Frozen Steelcut Oatmeal

I do not recommend this unless you want watery oatmeal, I am disappointed. It cost 1.69 for two bowls but still not worth it. I would recommend getting steelcut oats and making it yourself. Much better (and it is actually less expensive)

Wintry Blend Coffee

Ok it has been a hot minute since I last posted. I love this coffee. It's the best time of year at Trader Joe's because of all the great things that they have and this is no exception. It is sprinkled with peppercorns and other spices to give it a nice flavor. It is also pre-ground so that the spices are distributed through out it evenly. Do not make the mistake of putting it in the coffee grinders at TJs. My first container this year was ruined because of the taste of whatever coffee the person before me ground up. This batch has been wonderful though!
Try it! Love it!

Goats Milk Gouda Cheese

So I believe that I posted about another Goats milk gouda (http://lovefoodtraderjoes.blogspot.com/2011/09/honey-goat-gouda.html)  This one is the original! Just really good and really rich. I have used it for grilled cheese, a turkey sandwich, and just having a slice of cheese!

Rigatoni alla Sicilina

This stuff was really good AND really easy to make. I literally threw it in a saucepan and heated it up. This is a vegetarian dish but it does have cheese. One thing to keep in mind is that you have to wait for all the cheese to melt. I definitely recommend it!

Organic Popping Corn

Probably the healthiest way to pop popcorn is in a hot air popper. I have had one for ages but had gotten lazy and was just buying microwave popcorn (although it was from TJs, popping it myself means less ingredients) when I stumbled across this in the "new" section a few/several months ago. Really good basic popping corn, and it's organic. I would definitely recommend purchasing it!

Joes Dark Coffee

This stuff is pretty darn good for 4.99! Has a lot of flavor, sold as whole beans so you can grind the coffee to your preferred consistency. I use it in my french press, ground coarsely. If you don't have a coffee grinder (like me), they actually have one in-store, right next to the coffee. Definitely worth it!

Canola Oil Spray

So I used to just use whatever non-stick cooking spray I found; sometimes PAM, sometimes TJs, but when I read the ingredients, that changed. I stay away from alcohol in cooking, and in my can of organic PAM, I saw one of the first ingredients was Organic Grain Alcohol. I looked at this canola oil spray and it doesn't. So I switched. I don't like using an alcohol-based spray and besides look at that cute flower on the front!

Hope these posts keep you updated, I will post again soon....I promise it won't be as long as my last gap!
Keep cooking and shopping at Trader Joes and tell me what you find!

Truly Handmade Flour Tortillas

Mmmmmm Tortillas.....these taste so much better than normal tortillas. They do have that handmade taste, but unlike the ones you can get at authentic Mexican restaurants, they do not contain any lard, and the ingredients are simple. I love them! So soft! I earlier reviewed the whole wheat ones, but these are much better! I try to go for whole wheat, corn, or rice tortillas, but these are so good that I can't help myself!

Pizza Olympiad

Pizza Pizza Pizza!!! I love this Pizza. It is just the right size for one person (450 calories), and each package comes with two for $3.99. If you love feta cheese, kalamata olives, and red peppers, you will love this. I like to add more veggies on top but if you do this, cook the veggies first. I put the frozen melange a trois peppers on it this last time and they were still partially frozen. But amazing!

Sorry for the lapse...

Hey devoted fans and Trader Joes lovers. I have not forgotten about my blog. I got busy and haven't been posting, but that is about to end!
Rachel

Coconut Milk Unsweetened

Ok, I admit it, I am in love with coconut anything. I bought ciao bella coconut sorbet on Saturday (amazing!), use coconut oil in my hair for moisture, it's just so good! So, I decided to try this. It's fairly new (probably came out in July). I put some in my smoothie along with the Tropical Carrot Juice Blend. I could taste a hint of coconut but the juice kind of drowned it out. I will comment when I try it sans carrot juice. But the good thing is that it is not sweetened. Anyhow, that's all for now!

