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“The selections stretch out like a never-ending red carpet.”
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Mackenzie Filson
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“The selections stretch out like a never-ending red carpet.”
READ MORE…
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Mackenzie Filson
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With Thanksgiving in the rearview and leftovers running low, the winter holidays are (finally) taking center stage. Move over, turkeys — Santa’s coming to town! (Did anyone else watch Elf this past weekend?) The latest episode of the Inside Trader Joe’s podcast dropped earlier this week, and co-hosts Tara Miller and Matt Sloan are also going all in on the festivities.
“There are 469 seasonal products at Trader Joe’s this time of year,” says Tara, and about 86 of them are completely new to stores. Can you imagine the giant stocking you’d need to stuff with all those items? The duo is doing us all a solid by giving us a starting point.
Out of the hundreds of returning items and dozens of new launches, these are the 12 they’re most excited about.
“These [pancakes] don’t look like cinnamon buns,” says Matt. “But they do taste like cinnamon bun.” Created by a secret supplier in New York, this new mix has “all the spices in a cinnamon bun,” says Trang, a product developer at Trader Joe’s, and “little crispy bits of cinnamon candies that melt as you cook them” (or crisp up in waffle form). Plus, she adds, “They’re very fluffy.”
Inside this box you’ll find four exclusive pretzel flavors in “beautifully designed” and incredibly giftable bags, says Trang, which means you won’t find them anywhere else in the store — at any time of the year. “We have a jingle jangle-inspired pretzel that has a peanut butter coating and candy gems on it,” a coffee candy covered pretzel drizzled in dark chocolate, a dark chocolate covered pretzel topped with peppermint candy pieces, and a milk chocolate covered pretzel topped with rainbow nonpareils.
A delicious dessert in less than two minutes? Sign us up for “this absolutely extraordinary gooey, delicious, salty, sweet, soft bread pudding made with pretzel bread,” says Tara. The frozen newcomer needs just 45 to 50 seconds in the microwave (or 15 minutes in the oven) and a 60-second cool-off period. They come in little cups — two per package — and once “you flip it and remove that cup, it looks like an expertly plated thing at a high-end restaurant,” says Matt.
Imported from Denmark, you’ll find not one, but three styles of cookies — all dipped in chocolate — in this box: marzipan filled Napoleon hats, coconut macaroons, and almond triangles. “They’re really beautiful, says Matt,” and “lovingly handmade.”
Speaking of trios, these adorable miniature cakes also come in three flavors: chocolate (chocolate cake with chocolate filling and a dark chocolate coating), vanilla (vanilla cake with vanilla buttercream and a white chocolatey coating), and coffee (coffee-coated chocolate cake with a coffee filling). There are nine to a pack, so invite someone over and have yourself a tea party for two.
As the name suggests, these new shrimp dumplings are VIBRANT. The color comes from vegetables, like spinach (for green), beet (red), and pumpkin and tumeric (yellow). You can heat these in a steamer basket, as shown on the package, microwave them (they get a little chewier, according to Tara), or if you like them “nice and crispy,” she adds, you can pan-fry them.
“Understanding which cheddar might work well with additional ingredients,” says Matt, is one of the things the cheesemakers in Leicestershire do best. (They’ve got more than 100 years of experience making cheese.) Take this mild cheddar, which is blended with Spanish figs that have been marinated in white wine and rum. Um, yum! “I will have this on every cheese plate, cheese board, cheese presentation that I make this holiday season,” says Tara. “I’m looking forward to making a grilled cheese sandwich with this cheese,” she adds.
If you prefer to drink your cinnamon bun, then this oat creamer is likely your cup of tea — or coffee. “It’s modeled after [the] Brown Sugar Oat Creamer,” says Matt, which is another customer favorite. “It really does make a cup of coffee taste like a cinnamon bun,” adds Tara. “It has that cinnamon, sugary deliciousness.” Another colleague recommends using it to make French toast.
