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

Day 360 - Salted Caramel Bread Pudding AND Pumpkin Bread Pudding

Guys, it is DAY 360!!!  And the year only has 365 days!!!!  I will leave you to do the math, but suffice it to say that this year long daily project is closing in on the finish line!!!  So with that in mind, today I will review not ONE but TWO, count ‘em, TWO bread puddings!!  You’re welcome.  J

Let’s start out with Salted Caramel Bread Pudding – we bought his because our favorite Trader Joe’s employee Cecilia recommend it on the very first night we met her.  She told us how amazzzzing this bread pudding was, and that it, “Might be even better than her mom’s, but don’t tell her mom…”.

Let's try it!!

Neither David nor I grew up with bread pudding so we do not have a homemade recipe to compare this to.  I think the only time I have ever had bread pudding is at restaurants, so in my mind it was always something “fancy” because I associated it with dessert carts being pushed around in restaurants.  However, Cecilia explained that it is actually a mother’s way of using up EVERYTHING, including bread that is stale, hard and going off, so as not to waste anything.  I like that idea!! 

Cecilia told us that the BEST bread pudding at Trader Joe’s is the Pumpkin one, but when we were shopping to get this it was not yet pumpkin season so we settled on the Salted Caramel one (and went back later to get a Pumpkin one!). 

Find it in a box in the frozen section

The Salted Caramel Bread Pudding was really, really nice!  The preferred heating method listed was the microwave:  take the pudding out of the box, take the little paper wrap off, and let it thaw a bit on the counter, then nuke it.

The first night we had this I thought I followed the directions, but I forgot to take off the paper.  The result was super hard bread pudding.  We put the rest of it in a plastic container and stored it in the fridge.  Then we heat up slices for like 30 seconds (they were defrosted but refrigerated) and it was super good!  It was soft and yummy!  It tastes like “comfort food” even though it is not something that brings up childhood memories for me. 

The flavor is not at all overpowering, but there is enough flavor that it is not bland.  We didn’t even drizzle Dulce de Leche sauce over it as I suspected we would (reviewed here).  It didn’t even NEED sauce over it!  Not that it would HURT it, but it doesn’t beg for it.  We ate it for dessert AND for breakfast J. 

David said, “It is like the soft interior of French Toast.  The whole pudding thing is like a number of pieces of French Toast that have been mushed together and sort of mashed potato-fied themselves.  I would give it a 4.  I think I would like it better if we added a sauce, maybe even maple syrup!!”

I would agree that a 4 is a good score for this one.

Pumpkin Bread Pudding - arrives at TJ's in the autumn when everything magically changes to PUMPKIN flavor!

Now let’s examine the PUMPKIN BREAD PUDDING!  Two reviews in one day, whew!

David:  “This is very nice.  I typically think of bread pudding as something that will be tasteless and bready and dry, but this was nicely moist and tasty, perhaps because we plopped whipped cream and/or ice cream on top.  This is bad for your health, because over the course of last night and this morning I think I have probably stuffed about a pint of whipped cream into my face because of this stuff.”

I would add that eating this is also a good excuse to also drizzle Fleur de Sel Caramel Sauce on top – reviewed here .

This is a BIG loaf for only two people to eat (it is the same size as other flavors of TJ’s bread pudding).  We served it at a birthday party, but sadly it turned out that not many guests like PUMPKIN so not a lot got eaten (oops, host and hostess failure on our part there…).  

The good news - we hosted an early birthday party for Joan.  The bad news - she doesn't really like pumpkin...  Lucky we had several other desserts for her, including the Montezuma's chocolate you see that used to have a birthday candle in it!

Like the other bread pudding reviewed, this one is also good for BREAKFAST!  It is very decadent.  I served it with an AFFOGATO, which sounds like avocado yet it is not green with a pit inside.  We had one recently in NYC and I thought, why not make one at home!  I just put ICE CREAM in a cappuccino cup and topped it with espresso.  It was tasty and a good compliment to the bread pudding.  Though with the ice cream it was one more thing to add to the “heart valve clogging ingredients” we consumed that weekend…  Here is a recipe for affogato that I just looked up.  :)

Chocolate gelato, David's choice :)

Affogato in NYC - tasty!!!

