Mini-Ep 449: These Are a Few of Our Favorite Microjoys

Summary

Forever35: Mini-Ep 449 – These Are a Few of Our Favorite Microjoys

Release Date: June 25, 2025

In this engaging mini-episode of Forever35, hosts Doree Shafrir and Elise Hu delve into the delightful world of microjoys—small moments and pleasures that brighten our everyday lives. Structured around listener interactions and personal anecdotes, the episode offers insightful discussions on finding joy amidst life's challenges, all peppered with the hosts' signature humor and warmth.

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1. Introduction to the Mini-Episode

At [03:43], Doree and Elise introduce this special mini-episode format, emphasizing the show's interactive nature. They highlight that the content is driven entirely by listener contributions, including calls, texts, and voicemails. This format allows the hosts to explore unpredictable and varied topics based on their audience's interests.

Doree Shafrir: "We ended up spending like a lot of time over the last couple of weeks on hair oil, for example, for thick curly hair which we could have never predicted. It just depends on what you're into and what happens to, you know, be on y'all's minds."

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2. Sharing and Exploring Microjoys

a. Hosts' Personal Microjoys

Both hosts share their personal sources of joy, revealing how simple pleasures help them navigate tougher times.

Doree Shafrir: "My micro joy of late has been my buttery flour tortillas and then the memories of Texas that it conjures."

Elise adds her own twist, connecting her joy to Texas-inspired delights and moments that remind her of home.

b. Listener Contributions: Reality TV and More

A listener reaches out at [07:25], sharing their microjoys amidst a "dumpster fire" of world events:

Listener's Message: "My escape is Love Island or any other Bravo TV like Summer House, Valley. I'm also finding joy in my iced coffee."

Elise elaborates on the appeal of reality TV, discussing the show's cultural impact and personal connections.

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3. Deep Dive into Reality TV as a Microjoy

The conversation takes a playful turn as Doree seeks to understand the mechanics of Love Island, reflecting on her daughter's enthusiasm for the show.

Doree Shafrir: "Ava's super into it right now. I guess it's airing. I learned so much about culture from her."

Elise breaks down the show's premise, comparing it to other reality TV staples like The Bachelor and Survivor, highlighting its competitive and social dynamics.

Elise Hu: "It's just like a bunch of hot people going to an island, and it's sort of like The Bachelor meets Survivor meets Big Brother."

The hosts share anecdotes, including Doree's experience at an open mic night where a performer from the show appeared, underscoring the pervasive influence of reality TV personalities.

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4. Hair Oil Recommendations for Thick Curly Hair

Addressing a prevalent listener request, the hosts discuss their favorite hair oils tailored for thick, curly hair.

Doree Shafrir: "This oil has been an absolute game changer. I used to do keratin and I really don't need to do it anymore with this oil."

She recommends the Pura D'Or Moroccan Argan Oil, praising its effectiveness in reducing frizz and promoting healthier hair. Both hosts emphasize the importance of cataloging these recommendations for easy access by their audience.

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5. Sun Protective Clothing: Listener Questions and Host Insights

A listener inquires about fashionable UV-protective clothing, prompting a thoughtful discussion on the balance between functionality and style.

Elise Hu: "There's no like fashionable UV clothing. Cooley Bar has probably the best selection, but it's all pretty frumpy."

The hosts express a desire for more stylish options in the market, lamenting the lack of fashionable yet protective attire. They encourage material scientists or listeners with insights to share their knowledge, highlighting a gap in the current offerings.

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6. Dish Towel Recommendations: Geometry House Spotlight

Transitioning to another listener favorite, Doree and Elise share their top picks for dish towels, introducing their audience to Geometry House.

Elise Hu: "Geometry House... you can use the code Forever15 on Geometry's website to get 15% off."

They praise the brand for its cute patterns and quality, noting the hosts' satisfaction with the product and its perfect alignment with listener recommendations. This segment reinforces the podcast's commitment to sharing practical and beloved household items.

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7. Wirecutter’s Trader Joe’s Favorite Products: A Critical Review

In the latter part of the episode, the hosts critique Wirecutter’s guide to favorite Trader Joe’s products, offering their perspectives on the selections.

Doree Shafrir: "It was really exciting that there was a feature on this because I have wondered, like, are the things that I love at Trader Joe's the things that are, like, empirically the most popular products or empirically what everybody loves?"

