Incorrect Labeling...

There are 2 Trader Joe's products that have the nutritional labeling ALL WRONG.  Well, in our opinion anyway...  Normally TJ's hits the nail pretty much on the head with their "serving size" recommendation, but on 2 of their products they are waaaaaay off...  They are:

Caramel and Cheddar Popcorn Mix (formerly known as Chicago Style Popcorn)
Caramel and Cheddar Popcorn mix review here

and

Pico de Gallo Salsa
Hot Pico de Gallo Salsa review here
The portion sizes listed on the labels are LAUGH OUT LOUDable!

I could eat this everyday.  

David with one of his favorite snacks (before TJ's changed the name of this product)

First off, the popcorn.  "About 6 servings".  SIX SERVINGS???  Are you KIDDING me Trader Joe's??  Anyone who has the self control to split this bag into 6 servings should be knighted or given sainthood.  This bag is 2.5 servings.  :)

And the SALSA, I said it before and I will say it again, the idea of this salsa container holding 10 servings is INSANE.  10 servings for 10 Barbie dolls PERHAPS, but 10 servings for any humans with TJ's blue chips to dip in them???  AIN'T NO WAY.  This tub holds exactly TWO servings of salsa for this human.

Are there are TJ's products that you buy that seem "off" on the serving size listed??  These are the two that get me every time.

And now that I have finished the popcorn and the salsa, I need to make another run to Trader Joe's!!

Day 223 - Hatch Valley Salsa

TWO THUMBS UP.  This salsa is delicious!!  It is not all that spicy but ohhhh so tasty.  We ate it with blue corn chips (read blue corn chip review here) after coming home from a late night rehearsal.  When I say late, I mean we were sitting on the couch watching “Catfish the TV Show” at 12:30 am chowing down on this salsa…  And we could.  Not.  Stop.  Eating it!

TWO BIG THUMBS UP (jar is larger than it appears here, weird camera angle)

I seriously think I could eat this stuff by the spoonfuls…  It has a good ZIP to it!  Is it vinegar making that zip??  I do not normally eat salsa from a jar – I like the fresh, chunky kind of salsa (review on day 25 of this blog).  But THIS jarred salsa is a y-e-s!  It reminds me of the green salsa at Moe’s (WELCOME TO MOE’S!) which is also crack-like. 

The serving size listed on the jar is laughable.  11 servings???  Give me a break.  I say FOUR servings max.  we ate more than half the jar last night!

This was like, the 4th or 5th time we filled the bowl up and as you can see, it is almost empty again...

It says it has “Fire Roasted Hot Green Chile Peppers from Hatch Valley”.  Well I do not know where hatch valley is, but it deserves to be visited!  (Wait – I turned the jar around and read the other side of the label – Hatch Valley is a village in New Mexico.  And guess what?  It is NOT vinegar that gives it that zip, it is LIME JUICE!  Lime juice and tomatillos.  Yum!

Here is what David thought – FABULOUS!   You just keep eating more and more.  It is mild, but “more-ish”.  It helps you get your daily does of corn chips, which is one of the 5 major food groups (along with coffee, cookies, Pepsi, and Cheetos).  I give it a 4.5

All of this deliciousness for under 3 bucks.  Get a jar.

Yummy yummy yummy

Susan here again.  This salsa is exclusive to Trader Joe’s.  I say it is worth a trip to a TJ’s to pick some up, even if you live in LaJolla and have to park in that crazy ass parking lot!  TRY THIS!

I give this product a 5.  Not a ton of things earn a coveted 5 star rating from me.  David rated it a bit lower, but this is not his blog.  And I am throwing his number o-u-t!  This deserves a 5 and dang it, it is getting a 5!

Price – $2.79

Rating - 5

Day 218 - Kalamata Olive Hummus

Two things can be inferred from the fact that this is the 5^th hummus I have reviewed on this blog in 8 months:

1.       Trader Joe’s sells a wide variety of hummus

2.       We like hummus

This variety did not disappoint!!  It really tasted like kalamata olives!  I mean, that should not be surprising since it is named “Kalamata Olive Hummus”, but still, it made me happy.  J

Like all Trader Joe's hummus, this is cheap

If there is one thing we like even more than hummus it is olives, and we have not found any amazing ones at Trader Joe’s yet, so I am pleased that even if we cannot satisfy our cravings for OLIVES at Trader Joe’s at least we can satisfy our craving for olive TASTING stuff. 

I had this hummus with TJ’s blue corn chips (reviewed on day 72).  It was oh so good.  It is creamy and tasty and the olive flavor is a great compliment to the chips.

