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Started new yay/nay thread for February 2013 ...follow link below:
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olyolyy
Jan 31, 2013 10:00 PM
Yay: high lycopene tomatoes. There have been a reliable winter tomato, and I much prefer them to Campari. Small to put on sandwiches but I make do because they taste so ripe. Is it the lycopene?
Mozzarella sticks in the frozen section. It's like being transported back to 1996.
Mini Ice Cream Cones- Vanilla. The vanilla ice cream in these kind of tastes like cake batter which I like. I wish they sold the ice cream standalone it is fantastic.
Nay: Milton's Potato Bread. Good taste but terrible texture, way too soft and gummy
Organic Washington Apples: These were mealy, even though they smelled and looked great.Organic Cheese sandwich crackers- ok, not as good as the whole foods version but $2 less.
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I love TJs and go there at least once a week. Here are just a FEW of my favorites:
YAY: Shredded brussels sprouts. These showed up in the late fall at my store and I have bought at least 1-2 bags a week. I fear they will stop appearing in the spring, but I'm enjoying them while I can. I salt/pepper/oil them and roast in a 400 degree oven for 10-20 minutes until they start getting a little browned and crispy. PERFECT side dish with no cleaning, almost no prep.
YAY: Broccoli slaw. I toss with a store bought rapsberry walnut vinaigrette, some toasted chopped walnuts (also from TJs!) and some dried cherries. Awesome, tasty, and insanely easy salad.
YAY: My newest produce favorite is the chopped organic tuscan kale. Again, no work. Throw it in a soup, use it for a kale salad, toss it in with your eggs, etc.
YAY: Mint melange tea. I love mint tea and this is a great one. Also makes spectacular iced tea.
YAY: Freeze dried strawberries. Nothing added to them. I call them "strawberry chips" and my preschooler thinks they're a treat.
YAY: Yogurt pouches. Again, a preschooler crowd pleaser and less yucky ingredients than Go Gurts.
YAY: Dark chocolate bars with almonds--small bars in a 3 pack.
YAY: Green chile and cheese tamales. Come out pretty tender, and I like the simple filling.
YAY: Potato tots. TJs tater tot knock off. What can I say? They're tasty, and I delude myself into thinking they're slightly better than actual Tater Tots.
YAY: Frozen corn. I usually buy the organic version, but the fire roasted corn is also very good.
YAY: Frozen brown rice. Another super quick and delicious side dish for nights when I get home too late to make brown rice from scratch. I like that the rice isn't too mushy.
YAY: Frozen chicken tenders. I bake them up and use them in wraps, salads, or just by themselves.
YAY: Canned beans. I find nearly all the varieties to be wonderful, never slimey or tinny tasting.
YAY: Thai yellow curry sauce. I see someone else mentioned not liking this, but I saw a demo in the store where they put half a bottle of sauce with a carton of the low sodium butternut squash soup. It is really delicious and a virtually instant main course.
Some of the NAYs: Restaurant style salsas (those were some of my fav items but recently it seems they changed the formulas and now the red and green are both not as good), chicken burritos (chicken always is rubbery to me), plain frozen pizza (it's not awful, but it's not great either, too much crust), frozen fruit (again not awful but not as good as brand I get at regular grocery store), english muffins (too dense), "walks into a bar" (all the varieties I've tried have been tooth achingly sweet), most of their juices (I love the sparkling grapefruit but haven't enjoyed just about any of the other shelf stable juices they carry), frozen mini chicken tacos (they were sampling these the other day and they were horrific), frozen marinated mahi mahi (we used to buy these but they have gotten increasingly "fishy" tasting and mushy)
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re: jll2800
Thanks for sharing all of your yays and nays with us...trust me they are extremely helpful and I couldn't tell you the number of TJ's products I have gotten hooked on by reading some of the reviews by others on here...
Quick question on the Frozen chicken tenders...are you referring to the breaded chicken tenderloins? How is the flavor/breading on them...have wanted to give these a try but have heard mixed reviews, some think they are not flavorful enough and some rave about them. I would be using them to dip into bbq sauce or honey mustard.
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re: littleflower
Yep, I meant the breaded tenderloins. I do tend to sprinkle a little salt on mine, but my husband and son think they are fine as they are (they generally dunk in BBQ or ketchup, which probably compensates for the saltiness). Certainly no gourmet fare, but I personally like them better than the Tyson ones you usually get in the regular grocery store. If you like other store bought tenders you'll probably like these. If you don't, well I don't know if these would change your mind.
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big bad NAY for the latest bag of frozen Haricot Vert I purchased! I thought a couple looked a little pale as I dumped them in the steamer. they were grey and flavorless. I've always had good luck with their frozen beans, so this makes me sad.
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re: jujuthomas
If you think it'll cost you more in gas & time to return, then I'd go ahead and give the roasting a try. I never eat them boiled or steamed anymore. I just dump them out on the pan and pour some melted butter over (which solidifies immediately, of course) sprinkle some salt over and stick in the oven (I think 400) for as long as it takes. Sorry, I just eyeball it and see how it smells after awhile!
Give a toss every once in awhile, too so it's all butter coated.
The smaller ones get a little crunchy which is a great texture thing mixed in with the rest.
Now I want some. Hmm.
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re: jujuthomas
NuMystic
Jan 29, 2013 01:40 PM
There is no better way to enjoy Haricots imo than roasted, though I've only done it with fresh not frozen.
This recipe from Cook's Illustrated is the very best I've tried to date:
WHY THIS RECIPE WORKS:
In search of a green bean recipe that would breathe life into out-of-season vegetables, we discovered that roasting in a 450-degree oven with only oil, salt, and pepper transformed aged specimens into deeply caramelized, full-flavored beans.Cut the carrots into matchsticks about 2 inches long and 1/4 inch thick.
INGREDIENTS
1tablespoon maple syrup
1tablespoon Dijon mustard
1tablespoon grainy mustard
pinch cayenne pepper
1pound green beans , stem ends snapped off
2 medium carrots , peeled and cut into matchsticks
1tablespoon vegetable oil
Table salt
1tablespoon minced fresh parsley leaves
INSTRUCTIONS
1. Adjust oven rack to middle position; heat oven to 450 degrees. Combine maple syrup, mustards, and cayenne in small bowl.2. Line rimmed baking sheet with aluminum foil; arrange beans and carrots on baking sheet. Drizzle with oil; using hands, toss to coat evenly. Sprinkle with 1/2 teaspoon salt, toss to coat, and distribute in even layer. Roast 10 minutes.
3. Remove baking sheet from oven. Using tongs, coat beans and carrots evenly with maple-mustard mixture; redistribute in even layer. Continue roasting until carrots and beans are dark golden brown in spots and beans are starting to shrivel, 10 to 12 minutes longer.
4. Adjust seasoning with salt and toss well to combine. Transfer to serving dish, sprinkle with parsley, and serve.
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Hohumm/yay = vegetable birds nests (frozen appetizer). These basically taste like fried onion rings. They are predominantly thinly sliced onions, with a few shreds of carrots and kale (that really contribute color, rather than any flavor), bound with tempura batter into little latke shapes. The TJs cooking directions are way off. It said preheat to 400 degrees, decrease to 350 degrees and cook 10 min. It took about 20 min more of cooking, with upping the temp to 400 degrees to get these to crisp up. It might be easier to pan sautee them or deep fry them (if you dont mind the unhealthy aspects of that). They are ok, too greasy for my liking, taste like fried onions rings.. But for the price you might be better off just getting Alexia brand fried onions. I was not a fan of the "dipping sauce" which the ingredient label reveals to be soy sauce, water, and sugar. They tasted better with a little ketchup. I wont be buying them again.
Yay/ok- chicken pot pie bites (frozen appetizer). Good classic chicken pot pie flavor... a little too much biscuit for the amount of filling to me (it was like eating a biscuit with a schmear of pot pie filling, rather than a mini pot pie). My only qualm is that they cook up to look like very bland mono-color beige blobs... so that I wouldnt want to serve something so visually unattractive at a party, even if the taste is good. Its visually nicer to make your own with those precut puff pastry rounds.
Huge YAY/oh darn this is a calorie BOMB! - Honey Greek vanilla yogurt (in refrigerated dairy section)... oh so yummy, thick rich, sweet mild honey flavor. except at 280 calories for a 8 oz, I cant eat this regularly! Darn it!
Yay - Nonfat blueberry Greek yogurt (also refrigerated dairy section). pleasant flavor, not as thick as 2% or ful fat, but ok. Better on the calories.
Yay - "Dynamo" juice drink (non-frigerated bottled juice). This is a 100% juice drink, with apple, pinapple, orange, and lemon juice in it. No added sugar. With vitamins and Calcium added (40% daily value calcium/8oz). It looks (opaque light orange color) and tastes pretty much like V8 fruit juice with carrot juice blends, except there is not carrot or vegetable juice in the TJs version. I love juice but personally try to avoid drinking too much since its still alot of sugar, however natural it may be, but if you do enjoy juice or buy it for your little ones, this is very tasty. I went back for 2 more sample cups!