They discuss specific items such as the Chicken Tikka Masala Frozen Meal, Gimbap, and Trader Joe's version of Takis, sharing their personal favorites and questioning some of Wirecutter’s choices.

Elise Hu: "I was surprised that they didn't like the raspberry preserves. That jar is excellent."

The conversation highlights their appreciation for Trader Joe’s offerings while also pointing out what they believe to be oversights or disagreements with the guide, encouraging listeners to share their own experiences and opinions.

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8. Concluding Thoughts and Community Engagement

As the episode wraps up, Doree and Elise invite listeners to share more of their microjoys and product recommendations, fostering a sense of community and ongoing conversation. They reiterate the importance of small joys in enhancing well-being, especially during challenging times.

Doree Shafrir: "Let us know what you thought. Any major hits and misses from that list, folks."

They close with warm thanks, reinforcing their connection with the audience and anticipation for future episodes filled with shared joys and discoveries.

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Stay Connected:

• Voicemail: 781-591-0390
• Email: [e-mail]
• Website: forever35podcast.com
• Instagram: @forever35podcast
• Newsletter: february35podcast.com/newsletter
• Shop: Shopmy.us/Forever35

Discount Codes Mentioned:

• Gab: Visit gab.com/forever35 with code forever35 for exclusive offers.
• Wild Grain: Use code f35 at wildgrain.com/f35 for $30 off and free croissants.
• Geometry House: Apply code forever15 at geometryhouse.com for 15% off.
• One Skin: Get 15% off at OneSkin.co with code F35.

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Tune in next time for more insights, laughs, and the little joys that make life beautifully manageable.

Transcript

[Dory Shafrir]

This episode is sponsored by Gab. Teens spend an average of. Oh whoa, nine hours a day on screens. Outside of crazy, that's a full time job.

[Elise Hu]

Yeah, every working, every like waking minute is spent on a screen.

[Dory Shafrir]

I. Yeah, it seems like it's a full time job. Just scrolling. There's no right answer for managing screens and your kids, but the numbers don't lie. 45% of girls and 32% of boys say they feel overwhelming stress from being on social media. And together, a quarter of them both feel worse about their own lives. I think it's a real attention stealer. It's a thief of attention. And so I'm often, I'm often like with my screen teen, I'm like, hello, Ava, you still there? You still there?

[Elise Hu]

Yeah.

[Dory Shafrir]

So we definitely have to be very thoughtful about the way that she engages with screens because it does require so much of her attention. But so here's the good news. Gab has solved some of the screen teen problem by doing something no one else is doing. Their approach is tech in steps. Tech in steps works by providing kids safe phones and watches tailored to every age, offering the right device at the right time. From GPS tracking enabled watches for younger kids to increased features in parent enabled apps on the phones for tweens and teens, each device grows with your child. Bottom line, you don't have to give your kid a device that was made for an adult. Get them Gab, which keeps them socially connected safely. I can't recommend Gab enough. Use our code to get the best deal on something that will make parenting easier and give you peace of mind. Visit gab.com forever35 and use code forever35 for a special offer.

[Elise Hu]

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[Dory Shafrir]

And I'm Elise Hu. And we're just two friends who like to talk a lot about serums.

[Elise Hu]

And this is a mini episode where we hear from you, we share your comments and your thoughts and we answer your questions to the best of our ability. But please remember we are not experts, we are podcast hosts and we always encourage you to seek support first and foremost from a medical and or mental health professional as needed. So here we are, our non expert selves.

[Dory Shafrir]

And I love these episodes because they truly go in the direction that they are completely dependent on your calls, texts and voicemails. So we ended up spending like a lot of time over the last couple of weeks on hair oil, for example, for thick curly hair which we could have never predicted. It just depends on what you're into and what happens to, you know, be on yalls minds. So you really make these shows.

[Elise Hu]

And speaking of hair oil, I mean we keep hearing about hair oil. I love that this is a topic that really just has kept going. So never stop. I think we should set up a hair oil or maybe even like hair oil slash curly hair suggestions on shelf on Shop my on shop my just to like put all of these recommendations in one place.

[Dory Shafrir]

Also now we have a newsletter idea.

[Elise Hu]

Yeah, totally.

