I was out doing some last minute grocery shopping before our trip. Most people try to use up their odds and ends before a trip rather than buy more.
I do too but I plan to do just a wee bit of baking in Aruba.
And it involves white chocolate.
Plus the TJ’s white chocolate chips are seasonal at my TJ’s (not at all stores I’ve been told, but at mine they are) so I like to stock up around the holidays. The TJ’s white chocolate chips are my favorite white chip on the market.
I also picked up some Speculoos Cookie Butter Spread
If you like Biscoffs or Biscoff Spread like I do, the TJ’s equivalent is extremely similar. And it’s crazy good.
If you crushed up and combined gingerbread cookies, graham crackers, and added cinnamon to a neutral-ish tasting nut butter like a cashew butter or a mild almond butter or peanut butter, that’s how I would describe it.
I don’t think this is a seasonal offering but I can’t be sure. So bought a few jars.
I skipped the cocoa almond spread but that looks awesome too. I make my own Chocolate Coconut Cashew Butter so really didn’t “need” the cocoa spread. But was tempted.
I’m going to use some of my new Speculoos Cookie Butter in my No Bake Peanut Butter Biscoff Cookie Dough Bites. If I don’t polish off a jar before I get around to making them. Good thing I bought a few jars.
I also saw these Mint Espresso Beans
And this Cocoa Drizzle Kettle Corn. I didn’t buy it because I plan to come up with a homemade version of kettle corn because it’s high on my list of snack food faves.
Eggnog Almonds covered with Creamy White Chocolate. Holy.Temptation. These sound like heaven in ball form.
Had I not just bought eggnog and made the Eggnog Chai Smoothie, I would have snagged those.
But I have my eggnog cravings covered. For now anyway.
Questions:
1. Have you spotted any seasonal offerings you’re excited to try?
2. What’s your favorite “food season” of the year?
I like pumpkin things so when the fall, Halloween, and Thanksgiving roll around, yes, I like those seasonal offerings but not as much as Christmas.
I love white chocolate with it’s creaminess and sweetness. I have an entire section of White Chocolate Recipes. I am a huge fan of it.
And mint, yum.
And dark chocolate
And just all the goodies and treats that everyone makes…
Yes, this is my favorite food time of year. I’ll gladly skip Thanksgiving food in favor of Christmas treats!
Thanks for the $50 Asian Foods Prize Pack Giveaway entries. Winner announced next post.
I’ve been reading your blog for months, and you constantly get me excited for my next trader joe’s trip!
There aren’t any seasonal dishes that I am wanting to try, other than some of the stuff I have seen on blogs lately.
I just spotted a whole bunch in this post, Averie! How I would love to try all those TJ’s products!!!
I love love love fall and all its foods. From savory to sweet, fall gets me going! I have so many stashed cans of pumpkin right now. But I also love the mint and the creamy flavors that come with Christmas!
I’ve been reading your blog for months, and you constantly get me excited for my next trader joe’s trip!
Ok so i went to walgreens the other night and found biscoff cookies!!! i’m so excited to crumble it on my almond butter!!
nice find!
Christmas cookies are the best. Pumpkin, mint, white chocolate, coconut nog, all of these things rock!
You are such a tease for posting this, knowing that I have no TJ’s within a bazillion miles of me. I want to try ALL THE THINGS that you posted! :)
just come to CA for a visit…we’ll go together to TJs :)
You know I look forward to that day so much!! :)
I am going to need to hit up that speculoos! yum! There is a Belgian waffle truck in NYC who sells that stuff and that was the first place I had ever heard of it. Delish!
When it comes to seasonal food, I really love Fall and Christmas! Of course pumpkin, apple, and maple in the fall and mint, chocolate and eggnog at Christmas :)
I’d love a Belgian waffle food truck in my life :)
Like I needed another reason to go to TJ!
Oh boy—I think a trip to TJs is in order!