Tofu Edamame Nuggets

Brand spankin new! These are so unique! In a way they are like chicken nuggets, but not really super breaded. They have veggies and edamame in them and are made of tofu that is crispy on the outside. I dipped them in Trader Joe's Island Soyaki. I would definitely recommend them, but I would say to only use a minimal amount of the soyaki because both of them combined means a good deal of sodium. Really, just a tiny amount does the trick. Even without a dipping sauce they are good and very easy. Preheat the oven to 425, cook for 10-12 minutes and they are ready. Each bag contains three servings and I had one and a half for dinner. Enjoy and report back!

Thai Red Curry Sauce

Mmmmm. Thai Curry is one of my favorite meals ever. This sauce is really good, tastes just like a red curry. I really like it, but it always seems to leave me feeling bloated. It's probably due to the high sodium  content (920mg/serving, so for the whole bottle that is 4,600mg of sodium in that entire bottle. Well now that I looked at the sodium, I can see why I feel so bloated! I like the taste, but after seeing that sodium content, I will probably never buy it again.

Spicy Pico de Gallo topped Guacamole

Part 3 of 3 of my Breakfast Installment.
Ok I had you waiting there for a whole five minutes until I posted this one. So where did we leave off? Now you have a yummy breakfast all ready for you to eat. I'm sure that it would be delicious if you went ahead and ate it there. However, your meal is not complete!
This guacamole is unlike any other I have had. Usually, they come sealed in little packages as either regular guacamole or spicy guacamole. Then you have to buy pico de gallo or salsa. This has both AND the pico de gallo is hot too! So I literally scooped up a big spoonful of this amazing creation onto my plate and I had an amazing meal.
This guac is really good, and if you haven't tried TJ's other guacamoles, this tastes essentially the same, plus a little fresh spice to go along with it. Try it, buy it, and let me know what you think about it!

Soy Chorizo

Part 2 of 3 of an amazing breakfast!
Ok so I have never had pork chorizo because, well, I was raised Jewish so I tend to shy away from things made from pigs (well, except for pepperoni...) But this is so good! Super spicy, so much flavor and it's actually vegan.
So how did I turn this into an amazing breakfast? Ok, to begin with, I sprayed a frying pan with TJs canola oil spray. Next, I took the Melange a Trois trio of bell peppers and added it to the pan. I crumbled up some tofu and then I put some chorizo in a pan. I let it cook for a while until it was all hot and cooked  thoroughly.
I then added it to some TJs black beans I cooked in a pot on the stove
I plated all of this with some freshly toasted tortillas
Last but not least, I added.....wait.....wait....see my next post!

Handmade Whole Wheat Tortillas

Part 1 of 3 of a wonderful breakfast!!
So these are really awesome tortillas! They also come in regular white flour tortillas as well. They are really soft, so that is a good thing, well made and delicious! Especially heated up! They are super good with my wonderful breakfast. This is the first installment! For this breakfast, I toasted the tortillas in my toaster oven, getting them slightly crispy.

Multi Purpose Cleaner

Now I realize that I set out to make a food blog. BUT I have to review everything there so that you can get the full experience and know what all to buy. On that note, let me tell you about this cleaner. First off, if you have granite, don't use this product. It leaves the granite looking streaky and really shiny in some places but not in others. It works well with other things and it is fairly inexpensive though. I don't think it's a bad product, but don't trust the claim about granite. I was using Sprouts natural vinegar cleaner and it worked fine. I am thinking of trying method granite cleaner. Well enough about the cleaner, and lets get back to the food!

Carribean Fruit Floes

These are soooo good! Tropical fruit popsicles, made with pineapple, mango, passion fruit, coconut flakes, strawberries, fructose, and sugar. Very unique. If you have had those Dreyers Fruit Bars, these are very similar, but the difference is that this flavor is way better and is a much more unique flavor, their flavors are generally one specific flavor (i.e. lime, strawberry, coconut, etc.) And they only have 80 calories each. Four popsicles for 1.99 isn't a bad price either! They have three other kinds of fruit floes, strawberry, chili mango and one other. Try em!

