Trader Joe's Organic Couscous

Neither Sonia nor I grew up with couscous at all. I remember they served it in the dining commons at college once in a while. Some of the international students I knew would get moderately excited about it, so I decided to give it a whirl. It's not bad. It's a great substitute for rice or orzo, it has an interesting texture, and it goes great with Mediterranean meals.

Apparently couscous is indigenous to North Africa. It's usually a little buttery and salty, sorta fluffy texture-wise, and is a decent source of protein. The beautiful wifey and I have had pearled couscous several times, including the couscous formerly known as Trader Joe's Israeli Couscous. I prefer pearled, personally. The grains are larger and a tad firmer. We had some recently with one of our Hello Fresh meals that came with the ingredients for a garlic butter sauce. That might have been the best couscous I've ever had.

Sonia prefers the regular kind, and she's particularly enthused that this product is organic. She whipped up a batch in our latest video, posted below. It required only butter, salt, and water. The entire process took less than 10 minutes, and the results were pleasant but mostly unmemorable by my reckoning. Sonia ate some plain while I tried it with a Mediterranean style chicken and garbanzo salad.

$1.79 for 12 oz. Sonia would buy Trader Joe's Organic Couscous again, while I'd seek out the pearled kind before repurchasing this particular item. Six out of ten stars from me. Eight out of ten stars from the beautiful wifey.

Bottom line: 7 out of 10.

Trader Joe's Calamari Pieces in Olive Oil

All things considered, Trader Joe's Canned Calamari Pieces in Olive Oil are a better introduction to the magical world of edible squid than Trader Joe's Crispy Battered Calamari, despite what my initial instincts would have told me.

This product is just a tad chewy, but it's head and shoulders above the fried version, texture-wise. Both products have a pretty nice flavor in my opinion, but I think this one might just edge out the competition in terms of taste, as well, despite the crispy battered goodness coating the other product.

The tin contains 2.82 oz of bite-sized squid pieces, sourced off the coast of Spain. They're packed in olive oil and salt, and they're ready for consumption straight out of the can. Apparently the species is known as "jumbo squid" or Humboldt squid. They're much larger than the normal little squids but not as big as the giant ones that can attack submarines and eat unsuspecting swimmers in the open ocean.

I tried them plain and also on a simple arugula salad. Looking forward to trying them with Spanish rice and maybe in a pasta dish. If you've got any other ideas, let us know in the comments.

$3.99 for the single serving can. Would buy again. Eight out of ten stars from me for Trader Joe's Tinned Calamari Pieces in Olive Oil. Sonia will go with seven out of ten.

Bottom line: 7.5 out of 10.

Trader Joe's Squiggly Noodles with a Spicy Garlic Sesame Sauce

Can you believe it's been over a year and a half since we reviewed the original Trader Joe's Squiggly Noodles? Neither can I. The general consensus was that they were nothing to complain about, but also nothing to write home about. On their own, they weren't very exciting, but they made a great base for a larger Asian meal with veggies and/or meats.

Since reviewing the original squiggly noodles, we've also tried numerous flavors of Momofuku brand noodles. They are indeed quite similar, but there were certain flavors that we enjoyed more than others. Sweet & Spicy was among our favorite styles of Momofuku, and likewise, I think ratcheting up the spice level might also help with the overall flavor of Trader Joe's brand. So spicy squigglies have to be a step in the right direction from their predecessors, or so I'd assume.

Packaging-wise, they're very similar. The originals were clad in bright red while these spicy ones come in a black cellophane outer wrapper. Once again, there are four individual packs in the bag and the total price is $4.99. Interestingly enough, the spicy noodles pack a bigger punch in the calorie department, boasting 460 per serving as compared with the original squigglies coming in at 310 per serving. We've also got more sugar, more overall carbs, more protein, and more fat with the spicy version. That's a significant deviation as far as nutrition info is concerned.

