Light Coconut Milk

Rating:

Price: $0.99 (14 Oz)

Features: Contains only coconut and water, no preservatives
Found in: Curious places, often with the condiments on the shelf above the frozen foods

This is my favorite can of coconut milk - it is cheap and does not contain any preservatives. Many brands add preservatives which make for a somehow cooked or burnt taste, similar to that of homogenized milk. I'm not sure why preservatives are needed, since this Trader Joe's Coconut Milk has a 3+ year shelf life without them, and it tastes far better - like pure coconut milk! Imagine that.

I love to use coconut milk to make Thai curries and peanut sauce, or Indonesian yellow rice (in the photo I am in the process of making a spicy green curry full of fresh veggies). A good coconut milk based peanut sauce is amazing with just about anything, but I always end up pouring it over blanched greens to make Swimming Rama, or using the sauce for dipping skewered grilled meats (satay).

I have tried a number of other brands of coconut milk because my Trader Joe's was unable to get any of this in stock for what seemed like 6+ months, so I experimented among the twenty or so brands the crazy Asian grocery store near my house carries, none of which really satisfied.  Not sure what was going on there with the supply chain issues at TJ's, but thankfully it has come back, and seems to be in high demand again!

I believe Whole Foods has coconut milk under their 365 label which is preservative free, and about the same price, and they do have a version that is "regular" (not light). As my cooking instructor says, the only difference between regular and light coconut milk is that light is half water, so you can use one can of regular plus one can water and come out with two cans worth of light to save a few dollars if you find a regular strength brand you like. I found the Thai Kitchen brand to be tasty, but it is always about three times the cost of other brands, which does not please me in the least.

Green Lakes Organic Ale

Rating:
Price: $7.49 / 6-pack (5.2% ABV)
Features: Pours a nice head, a hoppy kick, balanced and refreshing
Found in: Beer section

I shared a few of these with my friend this afternoon, and we decided it should get 4.5 stars because it is an "almost perfect beer." However, I've now decided to bump that to a full five stars because it is a very good beer, and the best value I have seen for an organic microbrew. (Is there even such a thing as an organic macrobrew?) Plus, I have been stingy with the 5-star ratings lately. Here's what Deschutes has to say about this tasty beer:

Discover Deschutes Brewery’s intriguing amber ale, our Ode to Mother Earth. Experience its mellow malt profile intertwined with subtly surprising hop flavors. Green Lakes Organic Ale is brewed with five types of 100% organic malted barley and balanced with Liberty and Salmon-Safe Sterling hops. Easy to drink. Easy on the Environment. Downright Delicious. Who knew celebrating Mother Earth could taste so good.

Mmm, Salmon-Safe Sterling. Fun to say, fun to drink...wonder if it would pair well with grilled salmon? I'm thinking yes! I also highly recommend the Black Butte Porter from Deschutes Brewery. It has always been a favorite of mine.

Pure Bourbon Vanilla Extract

Rating:
Price: $4.99 (4 Oz)
Features: Ridiculous value.
Found in: Near baking supplies (not with the spices for some reason)

If you discover you are out of vanilla right when you want to bake something as I did (not sure when else that would be a real emergency), you better head to Trader Joe's! I challenge you, that's right - the gauntlet has been thrown, to find a better vanilla value anywhere. I doubt it can be done, even buying bulk and bringing your own container.

Purchasing vanilla extract in any other store is guaranteed to leave you with half as much vanilla for at least twice the price. Or, you might end up with some nasty artificial "vanilla" for about the same price. Both of these things are to be avoided, especially that last one!

Apparently this vanilla is Bourbon Vanilla because the French took some vanilla cuttings from Mexico to Ile de Bourbon in the 1800s. Wikipedia tells me Ile de Bourbon is east of Madagascar and is now Reunion. Huh, fun facts. In any case, this is some tasty extract!

I will admit that I purchased some Tahitian vanilla extract from TJ's several years ago and was not too impressed. That product isn't in my store anymore. The only other option was "alcohol-free" vanilla extract, which seems like a curious idea considering the mark of a good extract is generally a solid alcohol content. Good Eats taught me that vanilla has alcohol soluble flavor compounds. No alcohol in the production process means you are missing out. Maybe they can work around that somehow?

I've made two loaves of chocolate chip banana bread (delicious) and some whipped cream with this stuff so far. And there is still so much left...what to do next?

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Fair Trade Organic Bolivian Blend

Rating:
Price: $6.49 (14 Oz)
Features: One of the best Trader Joe's coffees, just the right roast!
Found in: Coffee / tea aisle

I bought TJ's Bolivian Blend because it was the cheapest organic & fair trade option. I figured it would be decent, but didn't expect it to be excellent. Well, I was wrong there! This is easily one of the best Trader Joe's coffees, and certainly the best organic fair trade TJ's coffee blend.

The "medium dark roast" is perfect for my tastes. It strikes a nice balance between the rich smokey flavors developed in a darker roast (without tasting burned), preserves the more complex sweet and spicy flavors of a lighter roast, but isn't overly acidic (which can be a problem for the lighter roasts at TJ's). The result is a very smooth drinking brew with a distinct sweet caramel flavor. I'm drinking a cup straight out of the french press as I write. Usually I go for the cream to smooth things out, but I don't even miss it with this coffee! (It is also great with cream, don't worry.)

