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Let's just say the winners (and losers) were very, very clear.
*Canned peaches and Trader Joe's boxed creamy tomato soup are her two most requested items, FYI.
Grandma Lenny said the chips looked familiar and she was correct. They're the Trader Joe's take on Pringles. She was thrilled that she could open the package without any assistance. "One point for easy opening," she declared. But taste-wise, she was a bit disappointed. "These are not quite as tasty or crispy as Pringles. They taste more like crackers than chips," she said. "These would make nice a hors d'oeuvre. I would put tuna fish on these," she said very seriously. (Hey, I'd try it!)
At first my grandma was a bit confused by the whole idea of oat milk. "What is it? Is it water? What's in it?" she asked me, quite a few times. I explained that non-dairy milks are all the rage these days and that I actually put oat milk in my coffee every morning. I showed her that the non-dairy beverage was made of only oats and water, and that it's gluten-free and lactose-free. She was amazed. She gave the oat milk an 'A' for being easy to open and took a sip from her wine glass. "This should be good in coffee," she proclaimed. "It tastes like you dropped a little cream in water. I can see using this, and maybe it's healthier than milk." I'll take that as a win!
Cheese Crunchies are basically the Trader Joe's version of baked Cheetos, and Grandma Lenny had high hopes. "These should be delicious," she said as she scanned the nutrition label. But as she took her first bite, her smile slowly faded into a more critical face. "Oh, these should be cheesier," she said. "I like the crunch, but they could have more flavor." I think she has a valid point. "They could be thicker too, because you need to eat two of these to make up for one," she added. Touché, grandma.
Grandma Lenny likes a little spice, but I warned her that these chile dried mangos pack some serious heat. She wasn't afraid. In fact, she dug right in. "These are a little too spicy for the average person, but I like spicy things," she said. "They're a little tough for an old lady to bite into!" Then, to my amazement, she reached for another dried mango. "One of these goes a long way because you just keep chewing it." Eventually, the heat caught up to her and she chased the mango with another swig of oat milk.
I am a huge fan of roasted seaweed snacks. I think they're satisfying and crunchy and I eat them often. Lenny, on the other hand, was not in the same boat. "Absolutely not," she said, looking skeptically at the seaweed. Despite her initial reaction of not liking anything about it, Grandma was brave and she tried a bite before quickly dismissing the seaweed. "Take this away. I could use a drink after that," she told me.
Peanut butter pretzel nuggets happen to be one of my all-time favorite T.J.'s snacks, but Grandma Lenny was mostly just concerned with the packaging. "These pass the taste test, but they should be easier to open and easier to store," she criticized. She has a very good point. These are not at all resealable. I asked her how she felt about the flavor, but she ignored my question and fed the pretzels to my dog.
Now I love my grandma very much, but I am taking a harsh stand against her unpopular mochi opinion. I think these Japanese-inspired rice nuggets are delightfully crispy, salty, and delicious. Grandma Lenny, however, called them a waste of time. "I don't like it. It doesn't taste like anything, and it leaves a weird aftertaste," she told me. She added that they could use some soy sauce, which, I'll admit, isn't a bad idea.
Trader Joe's has been going wild with the truffle products lately, and people have been raving about the white truffle popcorn. "Oh, white truffles? I usually like truffles," she declared. (You and I both, Grandma.) She rightfully pointed out that the pieces of popcorn are unusually small and perhaps a tad bit stale. She wasn't sure about the popcorn at first, but I noticed she kept going back for more handfuls. "You could definitely start to like this," she said. "This could become a habit." I agree 100%.
People on Instagram are going wild over Trader Joe's new truffle hot sauce, but I saw it for the first time at Grandma Lenny's local store. I didn't know how spicy it was, so I urged her to proceed with caution. Naturally, she dove right in. "I think this is one of those flavors you have to get used to," she said. "I do not hate it," she added, dipping the popcorn into the hot sauce and then going back with a saddle potato chip. "It gets stronger as it goes down." I suggested that my grandma hold onto the hot sauce to add some flavor to one of her favorite Trader Joe's meals, BBQ-cut salmon, and she agreed it was a great game plan.
If there's one gene that runs rampant in my family, it's an ice cream gene. So Grandma Lenny was very excited that we were finally at the ice cream portion of the tasting. "This must be my reward for tasting all your weird snacks," she laughed as she opened the package. She opened the plastic to find eight plump mochi. "This is lovely," she said. My grandma loves green tea ice cream...but she has never tried mochi before, and unfortunately, the texture caught her by surprise. "It's an interesting combination, but why would you waste delicious ice cream in this pouch?" she asked. She slurped down the ice cream and discarded the rice cake exterior.
I wanted to end things on a strong note, so I saved the best for last: chocolate chip, chocolate-dipped mini ice cream cones. Grandma Lenny's face lit up when she saw the box. She counted eight mini cones, carefully selected one, and bit into it. It was hard to miss the wide smile that took over her face. "This is really a treat," she announced. Then she looked at me with a sense of urgency. "What does this sell for?" she asked. Before revealing the price, I asked her what she thinks they're worth. She responded that she would pay a dollar a piece. When I told her the price — $2.99 for eight cones — I could tell she loved them even more. There's nothing we appreciate more than good food and a good bargain, which explains our mutual love for Trader Joe's.