Popcorn in a Pickle is BACK AGAIN!

GUUUUYS (I mean that generically, as in "huuuumans", not "this one is for the fellas only....):

It is summer time, and you know what that means...

POPCORN IN A PICKLE IS BACK!

POPCORN IN A PICKLE IS BACK!  Can you tell I am excited???

Yes!!!  It is time for the Trader Joe's snack that sounds utterly disgusting (to me at least) but tastes ammmmazing - popcorn with pickle flavoring!  It sounds gross, but for some reason, it just works!

In the original review of this product, we gave it 4 stars (Original Popcorn in a Pickle Review ).

In the first "It's Baaaack!" reminder review, we also gave it 4 stars ( Last Year's Excited "Popcorn in a Pickle It's BAACK" Review ) .

This year it is the same great popcorn, the same low price, but the number of stars is INCREASING to 4.25!  It is like on "Naked and Afraid" when the people's PSRs go up, and you as a viewer are not quite sure why, but they did, so you just go with the flow...  (What??  You don't watch "Naked and Afraid" on the Discovery channel??  Fear not, it jumped the shark many seasons ago, but that doesn't stop me from tuning in every once in a while and watching people eat ants and make fish baskets that never catch annnnything!) 

Anyway, the point is, Popcorn in a Pickle is back, and you should try it.  It is definitely a LOVE IT or HATE IT kind of product.  I am on the LOVE IT end of the spectrum, but I totally respect you if you get it, try it, and take it back because you can't stand it.  But DO GET IT.  I mean, what have you got to lose?  Trader Joe's will happily give you your money back if you find it yucky.

We lugged our TJ's popcorn, along with a slew of other picnic snacks, through the 105 heat index afternoon to Wolf Trap Theatre in Virginia, where once the sun went down we rocked out to the Bare Naked Ladies.  The only problem was, we ate the other stuff and forgot to open the popcorn...

If I had a million dollars....

So, we hauled it AGAIN with more picnic supplies, on the 4th of July to the Air Force Memorial in Arlington, Virginia.  There we dined on delicious popcorn and watching the fireworks go off in Washington DC.  May I just say, thanks for paying your taxes everyone, the fireworks were beautiful this year! 

If you squint your eyes and look by one of the red squiggles, you will see the Washington
Monument, shrouded in darkness, heat, and fireworks smoke 

Price: still $1.99
Rating: 4.25

Maria Jola Sangria - NEW PACKAGING!

Guys, summer time is here, and you know what that means...

SUMMMMMMER!!!  Vacation beach jump - Poipou Beach, Kauai, Hawaii 

SANGRIA AND SUNSHINE!!!

I just made a trip to Trader Joe's to stock up on sangria (the sunshine was already provided by Mother Nature :) ).  I got a little nervous when I didn't see the brightly colored Maria Jola bottle of yore.... 

This is from LAST YEAR, when I was ever so excited to grab a bottle of sangria!! 
I thought I would find this same bottle on the shelf today, but no luck...

But then I found THIS cutie patootie:

New packaging!! 

The TJ's employee assured me it is the same sangria, just in a newly designed package.  I have to say, I think this is a big improvement over the old bottle!  The dots are FUN, fun, fun and the whole thing just looks, oh, I don't know, classier I guess.  It is still made of plastic so you can easily toss it around for picnics or travel without worrying. 

Our local TJ's did not have the white sangria version today, which was a-ok with me because we think that kind tastes like bathroom cleaner.  And if there is one thing I do NOT want to sip on a warm summer night, it is bathroom cleaner... 

Original review of both the red and white sangrias here:  Maria Jola Red and White Sangrias

I am planning on making a batch of this tonight and sitting out on the front porch for dinner and drinks.  Ahhhh, summer!

Price:  $5.99 (though I am not certain the bottle holds the same amount as the old one)
Rating:  we haven't drunk it yet to be SURE, but if the TJ's person was correct that it is the same product, I will stick with our previous rating of 4.25

HAPPY SUMMER!

