Ultra Moisturizing Hand Cream Trio

A terrific holiday product is BACK, and this is your alert to get some NOW before they are gone!

All of those boxes of magic, just waiting to go home with someone!

The ultra moisturizing hand cream trio quietly made its way back to Trader Joe’s shelves.  This stuff is the bomb!!!  As I said in my original review of it, it is exactly like tubes of hand cream at L’Occitane, an ultra chi-chi expensive store.  I mean, it is just like that stuff, only more reasonably priced! 

Here is the original review:  Ultra Moisturizing Hand Cream Trio review 

Goes on so smooth.  Has a very delicate scent, not overpowering at all.
And not greasy!  What more could you want??

As you can see in that review, I rated this stuff a 4.75.  But because I am an equal opportunity reviewer, I averaged my score with my nephew Jordan’s, and that brought the overall score down to a 4.5.  However, THIS YEAR Jordan is not here as I am writing, so I get to pick the rating all by myself!  Hence, it is getting the 4.75 it deserves!!!

This is what the box looked like in 2015 - I THINK it is the same now.
If not, it is very similar.

Go get yourself a box.  And get another box to give as a gift.  It would be a perfect present for a teacher.  Or a friend.  Or you can open the box and give individual tubes to 3 different people!  Just make sure you keep at least 1 for yourself, cuz you are gonna love it.

Price in 2015

Price in 2017 - not a penny more!

   

Plus, HELLO, it is the same exact price it was 2 years ago!  No inflation!!!  Seriously, go get some soon.  They won’t stock it for very long, and when it is gone, it is gone.  Your hands will thank you for it.

Price:  still the low low price of $7.99 (for 3 tubes!)

Rating:  4.75

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

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

Day 337 - Ultra Moisturizing Hand Cream Trio

I ran into TJ’s the other afternoon while David waited in the car for me (the parking lot was FULL at the Clarendon store and the attendant was telling everyone to leave, that was a first!).  Anyway, I was supposed to just be running in for a bouquet of flowers for our friend’s birthday (happy birthday, Irma!) but man oh man – they had tons of new holiday products!  Like – GIFT products!  I was, as you may have guessed, more than a  little excited… 

One cool product on the table of amazing stuff was a box of 3 silver tubes of hand cream.  One is Argan Oil, one is Olive Oil, and one is Kukui Oil.  ONE of those is part of a Christmas present for a relative – I will not disclose WHO at the moment in case he/she reads this blog (I am not too worried, I do not think this particular person follows it). 

Such a sweet little gift box of hand creams - how could I NOT stand around in TJ's and drool over them while
 David waited patiently in the car outside??

Each tube is 1 oz and they all contain 20% shea butter.  I grabbed a box and then packed one of the tubes for my recent trip to Omaha.  I busted it out and shared with my nephew Jordan, who was happy to be a guest reviewer.  Thanks, J!

Let me first tell you what I thought of the Olive Oil hand cream – ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh.  It was moisturizing without being greasy, easy to dispense from the tube, stayed closed in my purse, and smelled light and fresh.  The lady at the store told me she thought it was a little oily for her but I disagree.  Especially during the cold winter months my hands need cream like this.  An sometimes with hand creams or lotions the scent is so strong that you can’t wear a perfume without feeling “clash-y” but with this light fresh scent you can.  It is a gender neutral scent which I like, too.   it doesn’t make you smell too “girly” or too “manly” – you just smell nice.  I LIKE IT!  I give it a 4.75.

My hands love lotions and creams.

Now let’s get Jordan’s take on it:  “I think this is very nice.  It is creamy, but not too oily.  The scent is something that I am a big fan of.  It is not too feminine, but not too manly either.  It is a nice fresh scent.  It seems to be soaking into my skin quite well.  I would give it a 4.25.”

Jordan examining his hand after applying the Olive Oil Hand Cream.  You can tell by his shirt that the Huskers were playing that day.  But don't mention it to anyone from Nebraska, it was quite a sucky game I am told.