While you’re at it, keep those mugs handy for this Glühwein, a sweet mulled wine from Germany. Spiced with cinnamon, vanilla, cloves, nutmeg, and orange and lemon zest, “it’s not overly flavored with any of those things,” says Tara, “but I think heated on a chilly winter night, that’s kind of a fun thing to drink.”
What’s old is new with this beauty advent calendar, which first launched in 2019. This year, the package got a whole new “stellar design.” (“Yes, it’s covered with stars,” says Tara.) Beneath the perforated boxes, you’ll find 12 sample-sized products, including the wildly popular facial sunscreen and lip scrub, hair mask, body butter, and more.
You might recognize this body butter from last year’s 12 Days of Beauty advent calendar. Well, its back and bigger than ever — a full eight ounces, instead of one. The moisturizer’s candy-cane smell is subtle (not “mediciney” as other pepperminty-scented things can be, explains Tara), as is its shimmer. “If you’re not looking for it, you might not really notice it, which, to me, is the best possible scenario,” she adds.
Even when you don’t have chocolate croissants in the oven, you can have scents of buttery laminated dough and melted chocolate wafting throughout your home. It’s a “subtle” yet “wonderful” aroma, according to Tara and Matt, and one worth clearing some space in your candle collection for.
Which of these seasonal items are you most excited about? Tell us in the comments below!
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Mara Weinraub
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With the unfortunate resurgence of early 00’s low-rise jeans, I know I can’t be the only one to notice another staple is very much in its retro era: cheese. Yes, you read correctly. Much like crop-tops, platform shoes, and flare jeans, cheese, of all things, is playing with the trends of the 90’s all the way back to the ‘30s — and having fun, clearly.
Scanning the aisles of your local grocery store (or TikTok or your favorite bar’s cocktail menu), you’ll find a veritable Eras Tour of cheeses on display: kitschy baked bries harkening to brassy, neon 80’s Bunco night; Depression-era limburger cheese spread upon crusty brown bread; or a 70’s-style fondue pot of Gruyère, complete with cubed bread and sliced apples (shag carpet not included).
TikTok is, as you might expect, the key reason for resuscitating many of these cheesy traditions of yore. When in doubt, if you see a bare spot on the shelf, it’s likely due to a newly-viral TikTok trend. Most recently, the party has been happening at none other than the cottage cheese section. So much so that cottage cheese makers in Wisconsin are even expanding their operations, banking on the viral popularity of the trend to last long after the buzz dies down, says Josie Krogh, the digital editor for Culture, a magazine that focuses on the (literal) culture of cheese and the people who craft it.
You likely lived through the Great Cottage Cheese Awakening of 2023, where TikTokers like Justine Doiron (aka @Justine_Snacks) popularized “cheese bowls”. At its core, this particular dish is a beautiful thing, really, bringing less likely-to-be-a-star cheeses, like ricotta and cottage cheese, to the main stage by putting cheese in general at the center of a meal (the dream). In place of a separately cooked protein, Doiron adds a generous spoonful or two of said cheeses to a bowl before loading up on fun toppings, like sauteed vegetables, crusty bread for dipping, and herbs and spice blends, like za’atar.
The glow-up of other cheeses is not insubstantial, either, as it’s resulting in a boom of retro recipes and restaurant dishes highlighting rich, gooey, more luxurious cheeses that the dark ages of the fat-free 90s nearly made extinct.
What is old can be new again and absolutely should be, because there’s plenty of correcting to do when it comes to reviving the popularity of cheeses, such as nutty alpine cheeses like Gruyère and Comté, entry-point blue cheeses like Cambozola, and even more infamously funky cheeses like Limburger.
Limburger, a stinky turn of the century cheese made seemingly the butt of too many jokes in TV shows across the 20th century (maligned in a song by the B-52s and a sketch from Monty Python, amongst many others), is now staging its major comeback, says Krogh. “People are either discovering for the first time or rediscovering foods that they had written off as gross without necessarily trying them or understanding them,” she says, adding that this discovery is similar to cottage cheese’s comeback.