YAY= these are old products, but new to me... TJs Pear Champagne Vinaigarette with Gorgonzola refrigerated dressing. So sweet and yummy ,and I dont even like blue cheese! But the blue cheese flavor is not strong at all, ,just adds little bits of creaminess. Only 45 cals/2 tbsp so I can eat a lot of it! Also, Asian Style Spicy Peanut Vinaigrette = not really very spicy, just a mild peanut/soy sauce flavored vinaigarette. 70 cals/2 tsps, so again better than other vinaigarettes. Litehouse brand dressings makes very similar pear and peanut dressings, but the TJs are far superior in taste when I did a side by side comparison.
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YAY: Lentil Soup (new one with the big letter "L" on front of can, canned soup aisle) - quite surprised at how tasty this was - nicely seasoned broth was thickened just a bit probably due to some of the lentils breaking down and lentils had just the right bite to them. Has already become a repeat purchase.
BIG NAY: Sparking Lemonade (in tall glass bottle on soda aisle) - where's the lemonade flavor?? This tastes only like sparking water - blech. The Sparkling French Berry Lemonade is outstanding but very disappointed in the regular kind.
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re: littleflower
Is this lentil soup the same as the stuff they used to carry in the somewhat barrel shaped can? I always bought the lentil and minestrone, which my kids loved, but it disappeared. Today there was a big display of the normal cylinder shaped cans with paper labels, but I was assuming it was just new packaging.
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SUPER YAY: Boneless and Skinless Sardines in Olive Oil (packaged, on aisle right next to cans of tuna) - these are not smoked and I liked these much much better than the smoked kind also found at TJ's. They are imported from Morocco and were delicious eaten room temperature from the package and dressed up simply with a few squeezes of lemon juice, sea salt, and a dash of freshly ground black pepper. YUM!...and a very quick, healthy snack!!!
YAY: Organic Creamy Tomato Soup - we bought a box of this and the Tomato/Roasted Red Pepper Soup (havent tried the latter yet). The Creamy Tomato Soup hit the spot when paired with a sandwich for lunch and tasted homemade...only thing I noticed is that it definitely needed a few dashed of salt added to it to really bring out its flavor. Otherwise - very good!
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re: littleflower
linguafood
Jan 27, 2013 08:23 AM
Cool news about the sardines! I've only so far tried the smoked ones, which I loved. The smoked trout is also quite amazing.
I'll hafta give the regular sardines a try soon.
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NuMystic
Jan 26, 2013 04:01 PM
YAY - Organic Frosted Cherry Pomegranate Toaster Pastries.
Rebranded Nature's Path. Very nice balance of tart and sweet.
At 200 calories each it's a moderately guilty pleasure and a (slightly) healthier "adult" alternative to commercial Pop Tarts.
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re: ohmyyum
NuMystic
Jan 30, 2013 10:34 PM
Well I'm going to have to join jill2800 in her big NAY on the Walks into a Bars even toasted.
Tried the toasting suggestion with the Strawberry variety and while the crisp exterior was nice, it tasted of nothing but sugar, without any hint of lovely tart/sweet I expect from a berry filling. (which is exactly what the Pom/Cherry toaster pastry delivers)
So calories be damned I'm sticking with the ones that were designed for the toaster after all.
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re: ohmyyum
NuMystic
Jan 31, 2013 08:26 PM
No worries, my wife enjoyed her strawberry bar enough that they won't be going to waste, and ultimately it's probably a net calorie savings in the end. Forgot how small the "walk into a bars" are and I'd surely have wound up making two at a time for 240 rather than the single toaster pastry at 200. :)
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Nay on NY strip steaks....wassup'? I bought them a month ago and they were amazing, I bought them this week and they were shoe leather!!! Cooked exactly the same way. These are from the TJ's in Morgan Hill CA. If you are out there trolling and reading, please take note, the meat dept. is wildly inconsistent. I was super disappointed by this purchase.
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Hake en papillote (frozen section)-white fish with grilled zucchini and pesto. Big YAY! Deep basil flavor. A few cherry tomatoes. Reminds me of the also excellent TJ frozen cheese tortelloni with red pesto sauce. Made in France. Only 220 calories (so I can pair it with the TJ sweet corn tamale with 210 calories) for a truly fine meal.
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Yay= Refrigerated Beef Stroganoff! I was really thrilled after a bad experience with their frozen "TJs Masters the Art of Beef Bourguignon" Good chunks of beef chuck, slow cooked until tender. The sauce had a delcious flavor, beefy with hints of wine and sour cream. Nice al dente pappardelle noodles. Small whole mushrooms with pleasant mushroom flavor. Perfectly coooked pearl onions, (no harsh oniony taste, but discreete onion flavor to them. Basically, I'm trying to say that the whole dish didnt blend into one flavor from the sauce but retained separate flavor elements of each component. The amounts of beef and sauce and noodles were proportioned well. I tried to find something to complain about for this dish, but I really cant! the only thing I can say is that the package supposed to "serve 2" probably would serve only one hungry male, but its good to want more of something right!? I have a small female appetite and did get two lunch size servings out of it.
Yay - tangerine juice, fresh squeezed in refirgerated section.
NAY - buffalo chicken meatballs (refrigerated and fully cooked, but found in raw meat section). These were dark meat chicken, that it seemed someone tried to make taste like beef. This was horrifically paired with some attempt at a buffalo flavor coating on the outside, which really didnt taste at all like a buffalo wing to me. These will be returned.
Nay - Terriaki Just Chicken (refrigerated pre-cooked grilled chicken strips, found in prepacked salad area), Meat was dry, flavorless, no chicken flavor to it and weak teriaki flavor. A grilled chicken patty from your average Burger King is better tasting (and thats not saying alot)
Yay - golden raisin medley - comparable to what I get form bulk bins in Central Market and Whole Foods but at a much better price
Big YAY - Trader Joe's Garden Patch V8-style vegetable juice. I tasted a sample and exclaimed "WOW, this is much better than V8!" (and I'm a big fan and frequent purchaser of V8 juice!) They also make a low sodium variety.
Yay - New Zealand Grassfed White Cheddar from Trader Joe's. Nice creamy, sharp white cheddar. It almost has a mild sheeps milk flavor to it (although its cow milk) And for about half the price I pay for comparable at Whole Foods.
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re: Mellicita
NuMystic
Jan 27, 2013 01:32 PM
Mellicita, did you get the name wrong on those raisins?
Checked the shelves here and there were:
- Golden Berry Blend
- Jumbo Raisin Medley
- Golden RaisinsAll of which had golden raisins in them.
For those that it matters to though, none of the above were without sulphur dioxide. :(
So I'll be still sticking with Newman's and Woodstock organic raisins for now.
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re: NuMystic
goodhealthgourmet
Jan 27, 2013 01:46 PM
All of which had golden raisins in them.
For those that it matters to though, none of the above were without sulphur dioxide. :(
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It's infuriatingly difficult to find golden raisins that aren't treated with SO2. The Hunza brand is great if you can find them, but they run about $12-16/lb depending on where you buy them, and they tend to be out of stock a lot. -
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fame da lupo
Jan 24, 2013 04:42 PM
Anyone else a fan of the European Style Whole Grain bread? Reminds me of Mestemacher rye bread. Not as good, more nutty and brittle and not 100% rye, but a pretty good approximation of German rye bread.
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AmyH
Jan 24, 2013 04:27 PM
Yay - Korean style beef short ribs (in the frozen meat section). Delicious! The instructions said grill or fry, but I broiled them and it worked fine. They are the traditional Korean galbi, cut crosswise very thin. The marinade was tasty and the meat was tender. A little fatty, as short ribs always are, but much of that dripped away in the broiler.
Yay - Thai style shrimp gyoza (frozen). Very nice and light. The wrappers were properly thin and the filling had a nice fresh taste.
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SUPER YAY from my friend for the PB & J chocolate bar. I think they were all fighting over it. Too bad I only bought 1 bar but I could have sworn I had 2 in my basket.
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linguafood
Jan 23, 2013 04:13 PM
YAY: lightly smoked trout filets. Yes, they're more expensive than the smoked sardines, but wonderful.
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YAY: Tuscan Pane Bread (Regular not Wheat, sliced, already prepared loaf in bread section) - Made for an excellent turkey sandwich...the bread toasted up really well and we paired it with Applegate Farm's Oven Roasted Turkey Breast (also a "yay") found at TJ's.
