Billionaire Shortbread Truffles

MERRY CHRISTMAS EVE AND HAPPY HANUKKAH from us in sunny, warm Florida to YOU, wherever you may be!!

Our Christmas tree!  (Honestly, it is a fire hazard...  Was pretty dead when we got it.  But isn't it pretty?
Handmade shell garland and topped with a STAR FISH!  Christmas Beach Style!

We just opened a sweet treat – Trader Joe’s Billionaire Shortbread Truffles.  So while the Trader Joe’s Brie en Croute is baking in the oven (do you sense a theme here?) I thought I would go ahead and put up the review of the sweets! 

Hmmm, wonder how these will taste???

The packaging says, “A truffled twist on a much loved treat.  Individually wrapped Billionaire Shortbread Truffles.  Buttery shortbread crumbles, gilded with sticky toffee, covered in a rich dark chocolate shell.”  That sounds like a lot to live up to, no??  It is a bit confusing, saying it is a “twist on a much loved treat”…  I do not know of a much loved billionaire treat, do you?  (I know of a certain billionaire I would rather not speak of, but that is beside the point…)  I checked the Trader Joe's article and apparently they are referring to "millionaire shortbread", which is something I do not know about (see more here ).  

Anyway, let’s see what David thought of this seasonal holiday treat:

“First off, the chocolate on the outside is very fragrant and smells delicious and quite rich.  I love that – like a really dark chocolate truffle.  Then, when you bite into it, it is delightfully not gooey, so it doesn’t run out the sides.  That is a plus for me.  It is tasty.  It’s not overly sweet but it is sweet enough.  The center is yielding and the truffle is tasty.  The shortbread cookie kind of gets overwhelmed by all of the other delicious flavors, but maybe it doesn’t mind that as shortbread is kind of the “middle of the range” in cookies.  I just ate one in about 4 bites.  It was a delicious experience from beginning to end.  I am sure you could get through 4 or 5 of these in a sitting.  I would give this a 4.75.”

Take the WRAPPER off first, David...  

Editor’s note:  I think you can tell how much David enjoyed these by his repetition of the word TASTY in his review.  J  Also, David mentioned he took 4 bites to eat 1 of these.  Just to clarify, David is likely one of the few human beings on the planet that would take 4 bites to eat 1 of these truffles.  Some would chomp them down in 1 bite, others 2, a few 3.  But 4 bites?  Oh 4 bites is David territory. 

My take on this treat:  This is the first time we have ever had these.  I am not sure if TJ’s carries them every year and we have just missed them before or if they are something new.  The packaging is what caught my eye in the store – it is very clever.  It looks like a CHRISTMAS CRACKER, which we like.  If you have not done a Christmas cracker before – they are a British tradition (I think).  They are a tube-like shape with twisted ends.  You hold one end of your cracker, your neighbor holds the other end.  You both tug and POP – your cracker opens with a small crack!  Inside you find a flimsy paper hat and a really cheap tacky toy (like, not even as cool as Cracker Jack toys…).  But even though the treats on the inside are typically not “amazing”, the Christmas cracker experience is very fun!  So, the packaging for these Billionaire Shortbread Truffles looks like a Christmas cracker!!!  And the printing on it is a lovely font – the reds and maroons used are really nice.  The DESIGN of the package gets an A+!!!  When you go to open it, you see that it is rather origami-like!  You twist and pull an end to open.  It’s super cool.  However, once you open it, you see that the truffles are sealed into 2 little plastic bags.  That part was odd to me – it felt like over-packaging. 

Made in IRELAND!  

But enough about the package – let’s talk about the truffles!!  Ooohh-la-la!!  These are delicious!  I really like them.  The chocolate is realllllly good dark chocolate – I love it!  My first bite spooked me a tiny bit – the texture felt a little gritty…  I think it was some shortbread, because after that first bite, the gritty factor was not a problem at all.  I think these are a big hit!! 

These would be a really nice gift – put them in someone’s stocking!  I am sorry that I did not review them in time for your gift giving 2016, but if Trader Joe’s has them again next year get some to give (and of course some to EAT).  And if your TJ’s still has some of these left when they re-open on December 26^th, grab some!  The “best by” date isn’t until September 2017, so you have plenty of time to enjoy them if you can still snag a box.

Happy holidays.  May this season find you eating amazing food, talking and laughing with the ones you love, and doing what you can to make the world a better place. 

Panoramic view of my beach walk - see my shadow in the center?  :) 

Price:  $4.49

Rating:  5.0     THIS IS UNPRECEDENTED!!!  We have been eating more of these delicious treats, and we realized that we scored them wrong.  I AM UPPING THE SCORE (it was a 4.75) to a 5.  They deserve it!  