Nostalgia (and cheese) are deliciously stabilizing in times where something consistently good can be just what you need on the menu. “I feel like overall we’re all kind of looking for comfort and you find comfort in nostalgia because everything feels so chaotic and scary right now,” says Sohla El-Waylly, chef and author of the new cookbook, Start Here. “So it’s kind of nice to have the cheeseboards your mom or your grandmother put out, like something that feels like it’s from the 70’s, a time that maybe you know in retrospect feels simpler even though it wasn’t.”
In a sea of new-this new-that, we might just earnestly crave reinvention — whether it be in the form of clothes, design, or yes, cheese. Much like you might restyle the shoulder-padded sequin shift dress of your mom’s 80’s heyday, the sweet nostalgia of these cheese trends are just as, if not more, delicious to savor.
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Mackenzie Filson
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We independently select these products—if you buy from one of our links, we may earn a commission. All prices were accurate at the time of publishing.
A very common experience for me lately is the dreaded look I give my grocery receipt. It’s a big side eye, admittedly. You might relate, instinctively holding your breath as you scan it, likely noticing that it seems to still be quite expensive these days. While, overall, the annual inflation rate has been declining, food prices have still risen 3.7% between September 2022 and September 2023. Ugh!
Regardless of whether you feel inflation’s effects on your grocery run, we’d all love to save a few extra dollars each week, right? Right. So it was high time to really nail down where the end-all, be-all, cheap grocery stores are. I used to work at a grocery store (and have many takes on how we value our groceries!), so I have my own rubric for what makes for a good and affordable experience — especially because “cheapness” can be pretty relative, depending on the shopper. After all, why praise a less-expensive retailer if its apples are consistently mealy or the cashiers are surly?
Shopping experience: Is it easy to search for items? Is the selection wide-ranging (meaning you have to make fewer stops at other stores)? Perhaps the retailer offers helpful recipe inspiration or weekly deals? Is the customer service attentive and helpful? Bonus points if grocery shopping in person or on-site becomes an ultra-delightful task, rather than merely a chore.
Service locations: I opted for grocers who either have locations or offer delivery, in the case for online grocers, for a wide swath of the country. In some instances, I’ve also highlighted beloved regional grocers that have exceptional deals.
Cost and quality: Some shoppers value cheapness as the most important quality in their shop, while others value ingredient quality or a wide selection of items. Ideally, we’re looking to be located in the center of the venn diagram for all three.
Your perceived value of said grocers may vary, but across the board these retailers have a pretty equivalent ratio of pleasant shopping experience (and quality items) for the price.
Credit: Sundry Photography / Shutterstock
In-store or online, Walmart has outscored most other retailers in a side-by-side comparison shop of standard items. So it’s no surprise that its online shopping and delivery arm, Walmart+, is just as impressive. As the saying goes, time is money (and, uh, money is money), which makes Walmart+ a true twofer — the service will help you save a whole lot of both.
In fact, the retailer reports you can save 90+ hours and $1300 a year by using the service (the membership currently costs $12.95 per month or $98 for the year). That’s time and money you could be spending on perfecting your pickleball serve and finally watching all the extended editions of the Lord of the Rings movies. Plus, the online selection mirrors that of what you’d find in store, with no delivery minimums and free delivery.
No surprise here! Aldi is well-known for having an ultra-affordable selection across the board. In fact, a recent study found that Aldi was chosen 90% of the time amongst respondents for having the highest value for their money. Plus, you can pick up wine, cheese, and maybe even a flattering dress before you head to the check out. Much like other discount retailers, like Lidl, Aldi is what I call “IKEA-ified,” in that it greatly scales down its overhead (in the form of lighter staffing, self-bagging practices, and simplified displays that can be refilled easily), which means the savings pass on to the customer.
