week.  I can also get them at Safeway and Harris Teeter but at TJ's you get twice as much for the same (or lower) price.  Last week they had bins of all kinds of sizes of pumpkins and gourds. Now I've got a nice autumn arrangement on the front stoop (including a big beautiful green, unusual shaped pumpkin).  Love Trader Joe's.

[DeLurker]

Went to TJs this weekend and discovered they were all sold out of the Pumpkin Spice coffee - I thought it would be around for a few more weeks.  I normally stock up so I have a few cans throughout the year.  They already have the Winter Blend in so I’ll have to buy extra so I don’t miss out on my stockpile.

They do have the Holiday Cookie tin (red) already (assortment similar to the Pepperidge Farms assortment box).   I bought one last year and immediately wished Ihad another as soon as we finished the tin.  

[DeLurker]

Tried the Gingerbread coffee - a big meh on the taste.  Worse, it left some form of coffee sludge on my pour over coffee maker that was so thick it took forever to get a whole cup of the disappointing brew.  I use a paper filter inside the metal one because it makes clean up easier.  Even the paper filter didn’t screen out whatever the sludgey stuff was.

They have a great return policy, but I usually just pass on a TJ product I don’t care for to another family member.  Not this time.

[Bastet]

As I've mentioned before, I don't often shop at TJ's, because I'm lazy and like to do as much of my shopping in one place as possible, and while TJ's undoubtedly has the best prepared/packaged offerings around, that's a tiny percentage of my usual shopping and their comparatively small offering of individual, raw ingredients, no matter how high the quality, means it doesn't fit my regular needs. 

But every year for the holidays, I go to pick up some goodies for my parents (the TJ's brand of Kona coffee beans for my dad, a local honey they carry that I can blessedly pick up at TJ's without having to rise early to buy at the farmers' market for my mom, and a regional brand of great-smelling soap carried at TJ's for better than anyone else's price for my parents), and I'm always open to additional treats.  For my dad in particular, as he has quite the sweet tooth.  So, as always, I'm interested in hearing of any great treats to be found, since I have vowed to finish my work early tomorrow and spend the afternoon shopping.

[Spunkygal]

9 hours ago, Bastet said:

As I've mentioned before, I don't often shop at TJ's, because I'm lazy and like to do as much of my shopping in one place as possible, and while TJ's undoubtedly has the best prepared/packaged offerings around, that's a tiny percentage of my usual shopping and their comparatively small offering of individual, raw ingredients, no matter how high the quality, means it doesn't fit my regular needs. 

But every year for the holidays, I go to pick up some goodies for my parents (the TJ's brand of Kona coffee beans for my dad, a local honey they carry that I can blessedly pick up at TJ's without having to rise early to buy at the farmers' market for my mom, and a regional brand of great-smelling soap carried at TJ's for better than anyone else's price for my parents), and I'm always open to additional treats.  For my dad in particular, as he has quite the sweet tooth.  So, as always, I'm interested in hearing of any great treats to be found, since I have vowed to finish my work early tomorrow and spend the afternoon shopping.

TJ’s Triple Ginger Snaps are awesome. A smaller-sized crunchy cookie with tiny bits of crystallized ginger, but not overpowering. Perfect on their own but so great with coffee or a mug of hot tea. I got two containers for a school function and everyone raved about them.

On another note: has anyone tried their prepared pie crust? My local paper had an article evaluating various prepared pie crusts and TJ’s got high marks.

Edited December 13, 2018 by Spunkygal

[DeLurker]

11 hours ago, Bastet said:

regional brand of great-smelling soap carried at TJ's for better than anyone else's price for my parents <snip>

For my dad in particular, as he has quite the sweet tooth

Please share the name so I can see if it is in my store.

I get the collection of Belgian cookies in the red tin and they are very nice.  I also got the Nutty Praline Trio (tin) for my Mom.

1 hour ago, Spunkygal said:

TJ’s Triple Ginger Snaps are awesome

Truly.