[Dory Shafrir]

We've done book recs, we've done dish towel recs, we've done our listeners candles so or our guests favorite candles. And so I think given the amount of hair oil recommendations, just the sheer volume of recommendations of hair oils we've gotten in that. Yes, we've got to cover that one. We also, I think at the end of one of our Monday episodes did a call out for Your micro joys. Because we do that every once in a while and it's around that time where we're calling out for micro joys. I've been thinking about my own as well because it's been a tough year. This is kind of schadenfreude. I don't know that it's a micro joy, but my micro joy of late has been watching Ted Cruz Tucker Carlson clips.

[Elise Hu]

Oh.

[Dory Shafrir]

Oh, my gosh. If y' all haven't seen them, they're so hilarious. They're just like going at it with one another over Iran, obviously only tempered by the severity and seriousness and grave, like, moral decay of this whole situation. But my friend Justin is visiting and the two of us were talking about it this morning because we're Texans and so.

[Elise Hu]

Yes.

[Dory Shafrir]

Yeah. And so my other Texas related thing is that in Texas, Texas is a flour tortilla land. It's the land of flour tortillas and not corn. And so we do flour tortillas very well. And one of the places that does flour tortillas best is H E B, the grocery store chain. And Justin brought like three 24 packs of flour tortillas from Texas to me, which I've already consumed one full pack. Yeah. So my micro joy has just been my buttery flour tortillas and then the memories of Texas that it conjures.

[Elise Hu]

Yes.

[Dory Shafrir]

Yeah. My. All of our Texas listeners will totally relate. H E B and Central Market are owned by the same company, so you can call them H e b flour tortillas or Central Market flour tortillas, but they are. They are loved. They're loved by Texans everywhere.

[Elise Hu]

Yeah.

[Dory Shafrir]

What about you? Have you thought about the prompt at all?

[Elise Hu]

Well, I wanted to share one that we got from a listener, actually.

[Dory Shafrir]

Okay. Hi, I'm just calling to leave my micro joys currently in the dumpster fire that is the world right now. My escape is Love island or any other Bravo TV like Summer House Valley. I've been watching the mom talk stuff. It's all like pretty brain dead television, but it's helping me get through. And I'm also finding joy in my iced coffee. But yeah, I would say the biggest thing is reality tv, but I'm excited to hear other people's micro joys because I need any source of joy I can find.

[Elise Hu]

Thank you.

[Dory Shafrir]

Can we stay on this one? Because my eldest daughter Ava has also gotten super into Love island and I am not a Bravo TV girly, so I don't know the premise, but can you give me the whole Love island like, log line. What's the. What's. How. How does it work?

[Elise Hu]

I mean, it's just like a bunch of hot people going to an island, and it's sort of like. It's almost like the Bachelor meets Survivor meets Big Brother, because, I guess to survive, you have to, like, become a couple.

[Dory Shafrir]

Oh, okay. So you're on an island. You can get kicked off in the same way as.

[Elise Hu]

Yes.

[Dory Shafrir]

You get kicked off on Survivor.

[Elise Hu]

Yes. So if.

[Dory Shafrir]

Or Bachelor. Yeah.

[Elise Hu]

Like, as people couple together, you can get kicked off if you're still single, but you can also be voted off.

[Dory Shafrir]

Oh, wow. There's so many ways to lose at this game.

[Elise Hu]

Yes. Yes. I think it's a peacock show, which is, you know, part of the Bravo family, but it's. I don't think it's technically a Bravo show, but it was originally a British show. So the. The Love Is UK Contestants have become, like, true D list celebrities in the uk like, they're widely known. I don't think the exact same thing has happened with the US Contestants, but, you know, they're definitely getting more famous, probably.

[Dory Shafrir]

Okay. Yeah. Ava's super into it right now. I guess it's airing. I guess there's the fresh episodes. And I learned so much about culture from her, and so I guess that's, like, the thing. And then I was at one of my friends, like, open mic nights. My friend Matt was performing and kind of like an acoustic set like Nirvana Unplugged. And it was at this, like, surf shop last Friday night, and we went to go see him, and then after. After he went on, this guy starts playing. This guy. He's like, I'm from San Diego. And that's all I remember about him. And my friends who I was with, one of them was like, oh, that guy was on the Bachelor. So for our listeners who like reality TV and watch the Bachelor, it's this guy named Logan who was on the Bachelorette. So he was actually one of the suitors of the star. And I think it was the season of the Bachelorette in which they had two women, so you could actually have, you know, you could be with one. But then I think what happened was he really liked the other, but he got the rope chose from. Yeah, yeah. The Bachelor has been going on for so many years that I guess you can't throw a rock without accidentally hitting somebody who's been on the Bachelor.