The interior of the store is where Aldi truly shines; you can stock up on all your pantry essentials, like pasta, beans, cereal, and canned goods. You’ll be hard-pressed to find better deals on your everyday needs than at Aldi, which is my family’s pick for bagged coffees, canned waters, and nut butters (at the time of writing, you can get Nutella for under $4!). Run, don’t walk, to Aldi.
Credit: Jonathan Weiss/ Shutterstock
Trader Joe’s consistently has achieved best-in-class marks for the customer experience in its stores, namely for the checkout experience. Even if you aren’t flirting openly with your cashier, there’s plenty to love about Trader Joe’s, like the affordable flowers, fresh produce (that comes in every morning), and all the new seasonal items that seem to have been concocted in an evil genius’ lab.
Still, there’s one section at Trader Joe’s that rises above the rest. I used to work for the company, so I know firsthand where all the customers would inevitably bottleneck: in the frozen food aisle. Not only does it have quality dishes from all around the world (which has saved me tons on takeout), but the selection is also massive for the store, which has such a small footprint as compared to most traditional grocers. At any point in time you can find frozen tamales for under $3, a holiday-worthy dessert for under $7, and a party-ready appetizer for right around $4.
Credit: JHVEPhoto/Shutterstock
Ever wish you could get wholesale warehouse prices but without the membership? Then WinCo Foods needs to be on your radar. With 139 locations across 10 states from California to Oklahoma, WinCo Foods is a majority employee-owned company, meaning employees earn shares in company stock.
Similar to warehouse stores like Costco and Sam’s, WinCo is a no-frills warehouse-style shopping experience, and keeps prices low by enlisting customers to bag their own groceries and buying directly from product manufacturers. If you’re always on the hunt for low-price bulk items and household staples at steep discounts, a trip to WinCo foods could save you serious cash.
Credit: Sundry Photography/Shutterstock
There was my life before I discovered Grocery Outlet, and my life after I discovered Grocery Outlet — and they are very much not the same. If you’re new to this fine retail establishment, let me introduce you: As the name suggests, Grocery Outlet is an outlet-style grocery store, meaning it stocks excess inventory directly from other grocery manufacturers and sells at a discount.
With locations in California, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and Oregon, amongst others, each Grocery Outlet’s selection is different depending on the location of the store in relation to the manufacturers. It always keeps a solid selection of name-brand and private-label staples, as well as fresh products, like meat, dairy, and bread. What really makes Grocery Outlet worth a visit is its natural and organic section, which typically features vegan and gluten-free items that can often be pricey at other retailers.
Did your favorite discount retailer make the list? Tell us about it in the comments.
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Mackenzie Filson
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We independently select these products—if you buy from one of our links, we may earn a commission. All prices were accurate at the time of publishing.
Twinkly lights and stars, snowy scapes, scarf-clad reindeer, and santa-red bags are sure signs as any that the festivities are a comin’ — and fast. (Is it just us, or did October fly by … on a witch’s broom?!) Of course, a new month also means a fresh batch of Aldi Finds.
Our friends at Aldi gave us a sneak peek at the dozens of items hitting stores ahead of the holidays. Beyond the beloved advent calendars, which are available on November 1 (!), these finds are packed with all kinds of sweets — for snacking, gifting, decorating, and even displaying. There were so many to choose between, it was nearly impossible to even narrow it down to 10.
That’s why we’re dedicating the entire list to all things sweet, almost all of which are available on November 2. Back-to-back trips to Aldi, anyone? Happy shopping.
No, that’s not a typo — these beautifully wrapped chocolates are, in fact, grand chocolades. Available November 2, they come in three varieties: Chocolate Crème (milk chocolate with a crème filling), Crispy Hazelnut (milk chocolate with a crispy wafer and hazelnut crème filling), and Premium Collection (chocolate crème with a crispy hazelnut and hazelnut crème filling). Any one of the chocolades would look elegant displayed in your favorite candy dish.