[BooksRule]

Quote

TJ’s Triple Ginger Snaps are awesome. A smaller-sized crunchy cookie with tiny bits of crystallized ginger, but not overpowering. Perfect on their own but so great with coffee or a mug of hot tea. 

I love these!  I was at a conference last month and there was a TJ's nearby.  I stocked up on those and some Quadruple Almond Cookies.  I wish they would bring back their lemon crisps (lemon cookies with a drizzle of dark chocolate).  Those were really good, but have been discontinued. 

[Bastet]

Fabulous - my mom will love those ginger snaps (as will I).

@DeLurker, I only know the soap by sight, and I didn't wind up going shopping last week as I'd planned, so I'll let you know the brand tomorrow.

[Bastet]

@DeLurker, I didn't go shopping when I thought I would, and then it wasn't until tonight when I sorted everything for wrapping that I thought to take note of the details, but here's my long-delayed answer to the soap question: TJ's no longer carries the local/regional brand I was looking for, boo, but they do carry Bisous De Provence soap, which I also like for its scent and natural ingredients.  The triple milled soap in lavender smells just wonderful (and looks pretty, too), and I like the green tea, and the lemon verbena as well.  TJ's has it for a good deal less than other stores/online.

I didn't see the red tin of Belgian cookies, but I got the triple ginger snaps for my mom and got my dad a tub of the dark chocolate and peanut butter cups (along with the usual local honey for her and Kona coffee for him).  Because I cannot have those peanut butter cups in my presence without eating them, yet thought it tacky to give him a half-empty tub, I also picked up the small bag of them for me; I've done well eating just one per day.

I also got my dad a blue cheese mustard.  I hate both ingredients, but he loves both, and the little blurb about it was basically, "sounds horrible but tastes great," so I figured why not give it a try.  My parents are harder and harder to shop for each year, as they have everything, so foodstuffs are a good way to add to their loot and make sure they're not sitting there twiddling their thumbs while I finish opening presents. 

[chessiegal]

My step-daughter just posted an Instagram post of a Trader Joe's Bourbon Bundt cake mix fail that she says is false advertising. Part of it got stuck coming out of the Bundt pan. I'm thinking operator error more than Trader Joe fail, but it was funny, especially since she made it for company. Patch it sweetie. No one will care. :-}

[Brookside]

TJ's ridge cut potato chips.  I love this kind of chip, but TJ's are awful.  Basically, they're so thick it's like trying to eat a table top. (Yes, I regularly try to eat table tops.)

[DeLurker]

@Brookside - same with me.  I was seriously underwhelmed by the ridge cuts which tend to be my preferred chip style (holds up better in dip). 

I like their thin sliced chips - think they are called classic.  Normally, I find myself too aware of oil/grease on thin chips, but not their's.  As an added bonus, they hold up to dip pretty well.

[Bastet]

I forgot to report that we all really liked the taste of the triple ginger snaps.  We didn't much care for the texture - we all prefer soft cookies and these are crunchy (like every pre-made cookie I've ever had, so I wasn't surprised by it) - so they're the one holiday treat that is still being slowly consumed, but we do enjoy them, so thanks for the recommendation.

I keep forgetting to ask my dad what he thinks of the "sounds terrible, but trust us, it's good" blue cheese mustard.  I know he devoured the dark chocolate peanut butter cups, though (he claimed they "evaporated" when half the tub was empty the next time I came over) -- that's why I only bought myself the bag of them.  Those are seriously good.  I normally have great willpower when it comes to sweets (it's chips I have no portion control abilities with, which is why I hardly ever buy them), but those might test me!

[HunterHunted]

I haven't tried either of these products, but I've been hearing good things about the mushroom umami powder and the pancake bread. I often make my own mushroom powder by grinding dried mushrooms and throwing it into soups, stews, and sauces. A little goes a long way. I almost ruined some bread I was making by using the last of my porcini powder, maybe 1 1/2 tablespoons. It was intense.

[Brookside]

Chicken gyoza.  They're nasty - texture and flavour.