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goodhealthgourmet
Jan 23, 2013 11:28 AM
A general Nay on the ongoing supply problems with almond butter following the Sunland recall. They finally restocked my beloved raw, crunchy almond butter in the glass jar for a few weeks, and now it's gone again. CS rep said they have no idea when they'll get more. I've searched high and low and can't find a suitable substitute - I imagine the Maranatha raw might fit the bill, but I'm not willing to pay ten bucks for an 8-oz jar to find out.
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re: NuMystic
goodhealthgourmet
Jan 23, 2013 12:10 PM
I know I could make my own. However:
I don't own a Vitamix or a Blendtec right now.
I don't like to add oil to my homemade nut & seed butters.
The price of raw almonds here is higher per pound than it is for a 1-lb jar of TJ's almond butter.
Not all raw almonds taste the same, hence the taste variation across brands, and I prefer the taste of the raw almonds used in the *TJ's* product.-
re: goodhealthgourmet
NuMystic
Jan 23, 2013 12:24 PM
Just for anyone else that might take an interest I buy my almonds in bulk online which works out to far less per lb than even TJ's butters.
Sorry to hear you're left without a favorite staple GHG. Like so many of us with TJ's faves it sounds like you'll need to heavily stock up when they do finally get some in at your store as a hedge against the fickle supply chain.
Thankfully jarred almond butter keeps for a long time when refrigerated, so it's an item that can be successfully hoarded. :)
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re: NuMystic
goodhealthgourmet
Jan 23, 2013 01:10 PM
Believe me, if I could find raw almonds that tasted like the TJ's almond butter I'd be buying them and making my own (though it's a PITA in my food processor since I don't add oil). I will have to stock up when it comes back - fortunately I live alone so I can make room for it in the fridge :)
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re: goodhealthgourmet
NuMystic
Jan 23, 2013 02:13 PM
I've bought from a lot of different sources and shockingly the best value I've found for delicious raw sweet almonds I've found is CVS when their house brand is on sale.
A few times a year they offer anything of their own brand at 50% off and they always have free shipping at $49.
http://www.cvs.com/shop/product-detai...
In the end it works out to $2.89 per lb for the almonds. Usually get a variety of other nuts from them at the same time so I always have a freezer full.
At that price I make my own slivered, roasted, pralined, and nut butters with reckless abandon.
Totally feel your pain with food processor almond butter, as that's what I did for years before getting the Vitamix. Only really worth the trouble if you're going to do a few pounds at a time.
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re: MplsM ary
goodhealthgourmet
Jan 25, 2013 09:22 AM
I don't know about your store, but here it's $12.99/lb for that stuff. I've bought a small amount of it in a pinch, but I can't abide those prices. Thanks, though :)
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re: Val
goodhealthgourmet
Jan 26, 2013 09:45 AM
Aww, Val, you're such an angel to offer! But that's not necessary - I'll do without it until we get it back in stock here. I'm actually headed over to TJ's in about an hour so I'll check on the status. In the meantime, go ahead & enjoy a spoonful for me, okay? :)
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re: Val
goodhealthgourmet
Jan 26, 2013 02:46 PM
I checked today - it's back in the warehouse, headed to my store this week. I can manage for a few days :) Thanks again!
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Gio
Jan 23, 2013 07:28 AM
Yay: Hawaiian Style Hickory Barbeque Potato Chips.
My husband is practically addicted to these and has been buying them every week for quite some time. I finally tasted them and have to say they are spicy/mildly sweet, thicker than usual, and very crisp. Delicious.
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fame da lupo
Jan 22, 2013 08:42 PM
RIP:
Le petit creme, TJ's best brie of 2012. Bit of research shows that it probably was sourced from the Marin French Cheese Company (Petaluma, CA) who sells it as "Rouge et Noir Le Petit Creme."
Double creme brie with truffles. Shows on the current Fearless Flyer, but my store manager says it was a limited buy and is now out of stock. -
AmyH
Jan 22, 2013 03:23 PM
Meh - Beans So Green (frozen). These looked so good on the package. And they weren't bad, but they weren't that good either. Mostly green beans and peas with a few big hunks of cauliflower and one tiny hunk of romesco. The sauce they were in was just ok. I'll probably just buy the plain frozen green beans and season them myself.
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Jay F
Jan 22, 2013 12:28 PM
NAY: I was going to make my first box cake using TJ's Yellow Cake and Chocolate Frosting Mixes after reading about them in a thread here on box cakes.
But when I went to TJ's to buy them, they didn't have them. They don't carry them anymore.
Is this typical behavior for TJ?
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re: Jay F
linguafood
Jan 22, 2013 12:35 PM
From what I gather, yes. So -- if you like something.... better stock up on it.
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re: Jay F
NuMystic
Jan 23, 2013 10:25 AM
TJ's discontinues LOADS of great products, so it's not necessarily a signal of poor quality. It can be anything from sluggish sales regardless of how good it may be, to simply losing the distribution deal or price they were able to originally secure for the item.
Their business model is to constantly be introducing new items and you can't do that with finite shelf space without cutting items at the same time.
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re: NuMystic
Jay F
Jan 23, 2013 11:09 AM
The only things I've ever bought there are canned beans, canned tomatoes, and English Breakfast tea, all of which have been on the shelves as long as there's been a TJ here, AFAIK. Oh, and now I can get meat there, which they've never pulled out from under me.
So I was surprised not to find the cake and frosting mixes. Pretty capricious, I thought. FWIW, I also liked the packaging. That tall box of cake Berheenia mentioned was not nearly as pleasing to the eye (though I do plan to try it next).
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YAY/OKAY: Cinnamon Roll Bread - We have always bought our Cinnamon Raisin Bread from Panera, and after hearing really good reviews about TJ's Cinn. Roll Bread we decided to give it a go. I lightly toasted mine and loved the ooey gooey cinn. sugar swirl in it, but he didn't quite care for it as much as the other one we were buying. Has anyone tried TJ's Cinnamon Raisin Bread which is a different item that the cinn. roll bread?
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Savour
Jan 22, 2013 09:13 AM
Nay: Dried Mixed Mushrooms. I think these are a holiday item, but I pulled them out of the cupboard, rehydrated in boiling water, and added them to bolognese. After the rehydration and simmering for over an hour, they were still tough as leather and I had to fish them all out. Plus, it's mostly shiitake WITH the stems, and there's black mushrooms too, which I would almost never mix with porcini in any dish.
Yay: Vermont artisanal cheddar - terrible slicing, but full of flavor and great texture
Yay: (Not new) the Fresh Fruit raspberry preserves. Not low sugar or all fruit -- just the classic raspberry jam, and it's a good one.
Yay: Frozen Kati Rolls -- These are like Indian hot pockets.
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re: elise h
oliviasaru
Jan 27, 2013 07:25 PM
These sound fantastic! I haven't seen them here (outside Philadelphia), but maybe I didn't look hard enough. Are they with the other frozen Indian foods?
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re: elise h
oliviasaru
Jan 28, 2013 02:59 PM
I went in tonight and found one box! The cashier mentioned how good they were to me, as well. Can't wait for lunch tomorrow - thanks!
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re: elise h
NuMystic
Jan 28, 2013 05:39 PM
Another Yay for the Kati Pouches.
Enjoyable. Basically a large indian food Hot Pocket. Well balanced flavor, not too spicy, and tasty enough, though not quite the earth shattering delicacy for me that it seems to be for others.
At $2.29 (for a box of 2) though this will certainly be a regular staple simply because it's a very good value for an effortless quick toaster oven snack. (includes a crisping sleeve for the microwave which I tossed)
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MEH: Sparkling Cranberry Juice - nice blend of flavors but very, very acidic. This one could become a "yay" but only by adding something like apple juice to balance out the tartness. We liked the Sparkling Clementine Juice better.
NAY: Latest Bag of Reduced Fat Baked Cheese Puffs - it has been awhile since we have purchased these from TJ's, and I always remember them to be tastier and having much more cheese on each puff. This bag had NO CHEESE on the puffs, and I was really craving these tonight. It's definitely going back for a refund, and will wait a few months and give 'em another try from a different batch.
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re: Savour
NuMystic
Jan 23, 2013 10:33 AM
I make my own pomegranate soda using sparkling mineral water, pomegranate molasses, lemon, ginger juice, and sweetened with either honey or maple syrup.
I won't go near "natural flavors" when they're in anything even remotely close to a vanilla or berry flavor:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Castoreu...
Jamie Oliver should get a medal for spreading the word about the use of beaver anal gland in our commercial sweet treats. :)
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re: NuMystic
Ahhh...NuMystic, sadly you are right and I noticed the "natural flavors" in the ingredients list, too.
TJ's has been a blessing to us of late because we are dealing with health issues in our family which does not allow for too much all-from-scratch cooking. It is nice to have a healthier alternative to fast food or eating out - just wish that their products didn't contain those "natural flavors"!!!