Real Mistletoe - 2016 crop

The things we don't do for you readers...  :)

We purchased another Trader Joe's Real Mistletoe this year.  I mean, we HAD to test it and make sure that it held the same romantic powers as the two previous years' crops, right?  It is all for science, folks!

2016 Real Mistletoe crop - a winner!!

I am happy to report that Trader Joe's Real Mistletoe, 2016 crop is very effective.  It is full of holiday cheer and, most importantly, KISS power.

And it is still very cheap.

Friends Tracy and Vince testing the 2015 crop - 2 thumbs up!

You need it.  Again.  It is something you must renew annually.  (Full disclosure - we also have a silver mistletoe that stays up year round.  It never "goes off".  Cuz you never know when the need for a kiss might hit sometime outside of the holiday season, and you need to be prepared.  I guess you could call us preppers.)

We wholeheartedly recommend you rush out and grab one of these mistletoes at TJ's.  They are an excellent investment.  Here is the complete 2015 review:  Real Mistletoe

Simple package, simple product, great results

HAPPY HOLIDAYS!

It worked in 2014, and it still works to this day (well, I mean this year's crop still works)

Price:  I think it is still $1.99 this year, but however much it is you should invest in one
Rating:  STILL A GLORIOUS 5 

Giant Chalkidiki Olives

I saw this jar of Chalkidiki Olives arrive at Trader Joe’s displayed near the holiday items.  

These olives are the pits.  :)  Not really.  Actually, these olives HAVE pits...

The sight of them reminded me of David’s great find last year – the Giant Greek Olives (review here ) which he adored so much that he stocked up on huge ass jars of them as if he were an end of the world prepper.  He still has one jar left!  The jar of Giant Chalkidikis (do you think if I type that word enough times I might actually learn how to spell it?) that I picked up this year is 17.6 oz (as opposed to David’s favorites last year which are 21.16 oz).  The olives DO have pits (which is how we like them, but I feel the need to warn you of this fact cuz I don’t want you to eagerly bite into one and bust your tooth J ). 

David hoarding olives - December 2015

When I saw these Giant Chalkidikis in the store, I thought they they might be the same olives as David’s beloveds and that just the packaging might have changed, but when I got them home and compared them I see that they are a different color.  The size of the olives and pits are about the same, so perhaps they are the same variety of olive, just processed differently?  Being only an olive FAN and not an olive EXPERT I cannot know for sure. 

A tale of two olives

To me, both varieties have the same “meaty” quality, but the Giant Chalkidikis seem to have a bit more FLAVOR.  I also prefer the color of these new ones, as the Giant Greek Olives are always a bit of a scary green hue to me…  Overall, I like these Giant Chalkidikis just as much as I like the Giant Greeks.  They are certainly priced right – the jar is only $2.29, which is really cheap compared to the olives that we often buy at the “olive bars” at other grocery stores.

David:  “These are very good.  I think they are almost as good as the GIANT COLOSSAL GREEK OLIVES.  I mean, I still say those big round jar ones are the “king”, but these guys are great.  They are an excellent green olive.  They are colossal…  I think the flesh comes away from the pit a little bit more easily than the kind of colossal green olives you get at other grocery stores.  They are fleshy.  They are well behaved.  And they are tasty!  What’s not to like??!”

New year, new olives.  Same discerning palate.

 David and I had a big debate over what to SCORE these olives.  For me, I decided I would give them a tying score to last year’s Giant Greek Olives.  David was unsure if he should also make his numbers a tie, or if these olives should get a teeny tiny bit lower number…  Rating things is hard work, folks!!!  It is an awesome responsibility!!  After trying several more olives (which I do believe was a ploy to be able to gorge on olives…) David decide that he would give these Giant Chalkidikis the same score he gave the Giant Greek Olives.

In the end, this olive is a big winner.

Overall, we recommend you get some.  And eat ‘em.

Price:  $2.29

Rating:  5

Chocolate Chai and Almond Bar

I snagged this product at the Annapolis, Maryland store.  I think it was made in Maryland – a kind Trader Joe’s employee was helping me hunt around the store to find some local products to try and, though the packaging doesn’t SAY this is made in the area, he thought he had been told it was.  So in my cart it went! 

The ingredients list a spice blend of cinnamon, ginger, lemon peel, nutmeg, cloves, and cardamom.  My take on it:  it is TOO BIG for what it is.  If it was 1/3 of the size it would be a better product.  It is TOO THICK – it is not a chocolate bar you could just sit down and munch on.  And trust me, we munch on some chocolate bars (big non-American ones – Lindt and the like), but this Chocolate Chai Almond Bar one just didn’t do it for me.  This puppy is bigger than a Ritter Sport bar!  It is more like a hunk of BAKING CHOCOLATE (David correctly my language here and said it is not a HUNK, but rather a SLAB). 

