Gluten Free Chocolate Chip Brownies (Trader Joe’s)

I do this for you. All of you gluten-free junkies and freaks have a friend in the business. I could go out there and fuel up on delicious wheat filled products and stuff myself full of pastry as you drool at my screen wishing you could enjoy it as much as I did. Alas, you cannot and the food industry makes feeble attempts at re-creating dishes normally packed with gluten to cater to your needs. These wheat free concoctions have about a 20% success ratio, and if a restaurant had this rate of failure, there’s no way that I would ever go back. But, again, I do this for you. When I picked up Trader Joe’s Gluten Free Chocolate Chip Brownies I knew exactly the chance I was taking, and if the tone of this blog has steered you anywhere. You know exactly how this went:

First off, I toyed with the idea of picking these up. The price tag wasn’t astronomical, but for two brownies it was a little steep. Then I thought about the fact that you could probably throw chocolate into just about anything and I would like it enough to justify paying that much for 2 brownies. So, I took it home and ripped open the first of the two individually wrapped brownies. I set it on a plate and warmed it up in the microwave for about 20 seconds. These instructions aren’t on the packaging, so don’t go looking for them. This is just how I prefer my brownies. I took the chocolate chip square out, and snagged my first bite. It crumbled in my hand. I grabbed the biggest piece that I could and popped it into my mouth. The dry bits on the outside flaked in my mouth like bits of chocolate flavored chalk. Moisture followed, but it wasn’t the thick velvety texture that I was used to out of a brownie. But, this wasn’t really a brownie. It was fake attempt at one, and failed.

I’d leave this one on the shelf. There are plenty of other gluten-free goodies to choose from, and unfortunately this one is among the 80% of wheat-less items that fail miserably. There are just some things that aren’t meant to be gluten-free. Brownies aren’t one of them. So, FORK the fool who tries to push one off on me.

Thanksgiving is Near Pt.1 (Trader Joe’s)

Turkey, stuffing, cranberry sauce, pumpkin pie, and the list goes on for those of you planning your Thanksgiving dinners out. This list is pretty run-of-the-mill, and sometimes you really want to impress your guests. So, creative thoughts enter your brain, followed by another familiar holiday emotion.  You’re probably a bit overwhelmed, and if you are anything like me, on  a strict budget.  Take a deep breath and relax.  I have a solution to all of your problems, and it starts at my favorite neighborhood grocery store.  Trader Joe’s will set you up with just about anything TG that you can think of, and you might actually find something that you never dreamed of serving for dinner that night.  I did a little research for those of you dreading Thanksgiving dinner, and here’s what I found.

Brussels Sprout stalks are a perfect remedy to showcase some culinary talent with very little effort.  Sure, you can buy them in a steam package and make perfectly acceptable sprouts by steaming them in the bag, but there is something to the taste of a fresh sprout right off the stalk.  These guys take little prep and can easily be stripped off the stalk and cut in half to make delicious roasted brussels sprouts.  Just lay the halves in a layer on a baking sheet, removing the outer leaf on some of the bigger ones laying chopped bacon and walnuts among the sprouts.  Salt and pepper that mixture, drizzle some olive oil, squeeze some lemon juice on them, and top with a few sprigs of rosemary for some great flavor.  Now, they are ready for the oven and will roast for about 30 minutes until fork tender.  Find a nice bowl to serve them in and toss those green goodies around adding a little salt and pepper to taste.  Presto!  One delicious dish down.

Everyone craves a little cranberry for their Thanksgiving spread, so give them something that isn’t that unappetizing mold of cranberry sauce by purchasing this wonderful butter.  It’s the perfect thing to spread on fresh baked rolls and will make you look like a genius come dinner time.  This product may just be the biggest hit of the night and will leave guests craving more, and saving you a little effort in the process.

Dessert is huge at my dinner table, and I will always find a few people who just don’t dig pumpkin pie.  As an alternative, I searched out these freshly baked brownies.  These things are loaded with maple flavor and when warmed are perfect with vanilla ice cream or that whipping cream that was once meant for your pie.  This will save you some time slaving over the oven and add a little less stress to the clean up effort, as you can just open the package and dice them up for sweet little after dinner bites.

Finally, there’s the booze to think about.  Nothing speak to me better than Trader Joe’s Vintage Ale during a holiday dinner.  It’s sweet and spicy notes are the perfect complement to just about anything you’ll be serving this year during Thanksgiving Dinner.  It’s high alcohol content (9%) will give you a good buzz.  Also, you don’t have to worry about keeping this guy cold, as it gets better with a little age and the flavor is much better at room temperature.  This TJ’s brew is unique and brewed just for them by Unibroue out of Canada, so you can break the monotony of beverages by serving this inexpensive beer during service.

Now, these are just a few of my favorite things that come around during this holiday season.  This is  just part one.  Keep posted as I continue my search for great TG products at TJ’s.  They hardly ever disappoint, and I’m hoping that I won’t either.  So, take a step back.  Give yourself a break.  Thanksgiving dinner doesn’t have to be a FORKing mess.  I’ll show you how.