Oh my! That cookie butter looks insanely delicious! These yummy treats baffle me. The world is amazing! Happy vacation :)
1. the only seasonal offering that specifically pops to mind is the honeycrisp apple! i think fondly of them all year, and i’m already saddened of their soon departure!
2. favourite food season? i like them all! i’m grateful to have a happy relationship with food nowadays, so i appreciate every food experience.
and i love those trader joe’s cranberries that appear in your cart! i love their dried blueberries, too! but my favourite bag of nuts is their “macadamia, cranberry, tart cherry, cashew, dried pineapple and almond” combination! scrumptious! x
Hi Averie – I hardly ever get a chance to check in these days so I want to wish you a safe trip and a very very good Christmas if I don’t catch you before
Love
Rachel x
Hi friend!! thanks for saying hi and best wishes for an awesome holiday season and 2012 for you!!
xoxo
I just bought a jar today as well!
My kinda shopper ;) I like the way you think my friend! You’re going to have such a great time!!
I REALLY Want to let myself cave and try the dang mint white chocolate oreo things…..so good looking!!
xxoo
I don’t know if I have spotted any seasonal things expect the so delicious coconut mint chocolate drink but that was only once tho. My favorite food season is right now and thanksgiving because of the delicious pies and pumpkin pie. I am so jealous that you have access to trader joe’s I miss TJ’s their’s none here in Texas.
At first the idea of mint and coffee beans doesn’t appeal to me, but I do love peppermint mochas, which I guess is the same thing.
I just bought TONIGHT white chocolate chips. I’ve never baked with them before, but I’ve got some good ideas churning up in my brain for some holiday baking this weekend and they involve the chips. And some other good stuff.
Man TJ’s is pulling out all the stops.
Favorite time of year food-wise: NOW! Peppermint and chocolate never taste as good together as they do at this time of year.
How funny, I was just thinking it was time to make some festive kettle corn and popcorn balls in my house too! Warning: we ate the entire bag of white chocolate candy cane pretzels from Trader Joes on the way home. It was addictive! I can not even imagine how good the cookie butter is! I will be picking some up this weekend!!! This is my favorite time of year for baking too!!
how are the eggnogg almonds? kinda like marzipan taste? I love how seasonal TJ’s is. yumm!
TJ’s Organic Pumpkin. Why don’t they offer that stuff all year?
Thank you so much for your advice. I appreciate it more than you could ever know and I thank my lucky stars I have the pleasure of knowing you. You are incredible, and don’t EVER let anyone tell you otherwise.
Holy smokes! I need those mint chocolate espresso beans! I wonder if the husband wants to go to Spokane again :)
It’s a good thing that cookie spread wasn’t there when I was but i did buy a jar of Biscoff spread and boy is it yummy! Dangerous but yummy.
And I totally agree about Christmas flavours – I stocked up on white chocolate chips too :)
haha, I found the exact same things :)
And I do think that the cookie butter is seasonal, as it contains “speculatius” spices, “speculatius” = xmas cookies.
Oh man, everything is so inexpensive?! It’s ridiculous here in Canada. Everything good is just so pricey. Hmm my favorite season for food would probably have to be Summer for the salads and fresh ingredients… but I also love Fall for it’s squashes and crockpot meals!
I wish we had TJ’s in Canada! Mmmm I love the sound of cookie butter! Hopefully it starts making its way up north :D
I haven’t totally stoked up on baking good, but got my flours, vegan margarine, icing sugar, and brown sugar. And of course, there’s always lots of PB in the cupboard ;) I’m good to go for now, and excited to start baking!
I just love TJ’s! I got there Holiday Guide in the mail today and it will be my reading material for the evening! I haven’t seen the mint espresso beans and egg nog almonds. Interesting! I’ll probably buy them to try them out! I saw the new nut butters, but was afraid to buy them encase I like them to much! lol I don’t think I like Egg Nog, which is probably a good thing!
I miss trader joes..and these aren’t even my favorite things there! Enjoy it.