And after taking a bite, I can tell you that, yes, the extra calories and carbs do indeed translate to more flavor. It's a much more exciting taste than the original squiggly noodles. It's not super spicy, heat-wise, but it brings a rich garlic soy flavor. It's got a punch for sure, but it's not a mouth-searing chili type spice. It's much more filling than the original and also much more satisfying in my opinion.

These function as a standalone meal much better than the other squiggly noodles from Trader Joe's, but we still added some egg for extra flavor and protein. If you wanted to throw in chicken or beef, bok choy, cabbage, mushrooms, carrots, or spinach, I'm sure any of those would blend seamlessly with the noodles and sauces here.

I gave the original squiggly noodles six out of ten stars and Sonia gave them seven out of ten. She's disappointed that these "spicy" noodles aren't really all that spicy, but she agrees that the overall flavor is a step in the right direction, and she also likes that these are cheaper than the Momofuku brand. She'll give these seven and a half out of ten stars. I'll go with eight out of ten. We would buy Trader Joe's Squiggly Noodles with a Spicy Garlic Sesame Sauce again.

Bottom line: 7.75 out of 10.

Trader Joe's Organic Freezer Pops

Otter Pops, Pop-Ice, Fla-Vor-Ice—whichever brand you grew up with, you know the drill. You get in from the hot summer weather and you start craving a plastic tube filled with high fructose corn syrup and Red 40. You grab some scissors, snip the top, and moments later you've got a sugar buzz and a brain freeze, and it's pure heaven.

This product isn't exactly seasonally appropriate, especially here in the Upper Midwest where we recently got a few inches of snow along with some very cold temperatures. But Trader Joe's sells these things year round, so I guess they expect some weirdos to eat them even when it's fifteen below.

Years ago, we saw some healthy freezer pops from TJ's. They were peach flavored, and we liked them quite a bit. They had little bits of actual peach in them, which was nice. This iteration doesn't have fruit chunks in it, but it's certified organic, it's made of real fruit juice concentrates, and it uses stuff like vegetable juice and turmeric for coloring.

Along those same lines, if you're expecting these to taste just like the aforementioned mainstream popsicles with all the chemicals and dyes, you're probably going to be disappointed. These taste like frozen fruit juices rather than fake stuff that's loaded with added sugar.

The berry flavor is my favorite by a good margin. It just has the best taste overall. I like the cherry limeade quite a bit, too, but it leaves an aftertaste that I'm not a huge fan of. The orange flavor tastes way more tart than I expected it to, but it's tangy and citrusy and is a bit like licking the block of frozen orange juice concentrate straight out of the can before it's mixed with water...not that I would know what that tastes like or anything...

$3.49 for ten pops. Would buy again when temperatures are above freezing. Sonia will give Trader Joe's Organic Freezer Pops eight out of ten stars. I'll go with seven out of ten.

Bottom line: 7.5 out of 10.

Trader Joe's Italian Confetti Almonds

I admit I complain a lot about certain Trader Joe's foods being too hard. It seems like other TJ's customers must have adamantium jaws, because I don't hear a lot of other folks making that same observation. Products like English Toffee, Mango Sticky Rice Crisps, and more than one of their sweet cracker "crisps" come to mind. When I eat those delicious yet overly rigid products, I feel like Trader Joe's has made some kind of sinister deal with the American Dental Association to help them drum up demand for extra crowns and fillings.

These almonds feel like they're coated in glass. Fortunately, it's a delicate sugary glass that melts in your mouth if you suck on it long enough. The candy is an interesting, sweet, vanilla-esque flavor. The almonds are flat and long, apparently by virtue of their status as Avola almonds, a species that's indigenous to Sicily, Italy. "Confetti almonds" are apparently a popular favor given out at Italian weddings.

Sonia loves the candy coating even though she, too, agrees that it's excessively hard. We both agree the flavor of the almonds themselves is very good. I think I'd have preferred to try the Avola almonds without the candy since I'm not familiar with them. The shell is okay in my book, but it detracts from the almonds in both taste and texture in the end. And just in case you're wondering, this product was still many months before its best by date when we consumed it.