[Elise Hu]

Right. I love that. No, I mean, reality TV is definitely a micro joy. That actually reminds me of something that came up this past week. I was in Connecticut for my sister in law's funeral. And I'll talk more about her at a later date. But she was amazing and she also loved the whole Bravo universe. And I guess she said to my brother at one point, he said this in his eulogy, that she was like, please never do like a cancer, like, run or walk in my honor. Like, please never do that. All I want people to do is lie in bed and watch Real Housewives, like, in my honor. And that was just like she. Yeah, she was not like a big, like, worker outer. You know what I mean? Like, she really just loved, like, lying in bed and watching tv and she loved Bravo and she loved Real Housewives and. Yeah. So, you know, if you're so inclined, watch an episode of Real Housewives.

[Dory Shafrir]

Okay. That's not a hard ask. I would much rather do that than run a mile or three.

[Elise Hu]

Totally. I don't want to run like a marathon for her. I mean, you know, I love her, but much rather do a Real Housewives marathon.

[Dory Shafrir]

Marathon. Right, right. Exactly.

[Elise Hu]

Anyway, we should probably take a little break. All right, before we do that, I just want to remind everyone that Our voicemail is 781-591-0390 and our email is forever35podcastmail.com you can also visit our website forever35podcast.com. We've links to everything we mentioned on the show. You can follow us on Instagram @February35podcast. Sign up for our newsletter at february35podcast.com newsletter and shop our favorite products at Shopmy Us. Slash Forever35. And after the break, yes, we have more hair oil racks. And I. I was also asked for my wrecks on sun clothes, so I will share those as well.

[Dory Shafrir]

Okay, can't wait.

[Elise Hu]

All right, we'll be right back. You know, I love linen in the summer, but I don't always love linen prices. Except when I'm shopping at Quince. They have a hundred percent European linen shorts and dresses from just $30. And they also have amazing summery organic cotton items. I got my hands on their 100 organic cotton poplin pintuck maxi skirt. That is amazing. I'm going to be living in this skirt all summer. It is super high quality. It feels just like some much more expensive, very similar skirts. But in general, their clothes are just timeless, lightweight and far more elevated than anything else at this price. And it finally feels like my wardrobe matches my standards. Speaking of standards, Quince doesn't sacrifice safety or ethics for price. They only work with factories that use safe, ethical and responsible manufacturing practices and premium fabrics and finishes. By working directly with top artisans and cutting out the middlemen, Quince gives you luxury without the markup. Give your summer closet an upgrade with quince. Go to quince.com forever35 for free shipping on your order and 365 day returns. That's Q-U-I-N-C-E.com forever35 to get free shipping and 365 day returns. Quince.com forever35. You know, I always say that aging is a privilege because it is. But you know, I also want to support my skin as best as I can. And One Skin does this at a scientifically quantifiable level because their proprietary OS1 peptide is the first ingredient proven to switch off the damaged senescent cells that cause lines, wrinkles and thin crepey skin. So I start with their prep Fac cleanser, which I really like. It's. It's not drying. I find a lot of facial cleansers to be drying. It's not drying, but it also like gets makeup off. It's really nice. Another one of their products that I've been loving is their OS one Eye topical supplement. I feel like a lot of eye creams are sort of dubious, but this one is not. Like you can see results from this eye cream. It's very smoothing and yeah, it's just, it's like a really nice product. And I will say the other product that I'm really liking is their spf. It's really great and I feel like it's better than a lot of other sunscreens at actually like blocking sun. So I'm a fan. Great fan. Great. Yeah. One Skin is the world's first skin longevity company. By focusing on the cellular aspects of aging, One Skin keeps your skin looking and acting younger for long. And for a limited time you can try one skin with 15 off using code F35 at OneSkin co. That's 15 off OneSkin co with code F35. After you purchase, they'll ask you where you heard about them and please support your show and tell them we sent you. Give your skin the scientifically proven gentle care it deserves with One Skin. Okay, we are back. And first someone texted us and said Bowdoin has a bunch of tennis patterned clothes this season and I want someone to buy them all for dory. And it's funny that they texted us this because I've been getting served these ads like on Instagram. You're gonna get more. Yeah, totally. And some of this stuff is super cute.