The simple convenience of buying an already prepared juice drink is just what we need right now - I am sure others can and will use your recipe to make it from scratch!!
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re: NuMystic
trolley
Jan 23, 2013 07:44 PM
oh wow! and here i am worried if i ever ate pig rectum as calamari. I don't drink soda but it's worth knowing and spreading the word. i'm sure i've eaten pig rectum in a sausage somewhere down the road so i'm not too concerned. thanks for the link.
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re: trolley
Yeah, I can't bear to click on the link and even read the whole article...good for NuMystic that he is helping to better inform us, though.
Really wish that we had more time and energy to prepare/make more things from scratch, but even on the "good" days lately the best we can do that is close to a homemade meal is saute up TJ's thin cut boneless pork loin chops and pair it with some of TJ's frozen veggies.
I know that although not all of TJ's products contain ingredients that are completely good for you, it is the one of the best grocery stores out there for the price and ease of convenience of quality products/ingredients.
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re: Berheenia
NuMystic
Jan 21, 2013 10:25 AM
Yea on Steroids - Trader Joe's Dark Chocolate Chunk and Almond Cookies - Dangerously good.
In fact these are so good that we actually refuse to keep them in the house because my wife and I are both utterly incapable of self restraint when they're around.
Small, extremely crisp, light, nutty, just the right mix of crunchy dark chocolatey cookie goodness to encourage the shoveling of handfuls like potato chips.
Don't say I didn't warn you.
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Yay - Goat cheese with honey. Addictively delicious, this was my favorite breakfast for a week to slather on toast with a bit of jam.
Nay - Derby cheese with sage. It was a fairly solid derby cheese but the sage was surprisingly understated. I'd save my cash for something else next time.
Yay - Simpler Times Pilsner. I'm not a fan of the lager but the pils is great in a pinch when you just want a plain jane beer that's way better than a PBR any day.
Nay - Trader Joe's Bavarian Style Hefeweizen. Not my bag, was pretty disappointed in this one, but maybe I'm just spoiled. Definitely needed plenty of lemon to be drinkable.
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YAY: Beefsteak Tomatoes (Individually sold/produce section/purchased 2nd week of January) - normally I wouldn't devote a single entry to a tomato, but after having one recently at a regular chain grocery store that was pale in color, devoid of flavor, and tasted like chemicals, I thought that I would at least have to wait a few more months for halfway decent tomatoes.
We then decided to purchase TJ's Beefsteak Tomatoes this past week which were very good considering it's only mid-January. Obviously not the taste of an August farmer's market tomato, but all things considering these were the best tomatoes we've had since September. Bright red in color, juicy not dry, and they tasted like a fresh tomato. Excellent for this time of year in salads!!
›5 Replies-
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re: littleflower
Disneyfreak
Jan 22, 2013 10:57 AM
I just bought a package of 5 Kumatos at Fairway. One was rotten on the bottom -- which you could not see through the packaging.
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Jay F
Jan 20, 2013 01:29 PM
I am thinking about making a box cake for the first time, using one of TJ's cake mixes (yellow) and frosting (chocolate). Someone was basically raving about them in a thread about "Why would anyone make a box cake?", and made them sound so good.
I don't have as much room in my kitchen as I once did, and haven't made a cake in three years as a result. Maybe this will be simpler/easier/require less counter space.
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NuMystic
Jan 18, 2013 10:23 AM
Yay - Cheese and Green Chili Tamales (frozen)
Used the steamed (vs the microwave) directions on the package and was very pleasantly surprised. Actually better than a few fresh restaurant tamales I've had since moving to NYC!
Not very spicy. Topped it with the Fire Roasted Tomato Salsa.
Will definitely be a new staple.
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New to me yay- Chili Lime Chicken Burgers. I've always seen them in store but I usually pass over and go to all the new items. I was surprised how much I liked them! Make for a quick salad topping and I'm set for lunch... esp at 150ish cals a burger!
--Also... does anyone know when the new Fearless Flyer comes out?
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re: KellyD123
If memory serves me correctly, I believe that last year they came out with one at the beginning of February in preparation for Valentine's Day. I can't wait until the new one comes out - they are so much fun to read!
Although I was a bit lukewarm about the Chili Lime Chicken Burgers (I think it was just personal preference of not caring too much for the red/green bell peppers in them), he absolutely LOVES them so we buy these quite often. I have heard many on this board who share in your opinion on these being a winner.
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re: NuMystic
Not too much new. Mozzarella sticks. Indian aloo chat Kati pockets. That gluten free flour which I have yet to see on the shelves here in NC.
Also new, ghost chili pepper spice grinder for $4.99. Have not tried it and wouldn't dare bc it smells scary and I am a total wuss when it comes to heat!
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re: littleflower
Ah sorry sneak peak may have been an exaggeration. I saw a fearless flyer that was printed out and stapled together that said week of Feb 4 and "office copy."
However, I did hear there would be a new gluten-free flour coming soon, and that they would be getting the actual speculoos cookies in next week. Not sure what else yet!
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re: olyolyy
Olyolyy - I have not tried the deep dish pepperoni pizza, but your question reminded me of what I think of each time I am in the frozen pizza section at TJ's...why don't they carry a really good wood fired pepperoni pizza (similar to Freschetta's Brick Oven Pepperoni Pizza but with more natural ingredients)? We are for the most part pepperoni pizza purists although we do buy on occasion those TJ's little bambino pizzas which are just okay tasting, the pizza parlano which in sauce and toppings comes close but the crust is lacking in flavor, and an organic wood fired red pepper pizza which has an outstanding crust but no pepperoni. We tried adding their Ciao pepperoni to it but for some reason it just wasn't the same, and realized after we bought the pepperoni that it contained sodium nitrites (forgot it wasn't a TJ's brand).
Anyways...sorry for the side pepperoni pizza thoghts........although we do prefer a thin(ner) crust pizza we would definitely give the deep dish a try if we here it is halfway decent.
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re: littleflower
olyolyy
Jan 18, 2013 11:57 AM
I *think* archer farms(target) makes a pepperoni pizza and they are rumored to have the same supplier as TJs. Just throwing it out there. I decided to grab the pepperoni deep dish pizza but have not made it yet, waiting for one of those nights where I don't feel like cooking to try it. I love pizza in all forms but deep dish is usually too dry which was my concern.
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re: olyolyy
Olyolyy and Atomica, just an update on trying to find a frozen pepperoni pizza with more natural ingredients...haven't made it to Target or WF lately but did buy a Newman's Own Uncured Pepperoni Pizza Thin n' Crispy which is similiar to what I wish TJ's would carry...thin flavorful crust (albeit a little *too* thin n' crispy), nice robust sauce and great pepperoni slices that even got slightly crisp around the edges. Hope TJ's would carry something similar to this soon - a good thin(ner) crust pepperoni pizza!!!
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re: Atomica
Thanks, Atomica...but yeah we live in the middle between two of them...one an hour and a half away, and another one about one hour and 15 min. away, so with major time constraints it hasn't allowed us a trip to WF in a long time. So, in the meantime, we go for TJ's somewhat eh frozen pizza to avoid the terrible ingredients of other brand's pizza.
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re: olyolyy
Unfortunately, a big thumbs down. I wanted to love it, but here's what is wrong: 1. crust is bland. Big mistake. Deep dish crust must be fabulous because there's a lot of it. 2. cheese is too mild and skimpy 3. pepperoni is average. This is disappointing, given that some of their pizzas are knockouts.
A much better frozen pepperoni pizza (but not deep dish) is the Kirkland brand. More flavorful components and the crust is tasty too. Better value for your money too.
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re: olyolyy
I tried the deep dish pepperoni pizza today in the store, and then bought one as my daughter has been asking for deep dish pizza. I was fine with the crust, actually, although it's not like real deep dish crust, as far as I can tell. I didn't actually like the sauce, and I only tried a small piece of the pizza, but my daughter enjoyed it. But it's not a huge pizza and 1/4 of it has 330 calories and 14g of fat, so I definitely didn't think it was worth the calories. I'm too busy eating a large portion of the Cinco Lanzas cheese that they still have on hand to waste time with the pizza.
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I bought Trader Joe's ground beef patties and accidentally buried them in the refrigerator.When I unearthed them 2 months later, they were still that same like-new bright red color. It just never occurred to me that TJs would sell irradiated beef! I guess they do. Needless to say, I threw the package out.
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re: LoveaFair
TrishUntrapped
Jan 17, 2013 12:01 PM
Uh oh... Now I am wondering about pink slime. Does anyone know if that is in TJ's ground beef?
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re: TrishUntrapped
goodhealthgourmet
Jan 17, 2013 12:09 PM
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re: LoveaFair
goodhealthgourmet
Jan 17, 2013 12:23 PM
Irradiated products are required to be labeled as such, both with the Radura symbol (see link) and the statement "Treated with Radiation" or "Treated by Irradiation."