See, it LOOKS good, doesn't it??

The packaging says it is milk and dark chocolate – but sadly the dark chocolate functions more as a decoration than a taste.  The best part in my opinion are the almonds, which are big hunks (slabs?) of almonds – like half almonds, as opposed to other chocolates that put in slivers of nuts.  Overall – the bar is just TOO THICK.  The chai taste is also too strong, as is the cinnamon.  Everything is competing for my taste buds and nothing ends up winning with this product.  The outer packaging is cool – it is a funky looking recycled cardboard looking cover, but inside of that is just a simple plastic bag (with the slab o’ chocolate).  I think this is Trader Joe’s attempt at making a good, artisanal, fancy chocolate.  But sadly, the attempt does not succeed.  I would give this product a 2.5.

It's new, but it is not tasty

David:  “When I first bit into this it tasted a bit like a gingerbread boy cookie.  I agree with Susan’s review above  – all of the specifics she mentioned are precisely correct.  I would say that the chocolate tastes like really good quality chocolate, but the CONCEPT itself…  The chai-ness…  And it is a bit GRITTY in the chai-ness, which is not good.  The almonds are great, and like I said the chocolate itself seems to be good.  But I am not a fan.  I will give this a 2.0.”  (Editor’s note: this is a shockingly low score from David for a chocolate bar.  He loves most any chocolate, but apparently not this chocolate…)

Never have I seen David less excited about chocolate.  Never.

When you see this on the shelf, you think it is going to be something special.  It is new!  It looks like it should special!  You think, “Oh, this would be a nice stocking stuffer!” or, “This would be a sweet gift for Larry in Accounting!”.  But don’t.  Don’t gift it.  Or be like David, who says, “YES!  Give it to someone!  That way YOU don’t have to eat it!”.  It looks like something special, but it is not.  It is not worth the calories, let alone the price.  The serving size listed is a third of a bar, but you would have to be a big ass person to get through a 1/3 chunk of that slab!  Plus, you would have to not have a lot of taste buds…

Give presents, for goodness sake GIVE PRESENTS!  Just don't give
THIS CHOCOLATE CHAI AND ALMOND BAR as a present

We do not take many things back to TJ’s, really we don’t.  But we took THIS one back.  I think more than getting your 3 bucks back, it is worth returning it to “vote” and let Trader Joe’s know that this one is not a winner.  I am glad the guy showed it to me, and I guess I am glad I tasted it, if only to let you know not to buy it for anyone on your holiday list.  (And if you have already bought it and wrapped it, well, I hope you don’t really like whoever you are giving it to…)

Price:  $2.99

Rating:  2.25

Fleur De Sel Caramel Sauce - REDISCOVERED!

Once in a while, I rediscover stuff.

Because of my short attention span, sometimes I rediscover stuff that we STILL HAVE in the fridge! I guess that is a bonus of short attention spans, eh?  You can be surprised and delighted without even having to go out and shop!  :)

Yesterday I found a jar of Trader Joe's Fleur De Sel Caramel Sauce buried in the condiment section of our fridge.  David and I have both been sick and not eating much for the last 10 days or so, but when I saw this jar I had a glimmer of a hunger pain and went for it.

A little jar packed full of awesome taste

Boy am I glad I found it!  I heated it up quickly in the microwave and served it over fresh blueberries. It was a great reminder of what an amazing product this sauce is!  Today I had some again, this time I dipped apple slices in it - ahhhh....

Breakfast fit for a queen.  A still recuperating queen, but a queen none-the-less.
See the adorable Picasso espresso cup?  Those are some of my favorites to drink out of.  

YOU NEED SOME OF THIS CARAMEL SAUCE.  It got a well deserved 5 star rating when it was reviewed (read that here:  Fleur De Sel Caramel Sauce review ) .

Pick yourself up a jar next time you are grocery shopping at TJ's.  You deserve it!

Price:  $3.49
Rating:  still a solid 5 stars

Charles Shaw Nouveau 2016

We went to Trader Joe’s a couple of days after “Beaujolais Night” last month (I FORGOT TO PUT IT ON MY CALENDAR THIS YEAR SO WE MISSED IT!).  We went in specifically looking for our favorite Beaujolais Nouveau – Georges Dubouef, but couldn’t find it.  I panicked a tiny bit, “Could we seriously have MISSED IT by just being a couple of days late?  Who hogged cases of it???”  I wondered.  Finally, I gave up and asked, but the employee said she hadn’t seen it and thought they hadn’t gotten any yet.  WHEW!  (Review of 2014 Georges Dubouef Beaujolais Nouveau here , review of 2015 Georges Dubouef Beaujolais Nouveau here )

However, the employee said, they DID have the Trader Joe’s Charles Shaw Beaujolais Nouveau, perhaps we would like to try THAT one?