$4.49 for the 6 oz resealable bag. Imported from Italy. Kosher. Sonia will give Trader Joe's Italian Confetti Almonds 7.5 out of 10 stars because she loves the flavor. I think the taste is nice, but it's not enough to make me ever want to buy these again in their current format. Unfortunately, comparable bags of plain Avola almonds will run you upwards of twelve bucks. Guess I'll wait until TJ's offers Avolas without the armor. Five out of ten stars from me.

Sonia's score: 7.5 out of 10.

Nathan's score: 5 out of 10.

Trader Joe's Cocoa Berry Black Tea Blend

At the time I'm composing this post, the high today will be nearly double digits below zero here in the Upper Midwest. It'll be something like forty degrees warmer by the time this review goes live. So if you're reading these words, that means we likely survived the polar vortex in order to publish this article on the interwebs. Yay.

I'm virtually never in the mood for hot beverages. I'm generally chugging a Red Bull rather than coffee even if we're talking literal freezing temps outside. But when you're looking at early morning weather in the ballpark of minus fifteen...well, then even I might reach for a steaming mug of java, hot chocolate, or in this case tea—what appears to be a very unique tea, just looking at the description on the box anyway.

And unique it is. It's not as indulgent or as rich as the name "cocoa berry" might make it sound. It is, indeed, a tea, so all the flavors are subtle. It smells more like cocoa than it tastes. There's a faint berry essence and an even fainter chocolatey one. It's a tea blend that very much favors the addition of sugar and cream in my humble opinion. Or, like Sonia, you can turn it into a latte.

It's a black tea so it's got some caffeine. There's a mild invigorating quality to the taste. I'd have this for breakfast or a mid-afternoon pick-me-up. It's nothing to write home about, nor is it anything to complain about.

I was just about to say I wouldn't buy it again, but when I looked up the price, I had to reconsider. Two bucks for ten tea bags. The cute little box and fancy presentation make it something that might be nice to have on hand to offer to guests on cold winter days. Seven out of ten stars from me. Eight out of ten stars from Sonia for Trader Joe's Cocoa Berry Black Tea Blend.

Bottom line: 7.5 out of 10.

Hardywood Joe-Joe's Chocolate Vanilla Creme Stout

Mind you, I'm no expert, but I've had a handful of chocolate stouts and porters in my day, and none really stood out to me in a big way. Can't say this one is much different except for the fancy packaging. I think I've enjoyed coffee and peanut butter porters at least as much as the chocolate ones. Then there was that beer that was both coffee and peanut butter that we found at Trader Joe's a few years back. That post was scribed by my erstwhile Pittsburgh-based colleague, but I can't say I disagree with his sentiments about that particular brew in any case.

Hardywood Joe-Joe's Chocolate Vanilla Creme Stout has a nice rich dark beer flavor with some mild sweetness and chocolate essence. It's a good bit milky, too. As far as anything cookie-esque, you really have to use your imagination. I didn't find the alcohol flavor to be particularly harsh despite a relatively high ABV for beer: 9.2%.

I didn't do the pro bartender pour in the video since I was recording with my other hand, but the beer still managed to fill my pint glass without an excessive head—just a nice layer of light tan on top of the deep dark brown body. No major complaints. The chocolate beer paired well with peanut butter pretzels and yielded a vaguely Reese's-esque flavor combo.

Not sure how we wound up with the moniker "Joe-Joe's" on the can but not the Trader Joe's logo. I imagine the Hardywood boss guy was like, "If we're gonna brew this stuff for you, how many times do you really need your name on the package? You get two instances of 'Joe' and then 'Hardywood' gets top billing, and that's my final offer."

Big Joe liked the product well enough that he shook hands on the deal. We like the brew well enough, too. $3.75 for a single pint or fifteen bucks for a four pack. Seven and a half stars from both Sonia and me for Hardywood Joe-Joe's Chocolate Vanilla Creme Stout.

Bottom line: 7.5 out of 10.