Meat and Potatoes

FAIL. This stuff was disgusting. First of all, it  cooked very unevenly in a pan on medium heat like it said to do. The meat was too chewy for my liking. I think it would have been better in the microwave. Not worth 4.99

Peanut Satay Noodles

Well, this is a little box that they sell at (obviously) Trader Joe's. It contains a pouch of peanut satay sauce and a vacuum packed thing of cooked noodles. The noodles don't look like a lot but when they come out there is enough for a decent serving for two. I decided to make a meal out of this 1.99 package.

I took 1/2 block of TJ's extra firm tofu, weighed it on the top with paper towels in between to blot out the water and cut it into triangles. I put them in a non-stick pan sprayed with TJs canola oil spray (which I really like...more on that later!). I let them turn a golden color
I took a bag of TJ's stir-fry vegetables, and I placed them in a pan with canola oil spray to defrost them
I added the noodles to that same pan
I combined all of the ingredients together and added the packet of sauce.
I let them cook together briefly
I added some spiracha (thai hot sauce) 


Ta-da! I had a meal! For under 5 dollars might I add...

The verdict on the noodles/sauce? It wasn't phenomenal BUT adding spiracha really made a difference. I think that with the right amount of spiracha or some other TJs sauce, this could be an amazing meal. They also have two other flavors. I may try them as well!

Stir Fry Vegetables

This product is pretty good and really easy to add to stir-frys. I try to add vegetables to every dish that I can! It contains pea pods, bean sprouts, bamboo shoots, soybeans, water chestnuts, carrots, and mushrooms. Pretty basic. I added almost a full bag of this to the product I am about to review, Peanut satay, and half of a block of tofu. Easy, cheap meal for two.

Honey Goat Gouda

Lordy Lordy, this gouda is A-mazing! I try to stay away from cow's milk, so I always try new goat or sheep milk cheeses that TJs comes out with. It has a slightly sweet flavor to it. I can definitely taste some honey and it's a good thing. I may not have the best vocabulary to describe how good it is, but you should just try it! Seriously! If you don't like it, comment!

Dark Chocolate Caramel with Sea Salt

This is the best chocolate I have ever had. And I have a serious sweet tooth. It is SO rich! As I broke the chocolate apart, this gooey mess of caramel started to spill out. The sea salt really gives it a salty and sweet taste. Then combined with the chocolate?! To die for. Seriously. And it's only 1.99 I really do have a love affair with TJs...

Go Raw Trek Mix

This is a really good trail mix that is really good for you! Walnuts, almonds, raisins, cashews, filberts all come together to pack in 5g of protein for every 150 calories. Not bad if you ask me! And it is all raw! I don't generally embrace raw food, but this stuff is good. And worth it. For about 5 dollars, you get 15 servings....and you won't have a problem eating them either!!
Oh and if you are actually athletic and go hiking, this would probably be a good fit for you :)

Fast Flavor Sticks

So I love adding flavor to my water, and easy tubes that I can just add to a bottle of water sound like a great idea. Well they generally are, but not these. Each package (designed for one bottle of water) has 30 calories, all from sugar. Yes they contain some stevia, but not nearly enough. I like to feel energized when I drink water and these just made my water taste too sweet and I could really feel the sugar on my teeth. If you are looking for an alternative sugar-free but not artificial drink mix, I would try these packages made by TRUlemonade. They carry them in the aisle with the sugar or with the other low calorie drink mixes at grocery stores. I am really into this raspberry lemonade flavor:

Greek Feta

There is nothing in my mind that characterizes greek food like feta cheese. This one is the best IMHO. Why? Well first of all I am lactose intolerant and this is sheep and goat milk feta. But there is much more that I like about this product than that. It contains feta cubes with herbs (oregano, thyme, dried red peppers) in extra virgin olive oil. They are so good just to snack on, add to a salad, eggs, tortilla, etc. They are fairly new. I have been hooked since the first week my TJs got them in stock. As with all of my favorite new products, everyone else realizes it too and they run out. But I found them again this week!!! ENJOY!

