Cookie Butter Fudge

For the love of Cookie Butter, I found a fudge recipe that I could not pass up on this blog. It looks so yummy that I thought I would share it with you.

Cookie Butter Fudge

{recipe and pictures from With Love Rachel} 

1/2 cup milk

2 cups sugar

1 cup Speculoos Cookie Butter

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 cup chocolate chips (optional)

In a small sauce pan, boil milk and sugar. In a medium bowl, mix cookie butter and vanilla. Once the milk mixture has boiled and is smooth, pour over the cookie butter mixture until thick. Pour batter into 8 by 8 greased baking dish, and set in refrigerator for 30-45 minutes. Cut into small squares, these are rich little suckers.

You can either toss those chocolate chips in with the mix before putting the batter into the dish, or melt the chocolate and drizzle on top. I didn't do either... I forgot.

Thanks With Love Rachel for this amazing, yummy recipe! 

Trader Joe's Spinach & Kale Bites

We have all heard of the saying it's 'raining cats and dogs' and generally when this happens we run to take cover and keep dry. At Trader Joe's instead of 'cats and dogs' it's raining Spinach & Kale bites. No need to take cover, all you need is your Trader Joe's basket and a few strides to the frozen food section. These tasty bites include spinach, kale, and parmesan mixed together with onion and parmesan lightly frosted with a layer of panko breadcrumbs providing that finishing crunch.

With 10 bites per box, it will make the perfect pre-dinner treat for you and your friends. At only $4.49 a box, you have no reason to not share these with your friends and family (if you want too).


Get nutrition facts for Trader Joe's Spinach & Kale Bites.

Just in case you have no idea about all the health benefits of Kale, check out 50 Shades of Kale.

Trader Joe's Organic Virgin Coconut Oil

traderjoes.com

I'm going nuts, coconuts, for Trader Joe's Organic Virgin Coconut Oil. It is totally the magical do-all, for-all item. It is full of so many health benefits whether you choose to cook with it our use it on your skin and hair.

Coconut Oil in the Kitchen: 

If you choose to cook with it, coconut oil is full of  good fats that are heart healthy and great at controlling blood sugar, increasing digestion and absorption of fat-soluble vitamins. Coconut oil also does wonders for your immune system. It strengthens the immune system with its antimicrobial lipids and various acids which have anti-fungal, antibacterial and antiviral properties. 

Nutrition facts for Trader Joe's Organic Virgin Coconut Oil  

Coconut Oil in the Powder Room: 

If you choose to use it on your face and body, it is one of the best forms of natural nutrition for your skin and hair. For your hair, it is an excellent conditioner used to regrow damaged hair and if massaged onto your scalp it ensures your scalp will be dandruff free. When applied to your skin, coconut oil acts as an excellent moisturizer on all types of skin and helps delay wrinkles and sagging. It is also an excellent product to help treat various skin problems like eczema and dermatitis. 

With all these amazing health benefits it is a steal of a product for only $5.99 in stores. If a Trader Joe's is no where near you, it is still worth every penny to buy it online as it comes in a 2 pack allowing you to keep one in the kitchen and another in the powder room {or bathroom, wherever it is you primp yourself}. At under $20 for 2 jars, think of how much cheaper it is to buy coconut oil, which is all natural and organic, than spending a ton of money on cosmetic and haircare products which are full of harsh chemicals and fillers you can't even pronounce!

If you already use Coconut Oil in the kitchen and/or as a beauty product, please share your experiences in the comment field below. 

COOKIE BUTTER & CHOCOLATE DRIZZLED POPCORN BLISS

In writing the previous post an idea came to my mind that I thought you would enjoy. How about Cookie Butter popcorn? That actually does not exist in Trader Joe's stores, but I think a little magic in the kitchen with a few Trader Joe's items may facilitiate this concoction  Let's give it a try with this recipe:

COOKIE BUTTER & CHOCOLATE DRIZZLED POPCORN BLISS

{recipe adapted from Brown Eyed Baker}

browneyedbaker.com

INGREDIENTS:

9 cups plain popcorn
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
½ cup cookie butter
¼ cup unsalted butter
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1½ cups powdered sugar

DIRECTIONS:

1. Put the popcorn in a very large bowl.

2. In a microwave (at 50% power) or over a double boiler, melt the chocolate chips, cookie butter and butter until melted and smooth. Stir in the vanilla.

3. Pour the chocolate mixture all over the popcorn. Using a large spoon, stir until all of the popcorn is evenly coated with the chocolate/cookie butter mixture.