Trader Joe's Milk Chocolate Honeycomb Candy

So...actual honeycomb is perfectly safe to eat and some say delicious, so I was hoping this was, you know, actual honeycomb covered in chocolate. It's not. It's more like that Sponge Candy in terms of texture and maybe like the Honey Toffee Pecans in terms of packaging and beehive-themed allure.

It's a crispy, wafery crystallized sugar kinda situation here. The candies are much harder to bite into than I'd want them to be. Visually, the insides greatly resemble the filling of a Butterfinger bar but a tad more rigid in terms of texture.

Flavor-wise, there's a rich honey essence but also something unexpectedly buttery. I'd say chocolate plays second fiddle to the crunchy honey candy underneath, but it's definitely there, and it's definitely a sweet milk chocolate flavor rather than anything darker with rich, earthy cacao undertones.

I found sucking on the candies for a minute made them much more easy to chew. I really can't stand the texture of toffee for the same reason, but these candies get much more malleable after a spell in your mouth.

$3.99 for the 4.6 oz resealable bag. Product of Thailand. I like the flavor of these unique candies a lot, but I don't know if I'd buy it very often because I don't like dentists. Sonia feels similarly. We'll go with seven and a half out of ten stars each for Trader Joe's Milk Chocolate Covered Honeycomb Candy.

Bottom line: 7.5 out of 10.

Trader Joe's Cassata Baked Ricotta Cheese

As others rave about this product as well as the Baked Lemon Ricotta, I'm starting to think "dessert cheeses" just aren't my thing. I gave them both a whirl and while I'm still intrigued and wanting to love them, I can only muster a "that was neat to try" attitude rather than full-fledged enthusiasm.

As the label says, this one is filled with chocolate chips and candied fruit bits including citrus peels, pumpkin, and pear. The product was neither as sweet nor as creamy as I was wanting it to be. The texture of whey hit my tongue and palate more heavily than anything else when I bit into this cheese.

The fruit bits and chocolate chunks weren't nearly as intrusive as I assumed they'd be texture-wise or flavor-wise. They added a hint of complexity that was both enjoyable and unique. Sonia's glad the chocolate flavor wasn't overbearing, but she still wishes the ricotta itself were more dominant in the overall flavor profile.

Maybe it's because we don't charcuterie like the pros, but we were at a bit of a loss as to how to eat this cheese. We both enjoyed it baked into pancakes and waffles much more than we did when it was room temperature or refrigerated, but it's still not something we'd care to purchase with any kind of regularity.

$4.99 for the 6.35 oz package. It's worth a try for the adventurous eater if it comes back next year. Lots of folks are vastly more passionate about this selection than we are. Let us know your thoughts in the comments. Sonia will give Trader Joe's Cassata Baked Ricotta Cheese seven and a half out of ten stars. I'll go with six and a half.

Bottom line: 7 out of 10.

Trader Joe's Olive Tapenade Hummus

This is about the tenth style of hummus we've reviewed from Trader Joe's throughout the years. I won't bore you with a recap of each one. Just head to our blog and type "hummus" into the search bar if you're interested.

I'd say this variety falls squarely in the middle of the pack for me, personally. I like the hummus element. Pretty standard. Whirled chickpeas and tahini for the win.

The tapenade portion of the product is very briny. I mean, yeah, many olives come packed in salt water, so a bit of brininess is to be expected, but this seemed a tad excessive to me. Not a dealbreaker. I like a good bit of sodium in my diet, and if you mix equal parts hummus with tapenade in every bite, you can effectively mitigate the brine factor.

Sonia is a fan of the combo. The saltiness didn't bother her much. She's very much into anything Mediterranean these days. I think it would be ideal with fresh bruschetta, but we enjoyed it with the random types of bread products we had lying around the house—pita, naan, and even just water crackers.