We like to refer to this bread-like cake with German roots as powdered sugar-coated heaven. While there are many variations circulating the globe, Aldi is keeping things simple and classic this year with just two: Cherry or Marzipan. Why not try both? They’re available on November 2.
Made in Germany, these spiced and iced gingerbread cookies just might be the sleeper hit of your holiday cookie swap. Available on November 2, no one has to know they came from the store. Your secret is safe with us.
Aldi, you had us at butter — and yet another German import. We’re delighted to see these crisp, buttery cookies, and we bet they are great dunked in warm tea or hot cocoa (more on that below). Find them in stores on November 2.
Stroopwafels continue to be the moment. Whether you’re dunking these caramel-filled waffle rounds in coffee, chocolate, or even tomato soup, there truly is no wrong way to eat them. Look for them in stores November 2.
Elf is one of our favorite holiday movies, and just looking at this pepperminty popcorn brings visions of a tights-clad Will Ferrell dodging snowballs to our heads. The sweet and salty holiday treat is available November 2 — perfectly timed for a Friday movie night.
Sometimes we get a sneak taste of new launches, and after one sip of this melted hot cocoa bomb, we dubbed this newcomer “the one thing you should buy” at Aldi this holiday season. Tip: In lieu of hot milk or water, pour ready-made hot cocoa in your mug. Find them in stores on November 2.
This trio of wafer tins are checking all the boxes — they’re great for snacking (or topping your hot cocoa), make an adorable hosting gift, and add a bit of whimsical decor to your mantel or coffee table. Available November 2, we wouldn’t shame you at all if you bought three on your next Aldi run.
Speaking of gifts, this sleek box is punching way above its sub-$6 price tag. The milk chocolate clusters are filled with a soft caramel and roasted and salted pecan pieces, so your sweet and salty loved ones get the best of both worlds. And wouldn’t you know, it’s also available on November 2.
Warning: Fun activities for kids and kids-at-heart coming through. This all-inclusive kit comes with pre-baked gingerbread cookies, icing, and candy treats for decorating. Of course, overachievers can also add their own flair. Find them in stores on November 22.
Which of these items are you most excited about? Tell us in the comments below.
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Mara Weinraub
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This holiday season doesn’t have an official start date (for some, eh hem Hallmark, it’s a year-round spectacular). Aldi has been consistently sprinkling in festive food and drinks since late summer, including nearly two dozen different cheeses and 10 (count ‘em!) new premium wines. NBD.
This week, though, the discount grocer is really kicking things into high gear. We got a sneak peek at the Aldi Holiday Home Event at hundreds of items hitting shelves now through the rest of the year. There are budget-friendly mains, chocolatey treats, and even more cheeses if you can believe it.
All in, more than 70 new items will be coming soon to an Aldi near you. If there’s one you want to look out for, it’s this $6 bundle of Choceur Hot Cocoa Bombs.
If you’re familiar with the joy that is a hot cocoa bomb, these are chocolate orbs filled with hot cocoa mix (of course) and mini marshmallows. The Choceur Hot Cocoa Bombs are made with Belgian chocolate and sold in packs of three. (They’re so new, the packaging wasn’t even available at the time we previewed the holiday items!)
Each $5.99 box includes a dark, milk, and white chocolate cocoa bomb, which means there’s a sphere for everyone on the cocoa-loving spectrum. Find them in stores starting November 2.
There’s a reason hot cocoa bombs have remained, well, hot. In addition to being a bit magical (the melting spheres are oh-so-mesmerizing), they are downright delicious. Just as you would with any ‘ol cocoa mix, you could very easily add these orbs to hot milk or water. You’ll have a nice mug of hot cocoa in mere seconds.