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re: goodhealthgourmet
TrishUntrapped
Jan 17, 2013 01:04 PM
Thanks for TJ's response about pink slime. Wonder why LoveaFair's meat didn't look spoiled.
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YAY: Potato Medley (Baby Red, White, and Purple Potatoes) - found fresh in the produce department, we adore the purple ones the best because they roast up ultra soft and creamy. We combine the red, white, and purple potatoes with olive oil, sea salt, rosemary, and a dash of freshly ground pepper and roast them until tender. We will definitely purchase these again, and can't wait to thinly slice these and saute these up with onions + olive oil for another potato side dish.
YAY/MEH: Chicken Enchiladas (frozen) - we have had these in the freezer for a couple of months and finally got around to trying them. Here are the yays about them - delicious enchilada sauce, very good quality white meat chunks of chicken, tortillas are soft but not too soft, and the cheese was also of good quality and blended in very well. The nays were just that we wish there was MORE CHICKEN PIECES in it! Each enchilada (2 to a pack) only had a few pieces of chicken in each one. Also, it tasted sooo much better than it looked - one look at it coming out of the oven and we thought we wouldn't care for it because the overall presentation was kind of sloppy. Would we buy this again - yes probably because of how delicious it tasted, for a quick lunch but would add a little more chicken to it ourselves!
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just had the puff pastry margherita personal pizza- so good and not too bad for your calorie intake
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masha bousha
Jan 16, 2013 09:42 AM
I love the triple layer hummus and the pita crackers (not the wheaty ones, they're gross).
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I don't think this is too new, but I have just discovered the English cheddar with carmelized onions. So good! Can't get enough of this stuff - makes a great grilled cheese sandwich!
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NAY- Beef "Pho" (freezer section). I used quotation marks because this is a very far cry from Pho and in addition to that is just really tasteless. It's been about a year since I had it and every time I pass by it in the store I shake my head in disbelief it hasn't been pulled by now.
Lemons in the bag (produce)- as stated everyone seems to have hits/misses with their produce. I once bought a bag of lemons and left them on my counter in a bowl and 4 days later moved the bowl and all this "dust" flew up and I horrifyingly discovered all the lemons had gone SO bad that they had literally turned into a molded dust. EW. I was in the store yesterday and needed lemon for a recipe but left empty handed in that case because every lemon I investigated-bags and individual had some form of mold growing on them. I will pass on their produce from now on if those are their standards.
YAY- Israeli couscous. Just made this the other day and really enjoyed it. Very easy to prepare too.
New Minestrone soup- they were sampling this and it had tons of veggies and seemed like a much better version of canned soup than I have had Minestrone before.
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re: sakura33
TrishUntrapped
Jan 11, 2013 06:46 PM
I've gotten dust bowl lemons from TJ too.
It just makes no sense that hey have such good quality items and such garbage for produce.
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trolley
Jan 11, 2013 01:36 PM
Nay- Shade Grown Espresso Blend. Upon opening there was no coffee aroma. made coffee with it and it was just meh. to be fair, i've lost my sense of smell back in Dec. but it's about 75% back. and I opened my old Peet's coffe that's almost done to compare and the coffee scent is still strong.
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re: trolley
fame da lupo
Jan 22, 2013 08:38 PM
Not smelling an aroma can also mean the coffee is fresh. Aroma comes from volatile chemicals (flavorful ones) released out of the bean over time. Wonderfully smelling coffee isn't the same as fresh.
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These are not new products, but ones I simply can't live without lately:
-edamame hummus. I can't control myself. I eat it with the sweet potato tortilla chips - it's the perfect sweet/salty/umami kind of treat
-edamame meatless nuggets. these are delicious. they're not trying to be a chicken nugget, so you don't have that weird texture - it's clearly soy with whole edamame sprinkled here and there
-frozen chopped spinach. brilliant packaging. I love being able to just toss some of it in eggs, mac & cheese or pasta.
A big NAY on the pumpkin stuff I tried: the oatmeal and the "this pumpkin walks into a bar"
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re: CurlieGlamourGirlie
Curlie, PictSweet brand frozen spinach is lovely too because you can just grab a handful or two of it and add to whatever you are making...I'll check out the TJ's frozen spinach too...love the convenience of a "grab-able" amount of spinach...I get the PictSweet at Wal-Mart...$1.50 for 16 ounce bag...and it isn't all stems.
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goodhealthgourmet
Jan 10, 2013 06:11 PM
Another giant NAY from me: the Guacamole Hummus. I don't know what possessed me to buy it - I never like commercial hummus *or* commercial guac. Lesson learned. The texture was really odd - slimy and whipped - and I could taste that some of the avocado they used had gone off. If you've ever tasted a bad avocado you know what I mean.
Blech!
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Disneyfreak
Jan 10, 2013 12:31 PM
Another yay for a not new product -- Trader Joe's Goddess Dressing. Yes it is not a low fat product but it is really good -- I use it sparingly on my salads.
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re: serious
NuMystic
Jan 17, 2013 08:21 PM
Another Yay for the Dark Chocolate Almond Bark Thins.
Just the right amount of sweetness and the extra dimension of the salt brings something to the party I've not had in other Almond Barks. Bit lighter on the salt than the Dark Chocolate Sea Salt Almonds which is a plus in my opinion.
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AmyH
Jan 8, 2013 03:44 PM
Yay - marinated chicken breasts (frozen). These have a really tasty Asian sauce on them and microwaved quickly for a nice dinner... BUT the bag said approx. 5 servings. When I opened it they were frozen into a solid block. My husband pried them apart with a table knife. There were two little breasts and one gigantic breast. We ended up cutting the gigantic one in half and the halves were about equal to the two small ones. So we were able to feed the 4 of us. They also took longer to microwave than the instructions said, but that's par for the course with TJ's.
Yay - spicy peanut salad dressing. Yum! Nicely spicy.
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Disneyfreak
Jan 8, 2013 08:33 AM
I forgot about the Olive Tapenade (Yay!)-- at least I think that's what they call it. My sister brought it to my parent's house over Thanksgiving. You can find it in the refrigerator case near the cheese and ravioli. It is nice and flavorful and was great on pita triangles.
She also picked up a goat cheese with cranberry -- which we all enjoyed.
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yay- For the kids: flour-less chocolate cake, chocolate gobs, carrot cake gobs (gobs are good... aka whoopie pies), mozzarella string cheese, the cream yogurts, esp. vanilla!
For us: Persian cucumbers, morelo cherries, speculos, pumpkin spice coffee, the chicken breasts, sausages, steaks, TJ's Indian appetizers, their mixed frozen "fresh" seafood... AND, BTW, last year our store carried the Euro cookie tin, this year no, so I found an equally divine Euro cookie w/Belgian chocolate @Costco!
Nay- Have not liked much of the previously mentioned frozen foods such as: mac n'cheese, mandarin chicken, turkey meatballs. But, hands down something all 4 of us can agree on is: THE MANGO PEACH OJ!!!!!! wow, great w/vodka or tequila...that's a cocktail...happy new year! -
好- Sweet and spicy pecans. It helps to really like pecans, but it's a very nice mix, definitely a good balance of the two tastes.
好- Pumpkin pie spice mix. I dust cereal with cinnamon and this stuff. Will do again and again.
Somewhat 好- Dark chocolate speculoos bar. I could taste the speculoos, and TJ's speculoos spread is a 好, but I don't feel like it works too well surrounded by dark chocolate. A bit overwhelmed, it seemed.
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re: BuildingMyBento
goodhealthgourmet
Jan 7, 2013 07:33 PM
Glad you explained what you liked about each item, otherwise I wouldn't have known if that Chinese character meant yea or nay ;)
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re: BuildingMyBento
So glad you mention the sweet/spicy pecans...added it to my DENTIST's holiday thank you basket...(yes, I ♥ my hygienist but have to thank EVERYONE there)...also gave them local oranges/grapefruits and other nuts...but have never actually TASTED the pecans myself...thanks! good to know that they are *good*!
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re: BuildingMyBento
linguafood
Jan 14, 2013 12:59 PM
Dangit, I wish I had never read about the sweet & spicy pecans. I could eat the whole bag in one sitting. And they have a really nice kick to them, too... not just "spicy" in name only.
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goodhealthgourmet
Jan 7, 2013 01:53 PM
A big fat NAY on the red pomelo. Bought one that was wonderfully fragrant & nicely heavy for its size. Cut it open and discovered that it was about 80% rind & pith! It weighed about 22 oz total, and the actual fruit inside - which was so dry & devoid of juice that it was almost crunchy - amounted to a scant 4 oz. What a waste.
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re: goodhealthgourmet
Sorry to hear that you did not have good luck with their pomelos, ghg...in the past TJ's fruit has been a bit hit or miss, but have to yay a couple of ones we've had recently.