Our TJ's keeps all the Charles Shaw popular wines on an end cap - easy to grab

Well, at $3.29, who is going to say no to that question?  I mean, sure, lots of people are going to say no – people who assume that any wine under $10 is crap.  And alright, so this one is under $5…  But you know what I mean!  WE were not going to say no, so we grabbed a bottle.  Or two.

And then I found the wine we came in looking for on an end cap, so we threw a bottle of Georges Dubouef in the cart, too!  And off we went.

Only, there were a couple of issues.  The biggest one was:  we were not feeling well.  We both had colds.  David has had his since before Halloween (and this was on November 20^th, folks!).  Plus, we were leaving town to go to Omaha for Thanksgiving…  So I didn’t really want to open a NICE bottle of wine (the Georges Dubouef), drink it with impaired taste buds due to colds, then leave a partially filled bottle when we were gone…

So we did the wise thing – we opened a bottle of the $2 Chuck (which is actually $3.29) instead!

Which lead to another problem:  although the woman at TJ’s had called it Beaujolais Nouveau, if you read the label carefully you will notice that the “Beaujolais” is missing and it is simply a “Nouveau”.  But hey, it is red and it was cheap and we had colds, that was FINE WITH US!  Upon furthering questioning (by calling the NYC Trader Joe’s Wine Store) we learned that it is “Nouveau” meaning it is a young wine and that one is a blend of reds. 

Sadly, we forgot to review it that night, so we opened another bottle this week and did our taste test.  By this time, I had developed bronchitis and a double ear infection.  Yeah, not feelin’ so great…  But I hadn’t started my serious meds yet (they were on the schedule for bedtime) so we popped a cork!

We served this Trader Joe’s Nouveau with a leftover salad that had been prepared and not eaten the night before (it had spent the night in the fridge covered in Saran Wrap), a pasta with TJ’s Bolognaise sauce, and a side of Gatorade (classy, no??  But remember – we were SICK).

Here is what we thought:

  

David: “It seems a bit unfair to review this…  I have a cold, too.  The wine seems quite adequate to the task of not getting in the way of the food, but providing a nice red wine thing to taste.  I think this is a good wine.  I would give it a 4.”

Looking and feeling my best!  I ate dinner while wearing a winter coat and covered in 2 blankets.
But I drank some wine, damn it!

Susan:  I mixed my wine with a bit of cough syrup (not literally), making me hopped up on both alcohol and meds…  Like David said, this wine is good.  It is fruity, bright, and fresh.  If we felt better I think we would like it even more.  But as it stands, I will also give this a 4.

Trader Joe’s only carries this variety during the holiday season, so if you want to try some now is the time to grab it.  We will get a couple more bottles to enjoy once we are healthy again. 

Price:  $3.29

Rating:  4

Poinsettias - Please Treat Your Mom

We are visiting Omaha, Nebraska for a week to celebrate Thanksgiving, birthdays, and an upcoming wedding with my family.  Part of my visits to Nebraska always involve visiting my mom's grave.  I wrote about this once last year, explaining how I find it sad to go visit her, yet also very necessary, and the act of bringing flowers to the grave is somehow comforting. 

This is my mom's handwriting.  I find it so comforting to see it.

I recommend that you save a card or letter from your parents - it

is lovely to have their writing after they are gone. 

Last year I stopped into the Trader Joe's at One Pacific Place in Omaha and bought a very pretty bouquet to take to the cemetery and the woman in the demo area was super sweet and helpful (that piece can be found here:  floral bouquet review ).  So this week when I wanted flowers to put on Mom's grave, I headed out to TJ's to see what they had. 

There are a lot of flowers and plants to choose from at TJ's

As you may have noticed if you have shopped recently, TJ's is now filled with holiday flowers.  They have lots of lovely flowers and potted plants to choose from.  I settled on a medium sized red poinsettia (I guess it would be considered "small" in other stores, but TJ's has some adorable teeny tiny poinsettias so I will call this 4.5" one "medium").

So pretty, and so reasonably priced, too

The red flowers are so bright and just right for this time of year.  The sun was shining when we visited my mom and I was glad to have a gift to bring, even though she isn't really there to receive it.

My mom - I think this photo was taken in the 70s.

My point in telling you this story is this:  if your mother is still alive, please visit her now while you can.  Go see her when you can still hug her, still have a conversation with her.  And bring her FLOWERS.  You don't have to spend a ton of money on them, just bring her SOMETHING pretty.  Give them to her NOW, while you can hand them to her and see the smile on her face.  Please. 

As pretty as these flowers look here, they will be a million times more

beautiful on your mother's coffee table.  Bring her some, please. If she asks

why you are bringing flowers, just tell her I sent you, and that you love her.