Key Lime Pie

Full disclosure from the get-go:  I am not a key lime pie kinda girl.  I don’t know why, as far as I know key lime pie never did nuttin’ to me to make me hate it, but for some reason it is just not on my list of favorite desserts.  So I am recusing myself from reviewing it (that wouldn’t be fair, would it, to average my number in, since I know from the get-go I am not going to rave about it…).

We tried this key lime pie at our local Trader Joe’s one time when they were tasting it.  I thought it was good as far as key lime pie goes (see paragraph above…) but David really liked it.  Sadly, it is just the 2 of us at home, so unless it is a product we both like, it normally doesn’t get bought (which is the reason I forego okra and David foregoes lamb…). 

David hit the jackpot when my sisters came to visit us in Florida, though, cuz it turns out they like key lime pie!  And while I was out of town on a work trip and he was in Orlando picking them up from the airport, they swung by Trader Joe’s Winter Park and got a bunch of goodies, including one of these pies.  They “prepared” it by just taking it out of the freezer for a bit.  I would say that is easy peasey key lime squeezy! 

Oops - I forgot to snap a photo before the pie had basically been devoured...

 Here are the reviews:

Annette (my middle sister):  When I asked, “Annette, what do you think??” she replied, “I think I would like to have another piece, please!!  It is absolutely delicious.  It is probably the first time I’ve ever had key lime pie.  I love it!  The graham cracker crust is sooo yummy.  It is delicious!   Just when it gets a little too sour, that graham cracker crust kicks in. I give it a solid 5 stars.”

Two thumbs up from Annette!!!  :)

David:  “I agree with Annette.  I think it is a GREAT version of key lime pie!  It is sweet, it is tangy, it is sassy (editor’s note:  he likes his key lime pie like he likes his women…).  It is set up and laid out perfectly by the graham cracker crust.  It is a great balance – a great double act – at work.  I don’t usually go for key lime pie or lemon meringue (its down-market cousin…).  I agree with Annette – I give it a 5.”

The intrepid team of reviewers!!!  

Sherry (my oldest sister):  (When we started reviewing this pie I asked Sherry if she had tasted it yet so that she could form an opinion to review it.  She had to confess that she had indeed been eating a little bit of it every morning before going off to the beach for her solo walks!!  Sneaky sister!)  “I have always loved key lime pie, but I only get it when I am in Florida, where key limes are from.  I never really ate it until I lived in Florida.  I think this Trader Joe’s version is very good.  It is tart, it is a little sweet, it is not messy to eat.  I would give it a 5, but I like key lime pies.”

Bonus photos:  We worked hard to get a good JUMPING photo of all 3 sisters on the beach.  These are what I consider 2 very funny outtakes.  In photo one, Sherry is sailing in the air, eyes closed in concentration.  Me?  I am smiling ear to ear and am actually off the ground!  Annette??  Oh, she is in the middle - CRACKING UP.  Annette, you can't JUMP if you are LAUGHING!!

And here in outtake #2, again, the oldest and youngest sisters have followed instruction and jumped together.  Sherry is somber again, perhaps she cannot smile and jump at the same time...  And Annette, the middle child, looks like she is squeezing every muscle she has (including her eye muscles) to get off the ground.

Honestly, there are much better jumping photos of the sisters, but these 2 crack me up.  :)

There you have it, folks.  This pie gets a solid 5!!  You should definitely get one to enjoy on a hot summer day.

Price:  $5.49

Rating:  5

BONUS PHOTO - CHECK THIS ONE OUT!  Annette is getting some serious AIR!  Sherry, too!  I, meanwhile, have my feet firmly planted on the ground...  #TimingIsEverythingInLife

Popcorn in a Pickle - IT'S BAAAACK!