YAY: Honeycrisp Apples, individually selected - they are huge and are a much better price for the size and taste than I can get elsewhere right now. I remember reading on the previous thread that some people did not like the honeycrisp apples that they purchased from there but we have been extremely pleased this year with them.
YAY: Navel Oranges, individually selected - sweet, juicy and the best we've tried anywhere so far this season. Cannot wait for the arrival of their Heirloom Oranges again this season!!
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re: littleflower
goodhealthgourmet
Jan 8, 2013 08:57 AM
Yes, produce has always been hit or miss there. Earlier in the season I bought a bag of clementines and the first one was delicious and juicy...but within 2 days, half of them were black & rotten.
But I can always count on them for good organic zucchini!
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re: EM23
To be honest, I don't recall how they tasted last year. I just remember liking them. But they are good, nice small size, sweet and juicy.
If they don't have it in the produce section, look around. My local store had it near in a big display with the regular & organic navel oranges, out by the cash register, where they usually had the seasonal item display.
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re: gnomatic
Another YAY for the Sky Valley Heirloom Navel
Oranges - we picked up a bag of this year's round of Heirloom Navel Oranges and they were ever bit as sweet and flavorful as last year's stock. They are a bit smaller in size than a regular navel orange, but the juice/pulp inside was a gorgeous bright orange color not pale orange as are some oranges that we have tried from other stores. The color matched the sweetness - highly recommend picking up a bag of them! Thanks gnomatic for the heads up that they are now in stock at TJ's.
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re: gnomatic
AmyH
Jan 20, 2013 07:59 AM
We had some of the heirloom navel oranges with breakfast. They were good, but IMHO not that much more spectacular than regular california navel oranges. The rinds were quite thick, too. But they did taste good.
Also, yay to the multigrain baking and pancake mix. They made a good batch of pancakes without tasting overly "healthy". I did add a dash of Penzey's baking spice and some vanilla, though.
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The nationwide yeas, according to Trader Joe's:
1. Speculoos Cookie Butter
2. Mandarin Orange Chicken
3. Triple Ginger Snaps
4. Hummus (All Varieties)
5. Charles Shaw Wines (All Varieties)
6. Sea Salt & Turbinado Sugar Choc Almonds
7. Frozen Croissants (All Varieties)
8. Dark Choc Covered Candy Cane Joe-Joe's*
9. Dark Choc Sea Salt Caramels*
10. Organic Tomato & Roasted Red Pepper Soup
11. Candy Cane Joe-Joe's*
12. Pumpkin Butter
13. Greek Yogurt (All Varieties)
14. Pumpkin Bread Mix*
15. Frozen Organic Brown Rice
16. Joe's Diner Frozen Mac & Cheese
17. Dark Chocolate Covered Powerberries
18. Nourish Facial Cleanser & Moisturizer
19. Tomato Basil Marinara
20. Corn & Chile Tomato-less Salsa
21. Milk & Dark Chocolate Covered Almonds
22. Natural Jerky (All Varieties)
23. Candy Cane Green Tea*
24. Dark Chocolate Stars*
25. Spinach & Kale Greek Yogurt Dip
26. Chicken Pot Pie Bites*
27. Sipping Chocolate*
28. Peanut Butter Filled Pretzels*Seasonal Product
›27 Replies-
re: John Francis
i find this list so interesting. noting that they call the list the "most favored"--different than best sellers. seeing as how cookie butter was out of stock for quite a while, i have trouble thinking that it was their top seller of the year. in addition, a good many of the items are seasonal, decreasing the possibility that they are best selling items. very interesting...thoughts?
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re: NuMystic
I kind of wish they separate the lists, and have one list just for top seasonal products and one list for products they carry year round. May not be as feasible, but I personally keep two lists on hand of my favorites to send to friends who ask what is good to buy at Trader Joe's.
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re: littleflower
GraceW
Jan 8, 2013 06:01 PM
I agree--I feel like it is a bit 'cruel' to post/boast about the seasonal products. 8 out of 28 products are seasonal.. you would think it would be better advertising and more strategic to highlight products that others could purchase year-round. However, I suppose they were just accurately reporting the data that they gathered.
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re: GraceW
aching
Jan 10, 2013 05:53 PM
I just broke into my package of Candy Cane Joe-Joes (I had so many other sweets around before Christmas that I just hadn't made it to them until now). Man, are they good! They have they great flavor of a thin mint but in a much more substantial format. My only complaint, I guess, would be that they're a bit messy to eat - but worth it.
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re: NuMystic
I suppose there's truth in that. However, this could just be me (and my single-person household), but I wouldn't imagine that Trader Joe's moisturizer and face wash would be staples in most households. I don't ever buy, or consider buying, toiletries at TJ's. I also wouldn't have guessed that "chocolate covered powerberries" would have more mass appeal as a standard staple than coconut oil.
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re: calmossimo
NuMystic
Jan 26, 2013 03:51 PM
It's just you. :)
Trader Joe's doesn't devote entire sections of their store (for long anyway) to items that aren't being purchased by a great many people, and there are a full 6 shelves of toiletries at my location.
I don't buy my Toilet Paper and Paper Towels there either but thousands of others do.
Meanwhile Coconut Oil is far from a standard staple in most households (even if it should be!). I introduce a lot of people to it, and the vast majority have never used it in their own kitchens.I can assure you that ANYTHING covered in chocolate has more mass appeal than Coconut Oil. :)
It's easy to forget that most others don't share our own less mainstream culinary habits. I've been cooking Quinoa for decades now, and even though it's made it on to TJ's and major supermarket chain shelves, it's still something that most people have never even tried.
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re: NuMystic
I will fully admit to being a part of the crowd that has never tried coconut oil (though I have had quinoa - even know how to properly pronounce it! a few times before) and am starting to incorporate more food items into my diet that I have heard are good for you - this being one of them.
However, I do not really care for anything that has a strong taste of coconut in it - have avoided buying coconut oil from TJ's for fear that all my foods cooked in it with taste like coconut! I don't think I have asked for feedback on this topic here yet, and any would be appreciated!
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re: littleflower
NuMystic
Jan 27, 2013 02:05 AM
Definitely give it a try without fear littleflower. My wife shares your distaste for strong coconut flavors and has never once had it affect her enjoyment when I've used it in our cooking.
Definitely depends on the application. There are some things that put it front and center like raw fudge recipes, but if you're just using it in place of a few tsp/tbsp for something like mirepoix, stir-fry, etc you won't even know it's there.
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re: NuMystic
Thanks for your feedback, and very much appreciate hearing that your wife doesn't notice a coconut taste in her food when cooked with TJ's coconut oil We really do need to give it a try, especially since I have heard such good things about cooking with that kind of oil. Plus, you can't beat TJ's price for it!
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re: Cathy
goodhealthgourmet
Jan 26, 2013 09:42 AM
Sure, it's cheaper at Costco, but have you seen the size of the tub? I personally don't have space to store that thing in my kitchen.
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re: goodhealthgourmet
I was just responding to the statement of being surprised the CO was not on the TJ 'nationwide yeas' list.
A substantial number of Costcos appear to be co-located with TJs, especially in California, and I think that probably affects some of the product sales numbers (which is what I would think the 'nationwide yeas' is based on). I buy things at TJs that I can't get elsewhere or are a lesser price per unit than elsewhere.
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re: calmossimo
I'll add a big YAY for the coconut oil. I see someone below says it's cheaper at Costco (I think they're referring to the CO) but I don't go to Costco that often, myself. And $6 a jar is pretty darn cheap, especially since I've been buying coconut oil for about 5/6 years now and when I started, I couldn't find it for less than $12 a jar or so. And, as far as I can tell, the quality is equal to the Nutiva I used to buy.
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TrishUntrapped
Jan 6, 2013 10:59 PM
Yay: Cocoa Drizzled Kettle Corn. Bet you can't just eat one... bag. Yay for the $2.69 per pound ground beef. Great price, perfectly okay meat.
Nay: Rack of Lamb in the fresh meat section. Expensive and vastly inferior to lamb I buy at other markets.
›2 Replies-
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re: Atomica
TrishUntrapped
Jan 10, 2013 06:48 AM
Loose. We have a Whole Foods opening this spring nearby. Look forward to trying it.
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Meh: Minestrone Soup (large can with big letter "M" on front - soup aisle) - flavor was pretty bland, even with some doctoring up with salt, pepper, and some spices. Wide variety of the usual minestrone vegetables that were cooked well, and the broth of the soup itself had a thicker consistency than normal broth-based soups. It was okay and we ate the soup with dinner but won't be buying this one again.
