Trader Joe's Chantilly Cream Vanilla Bean Mini Sheet Cake

This is obviously the same basic concept as the Chocolate Ganache version discussed here a few days ago. I was surprised to find that I liked this better, which usually isn't the case when comparing a vanilla and chocolate pair of options. This was mainly because of the excellent frosting, which is rich with that intriguing vanilla bean flavor. The underlying cake is merely so-so.


Will I buy it again? 

No. It's more interesting than the chocolate, but still not good enough to beat what I would make for myself.

Roundup

This is my weekly compilation of news and other links about Trader Joe's.


8 new Trader Joe's products to try

Shooting and hostage situation at L.A. Trader Joe's  more  more  more  more

Trader Joe's issues statement on shooting at Silver Lake store

Lawsuit claims Trader Joe's manuka honey is deceptively labeled

10 things to try if you're new to Trader Joe's

You can't call yourself a Trader Joe's fan until you've tried these 30 products



Best tweets of the week:

#traderjoes on a Saturday because i wanted to feel the thrill of fighting for my life.

— amie (@AmieThings) July 21, 2018

Patently untrue thing I said today: “I will open this tub of #TraderJoes crispy oatmeal chocolate chip cookies 🍪 & only eat one”

— Karen Pfeiffer Jones (@nykaren24) July 23, 2018

Hey @TraderJoesList Love your food, so good, so cheap, keeping me afloat in NYC, but WHY DO YOU PUT THE SAUCE PACKETS UNDERNEATH THE SALAD IN YOUR TO-GO SALADS? #traderjoes

— Sam McGuinness (@sam_pint) July 25, 2018

I went to #TraderJoes tonight and they were out of the Mandarin Orange Chicken and enchiladas #MillennialNightmare 😩 pic.twitter.com/pG0SpefyN1

— Avery Powell WCAX (@averynpowell) July 25, 2018

Business idea:

A restaurant that uses #TraderJoes Everything Bagel Seasoning for every dish.

— 🌑)))Kev(((🌑 (@thelowtide_) July 26, 2018

Why, #Traderjoes, WHY?! You got rid of my favorite mushroom turnovers?!?! why don't you just stab me in the heart instead 😭😭 #whatsfordinner #foodfail

— Roshioshi (@Roshioshi) July 27, 2018

Dog is getting more adventurous, ate a whole can of hand balm from Trader Joe’s. Even chewed on the metal part. #mydogateit #DogsofTwittter 🐕 #Traderjoes

— Tatyana Behring. 🌷🧠🐕🌿💥🥑🍵🎨🏃🏻‍♀️ (@artsyshmartsy) July 27, 2018

My cashier at #TraderJoes convinced me that these so-called carrot spirals were “sooo good.” They’ve sat in my freezer for 3 months. Today I made them... and they’re SOOOO GOOD. I’ll never doubt my #TJ cashier again! (And Slinky approves too!) #traderjoes #rescuedog pic.twitter.com/vqDtVmOGrI

— Coleen Skeabeck (@ColeenSkeabeck) July 27, 2018

Just got banned for life from #TraderJoes in a dream. I only go there about once a year because it's a sensory overload for me.

Scene:
(Me wearing headphones shopping in TJ. Raw chicken juice begins to spill from my cart. I notice and start cleaning when employee arrives)

1/4

— Chris Lewton (@lewtron) July 27, 2018

I suspect that one of the few reasons mankind is allowed to live on #Earth is the invention of things like #Cookiebutter #tasty #foodforthought #thoughtforfood #TraderJoes pic.twitter.com/G6hLaTW9xk

— Phiam Ash (@PhiamAsh) July 27, 2018

#Squirrels #wildlife #wildlifephotography #peanuts #Bamba #TraderJoes #Friends #sharing #nature #naturelovers #hiking pic.twitter.com/FYzjAoW9VF

— Kat (@thebluebirdsong) July 28, 2018

I went to #traderjoes today and forgot to get their peanut butter pretzels.....my life is ruined pic.twitter.com/vEbJoISPyR

— Audie Lee (@maitreyaa_) July 28, 2018

In #YouCantMakeThisStuffUp news: The TJ’s bagger just asked me an amazing question. “How many 10 year olds do you think you could take? Like before they had the edge?” - I said 5. He was pleased and agreed. #TraderJoes

— Krystal Peak (@KrystalPeak) July 27, 2018

And finally, here's this week's cute cat in a Trader Joe's grocery bag:

Trader Joe's Dark Chocolate Ganache Mini Sheet Cake

This is a small, flat cake. It's entirely acceptable, but nothing special. The frosting's excessive thickness is my only specific nit to pick.