Summer must be coming, because POPCORN IN A PICKLE is back on the shelves at Trader Joe's!  Yes siree, the snack that sounds disgusting but is actually very tasty is BACK!  Same weird taste, same price ($1.99).  Check out what we thought of it when we got it last year:

original review here

I saw it on the shelves recently in California, but didn't want to announce it in public here until I checked to see if it was "only a California thing" or if the rest of us were also lucky enough to snag some.  Turns out it is here in Virginia, too, so I am going to declare it POPCORN IN A  PICKLE SEASON!

Here is David last year, he was nervous about this snack...  But after we tried it, turns out, WE LIKE IT!!

If you tried it before, you know the first bite is odd but it gets yummy after that.  If you haven't tried it, go for it.  It is a strange taste sensation and fun to eat!

But get it soon.  Cuz you don't want to be like our friend Tony, and go to get a bag only to find it is G-O-N-E and won't come back for another year...

Sad Tony, no Popcorn in a Pickle to be found...

Day 194 - Salt Water Taffy

I thought I could review this product.  I wanted to buy it.  I find salt water taffy BEAUTIFUL.  The colors, the swirls.  The IDEA of salt water taffy is very appealing to me – it means SUMMER, vacation, seaside, fun, sweetness…  Then I tasted one, and I remembered the REALITY of salt water taffy – uber sweet yucky tasting sticky FLUFF.  I do not feel qualified to review this product with my obvious bias, so am turning this review over to my partner David:

David with the Salt Water Taffy before we checked out.  He was happy to get it.

"Tasty taffy.  The package is just the right size.  There are a number of different fruit flavors, but let’s face it, salt water taffy always tastes like salt water taffy, whatever the fruit flavor.

These are very good.  The only strike I have against them is the packaging.  In this, they are no different than salt water taffies:  each taffy is rolled in a small piece of waxed paper, twisted at the ends.  The problem with this system is that at room temperature the taffy STICKS to the waxed paper.  And just out of the fridge, the taffy is so hard that the paper tears or little bits of brittle taffy flick off as you are unrolling the paper and go everywhere.   My solution is to put them in the fridge and then take them out for five minutes before unwrapping the ones you want to eat.  Why they can’t find a system to solidify the taffy before wrapping it is beyond me. 

Hmmm, this sign says Saltwater but the package says Salt Water...  I can't remember which store we got these at.

But the taffy itself – delightful." 

(Note – Susan here – David mentions fruit flavors.  The package says there are cherry, strawberry, banana, red licorice (which technically is not a FRUIT flavor, David), sour apple, and watermelon.  I tasted a pretty one that was dark red with a white swirl and I THINK it was red licorice but I would not bet you $10 on that.  I had a pretty photo of it but sadly that Sim Card thing-a-ma-bob is not working and I cannot upload it.  Sorry.)  Holy smokes – I just read the back and it says a serving size is SEVEN PIECES!!  That overindulgence may be the reason David wants to give these a high mark.)

Price – $1.99

Rating – 4.25 (from David, NOT from me)

Day 158 - Skinny Dip (New Belgium) Beer

As with most (if not all) beer reviews on this blog, I must preface this by saying that I know practically nothing about beer.  I didn’t drink much of it until a year or two ago, and I still choose wine over it.  But I have been known to kick back a brewsky every now and again (boy that sounds dumb when I say it…). 

So we were having a beach party and I wanted to stock up on beer.  I wasn’t sure what to get, but this one is called SKINNY DIP so hey, yeah, THIS IS A SURE BET, RIGHT?  Totally chose it for the name.  J 

SKINNY DIP in action!  No, not SKINNY DIPPING, but drinking a Skinny Dip beer

 And it is a fine beer.  I mean, not FINER than other beers per se, but it does the trick.  The label says the “hops frolic with bready malts for a crisp sip as refreshing as a freshwater dip”.  Damn – that is some fancy  marketing!!   