We both agreed that the Pumpkin Bread Pudding should get a 3.75.

Price (for either variety of bread pudding) – $3.99

Rating – Salted Caramel Bread Pudding – 4

               Pumpkin Bread Pudding - 3.75

Day 215- British Crumpets

Crumpets, for those Americans who have not had them, are AMAZING.  They are a breakfast bread, like an English muffin, but so much better (in my opinion).  They are less hard, and somehow tastier.  The HOLES in them are the very best part!  All bread products should have holes!  Holes are perfect for filling with good butter (try Kerrygold, reviewed on day 49 of this blog).  Holes are good for filling with Sunflower Seed Butter (look at day 96 of this blog)!  Holes are good for filling with jelly or jam (if you like those things, I do not).  And holes are good for filling with Dulche de Leche (check out day 182 of this blog).

Here is what they look like in the package, before you start loading them up with stuff.....

Crumpets are a nice base to build on if you have time to make a real breakfast.  Try this configuration:

a.        Crumpet

b.      Butter

c.       Cheddar cheese

d.      Thinly sliced avocado

e.      Fried egg (with salt and pepper)

See??  Doesn’t that sound great? 

This isn't the recipe above, but doesn't it look great?  Crumpet, butter, cheese, garden tomato, egg, and a side of mustard.

Or how about:

a.        Crumpet

b.      Butter

c.       Wasabi Mayo (reviewed on day 187 of this blog)

d.      Pieces of a nice lettuce

e.      Fresh slices of garden tomato

See???  Another good combo!  It’s easy!

Here is one more:

a.        Crumpet

b.      Butter

c.       Fleur de Sel Caramel Sauce (5 star review on day 132 of this blog)

d.      Thin slices of banana

e.      Pieces of sliced almonds

DELICIOUS!

May I present - crumpet, butter, and Dulce de Leche!

 The package of Trader Joe’s crumpets holds 6 pieces and it is basically split into two groups of 3.  So you can open the package and only have 3 exposed to air and starting to go bad, the other 3 can stay sealed.  I like that packaging. 

TADA - just crumpet and butter.  See the big HOLES I was talking about???  They rock.

The worst part about Trader Joe’s Crumpets is that sometimes they are out of the original ones and all they have left are cinnamon flavored.  Maybe it is just me, but if I am going to have a bread for breakfast, I want it to be plain, then I will add whatever flavor I am in the mood for ON TOP of said bread, thank you very much!

Price – $2.99

Rating – 4.5

Day 182 - HALF WAY POINT and Review of Dulce de Leche

THE YEAR IS EXACTLY HALF WAY OVER!  The way I figure it, there are 365 days in a year.  Divide that by two to get the midpoint, which is 182.5.  So the way I figure it, half way through day 182 (which is July 1, 2015) is THE MIDDLE OF THIS YEAR LONG BLOG!!!

  

This has nothing to do with Trader Joe's.  It is a fuzzy photo of me on the beach in my pajamas and pink Crocs on
Christmas Day 2014 :)

Yes, I have done 182 reviews.  That sounds like a ton to me, especially when I think, “Wait, that means I still have 182 more reviews to write???”.  The majority of the work on this project has been very fun.  I have visited (I think) a total of 13 different Trader Joe’s stores in 8 different states (well, one was a District) with 2 more states and stores (that I know of) planned for this summer!  When I count them all up it makes it sound like I have been to a lot of states and stores!!  I have taken photos inside all of the stores we visited (and outside many of them) and never once gotten in trouble or even asked, “Why are you taking a close up photo of that pricing sign??”.  One time an employee did politely decline to be IN one of my photos, which was perfectly acceptable to me. 