Will I buy it again? 

No. On the rare occasions that I'm going to have chocolate cake, I strongly prefer the ones I can easily make at home with any of several excellent mixes. Besides, chocolate cake is better with cherry frosting than with chocolate frosting. That's just science.

Trader Joe's Peanut Butter Cartwheel Cookies

Two bites into one of these, Nina said, "I declare these to be awful."

She is not wrong.

First, every single one of them was badly broken. They're unusually brittle, and they shatter, leaving crumbs everywhere.

Second, they're supposed to be peanut butter cookies, with more peanut butter in the filling. But the cookie part has zero peanut butter flavor; they seem to be just grossly over-sweetened sugar cookies.

Third, the peanut butter filling doesn't seem like real peanut butter. Though it does taste like peanuts, it's kind of dry and stiff. The box calls it "creamy." This is a lie.


Will I buy it again? 

No. I powered through 2/3 of the box over the course of a few nights, hoping against hope that my perception of them would improve. It didn't, and I threw the rest away.

For a perspective so different that it's hard to believe we ate the same product, see this from the good people at the "What's Good at Trader Joe's" blog.

Trader Joe's Tomme De Savoie Raw Milk French Alpine Cheese

I had never heard of this variety of cheese before, but it was the featured "spotlight" cheese this week, so I found the smallest block I could (because it's expensive and it might be awful) and brought it home.

It was not awful. In fact, I liked it a lot. Soft and rich. As happens so often with new-to-me cheeses, I'm at a loss for how to describe the flavor, but it's quite different from anything I remember having before. Here's Wikipedia on it.


Will I buy it again? 

Yep. Next TJ's run I'm going to grab a bigger chunk. Get it while you can; it won't last long.

Roundup

This is my weekly compilation of news and other links about Trader Joe's.


8 seemingly healthy Trader Joe's products that actually aren't good for you

Comparison test of vegan ice creams

Trader Joe's employees share the best parts of the job

Comparison test of mayonnaise

Taste test of WalMart and Trader Joe's wines

Taste test of grocery store hot dogs

A&E guide to Trader Joe's snacks

Guide to vegan shopping at Trader Joe's

5 dairy-free coffee creamers you should try

Does Trader Joe's alkaline water come with false implied health claims?

7 Trader Joe's vegan products to try 

27 Trader Joe's frozen foods people swear by



Best tweets of the week:

Hey #TraderJoes if you guys can’t get this math right I can’t trust you. @TraderJoesList pic.twitter.com/M5hTdWfrr7

— Nick Foxer (@NickFoxer) July 15, 2018

#Traderjoes toasted coconut pancakes are the reason I’ll never have abs. pic.twitter.com/OmEtL65XNK

— Louie Cortes (@NewNeedleProd) July 15, 2018

Today, as I was entering #traderjoes, a guy handed me his cart as he was leaving and said “Good luck in there.” 😂

— Chels (@chelsmeisel) July 14, 2018

Can you imagine how much better life found be if #TraderJoes had a twitter account?

— Melissa “keep families together” Kravets (@pikachooseyou) July 14, 2018

I just had a #TraderJoes cashier LECTURE me about my food choices! 😱 I remarked I liked their soups bc it was an easy way to get vegetables and she said that “didn’t count” and started scolding me and babbling about macros.

— Allegra Martin (@martin_allegra) July 14, 2018

Driving around Wrigleyville today & it looked like a #TraderJoes convention...turns out it was just a Jimmy Buffet concert.