I have friends who make their own hummus (you know who you are Ghatasheh family…).  I am too lazy for that, and when I find hummus options as yummy as this one I do not feel guilty about buying pre-made stuff. 

No Preservatives, No Artifical Colors or Flavors, but LOTS of taste!

 This variety goes on my short list of favorite TJ’s hummus flavors

1.  Mediterranean (day 78)

2.  Roasted Garlic (day 109)

3.  Kalamata Olive (today!)

STOP THE PRESSES – before I posted this review I went into the living room where David is and asked him to sample it.  Sadly, his opinion was not as high as mine.  He said it tastes a bit, and I quote, “briney”.  I get that.  He also stated that he normally eats kalamata olives WITH his hummus, so this version of having the olives blended in made him miss the individual “meatiness” of each olive.  I will give him that.  Even with those criticisms, he gave this hummus a rating of 4.

David - an olive and hummus fan

I give it a rating of 4.5, so I will average the two ratings together for the official blog rating.

Price – $1.99

Rating (average of 2) – 4.25

Day 109 - Roasted Garlic Hummus

Now THIS is a hummus!!!  After a bit of disappointment with Trader Joe’s Hummus with Freshly Ground Horseradish (reviewed on day 59), it is nice to “get back on the hummus horse” and have a delicious experience!  This Roasted Garlic Hummus is really tasty!  As the label says, it has a “mild garlic” flavor – not overpowering at all.  So even if you are not a huge garlic fan, I think you will like it.

This is the one!  Try it!

It is super creamy and sticks to my chips (Organic Blue Corn Tortilla Chips, reviewed on day 72) perfectly!  I can also imagine eating it with falafel.  Or rolled up in a pita surrounded by some tasty veggies.

Check out how well it sticks to the chip!

Trader Joe’s has quite a few choices in the hummus department.  This one is a serious contender.

Price - $1.99

Rating – 4.5

Day 78 - Mediterranean Hummus

Now THIS is a hummus.  There are several hummus choices at Trader Joe’s, so sometimes it can be a little overwhelming when you stare at the shelf wondering which one to buy.  As you know if you follow this blog (day 59, Hummus with Horseradish L ), not all hummus is terrific.  We were recently in California and were surprised to find hummus selections that we don’t think we have seen here in Virginia!  Apparently people in La Jolla get more hummus choices than those in Arlington.  Boo. 

We don't remember seeing these at our Virginia store

Pretty good prices, too!  We want these!

Anyway, this Mediterranean Hummus is a great choice!

REALLY GOOD HUMMUS!!

First off, it is TASTY.  It is great on bagels, chips, crackers, or however you prefer to consume your hummus.  Secondly, it is CHEAP!  The container is BIG compared to other brands of hummus (16 oz) and it sells for only $3.99.  Even with a coupon for some other brand, this one is likely to come in at a better price.  (Side note:  the fine print says a “serving size” is 2 tablespoons – yeah right!  Who can eat that little?  Not me!)

Mediterranean Hummus on a blue corn chip - reviewed on day 72

Good price for good hummus!

This is a fantastic basic hummus to have in your fridge!  Get it!

Price - $3.99

Rating – 4.5

Day 72 - Organic Blue Corn Tortilla Chips

Here is where we splurge…  If you saw my review of White Corn Tortilla Rounds (day 56), you know you can get a really big bag (2 lbs) of chips at Trader Joe’s for only $3.29.  Whereas THIS bag of blue corn chips is smaller (half the size) and the same price ($3.29).  So TECHNICALLY, you are paying double (ouch) for these chips as opposed to the white corn ones.

But the thing IS, see, THESE CHIPS ARE DELICIOUS, whereas if you remember from the white corn tortilla rounds review, those other ones are super crappy…  We get through a bag of these blue chips pretty quickly (normally we dip them in hummus) but the huge-o bag of white corn crappy ones is still sitting half-eaten on our counter.

Now THESE are some tasty chips

The blue ones are the right thickness.  They are tasty.  They have a good amount of salt (some people miiiight say a bit too much salt, but it is the perfect amount for us).  They are triangular shaped instead of round (if that makes a difference to you).  They are good at scooping up hummus and salsa.  And they are not too HARD (the main complaint about those white ones).

So, for my hard earned money, it is worth spending the extra to get chips you will actually enjoy eating.  Get a bag and TRY them.  If you don’t think they are worth splurging on, go back to the other ones.  But at least give them a shot. 

Half the chips for the same price - WHO would think that I would buy them?  But they are OGOD!

 Price - $3.29

Rating – 4.75