Trader Joe's Barbeque Popped Ridges

Well, I have to admit I don't really get the point of this product. The chips are very much like regular barbecue potato chips, except (1) with a little corn flavor added to the potato, (2) a little puffier, and (3) a little less crisp. I don't mind barbecue potato chips now and then, but they're rarely my first choice. On those occasions that I felt like having some, these would do as well as any others, but not superior.


Will I buy it again? 

Probably not.

Roundup

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


A sommelier compares 11 wines from Trader Joe's, Target, and Costco

10 vegan meal hacks using Trader Joe's bagged salads

Here's what foods you should pair with Trader Joe's $4 wines

The 16 best items at Trader Joe's

25 Trader Joe's items that cost less than $2



Best tweets of the week:

A lady in front of me at the cashier’s line at #Traderjoes had an assortment of wines in her cart, about 6 different kinds. The cashier asked her if she was throwing a party tonight, She said, "No, I'm not having a party, the wine is for me".
I instantly liked that lady 😅

— Violet 🌸 (@violet_wangu) March 30, 2019

Walking into Trader Joe's on Niagara Falls Blvd with employees singing and dancing "I Wanna Dance With Somebody" was a great part of this Saturday morning. #TraderJoes

— James Holla! (@JamesHollaHolla) March 30, 2019

Oh, sure. We’re iffy about the ethics of gambling but we’re all just 100% ok with the frozen foods aisle at #TraderJoes being all legal and out and in the open. #selfcontrol #none #tjs #everythingsoundssoartisinalandgood #unneccessaryadjectives

— Andrew Cole (@candrewcole) March 30, 2019

Shit, forgot that finding the giraffe at #traderjoes is a thing so I find it and gave it to an employee bc I was worried a child had left it like an absolute dumbass

— Jen (@owlblueeyes) March 31, 2019

Thank you #TraderJoes for looking out for the kitties 😺 #CatsOfTwitter pic.twitter.com/F2W6bgPmmW

— Lupita Alvarez 🦋 (@herstoryalvarez) March 31, 2019

Things that can't be stopped:

the rising and setting of the sun
the cycles of the moon
the passage of time
me, walking through #TraderJoes to find the last bag of #CauliflowerGnocchi

— Nourished Sage (@NourishedSage) April 1, 2019

I went to #TraderJoes for the FIRST time today! Not only did I immediately develop an earthy musk, I now sell hemp thumb rings in their parking lot 🙏

— StupidSexyNichole (@Let2Elise) March 31, 2019

When you buy A grocery to make it look like you went to #TraderJoes for more than just wine. pic.twitter.com/PHOtX03hwz

— Kate Malloy (@katemalloy3) April 1, 2019

Just a mom doing her shopping on her #bikenyc pic.twitter.com/jFvxvon513

— Shmuli Evers (@Shmuli) April 2, 2019

When you don’t add enough water to your #traderjoes cold brew concentrate. pic.twitter.com/GWzfgsvvD2

— Paige Ruba (@paigeruba) April 3, 2019

I’m so glad to be alive in this era, the era of #TraderJoes

— d i a n e (@dianetbh) April 4, 2019

Future dating app about me blurb:

I dont like wasabi peas, so if you date me you will get all the wasabi peas from the Trader Joe's rice cracker mix.

Fin.

I think it's enough. #TraderJoes #singlelife #wasabipeas #dating

— fatgirllilcoat (@fatgirllilcoat) April 4, 2019

And finally, here's this week's cute cat with her Trader Joe's, uh, dog treats?

View this post on Instagram

What do you mean, they are dog treats? Pah!!!! Loaf them just as much!!! #traderjoes #livertreats #cattreats #dogtreats #curiouscat #sneakycat #smartcat #kittycat #fishingfortreats #tuxedocat #tuxedocatsofinstagram #catvideos #funnycats #mrscopycat #petstore

A post shared by MrsCopyCat (@mrscopycat) on Mar 4, 2019 at 5:35pm PST

Trader Joe's Organic Vanilla Wafer Cookies

Day 5 of Cookie Week.

I've eaten so many Nabisco Nilla Wafers in my life that they should have given me, like, 50% stock ownership in the company by now. This has given me a extremely entrenched idea of what a vanilla wafer should taste like. And Trader Joe's has missed the mark completely.

I can't put my finger on what's wrong here, but these struck me as not just "not quite what I was expecting" but positively distasteful. My reaction was so strong that I thought I might just be having an off day, so I put the bag aside for a couple of weeks. Last night I came back for a second try--and had exactly the same opinion. I seriously dislike them. I had two and couldn't stand the thought of a third.


Will I buy it again? 

No. This is one that's going back to the store for a refund.

Trader Joe's Organic Honey Hedgehog Cookies With Cultured Butter

Day 4 of Cookie Week.

If you want to get a mental preview of what these odd little cookies are like to eat, do this:

• Call up your memory of animal crackers. 
• Think smaller. 
• Morph them into the shape of hedgehogs. 
• Add some nice honey flavor. 
• Add an odd "edge" of cultured butter. 

And there you go! That's what's in this box, divided into six pouches of maybe a dozen or so cookies each.

It was that last step, the cultured butter part, that was the problem for me. I just couldn't help constantly noticing and disliking it, like when there's an out-of-tune key on a piano.


Will I buy it again? 

No. Even without the cultured-butter misstep, I don't think these would have a place in my life.

But they are cute, I'll give them that.

Trader Joe's Coconut Macaroons

Day 3 of Cookie Week.

Macaroons are only kinda-sorta cookies. But Wikipedia defines them as "a small biscuit/cookie"--so I say it counts!

They're basically shredded coconut and sugar, held together by egg whites. What's not to love?

Well, they could be a little chewier on the inside and a little crisper on the outside. But they're pretty darn tasty just as they are.


Will I buy it again? 

They won't be part of the regular rotation, but I can definitely foresee occasional return appearances.

Trader Joe's Lemon Creme Sandwich Cookies

Day 2 of Cookie Week.

This is the shelf-mate to the chocolate ones from yesterday. I did not like them as much. I thought they were too sweet, and the lemon tasted artificial. Nina, on the other hand, liked them better than the chocolate.

They have in common with the chocolate ones (1) the soft texture, (2) the present but hard-to-notice vanilla filling, and (3) the atrocious "1/2 cookie" serving size. As if.


Will I buy it again? 

No.

Trader Joe's Chocolate Brownie & Vanilla Creme Sandwich Cookies

It's been a long, long time since I did a theme week. Let's briefly revive the tradition (which, really, nobody but me seemed to even notice) with COOKIE WEEK!

I liked these for one simple and completely idiosyncratic reason: They reminded me strongly of the chocolate cookies my mother used to make, if you ignore the "sandwich" part. Unless you, dear reader, are one of my two siblings--and that seems highly unlikely--this will mean nothing to you. But they're soft, rich chocolate cookies with chocolate chips gratuitously thrown in.

The "vanilla creme" boasted about in the product name is certainly present, but you'd have a hard time knowing it if you ate the cookies with your eyes closed.


Will I buy it again? 

No. The value for the money isn't there, and while it was nice to press the nostalgia button once, I don't think that alone will compel another purchase.