Spindrift Sparkling Water--Lemon

I bought this at the same time as the watermelon version reviewed yesterday. As with that one, I forgot to photograph it. The picture above is from the manufacturer's web site.

This one is pleasant and refreshing--my second-favorite flavor in the line, after the grapefruit one.


Will I buy it again? 

Probably not, even though I liked it, simply because I would always choose the grapefruit version over this.

Spindrift Sparkling Water--Watermelon

I forgot to take a photo of this before it was gone, so I've borrowed the above photo from this review.

Spindrift appears to have changed the characterization of its line of products from "seltzer" to "sparkling water" for unspecified reasons. I don't think it means any substantive change to what's in the can.

By either name, I liked the grapefruit one enough to try others. But then the raspberry-lime version was not nearly as good.

And now this watermelon one is even worse. It tastes much more like cucumber than watermelon. Apparently I'm not alone. The review from which that picture is taken says, "The watermelon tastes more like the rind than it does the red mushy fruit part." Exactly so.

If you want to try it in spite of my experience, some advice. When I poured a can into two glasses to share with Nina, the first half was colorless, then second half quite red. The watermelon juice seems to settle to the bottom. So invert the can gently a few times before you pour or drink it. But it's carbonated, so don't shake it too hard.


Will I buy it again? 

No.

Addendum: Here's an explainer on the differences between seltzer, sparkling water, and club soda: http://mentalfloss.com/article/89396/whats-difference-between-club-soda-seltzer-and-sparkling-water

Trader Joe's Raspberry Hearts

You get a surprise when you open this box: These are not single shortbread cookies, but sandwich cookies. The jam is not just that little dollop in the center, but a layer between the shortbread cookies. Like the old Certs commercials, they're two, two, two cookies in one! (Sadly, they contain no Retsyn.)

I like these even more than I thought I would, probably because they're a lot sweeter than most shortbread cookies. Let's face it: I'm easy to please. Throw some extra sugar in stuff, and I'm happy.


Will I buy it again? 

I wish I could, but, as George H. W. Bush might have said, it wouldn't be prudent.

Trader Joe's Chicken Burrito Bowl

New item; $3.49, serves one.

Based on long experience with Trader Joe's frozen-to-oven foods, I set the timer for 36 minutes, instead of the 25-30 recommended on the side of the box, and it proved to be exactly right. Hot throughout, just a bit crispy at the edges.

I liked the overall result a lot. It felt like just the amount I wanted to eat for my lunch. The level of spiciness hit the sweet spot between blandness and excess. The ratio of chicken nuggets, veggies, and rice/quinoa was pleasing. I really can't think of anything to complain about.


Will I buy it again? 

Yes, though with a caveat common to these posts--specifically, that I would buy it a lot more often if they made it (or made an alternative version) with TJ's own excellent vegan fake chicken. As it stands, my desire to minimize my intake of meats--even those that aren't as objectionable as beef and pork--will be the limiting factor in how often these bowls see the inside of my freezer.

Also: Canada, for Mexican food??? What, is Trump's wall already keeping things out from the south?

Roundup

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


24 of the best healthy Trader Joe's snacks

New Trader Joe's products for February



Best tweets of the week:

1.

Quasar bar was tasty #traderjoes but that's clearly a comet on the wrapper, not a quasar Will consult on scientific accuracy for more candy pic.twitter.com/uZprl0R0RV

— PBS SpaceTime (@PBSSpaceTime) October 29, 2016

2.

Haiku of the day:
I ate a whole bag
Of yummy corn chips. I'm full.
Of regret and chips.#haiku #HOTD #traderjoes #micropoetry

— Rachel Cohn (@umdontbejelly) February 5, 2017

3.

#TraderJoes verbatim plagiarizing my tinder bio... pic.twitter.com/Q8piQHxo8Z

— Mark (@__mark________) February 7, 2017

Trader Joe's PB&J Bars

I went to a friend's table-games night this week, and took along this box of bars to share and to get some varied opinions. Four other guests tried them with me.

The majority opinion: "They're kind of weird," in both taste and texture. One said they're too sweet. One said the peanut butter seems almost non-existent. On the plus side, one said that they're not great, but would probably be welcomed by those with limited choices in the granola-bar category because of issues with gluten.

My observations: 1. Compared to the actual product, the box photo looks like they injected about ten times the amount of jelly. 2. Far and away the most prominent component is the oat shell, which is the least tasty, least interesting part. 3. I thought the peanut butter and jelly parts were balanced about right with each other, but both needed serious beefing up in relation to the oat shell. 4. They're kind of weird.


Will I buy it again? 

No.

Trader Joe's Organic Creamy Cauliflower Soup

Sometimes when I debut a new TJ's product at one of my weekly dinners with Nina, we both try it at the same time, but silence prevails because neither of us wants to unfairly influence the opinion of the other. Then somebody breaks the ice.

Last night, with this soup, it was me. I mumbled, "This isn't very good." This implicitly gave Nina permission to reveal the emphatic opinion she had been holding back: "It's TERRIBLE!"

She had three or four spoonfuls before pushing the bowl away and refusing to eat more. I powered through the whole bowl. I was mostly trying to figure out what it was that I was finding so distasteful.

It basically comes down to pepper. I think it's specifically the plain old black pepper--which, though near the end of the list of ingredients by weight, is weirdly front and center in the taste department. Its prominence and dissonance with the other flavors reminds me of the famous Blue Oyster Cult sketch on Saturday Night Live. Except instead of "More cowbell!" somebody in the TJ's test kitchen was yelling "More black pepper!"

I first learned of the existence of this product from following the #TraderJoes tag on Twitter. The person who tweeted about it--Lara from Connecticut--wanted her opinion known here, and I promised to include it:

Will I buy it again? 

No.