4. Sift the powdered sugar over the chocolate-covered popcorn and stir until each piece is evenly coated. Spread the mixture out onto a baking sheet and place in the refrigerator for about 30 minutes or until the chocolate is set.

5. Break it up and serve! Store leftovers in an airtight container.

Trader Joe's Carmel & Dark Chocolate Popcorn Crunch

'Tis the season to be jolly with this show stopper. Trader Joe's carefully crafted this seasonal item in a red canister for two reasons. First, the red is intended to mimic a stop sign and stop you in your tracks. Secondly, the carmel and dark chocolate are intended to lure you and your taste buds into a love affair that you can't resist.

Of course, nothing this delicious will last forever which is why they stamped their seasonal (limited time) badge on it. At only $3.99 each, I don't think you will have a problem tossing one three of these into your cart this Holiday season.They also make great stocking stuffers too.

"American does consume 17 billion quarts of popcorn a year (enough to fill the Empire State Building 18 times!), so you might as well contribute in a tasty way!

The nutrition facts for Carmel & Dark Chocolate Popcorn should be read as just facts; it is, after all, the Holidays and that's what New Years resolutions are for anyways...

Trader Joe's Double Creme Brie with Truffles

traderjoes.com

"Truffles" is one of my favorite words to hear and one of my favorite foods to taste. So you can imagine how excited I was when I was virtually flipping through the fearless flyer and came across this title. I immediately told my sister sitting next to me "Oh my gosh, Trader Joe's now carries Double Creme Brie with Truffles!". Her draw dropped to the floor and while I was helping reattach it, I decided I would also share this wonderful news with you.

I will definitely be picking this up in bulk especially since it is only $7.99 for a 9oz wheel. According to the Trader Joe's website, the Double Brie with Truffles Cheese is rich and creamy with an earthy salty flavor imparted by the Perigord black truffels. Well, I'm sold. I hope you are too.

Yes, your mouth is watering. Yes, you are excited.

 

Did you know: 

• Pigs, trained dogs, and goats are used to scout out truffles with their superior sniffing sense (but in our case, we can just go to Trader Joe's)
• France is the largest producer of truffles (yes, this cheese is a product of France, Oui Oui!)

Trader Joe's Gift Ideas

I love the Holidays for all the cheer, fun get togethers, lights, yummy food and libations, ugly sweater parties, and exciting gift exchanges like White Elephant. But it can get a little stressful when it's time to pick out gifts for family and friends. If you're like me, you're able to think of the perfect gifts for all your friends and family year round (which you choose not to write down because you swore to yourself you would remember as it is the perfect gift) but when the time comes to remember what those gifts were, they all vanish from your head leaving you scrambling last minute to find something that will work.

Does this scenario sound familiar?! 

It's definitely a familiar scenario for me every year and I still haven't learned to write down the gifts as I think of them. (Call me lazy, but I keep telling myself that my memory is better this year than last and that I would remember...blah, blah, blah). This year I decided I could use some of what I have coined remembering karma so I decided to make a list of gifts to help others with gift ideas before they reach the 'scrambling last minute' scenario, here is a list of gifts all under $15 which we think would make a great gift for just about anyone and they can all be ordered online (yippee!!).

One of my favorites! 

Cooking with All Things Trader Joe's Cookbook

The I Love Trader Joe's Party Cookbook

Cooking With Trader Joe's Cookbook Lighten Up! 

The I Love Trader Joe's Vegetarian Cookbook

Trader Joe's Speculoos Cookie Butter

Fred Hot Heads Insulating Mitt, Frog

Fun Tip: Keep your Trader Joe's bags and use them as wrapping paper or you can use them to make ornaments for your tree. Check out how on our Pinterest page.

Trader Joe's Best Sellers

Love Trader Joe's, but no stores in sight? Well don't fret! We have complied a list of some of Trader Joe's Best Sellers available online. That's right, some of their best products shipped to your front door!

Yes, the items are priced a bit higher, but they are still cheaper than spending a tank of gas to drive out of town!!

2 Jars of Cookie Butter for $9.99

40 Tea Bags- Candy Can Green Tea $14.49

Trader Joe's Instant Coffee Packs All Dressed Up With Creamer & Sugar Made With 100% Arabica Coffee $10.00

Trader Joe's Peppermint Pretzel Slims (pack of 2) $14.99   

Trader Joe's Organic Shells and Organic White Cheddar Macaroni & Cheese $6.50

We hope this is of some help to you and if we see any more of our favorite products at a reasonable price we will be sure to post!