Happy Wednesday, everyone! I cannot believe that it is already October 7, meaning that we have now been in October for one whole week. Wow! The time is flying. With that being said, in honor of the first week of October, I have decided to complete my Trader Joe’s Fall Haul Roundup! (As promised.) If you missed it a few weeks ago, I wrote about my Trader Joe’s Fall Haul. I went to Trader Joe’s and loaded up on a whole bunch of fall goodies to review.
What I Loved…
Hold the Cone! Pumpkin Ginger mini ice cream cones
These were so good, guys! I was actually pretty skeptical in the beginning but wound up finishing the box within a few days, haha. I loved the flavor of the ginger and thought that the pumpkin flavor was not too overbearing. I also loved the size of the cones. They were just the right size to satisfy my pumpkin craving. I would most definitely buy these again!
Pumpkin Biscotti
I also really enjoyed these! They were not too sweet, and paired really well with black tea. I do not always take my tea with sugar and these biscotti were a nice substitute. Also, once again, I really loved the size of these cookies. They looked really pretty on a platter for tea time. Lastly, you got a lot in the package. One package lasted me like two weeks.
Fall Leaf Corn Tortilla Chips
Would you believe me if I said that I actually went back to Trader Joe’s for extra bags of these? Not only were they super autumnal and perfect for fall parties and gatherings, but they were so tasty! I loved how unique they were and everyone who tried them also really enjoyed them.
Fall Harvest Salsa
…and the fall leaf corn tortilla chips paired perfectly with this salsa! It was a little on the spicy side, but not overbearing. It was also semi-sweet and I loved the autumn veggies in it. I thought it was different and a refreshing change from regular salsa. I also tried this salsa on tacos one night and it was pretty decent! I do prefer this salsa dipped with the chips, but it is really versatile.
Pumpkin Cranberry Crisps
These were awesome with spreadable goat cheese! They also look really pretty and would fit well on a fall cheese platter. 10/10 would recommend these for anyone’s next gathering, especially Thanksgiving. I love the specks of cranberry in each cracker, too.
Autumnal Harvest Creamy Pasta Sauce
This was very tasty. I do not usually buy sauce in a jar, but this one was pretty good. I did not need to put much of this on pasta to get the full flavor, either. I am not sure if I would necessarily stock up on this sauce for future dates, but if anyone is looking for a fall sauce to enjoy, this one is worth trying and I would recommend doing so.
Organic Frosted Toaster Pastries in pumpkin flavor
These were so fun and a nice change from the normal fruit flavors! The frosting on them was really yummy. Just like the pumpkin biscotti, these paired really well with black tea or coffee.
Pumpkin Bread & Muffin Mix
Okay, this was actually really good! As with sauce from a jar, I am not crazy about boxed cake mixes or desserts. However, this was great and saved me a lot of time! It was easy to throw together and put in the oven. Plus, the whole house smelled great!
Haunted House Chocolate Cookie Kit
This haunted house chocolate cookie kit is soooooo cute! Honestly, I have never seen a haunted house cookie kit before and always associated decorating a cookie house with Christmastime. However, this was a great craft that was yummy to eat afterwards! In fact, I enjoyed this house kit so much that I actually bought a few extra the next time I was at Trader Joe’s to gift to my friend’s kids. It is a great spooky family craft that pairs perfect with a family movie night. (Need some suggestions? Check out this blog post!)
Apple Cider Fruit Spread
This was one last thing I really enjoyed from the fall haul. I thought it was excellent on toast and English muffins. Plus, I was kind of excited to step away from pumpkin. This time of year, everything is pumpkin flavored! And while I do enjoy pumpkin and pumpkin spice, I actually prefer apple! I believe it is the most underrated of the autumnal flavors. I would definitely try this fruit spread again.
What I Didn’t Love…
Honey Roasted Pumpkin Ravioli
Despite my enjoyment of the autumnal harvest pasta sauce, I was not crazy about these raviolis. I think my issue is that I am a ravioli snob and believe that unless ravioli is filled with fresh ricotta it is not worth eating. I am glad I tried them, though, because everyone else seems to love these!
Spiced Cider
Y’all… I am not a fan and I am so sad that I am not! This spiced cider was highly recommended by a friend who raved about it but I just couldn’t get into it. I do love apple cider, but I did not enjoy drinking this one. HOWEVER, this spiced cider was awesome to cook with! It unfortunately did not make the “love” list because it’s intended nature is to be drank and I did not like it for that purpose. However, this is the apple cider I used in my Apple Harvest Chicken recipe and it was wonderful for that.
Joe Joe’s Halloween Cookies
So, apparently some people love these Joe Joe’s cookies even when it is not Halloween time. However, I was not a fan. I thought they were kind of bland, and oddly moist? I like the colors and even thought that the jack-o-lantern faces on the cookies were super cute, but I just overall did not enjoy these cookies much.
Chocolatissimo Premium Harvest Collection Belgian Chocolates
These were OK. The chocolate, itself, was decent and the shapes were adorable, but they were not my favorite hazelnut chocolate candies. I thought they were average.
In Conclusion…
I did enjoy most of my Trader Joe’s fall haul and was so pleased with what I purchased! Overall, my favorite items were the Hold the Cone! Pumpkin Ginger mini ice cream cones, the fall leaf corn tortilla chips and harvest salsa, and the haunted house chocolate cookie kit. I would definitely purchase all of these items again, but in larger quantities.
So, that’s it! I hope my fall haul has inspired you to partake in the autumnal delights of Trader Joe’s. I cannot wait for next season!