$3.49 in the refrigerated section. Kosher. Sonia would buy it again and I wouldn't stop her unless there were some newfangled hummus that looked more interesting on our next Trader Joe's run. Sonia will throw out seven and a half out of ten stars for Trader Joe's Olive Tapenade Hummus. I'll go with seven out of ten.

Bottom line: 7.25 out of 10.

Trader Joe's Something Spritzy Sparkling Beverages

If you're here to read about the festive version of Something Spritzy, then happy holidays! If you're here at some point in the future to read our thoughts on the original beverage in the blue can, then welcome! Happy Easter or 4th of July or whatever magical time of year you happen to be reading this.

Once again, there's a video review at the bottom of this post with more info than I'll be writing here, but I'll still throw you a bone and drop some bullet points. First, neither beverage is super sweet. Neither one is bursting with flavor. They're both quite subtle. You'll note that they're relatively low in calories, the red can with 80 and the blue can with only 60, respectively.

They both have fruit juices and cane sugar. The blue version is a faint pineapple and orange flavor, with Sonia noting that there's a grapefruit-esque essence and slight aftertaste. The red can tastes like orange to her while I note more cranberry flavor and a faint blend of holiday spices—like Wassail Punch, but not quite as good or as flavorful.

Each can is $1.99. I give Trader Joe's Something Spritzy original and festive editions seven and a half out of ten...and that might be a feel-good holiday-style don't-wanna-be-a-Scrooge kinda score. Sonia gives the red can a generous eight out of ten and the blue can seven and a half.

Bottom line: Something Spritzy Original: 7.5 out of 10.

Bottom line: Something Spritzy Festive: 7.75 out of 10.

Trader Joe's Dark Chocolate Stars

For a dude who doesn't really like dark chocolate or crispy cookies all that much, I sure eat a lot of dark chocolate and crispy cookies. But shoot, I do it all in the name of intrepid food reviewing.

I try to be objective and informative enough that even if I don't thoroughly enjoy a product, I give you enough info that you can guess whether you'd like it or not.

Click to enlarge

In this case, if you like crispy, crumbly shortbread and dark chocolate, there's absolutely no reason these won't be your favorite Christmas cookies ever. Me? Yeah, they're kinda exactly what I expected.

And I wasn't expecting to be thrilled. But hey, it's the holiday season and we're going to accentuate the positive and all that. These cookies have been an end-of-the-year mainstay at Trader Joe's for many years.

$4.99 for the 16 oz box. Wouldn't buy again, personally, but I totally get it if you're a fan. More dark chocolate stars for you, I say. 

I give Trader Joe's Dark Chocolate Stars six and a half out of ten stars. Sonia will go with seven and a half out of ten.

Bottom line: 7 out of 10.

Trader Joe's German Iced Gingerbread Soft Spiced Cookies

These were near the checkout area at Trader Joe's on our last run. "German Iced Gingerbread Soft Spiced Cookies." Awesome. Sounds delicious. And they're soft...it's like a dream come true!

Except by "soft," they mean totally not soft. Like they're the same texture as gingersnaps or run-of-the-mill crispy cookies. I mean, they're not super hard...but they're by no means "soft" and honestly, they're a little on the dry side.

It's too bad because they taste really good. The icing makes them nice and sweet. The ginger flavor is just about perfect—not too strong, not too weak. They go great with coffee. There are actually two individually wrapped "cookies" in the box which helps keep the second one fresher longer. They're quite large. Each pastry is three servings a piece. They're like the same shape as a Pop-Tart but just a bit bigger in every dimension.

I'm not sure we would have purchased them if they hadn't so boldly proclaimed themselves "soft," but in the end, that's really our only complaint. There are just so many cookies of every kind floating around at Trader Joe's and everywhere else this time of year, it takes something extraordinarily special to get top marks on this blog. Unfortunately, we can only recommend these if you don't mind crunchy cookies or if you're looking for a spiced international treat to dunk in your java.

Product of Germany. $3.49 for the six serving box. Might make a decent stocking stuffer or cheap gift. Seven out of ten stars from Sonia and me for Trader Joe's German Iced Gingerbread Cookies.

