What’s the best way to break up a workday? Go shopping when everyone else is at work! As much as I complain about staying at home, there are a lot of advantages. Along with wearing PJs until 10 AM, going to the gym midday, not using an alarm clock and the freedom to make my own schedule, it’s pretty swell. (If you must know the bad side, it’s that I pay for my own health insurance, no sick days and my salary. Boo hoo.)
One of my favorite places to visit is Trader Joe’s. Grabbing a gallon of milk is swayed by the allure fabulous new products displayed on the shelf. A $5 visit usually skyrockets to $20 or more. And in between free samples and new products, what should be a 5 minute visit turns into 20.
Here are two products that recently caught my eye.
Brooklyn Chocolate Babka
Babka has been on my to-try list forever. While I don’t normally visit the pastry aisle, I’m glad I did it this time to pick up one of these beauts.
I’m unsure if it’s traditional but the version sold at Trader Joe’s has me hooked to try more variations. Imagine a not-too-sweet brownie-croissant-brioche hybrid studded with chocolate chips on top and you have this decadent chocolate treat. Looking it up, it’s a European pastry that’s served for breakfast, coffee break and dessert. Yup! All the meals. The package serves 9 but being the talented eaters we are, we stretched it to 14 servings over 3 days. For you pop culture fans, it’s immortalized in a Seinfeld episode along with a black-and-white cookie.
For $4.99, it’s worth a taste and much cheaper than a trip to Brooklyn.
Sweet Sriracha Uncured Bacon Jerky
One of the neighborhood dog owners alerted me to this gem. Aside from having our dogs meet ups, we talk about food. And it was through her I discovered this spicy-sweet jerky. At $5.49 for 2 oz. it’s far more than I would pay for jerky. But if you don’t have a Trader Joe’s anywhere near you, the price sure beats the $19.99 tag I’ve been seeing on eBay and Amazon.
Not recommended is opening it up for a nibble on the way home. Unless you have wet towelettes, it’s sticky and makes for dangerous driving. Although the slices are thick cut, it’s limp. Flavorwise, it comes across the perfect balance of sweet and familiar Sriracha heat. The package says two servings but I say it’s enough for one person who really, really likes bacon.
My Burning Kitchen 
I’ve been eyeing that bacon jerky each time I go into TJ’s. I just need to give it a try! And that babka looks really, really tasty as well. So chocolatey.
I would definitely give both a try if next time you’re at Trader Joe’s. The babka is to die for!