Trader Joe's Organic Margarita Mix

Guess we better sneak this review in before the end of the summer. Cold margaritas go hand in hand with hot weather. If you're at TJ's buying Apple Cider Donuts already, you're jumping the gun in my humble opinion. But hey, whatever floats your boat.

Just because your kids are going back to school doesn't make it fall yet. For it to be fall and truly feel like fall, it has to be (1) AFTER Labor Day and (2) COOL outside. Astronomically, fall doesn't start until September 22nd. If the calendar still says "August" and heat indices are routinely reaching for a hundred degrees, that puts us squarely in margarita season, my friends. So grab a glass and a couple of ice cubes and let's have a drink together.

This product is certified organic. It is the fifth margarita product we've tried from Trader Joe's, but it's the very first one we've tried that's organic. For the sake of historical record, we'll link to the other margarita reviews we've done.

Trader Joe's (not organic) Margarita Mixer

Trader Joe's Mango Margarita Mixer

Trader Joe's Lime Margarita

Trader Joe's Everything but the Bartender Margarita

This product is sweet, but not quite as candy sweet as the recently-reviewed EbtB Margarita in a can. There's little to no syrupy aftertaste here. It's an organic margarita that finishes surprisingly clean on the palate.

Instructions say to add 2 parts mix with 1 part tequila, though that can be modified to suit your taste. I've seen virgin margarita recipes involving orange juice or flavored sparkling water that would go well with this product if you're looking for something non-alcoholic. The mix is quite thick and heavy by itself, so you'll want to dilute it with something.

$3.99 for the 32 oz plastic bottle. Organic. Would buy again. All in all, it's a tasty product with great ingredients. I'll throw out eight out of ten stars for Trader Joe's Organic Margarita Mix. The beautiful wifey will follow suit.

Bottom line: 8 out of 10.

Trader Joe's Cheese & Green Chile Tamales

My mother-in-law is quite the tamale connoisseur, and these are about the only store-bought tamales that she fully endorses. The three main ingredients are corn masa, Monterey Jack cheese, and green chiles. It's not a fancy dish by any means, but it's a nice simple Mexican meal that's uber-convenient and not too pricey.

The corn, cheese, and chiles appear in the perfect ratio. There's not too much or too little of any one thing. We've always just microwaved ours, and the textures come out great, although we might wind up zapping ours a full minute or two more than the packaging suggests.

The product isn't over-seasoned or spiced up at all. There's a bit of salt and a faint hint of lime, but that's about all you can taste aside from corn flour, cheese, and green chile. There's a very mild spiciness from the chiles. It's a decent flavor on its own, but we might throw some hot sauce or salsa on the tamales if we're craving something a little more potent.

$3.79 for two tamales, found in the frozen section. This product has been around Trader Joe's for quite a while, though it's undergone a repackaging or two throughout the years. We've purchased this product numerous times, but this is the first occasion we've ever gotten around to reviewing it. Better late than never, I guess. Eight out of ten stars from me for Trader Joe's Cheese & Green Chile Tamales. Sonia will go with eight and a half out of ten.

Bottom line: 8.25 out of 10.