[annzeepark914]

I went to TJ's on Saturday & bought my usual favorite things + the chocolate cupcakes with buttercream frosting. Haven't had them in a while & forgot how good they are. Plus, they're gluten free so I can take them to some gatherings where there are friends who need GF foods. 

[biakbiak]

My boyfriend just brought me home some of their sunflower seed butter chocolate cups so I need thoughts and prays for having to end a 15 year relationship because of how horrific these things were. I ate a chilled one and apparently didn’t get the “full flavor” and it was still too much. It’s the worst thing I have ever had from there! 

Etb: sunflowers and seasame seeds are very different things!!

Edited January 22, 2019 by biakbiak

[Trini]

24 minutes ago, biakbiak said:

seasame seed butter chocolate cups

So, tahini and chocolate? I like sesame seeds, so at first glance this doesn't sound terrible, but I'll have to take your word! If they were going for a nut-free alternative, I think sunflower seed butter would be better.

[biakbiak]

4 minutes ago, Trini said:

So, tahini and chocolate? I like sesame seeds, so at first glance this doesn't sound terrible, but I'll have to take your word! If they were going for a nut-free alternative, I think sunflower seed butter would be better.

Oops Typo and I will change it because tahini and chocolate is fine, I have had it several times and enjoyed it, this was sunflower seed butter and I spit it out.

Edited January 22, 2019 by biakbiak

[Trini]

9 minutes ago, biakbiak said:

Oops Typo and I will change it because tahini and chocolate is fine, I have had it several times and enjoyed it, this was sunflower seed butter and I spit it out.

Well, now I'm disappointed for a different reason! :-P  The sunflower seed butter I've tasted before was pretty yummy; so that plus chocolate sounds good. Sorry those cups sucked!

[biakbiak]

Just now, Trini said:

Well, now I'm disappointed for a different reason! :-P  The sunflower seed butter I've tasted before was pretty yummy; so that plus chocolate sounds good. Sorry those cups sucked!

Maybe you will enjoy them and I can get you in contact with my now ex-boyfriend. 

[annzeepark914]

Hmmm, I just had crumpets for breakfast. I used to love them and TJ's is the only place I've seen them. Well, even though I toasted them twice, I thought they were a bit doughy. Won't be buying them again. I've noticed that English muffins, even good ol' Thomas's, are kind of doughy now. 

[DeLurker]

2 hours ago, annzeepark914 said:

I've noticed that English muffins, even good ol' Thomas's, are kind of doughy now. 

My daughter and I were really distressed when they changed the English muffin recipe. 

[annzeepark914]

29 minutes ago, DeLurker said:

My daughter and I were really distressed when they changed the English muffin recipe. 

I didn't really notice it that much until my sister said she stopped buying Thomas's and switched to Bayer or Baer? She said they were less doughy.  They're ok but they're already cut and I like to pull the muffin apart after poking it all around with a fork (gets those nooks & crannies realllll good!)  So I do that and pull out some of the breading in Thomas's - helps a little.

[DeLurker]

I usually love Trader Joe’s Winter Blend coffee to the point where I buy a few extra cans so I can have some later in the year since it is seasonal.

The first can I got this year was underwhelming, but I thought maybe I just got an off batch without the right balance of seasoning.  I eventually bought a second can and that was pretty much the same as the first.

It is really disappointing.

[JTMacc99]

On 1/30/2019 at 8:32 AM, DeLurker said:

Winter Blend

The groundhogs agree with me and feel that spring is right around the corner, so the heck with winter blends. What’s Trader Joe’s next seasonal blend?

[DeLurker]

Pumpkin Spice next fall.

[biakbiak]

TJs now has a peanut M&M knockoff that I like better than the original. It’s made with roasted peanuts so it’s extra peanutty.

[MargeGunderson]

I tried the chocolate en croute pastry (freezer case) yesterday. It was like a chocolate croissant and an almond croissant had a baby with even more chocolate and almond paste. So delicious.

