Trader Joe’s Salted Maple Ice Cream Needs … More Salt

Around these parts, Molly Moon's makes the best Salted Caramel Ice Cream. It's got just enough salt to amplify the caramel and you're never asking, is this salted? I can't say the same for Trader Joe's Salted Maple Ice Cream. To be fair, the salted part here is apparently the Salted Caramel swirl, but my…

ByMichelleSeptember 14, 20220Comments

Product Review

Fall Items Are Starting to Trickle in at Trader Joe’s

Although it still feels like summer in a lot of places, fall items are trickling in at Trader Joe's. My stores usually lag behind California, but I stopped in today and here's what was on shelves in WA state. All returning items. What I'm really waiting for are the Pumpkin Samosas. A Redditor also…

ByMichelleSeptember 1, 20220Comments

Product Review

We Tried Trader Joe’s Apple Cider Marinated Pork Loin

Trader Joe's Apple Cider Marinated Pork Loin is a great way to welcome fall. I only regret that I didn't grab a jar of applesauce or the pineapple fruit spread. Because while it has cinnamon, cloves, and other spices in the marinade, this is definitely a savory pork roast. I ended up using a little…

ByMichelleSeptember 16, 20210Comments

Product Review

We Tried Trader Joe’s Butternut Squash Mac and Cheese Bites

I hit two Trader Joe's today in search of new fall items. First stop had almost nothing out yet, just pumpkin waffles, canned pumpkin, frozen spaghetti squash spirals, and the new pumpkin overnight mask. Kind of a bust - the FOMO is real! So I hit up another location at lunch, and they were still…

ByMichelleSeptember 9, 20210Comments

Recipes

‘The Hot Scot’: A Warming Winter Cocktail Inspired by FIGHT OR FLIGHT

Samantha Young's next release, FIGHT OR FLIGHT, hits shelves today in United States. It's a steamy enemies-to-lovers story that starts in an airport and traps the hero and heroine on a cross country flight. (Full review here). Bickery banter ensues. Hero Caleb Scott defines alpha-hole, and abrasive as he is at the beginning, he sure…

ByMichelleOctober 9, 20180Comments

Recipes

5 DELICIOUS WAYS TO EAT KALE

There's a lot of eyerolling and sighing when someone mentions kale. But the fact is, we eat a lot of it in the fall and winter. Already, we had a kale salad last night with a tahini yogurt dressing. I made crostini last week with red Russian kale and delicata squash. If you stop worrying about…

ByMichelleOctober 13, 20170Comments

Main Course Recipes Soups

Damn, That’s Good: The First Mess’ Lentil Soup

It's soup season. But have you already run through your tried-and-trues? Chicken noodle, beef stew, chili, vegetable, butternut squash are on repeat, right? It's time to reconsider lentil. Look, I'm with you, lentil soup at its worst is brown slop from the 70s. Let me introduce you to lentil soup at its best -- The First…

ByMichelleOctober 28, 20160Comments

Cooking Recipes

I’m About to Change Your Mind on Brussels Sprouts

It's November. It's time for pumpkin spice every thing, for trotting out the fresh green bean casserole recipe and talking how it's so much better than the old canned thing your grandma served, and for singing the praises of Brussels sprouts. Ugh, Brussels sprouts? You either love 'em or hate 'em. Until recently, I thought I…

ByMichelleNovember 17, 20151Comment

Cooking Main Course Recipes Salads Side Dishes

Before Big Sweater Season ~ Jeweled Butternut Couscous Salad

Thanksgiving really takes care of itself, doesn’t it? The meal itself is so steeped in tradition that you’re not really changing much, are you? Maybe you’ll have roasted Brussels sprouts this year instead of green beans. Maybe you’ll make apple pie in addition to pumpkin, but fundamentally, it’s the meal you grew up with. The…

ByMichelleNovember 18, 20131Comment

Main Course Recipes Side Dishes

It’s All About the Butternut, Baby

One of the best things I've eaten in an airport was a roasted butternut and feta sandwich in Melbourne. Simple, earthy and salty all at the same time. We're no strangers to the virtues of butternut squash around here, and in fact, my grinchiness about pumpkin this year has sent me straight into the arms of butternut squash. Roasted, it makes great soup, salad, risotto, pasta, even pizza sauce. Even with a good, sharp peeler, it may feel like prepping a butternut is taking your life into your own hands, but it's worth the effort.

ByMichelleOctober 15, 20130Comments

Trader Joe’s Salted Maple Ice Cream Needs … More Salt

Fall Items Are Starting to Trickle in at Trader Joe’s

We Tried Trader Joe’s Apple Cider Marinated Pork Loin

We Tried Trader Joe’s Butternut Squash Mac and Cheese Bites

‘The Hot Scot’: A Warming Winter Cocktail Inspired by FIGHT OR FLIGHT

5 DELICIOUS WAYS TO EAT KALE

Damn, That’s Good: The First Mess’ Lentil Soup

I’m About to Change Your Mind on Brussels Sprouts

Before Big Sweater Season ~ Jeweled Butternut Couscous Salad

It’s All About the Butternut, Baby

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