Price - $2.99
Rating- 5

Ultra Moisturizing Hand Cream Trio

Guys - it is THAT time of year.  The special time when all of the "secret" fancy stuff arrives quietly at Trader Joe's.  The stuff that is in super limited quantities and is priced amazingly well.  The time that YOU NEED TO GO SHOPPING both for yourself and for holiday gifts!

I was reminded of this yesterday when I popped into the Bethesda, Maryland Trader Joe's to see if they had any more Valhrona Advent Calendars (which are the bomb and you can and should totally get one if you can still find it - reviewed here:  Valhrona Advent Calendar ).  My local Trader Joe's was already OUT of the fancy advent calendars and said that they were not getting any more in, so I was desperate.  I mean, I HAD to be desperate to be willing to shop at the Bethesda store - that place is NUTS right now.  The parking lot has been under construction for over a year and is a m-e-s-s.  The elevator from the parking lot is turned off (with no "out of order" sign on it so morons like me (and the family who was there at the same time as me) stand there waiting for a "lift" that will never come...).  And the store itself is pretty darn messy and so crowded that you can't even navigate around with a cart.  Let's just say - this is NOT a relaxing TJ's right now...  But I neeeeeded a couple more Valhrona calendars, so I braved the mess and went, and boy was I glad I did!  They had calendars left (some people on my shopping list are lucky!!).

Cuz guys, guess what else they had???  ULTRA MOISTURIZING HAND CREAM TRIO!  And it was such a top secret item that they had just hid it amongst the regular toiletries instead of putting it in the "New Products" display.  And they hadn't even put up a price sign for it!  Nope, there were just a few boxes quietly hidden on a hard to see shelf!  But see them I did!!!  As should you!  Go get yourself a box, and a box or two for friends.  They are super nice and oh so cheap - same low price of $7.99 as last year!

The hand cream feels exactly like something you would get at L'Occitane, which is a fancy ass toiletries store.  Only, at L'Occitane you would pay double the price.  This hand cream smells fantastic and feels amazing.

You.  Need.  Some.

Here is the complete review from last year.    Ultra Moisturizing Hand Cream Trio

Read that review quickly, then change out of your pajamas and into street clothes and rush out to Trader Joe's and get some.  If you do not see it, ask, cuz maybe your store is keeping it on the down-low, too and has it squirreled away somewhere!

Price:  still only $7.99
Rating:  still a bright shiny 4.5 star rating

Fall Zucchette Pasta

Sometimes Trader Joe’s comes out with products that are PRETTY.  But pretty doesn’t always equate to YUMMY.  Well, this Autumnal Butternut Squash Pasta was pretty in the bag, so I decided to cook some up and see if it was also delicious.  

Here's the bag 

Here is what we thought:

David: “It’s not bad.  It has an interesting, playful shape.  The taste is pretty good.  There is a lot of pasta in each pasta “nodule”, so it could do with a lot of sauce on it.  Yeah.  Ummm.  It’s, ummm…  It won’t hurt you to mix up your pasta routine and give this one a shot.  I give it a 3.75”

Looks like David liked it better on the PLATE than he did in the BAG.  

Susan:  Confession time; to me, really, all shapes of pasta normally taste the same.  I mean, a shape is a shape, but pasta is pasta.  I guess it is the same concept as TACO BELL – everything on their menu is made out of the same ingredients and it all tastes that same, it is just in different SHAPES.  The Taco Bell prices vary a bit per item, but basically, all of their crap is the same, right?  That’s how I feel about pasta shapes. 

Anyway, this Trader Joe’s Autumnal Butternut Squash Pasta has an adorable little shape.  I personally think it looks more like PUMPKINs than squash.  If you have ever shopped at Marshall’s or TJ Maxx, this pasta looks like something they would have in their food sections.  And to be honest, their food sections always make me hesitant…  I check expiration dates there, because I get the feeling like their gourmet food items have been sitting on another store’s shelves and didn’t get sold, so they got shipped to Marshalls/TJ Maxx.  That is what this pasta LOOKS like – the gourmet section at Marshalls/TJ Maxx. 

As for TASTE – this pasta has a nice taste.  And it does not taste ultra SQUASH-Y, either, which is good.   

It has an interesting TEXTURE.  It has a good “bite” to it.  I think this is the largest size pasta I have ever had, except for rigatoni maybe.  We had to cook it longer than the package said because when the timer went off it was SUPER underdone.   While I was in line at Trader Joe’s one evening I had a conversation with a woman and noticed she was picking this pasta up.  She hadn’t had it before either and she guessed it was one you needed to be careful not to overcook.  Turns out you need to be careful of the opposite problem J .  One note:  draining this pasta is bizarre because each little butternut shape is essentially a tiny pumpkin shaped “bucket” holding water. 

