Cold Brew Latte Dessert Bars

This is a brand new product for us (and new to Trader Joe's, too).  It is the 2^nd of 2 “cold brew” Trader Joe’s products we have tried lately (in case you missed it, here is my review of - French Vanilla Cold Brew ).  

Cold Brew Latte Dessert Bars - how will they taste???

We tried this “dessert bar” on a lovely spring day (it was 75 degrees!) after we had spent the entire day outside doing things that needed to be done:  cleaning out the car port, trimming rose bushes, pulling weeds, repairing outdoor steps, and cleaning picture frames that I will use in an upcoming art project.  After all of that work, I thought we deserved a treat!  So, we plopped down on the back stoop, sat in the sunshine, listened to birds sing, and ate COLD BREW LATTE DESSERT BARS.  Here is what we thought:

One of the rose bushes I trimmed!  

Susan:  Honest truth:  we do not eat popsicles at our house much.  The only time we ever have them is if someone is sick with a fever (and that someone would have to be ME 'cuz I don’t think David would ever be lying in his sick bed and ask for a popsicle…) or if it is colonoscopy prep time (HEALTH NOTE:  IF YOU ARE AGE 50 OR OLDER OR HAVE A FAMILY HISTORY OF COLON CANCER, NOW WOULD BE A GREAT TIME TO MAKE AN APPOINTMENT FOR A COLONOSCOPY!  This reminder brought to you by someone on the “every 5 year” plan.)  In those situations, we buy a box of popsicles.  The sick/colonoscopy person eats one, perhaps two popsicles, and the remaining frozen confections stay in the freezer until they have ice crystals all over them and are so gummy they stick to the paper, at which point I throw them out.  Sometimes I am smart enough to give them away to someone on my local “Buy Nothing” group, which I prefer to wasting them for sure.

But back to the Cold Brew Latte Dessert Bars…

Here is what they look like (with the green, green backdrop of our backyard!)

These are the same consistency as Dreamsicles.  I would think that would make me not like them, since I am not a Dreamsicle fan, but apparently it is not the texture but the taste of Dreamsicles that is yucky to me, cuz I like these TJ’s Cold Brew Latte Bars.  They taste good!  I personally would prefer a bit more coffee flavor in them, but even as is I like these.  They are good for a warm summer day.  They taste like an adult version of a popsicle. 

I am not sure if Trader Joe’s will keep these in stock, or if they were just a part of their recent coffee mania where every 3^rd product on the shelves was coffee flavored (including a body scrub…).  I hope they keep them in stock through the summer.  I give these dessert bars a 4.

This baby bunny lives in our yard and entertains us all the time.  He prefers grass to Cold Brew Latte Bars

David:  “I am not a big popsicle fan, but this is very nice.  It has enough milky, creamy stuff in it to make it quiescently frozen."  (Editor’s note:  The word “quiescently” made me giggle.  I mean, QUIESCENTLY??  Who USES a word like that??  Don’t worry, I look it up so you don’t have to:  “Quiescent:  adjective  1.  Being at rest; quiet; still; inactive or motionless.”   Yup, now that I know the meaning, I can confirm, these dessert bars were motionless!) 

Back to David’s review: "So, this is nice!  It is kind of like a coffee flavored, no, a CAPPUCCINO FLAVORED Dreamsicle.   I would give it a 4.”

Nice treat after a long day of working outdoors.

Not too expensive - try 'em!

Price: $1.99

Rating:  4

Bonus photo: Yikes!  Sean Spicer is in our bushes!!!!  

Basmati Rice BAG - Packaging Fail

We.  Love.  Rice.

We eat a boatload of it.  People who swear off rice as part of their diet always amaze me.  When they talk about cutting out rice, in my head I am thinking, "But whyyyy?  And HOW???".  Let's just say, if you and I were on the same team in Survivor, you would have to guard the rice pile...

And we think Trader Joe's Basmati Rice is a great deal and tastes awesome.  Why, in the original review of it we gave it an almost perfect score - it got a 4.5 ( link to review here ).

A bowl of rice, one of life's simple pleasures.