Here is what Trader Joe has to say about this blend:

Trader Joe's Bolivian Blend Coffee is a fair trade coffee that is sourced from small family farms in the land located between the peaks of the Andes and the Amazon Basin - the heart of Bolivian coffee country. This region has the ideal growing conditions for this unique, perfectly balanced coffee. Our Bolivian Blend is a medium-dark roast with a smooth textured body, delicate acidity, and sweet flavor and caramel characteristics.

Well, that explains why it is so good. Here is a tantalizing shot of a steaming fresh cup. Go get some!

Dark Chocolate Covered Gingersnaps

Rating:
Price: $3.99 (10 Oz)
Features: So good...can't stop eating!
Found in: Near cookies / chocolate covered things

These little dark chocolate covered cookie bits are amazingly good. It has been hard not to eat them all before I got a picture to put on the blog. The gingersnap cookie centers have quite a spicy ginger flavor, which I really like. The crunchy, spicy centers go perfectly with the thick, slightly sweet, dark chocolate coating. TJ says:

Molasses, ginger, cloves and vanilla...These aromatic ingredients are the hallmark of gingersnap cookies. We've taken it one step further by gilding tiny gingersnap cookies with dark chocolate, for a sophisticated treat that mixes the creamy richness of chocolate with crunchy, spicy cookies.

Mmm, gilded in chocolate, how sophisticated. I'm really hoping these are not just a holiday item, because my store is about out of all the extra holiday treats Trader Joe's put out this year. The snowflake on the box makes me worry about such things. If I can't get another tin of these I'm not sure what I am going to do to get my ginger / chocolate fix. There is no way I can settle for the regular dark chocolate coated candied ginger pieces, which I have never been a big fan of. Please keep these coming! Now I just have to find a way to reuse the tin they came in...

The Ginger People Ginger Chews

Rating:
Price: $1.69
Features: "Sweet-hot soft ginger candy. Natural, stimulating, and delicious!"
Found in: Candy / Chocolate section

These ginger chews are great - so simple and so tasty - made with 8% fresh ginger. Eating a few can help soothe an upset stomach. I don't really have much else to say about these. If you like ginger, you'll love these. Pick some up!

Teriyaki Natural Beef Jerky

Rating:
Price: $4.99 (4 Oz)
Features: Best value for your jerky dollar, no crazy ingredients, tastes great on the trail
Found in: Generally hanging up in the snack / chip aisle

This jerky is highly addictive. So much so that you might now want to share it with any others in your hiking party. It is best to deny its existence and only sneak pieces when you are at the back of the pack. Not that I would ever go to such great lengths to hoard my jerky...just saying.

Anyway, this is a satisfying high-protein and light-weight snack. The jerky has a nice smokey flavor to it, and it isn't overly dry like the kind you find in the gas station. It also has just the right amount of teriyaki, not too sweet, but definitely adds a lot. I have tried the regular version of this snack, and I must recommend the teriyaki! I have not tried the peppered or turkey jerky from TJs yet.

One bag of jerky a friend got was basically one giant and excessively thick slice. I like that this jerky has more heft to it than other types, but one giant hunk for your $5.00 isn't so hot. Just check out the contents of the package before buying!

Sublime Ice Cream Sandwiches

Rating:
Price: $3.69 (4-pack)
Features: Premium ice cream sandwiched between two soft chocolate chip cookies, then rolled in crunchy mini-chocolate chips, wow!
Found in: Freezer section, with other desserts and ice cream

Oh man these are amazing, so irresistible! As if an ice cream sandwich dipped in mini chocolate chips wasn't tantalizing enough, they replaced the standard weird chocolate wafer outside (that always sticks to your fingers) with real soft chocolate chip cookies!

You can imagine that all this sublimity comes with a (nutritional) price, and you would be right. But, who cares!? These are definitely a sometimes food, but when it is that time, go right ahead and enjoy every last cookie-wrapped ice cream dipped in chocolate chips bite!

Needless to say, this box was destroyed in about 5 minutes once people discovered I had them. You may need to develop a secret stash in the back of the freezer behind a loaf of bread that has turned into an ice block if you want them to be around just for you to enjoy later.

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Honey Roasted Peanuts

Rating:
Price: $2.59
Features: Sweet, salty, crunchy, honey roasted deliciousness!
Found in: Nuts, trail mix, dried fruits etc.

I believe this is the first Trader Joe's product I knowingly consumed. What a great way to start! Needless to say, I was very curious to check out the local TJ's since honey roasted peanuts are one of my favorite snacks.

Ahh, remember back in the good old days when you could get as many packets of honey roasted peanuts on the plane as you wanted for free? Then they all switched to pretzels, and you got one bag only. I figured that was because of concerns for people with peanut allergies, but that doesn't make sense since the next trend in airline snacks was crappy spicy or tropical party mix full of nuts. These days you might get a stale package of Wheat Thin's Toasted Chips if you grovel at the flight attendant's feet in the aisle and slip her a Benjamin.

So, I've gotta get my honey roasted fix somewhere else (growing up with them on flights must have gotten my hooked). Enter Trader Joe's with their 1 pound bag for only $2.59. Oh yes, bask in the glory! So much satisfaction for so little. Plus, these are some of the best honey roasted peanuts around - perfect balance of sweet, salty, and crunchy. Excellent for hikes or an anytime snack.

You'll notice that I took a picture of a nearly empty bag. I was planning to shoot it when it was unopened, but the 'mates and I got hungry one night...and the rest is history. Quite literally - as I write this post the last ones mysteriously disappeared. ;-)

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