[Dory Shafrir]

I love bowdoin. I love like their pattern things.

[Elise Hu]

It's a really pretty skirt. There's also like a really pretty dress that I was like, okay, this is a lot like, it's. It's a bright colored dress with just tennis rackets like all over it.

[Dory Shafrir]

But like, you could pull that off. I could.

[Elise Hu]

I would. I would maybe wear this. It's a little expensive. I feel like bowdoin has a lot of sales, so I think I'm gonna wait for.

[Dory Shafrir]

Yeah.

[Elise Hu]

A sale and maybe get it. Okay. Well, thank you for this, for this tip and if you have bought any of the Bowdoin tennis clothes, let us know what they're really like in real life. I. I want like a real person review of them.

[Dory Shafrir]

There's a really cute. I almost got this for you too, but I didn't know if you had a spot for it. There's a very cute outdoor throw pillow from West Elm right now that has a tennis court on it across the front. Yeah, it's really cute actually. I thought. But then I'm like, this couldn't. I don't know if this goes with the rest of her kind of design, you know, and decor. So I don't want to just buy you a pillow and be like, now you have to deal with it. Because Rob is still upset about his ex mother in law getting him menorah hand towels for his bathroom. And he was like, I'm not going to use those.

[Elise Hu]

Like, that's so funny.

[Dory Shafrir]

So like, yeah, I feel like interior design things I'm a little bit more careful about. Be set for just like wantonly buying you a towel set or that's fair, you know. Also like, you can check it out.

[Elise Hu]

It's very. Yeah, it's very thoughtful.

[Dory Shafrir]

Thanks. Yeah, I mean, it's very cute. I will link that too. I'll find it and link it in case any of you all are looking for something like this.

[Elise Hu]

Amazing. Okay, so the next text we got was wondering if Dory has any sun clothes. Rex, I've used sun hoodies for years, but they tend to be a little frumpy. So in my opinion there's no like fashionable UV clothing. Like Cooley Bar I think has probably the best selection. But like, I think it's all pretty frumpy. It's nothing that I would wear and be like, I look cute in this. It's stuff that feels like just not. Not especially fashionable, a little like ill fitting. So, you know, I. I have a lot of workout sun protective clothing and actually there's some good stuff on Amazon that's like not that expensive. But I, I don't, I personally don't think that the like quote unquote, regular clothes that are like UV protective that are sold by the likes of like Cooley Bar.

[Dory Shafrir]

Yeah.

[Elise Hu]

Are particularly attractive. So my suggestion is to just be covered up like that. That is better than nothing. And so, you know, wearing like a light colored long sleeve, loose fitting, long sleeve button down in like natural fibers and long pants like in the summer I almost never go outside in a short sleeve shirt. And if I do, I'm like slathering on the sunscreen. So, you know, I wish I had like a great suggestion and I would love to say like, oh, this is a hole in the market, but I feel like there's a re. Like there must be a reason why there isn't like cute UV clothing. It must be hard to make or something. I don't know. That's my theory.

[Dory Shafrir]

While we. That it totally makes sense. Yeah, it totally makes sense. I mean it must be some sort of like special material. Right. Like the science behind that type of clothing makes the clothing kind of difficult to.

[Elise Hu]

Yeah.

[Dory Shafrir]

To make cute. I don't know if, if, if you scientists out there, if you chemists out there know anything, material scientists, I guess know anything, please do call in.

[Elise Hu]

I actually feel like there are better men's options than women's options. There's some stuff that I guess is fine, but there's. And also, you know, UV clothing is expensive.

[Dory Shafrir]

Yeah.

[Elise Hu]

So I don't know that I would be like buying. I don't have like a great option for specifically UV clothing. That is cute. Sorry.

[Dory Shafrir]

Yeah. Because you're function over form on this one, right?

[Elise Hu]

Yes. So, yeah, I just, you know, I just try to be covered up, but it's not necessarily in like UV specific clothes.