Edited February 10, 2019 by MargeGunderson

[mayahouse]

On 2/6/2019 at 3:36 PM, biakbiak said:

TJs now has a peanut M&M knockoff that I like better than the original. It’s made with roasted peanuts so it’s extra peanutty.

Sigh... this made me go and look for these today! YES they really are good too! I had a bit of trouble finding them. I saw a larger bags of the plain ones, but I couldn't find the peanut. I was checking out and asked the clerk about them. Reached over and got this little bag near her, and I asked for 3 of them. Thanks, I think.

Actually I told myself I was really going because I love their Asian stir fry sauce, and I was completely out. So I bought 2 bottles of that also. 

[biakbiak]

42 minutes ago, mayahouse said:

saw a larger bags of the plain ones, but I couldn't find the peanut. I was checking out and asked the clerk about them. Reached over and got this little bag near her, and I asked for 3 of them. Thanks, I think.

Yeah so far they only have the little bags which I am thinking is a good thing because I could imagine I could inhale a big bag in one sitting easily. 

[BW Manilowe]

From NBC News: 6 Foods Not Worth Buying at Trader Joe’s

[DeLurker]

From the article - Snacks such as cookies and granola bars are generally overpriced as well, says Greutman: "All of those are impulse buys and I think specifically packaged to be quick buys, and you spend a lot of money."

~~~~

Have to disagree with them here.  Some of the cookies at TJs are amazing and I don't really think there is a comparable grocery store product to them.  The Triple Ginger Snaps and Quadruple Almond cookies certainly don't have competition.  The Speculoos are cheaper than the Biscoff brand.  My kids have a strong preference for the Joe-Joe's and chocolate chip cookies from there over brands carried in grocery stores.

[biakbiak]

Yeah a lot of the article doesn’t take into account taste! Not to mention having known people who worked there TJs treats their employees well, has good benefits, promoted from within, etc. and to me that matters more than saving a quarter shopping at Walmart.

[chessiegal]

I have a friend who won't shop at Whole Foods because she thinks they don't treat their employees fairly. I can shop at TJs, but it's not convenient. Every time I go I'm so impressed with the employees. My store is on the small side, so I can't do all my shopping there.

[biakbiak]

5 minutes ago, chessiegal said:

My store is on the small side, so I can't do all my shopping there.

Ours is a decent sized and I am still surprised by my friends who do all their shopping there! I think it’s because I cook so much that they don’t have a lot of staples that I need. However, TJs is actually the closest decent sized grocery store to me, four blocks vs six blocks to WF, so it’s easy to shop there for the products I like. 

One thing I hate and they apparently are trying to change is how over packaged most of their produce is because it’s sometimes difficult to judge the quality plus I like to minimize packaging for environmental reasons.

[chessiegal]

2 minutes ago, biakbiak said:

TJs is actually the closest decent sized grocery store to me, four blocks vs six blocks to WF, so it’s easy to shop there for the products I like. 

Envious. Whole Foods is 10 miles, TJs is 11 miles with much worse traffic. My closest grocery store is 5 miles, preferred is 6. Guess that's what I get for living in the somewhat boonies.

[Bastet]

21 minutes ago, biakbiak said:

I think it’s because I cook so much that they don’t have a lot of staples that I need.

21 minutes ago, biakbiak said:

One thing I hate and they apparently are trying to change is how over packaged most of their produce is because it’s sometimes difficult to judge the quality plus I like to minimize packaging for environmental reasons.

These are the two biggest reasons I just go in once or twice a year to get specific items, but it is not at all feasible for my regular shopping.

[Giselle]

I will say their Lamb Vindaloo frozen entree isn't worth the price. 

Very little lamb for $3.99 and lacked flavor.

I have 3 near me that I can go to. Some are better than others. I do like their selection of dried fruits. My husband loves their chili mango. I like their montmorency cherries and dried orange slices.

Mesquite honey, graham crackers, peanut butter pretzels, and toffee are always on my list. Their hotdogs are good.

It's the cheapest place around here to get my peony fix in May. I fill the house with them.

Edited March 21, 2019 by Giselle