I finally sucked it up and took a trip to TJs while Kyle stayed with the kids. The wait outside wasn’t as long as I thought it would be, but I knew I wouldn’t be back any time soon, so I really went hard on the seasonal stuff.
I’m a sucker for their holiday sweets anyway, so when you factor in the scarcity mindset that covid causes, too…well it’s no wonder I went big!
Here are some of the items I simply HAD to try…
First, this sweet & salty snack mix. OMG you had me at chocolate covered potato chips! And then peanuts! Could they make a better item? I know the jingle jangle has it’s own cut following, but I think this is far superior.
Edited to add: I do wish the amount (and size) of the chips was bigger/more, but it’s still good. Also, the peanuts collect at the bottom of the bag so you really do have to pour the mix into a serving vessel to enjoy it otherwise you get all the popcorn first and by the end you’re left with all the smaller items. For me, the popcorn is the weakest link so at first I was like WTF, but then I stopped eating it straight from the bag and it really made the ratio of items more even.
Next up, a GUESSING GAME that involves chocolate and caramel!?! Well, obviously that has my name all over it. Challenge accepted.
On the side it shows the flavor options so you aren’t totally going in blind. I am VERY intrigued by the strawberry black pepper. It sounds…interesting? Maple – good! Ginger – good! Coconut – good!
Blood orange balsamic…? Stay tuned.
I love these. They are a staple, not just around the holidays.
Warning: they are REALLY sweet, which I am (surprisingly) sensitive to, so I can’t have more than one at once.
I got these for Kyle for his stocking. Don’t worry, he doesn’t read the blog.
These are Kyle’s favorite item at TJs and he waits ALLLLL YEAR for them. I bought a few boxes for him for Christmas, which are also hidden away, but I assure you if I didn’t get them for him, he wouldn’t forgive me. š
This was a new one to me and while they are good, they aren’t as mind blowing as I was hoping for. The plain (barely salted) almonds are a let down among the others, which are good, but not in a way that makes you want to binge the entire thing at once. I suppose that’s not a terrible thing either, but on a scale of zero to Christmas crack, this falls somewhere in the middle. That said, it’s a nice snack and would go well on a charcuterie spread or cheese board.
Here I figured I’d photograph my standard chocolate purchases because I never do. Above is the pound plus bar with almonds. Kyle and I each have our own at all times that we work our way through. We don’t share them. That’s how good marriages work people. Below are my two favorite “every day” bars. Both the milk chocolate truffle and dark chocolate truffle are excellent bang for your buck. I grab a few every time I hit the checkout stand. They are rich and delightful. Highly recommend both of these enter your TJs rotation.
Next we have these candy cane chocolate covered almonds. At any other time of year I am not sure I’d go for them, but I am into allllll things peppermint chocolate right now so this really hit the spot! Is this the first time TJs has offered these? I’ve never seen them in the past, but Trader Joe’s isn’t my primary shopping spot any more so there’s a chance I have missed them. The seasonal stuff tends to go quickly, so if you don’t time your visit right, it’s entirely possible to miss something that comes out and is an immediate hit.
These aren’t new but I just got them for the first time. I can’t pass up anything that says toffee in the title, to be honest. They remind me of the chocolate toffee macadamia nuts I only just finished off from our Hawaii trip in October. Talk about timely! Can we take that as an auspicious sign for 2021?!?
