The Trader Joe's Product Discussion Thread (S/D)

I still miss the pumpkin granola TJ has in the fall. Why the hell are pumpkins seasonal? Some folks want it year round!

trader joe's is like the centre of american pumpkin festivity. it goes CRAZY come pumpkin harvest.

also puffins suck but maybe i think that because i bought the peanut butter kind (asking for trouble).

god the green chili/cheese tamales are good

I shoulda figured this out by now considering that they're the second item mentioned on this thread.

4 of these + microwave + guacamole = all I need in life

I decided to buy the 'simpler times' beer because I am crazy poor and it is crazy cheap! is it any good?

AVOID. If it's a matter of poverty, cheap vodka and soda has got to provide a more satisfying buzz.

Eh, I think it's alright.

haha I like it a lot actually

I'd probably drink it over anything else in its price range, especially since it's over 6%

right now it's 3 bucks for a 6 pack at my trader joe's, so I don't think anything else in its price range even *exists*

regardless, it's the 2 buck chuck of beer - maybe not objectively *good*...but good ENOUGH

context: I am 22 and v. v. poor

i can't do "bad" alcohol; totally not a snobbery thing, 100% a "more likely to make me sick" thing. is this beer skunky at all?

i put seasoning salute in my eggs today and they tasted like yellow magic.

instant miso soup: on par w/ miso soup in most average japanese restaurants! includes dried mushrooms, too!

also just bought a new jar of 21 seasoning salute bc i managed to go through an entire one in like, 3.5 months!

i think i love the idea of trader joes more than the actual thing

i like some of their foods a lot more than the idea

they're hit or miss. some are amazing, some not so much. i like to experiment. btw do not get the seafood sausages.

haha, gross.

found out their microwave popcorn is surprisingly good. also i've been getting the Simpler Times beer because it is ridiculously cheap, and the chicken tikka masala has become my fallback lazy dinner.

^^^^^ have had that exact meal multiple times

i'm curious about the beer btw...it says it's made by a brewery here in wisconsin, but is that true for trader joe's everywhere? or do they get different local breweries to make beers for their brands?

says it's from wisconsin in the california TJs too

also there is this alternate $3 beer that they have at some TJs - I forgot the name, but wow, it was godawful stuff

yeah i think i tried that (once)

they have some decent booze that i have a hard time finding elsewhere.. rear admiral joseph gin, monopolowa vodka

and they tend to play pretty good music in tj's

they have some decent booze

tj's, sadly, cannot sell booze in Oregon. I do like their dried fruit and nuts. Charles Shaw plonk is classic plonk. I drink it religiously, in conjunction with tj's scrumptious Body of Christ wafer cookies.

damn this 'spicy smoky peach salsa' is hella good

Dudes, have any of you tried Trader Joe's cornbread? I've made it twice now, and it's excellent. Just the right amount of sweetness.

guys have we discussed the cinnamon and sugar pita chips?

I just spent $175 at trader joes! I hope my freezer is big enough.

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2496/4000032126_ba4f711ae4.jpg

Black bean and roasted corn salsa, so good.

http://failblog.files.wordpress.com/2009/10/epic-fail-mushroom-medley-fail.jpg

the beer bread mix is tasty!

I'll be making some Trader Joe's cornbread later tonight. So so so good!

Serious questions for those of you who feel positively towards TJ's cornbread and pumpkin bread, etc: how do these mixes stand up against scratch versions of these various quickbreads? What are you supposed to add to the mixes ?

i am a fan of tj's cornbread. i've never been quite able to make it quite as delicious myself, and it's just eggs, oil, and mix. (i think) not being a huge cornbread fan in general, though, i could have low standards.

I trust your opinion, Amanda! I can potentially make pretty good cornbread, but it's not very consistent and the best recipe I have requires the use of the food processor, which is a pain in the ass to get out and clean and put away. Okay, I think I will expand into the quickbread mixes on my next TJ's trip.

also there is this alternate $3 beer that they have at some TJs - I forgot the name, but wow, it was godawful stuff

― iatee, Thursday, 8 October 2009 22:19 (1 week ago) Permalink

Red Oval. DUD. Go with Simpler Times, much much better. The Simpler Times pilsner is almost sweet tasting, but I like the lager better. Excellent cheapie beer.

I'm not savvy enough to make cornbread from scratch, but I can say that Trader Joe's cornbread is the perfect consistency and tastes just sweet enough. Way better than the premade shit I was buying from Shaw's bakery before.

OMG the cornbread!!! this thread pushed me towards buying it, i just made it and it is so good. "Just the right amount of sweetness." is exactly right.

wow so new 'dark chocolate lover's' 85% tj brand chocolate is goooood. fruity tasting. rich. and cheap!

red oval beer tastes better than simpler times and is cheaper

$2.99 for a six pack its like--how can you NOT buy this beer

in bulk

yeah i had some on new year's and it was pretty tasty

in the frozen appetizer section: arancini with fontina cheese --> delicious

DELICIOUS!

I made a special trip to TJ's on Sunday to get a pint of their chocolate sorbet and the fucking hippies stopped carrying it.

Their honey-sesame coated cashews are to die for.

I wish that TJ's delivered, like Pea Pod, because I'm just far away enough from a TJ's to make getting there a pain in the ass, but boy do I miss having a freezer full of food that requires nothing more than a couple Ts of water and the application of heat to turn it into dinner.