— Jenn Jarmula (@JennJ74) July 14, 2018

ate a salad for lunch trying to be healthy and end up eating more than enough #TraderJoes mini chocolate chip cookies to cancel out that theory. 🙄🥗🍪🚫

— Jenny Bates (@jennycbates) July 13, 2018

I dont know what trader joes puts in these dog treats but everytime I come home with a box, my dogs turn into stalkers. #TraderJoes #dogcrack #canihaveanother pic.twitter.com/C5AvoouU5Y

— Mary King (@unscoolsupermom) July 13, 2018

#TraderJoes either got a food stager that put too much jelly in those sandwiches or the food production line forgot to add a bit more jelly and completely ran out of peanut butter. pic.twitter.com/yGRDTpWzim

— Forgotten Gems (@ForgottenGemz) July 12, 2018

Walking across #ucsb campus on the hour just now, I overheard a little girl saying, "Does that bell [from the bell tower, chiming the hour] mean they're out of something like the bell at #TraderJoes?" #outofthemouthsofbabes

— Emma Parker (@eparker116) July 17, 2018

The actual best thing I ever had in my life #TraderJoes pic.twitter.com/uu7SrY7hHI

— Lucy Checchio (@iilovelucyyy) July 17, 2018

I was whining about my cold and the cashier at #TraderJoes gave me free flowers. So nice. pic.twitter.com/4k0wLq1LfE

— Chris Carmichael (@cdcarm) July 17, 2018

#TraderJoes Cashier: Any plans for today?
Me: That’s a little personal, isn’t it?
Cashier: Well, we could stand in silence here.
Me: I’m good with that.
Cashier: Me too.
(Both #INFP)

— Jamie S. (@Twinmom0) July 18, 2018

The secret to my success: going to #traderjoes at 8 AM. pic.twitter.com/sWaJWm3QHc

— Vera Rosenberg (@swverausc214) July 19, 2018

TFW when your local #TraderJoes has been out of your favorite drink (moroccan mint tea) for 2 weeks and won’t have it in stock for 2 more weeks 😭😩🤬😞 pic.twitter.com/a2v5cD3kDo

— Ifelicious® (@ifelicious) July 19, 2018

I experienced #traderjoes for the first time today pic.twitter.com/lALxPp5wNg

— madison (@Tatiana_Coffee) July 19, 2018

Trader Joe’s is a lie. They only accept money for their stuff. A box of old Legos? Nope. Won’t take it. Some cool rocks? No way. A few shirts? Not even if they’re collared. Family heirlooms? Yeah - if the heirloom is money. Otherwise, nope. #TraderJoes

— Alan (@Cheeriebomb) July 20, 2018

If a genie in a bottle granted me 3 wishes, 1 of them would definitely be "I want a #TraderJoes in Edmonton."

— miazu (@miazu_) July 21, 2018

And finally, here's this week's cute cat dogs in Trader Joe's grocery bags.

Sometimes pure joy comes from the contents of a simple brown paper bag. Who wouldn’t love this kind of doggy bag❤️ Thanks for the bags @traderjoes #doggybags #grocerybag #paperbag #paperbagday #traderjoes #huntingtonbeach#abc7eyewitness pic.twitter.com/2NHTgAXfco

— LouLou & Gipper (@LoulouHoltz) July 12, 2018

Another Trader Joe's supplier outs itself on Twitter

All sorts of articles about Trader Joe's scattered across the intertubes speak of what an iron-clad secrecy agreement the company's suppliers must sign in order to provide food items to sell under the TJ's label.

But as I've been watching the #TraderJoes hashtag on Twitter for several years now, I've seen a number of suppliers apparently so excited to land the TJ's contract that they're unable to refrain from outing themselves. The one pictured above just happened today.

Here are some others I've previously noticed:

http://exploringtraderjoes.blogspot.com/2017/02/special-post-supplier-found-probably.html

http://exploringtraderjoes.blogspot.com/2017/03/another-tjs-supplier-identified-via.html

http://exploringtraderjoes.blogspot.com/2017/03/trader-joes-mull-of-kintyre-scottish.html

https://exploringtraderjoes.blogspot.com/2015/04/a-special-note-on-trader-joes-gourmet.html


When I find these, I always wonder if the tweets get the supplier in trouble with TJ's. But I don't expect to ever find out.