At $7.99 for the trio of hand creams, these work out to only $2.67 per tube.  I think that is WELL worth it.  They remind me of hand creams at L’Occitaine – same sort of packaging and quality, but much cheaper! 

Yes - if your TJ's has these you should grab a box.  Or two.

I believe these gift sets are just for the holiday season, so if you want to GIFT them (or keep them for yourself!) you best rush out and pick up a box soon!!  I am gifting one tube (not Olive Oil, obviously, since I have already used some of that one…) and keeping two.  Oh my, does that not fit the holiday spirit??

Price - $7.99 (for 3 tubes)

Rating – 4.5 (average of 2 raters)

Day 287 - Artichoke Ravioli

David balks at the idea of artichokes.  Too much work to eat a whole one, and something turns him off about artichoke hearts (not sure what).  So we do not normally have them.  But last night he went to a play and I opted out.  Instead I went to, wait for it…  TRADER JOE’S!  Hahaha.  (I went other places, too, mind you, I do not live my whole life at Trader Joe’s).  while there I got some ARTICHOKE RAVIOLI and decided to have it ready for dinner when he came home and not tell him what was in it.  Here is his reaction:

Shhh, don't tell David what is in the ravioli...

David:  “These are great!  They were cooked apparently just the right amount of time.  The pasta is delicious and al dente.  They have a FILLING inside them that is sort of, cream cheese-y, ummm, full taste.  Maybe it is RICOTTA and something…  There is no SAUCE on them.  Normally I would think, “Oh, no sauce, I won’t like this”.  I mean, there is a little bit of parmesan and some mushrooms that we cooked but on its own it’s really VERY NICE.  I mean this really would be quite delightful with just some olive oil poured on it.”

AHAHA – GOT HIM!!!  He had no idea it was artichoke!!!  And he LIKED it a lot!

Tasty!!

I cooked little portabella mushrooms in olive oil and pumpkin seed oil and put those on top, along with more olive oil and pumpkin seed oil (which, if you have not tried it, is amazing).  Then I topped it all with freshly shredded parmesan. 

These raviolis are really nice.  They are “meaty” (with no meat) without being overpowering.  They taste clean, and fresh.  They would be good to eat outdoors on a summer night paired with a nice white wine. 

Dinner is served!  Artichoke Ravioli topped with mushrooms, olive oil, pumpkin seed oil, and parmesan
 with sides of fresh green beans and TJ's mashed sweet potatoes  

Trader Joe’s has a big selection of “fancy ass” fresh ravioli near the meat and cheese section.  We don’t try a lot of them and one reason is because I am never sure what to put ON them.  I asked a TJ’s employee who seemed pretty new and unsure (had never tried these) and she thought maybe just olive oil.  I think she got it right! 

These are priced really low for what you get.  Brands in other stores (like Buitoni) are more expensive and these are better.  These taste fresher and just overall nicer.

Seriously good price for what you get

Price – $3.49

Rating – 4.5

Day 261 - Brown Jasmine Rice

As mentioned previously in this blog, we eat A LOT of rice in our house.  We love rice.  Usually we buy Jasmine or Basmati (reviewed on days 198 http://traderjoes365.blogspot.com/2015/07/day-199-jasmine-rice.html and 191 http://traderjoes365.blogspot.com/2015/07/day-191-basmati-rice.html of this blog). 

This time we decided to SHAKE THINGS UP.  We saw this Brown Jasmine Rice at the Trader Joe’s in Cincinnati and decided to pick up a bag. 

Big bag, small price

I used to be in charge of cooking rice in our kitchen.  When it was my duty, I threw it in a rice cooker, turned it on, and called it a day.  J  Then David decided we should follow the instructions and RINSE it before cooking.  So he took over rice duty.  Then he came up with an elaborate method of frying the rice in olive oil BEFORE cooking it….  Let’s just say, rice cooking is now his assignment and not mine. 

