The mini cupcake edition

CUPCAKES, YOU GUYS! And mini-cupcakes at that! Is there anything more awesome than a cupcake that you can fit in the palm of your hand, like this?

(For some reason, the picture makes my hand look HUGE and the cupcake holder look like it holds, like, four cupcakes. Believe it or not, it holds 12 mini cupcakes.)

Where was I? Oh, right. It was my son's birthday and we were headed to my parents' house to celebrate. I hadn't made a thing for his birthday because it was one of those weeks where Monday suddenly becomes Friday and it's all I can do to make sure everyone is bathed and fed. Point is, despite my well-documented love of baking, I didn't have anything planned or made. In a panic (you can't have a birthday party without cake!), I picked up a package of Trader Joe's mini cupcakes, going all out with the chocolate cake/chocolate frosting combo.

They.were.awesome. Now, this might be sacrilegious to some, but I don't really care, so here it goes: They tasted like an excellently dense version of the cake part of Hostess cupcakes. I mean, they were good. Way too good.

And here's the downside: because they're small, you can totally talk yourself into eating a second one. "They're smaller than a full-size cupcake," you'll find yourself thinking. "Ergo, get a second one." Because it's dessert math, whereby one full-size cupcake is likely equal to two - or maybe even three - full-size cupcakes.

The buttercream frosting is rich and thick, but I think it's just on the side of "not enough frosting." I don't want it to be sickly-sweet, but I think just a smattering more would have done the trick. It's probably a good thing the cupcakes don't have more frosting, so no deduction.


Verdict: 4 out of 4 Hawaiian-print shirts.

Review: Unsulfered sweetened & dried mango

I've written about dried fruits before on this blog and have liked pretty much everything I've reviewed, with the apple rings perhaps being my favorite of the group. The dried mango, though? I think it blows the rest out of the water.

Sure, it has a fairly tough texture, but it's not approaching jerky territory, either. I have only given my son small bits already cut up, as I don't think he can tear apart the dried mango at this time. For what it's worth, he's two.

The mango taste is so well-preserved, too, and its taste is intact; sometimes, the dried fruits lose their taste and one kind tastes like any other. The dried mango is also sweet, and if I have only one thing to say against this product, it's that it's almost too sweet. I'd be curious to see how it would taste without any sort of sweetener.

Finally - and this isn't a quibble, just an observation - the mango slices are cut in a variety of sizes. Some were almost the length of my hand, while others were much smaller. 

Verdict: 4 out of 4 Hawaiian-print shirts

Pro tip: Dice a few slices and sprinkle them in your salad for a sweet touch.

Who doesn't like a freebie?

I've been writing this blog for about six months, now, and you know what? It's totally time for me to give something back to you, my readers. I love writing this blog because of you! I enjoy reading your comments and your emails, and I want to give back in some small way - and that means a giveaway!

That's right, I'm giving away a package of Trader Joe's candy that will be mailed to your doorstep. Right now, it's looking like a few packages of the Mango! Mango! candy, and some others, too. (I wanted to give away a few packages of the Almondictive Bits candy, but oh, it would be a MESS at this time of the year.)

What do you have to do? It's easy: In the comments section of this post, write your favorite Trader Joe's product. Do you love the Mandarin Orange Chicken or adore the guacamole? Let the world know!

What's the deadline? You have between now and 11 p.m. on Tuesday, May 29, to write a comment. I'll use a randomizer to select one lucky winner, which will be announced at a later date.

Fine print stuff: One comment per person, and you must live within the continental United States.

Have fun!

Around the web: Trader Joe's Round-up

Another week bites the dust. Let's get ready for the weekend and the unofficial start of summer, wearing white pants/shoes, and hot weather!

• Trader Joe's chocolate chips are no longer certified Pareve, and are now certified dairy. This is not good news for a number of shoppers, and there is a run on the product in some areas.
• Check out this story about a macaw abandoned at Trader Joe's in Capitola. Wait, don't do that - you'll start your weekend in a bad mood.
• The guys of What's Good at Trader Joe's really liked the habanero hot sauce. I have a 32-ounce bottle of Louisiana hot sauce in my pantry, so must.resist.temptation....
• Bigger space, less parking planned for Boulder's future Trader Joe's store.
• Coupons!

It's a "Best of" post!

You know when a popular show has been on the air for a while, and every so often they'll slip in a "best of" episode highlighting favorite clips from the last few seasons? On the one hand, it's fun because it's a way for fans to walk down memory lane or discover an episode they've missed. On the other hand, it can come across as lazy filler, with the actors just having a handful of lines in between fancy-for-the-80s dream shots and clips of "Remember when?"

So...yeah, hi! It's a "best of" post! Check out some of my most popular blog posts in the last few months:

1. Review of Trader Joe’s Irish Banger Sausages. These aren’t available in stores now, but boy, people STILL don’t know how to cook these.
2. Review of green plant juice. Is it Swamp Thing’s cocktail or pond water? People have no idea what to make of this (hint: It’s DELICIOUS).
3. Review of falafel chips. It’s been on the shelves for a while (I reviewed these back in February), but readers still want my take on this product. Just buy it already!
4. Review of all-in-one facial cleanser. Readers really seem to like this one.
5. Review of eggplant cutlets. You can’t say you’ve lived until you’ve tried these. SERIOUSLY.