Trader Joe's Goat Milk Cheddar Cheese

I don't remember seeing this before last week, when I bought it. I think the whole idea of a goat mild cheddar would have caught my attention if I had spotted it before. I didn't know there was such a thing.

After trying it, I would be OK if there weren't such a thing.

It does not remind me of standard cow's milk cheddar. It reminds me only of goat.

From now on, I'm going to join frequent commenter T.T. Rockwood and just say no to goat's milk products. As she puts it, "They ALL have that goat-y funk and taste vaguely like wet barn."


Will I buy it again? 

No.


Addendum, January 21, 2018: 

Well. Looking back through my archives for something else, I found this review of TJ's English Goat Milk Cheddar Cheese. So despite my statement above, I did, in fact, at one time know that goat-milk cheddar cheese existed. But I had completely forgotten about it. (I don't think this is the same product as that one.)

Roundup

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


Video of the Trader Joe's Rose Parade float

7 healthy items to buy at Trader Joe's

Trader Joe's releases their 15 favorite recipes

10 Trader Joe's party foods to celebrate the new year



Best tweets of the week:

Just in case this is the year that the world ends......#peanutbutterlover #peanutbutterislife #traderjoes @traderjoes #happynewyear https://t.co/pvLpSl1DQe pic.twitter.com/3RGcZsVFFt

— Lori Miggins (@lorimiggins) December 30, 2017

Way to go #TraderJoes – my fav hometown store 👍 Was just there yesterday! FABULOUS float – Congrats on the WOW! #TournamentOfRoses🌹 #RoseParade🌹🌹🌹 pic.twitter.com/o1AcE0JZH4

— BYOChannel (@byochannel) January 1, 2018

Always love #TraderJoes @RoseParade floats. Another great one this year! @TraderJoesBest @TraderJoesList pic.twitter.com/ybrg3Uv27v

— Nancy Staack (@nancystaack) January 3, 2018

The cashier at #TraderJoes suggested I try Kombucha and bourbon for my head cold. I'm not sure that it's helping, but I definitely don't care as much #callitawin #headcoldsarelame

— Valerie Cauhape, MA (@vcauhape) January 2, 2018

Started to make a cocktail. Put #TraderJoes Triple Ginger Brew and OJ together and tasted.

Decided it actually didn't need rum.

— ReLynn Vaughn (@ReLynnWrites) January 3, 2018

It is a full house at Trader Joe's as folks wait outside to purchase food before tomorrow's snow storm. #traderjoes #foodshopping #snowstorm #shoppingbeforesnow #philly #centercityphiladelphia #centercityphilly pic.twitter.com/YRXDMQSkk2

— Sean Kardon (@seankardon) January 3, 2018

Every time a snowflake falls in Boston, eggs, bread, milk, and toilet papers disappear.🙈❄️⛄️#blizzard2018 #Boston #BombCyclone #TraderJoes pic.twitter.com/KniwQxwjPz

— Tuba Ozkarsligil (@tubaozkarsligil) January 4, 2018

When your kid professes his love of Trader Joe’s chocolate granola and they send him a hilarious reply and a year’s supply! @TraderJoesRants @TraderJoesList @TraderJoesBest #TraderJoes pic.twitter.com/BukrRnzDh7

— Molly Bascom-Keller (@MBascomKeller) January 5, 2018

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

What is the meaning of this?! I refuse to travel like this! But this bag is quite comfy... 🐶😖🐶 #traderjoes #dog https://t.co/tErWp080jv pic.twitter.com/GbbgOciafp

— Lilly (@bushlandterrier) October 21, 2017

Trader Joe's Cold Pressed Juice--Pomegranate

This is now the third product from Trader Joe's that is pure pomegranate juice, with nothing else added. See here and here for the others. My sense memory isn't keen enough to discern any difference between then when the sampling has been spread across time. They're all superb--exactly what one would want from pomegranate juice. Maybe I'll have to buy a bottle of all three at once and try them simultaneously to discover any differences between them.


Will I buy it again? 

I probably will once, just to make a comparison. But this one is much more expensive per ounce than the others, so other than that it's not likely to be a repeater.

Trader Joe's Sparkling Pressed Apple Juice Beverage

There's nothing special about this. I would much rather pick up a bottle of Welch's or Martinelli's, so that I get the festive satisfaction of uncorking a bottle. These tiny little cans are just kind of sad.


Will I buy it again? 

No.

Trader Joe's 12 Classic Lemon Bars

In the realm of store-bought desserts, you've got two broad categories: things that virtually nobody makes at home--ice cream, for example--and things that lots of people make at home--like cookies and pies. In the former category, manufacturers have the considerable advantage that they must compete only with other manufacturers, and not with the public's memory of homemade. Items in the latter category, by contrast, labor under the burden of our collective experience of superb, fresh, homemade versions. It's a true rarity that mass-produced, commercial items will be as good.

Well, lemme tell you: Here is one of those rarities. These are as good as any homemade lemon bars I've ever had, and I would pick them in a heartbeat over an unknown, randomly selected homemade version, even if the latter were all from highly competent cooks.

They've got a wonderful mix of sweetness and sourness, with real-tasting lemon flavor. The texture is pleasing. They're easy to eat and not messy. I also like the light dusting of powdered sugar on top.


Will I buy them again? 

Oh, yes. They're a new favorite. I don't think they're quite Top-Ten level, but the fact that I had to stop and think about that possibility should tell you that they're well worth a try.

P.S.: Nina loved them, too.

Trader Joe's Pink Pomelo Grapefruit Hand Soap

It's not clear to me why one would want hand soap to smell like grapefruit and/or pomelos. And I'm not sure this does. It's generically citrusy, but I don't think it really evokes grapefruit. Maybe it smells exactly like a pomelo; I wouldn't know.

It does the expected job adequately. It's a little harder to rinse off than I think ideal, but that's the only fault I noticed.


Will I buy it again? 

No. Back to SoftSoap for me.

Trader Joe's Turkey Pot Pie Bites

First, let's address the serving size of these little morsels. The box identifies the serving size as three, meaning that the box contains four servings. This is a lying lie told by lying liars who lie. I ate all 12 for lunch, and still had room for a large salad and some baked beans on the side. I am not a large person. If you believe the box and bring this home expecting to feed your family of four, people are going to be hungry.

So how are they? Not bad--after all, I did eat 12 at once. But they're bland and uninteresting. The pastry shell is the best part, which shouldn't be true.


Will I buy it again? 

No. If I'm going to expend my small poultry-eating allowance on a pot pie, I'd much rather have this one.