Yay: Fig Butter

Recently, TJ's has rolled out a line of various fruit butters, but the best of them all is the fig butter. It's not too sweet, and really thick (good fruit butter should be thick, not runny). It's wonderful on just about anything. I've been eating it on bread with soft cheese.

The only problem is that it doesn't seem to be available in all of the stores. The West LA store near me almost always has it, but the store in West Hollywood never does.

If you have it near you, I recommend giving it a try.

Yay: Honey Nut O's

Cereal is great.  I can eat it at all times of the day.
But dang, is it expensive...

  

Enter Trader Joe's Honey Nut O's.

At $2.99, these were pretty much a steal.

The ingredients list is identical to Honey Nut Cheerios and the taste is about the same too.

Here's the most amazing thing about this TJ's product.  When I got to the bottom of the bag, there were virtually no crumbs.  Usually, finishing off a bag of cereal is a precarious business, in trying to let just the full pieces out of the bag, while filtering out the silt of crushed oats and wheat.

In this bag, there was no silt and I was able to enjoy every last morsel of cereal.

I'll definitely be getting more of this.

Does anyone have any other Trader Joe's cereals to recommend?

Yay: Dark Chocolate Mint Creams

I stumbled across these little delights the other day and couldn't be happier to have found them.

They're like Junior Mints, but I almost like them better because they're a little sturdier and are less likely to turn into a jumbled mess of sugar.  

These have a nice thick chocolate outer, and a creamy mint center (hence the name of the product).
I've been keeping mine in the fridge and they're really refreshing to snack on during these hot summer nights.

They're also Gluten Free and Vegetarian which is nice for people who have dietary restrictions.

So next time you head to the movies, instead of buying some overpriced box of melted Junior Mints at the theater, stop off at Trader Joe's first and grab a container of Mint Creams.

Yay: Trader Joe's Smoked Paprika

I love smoked paprika, but it's a love that came late in life. When I was growing up, the paprika we usually used was an anemic product which was 'just for color', but I never understood why because the color wasn't very appetizing. Why couldn't the deviled eggs just be yellow?

Then, I discovered the smoked version of paprika, which has a wonderful deep flavor (and, of course a gorgeous color) that's fantastic in stews, soups, marinades, over mild cheese, roasted pumpkin, etc... There's not much you can't do with it.

This is the brand I usually buy:

It's imported from Spain (although many folks consider Hungarian paprika to be far superior) and purchased at the local gourmet restaurant supply store.  I love the flavor and the stunning red color.

Recently, Trader Joe's introduced their own brand of smoked paprika: 

The Trader Joe's product also has a really beautiful deep red color, and when opened gives off a very nice smoky aroma.

It's got a bit of a coarser texture than the Spanish brand, though.

The initial test of putting a bit on some soft cheese. I can taste the nice smoky flavor and a sort of earthy aftertaste, which isn't too great on cheese, but is good in soups and stews.

Although I've got to do a bit more testing, initially, it's a 'yay', in particular because of the $1.99 price. I'm also glad to see TJs expanding their spice racks - which has always been one of the chain's weaknesses, in my opinion.

I don't think I'm going to give up my Spanish stuff anytime soon, but I think this is a very good product for the money, and would recommend it.