DailyWaffle - Page 21 of 117 - The Blog About Books and Bites

We Tried Trader Joe’s Sweet and Salty Umami Crunchies

I wasn't a huge fan of Trader Joe's previous go at rice crackers -- the mochi nuggets. They were too plain for me. But I thought these Sweet and Salty Umami Crunchies might have some potential. The thing is, while the texture is good, they're airier/puffier than the nuggets, they lean more toward the sweet…

May 8, 2023

Product Review

We Tried Trader Joe’s Sfogliatella Pastry

Trader Joe's Sfogliatella seems like something I should have liked. Crunchy pastry with a semolina, ricotta and candied orange filling. Not too sweet. Sounds perfect for me. But honestly, I'm just....ambivalent. I like the filling. It's thickened with the semolina and flavored with just the right amount of candied orange zest for me. …

April 18, 2023

Product Review

We Tried Trader Joe’s Probiotic Sparkling Beverages

Although probiotic isn't really a selling point for me, I picked up Trader Joe's Probiotic Sparkling Beverages yesterday. The flavors, ginger lemon and tangerine, sounded good and at $1.99 per 12 oz. can, it's always good to have another option in place of soda. What I like about these is they aren't too sweet.…

April 11, 2023

Book Reviews

Review: Ana Maria and the Fox by Liana de la Rosa

Marriage of convenience between BIPOC characters (she's Mexican, he's Black, a grandson descended from a formerly enslaved woman) set in 1860s London? Yes, please. What's great about Ana Maria and the Fox is that while the location/time period is familiar in historical romance, what's actually driving Ana and Gideon's story is an entirely different set…

April 10, 2023

Book Reviews

Romantic Comedy + 8 More Anticipated April Releases for your TBR

The Spring reading season is already heating up, even if it's still in the low 40s in Seattle. Someone send Spring for real, please. I've got a review of Curtis Sittenfeld's Romantic Comedy for you, along with a mix of contemporary fic with romantic elements and romance ready for your TBR. Expect reviews for…

April 4, 2023

Product Review

We Tried Trader Joe’s Lemon Mini Sheet Cake

I have been so jealous of everyone buying that gigantic chocolate peanut butter pie at Costco in the last couple of weeks. I don't even have the room in my freezer to save the leftovers if I did buy it. But at the other end of the spectrum is Trader Joe's Lemon Mini…

March 29, 2023

Book Reviews

New Book Tuesday: 4 New Romances Out Today Get the 50 Page Check

I've started doing a thing where I'll read the first 50 pages of an ARC to see if I really want to get into it. I went the distance with two of today's new romance releases, the other two I'm on the fence about. Thanks to Forever, Avon Sourcebooks Casablanca, and author Tati Richardson for…

March 28, 2023

Product Review

We Tried Trader Joe’s Coffee and Dark Chocolate Joe-Joe’s

When we first heard about Trader Joe's Coffee and Dark Chocolate Joe-Joe's last week, I wondered out loud if they could possibly be even better than the peanut butter version. Welp, here's the verdict. No, they're not. Now look, don't get me wrong, these are perfectly tasty, but when we're talking about 6g of…

March 21, 2023

Recipes

Ingredient Inspo: Nian Gao with Trader Joe’s Rice Cakes

I usually buy rice cakes at my local Asian market, but I want Trader Joe's to keep stocking Asian ingredients along with the pre-made frozen meals. So I picked up a bag of Trader Joe's rice cakes a couple of weeks ago. I made the Nian Gao from The Woks of Life, adding a red…

March 20, 2023

Food News

Trader Joe’s Previews 16 New & Returning Spring Items

Trader Joe's previewed a whopping 16 new and returning spring items on the latest episode of its Inside Trader Joe's podcast. New items include TJ's version of confetti cake and a Tomato Leaf candle. A few are limited time/limited buy, so keep your eyes peeled over the next few weeks. Let's get to the full…

March 13, 2023

We Tried Trader Joe’s Sweet and Salty Umami Crunchies

We Tried Trader Joe’s Sfogliatella Pastry

We Tried Trader Joe’s Probiotic Sparkling Beverages

Review: Ana Maria and the Fox by Liana de la Rosa

Romantic Comedy + 8 More Anticipated April Releases for your TBR

We Tried Trader Joe’s Lemon Mini Sheet Cake

New Book Tuesday: 4 New Romances Out Today Get the 50 Page Check

We Tried Trader Joe’s Coffee and Dark Chocolate Joe-Joe’s

Ingredient Inspo: Nian Gao with Trader Joe’s Rice Cakes

Trader Joe’s Previews 16 New & Returning Spring Items

Review: The Romance Revival by Christina Lauren

Book Review: Wisdom Corner by David Heska Wanbli Weiden

Book Review: Just for the Season by Rachel Griffiths