Wow, cocoa almond spread and chocolate drizzled kettle corn?? How did I NOT see that at my TJ’s??
Oh my gosh, I would be DONE FOR if I shopped at TJs. That cookie butter is way too tempting. Seriously.
Oh, how I wish we had a TJ’s here!
Mmm. Cookie Butter. TJs has all the goods.
I love summer time eats – fresh ripe melon, BBQs, and shaved ice.
Cookie butter? OH. MY. GOODNESS.
Brooke
http://www.TheAnnessaFamily.blogspot.com
One of each please! Pretty please?
TJs is getting on a roll lately with their versions of super popular products. I find a new one every time I go!
yes, they just started carrying coconut oil recently, too!
Eggnog almonds!? I NEED a Trader Joe’s in my life!
wait, you don’t have one? Whoa…that’s harsh. LMK if you ever need anything…seriously. Sometimes you just have to have something!
Eggnog almonds?! I HAVE to try those. My current eggnog obsession is still in full force. :)
I really like the TJ’s seaweed snacks. I know a lot of people aren’t fans, but I find them to be so addictive. Good thing they’re low calorie!
I have a giveaway going with 6 packs of seaweed snacks…I hope you win it!
Fave good season?? NOW! This time between Thanksgiving and Christmas! There are just so many great sweets!
AGREED! :)
ohmigoodness… TJ’s seasonal items make my wallet and my waistline cry. They have so many amazing treats this time of year! This is kind of a weird one, but their powdered sugar is amazing. It doesn’t clump at all and makes the smoothest frostings, but I have only ever seen it at Christmas.
YES to their powdered sugar on not clumping. And their cocoa powder, and choc chips (both white and dark) are…IMO…the best. Especially for the price. Their coffee too!
Was just in TJ’s during my lunch break and I was scoping out the new products. I ‘just said no’ to the cookie butter. I have a hard enough time sticking to 2 tbs of PB a day! ;)
I almost bought the popcorn (after sampling it of course) but I realized I pretty much make my own when i’m craving it with cocoa powder/coconut flour drizzle.
Hope you’re having a great week :)
Hope your week is going well, too…and sticking to 2 tbsp a day? I’m not quite there…by a long shot. lol
Can not wait to go to TJ’s this weekend and stock up on all of these things.
So, I’ve never heard of cookie butter, but who ever invented that is my new best friend! Now, to seek out a gluten free version…or invent one!
I think my favorite “food season” is august, at the farmers’ market. Everything is so lush and bountiful. I do, love toronne and warm chestnuts during the holiday season — two essential things for an Italian in December!
those biscoff cookie dough bites that I linked…well in that recipe I gave GF options for them. look over that recipe, too.
But basically I would say soak some cashews, use GF gingerbread crackers or molasses cookies, agave, cinnamon, spices to taste…blend. there you go. GF version :)
I was at TJ’s yesterday and did not see any of these new items. I’m heading back tomorrow. Looking forward to trying their speculoos spread and I must try the cocoa kettle corn. I’m just excited to make new christmas cookie recipes this year. I love the fall and winter because I love to bake with pumpkin, ginger and molasses and then anything mint or candycane.
My TJ’s had it all on this one random & very obscure shelf. Normally they put the nut butter with the other nut butter, the cookies by other cookies, etc…but not today. GL finding the stuff. I bet it’s there, just buried in a random place.
They did the same thing at mine: the moved out all the crackers and made a Holiday (and, previously, Thanksgiving) baking section. It was strange because I couldn’t find the crackers and awesome because I got to fantasize about all the baking I could do. :)
I couldn’t agree more – as much as I do enjoy Thanksgiving, I’m all about the Christmas treats and foods! I suppose our “sweet tooth” probably has something to do with it! ;)
TG is wayyyy over rated compared to Xmas for me :)
Cookie butter? White chocolate? Yes please!
We love TJ’s chocolate mint cookies that are only out during the holidays. Is the cookie butter vegan??