Honey Mustard & Onion Seasoned Pretzel Pieces

My family has been doing our share of snacking during this stay-at-home time. Lucky for us, Trader Joe’s recently released these seasoned pretzel and they’re deliciously addictive. The pretzels are crunching, hold tons of seasoning and, for the most part, are about the size of a quarter. Unfortunately, there are so many pieces smaller than dime that I’m left wishing for more larger pieces. The seasoning itself is tangy and a bit salty so it checks a lot of the boxes that make my taste buds happy. The bag is a good size too at 12 oz for $2.99.

Rating: 4 out of 5 Hawaiian Shirts – After trying these for the first time, I couldn’t wait to get back to TJ’s to pick up two more bags. The taste is exactly what I’d expect, tangy, sweet, and a little salty on a crunchy pretzel. They miss out on the fifth star due to the abundance of tiny pieces which I find messy and less enjoyable to eat than the larger chunks.

The Crispy Crunchy Mochi Rice Nuggets

Mochi, the gelatinous rice substance that maybe you’ve enjoyed as balls covering ice cream. Well these mochi rice nuggets are nothing like that. These are square, crunchy, and savory, oh so savory. These were recommended to me several weeks ago and I was initially incensed that these would be labeled as mochi. I’ve enjoyed the more common mochi experience since I was young so I just didn’t get these. However, by the end of my first bag, I was hooked. These are like potato chip cubes! Too many bags later, I’m glad to say that there’s plenty of room in my life and in my belly for both versions of mochi – maybe even at the same time. Plus, the bag art featuring a mochi rock band is awesome.

 

Rating: 4 out of 5 Hawaiian Shirts – These are liked cubed potato chips! What’s not to like?! I’ve actually put myself on hiatus from these because I was eating them all the time. My only complaint is that the bag disappears too fast.

Banh Mi Inspired Noodle Bowl

Generally, I’m a fan of the quick and easy salads in the Trader Joe’s refrigerated section. The Five Spice Chicken and Noodle Salad and the Harvest Chicken Salad are excellent choices. However, this new Banh Mi Inspired Noodle Bowl is another level. The flavors and textures bring a flood of deliciousness with each bite. The dressing is an excellent and sweet compliment to the medium-spicy heat and crunch of the other ingredients.

Rating: 5 out of 5 Hawaiian Shirts – This salad hits me in all the right taste buds; it’s bursting with flavor and textures. I’ll just as happily enjoy this for a quick lunch or take it to enjoy as a meal on a flight.

Pumpkin Ice Cream

Not another pumpkin product! Well, in a word, Pilgrim Joe’s Pumpkin Ice Cream is fantastic. It’s basically the love child of soft, creamy ice cream and a home-cooked pumpkin pie. Not too much spice. It melts quickly but you’ll want to savor every bite.

Rating: 5 out of 5 Hawaiian Shirts – Great on its own. Chocolate syrup or Kalhua takes it to another level.

New Belgium’s Heavy Melon Ale

Get this beer NOW!

Fruit-infused beers seem to be making a huge splash these days. I’ve seen grapefruit, pineapple, lemon, orange, and lime. Some are gimmicky or just don’t taste very good to me. Fortunately, this one is outstanding! For me, it ranks right up there with Ballast Point’s Grapefruit Sculpin.

I’ve shared this beer with my wife and a couple of friends who aren’t big beer drinkers to get some additional opinions. The resounding opinion, even from people who rarely drink beer is, “This is delicious, I could definitely enjoy this!”

The taste is so refreshing, smooth, and balanced. The watermelon and lime are just enough to tickle your taste buds. The ale itself is just an easy-drinking pale ale.

Rating: 5 out of 5 Hawaiian Shirts – This is THE beer of the summer. If you bring this to any parties this summer, you better bring an extra 6-pack for yourself because they’re sure to be a hit.

 

Bacon Jam

This picture of Trader Joe’s Uncured Bacon Jam was sent to me by my sister with the message, “YOU HAVE TO TRY THIS!” Well, she certainly knows me. Since picking up my first jar, I’ve spread this jam on everything from toast to tortillas to waffles to sandwiches – and it’s great every time! One of my favorite quick snacks with this jam is to spread it on Trader Joe’s Middle Eastern Flat Bread along with TJ’s Organic Hummus and a little TJ’s Tabbouli. It’s so satisfying.

