Trader Joe's Yea/Nay/Meh 2017

A yea for the steamed chicken soup dumplings in the freezer section from me. Some of them leaked but were still juicy. Not the best bang for the buck though at $2.99 for 6.

No, should be soft and squishy all the way cooked beans. I havenā€™t had the canned version but the frozen one is a big YAY (iā€™m a wimp and itā€™s rather spicy for me so i top it with a gob of greek yogurt)

MEH for the macaroni & cheese with kale & cauliflower (in the refrigerated prepared foods section). Not badā€¦just not exciting.

YAY for the new store at 4th & Market. I can take Muni Metro two stops, get there & back to work in 15-20 minutes. Good for grabbing something for lunch thatā€™s cheaper than every place around my office, or for picking up a few things to take home for dinner.

We were really excited about that mac and cheese. It looked great and the ingredient list was impressive. We each took one bite, looked at each other, shook our heads, and pushed the serving dish off to the side. Very disappointing.

This? Had it for the first time. They are quite good even I am too lazy to bake them. With some additional finishing and caramelization, they have to be great. Good value too, especially bakeries are selling them at $4 or $5 a piece these days.

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Meh- Sea salt & malt vinegar dark chocolate caramel

Made in Ireland. quite heavy on the salt.

YEA to the frozen Honey Walnut Shrimp. The batter is cardboardy, but the sauce is similar to that of my favorite dish at Chen Yang Li in New Hampshire, Two Brothers Special Shrimp.

I stick to decaf, so most of the items in the current coffee blitz are off-limits for me. But I did get, and say YEA to, the chocolate-drizzled mocha shortbread squares, and the mocha Jo-Joā€™s.

Any luck so far with the Organic Red Lentil Sedanini? Loaded with sauce, I didnā€™t mind them too much, but theyā€™re pasty and about as meh as your typical non-wheat pasta.

Itā€™s still sitting in my pantry. Not looking forward to making it after your post. LoL

Not TJā€™s own product, but I am quite happily munching on the Natureā€™s Path Heritage Flakes right now. Kamut, oat, spelt, barley, millet and quinoa. Mildly sweet.

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YAY-
dentists love these (great for their business),but the pecan kringleā€™s are back. Bought one,cut it up and froze it as usual,but each time less pieces make it to the freezer,just one more ā€œnibbleā€ before freezing

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YES. you must try them baked.

Bought a bag of the Honey Butter Potato Chips this weekend - my sister and i finished the entire bag in one sitting. I must never buy them again.

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Usually too impatient and just nuke em- makes it soft and gooey,but so good

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YAY to something thatā€™s not new, but that I havenā€™t bought in a while ā€“ the Cinnamon Swirl Bread. Thick slices, with a good amount of cinnamon flavor. I actually toasted a piece at work this morning and everyone was commenting on how amazing the break room smelled!

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I curse you, Maria :wink: I remembered your post while at TJā€™s today. Not only are these right up my kryptonite alley (formerly occupied only by cashews) but itā€™s a large bag to boot.

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YEA for the new frozen quiche lorraine being sampled while I was shopping there today. Caveat: itā€™s 12 ounces, serves 4. Right. :unamused:

Also YEA to the cellophane-packaged coffee chocolate brownies, on the bakery shelf.
The bag contains 4 brownies packed in pairs. They are quite dense and rich. I would be happy with a third of one brownie.

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YEA plus for Seasoned Kale Chips. New, or new to me? The additions are ground cashews, tahini (ground sesame), lemon, salt, and carrot, mustard, garlic and onion powders. 100 of the 150 calories in the bag are from fat, so the hypocrisy factor is substantial, but in addition to a hand-snack, these would be nice as garnish for soups salads, and dips.

I picked this up on your recc and it was very good.

Thanks.

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Nay to TJs Ridge Cut Potato Chips with Sea Salt. Itā€™s a wonder I have any teeth left in my head after finishing a small bowl of these. Like biting down on ceramic tile.