He cooked this Brown Basmati Rice using his “fry in a bit of EVOO oil first” technique.  He then cooked it in water for 35 to 40 minutes (following the package).   So that is the first thing to point out – this rice takes longer than your average rice to cook, so make sure you prepare your meal accordingly. 

We normally don’t dig brown rice as much as white.  But we really trust Trader Joe’s so we gave this a shot.  Luckily for us, it is not as “brown rice-y” as other brown rices.  It is more like white rice but, as David noted, it has a “Little bit more of skin and texture to it.  Though I prefer white rice, I know that brown rice is healthier for me.  So if I have to eat brown rice, I would definitely suggest this.  In fact, now that I am eating the leftovers of it on the second day I am enjoying the taste of it with a little butter on it.”

Oh the sign tells us it is LUXURIOUS!

I thought this was a little crunchier than our regular rice but that wasn’t a bad thing.  I liked it.  The “kernels” were all very separate and there was not gloppiness.  It went well with chicken.  This is a good alternative to our normal rice when you want something a little bit different.  Like the other rices at TJ’s, it is a large bag for a remarkably good price.  This rice, from Thailand, was only $3.29 for a 3 lbs bag – that is only a little over a buck per pound! 

BONUS PHOTO!  I cannot for the life of me find the picture I took of this rice on a plate with a nice omelet we made,
so instead I present ARTWORK FROM THE CINCINNATI TRADER JOE'S!
Here is a piece that is in their foyer - it is the Tyler Davidson Fountain.  Nice, huh??

Price – $3.29

Rating - 4

Day 204 - Organic Woodfired Sicilian Style Pizza

Look, we pulled into home around 1:15 AM.  When we got here, our grass was a mile high (we had been gone three weeks) and the fence in our front yard had been hit by a car and knocked over.  We unloaded the car, futzed around in our hot and musty smelling house, and finally got around 5 hours sleep before getting up and working a very hard day.

So FORGIVE ME if I wasn’t in the mood to actually cook something for dinner tonight, ok???

We went to a local Trader Joe’s (the Clarendon store in Arlington, VA) to get something easy to make for dinner.  This pizza seemed like just the thing.  The box boasts of red pepper, provolone, and pearl mozzarella.  Sounds good, no?

Here's the box.  Looks good, doesn't it?

Sounds good, but doesn’t TASTE good.  It tasted like a cracker with some crap on it.  Not literal CRAP, mind, you, but crappy food.  The tomato sauce was not luscious.  The red peppers were not amazing. Heck, even the two types of cheese were blah. 

Ready to cut and eat.

This pizza came with a little packet of olive oil with red pepper.  The box explains, in large letters, “Unlike a Sicilian Summer our signature style pizza let’s* (sic) you choose your level of hot-ness.  Drizzle the pizza with all of the oil for a spicy boost or use just a little for a milder flavor.”

HOWEVER, if you read the very fine print on the little olive oil packet, you are supposed to drizzle said olive oil on half way through cooking the pizza.  OH SNAP!  I wish the box would have told us that so we were have done that.  Instead, we drizzled after cooking.

Good ingredients, bad pizza

Crust – super duper hard (cracker-esque)

Sauce – boring

Red peppers – dull

Cheeses – not inviting

Half way through one piece David gave up and went into the kitchen to remake his pizza into something more edible.  He added olives (from another store), fresh tomato from the garden, and mozzarella balls (from TJs).  He says, “The “pearls” were smaller than oyster pearls, given the effect on the original pizza”. 

David, before he gave up and totally doctored his pizza trying to add flavor

I say - If we wanted to make our own pizza we would have done that from the get go!

Crappy, dull pizza.  Not worthy of the $5 or the calories.  Skip it and get something better.

*        Trader Joe’s corporate – grammar alert on this box.  Misplaced apostrophe.