I would say of all of the stores I have been in, my favorite one was probably on U Street in Washington DC.  They had free parking with a super cool parking attendant that really made us laugh.  They also had the best artwork behind their customer service station.  You can see it if you check out Day 106.  The worst parking lot of any Trader Joe’s I have seen so far is by far the La Jolla, CA store.  If that was my local store I would go nuts trying to park there.

The coolest store was obviously the New York City WINE store – a whole Trader Joe’s with just wine.  Ahhhh heaven.  Annnd they do free wine tastings every single day.  Day 95 has a photo of my opinion on this store J .

As far as reviews go, at this half-way point there have been definite winners and some downright CLUNKERS.  17 products have garnered rave 5 STAR reviews, and 2 have bottomed out with 0 stars…  The most commonly given star number in the reviews so far is a 4 (33 products have gotten a 4). 

As far as the blog itself goes, the most views of any review is by far Head to Toe Moisturizing Balm.  It was a clunker of a product (only got a 1.5 star review on Day 89) but as of June 30^th it had 426 views!  Maybe it’s because the review is pretty funny.  Another often read post is the one on Chicken Pot Pie Ravioli (Day 160), which has 203 views.  I think people are finding that one because they are considering buying it and wonder if such a weird product would taste good (the answer is – YES it does).  Ocarossa Wine is also one that gets a lot of views (178 views) on day 26. 

So let me take a peek at the first 182 days – the first half of this project – and tell you know how some things stand:

·         Best Red Wine – Georges Duboeuf Beaujolais Nouveau, 4.5 stars on Day 2

·         Best White Wine – tie between Kono Sauvignon Blanc, 4.0 stars on Day 174 and Charles Shaw Pinot Grigio, 4.0 stars on Day 43

·         Worst Wine – Grand Reserve Meritage, .5 stars on Day 13

·         Best Coffee (out of 9 Trader Joe’s (I think) coffees that I have tried so far this year) – Ethiopian, 4.25 stars on Day 138

·         Best Dessert – Cocoa Dusted Truffles with Toffee Bits, 4.75 stars on Day 126

·         Worst Dessert – Pumpkin Scones, 0 stars on Day 23

·         Close 2^nd in the category of Worst Dessert – Peach Raspberry Pie, 15 stars on Day 35

·         Best Drink – San Pellegrino Limonata, 5 stars (and a hilarious review) on Day 141

·         Worst Drink – Cranberry Juice, 0 stars on Day 163

·         Best Toiletry Item – Lavender Hand Lotion, 5 stars on Day 120

·         Worst Toiletry Item – Head to Toe Moisturizing Lotion, 1.5 stars on Day 89

·         Best New Finds:

o   Chicken Pot Pie Raviolli, 4.75 stars on Day 160

o   Chicago Popcorn (aka Caramel and Cheddar Mix), 5 stars on Day 100

o   Thai Green Curry Simmer Sauce, 4.75 stars on Day 135

o   Chocolate Covered Sea Salt Butterscotch Caramels, 4.5 stars on Day 111

o   Kale Sprouts, 5 stars on Day 36

o   Saucy Scallions with Mushrooms, 4.75 stars on Day 91

o   Cara Cara Navel Oranges, 5 stars on day 66

·         Best Snacks – tie between Omega Trek Mix, 4.75 stars on Day 82, and Partially Popped Popcorn, 4.75 stars on Day 74

·         Best Meat – Filet Mignon, 4.75 stars on Day 114

·         Best Salad – Greens and Seeds, 4.75 on Day 121

·         Best Snack Food – Mediterranean Hummus, 4.75 stars on Day 154

·         Staples we were reminded of and continue to love:

