It’s Friday, so I’m talking food, fun or fitness!

Let’s chat about groceries.

I, like many people, love Trader Joe’s. Can I get a “heck yeah!” if you’re with me?

Here’s the thing though, I don’t really enjoy grocery shopping. I have been through so many different ideas and stores to try to make it enjoyable, cheaper, convenient, you name it, I’ve tried it.

From Aldi to Publix, Kroger, and Walmart, even though some are cheaper or have more options, I always come back to Trader Joe’s as my #1! Of course there are items they just don’t have and I have to shop elsewhere for those, but that’s not too big of a deal. The thing I love about TJ’s is that they have items that no one else has and I’m sometimes hard pressed to leave the store without a few new things that just graced the pages of the Fearless Flyer.

Every week, they’ve got a few new items featured, so it’s a good idea to flip through it and check out some customer favorites and new items. Check out some of the featured items for this current week. I mean, a cold brew coffee chocolate bar? Hint for new TJ’s shoppers: the freezer aisle is everything.

So, as part of my 3F-Fridays, I’m going to be incorporating reviews of some of the recent Trader Joe’s items I’ve tried, and maybe you will come out with a new favorite item to pick up next time!

Brownie Crisp Coffee Ice Cream Sandwiches

First up, Trader Joe’s Brownie Crisp Coffee Ice Cream Sandwiches. That’s a mouthful, but they are a delicious mouthful.

I have to admit, when I saw this the first time, I thought, well that’s interesting [translation: weird]. But, even though I haven’t had coffee ice cream in a looong time, I know that I enjoyed it. And, brownies are my favorite dessert OF. ALL. TIME. Stick anything with a brownie, and you have me at brow….

After I read the description on the “Dig In” section of TJ’s website, I added it to my shopping list without a second thought. Then again, they know how to make everything sound like you can’t go another day without it.

Well ha, I guess they got me!

Occasionally, my 10 year old daughter will join in on these test tastings, but she wanted nothing to do with this one. Rightfully so, the coffee didn’t intrigue her and the guise of brownies wasn’t going to change her opinion. UPDATE: She actually took a small bite and you can read her review at the end!

They come individually wrapped in a pack of 4, and each sandwich is 180 calories.

As you can see in the picture, the ice cream is dotted with espresso grounds, kicking the mild coffee flavor up a notch. If you don’t like the flavor of coffee, I’d steer clear of these because they have about as much flavor of a medium roast. What I really love though – and was totally not expecting – is that the chocolate chip brownie “crisps” actually become soft in the packaging. So instead of a crispy first bite, it’s soft and chewy!

Perfectly sized for a snack, the chocolate and coffee compliment each other in a way that makes it not overly sweet. An ice cream sandwich for adults has come along! TJ’s also sells the brownie crisps in a separate aisle, so if you’d rather forego the coffee flavors, pick up a bag of those and pair them with vanilla ice cream and create your own version.

So here’s my “fit” tip about these. It’s ice cream and brownies. Obviously, they are not meant to be a healthy treat. But my happiness mantra tells me we shouldn’t deprive ourselves of things we actually love. We just have to indulge in them in moderation. Here’s a way to have this one box of 4 last you a couple of weeks and go easy on your waistline:

These are already small, but if you’re really trying to cut back on sugar and sweets, cut each sandwich into 4 even smaller bites and store them in a freezer safe bag! This way, you still get your after dinner sweet treat, but you don’t feel the guilt that usually comes with throwing back an extra 200 calories after dinner. Perfect!

So, have you had these yet? Let me know in the comments!

Well, I tried them and in my opinion they’re very bad. I’m 10 years old, and at this age I still hate coffee! I’d recommend this for coffee lovers ONLY!

When I first saw them, I thought they sounded pretty bad in taste — but later I thought they looked better. They look like an ice cream sandwich with extra chocolate.

When I tried them, I HATED them. They were very bad to me, though as I said, its good for coffee lovers! 🙂