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yay - crab + langoustine rangoon. really really REALLY tasty. i cook them longer than called for (anyone else notice TJs cooking times are a little off?) and they turned out so delish. made a dipping sauce with TJs dijon and sriracha ... have had them twice now.
yay - portobello garlic pizza in the fridge section never disappoints.
yay - frozen Indian food is amazing.
yay - their smoked mozzarella is super soft, creamy and not overpoweringly smokey ... yummmmmmmmmm
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re: HungryPixie
fame da lupo
Jan 22, 2013 08:35 PM
Scamorza huh? Anyone else see this at their TJ? It's not in mine (SoCal).
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re: NuMystic
linguafood
Jan 23, 2013 10:42 AM
I believe s/he is referring to the smoked mozzarella. They're not the same cheese, but similar.
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re: linguafood
fame da lupo
Jan 23, 2013 10:54 AM
Woops, learned something there. Always used scamorza as shorthand.
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pamf
Jan 5, 2013 10:25 PM
YAY - La Fondue, product of France, microwaves in it's own container and the consistency is very smooth. Has a very full cheese flavor. It's comparable to fondue I have made from scratch (not that I make the world's best or anything) and it requires no effort. The approx. 18 oz container is plenty for an appetizer for 4, maybe more.
The ingredient list is short: emmental, comte and gruyere cheese, water, white wine,modified corn starch, garlic, kirsch, salt, white pepper.
Fresh & Easy has an almost identical product (packaging, ingredients, heating instructions) labeled with the President brand and they are charging 8.99 vs. TJ's 5.99 for their private label version.
›1 Reply-
re: pamf
I bought La Fondue after reading this review (I've picked it up and thought about buying it a few times but just couldn't believe it would be good at all). It was OK but I felt it was much too dry. Granted I dumped it into a fondue pot to slowly heat it. It came out of the container in a big gelatinous lump but it broke down pretty easily. I did add a little wine to help moisten it. Thought it could use a touch more garlic. But overall, for the ease of prep and the price, I agree it's a YAY.
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SUPER HUGE YAY: Honey Tangerine Juice (Refrigerator Juice section, Quart size) - Absolutely OMG delicious - it was like I had just freshly squeezed the sweetest, best tangerine imaginable. I do not remember seeing this around last year at this time at TJ's, so this may be a brand new product and definitely seasonal.
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re: olyolyy
You're welcome, oh and one thing for everyone to know that I forgot to mention is that this juice is fresh and I do not think it is pastuerized so the shelf life is pretty short. This is not a problem at all for us obviously because we went through a quart of it in just one day!!
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re: sciencediet
greygarious
Jan 22, 2013 04:25 PM
I loved that juice too - so glad I saw the recommendation here. I made jello with half of it so I wouldn't be tempted to down big tumblers of it!
The heirloom navel oranges, a brief seasonal item, have appeared in the Nashua NH store. When I first saw them a couple of years ago I thought "heirloom oranges. Right - next it will be heirloom milk". But these are wonderful. Smaller, sweeter, less acidic than supermarket navels.
The clerk pronounced the almond Danish ring, new to the bakery section, to be "awesome". I have not opened the clamshell yet so will report later.
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re: greygarious
The Honey Tangerine juice is what we have been practically living on lately. Realizing that because tangerine season is fairly short-lived, we're enjoying as much of it as we can right now...and yes, the heirloom oranges are less acidic and we have already gone through four bags of them in just a couple of weeks!!!
Ooh that almond Danish ring sounds outstanding...can't wait to hear your take on it, grey!
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re: littleflower
greygarious
Jan 23, 2013 08:49 PM
The almond Danish is like the frozen almond croissants, without your needing to do the baking. The pastry is 5-7" in diameter, with a big puffy rim and a flat center, which is where the sliced-almond-topped almond paste layer is. One quarter of the pastry is about equivalent, in portion amount, to one of the croissants. I warmed a slice in the oven to crisp it up. My only quibble is that it fell apart as I picked it up to eat it. The heavier, almond paste part broke off from the airier rim portion. It wouldn't lend itself to using a fork so I think the options are to eat it unheated, or in private!
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re: greygarious
Thanks grey, would you mind telling me how much it is priced? I live on the East Coast/Mid-Atlantic, but regardless I doubt that there is much price variation regarding location. Sounds pretty tempting...and it will more than likely just me eating it warmed up so no worries here on it not staying intact!
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These products are new to me, although I know they've been around for a while:
Yea -- tarte d'alsace (frozen section), raisin rosemary crisps, triple gingersnaps, and mango & cream bars (frozen).
Mixed reviews -- BBQ brisket (refrigerated section). I thought this was pretty decent; the friends I ate with didn't care for it much and said they wouldn't buy it again. I would get it again if I were craving BBQ and needed a quick, simple, and inexpensive option.
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re: calmossimo
YAY: Mango and Cream Bars - refreshing...reminded me of a tropical flavored creamsicle! The mango to cream ratio is about four to one...which is perfect because it gave just a hint of cream flavor to balance out the sweet-tangy mango flavor. We kind of wish it was on a popsicle stick though to make it easier to eat...will definitely buy again though.
NAY: BBQ Chicken Pizza - okay, I rarely give a product a nay, and realize that many on here do love this pizza but will list the reasons why we won't buy it again...crust was void of any flavor, bbq sauce was pretty much non-existent, just a few pieces of white meat chicken were provided, and the last two I am not even sure what was on it since we had already thrown away the box but it was not palatable...dark meat chewy mystery chicken pieces?? some herb or spice that did not blend well with the pizza...cilantro??? The cheese was pretty decent as well as the few pieces of white meat chicken but other than that we have a hard time finding good things to say about it...
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re: aching
firecooked
Jan 18, 2013 07:47 PM
The crisps are too sweet for me unless pared with a creamy cheese...
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re: Rilke
fame da lupo
Jan 22, 2013 08:34 PM
I'm still shocked that TJ's stocks the delice - such a fantastic, character-full cheese.
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re: fame da lupo
Dommy
Jan 22, 2013 09:45 PM
It's not the same as getting from the cheese monger (It seems to lose a little bit of the lively flavor) but it's nice option for when you need it quickly or for a recipe... Keep an eye out for their Spotlight Cheeses... Really some special ones there..
--Dommy!
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re: Dommy
fame da lupo
Jan 23, 2013 10:57 AM
I find TJ's very "lively" but also haven't had it freshly sliced off a wheel. I find it supremely annoying that they wrap it in 3 layers of plastic, which pretty much is death to a cheese like delice. But I suppose not having a real cheesemonger means I can afford to buy it on the regular.
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re: fame da lupo
Dommy
Jan 23, 2013 02:07 PM
There is a certain trade off... For parties and something where the cheese is to shine of its own... I go cheese monger (it's also easier to plan a trip for such occassions). But I SO grateful to have a TJs nearby where I can buy such wonderful cheeses on a whim and for a discount when I need them for a recipe or to bake. Also ask if there is a cheese expert at the store (There usually is...) which can help guide you for what you are looking for and for something new and delicious... :)
--Dommy!
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re: Dommy
Dommy
Jan 23, 2013 02:13 PM
Oh... and when I bring home my TJ cheeses, I unwrap them and put them in proper cheese papers, like these:
http://www.surlatable.com/product/PRO...
It prevents the dreaded slimy rind that happens to so many of their otherwise wonderful cheeses...
--Dommy!
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Disneyfreak
Jan 5, 2013 07:54 AM
Yay -- Mandarin Orange Chicken. It is a frozen product. You cook the chicken in a pan with some oil and then heat the sauce in a sauce pan.
The chicken pieces got nice and crispy. They have a coating on them which really got crispy when we cooked them - which is nice because sometimes these frozen products just get soggy. Basically they are like deep fried chicken pieces. I thought they were a nice fast dinner idea for one of those "I don't know what to make, but I'm hungry" nights. My daughter enjoyed them too. I would buy them again.
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re: Disneyfreak
There are worse things than soggy, disney. My friend John bought there awhile back but since he is a beginner cook he has that odd overconfidence.
He didn't bother to read the directions and just squeezed the sauce packet on the chicken and nuked the heck out of it. Unfortunately I was there to try it. Very hard and crunchy. He insisted it was good although the two of us couldn't finish one package. (I'm a good friend but not that good. I didn't want to risk the dentist bills)
The next day he and his mom split the leftovers and she proclaimed it wonderful.
I bought the Orange Chicken later and followed the directions. Very tasty.-
re: givemecarbs
Disneyfreak
Jan 7, 2013 01:25 PM
Sounds like you were a good friend in just eating the portion you did.
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re: Disneyfreak
greygarious
Jan 6, 2013 02:56 PM
I like the MOC too, so I recommend to you the Szechuan Beef and Broccoli. The frozen beef, veg, and sauce are in separate packets. Cooks the same way as MOC - I find the somewhat spicy sweet/sour sauce (similar to General Gau's)to be stretchable to a second meal so I use half the packet, putting the rest back into the freezer for my next from-scratch stir-fry.