I tweeted this question to the Underwood Ranches account. If I get a response, I'll post it here.

Don't you sign a confidentiality agreement with Trader Joe's, under which you're not allowed to identify your company as the supplier?

— Robert Woolley (@RandomlyBob) July 20, 2018

Addendum: 

The reply:

There isn’t anything confidential about private labeling. And as a consumer, it is always best to know where the product you purchase under a private label originates.

— Underwood Ranches (@URanches) July 20, 2018

Trader Joe's Tikka Vegetables

This is the second of two new heat-and-serve pouches of "Indian Fare" sauces Trader Joe's has recently released. (For the first, see here.) I liked this one much more than the first. Not too hot, with a variety of flavors and textures, all with virtually no work of preparation (except for cooking the rice to go under it).


Will I buy it again? 

Yes. It's hard to beat the combination of price ($1.99), convenience, and flavor.

Trader Joe's Yellow Tadka Dal

Nina bought and served both this new product and its shelfmate. (See Trader Joe's introduction to these items here.)

This one, oddly, was simultaneously spicy and bland. That is, it had a fair amount of peppery heat, but otherwise was nearly flavorless. I found nothing objectionable in it, but also nothing to make me actually enjoy it.


Will I buy it again? 

No.

Trader Joe's Mouth Wash With Tea Tree Oil & Cool Mint

This is pleasant enough, though the tea tree oil component lends it a bit of an odd taste that I haven't gotten used to even after using this for a few weeks. I wish it had a cap that could be used for measuring a dose, like nearly every other mouthwash on the market has.


Will I buy it again? 

No. I want my mouthwash to have fluoride in it, though I admit that I might just be deceiving myself that that small amount is doing any good for my teeth.

Roundup

This is my weekly compilation of news and other links about Trader Joe's.


12 Trader Joe's products for vegetarians that are out of this world

Best Trader Joe's cheeses

21 favorites from Trader Joe's

The 9 best beauty products at Trader Joe's

Deer has Trader Joe's peanut butter jar stuck on her jaw



Best tweets of the week:

Wanted to introduce you to a unique New York behavior the TJ Cup.#nyc #newyork #manhattan #traderjoes #TJ #basketball #football #soccer #worldcup #kickinit pic.twitter.com/3zdPLfs8AK

— mirena rhee (@mirenarhee) July 9, 2018

Looks like the #potofgold is at #TraderJoes in #Gainesville #Florida pic.twitter.com/BLbA8A6e0D

— Jan G. 🌻 (@GoesswhosTweetn) July 11, 2018

Answered an unknown number thinking it was co. manager but heard in a cheery voice, “Congratulations, you have won...” to which I hung up immediately. Now I have a nagging feeling it was #traderjoes calling to tell me I finally won the bag lottery. #curses

— Orville Mendoza (@OviActor) July 11, 2018

And finally, here's this week's cute cat in a Trader Joe's grocery bag:

Trader Joe's Mint Chip Ice Cream

I love this. It's the best mint/chocolate chip ice cream I've ever had. The mint and chocolate are better balanced than in most, with generous chips. I love that they don't bother tinting the ice cream green, as most do. It's one of my favorite TJ's ice creams.


Will I buy it again? 

Yes. I'm adding it to my Top Ten list.

Trader Joe's Moroccan Inspired Cheddar Cheese

This is now the 9th peppery cheese I've bought from Trader Joe's. (For a list of the others and links to their review, see here.) It may be the best of the bunch. It's at least tied with the Toscano Cheese with Black Pepper, and along with that one will be joining my Top Ten list.

Unlike most of the others, the blend of spices here adds a lot of flavor, rather than just heat. Now, I can't identify exactly which flavors are doing what; the harissa paste and "spice blend" and crushed chili peppers and cumin powder all contribute in ways that my palate is too dumb to identify separately. But the sum is an absolute delight.


Will I buy it again? 