Chipotle Salsa

More salsa! This one gets a negative review from me. It has a particularly strange, smoky taste to it that I just  can't seem to get into at all. My boyfriend says it's okay but not great, and my dad likes it a lot, so it may be worth a try. Please post your own findings!

Peach Salsa

I really like Salsa, this one is my favorite though! I have a huge sweet tooth, so this salsa with a kick of sweetness really does it for me. I dip all kinds of things in it! It's pretty mild as salsas go, but it has a lot of flavor. I would 100% recommend this one.

Honey Apple Butter

After trying that fig butter, I went back for more and they were all out! At TWO Trader Joes! So I decided to try another fruit butter, this time the honey apple. It was so good and sweet. I have had apple butter that just didn't really taste good, but this one was NOT like that! I totally recommend this one. Grab a jar and you won't regret it! Oh bonus, it was only 2.29, cheaper than the fruit spread I normally buy.

0% Greek Yogurt Vanilla

No this is not an illusion. There are seven containers of Trader Joe's yogurt in that top picture. Would you guess that I am a fan? Not a chance in the world....
Seriously, this stuff is so good! Greek yogurt is great because it is thicker and filled with protein. This one is great because it tastes good and a little sweet but without being overpowering. The container has two servings of yogurt, but I usually end up making it three servings (about five ounces each). It contains five ingredients and five cultures in it. (Wow that is a lot of fives). It actually only costs $2.79 which is a pretty good deal. I add it to fruit, both fresh and frozen as well as granola.
Oh and by the way, the reason for the seven containers is that I try to re-use containers; only one is full!

Sorry I missed posting yesterday! Hope you enjoy this food and continue to spread the word about the most informative Trader Joe's blog out there!

Mélage à trois

Mélage à trois...definitely an ear-catching name. It is such a great product. A bag full of pre-cut red, green, and yellow bell pepper strips makes it so easy to cook peppers!! I personally happen to be rather lazy, and especially after a long day, anything that will save me time is a good idea. I don't have to get each pepper out, wash, slice, etc. requiring dirtying a cutting board and knife. Here's how I used them today: got a TJs chicken sausage and sliced it up as well as the mélage à trois peppers and added them to a frying pan (with TJs canola oil spray). Let them heat up and move them around the pan. Definitely under ten minutes. I put them on handmade corn tortillas and had lunch. Easy as 1-2-3 or maybe red-yellow-green!!!
I highly reccommend these AND if you are watching your budget, each bag is only $1.69. Sounds good to me!!!!!

BBQ Sauce

I love bbq sauce...This one especially. I've been using it for ages! It's really good used so many ways. I like to put it on chicken and potatoes, use it as a salad dressing, atop a burger, let me count the ways..... If you saw my last post about pizza dough, I have another tip for you. I mixed some of this bbq sauce with tomato paste to make a pizza sauce that I topped with cheese and veggies. I would suggest trying it on your next trip! Please post your reviews :)
Oh, and if you try it and hate it, keep your reciept and TJs will take it back!

Pizza Dough/Pizza Sauce

Today, I decided to make pizza. One of the things that I like about making my own pizza is that I get to put everything I want and nothing that I don't want on it. Trader Joe's has three different varieties of Pizza dough, white, wheat, or garlic + Herb (I believe that's the official title). I always get the whole wheat, although I would like to try the herb dough (that I will too review!).
Well the wheat dough is really good, it has a great flavor. It has enough dough that I was able to make four personal pizzas out of it. The dough is pretty inexpensive too, although I can't seem to find how much I paid, I believe it was under two or three dollars. It's standard dough, it comes refrigerated so it is ready to use. If you don't plan on using it right then, put it in the freezer immediately and then let it defrost when you are ready. To make, I simply let the dough rise for 20 minutes, and rolled it out on a lightly floured surface (with, of course, TJs white wheat flour!) and I formed it into four mini pizzas.
I then added the above pictured pizza sauce. It's really good, and I used almost the whole jar for my four pizzas. It's easy to spread it on the dough, then add my choice of toppings. Today I used daiya and tons of veggies on two of them (with some TJs feta), and TJs meatless meatballs with veggies on the other two.
Once again, an easy meal made from TJs ingredients.