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re: greygarious
Disneyfreak
Jan 7, 2013 01:27 PM
I'm going to have to give that one a try. Sounds like something I would like for a quick meal. Did it have a Szechuan kick to it? I don't mind the spice.
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re: Disneyfreak
NuMystic
Jan 7, 2013 01:24 PM
These are even easier (and a touch healthier) just tossed in the oven so you're spared the extra oil. Come out just as delightfully crispy.
If you put them on parchment/foil you'll want to turn once, but I just place them on a wire rack and forget them until done without any turning necessary.
I always cook longer than the directions waiting until the edges are starting to brown.
These are a staple with mixed greens in our house when we need a super fast meal without having to resort to take-out.
We usually eat them on the side, but they'd work just as well sliced up as a salad topper. Dipping sauce is just bright enough to work as dressing too. (though I personally would add a touch more lemon/vinegar when doing that)
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olyolyy
Jan 3, 2013 07:46 PM
Yay - basil plants. even though the farmers market has better basil for cheaper these are still great.
European cookie tin. heavy on the dark chocolate but delicious
Parmesan Potatoes with garlic (frozen). wanted an easy side for steaks and this looked good. However the potatoes are coated in this powdered Parmesan cheese, and then there are frozen chunks of garlic. No other sauce and they instruct to heat in a sacepan. It smelled great and was pretty tasty, but I needed to add heavy cream and cook differently to salvage. So, yay but the instructions are lame.Nay - blue cheese pecan dip. was just not a fan but everyone else who tried it loved it.
French onion soup (frozen). Tried it out of curiosity since its been around for so long...was nothing to rave about and went in the garbage. Something about freezing the bread crouton in soup did not translate well after reheating and the cheese topping completely disintegrated (which I should have anticipated as the heating instructions said to top with extra cheese and place under broiler).›1 Reply -
AmyH
Jan 3, 2013 01:40 PM
Yay/Nay - lowfat Protein Power banana chocolate chip muffins from the bakery section. My daughter got these. She didn't like them at all, thought they were too dense (like rocks) and tasted like artificial banana. I had one today and thought it wasn't bad. It was dense, but the taste was pretty good and it's a healthy snack with only 130 calories and 2 grams of fat. The first 2 ingredients are banana puree and applesauce, so you get your fruit servings.
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greygarious
Jan 3, 2013 09:50 AM
S/he who takes over the shepherding of renewing threads such as this also needs to report the old thread to ask the mods to add "[old]" to the title of the previous thread so it phases out. You also need to post on that thread a link to the one replacing it.
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Savour
Jan 3, 2013 09:02 AM
Yay - Dukkah - this is brand new. I think you're supposed to use it to dip bread in but I added it to roasting broccoli and it added a nice crunch and flavor.
Meh - Regular chicken broth. They were out of the organic free range at my store (hopefully temporarily) and I missed its intense chickeny ness. The non organic was a pale imitation.
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Yay: Turkey Meatballs (frozen) - these were very good, everyone in our family thought that they were flavorful, by themselves and with sauce. This will be a repeat buy.
Yay/Meh: Chicken Noodle Soup with Veggies (small box on aisle with canned soups) - the broth tasted close to homemade with just a little salt and pepper added to it and the corkscrew shaped pasta (think it's rotini) were both yays. The veggies were the usual carrots, onions, celery and were a okay for me if a bit soft so just a slight meh for that as well as for the inclusion of some dark meat chicken pieces. Overall not bad considering I tried it with fairly low expectations.
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re: jujuthomas
Yeah I tried one without any sauce on it and actually said "yum", was surprised at how good they were considering they're made from turkey...since then we tried them both as crockpot meatballs with the TJ's Kansas City Style BBQ sauce mixed with TJ's Grape Jelly and with TJ's Organic Tomato and Basil Marinara sauce and both ways prepared were quite tasty!
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re: jujuthomas
greygarious
Jan 3, 2013 04:13 PM
I would not buy them again. They are rubbery and the package I bought tasted like the fatty portion of the meat that went into them had been a bit old, if not outright rancid. But I DO like both the flavor and texture of the frozen meatless meatballs a lot. They taste meatier to me than the turkey ones do, and I am a regular meat eater.
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re: greygarious
Dommy
Jan 3, 2013 04:36 PM
I agree, their texture was a bit too 'bouncy' for me to consider them 'great'. but for lunches at work, they worked really well. I made a workaholic's gruel, TJ's Turkey Meatball/TJ's Frozen Brown Rice/TJ's Low Sodium Red Pepper Soup (In the box). Nuke it all together, cut up the meat ball and spoon it all in... and it was a substantial, easy, cheap and quite tasty lunch....
--Dommy!
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re: greygarious
Thanks for the suggestion, grey - I'm always looking for decent substitutions to beef so I will have to take a look at the frozen meatless meatballs as well. Although definitely not the same as homemade or beef meatballs, we thought that the batch of TJ's turkey meatballs that we tried comparatively were better than some of the other turkey meatball brands out there.
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re: greygarious
mcel215
Jan 16, 2013 02:17 AM
Grey,
I will second the yay on the Meatless Meatballs. I have served them to a friend and didn't tell her they were meatless until after dinner. She said they were good too.
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re: John Francis
oliviasaru
Jan 4, 2013 10:36 AM
I had tried these once before on the stovetop and wasn't impressed, but I had another bag and decided to give them a try in the crockpot. What a difference! I cooked them all day on low in tomato sauce, and made meatball sandwiches out of them. They tasted just as good as "real" meatball sandwiches, without the stomach-bomb feeling afterward. Tasty, simple weeknight supper.
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trolley
Jan 2, 2013 05:01 PM
i'll go first.
Nay- Thai green curry simmer sauce. Upon opening the texture though liquid, reminded me of the green slime stuff that came in a little garbage can when i was in grade school. there's something really off about this sauce. there's too much acid in it or something.
Yay- homemade tamales. tried the chicken and the veggie. both are pretty small yet caloric but tasty.
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re: trolley
Will Owen
Jan 6, 2013 03:06 PM
One of our favorite vegetarian dishes, an invention of mine, uses equal parts of that sauce and the light coconut milk added to sautéed onion, de-pulped Roma tomatoes and whatever other vegetables strike my fancy all cooked together, and marinated cubes of firm tofu, all served over rice. I can see how the sauce's flavor might not be agreeable to some, especially cilantro haters, but those to whom I've served this have at least claimed to like it.
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re: Will Owen
trolley
Jan 6, 2013 05:49 PM
will owen, i think you've touched upon something here. maybe it needs to be cut with something like coconut milk. i found the acid in it too intense and not balanced enough. i do like cilantro but the other thing is my sense of smell. as discussed in my other thread it's still only at about 50%. that could very well be a factor. perhaps i'll give it a go once i'm smelling at 100% if that day will ever come :(
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re: trolley
Will Owen
Jan 6, 2013 08:31 PM
trolley, it is a sauce, not a soup or beverage. Although I don't mind it if I sip some to get some idea where to go, I sure wouldn't want to sit down to a bowl of it. And I think for our taste it needs the coconut to be what we want.
FYI, the tofu takes a strong position in my dish, although it's the last component to go in before the curry/coconut sauce. I toss cubes of that with Vietnamese fish sauce and Sriracha at the beginning and let that sit while everything else gets done. The vegetables, cooked after the onions are sautéed, were this time the cleared-out tomatoes, halved and cut into about five pieces per half, two zucchini cut into dice, and baby carrots. These were cooked over low heat for about half an hour until just tender, then the (drained) tofu and curry/coconut sauce were added, and everything simmered for another 15 minutes or so.
I use only half a jar of the curry and half a can of the coconut for each 4-quart pan of this, which means I can make Mrs. O happy by making some more in a couple of weeks.
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re: trolley
NuMystic
Jan 8, 2013 04:23 PM
Add another Yay on the Veggie Tamales (frozen). Steamed as per the instructions and they were damn good for a frozen entree. Topped it with:
Yay - Fire Roasted No Salt Added Salsa - Very flavorful considering. Could use a dash more salt, but I rather like being able to add that myself in moderation when so many salsas are scary high in that dept.
Yay - Dark Chocolate Almonds - Just what you'd expect
Nay - Dark Chocolate Raisins - Shockingly not the same as the above almonds. Had an almost boozy/tart/alcohol note that I didn't care for. The ingredients list does vary slightly from the Almonds so it seems they're using a different chocolate on these that I didn't care for. Not inedible, but not something I'll buy again.
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re: trolley
Mattapoisett in LA
Jan 15, 2013 08:07 PM
I will have to add my Nay for the Yellow Curry Sauce. Dommy and I had it for Dinner and the flavor was overwhelmingly Cumin. We had to cut it with a couple of things to make it taste OK.
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