Sunday, December 24, 2017

Bust Out The Mistletoe

It's that time of year -

BUST OUT THE MISTLETOE!!!

Mistletoe from Trader Joe's - the most important decoration of the season!
We have been a bit frantic this holiday season - traveling, working, rushing about...  So, I am just gonna tell it like it is:

SO FAR THE ONLY HOLIDAY DECORATIONS WE HAVE OUT ARE A MENORAH (with no candles in it yet...) and A MISTLETOE from Trader Joe's (that is not actually HUNG UP yet...). 

And, umm, it is Christmas eve!  And Hanukkah is over.  Yes, it is December 24th and we have practically NO decorations! 

But honestly, we are non-traditional celebrators.  We celebrate any and all holidays (hence the menorah AND the Christmas spirit).  Oh, and we do not celebrate ON TIME.  We celebrate when we choose!  Why be ruled by a silly calendar when you can celebrate on whatever day feels right??


This is us under what we deemed THE WORLD'S LARGEST MISTLETOE in Stockholm, Sweden, November 2017
So perhaps we will find someone's Christmas tree put out for the garbage men in a day or two...  And perhaps we will "recycle" that and make it our own.  Or maybe (most likely) we will forego a tree this year all together and find another way to express our holiday spirit.

In the meantime, we are holed away in Vino Volo at the St. Louis airport (near gate E18 :) ) enjoying our Christmas Eve dinner during a 3 hour layover.  We visited my family in Omaha all week and are on the way back home. 

Ho ho ho - Merrrrry Christmas (with a wine flight)
But we wanted to take a moment to wish you a happy, merry, joyous WHATEVER (and whenever) you celebrate. 

And though it is probably too late to snag some mistletoe at Trader Joe's THIS YEAR, just know that next year when you see it you should grab some.  It is totally effective and works wonders!  (Original reviews here: 

2016 crop Trader Joe's Mistletoe review click here
2015 crop Trader Joe's Mistletoe review click here

THIS PRODUCT STILL RATES A 5 STAR REVIEW!  Year after year, Trader Joe's mistletoe delivers.

Happy holidays to all.

Friday, December 22, 2017

Flowers -- Holidays or Everyday

This is my periodic reminder to YOU, dear reader, to BUY FLOWERS FOR YOUR MOTHER.

Go to Trader Joe's.  Pick up a poinsettia if they still have some in stock.  Get one of those sweet little Christmas trees in pots.  Get a bouquet of pretty colored blooms.  Get ANYTHING - just GET FLOWERS FOR YOUR MOTHER!

Sure, she may say, "I don't need flowers,".  She might say, "Oh, you shouldn't have...".  But trust me, you SHOULD.

And you might think, "But I can't afford flowers!  I mean, it is the holiday season, I have spent so much on gifts already, I am strapped for cash".  But flowers at Trader Joe's are very, very reasonably priced, and your mom will SMILE when you give them to her.  

Don't wait for a special occasion-  do it today.  Think of all she has done for you - all of the "gifts" she has given over the years (some that came in boxes and some that were gifts of time and love).  Gift her back!  Show her you care.  Do it today.

Do it while you can still look her in the eye as you hand them to her.  Tell her how thankful you are for all she has done for you.  If you are 6, 16, or 50 - if your mom is still here on earth, GIVE HER FLOWERS.

Because someday, you won't be able to hand them to her.  Sure, you might still buy them in her memory, but trust me, it is not the same.  Give them to her NOW, while she can appreciate them.



Happy holidays one and all.  And God bless us, every one.  




Tuesday, December 19, 2017

Cinnamon Roll Wreath

Today’s review is of a holiday product – Trader Joe’s Cinnamon Roll Wreath.  We are visiting Omaha, Nebraska to have an early Christmas celebration with my family, so I thought, “Who better to invite to be guest reviewers than my dad and his wife??”.  May I present – John (my dad) and Evelyn (his wife)!!
Ho, ho, ho - MERRRRRY CHRISTMAS!  Santa stopped by early!
This photo was taken the night of our family Christmas, when Santa showed up!  Yup, the big man himself made an appearance!  It was quite fun.  We have 5 believers in our family – well, 4 believers and 1 too young to really get it…  But they all liked Santa (wellll, that is stretching it…  In all honesty, the 2 toddlers were not so fond of the jolly old fat man).  But the adults loved him! 