Stop by again tomorrow for a new review and be sure to click follow at the top of each page!

Raw Crunchy Almond Butter

Almonds are really good for you, containing protein and many different vitamins. Reportedly, almonds have a great deal of health benefits, lowering the bad cholesterol, helping your heart, providing magnesium, help losing/maintaining weight, etc. (whfoods.com) The thing that is different about this almond butter from the rest is that it is raw. It has not been roasted in any way; this is supposed to keep the nutrients in it. However, I personally prefer the normal unsalted Trader Joe's almond butter, I found a picture of the of this variety, I think it has a little more flavor to it.

Well, enjoy eating your almonds, in whatever form you do it!

Hummus Dressing

I really should have known when I was at Trader Joes... Hummus is pretty much always made with olive oil and this for some reason is made with canola oil. Personally, I prefer olive oil because it is better for you and gives a better taste. I bought it a month or two ago and have not been able to bring myself to eat it. Maybe hummus was not meant as salad dressing or maybe this just isn't good, the smell is just not appealing. Perhaps if you want hummus on your salad you should check out one of the very many varieties of hummus TJs carries. I'm pretty sure that they would be better than this one.

Beef Tamales

I have been a regular eater of these tamales for about five years. They are really good; the center is really moist, filled with shredded beef and carrots and has a red color to it. I am by no means a connoisseur when it comes to mexican food, but these are just amazing. It's super easy to grab one out of your freezer and put it in the microwave for three minutes. These are also a great value, 2.29 for a package of two.
There are two other varieties that I know of, chicken tamales and green chile and cheese. My boyfriend tells me that the green chile and cheese ones are awesome, however I don't eat a whole lot of cheese so I haven't tried them. The chicken ones, in my opinion, are not nearly as delicious as the beef!
So try and enjoy!
Report back your opinions!!

Chicken Sausage

Trader Joe's Chicken Sausage is the best because it is so easy and there are a bunch of varieties. My favorite thing is that they come pre-cooked. I bought some at Sprouts that had to be cooked and they were such a pain to tell if they were even completed cooking that I never ended up eating them. These are great. I just take them out of the package, slice them in some manner, and throw them into a frying pan with TJs pure olive oil and let them crisp up a little bit.
There are about six to eight different varieties. I have tried spicy italian (ok) and garden herb (ok) other than these two. The kind on the left, Mango, is a little strange. The ingredients made me think it would be great, but it ended up being pretty gross, IMHO. The Sweet Apple sausage is amazing! They have a little maple syrup inside, so they are slightly sweet. I add some peppers to the frying pan (TJs melange a trois - to be featured later!) and they quickly cook up. I roll them into a tortilla of some sort (TJs has a great assortment!) and I have a really easy dinner. I still need to try a pesto variety, which sounds pretty good! More news on that later....

Unsweetened Vanilla Almond Milk

I've been drinking soy milk for a good part of my life. I've tried other types of faux-milk, hemp milk, coconut milk, almond milk, but never ended up deviating from my favorite vanilla soy milk. Fast forward to a couple months ago when I tried this product. It has a vanilla taste to it, but actually has less than half the calories of normal vanilla soy milk AND no added sugar. It is reasonably priced, $2.99, and it has quickly become a staple in my home. It's perfect because it does not overpower you with it's sweetness. I use it in coffee, smoothies, baking, cereal, etc. The only thing you could dislike is when everyone else figures out how great it is and your neighborhood TJs is all out! THAT is never good!!!

Fig Butter

I always love trying new food at Trader Joe's. Monday night, I picked this fig butter up because I can never seem to get enough figs. It is delicious; great taste of figs and super-sweet containing more fruit than sugar. If you like figs, this is an awesome addition to your food repertoire! I have been spreading it on two pieces of toasted Trader Joe's sprouted flourless whole wheatberry bread with 2 eggs in the middle. Add some fruit and/or yogurt and you have an delicious and wholesome breakfast.