Some of the lil pumpkins got a bit busted the first time we cooked this.
Sorry, not as pretty on the plate as the second time.

I was a tad concerned about sauce and worried which one to pair dish this with.  We ended up serving it with Trader Joe’s Creamy Tomato Basil Pasta Sauce and that was a good compliment.  I also served it with baby portabella mushrooms cooked in pumpkin seed oil, with a side of fresh broccoli and a lovely beet/blue cheese salad.  

After our experience with TJ’s Black Bean Rotini (which got a horrible review here:  Black Bean Rotini Review ), I was a little nervous to get back on the horse and try another bizarre pasta.  I worried this one might taste freaky, but it doesn’t. 

Overall, this is a cute pasta and is good to have once or twice during the crisp Autumn season.  It looks and tastes very fall-like. 

I give this product a rating of 4. 

Price:  $1.99 (cheap for a fancy shape pasta)

Rating:  4  

Return of the Pomegranate (Body Butter)

Look, I do not want to get all political in this forum, that is not what this space is for.  This is for TRADER JOE’S, for heaven’s sake, not for politics.  But I feel that I must put it out there, at least acknowledge the fact, that I am not feeling up to snapping funny photos of David and I chowing down on mini pies and the like right now.  It is a somber, confusing time for me. 

And yet – we all must eat.  And in our case, that means we must make a trip to Trader Joe’s. 

And lucky for me, it meant that I found POMEGRANATE BODY BUTTER is back in stock.  Yes, a holiday favorite has returned.  If you follow this blog you might know that I am not a huge fan (at all…) of TJ’s PUMPKIN Body Butter (bleck!), but the Pomegranate is good!! 

Here it is folks!  It is back!

They have changed the packaging this year- funked it up a bit and it looks nice.  They did NOT change the price tag – it is still the low, low price of $5.49.  Sadly, they didn’t take my advice to change the LID to the cool lid they give to the yucky Pumpkin scent, the one where you can snap the lid up off instead of having to twist it off.  Not having the advanced lid is the only reason this product got a 4.75 instead of a 5 star rating last year!  You would THINK they would want to up their game, man!  But if they are not changing the lid, I am not changing the rating.

Packaging THIS year

Packaging LAST year

Anyway, you should for sure grab yourself a tub during this holiday season.  And actually, you might want to grab an extra tub to squirrel away for later, cuz when the first tub runs out, you might miss it and they won’t have it anymore.  And if you have someone on your holiday shopping list who likes lotion, this might be a good gift!  Now don’t say I didn’t help you with your shopping.

Here is the full review from last year (which has more fun photos, cuz it was before the 2016 Presidential American election…): 2015 Pomegranate Body Butter Review

And you know what?  If you are reading this, and want to try this product but don't have a Trader Joe's in your area, check on E-Bay and other sites.  If you can't find anyone selling it for at or near the REAL PRICE ($5.49) comment here and we can work together.  You can send me money and I will get you some at TJ's and mail it to you (sorry, you will have to pay for shipping, but it will be better than getting ripped off by some online retailer!).  Just consider it my early holiday gift to you.

Here is to a winter with no dry skin.

Price: $5.49

Rating: 4.75

French Onion Soup AND Reston, Virginia Trader Joe's

GUYS!  We visited ANOTHER TRADER JOE’S!  I think this was our 27^th store to visit since January 1, 2015 (in 14 different states, well, 13 states and one District). 

The newest store (new to us) was on Killingsworth Avenue in Reston, VA.  The night before Halloween I surprised David by driving us out to a house I had found online that was all lit up for Halloween and had the lights danced to music!  Anyway, when we were done enjoying that, we Googled and saw that there was actually a TJ’s nearby that we had never visited, so off we went!

Here is the Halloween house!  See those jack-o-lantern lights?  THEY SANG!  It was cute.

The Reston, Virginia Trader Joe's is very nice!  It is big, well stocked, well lit, clean, and has wide aisles.  They also have something that I have not noticed in any other Trader Joe’s around the country:  a little play kitchen for kids!  We got there shortly before closing time, but this little girl was enjoying the play area!  Isn’t it adorable??  I bet kids love it (parents, too).  I talked to a super friendly, really nice employee named Kimberly who didn’t know that her store was SPECIAL by having the play kitchen J.  I was like, “Kimberleeeeeey, no, not all stores have those!  It is amazing!”

LOOK!  A little kitchen to play in!!!

Another really cool thing this location has is MULTIPLE STUFFED ANIMALS TO HIDE…  Do you know about the TJ’s stuffed animals?  Each store has one (at least I thought they only had one!) and they hide it on the shelves.  Kids that are shopping hunt for the animal, and if they find it they report it to the customer service area and get a treat.  But Kimberly explained to me that she feels like it shouldn’t be too hard for kids to be successful in this adventure, and that is why she deploys MULTIPLE ANIMALS!  Isn’t that kind (and smart)??  I love it!  Lucky Reston kids.