If you want to go all-in on the decadence, I highly recommend — as in, I can’t sing the praises of this move enough — placing one of these hot cocoa bombs into an empty mug and then pouring ready-made hot cocoa over it instead of milk or water. (I went with a dark chocolate bomb and milk chocolate cocoa. You can mix and match to your liking.) The chocolate on chocolate adds a richness that’s on par with some of my favorite hot chocolate spots in New York City.
There’s also no limit to the toppings you can add: whipped cream, chocolate chips (make it a trifecta!), cookies, rolled wafers, sprinkles … you name it. After all, it is the holidays.
Find it in stores: Choceur Hot Cocoa Bombs, $5.99 for 3 bombs at Aldi
What Aldi finds are you scouting for the holidays? Tell us in the comments below.
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Mara Weinraub
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October is one of my favorite months because it’s finally, truly fall. I love witnessing the transitioning hues of orange, yellow, and red on the treelines and seeing Halloween decorations spring up — stringy spider webs and towering skeletons and pumpkins carved with smirking faces. That, and scouring the grocery aisles for new treats.
October is the month to finally go full steam ahead with autumnal produce (exhibit A: this meltingly tender cabbage), and also start thinking about the upcoming holidays. Speaking of fresh starts, I sampled more than a dozen of new groceries hitting shelves throughout the month. Among the list of latest must-haves, you’ll find buttery cookies, an apple-flavored soda, spicy tinned mussels, and more. These are the surprising delights I suggest you seek out during your next grocery shop.
For a blissful melt-in-your-mouth bite, pick up a pack of these Mexican wedding cookies developed by Los Angeles-based La Monarca Cafe. Each cookie is coated in powdered sugar and has a crumbly texture that dissolves on the tongue with plenty of buttery flavor. For an ideal pairing, pick up a bag of La Monarca’s cafe de olla coffee; the sweet and bitter notes of the coffee are perfect for washing down the cookies.
Buy: La Monarca Cafe Mexican Wedding Cookies, $5.99 for 6 ounces at World Market and Costco
The can design of Olipop’s returning fall flavor, crisp apple, has the coziest vibe. It makes me want to sit inside on a rainy day and read a book by a fireplace. Not only that, but the sparkling prebiotic soda inside is also true to its name and boasts a crisp and sweet-but-not-too-sweet apple flavor. It’s a grown-up version of the sparkling apple cider provided for the kids at every holiday meal — plus, each can has a whole nine grams of fiber (32% of daily value).
Buy: Olipop Crisp Apple Soda, $35.99 for 12 (12-ounce) cans at Amazon; also available at Sprouts, Whole Foods, Target, and Walmart
Will this cup of instant pho taste better than your favorite Vietnamese neighborhood spot? No. Is it extremely easy to make and a satisfying snack? Yes. Each cup, designed in collaboration with Sanrio, comes with a pouch of dehydrated carrots and green onions and a dark red soup base that definitely has a kick. It doesn’t really taste like pho; there aren’t the warming spices and clear, simple broth that the beloved soup possesses, but it is nice to have an instant noodle alternative that carries rice noodles instead of fried ramen noodles. Just make sure not to overcook the rice noodles, which rehydrate faster than other standard instant noodles.
Find it in stores: A-sha Spicy Beef Pho Rice Noodle Soup, $22.49 for 6 (2-ounce) packs at Target, Costco, and H-Mart
The tinned fish craze hasn’t slowed down and I’m perfectly fine with that because the options keep getting better and better. Take these spicy mussels from Patagonia Provisions, for example: They’re briny, meaty, and tangy with an undercurrent of heat, thanks to cayenne pepper in every bite. The mussels hail from Spain and Portugal and are sourced from family-owned farms. Make sure to have a side of crusty bread to soak up the broth, olive oil, and chunks of red bell peppers in each tin.
Buy: Patagonia Provisions Spicy Mussels, $8 for 4.2 ounces at Patagonia Provisions
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Kat Thompson
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