Bottom line: 7 out of 10.

Trader Joe's Winter Sangria Sparkling Water

More seasonal water from Trader Joe's. Get it while supplies last. Is winter sangria a thing? This water tastes like year-round sangria to me. It's like a faint fruit punch flavor with maybe a slight emphasis on grape—you know, like wine...sorta.

There's nothing to suggest that it's alcoholic or that it's even trying to emulate an alcoholic beverage. And I mean, in terms of alcohol flavor, even regular sangria isn't very potent. You're mixing like maybe 13% ABV red wine with zero alcohol fruit punch, so it's maybe in the ballpark of 5% alcohol depending on your wine to punch ratio. I digress.

This flavor is fine. It's festive, I guess. There's a bit of an aftertaste that I'm not a huge fan of, but it's not a deal-breaker. It's not that intense. I'd buy again next winter.

$3.49 for eight 12 oz cans. Kosher. Wouldn't all water be kosher, though? I guess not. I just Googled that real quick and I'm not even gonna touch that on here. We give this flavored water seven and a half out of ten stars.

Bottom line: 7.5 out of 10.

Trader Joe's Dark Chocolate Covered Peppermint Cremes

Peppermint is seasonally appropriate this time of year, and I must admit it pairs up pretty well with chocolate. Still, it's never been my personal favorite. I'm usually underwhelmed by peppermint and chocolate combos, with a few notable exceptions, namely: Bittersweet Mint ice cream from the Berkey Creamery, and Trader Joe's Peppermint Hot Chocolate in the big green tin that's been available around the holidays for quite some time now.

Here's the part where I tell you I like milk chocolate more than dark chocolate and you look down on me and think about clicking over to another review. But you can't say I don't give it chance after chance after chance. I mean half of Trader Joe's offerings are slathered in dark chocolate. Sometimes it works. Sometimes it doesn't. Maybe even occasionally I'll admit dark chocolate works better than milk chocolate for certain applications.

I think I'd still like to try a milk chocolate version of these, but dark chocolate gets the job done. They're more minty than chocolatey by my estimation, thanks to not only a generous glob of peppermint creme in their centers but also the little candy bits all over their outsides. Certain specimens seemed fatter than others, and those seemed to have a tad more minty creme in their middles than the flatter ones.

I was wondering what exactly "peppermint creme" would look and taste like. It's pretty much a dead ringer for the stuff that's in the middle of a York Peppermint Patty. I might even go out on a limb and say that if you like Peppermint Patties and dark chocolate, you'll enjoy these most definitely. The creamy center is our favorite part of the candy by far. Still, I'll tire of them after two or three pieces, but they were fun to try and would be something I'd keep in the back of my mind as a stocking stuffer or a contribution to an under $5 white elephant party or something like that.

$3.99 for 15 peppermint cremes. Kosher. Put me down for seven out of ten stars for Trader Joe's Dark Chocolate Covered Peppermint Cremes. I might have gone with something higher if it had been milk chocolate. Sonia will go with seven out of ten as well, stating that they would have gotten an eight but that the candy cane bits hurt her teeth.

Bottom line: 7 out of 10.

Trader Joe's Coffee Panna Cotta

Dang. No wonder they want you to take that stuff out of the little cup and turn it upside down. It looks just like Fancy Feast sitting in there. Not particularly appetizing.

It wasn't quite the flavor extravaganza we were hoping it was, but it tastes a lot better than it looks. Coffee flavored, but not over the top. Sweet, but honestly it could have been a bit sweeter. Sonia wanted the syrup to be a lot thicker and wouldn't have minded more of it.

That's why I think it's better to eat it straight out of the cup. You don't lose any of the sauce that way. The presentation isn't nearly as nice, but unless you're trying to impress somebody, there's really no reason to flip it over and have the dark brown liquid slide all over your plate.