Shhhh, one of the animals in hiding in the coffee department in Reston!

Oh, and get this…  The store captain is named SUNSHINE HAVEN!  With someone named SUNSHINE running the place, how could it NOT be glowing and lovely??  I hope to go back sometime and meet Sunshine.  And hey – Sunshine – Kimberly is a great representative of your store and the TJ’s brand.  I don’t know if it is within your realm of power, but if it is, give that lady a raise, she is great. 

The Reston, Virginia store has a very nice feel

We picked up several items while we were at this location, one of which was the luxurious advent calendar I wrote about recently Super Amazing Fancy Advent Calendar Review .  the item I am actually reviewing today did not come from this particular store, but I am sure they carry it. 

French Onion Soup.  David, who lived in Paris for a few years, has eaten some French Onion Soup in his day.  Here is what he thought of this version from Trader Joe’s:

“Very, very good.  I have had me some French Onion Soup, and I love it, but it is often a disappointment.  This one is FULL of flavor, very rich, although we should point out that we ended up cooking it 15 – 20 minutes longer than the insructions said to, so I think it reduced a little bit.  But still, the balance of the onions, the soup, and the cheese (which is not overdone but which is very flavorful) is, I would say, perfection.  The only downside is that you have to think about cooking it about 40 – 45 minutes before you are actually going to EAT, and that is usually outside our zone.  But, IF you can remember to do that, and go do something else for half an hour while this cooks in the oven, I think this is a winner.  I give it a 5…  Well, I have to give it a 4.75 because of the TIME it took.”

Oh my…  This is embarrassing…  My sweetie and I normally agree on stuff, but on this one, not so much…  I do not think this soup is that good…  It is more like a GRAVY than a soup (that could be because we cooked it too long…).  We ran out while it was in the oven (one of the places we ran was to Trader Joe’s, so that should count for something!).  But this soup is too “beefy” for me. 

Plus, there is not enough cheese.  I like French Onion Soup like in PARIS – you put your spoon into a big ol’ GLOB of cheese…  Then it kinda bloobles on your spoon.  That is what I was HOPING for, but this isn’t it.

You can tell even when it is still frozen that there isn't going to be enough CHEESE on it.  Not enough for me, anyway.

The packaging is sort of weird.  The soup comes in two little frozen “blobs”, which you put in your bowl and then cook in the oven.  I personally don’t think this one was worth the time to cook.  The thing I liked most is that cooking this gave us an excuse to use these delightful little Le Creuset dishes we inherited from David’s mom.  We keep them high up in a cupboard and always forget we have them, but they were perfect for this soup because you need an oven safe bowl to cook them in.

I wouldn’t buy these again for me, but David really love it, so we probably will get them again.  I talked to a woman in TJ’s recently who adores these (she microwaves hers because she doesn’t have an oven).  I don’t think this product is horrible, it just isn’t as good as French Onion Soup should be in my opinion. 

I like that it came in two easy serving sizes, but I don’t like the taste.  I sadly give it a 2.75.

Price – $4.99

Rating (average of 2 raters) – 3.75

GET THEE TO A TRADER JOE'S - Important Announcement If You Like Chocolate!

Yes, Halloween was just yesterday.

Yes, Thanksgiving is still weeks away.

And yet, and YET, today I urge you to run to Trader Joe's and get an ADVENT CALENDAR!

David praying to the Valrhona gods, offering thanks for putting out the advent calendars in October.
(We found it in the Reston, VA store - a new store for us!  Details on it soon!)

Crazy early, I know, but don't blame me, I am not the one who already put Valrhona Advent Calendars on the shelves at Trader Joe's!  I didn't put 'em there, I just spotted them!  And of course, I snagged one!!!  AND SO SHOULD YOU!

You need one of these for oh so many reasons.  Let me tout just a few:

1.  Valrhona chocolate is ahhh-mazing.  Seriously delicious, very high quality chocolate.

2.  This is an advent calendar for ADULTS.  Ain't no snowmen.  Ain't no Santas.  Ain't no waxy a** chocolate!  No - each and every day of December until Christmas reveals a delectable, delicious, super good chocolate.

Here is the pretty inside.  It looks just like last year!  So lovely.

3.  It is the SAME PRICE as last year ($9.99), which is crazy cheap for all of the great chocolate you are getting.  

$9.99 in one store in 2015....

$9.99 in another store in 2015

TADA!  STILL $9.99 at the Reston, VA store in 2016!  Thanks Trader Joe's!