Tallis is one of our BELIEVERS.  She WHISPERED what she wanted to Santa!
Anyway, David and I stopped at the Omaha Trader Joe’s in One Pacific Place and picked up a few things, including a CINNAMON ROLL WREATH.  The whole family was crashing my dad’s house (uninvited) to eat pizza after a hockey game, and I thought a few cinnamon rolls after pizza sounded great.  However, I failed to read the package instructions…


Oops, I should have turned the box over and read the other side...
These suckers are not simple to prepare.  I mean, they are not DIFFICULT by any stretch of the imagination, but they are not like a tube of Pillsbury rolls that you just pop open and bung in the oven.  These need to sit and rise before baking.  Also, they do not come with the GLAZE…  Again, I should have read that and known before we bought them, but it was a “grab and run” because we are rushing around doing family things.  Had I KNOWN we needed to make glaze, we would have picked up some powdered sugar (because, let’s be honest here, my dad and Evelyn do not cook much., let alone BAKE, so finding powdered sugar that was not expired a decade ago in the pantry would have been impossible…).  In the “fly by the seat of your pants” category, David Googled and learned he could make the glaze with regular (not powdered sugar), which he found and mixed with water and vanilla to make glaze.   

So, due to these treats needing to rise before baking, having them as a late night snack was out.

Hey look - a WREATH made out of CINNAMON ROLLS!  (Pre-glaze)
But that left them for breakfast the next morning!  Evelyn had sort of a hard time waiting for them (because, like I said, they had to rise).  But when they were finally ready, she was thrilled with the results.  Here is what everyone thought:

Dad:  “These are delicious!  I give them a 4.95.  It sounds hard to make them, but it really wasn’t.  Susan is making it sound like they are very difficult to make, but they really are not (editor’s note:  Dad did not assist with the preparation… 😊 ) .  I like them WITH the frosting best – David makes a mean glaze.  If they were any better they would be perfect!  I give these a 4.95.  (Editor’s note:  I explained that normally in this blog we only use .25 variations, so he could give them a 4.5 or a 4.75 or a 5.  But he INSISTED on the 4.95.  And he is the dad, so he gets to pick his score!)

Dad loved them
Evelyn:  “I would say these are perfect!  I prefer them with the glaze.  They are perfect! Let’s have them again!  I give them a score of 5.”

David:  “The taste is nice.  The glaze is good.  They are a little under-cooked, a bit under-done tasting.  (Editor’s note yet again:  I followed the instructions and baked these right in the middle of the recommended baking range time.)  I like them.  I give them a 3.5.”

David liked 'em
Susan:  I agree with David that the centers of the cinnamon rolls were a bit underdone, but I sort of like that taste.  I agree with everyone else that the frosting/glaze is a good addition.  I think the whole “wreath” concept is super pretty.  If I got them again I would bake them a bit longer.  These would be good for Christmas morning breakfast.  I give them a 4.5.

Sweet, fluffy, and buttery - good description
There you have it.  If your Trader Joe’s still has these in stock, grab a box.  They are fun and tasty.

MERRY CHRISTMAS from Susan and David (and Santa, of course)
Price: $4.99

Rating (average of 4 raters):  4.5

Friday, December 15, 2017

Sweet Corn, Burrata and Basil Ravioli

This is a fancy review, because not only does it include a product review, not only does it also include a STORE LOCATION review, but it also includes a GUEST REVIEW!!!  One of my readers, who is also a friend, WARD, asked a looong time ago if I would consider a guest review from him and his wife.  I answered with a resounding YES, because he is a fun guy, a great writer, and because it would be something new and different for the blog!  A fresh point of view!!  

May I present Ward and Ann - the guest reviewers!
So here it is – let’s start with what Ward and Ann have to say about Trader Joe’s Sweet Corn, Burrata and Basil Ravioli:

“This is one of those meal items that has me saying, “It’s good, but it needs … something…” I am talking about Trader Joe’s Sweet Corn, Burrata & Basil Ravioli. The subtitle on the package says, “Creamy ricotta and burrata cheese ravioli filled with sweet corn and basil.”  It comes in a sealed, refrigerated eight-ounce plastic tray with two servings per container. It is not a gluten-free product, nor is it vegan, but it qualifies as vegetarian.

