Trader Joe’s Manchego Cheese

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Trader Joe's Manchego Cheese

Trader Joe's Manchego Cheese

Another great product discovered in the Trader Joe’s Fearless Flyer, May 2010. To view The Fearless Flyer online, go to Traderjoes.com. You will see the information right on the home page.

We actually re- discovered this cheese by flipping through the Trader Joe’s Fearless Flyer. We both love Tapas, those little bits or snacks typical to a Spanish bar or restaurant. We have enjoyed many different kinds of cheeses that are served for Tapas- and really did not know their names. This cheese is fairly distinctive, as it is dry-firm and has a distinctive dark rind.

So we read about this nutty, sharp tangy cheese from Spain, and thought OK sounds fantastic, right? So we had to laugh when we arrived at Trader Joe’s to discover that we already knew about the cheese, just not by the official name. HA!

So anyway this is a great cheese. It is firm and nutty and kinda crumbles when you cut it into thin slices. It makes a great cheese to go on a cheese tray maybe with a soft, ripe pear and some crackers.

According to the Fearless Flyer, this is a sheep’s milk cheese (hey news to us) and has been make in Spain for hundreds of years- Even mentioned in Don Quixote! (OK, yes I am curious now, and will have to seek out the book to check).

Another source for all things food, The Food Lover’s Companion,   mentions that this cheese melts easily. Then this got me thinking about a fantastic cheese sauce or even a yummy macaroni and cheese- Spanish Style. Hmmmm….  Maybe I will need to switch up some menus this week to sneak in a potato-cheese –thingy… What do you think??

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Trader Joe’s Inside Out Carrot Cake Cookies

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Trader Joe's Inside Out Carrot Cake Cookies

Trader Joe's Inside Out Carrot Cake Cookies

Here is an incredible new find (well, at least to us) from Trader Joe’s- Inside Out Carrot Cake Cookes!

We found these yummy treats in the bakery area near all the breads and muffins. We both were so surprised to see these treats!

We both love carrot cake- The spicy cake part and all those sweet raisins and bits of carrot.  And what can we say about cream cheese frosting! Eeks! Just delicious.

Now truthfully, we don’t usually take the time to make a carrot cake just on a random whim. Too much time, energy, special ingredients and then the results: who wants to be at home with a carrot cake?

Carrot Cake cookies- Up close!

Carrot Cake cookies- Up close!

So we were delighted to see these cookies at Trader Joe’s. The cookies are similar to a Whoopee Pie, with two soft cookies that are “glued” together with a frosting center. In this case the cookies are made from yummy carrot cake batter, with big raisins and long strings of carrot in the spicy dough. In the center these cookies have a thick layer of rich delicious cream cheese frosting. WOW!!

Just so you know, these cookies are BIG and rich and Sweet- simply wonderful. We enjoyed them with a strong cup of black tea (Trader Joe’s of course) and savored every last crumb…

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Trader Joe’s Fettuccine Alfredo

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Trader Joe's Fettuccine Alfredo

Trader Joe's Fettuccine Alfredo

Here is one of our secrets to dinner-on-the-table FAST success!

You know when you have having one of those busy days… The kind where you feel as if you have rushed around all day without a minute to just stop and think?  And then on the way home you think to yourself ,  a bowl of cereal is an OK dinner, right?

Well, cereal be gone! Here is the perfect answer to that troublesome dinner question after a long and busy day:

Trader Joe’s Fettuccine Alfredo.

We like to have one package of these noodles tucked away in the freezer to save us from the “cereal dinner”. This is quick and easy to heat up and it is also tasty by its self, or when you add some “extras” to it.  We like to think of it as Italian comfort food – a bowl of noodles in a creamy Alfredo sauce….. yummz!

When we say it is easy to prepare, the package contains frozen noodles and sauce “chunks” that you just heat up gently on the stove, or microwave, and Ta Da! Dinner is served in about 10 minutes.

Trader Joe's Fettuccine Alfredo - Ready to heat up

Trader Joe's Fettuccine Alfredo - Ready to heat up

Now we like the “comfort food” style of this dish of creamy noodles and sauce, but you can also think of it as a base to jazz up with a variety of other items.

Suggestions:

  • Leftover cooked veggies (we have used broccoli and peas)
  • Cooked shrimp or cooked flaked fish of any type
  • Sun-dried tomatoes  (in oil, sliced thin)
  • Mushrooms
  • Diced chicken

Use your imagination and check your fridge for ideas. You will be surprised at all the different and delicious meals you will be  able to create starting with Trader Joe’s Fettuccine Alfredo as a base.

Have you tried this product?

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Trader Joe’s Peanut Butter Double Deckers

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Trader Joe's Peanut Butter Double Deckers

Trader Joe's Peanut Butter Double Deckers

Another great product discovered in the Trader Joe’s Fearless Flyer, May 2010. To view The Fearless Flyer online, go to Traderjoes.com. You will see the information right on the home page.

We found another great (new to us) product at Trader Joe’s recently: Trader Joe’s Peanut Butter Double Deckers. The package notes that these are: Two chewy cookies stacked with a natural peanut butter filling. These cookies were not in the usual cookie isle, but rather in the bakery section near all the loaves of bread.

In our defense of this purchase (as we are trying to limit the amount of sweets in the house-aka Food Revolution style) these cookies were strategically displayed right by the front door…. .

These cookies at first glance, reminded us of those Nutter Butter cookies that we would eat when we were kids. They are peanut shaped and also have a soft peanut filling.  However, these cookies from Trader Joe’s are far superior to those other cookies.

The cookies are a soft and chewy- the kind that sorta crumble nicely when you bit into them. The filling is generous, and not sticky or overly sweet.

Together, they just take a childhood treat over the top.

Our only complaint about these cookies is that they are BIG and because they are soo big, you only get 8 in each package.

On the other hand, this has turned out to be a good thing. We shared a couple of these cookies with our peanut-loving neighbor and then we quickly devoured the remaining cookies so we no longer have temptation in the house.

Have you purchased any of the items in Trader Joe’s May Fearless Flyer? What did you think? What products would you like us to try?

Trader Joe's Peanut Butter Cookies

Trader Joe's Peanut Butter Cookies