As another busy week draws to a close, our schedules remain packed, yet a few foods have clearly risen above the everyday bustle of our routines and diets. There are always certain items each week that we simply can’t keep to ourselves, so we’ve narrowed the field to the cream of the crop and now it’s time to share the wealth. Here are the three best things we ate this week.
- Trader Joe’s Organic Under The Sea Shaped Italian Pasta
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Food ought to be enjoyable. For many people, meals are a medium for personal expression and creative exploration, a space where choices can be unlimited and entirely self-directed. And really, that’s how it should be—fun, colorful, and intriguing whenever possible.
Trader Joe’s has a habit of crafting whimsical pasta shapes for the changing seasons, and this nautical assortment felt perfect for both the tail end of summer and the back-to-school mood. There’s something inherently “learning” about sea creatures—perhaps a relic of too many NatGeo binges from my youth. This pasta stood up to the boiling and didn’t crumble into the bowl the moment it touched hot water, which isn’t always the case with those playful seasonal shapes.
- Miss Vickies Jalapeño Kettle Chips
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To some, these chips are a “you know, you know” kind of gem. If you’re not yet in the loop, consider this a nudge to discover the greatness of Miss Vickies Jalapeño Kettle Chips. They strike the ideal crunch without shredding your gums, and the jalapeño flavor stands out in a way that’s both bold and balanced. They’re perfectly salted and pleasantly spicy, but not overpowering, and the green, vegetal notes of the jalapeño come through brightly. Pro tip: these are excellent tucked into a sandwich or wrap on sunny afternoons.
- Trader Joe’s Granola Butter
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Our lineup this week leans heavily toward Trader Joe’s, but they’ve been on a roll with new releases, and granola butter is among the standouts. It holds its own against some of the finest granola butters out there, including the classic from Oat Haus, all while coming in at a friendlier price.
I’m not here to push the most expensive options or to claim they’re the best by default. This granola butter offers a compelling alternative to high-end brands, with a satisfying texture that sits comfortably among the better versions we’ve tried. Granola butters tend to be a little grainy—after all, they’re essentially blended oats—but this one ranks among the nicer examples we’ve sampled.
