Trader Joe's Chocolate Lava Cakes

February 25, 2008 | Reviewer: Abi

Trader Joe Price: $2.79
Serving: 1 cake, 3.8oz.
Calories: 360
Fat: 35%, 23g
Cholesterol: 37%, 110mg
Sodium: 10%, 240mg
Protein: 5g
Carbohydrates: 13%, 40g
Fiber: 12%, 3g
Sugar: 25g
Weight Watchers Points: 9 Points

Trader Joe says: A delicate chocolate cake with a creamy chocolate center.

Abi says: Holy defender of the motherland, Batman! There are 360 calories in each Lava Cake! I was freaked out about this until I realized that there are approximately 100 calories in a 1 ounce Nestle Toll House cookie and thus I should actually expect there to be 380 calories in this cake. So, you can think of this as a light dessert.

The box contains two cakes (perfect for couples or people who like torturing their children) and each cake is approximately 4.5 inches in diameter. Just pop the cake out of its tray an onto a plate, microwave for a minute (or less, if your microwave is super-strong) and pair with a scoop of vanilla ice cream. The outer cake layer is appropriately dense and lusciously chocolatey while the inner molten section is a cross between fudge sauce and chocolate pudding. Amazingly fudgy chocolate pudding that will make your toes curl with pleasure.

I love these cakes because they are simple, inexpensive and delicious. Sure, the dishes are a complete pain (sticky fudge sauce does have a downside), but you might be tempted to lick your plate clean, solving that problem once and for all.

Filed Under Five Stars, Trader Joe's Reviews, Vegetarian | 16 Comments

Smart Ones Roasted Chicken with Sour Cream & Chive Mashed Potatoes

February 22, 2008 | Reviewer: Abi

Smart Ones Roasted Chicken with Sour Cream & Chive Mashed Potatoes Price: $2.50 on sale
Serving: 1 meal, 9.5oz.
Calories: 180
Fat: 6%, 4g
Cholesterol: 13%, 40mg
Sodium: 34%, 820mg
Protein: 17g
Carbohydrates: 7%, 20g
Fiber: 7%, 2g
Sugar: <1g
Weight Watchers Points: 4 Points

Smart Ones says: You’ll love the home-style flavor of all-white meat chicken, smothered in a wine sauce that’s thick with mushrooms and onions, and served with a heaping helping of sour cream and chive mashed potatoes on the side.

Abi says: “Home-style flavor”? I feel sorry for anybody who regularly deals with home-cooking that tastes like this meal.

I’m more than a little angry with myself and Safeway right now. I can’t believe that I paid $2.50 for this waste of freezer space. I wanted a fast, pseudo-hearty meal. What I got was macerated chicken parts, forgettable sauce and unbelievably watery potatoes.

I suspected the horrifying nature of the chicken before the first bite. I could see that it was suspiciously shaped and lo and behold, the texture is that of a hot dog in cutlet form. I want a piece of chicken, not a ball game snack.

The sauce is mysteriously dark and did a relatively good job of covering up the chicken for the first couple of bites. Then I just gave up and went to hunt for a stick of string cheese. And the potatoes? They were so watery I wondered if I’d accidentally drenched them under the sink during the cooking process. Had I been sleepwalking? Did this meal actually come with a side of soup? No and no.

I can’t understand why anyone would eat this and feel so deprived when the perfectly acceptable (and only 1 more Point) Stouffer’s Baked Chicken Breast.

This is why eating Smart Ones makes me feel so dumb.

Filed Under 4 WW Points, Chicken, Smart Ones Reviews, Zero Stars | 11 Comments

Lean Cuisine Chicken Philly Flatbread Melt

February 21, 2008 | Reviewer: Josh

Lean Cuisine Chicken Philly Flatbread Melt Price: Free from Lean Cuisine
Serving: 1 melt, 6.5oz.
Calories: 330
Fat: 13%, 8g
Cholesterol: 8%, 25mg
Sodium: 26%, 650mg
Protein: 21g
Carbs: 13%, 41g
Fiber: 18%, 5g
Sugar: 3g
Weight Watchers Points: 6 Points

Lean Cuisine says:Grilled white meat chicken, onions, peppers, pepperocini, cheese and a cheddar cheese sauce in a soft flatbread.

Josh says: I just ate the Chicken Philly Flatbread Melt from Lean Cuisine. The picture makes it look like a pizza, but trust me, you can fold it over like a pita sandwich. I was actually impressed. The cheese tasted like cheese (unlike the Lean Cuisine Mac ‘n Cheese which is utter crap). The bread tastes like and has the texture of bread. And the chicken tastes like…well, like nothing, but two out of three ain’t bad. There’s a nice mild-medium spicy kick that I didn’t expect. All-in-all it was a pretty nice meal and I’d do it again. They only superior food I’ve had this week? Cheez-Its.

Filed Under 6 WW Points, Chicken, Four Stars, Frozen Pizza Reviews, Lean Cuisine Reviews | 10 Comments

Trader Joe's Ready to Bake Brownies

February 20, 2008 | Reviewer: Abi

Trader Joe’s Ready to Bake Brownies Price: $3.19
Serving: 1/9th pan, 1.55oz.
Servings Per Package: 9
Calories: 170
Fat: 11%, 7g
Cholesterol: 15%, 45mg
Sodium: 2%, 55mg
Protein: 2g
Carbs: 9%, 26g
Fiber: 6%, 1g
Weight Watchers Points: 4 per serving

Trader Joe’s says: Why gather all the ingredients and dirty a bowl when Trader Joe’s “Ready to Bake” Brownies are so unbelievably easy and so consistently delicious? Simply unwrap the oven-proof tray of batter in this box and bake in a preheated oven. Whether you prefer your brownies gooey in the center or baked until almost dry, these brownies will satisfy.

Abi says: Considering how much adore Trader Joe’s Chocolate Croissants and pre-made Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough, you’d think I’d be all over their ready-to-bake brownies. They even have an additional advantage over the croissants and cookies in that they come with their own baking tray. However, this dessert fills me with a disappointment tempered with confusion.

The ingredients list looks pretty standard (Sugar, flour, butter, eggs, cocoa and vanilla - simple!), so the best I can figure is that unlike cookies, brownies don’t bake well from a frozen state. This is sad because brownies are nature’s foolproof dessert: they’re easy to mix by hand, simple to bake and test for doneness, loved by mankind. Yet, these brownies from Trader Joe’s went uneaten in my house. Sure, we each sampled a square. Then they just sat on the counter for the next couple hours, mocking me with their lack of deliciousness.

At the end of the night I noticed that even George had avoided the pan of brownies. Usually he manages to eat an entire row in the course of a couple of hours, but these baked ~~goods~~ bads went untouched.

I hope that their spot in the Trader Joe’s freezer is soon filled with another, more palatable item.

Filed Under 4 WW Points, Trader Joe's Reviews, Two Stars | 7 Comments