There was a peach and blueberry panna cotta at Trader Joe's years and years ago. Sonia and I both liked that one better than this one. I thought for sure the beautiful wifey would favor this one, but no. She agrees the fruit flavors worked better. She thinks maybe a true espresso panna cotta might be good with heavier coffee undertones and more sugar. She prefers good old Mexican flan to this stuff.

$3.49 for two single serving cups, found in the refrigerated section. It's not bad, but we probably wouldn't buy again. Italian-inspired, but not imported from Italy. Seven out of ten stars from both of us on Trader Joe's Coffee Panna Cotta.

Bottom line: 7 out of 10.

Trader Joe's Organic Iced Oatmeal Baked Whole Grain Bar

Organic whole grain oats are super duper healthy. And they taste okay. Nothing to complain about, right? But hey, let's face it: whole grain oats are kinda boring, bland, and plain.

That's where that icing comes in. There's a lot riding on that icing. That icing is tasked with taking something dull and turning it into something you'll actually choose to eat over a Snickers or a Twinkie from the vending machine when you get that mid-day munchies feeling at work.

And it does a pretty decent job in this particular case. There's a sweet, almost milky, taste to these bars. They're nice and soft, too. Very easy and pleasant to chew. 

A lot of the ingredients are pretty obvious: oats, rice, sugar. But there are some surprises as well: fig paste, vanilla chips, and cinnamon. They all come together for a unique flavor that can curb a sweet tooth or a mid-day snack attack without too much indulgence. I was impressed.

$4.69 for six single serving bars is a bit steep in my opinion. But hey, they're organic, kosher, gluten free, and have three grams of fiber in every bar. 

Another product of Canada. You'd think we could produce oatmeal bars here in the states, but Trader Joe has always been international like that. 

Sonia and I will throw out seven and a half stars for Trader Joe's Organic Iced Oatmeal Baked Whole Grain Bar.

Bottom line: 7.5 out of 10.

Trader Joe's Belgian Cookie Collection

First of all, THANK YOU to those who have followed, shared, commented on, and supported this blog for so many years. If you read this blog but haven't checked out our YouTube channel lately, I highly recommend doing so. From 2011 - 2022 we were doing just 4 or 5 video reviews a year for the heck of it. In July of last year, I decided to do a video for just about every single written post. I figured I already had a "script" from each of these blog posts and some visuals in the form of the product photos we were taking for each review anyway, so I began reading the review into a mic and then simply adding some background music and stock photos.

From there, we picked up the frequency of our "live action" video reviews where the beautiful wifey and I sample Trader Joe's food items on camera and have full discussions of those products. Although I still have far to go, I've gotten better at editing. I've worked in some very interesting AI generated songs into certain videos. Sometimes I write the lyrics and let the artificial intelligence do the instrumentation and other times I let the AI write the words, too. Some of the videos are quite watchable but it's difficult to stand out in the sea of quick cut TikTok'ers and young "Trader Joe's Haul" aficionados who've already amassed millions of loyal fans.

If we do the video review first, I generally want there to be a written companion, but doing a traditional blog post essentially doubles my workload—having to shoot and edit a video as well as a written review with still photos. So on one or two occasions, I simply copied the video transcript, cleaned it up a bit, and posted it as the written blog post here. For longer videos such as the one below, posting the transcript isn't really practical, so I'll simply post a few summarizing thoughts and let the video do most of the talking. All that to say that the meat of this review is in the YouTube video only and if you'd like to hear our thoughts, simply click "play." Many thanks to those of you who already watch, like, and subscribe.

TL;DR — Watch our YouTube videos.

Trader Joe's Belgian Cookie Collection in a nutshell: The presentation of this $11 import is stellar. Most of the 90+ cookies are fairly run-of-the-mill shortbread covered in various types of Belgian chocolate. Only 3 or 4 of the twelve varieties really stand out as unique. We'd buy again if we were headed to a big holiday shindig or buying a gift for someone who really loves Belgian sweets. For a cheaper and smaller option of comparable quality, see Trader Joe's Belgian Cookie Trio.

Bottom line: 7.25 out of 10.