o   Sunflower Seed Butter, 4.75 stars on Day 96

o   Eggs, 5 stars on Day 64

o   Capers, 5 stars on Day 58

But writing this blog has not been ALL fun and eating.  It can get a bit stressful and tiring feeling that I MUST write a new review of a different product every single day.  I go through periods where I really ENJOY the shopping, tasting, and writing, and periods where it is more of a chore.   Especially if I am travelling to a city that does not have a Trader Joe’s and I am not “ahead” in my reviews – I have to PACK Trader Joe’s food to bring, eat, and review.  But I definitely want to see this mission through to completion!  I am HALF WAY DONE and, as they say on one of the world’s worst “reality” TV shows that I hate to admit I watch (“Naked and Afraid”), “I am not tapping out!”.  (Side note:  I really feel the producers need to make them say QUIT.  Because QUIT is what tapping out is…  Every time they say “tap out” David and I look at each other and say, “Do you mean quit??”.  But I digress…)

See how many TJ's products I have to squirrel away when I go to a place without a TJ's??  It is difficult!  (And right after we took this photo I found about 5 more products I had brought with me to review...)

I am writing this entry the evening of June 30^th – the night before it will be posted.  The blog has almoooost 8,000 views, averaging out to 44 views per day.  Every great once in a while someone will post a comment, which always makes me have a huge smile.  If you enjoy reading it or find it worthwhile, please share the URL with a friend.  Thanks.

And now, onto TODAY’S REVIEW!

Dulce de leche! 

A good price for a jar of deliciousness...

I found this lovely little jar on the shelf of our local Northern Virginia Trader Joe’s recently and knew it would be good to bring on the road for being in a location with no TJ’s.  I just looked up the word “dulce de leche” and learned that it means “candy (or sweet) made from milk”.  Hey, it is made from MILK?  That means it is HEALTHY, right?  I’m in!!

Creamy-smooth is not a lie - it IS creamy-smooth!

 This is very tasty!  I had it this morning on a piece of toast (as that was one of the recommended ways to serve it listed on the jar).  It reminds me of one of my favorite TJ’s products, a sauce that is almost the same color and I think the jar it is in is the same size as this one – Fleur Del Sel Caramel Sauce (which got a 5 star review on day 132).  In fact, now that I look at the review for the caramel sauce, I realize I should have sliced up a banana this morning and put it on my toast with this dulce de leche sauce! 

Ahhh - breakfast.  Orange juice, coffee, toast with Dulce de Leche, and PARCHEESI!

But seriously, this product is totally worth a try.  It is sweet and creamy and delicious.  Another serving suggestion is to eat it with a big chunk of chocolate – oh yeah – I am going to have to try THAT ONE… 

If you want to learn more about dulce de leche in general, check out the Wikipedia article about it:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dulce_de_leche

Price - $2.99

Rating – 4.75

Day 132 - Fleur De Sel Caramel Sauce

This.  Sauce.  Is.  Amazing.

Seriously, this is good stuff.  You need to get a jar, and then you once you lick every bit of caramel out of THAT jar, you will get another, and another, and another…

This is the jar!!!  Get it!  At our Trader Joe's it is in the baking section.

I try to make sure we keep one of these in our fridge.  Cuz you never know when you are going to need to dip an apple slice in caramel…  Or have some vanilla ice cream that could use some sprucing up with a drizzle of warm caramel sauce.  Or some blueberries that want a topping.  Or a slice of apple pie that could use some pizzazz…  Or, oh, oh, oh, I just remembered this lusciousness I invented – a crumpet with oozing butter, thin banana slices, and warm caramel sauce…  OH MAN am I getting hungry!

Just look at it!!!  Isn't it lovely?  It is even more DELICIOUS than it is pretty

The only “bad” thing I can even think of to say about this product is that it is hard to get out of the jar.  We keep it in the fridge after we open it, and it seems weird to me to heat the whole jar up in the microwave if we are only going to use some of it, only to have to cool the rest of it down in the fridge again.  So I try and scoop the right amount out and put it in a little dish to heat up, but it is tough to scoop out.  It is a two spoon affair.

But I cannot hold that against this caramel sauce.  Dinging it for that little issue would be cruel. 

Get this.  Eat it.  Love it.

Price – $3.49 (a bargain for this much goodness packed into a jar)

Rating - 5