[Dory Shafrir]

Yeah.

[Elise Hu]

So. All right. Elise, do you want to read this text from a listener with some hair oil recommendations?

[Dory Shafrir]

Yes. I just listened to the request for hair oil. I have similar hair to the listener, but often blow dry it straight. This oil has been an absolute game changer. I used to do keratin and I really don't need to do it anymore with this oil. And it is the pura d' or 4 ounce organic Moroccan argan oil. USDA certified 100%. It's a product available on Amazon Pura d' or. And that's D apostrophe or Moroccan Argan oil. And it's priced at 14.99 and the texture says still would probably Need a curl cream or gel for shaping, but this has really helped my frizz. Okay, we do need to catalog all of these somewhere.

[Elise Hu]

Yes.

[Dory Shafrir]

We'll just put them on a shop my shelf, I think.

[Elise Hu]

All right, we are going to take another short break and then we will be back with a discount code for a dish towel brand that is a listener favorite.

[Dory Shafrir]

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[Elise Hu]

We meet patients wherever they live. During a house call, she found Jack had an issue. Jack's blood pressure was dangerously high.

[Dory Shafrir]

It was 217 over 110. So they got Jack to the hospital and got him the help he needed.

[Elise Hu]

He had had a stamp placed in his heart preventing a massive heart attack.

[Dory Shafrir]

If it wasn't for my guardian angel, I wouldn't be here. Hear more stories like Jack's at unitedhealthcare.com benefits, features and or devices vary by plan. Area limitation and exclusions apply.

[Elise Hu]

All right, we are back. And tea towels and dish towels were another topic like hair oil that we got that we got.

[Dory Shafrir]

Real fan favorite.

[Elise Hu]

I know we got a lot of recommendations for. And we now have a discount code for Geometry, which is this amazing brand of dish towels that so many listeners recommended to us. And so if you use the code Forever15 on Geometry's website, you can get 15% off that website is Geometry House.

[Dory Shafrir]

Geometry House. We will also put a link to Geometry from our show notes, but the code is forever 15. We didn't ask for this. I don't know if they saw or heard the episodes in which so many of you all were calling in with your geometry tea towel recommendations. But if you haven't seen their stuff, the tea towels are super, super cute. Like the patterns are super cute. And then they Also make just a fine towel product. So, yeah, this is very fortuitous that we have forever 15. That's number one and number five. So be sure to pop that in there when you're refreshing your dish towel supply this summer.

[Elise Hu]

I'm waiting for a hair oil to give us a discount code.

[Dory Shafrir]

Yeah, I mean, we've basically spent like, the last three or four weeks on this topic.

[Elise Hu]

I know. Someone call us hair oil people. Where are you at? Right. Um, but seriously, thank you, Geometry. And you can go check that out at Geometry House and use code forever15. Okay. The last thing I want to talk about is Wirecutter recently did a guide to their favorite things at Trader Joe's.

[Dory Shafrir]

Yeah.

[Elise Hu]

I am curious what your thoughts are on this guide. Do you agree with their assessments? Do you feel like they had some, like, things that they just totally missed? I'm very curious.

[Dory Shafrir]

Yeah. I was really excited that there was a feature on this because I have wondered, like, are the things that I love at Trader Joe's the things that are, like, empirically the most popular products or empirically what everybody loves?

[Elise Hu]

Yes.

[Dory Shafrir]

And it seems like that's certainly true for the chicken tikka masala frozen meal.

[Elise Hu]

Yes.

[Dory Shafrir]

Really happy to see that. Very happy to see the gimbap, which everyone gives rave reviews, so I didn't think that was going to be in question. And the Trader Joe's Takis. I like Trader Joe's Takis better than the actual Takis, like the original Takis. So they are the dupes of the spicy chip, the Takis. But these are. So at Trader Joe's, they're called rolled corn tortilla chips. Chili and lime flavored. But basically they're Takis, and I think they're so much better. So those. I. Oh, and then unexpected cheddar. I never make a charcuterie board without unexpected cheddar.

[Elise Hu]

Expected cheddar is so good.

[Dory Shafrir]

And they do have that on there.

[Elise Hu]

Yeah.

[Dory Shafrir]

What about you? What did you like from the list? And what do you feel like they missed? I'll talk about Mrs. In a bit.