This is a seasonal beer (summer only – cuz who skinny dips in winter??).  Lucky for you, gentle reader, I did a price comparison and found that a six pack was a full FIFTY CENTS cheaper at Trader Joe’s than at Publix (a large Florida grocery store chain). 

Publix - $9.49!

 Trader Joe's - $8.99 (not great signage - this was the Winter Park, FL store)

So if you like Skinny Dip, pick it up at Trader Joe’s instead of some other grocery store.  Save some money and celebrate SUMMER!

Price - $8.49

Rating - 4

Day 131 - Rene Barbier Mediterranean White Wine

It is white. 

It is wine. 

It is cheap. 

It is fine.

 That is a little poem I just composed while drinking this Rene Barbier Mediterranean White wine.  As with most fine wines, we chose it because the label was pretty.  Actually, we chose it because we wanted to have a beach party, and the label has a nice beach scene on it, so it seemed like a good wine to serve at that party!  Sadly, I didn’t wait until said party to open it.  So there ya have it! 

Here it is at the low, low Trader Joe's price of $4.99

This wine is one penny under five bucks.  Serve it chilled.  It is fine.  It is crisp, fruity, and summery.  Is it something that will win awards in hoity toity wine competitions?  I doubt it.  But will it make your face wrinkle up in disgust when you drink it?  Nope. 

Well, now that I wrote that about winning awards, I feel as if I must do due diligence and Google to see if this wine HAS won awards!  One moment please…

Well, I see Total Wine agrees with my assessment that this wine is fruity (they are a bit more specific and call out pineapple and apple…).  And they also charge a full buck more for the same bottle of wine than Trader Joe’s does!

BUT WAIT – if you want to pay even MORE for the same bottle of wine, you could pick it up on Wine Log, who is charging $6.99 per bottle!  The reviews there by customers are for the most part good, including one reviewer named Jason who wrote, “ I imagine I would pair this with fish and poultry, but in reality I like it so much, I pair it with everything but water”.  That’s some high praise there, Jason. 

David, tasting the Rene Barbier Mediterranean White Wine after a day of volunteering at a No H8 photo shoot.

Then, if you want to read a really fancy review of this wine, check this out:  http://www.theglobeandmail.com/life/food-and-wine/wine/wine-reviews/lapostolle-cuvee-alexandre-apalta-vineyard-cabernet-sauvignon-2011-chile/article18951075/

For my money, the best (and funniest) line in the review is:  “It’s clean and lean, with an almost spritzy citrus character and nuances of chalk and flint” – cuz who DOESN’T want to drink lean chalk and flint, right??

Price - $4.99 (but feel free to buy it from a website and not Trader Joe's if you want to spend more)

Rating – 3.25

Day 17 - Mozzarella Cheese Chub

We go through a lot of cheese in our house, the majority of which is cheddar.  But this mozzarella also gets a fair bit of play from us, especially in SUMMER GARDEN SEASON.  Oh yeah – there is nothing better than a big, red, juicy, fresh garden tomato topped by a thick chunk of this mozzarella, add to that a couple of just picked basil leaves, top with extra virgin olive oil, fresh squeezed lemon juice, and coarse salt.  That, my friends, is the taste of summer.  So now you know how we use this cheese J.

Note:  if it is not summer, or if you do not grow tomatoes, pair this with Trader Joe’s Kumatoes (see review from this blog, day 5).

This is the one we get - 8 oz is a good size

 Pros :

• Tasty
• Soft
• Reasonably priced
• Almost always available at Trader Joe’s
• A good size

Cons:

• Tricky to open, and when you do open it – messy.  Mozzarella water gushes out so only open it over the sink. 
• Not possible to store in original packaging, so have a little storage container ready when you open it.
• Goes stale quickly if you do not use it within a few days (probably because all of the mozzarella water stuff plops out of the packaging when you open it so is not in the storage container to keep it moist).

Price - $3.29

Rating – 4 stars