Here is the package
Ann loves ravioli and loves to impulse shop at TJ’s. So, this came into our kitchen, and I made the meal. The ingredient list is long, including mostly recognizable things like durum wheat, cheese, canola oil, sea salt, turmeric, cayenne powder, and microbial enzymes (which I believe are used in cheese-making as a vegetarian substitute for rennet.) At our Trader Joe’s in Rochester, NY, this ravioli package sells for $3.49.  (Editor’s note: Rochester, NY is where I met my sweetheart David!  And on our very first date we went to a grocery store, Wegman’s!  I wish I could say we went to Trader Joe’s, but I don’t think there was one in Rochester at the time, and besides, Wegman’s is a quintessentially Rochester experience…)

Before adding anything else to it, I sampled a plain cooked raviolo. (Yes, raviolo is the singular of ravioli!)  It was good, but not very exciting. The filling was mostly corn, and the corn was fairly coarse and unsweet. Maybe I am spoiled by having the luxury of choice when it comes to seasonal sweet corn in upstate New York. If we get corn that is not tender or sweet enough, it goes into the freezer for soups or stews. The corn in these ravioli would have barely met my soup standards. The cheese and basil part of the filling was fine, but there could have been more of it.

Pretty good price for this item
Now, about the pasta - the casing of these ravioli was rather fragile. As a result, a few of the ravioli spilled their guts in the cooking water (and I was very careful not to overcook – the package directions are clear about not boiling.) So, if this happens when you cook it, make sure you drain through a sieve or colander that will catch all the interior bits that have escaped into the cooking pot.

So, here are my secret magical additives to bring this dish from a 2.5 to a 4.5: greens, chickpeas and garlic. These are my basic go-to additives for many pasta dishes. Saut̩ some chopped greens like chard, spinach, or rabe until tender. Add minced garlic and cooked chickpeas (canned is okay, but I prefer cooking dry beans in a pressure cooker Рless salt and more flavor.) When the veggies are tender, melt in plenty of butter (yes, real butter) and add red pepper flakes and salt to taste. The chickpeas will add a nutty and creamy protein factor. The greens will add a fresh garden goodness. And, well, garlic is garlic.

Ahhh, with Ward's magical enhancements it looks delightful, no?
Drain the ravioli (and whatever filling has spilled out) and add them to the skillet with the other ingredients. Toss and serve onto warmed plates (editor’s note:  warmed plates??  Remind me to eat dinner at Ann and Ward’s house next time we are in Rochester – fancy!) with grated parmesan to sprinkle on top. Ann suggests a wine pairing of Pinot Noir. Since we live near the Finger Lakes, we poured one from Ravines Winery.

Rating:  without Ward’s magical enhancements – 2.5
Rating:  with Ward’s magical enhancements – 4.5  "

And now let’s look at what David and I thought of Trader Joe’s Sweet Corn, Burrata & Basil Ravioli, shall we?   We served it with fresh basil (from our garden) and grated parmesan on top.  It will be interesting (to me anyway…) to see if our tastes are similar to Ann and Ward’s!

David: “These ravioli are very nice.  They are light, a little bland, but the cheese inside is a nice choice to give them some flavor.  I would personally prefer – I mean – the pasta itself is VERY tasty, so it is nice that the sauce doesn’t obfuscate that, but I like a little bit more taste, so I would recommend serving this with sprinkled bacon bits, or a tomato and sausage sauce.  Something that would bring a little more zing to the flavor palate.  But, that is not the ravioli’s job!  Their job is to be the best pasta ravioli they can be!  And since the ingredients are corn and a kind of bland cheese, I think it does a great job.  I give it a 4.0.”

David looks a bit unsure of this product before we tried it...  Aren't the stripes on the raviolis pretty?
And here is my take:  I am glad we added the fresh basil and parmesan, I think those were good with this dish.  The label said that the ravioli included basil, but I couldn’t taste that in it at all (and neither could David).  We served this with just olive oil for a “sauce”, and I think that is the only way to go with it, because the taste is so mild that any other sauce would overpower the ravioli. 

The corn is chunks of corn, which I thought was nice.  This pasta has the problem that other TJ’s raviolis have – how do you safely get them OUT of the pot after they are cooked?   You really need a large slotted spoon to gently remove them, and when we had these we were not in a kitchen that was stocked with one of those.

Overall, I like the taste of these.  I agree with David’s score of 4.0.

Look - we are visiting YET ANOTHER Trader Joe's! 
I think this brings the total to around 33 locations visited in 12 states so far.
And finally, a note about a new to us Trader Joe’s location – the store on West Sand Lake Rd in Orlando:  This was a very nice store.  It was clean, well lit, and well laid out.  The employees were friendly (although none offered to help us).  I did not notice anything really unique about the store, but they did have some cool flamingos at the check-outs.  I asked if those are always up and they said that they had put them up months earlier and just left them, because customers liked them.  😊

Flamingos make anything look more "Florida", even check-out lanes

Orlando Trader Joe's signage

























Here is a recap of ravioli scores:

Price:  $3.49

Rating: (average of 6 raters, since Ann and Ward rated it using 2 different cooking techniques) 3.75