The jam is delicious; sweet and savory. And don’t expect the bacon to be tiny, second-rate pieces. You get nice meaty chunks. YUM! The possibilities with this jam are really limitless so please share your favorite uses in the comments section.

Rating: 5 out of 5 Hawaiian shirts. It’s so delicious and versatile I find myself looking for excuses to add a spread to everything! Give it a try and I can’t imagine you’ll be disappointed.

Trader Giotto’s Spelt Risotto

Sometimes I want something wholesome and filling but I don’t have time to chop vegetables and cook up a meal for my family. Fortunately, Trader Joe’s has some excellent frozen foods and Trader Giotto’s Spelt Risotto is among the best. Sure, the name may not inspire much excitement but the ingredients, flavor, and texture stand out.

First, the ingredients are simple, wholesome, and perhaps most significantly don’t include sugar in an form. It’s the absence of sugar that initially attracted me to this product. I’m also happy to serve it to my young daughter. It makes a particularly easy and good item to include with her lunch.

It’s nice and all that it’s sugar-free but how does it taste? Very good actually! The spelt, veggies, and creamy combine for a balanced and delicious flavor that’s predominantly savory. The texture is also a marriage of creamy and firm that’s to the spelt and chickpeas. You can’t go wrong!

Rating: 5 out of 5 Hawaiian shirts. It’s good for you, taste great, and very easily prepared; the trifecta of qualities I want from my food. Keep it in your freezer for those times you’re running short on time and you’ll be happy you did.

Golden Road Brewery’s Saison Pamplemousse

A beer that incorporates grapefruit? You had me at “beer.” This particular brew comes to us from Golden Road of Los Angeles. I’ve tried several Golden Road varieties over the years and this is by far my favorite yet. Saisons are not usually my preferred beer because the fruit flavor can be overwhelming to me. But I like to try new things and the combination of an ale with grapefruit (“pamplemousse” is French for grapefruit) was far too compelling to pass up. Golden Road nailed it with this effervescent and refreshing Saison Pamplemousse. It’s the perfect beer to relax with on a Sunday afternoon. The grapefruit flavor is slightly tart but not overpowering. My only regret was buying only a single can to try and not a full six-pack from TJ’s.

Rating: 5 out of 5 Hawaiian Shirts – Delicious and refreshing. If you enjoy saison or hefeweizen beers or even La Croixs, you’ll likely love this beer.

Frozen Wild Argentinian Red Shrimp – Review and Recipe

While looking for an alternative to fresh shrimp, I came across these Argentine Wild-Caught Frozen Shrimp. It’s important for me to have wild-caught shrimp as they are more flavorful, tend to have less bacteria than farm-raised shrimp (Consumer Reports “Special Report: Shrimp Safety“), and shrimp farms can have large negative impacts on the environment. Of course, purchasing wild-caught means you pay a premium over farm-raised shrimp. Fortunately, you’re covered with TJ’s Frozen Wild Uncooked Argentinian Red Shrimp. It’s not too expensive and a bag of this in the freezer means you’re ready to go anytime a seafood craving strikes. Since they’re uncooked, you can easily incorporate them into your favorite recipe – pasta, stir-fry, soup, etc.

*UPDATE: Jan 2016 — Lately, I’ve had a difficult time finding these shrimp in the two TJ’s locations closest to me so if you come across some, I suggest you stock up (And let me know where you found them!)

*UPDATE: June 2016 — I’ve seen it in stock in two TJ’s I’ve visited recently. Get it while the getting’s good!

Rating: 4 out of 5 Hawaiian Shirts – Not as flavorful as fresh shrimp. Undeniably the next best thing.

RECIPE SUGGESTION: Stir-Fried Shrimp with Garlic Butter Sauce

Ingredients:

• 1 lb of TJ’s Argentine Wild-Caught Red Shrimp
• Olive oil
• Old Bay Seasoning
• Fry the shrimp in a pan with the olive oil on medium heat. When they’re about half-way cooked, add the Old Bay Seasoning. Serve as soon as the shrimp are cooked all the way through.
• For the sauce: slowly melt 2 tablespoons of butter on a stove top in a sauce pan with finely diced garlic until it starts to brown. Then it’s ready to serve.

Chile Spiced Mango

This is my #1 snack food and may be my #1 vice. These dried strips of mango covered in sugar and chile spice are the perfect harmony of sweet and spicy. I go months without buying them sometimes as I’ve been known to eat an entire bag of these in a single sitting. Consider yourself warned.

Rating: 5 out of 5 Hawaiian shirts