One of the greatest parts of moving away from home and into your own space is undeniably the newfound sense of freedom and independence. From doing your own laundry to washing your own dishes and performing other household chores, a young college student like me finally feels like an actual adult. In my past three weeks in Tallahassee, I’ve been playing house in my new apartment.
My favorite “adulting” activity that I have partaken in is doing my own grocery shopping. Once a week, with an empty pantry and an even emptier stomach, I enthusiastically take a trip with my roommate to our local Trader Joe’s, a.k.a. TJ’s. After my first time browsing through TJ’s magnificently stocked aisles and noticing the cheap prices of products, I quickly realized that the possibilities of what I could try were endless. In short, I’ve bought a lot of food from there. I consider myself somewhat of a Trader Joe’s connoisseur and a reliable source for reviews of a good amount of Trader Joe’s products. And without further ado, I give you my highly-regarded opinion.
Dark Chocolate Almond Butter Filled Pretzel Nuggets
Starting off strong is this perfectly savory-sweet balanced treat. These small nuggets contain a creamy almond butter center that is encrusted in a savory pretzel and covered in an outside layer of refined dark chocolate. These bite-sized snacks make an exceptional dessert and have earned themselves an 8/10 rating.
Parmesan Pastry Pups
Would anyone care for some hors d’oeuvres? Finger foods are some of my favorite dinners to make! These mini beef hotdogs come frozen and wrapped in a buttery puff pastry sprinkled with parmesan cheese. Ready after just 15 minutes in a conventional toaster oven, this meal is so easy and convenient to make. Although the dough is softer and stickier than flakier and puffier, the beef franks and parmesan sprinkles on top taste fantastic. This product earns itself an 8/10.
Kibbeh
Continuing down the route of finger foods, this next dish caught my eye immediately as it’s inspired by Middle Eastern cuisine, a personal favorite of mine. These bulgur wheat breaded snacks contain a meatball made of ground beef, onions and various savory spices. Once again, the ease of cooking these meatballs in a toaster oven certainly earns it convenience points. However, I was a bit disappointed with the dryness of the Kibbeh. Served with rice, lemon and lots of tzatziki, this product is a 7/10.
World’s Puffiest Sour Cream and Onion Corn Puffs
This is hands down my favorite TJ’s snack that I have tried. Perfectly light, airy and crunchy, these corn puffs are not overly filling, making them absolutely addictive! The sour cream and onion flavor has the ideal amount of tanginess and saltiness. This snack has well-earned itself a 9/10 in my book.
Black Tea and Boba Coconut Non-Dairy Frozen Dessert
As a bubble tea lover, I was so excited to try this vegan ice cream! Putting chewy tapioca pearls in this smooth and creamy ice cream was a stroke of genius on TJ’s part. The rich black tea flavor mixed with the brown sugar swirls throughout makes this dessert just the right amount of sweetness. Although the coconut milk flavor was not as prevalent as I thought it would be, this ice cream was delicious and is definitely worth a try! 7/10.
Organic Jasmine Rice
Is there anything better than a microwave-ready side in three minutes? No. That’s why I saved the best for last with this TJ’s product. While fairly basic, the organic jasmine rice dish is so quick and easy to make as a side to any meal. Paired with TJ’s Atlantic Salmon with Lemon Herb Butter and topped with the Cuban Style Citrusy Garlic Seasoning Blend, this jasmine rice contributes to a wonderful filling meal. Each box comes with three 10 oz packs of rice and sells for only $3.49. This definitely has become a staple in my kitchen and in a lot of my meals. This rice earned a 10/10.
All these products have my official stamp of approval and I highly recommend going to your local Trader Joe’s and trying these all out for yourself. Make sure to bring your reusable shopping bags with you, you’ll be leaving with plenty of good eats!
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