We’re over halfway through the month of May, so it’s time to finish some unfinished business from the month of March (I already talked about everything from April)!! This month I finally tried my last two items from my March 2021 Trader Joe’s Food Finds!
Mini French Baguettes – These were good! I’m not going to lie, they were much smaller than I thought they would be. For some reason, I thought they would get bigger in the oven, but that wasn’t the case. I feel like they should have been called breadsticks instead of baguettes. Nevertheless, I popped them in the oven for about 6 minutes, and they warmed up to have a delicious crusty outside and soft doughy inside. These would be great to keep on hand to have with salads or pasta dishes.
New Zealand Salted Butter – Everyone in my family has heard me rave about New Zealand butter for the better part of the last three weeks. Honestly, I do not know what makes it so good, but it really is incredible! It tastes like the butter that restaurants bring you with warm bread. I’ve never contemplated eating plain butter before, but the thought definitely crossed my mind with this stuff. Have I officially lost my mind?! I especially like having this butter on a toasted pretzel bagel or challah bread (both from Trader Joe’s). Seriously, you need to try this and let me know what you think of it!
Now that I’m officially caught up with items from previous months, let’s dive into my goodies from May. Confession: I officially went cookie crazy this month. When I got home to put away the groceries, Gary had no shame judging me for it…sigh. Aside from cookies, I grabbed a couple of new snack items, a breakfast treat, a frozen dessert, and a new pasta sauce!
New May Items:
For those of you that don’t know, funfetti is one of my favorite things. I always choose it as my birthday dessert, and I’m always drawn to things like birthday cake ice cream and rainbow sprinkle donuts. Trader Joe’s gave me a new funfetti vehicle with These Sprinkles Walk into a Sandwich Cookies ($2.99)! I first tried this seasonal item last spring and I only got one box before they completely disappeared from the shelves. The outer cookies are deliciously buttery and sprinkle-filled, but the buttercream between them really seals the deal for me. These are great for a mid-day pick-me-up, or as a quick and easy dessert. The only bummer is that only six come in a box!
How on earth did I make it almost 29 years on this planet without having these Crispy Crunchy Chocolate Chip Cookies ($3.99)?? I’m quite literally eating them as I type this post. They slightly remind me of Tate’s cookies, in that they aren’t soft, but they somewhat melt in your mouth. They’re the perfect small snack, but the danger is that they come in a giant tub and they’re highly addictive. The good news is that the serving size is about a dozen, so that makes me feel better about my cookie eating habits…ha!
Alright, let’s round out this cookie segment with these Chocolate & Peanut Butter Joe-Joe’s Sandwich Cookies ($2.99). I’ve seen several people rave about them on social media, but for better or for worse, we haven’t opened them up yet. I’ll be sure to post an update about them next month!
Can you guess who in this household loves pickles and who picks them off of everything? If you guessed that I’m the pickle lover, you guessed right! These Chips in a Pickle ($2.29) looked so intriguing to me because I really love all things dill flavored. If you do too, these are a must-try! They are excellent with sandwiches, burgers, or just by themselves. They’d be the perfect chip to bring to a picnic or a BBQ. Trust me when I say they’re addictive, because I’ve bought four bags this month. #noshame
When I went to Trader Joe’s earlier this month, I knew we’d be spending a decent amount of time in the car driving to visit our families. I’m the designated #SnackPatrol while Gary drives, so I like to come prepared with new goodies! The Many Things Snack Mix ($2.99) was the perfect road trip snack. Some of the chex pieces had a sweet honey flavor, and there were some that had seasoning with a bit of a kick to it. Add that to the usual pretzels, breadsticks, and peanuts, and you have yourself a winner! As an added bonus, this is a resealable bag, so you don’t have to worry about pre-portioning it out or remembering to bring a chip clip. We’ll definitely get this again.
Let’s talk about scones. Usually they suck, right? I feel like they’re always dry, crumbly, and bland. I never choose them. But, when I saw these Glazed Vanilla Bean Scones ($3.99) at Trader Joe’s, I decided to be open-minded and take a chance on them. I am so glad that I did! Honestly, these scones are the best I’ve ever had, and I’m not exaggerating (though I will admit the bar was set pretty low). They were not overly dry and I thought the vanilla bean glaze gave them the perfect flavor without adding an unnecessary amount of sweetness. When I first got them, I’m pretty sure I ate the whole bag (4 of them) in one weekend. Since then, I even went back for more. They are perfect for a simple fruit, yogurt, and pastry breakfast, or just by themselves at any time of day. You need to try these!
If you’re a coffee-lover, these Hold the Cone – Coffee Bean ($3.29) will be your jam! Note that I didn’t say latte or frappuccino lover. These have a strong coffee bean flavor that is not creamy or disguised in any way. But, with the chocolate cone, hardened chocolate on top, and the chocolate at the bottom of the cone, I thought the two flavors paired well together. They’d be a great mid-day pick me up, but we enjoyed them as little after dinner desserts. Would I get them again? I’m not sure. I think I prefer the Hold the Cone – Vanilla to these, but I’m glad that we tried them.
We are big into Cajun flavors around here (as long as they aren’t too spicy for Gary). This Cajun Style Alfredo Sauce ($3.49) caught my eye, and into the cart it went! We haven’t quite gotten around to trying it yet, but I’m hoping it will be a hit. Based on what I’ve seen, this is a seasonal item, so if it looks good to you, be sure to grab it while you can!
That’s all I have for the month of May! Now that we’re both fully vaccinated, I’m so excited to be able to frequent Trader Joe’s more regularly instead of once a month. Gary has yet again threatened to be my chaperone, but I know he secretly enjoys it when I bring home new items for us to try. What have you all been getting from Trader Joe’s lately??
xoxo
Jennifer