But when we ate it last night we were once again reminded of the goofy, incomprehensible PACKAGING of this stuff.  Check it out:

When full, it was very dangerous to open and handle this bag!  This photo is taken after some has been used.
See how the opening is like a third of the way down the bag?  WHY???

WHO DOES THAT?  Who puts the opening to a RICE BAG, remember, rice is made up of teeny tiny bits that like to jump around - who puts the opening part-way down the package??  Trader Joe's, that's who!  Yes, instead of opening at the TOP, their Basmati opens part-way down the front.  It is downright bizarre.

Poor David, working hard to try and pour rice out of this ridiculous bag without spilling any.

So, Trader Joe's, what say you?  Certainly we cannot be the only shoppers who are confounded by this!  Readers, have you noticed this oddity?  Let's speak up!  Let's make signs!  Let's have a protest!!  Let's make a petition!!!  (Can you tell the current political climate has gotten me worked up?)  Seriously though, I just want to understand the reasoning behind this odd packaging choice.

The product still ranks a 4.5 rating, but the bag gets a 1.

Teeny Tiny Avocados (and Zechery)

Guys, you need to go to Trader Joe’s soon.  They have the most adorable thing right now – little tiny baby avocados!!! 

SHOPPING COMMUNICATION FAIL!  Me: "David, please hold a bag of those cutie patootie teeny tiny
avocados for a photo!"  David (grabbing bag of regular, NOT teeny tiny avocados):
"OK!".  Yeah - wrong avocados in photo.  The ones in this review are teenier and tinier.

I know, I know, tiny versions of stuff is usually a rip off.  You usually have to pay MORE to get LESS.  But in the case of Trader Joe’s Teeny Tiny Avocados, you don’t get ripped off!!  Au contraire, mon frere!  If you have bought avocados lately you know the price is super high right now.  But at TJ’s you can get a bag of petite cutie patootie avocados for $2.99 (each bag has 6 tiny avocados, as opposed the the regular sized ones like David is accidentally holding in this photo which come 4 to a bag).  So teeny tiny avocados come out to 50 cents each!

A medium size price for some teeny tiny avocados

 And with these teeny tiny avocados you don’t give up TASTE for cuteness, either!!!  These little suckers taste amazing!  And, like the sign says, they are perfect for a single serving!  Why, just last night I cut one open and drizzled TJ’s balsamic vinegar (and non-Trader Joe’s olive oil…) in it.  I topped that with salt, pepper, and cayenne pepper, then got myself a bit of TJ’s feta (which we are addicted to and is reviewed here) and a few TJ’s raw English peas (reviewed here).  It was a delicious and healthy side dish!

Here is a little glimpse of a little avocado.  My hand is included for size reference, though
the angle of the photo is a bit tricky I guess.  Sorry.  But you get the idea!

So the long and the short of it is: YOU SHOULD GO GET A BAG OF THESE ADORABLE AVOCADOS.  I wouldn’t say they are Barbie sized, cuz a Barbie avocado would be the say of, what, like a jelly bean??  These could be Cabbage Patch sized avocados. 

And before I go, let me introduce you to one of our favorite Trader Joe’s employees.  His name is Zechery and he works at our local TJ’s at Bailey’s Crossroads in Virginia.  

BEST Trader Joe's ambassador - Zechery!

Zechery is the friendliest, sweetest, nicest TJ’s employee!!!  He smiles at us every single time we see him, and he always gives us a big hello and stops to talk.  I egotistically thought he just liked us, and that’s why he was so nice!  Then the other day I realized, it has nothing to do with US and everything to do with ZECHERY!  He is that way with all of the shoppers!  He makes everyone feel happy to be strolling the aisles and putting stuff in their carts.  Trader Joe’s is lucky to have him.

So, go get yourself some teeny tiny avocados while they still have them.  And if you live in the Washington DC/Northern Virginia area, go to Bailey’s Crossroads, pop into Trader Joe’s, and introduce yourself to Zechery.  Trust me, you will leave a happier person than you were when you went in.

Price (of the avocados, not of Zechery): $2.99

Rating (of both Zechery and the Teeny Tiny Avocados):  5