4.  On December 24th you get a big candy bar (see photo of inside of the calendar above - check out the 24th!)!  Not one of those little fancy squares, but a genuine full size real life chocolate bar.  (If you want to be kind, you can share it with a friend, but you don't have to.)

5.  It will help you count down the days until Christmas.  "But my family doesn't CELEBRATE Christmas!" I hear some of you saying.  To that I say, DOESN'T MATTER, you still deserve great chocolate!  Here's what you do:  set an appointment for December 25.  It can be to change the filter on your heater.  It can be to polish your shoes.  WHATEVER!!!  Then use this fancy advent calendar to count down to that appointment!  It works for stuff other than Christmas, trust me!!

Attractive photo of us from last year, opening up a day of chocolate in our jammies.
I promise, we have not opened any squares yet this year!

The reason I am posting this so early is because the stores will run out of these.  Soon.  They don't get many of them, and when they are gone, they are gone.  And you deserve one.  Heck, while you are at TJ's pick up a couple of the cheap advent calendars for your kids (I think they are a buck!).  But remember, this fancy Valrhona one is for YOU!!!

Last year this product got 5 well deserved stars (review here:  2015 Valrhona Advent Calendar Review

This year, even before opening a single little window and nibbling a chocolate, I declare it a 5 star winner again!

Price:  STILL $9.99, and well worth every penny

Rating:  STILL a shiny 5 stars

Bollywood Popcorn

I have a new obsession from Trader Joe's; it is BOLLYWOOD POPCORN!!  Sure, at first glance Indian Popcorn might not be the exact thing you expect to quench your hunger, but for my taste buds, it is all that and a bag of chips!!

Sometimes you MUST try the new items

David's take:  "Very nice.  I think this is a successful attempt at finding something new to add to popcorn. It's a little bit CUMIN-Y, so if you don't like cumin you might not go ravenous over this.  I like how FLAVORFUL it is - it's very flavorful and that's good!  I don't think it supplant my love of cheddar flavor on popcorn, but it is very nice and successful for a different take on popcorn!  I give this a 4.25."

I hereby declare my love of Trader Joe's Bollywood Popcorn
 (and I do a little Bollywood move in the middle of Trader Joe's)

I declare - THIS IS GOOD STUFF!  The ingredients say it is flavored with vegan Tikka Masala - I say bring that tikka on!! 

Paprika, turmeric, and garlic powder are also mentioned in the ingredients (but not the cumin that David tastes so strongly, though that may well be a part of the tikka masala or the unnamed "spices").  I really like this product.  I like that it TASTES SAVORY.  Why, it doesn't just taste like a snack, it tastes kind of like a meal!  The bag says one serving is two cups and there are five servings in a bag, which seems about right.  I don't think I could eat an entire bag in one setting (though I might "have to" try, just for scientific research for this blog, of course...)

Go ahead, invest two bucks in a bag

This is definitely different than your run of the mill snack food and it's a great invention!  I was never into flavored popcorn until we first had Garrett's Chicago Style popcorn (later emulated at TJ's - 5 star review here).  I then got up enough nerve to taste TJ's Popcorn in a Pickle and liked it, too (review here).  I am glad my taste buds "matured" enough to accept flavored popcorn, because this Bollywood popcorn is a welcome addition to my snack food! 

The only negative I noticed was that your fingers get SUPER MESSY while you eat it.  I do not recommend chomping on this snack while reading a library book, cuz that can only end in you paying a fine for ruining a book.  At least, that is what I thought the first couple of times I ate Bollywood Popcorn, until I invented my NEW TECHNIQUE for eating it!  Check it out!!

THIS is how you should eat it!  No more messy fingers!!

Yup - all you have to do is put your Bollywood Popcorn in a small bowl and use your tongue to pick it up instead of your fingers!  Voila, problem solved!  (Important note:  it is recommended that each snacker have their own bowl when employing this technique, cuz, well, some people might think your tongue in their bowl is gross.) 

This is a creative product.  We went to India in May and this brings back nice memories of that trip.  Here are a couple of Indian vacation photos, plus one shot of David wearing a fun and rather lovely mask a friend him.

I love this photo of an Indian woman making coir.  We had such an inspiring time watching these women.

This man is a TODDY TOPPER!!  He climbs trees and collects "toddy" to be sold in toddy bars.
Only MEN drink in toddy bars, but I got to go in one!  Color me lucky.  (No, we didn't taste it...)

Beautiful Indian woman in her boat

David with a very famous Indian Kathakali performer

Tuk Tuk Driver in Southern India - he let DAVID try out driving the tuk tuk!!

Back in America with the new BOLLYWOOD POPCORN!

I give this Bollywood Popcorn a 4.75.  If you have an adventurous palate I recommend you grab a bag and try it out.

Price: $1.99
Rating (average of 2 raters):  4.5