I already have. Before I had even finished the first block, I was back at the store and bought three more for the freezer. Sadly, this is the "spotlight cheese" of the month, which means it's likely to go away in a couple of weeks and never come back. Get it while you can.

Roundup

This is my weekly compilation of news and other links about Trader Joe's.


10 keto-diet things to buy at Trader Joe's

Best of Trader Joe's: Haul and readers' suggestions

We tried and ranked every single-serving Trader Joe's frozen meal



Best tweets of the week:

Someone give the parking lot security guard at Trader Joe’s a Nobel Peace Prize. That guy has prevented more international incidents than the UN. #traderjoes #tjs #sunday

— mystery&history (@mysteryhistory8) July 1, 2018

This is a PSA: when you go to #traderjoes BAG YOUR FUCKING GROCERIES. Do not stand there and stare at the cashiers when you have a full cart, then ask how their day is going. Trust me; they don’t want to be best friends. Just bag your damn food.

— Marky (@1991waslit) July 1, 2018

Folks, I just purchased a yellow watermelon from TJ’s, and I’m probably a lot more excited than I should be. #TraderJoes #dreamsdocometrue #livingmybestlife

— Natalie Meismer (@NatalieMeis) July 2, 2018

Dearest Children,

The battle rages on. Advance troops of Literate Ladies have sent the RedHats scattering with a brutal grammar attack.

We refresh ourselves between sorties at Trader Joe’s with soy chorizo & glasses of Two-Buck Chuck.

Your loving,
Mother#secondcivilwarletters pic.twitter.com/xiiHo1uZBg

— The Mominatrixx 👨‍👩‍👧‍👦#FamiliesBelongTogether (@TheMominatrixx) July 3, 2018

Can't have a #SecondCivilWar without some snacks.

Today's battle generously catered by #TraderJoes. (Tradewar Joe's?) pic.twitter.com/Z8YsDOa8lm

— Earned-my-Dr. Sherry Zaks (@TheDapperChef) July 4, 2018

Just spent my theoretical children's inheritance at #TraderJoes #theyaintgoingtocollegeeither

— Laine (@LivelyLaine) July 4, 2018

My Darling,
War is hell. The Battle of Trader Joe's lasted many days. We lost half our battalion, some to enemy fire, some to the dreaded Covfefe virus. I still live, but for how much longer I do not know.

Pray for us.#secondcivilwarletters

— Kelli Crackel (@KelliCrackel) July 3, 2018

"What do you get high on?"
Me: #TraderJoes pic.twitter.com/JeFnI6meLn

— Estefani (@sebastian_fleur) July 6, 2018

To whom do I speak about my cinnamon raisin English muffin not having any raisins? I already have the Let Me Speak to Your Manager haircut so I’m ready to take on this fight. #traderjoes pic.twitter.com/zplwaH8Sbt

— Sarah (@Mega_Mew) July 7, 2018

And finally...nothing. I found no pictures of cute cats in Trader Joe's things this week. Sad!

Trader Joe's Peach Crumble Pie

I knew there was trouble when I spotted a fruit fly flitting around under the plastic window as I was trying to open the box.

But ultimately, the unpleasantness of the pie had nothing to do with the insect(s) it brought along. Nina summed it up best: "The crumble topping is gritty, the filling is slimy, and the crust is gummy."

Let the record reflect that "gritty," "slimy," and "gummy" are not favorable adjectives when describing a pie. (However, a law firm called "Gritty, Slimy & Gummy" would be amusing.)

I'll add that the filling was was too sweet. Nina also thought that the peaches tasted artificial, though I didn't share that opinion.


Will I buy it again? 

No. This is going back to the store for a refund--and quickly, before that fruit fly's eggs hatch.

Chimay Spring Limited Edition Washed Rind Cheese

I had never heard of Chimay cheese, so I was pleased at the chance to add another variety to my experience.

I wish I hadn't. I found it deeply unpleasant, due to a strong bitter flavor throughout. When I Googled it to try to figure out what was causing the bitterness, I learned that it's washed in beer, and I was likely tasting hops and malt.


Will I buy it again? 

Ugh, no. I've never tasted a more bitter cheese than this, and I hated it.