 

Price - $4.99

Rating – 1.75

Day 116 - Baby Zucchini

We have eaten this vegetable from Trader Joe’s several times, so I was surprised when I looked at the blog and realized I had not yet reviewed it!  But now that I made it again and served it at our recent Trader Joe’s dinner party, I am glad I hadn’t already reviewed it.  If I had, I am sure it would have gotten a lower rating than it will now.  Let me explain.  J

This zucchini is very small.  In fact, I think they need to change the name and re-market it.  How’s this:  TEENY WEENIE ZUCCHINI.  Isn’t that fabulous??  Better than, “Baby Zucchini”, right??  Teeny Weenie Zucchini is catchy!  Trader Joe’s corporate, if you are reading this, you can send me a check for “naming assistance” at any time. 

This comes in a little package in the fresh produce section

The other times we cooked this, I steamed it.  And the result was PRETTY, but MUSHY, teeny weenie whole zucchinis.  For some reason we decided this was the green vegetable to serve at our recent dinner party, but then we both said, “Wait, isn’t it sort of yucky and mushy??”.  So we decided (thanks to David’s suggestion) to cut each one in half length-wise and SAUTE them.  I used a mix of olive oil, lemon juice, and pumpkin seed oil in the pan (and added freshly ground salt and freshly ground pepper).  The end result was much tastier teeny weenie zucchini than the mushy steaming technique.  These are inexpensive to purchase and pretty on your plate, too.  One cooking suggestion on the package is GRILLING, and I think that would make them tasty, also.  So I guess what I am saying is, don’t steam these suckers.

They are cute lil things

If I rated these on my own, I would give them a 4.0.  Now let me look at the reviews our guests wrote and add their comments here:

-          “Very delicate and tasteful”

-          “Very tasty but slightly mushy.  Goes very well with the filet mignon roast, but I love zucchini.”

-          “Very good size.  Just the way you’d want baby courgettes to be.”

-          “Nice presentation, but more skin and less flesh than normal sized zucchini.”

-          “Simple.  Delish.”

Note – we bought way too many for the dinner party, and last night I cooked more of them by chopping them up into very small chunks and sautéing them with thinly sliced Portobello mushrooms and shrimp.  We put that over pasta and it was really good!  So that is another cooking option for these!

Price - $2.49

Rating (6 ratings averaged together) – 4.5

Day 46 - Cauliflower

Cauliflower has never been on the top of my “favorite vegetables” list.  I just prefer my veggies to be GREEN, thank you very much!  But ever since we discovered ROASTED CAULIFLOWER, I have had to re-prioritize my vegetable preferences and cauliflower is sneaking its way up near the top!!

My first experiment with roasted cauliflower was from a recipe that claimed the little florets would “taste like popcorn and even kids would love it!”.  It was true, I loved it (though technically not a kid).  The second recipe was one that had loads of zingy flavors in a Greek yogurt sauce covering the head of cauliflower – oh man it was good!  Then last night I did a much simpler, and equally (perhaps more?) delicious version of a whole roasted cauliflower (ingredients were olive oil, lemon juice, salt, pepper, and capers (also fresh parsley, which we didn’t have so I skipped, cuz that’s how I roll).

Leftovers!  Day 2 of roasted cauliflower - it was just as tasty the 2nd day

 The point is:  give cauliflower a try.  Even if you have previously found it to be bland, dull, and yucky.  Try to roast it!  Google – there are loads of roasted cauliflower recipes.  In fact, if you have one you love please put a link in the comments section here so I can try it. 

Note:  I was not sure if the price for a head of cauliflower at Trader Joe’s, $2.49, was good or not.  So I drove RIGHT ACROSS THE STREET, a one minute drive, to Safeway to compare.  Guess what?  The Safeway price was $3.99!!!!  $1.50 more than Trader Joe’s! 

Oh Safeway...  Don't say, "Every Day!" with an exclamation point, unless you mean,
"Charging too much for cauliflower EVERY DAY!"

 Pick up a cauliflower when you are at Trader Joe’s and ENJOY IT.  I sure have!

Price – $2.49

Rating – 4.25