[Elise Hu]

Okay. So, yes, the Korean pancakes.

[Dory Shafrir]

Yes. The sweet Botox.

[Elise Hu]

Yes. Yes. Those are also really good. And then, oh, the Thai coconut pancakes are also quite good. And they. They like those. But yeah, they. They had a few things on their list of. On their list of, like, things that we didn't like that I was a little surprised by. And then other things that I agreed with. Like they said that the. The hold the cone tips, which I was. Which I was so excited about. I also Think they were kind of dry and I felt like the chocolate was stale, so those were also a miss for me. I think their dark chocolate almonds are really good, so I was surprised that they didn't like those. I have made the scallion pancakes a lot and I have not found them to be greasy or gummy. So I'm curious how they made them.

[Dory Shafrir]

Well, greasy. I mean, greasy. That depends on just how much oil you use. But they.

[Elise Hu]

Exactly.

[Dory Shafrir]

Very gummy scallion pancakes. But I'm such a scallion pancake snob because my mother makes them by hand and has since I was born. You know, like, we have a. We have like a four generations of scallion pancake recipes that goes back. But their scallion pancakes can. Don't have to be greasy. Like you don't have to make.

[Elise Hu]

Right, totally.

[Dory Shafrir]

They're just dough. So like.

[Elise Hu]

Totally, totally, totally.

[Dory Shafrir]

But yeah, the machine made ones are gonna be gummy. I mean, that. That just happens.

[Elise Hu]

But I don't.

[Dory Shafrir]

Perfectly passable as a snack.

[Elise Hu]

Well, exactly. And I also don't think they are worse than like the vast majority of scallion pancakes you get from like American Chinese restaurants.

[Dory Shafrir]

Oh yeah. Possible. Yeah.

[Elise Hu]

You know, probably, like, it's great that your mom makes amazing ones, but like that's not accessible to the vast majority of people. So I feel like.

[Dory Shafrir]

Right. Yeah.

[Elise Hu]

I don't know. That felt to me like a little bit unfair. Unfair. Yes.

[Dory Shafrir]

There are good frozen ones if you are in a place where you can get like we delivery. The we, you know, Asian food grocery delivery or like H Mart. There are some. There are some frozen ones. I'll have to take a picture of the ones that I think are pretty good, but I think they're gonna. First of all, that's inaccessible. Right. Like, usually I'd have to drive to 99 Ranch.

[Elise Hu]

Yes.

[Dory Shafrir]

And then b. Possibly more expensive. The thing that we like about the Trader Joe's scallion pancakes is that they're cheap.

[Elise Hu]

Cheap, right. Totally.

[Dory Shafrir]

But I. I totally get why it wouldn't make like a best stuff at Trader Joe's list on Wirecutter. Yeah, the thing that I thought that they was the. Was the ice cream, like the mochi ice cream balls. Because I think those are better than Asian food ones.

[Elise Hu]

Oh, interesting.

[Dory Shafrir]

Or Asian grocery store ones. Because I'll get them at like Mitsuha sometimes for double the price and then I'll get them at Trader Joe's. And I. The Trader Joe's ones are so much better to me.

[Elise Hu]

Oh, wow.

[Dory Shafrir]

Like the mochi they get. Right. And then the other thing that they missed, I thought I only discovered because Washington Post did a taste test of raspberry preserves after Meghan Markle's raspberry preserve brand came out as ever. So they did, like, kind of a raspberry jam off. And that's how I was introduced to the Trader Joe's raspberry preserves. And they're excellent. Or that jar is excellent. And I thought that was an oversight. That was my only real oversight that I thought that. And the mochi, because, you know, it's up to them. There's nothing that I, like, love there, so. Oh, one other thing. They have a dill flavored smoked salmon that is very good, but it's not around all the time. Oh, okay. And so maybe that's why I found there. Yeah.

[Elise Hu]

They said they didn't do any seasonal stuff. They only did stuff that's available year round, always.

[Dory Shafrir]

Okay. Okay, great. Do you feel like there were any major misses or anything that they loved that you hate?

[Elise Hu]

Well, I do think that their kung pao chicken is pretty good. Like, agree. And then also their shiitake mushroom chicken is pretty good. So I felt like they didn't do any of, like, the bagged, like, you know, Asian, you know, frozen meals. Yeah, I was curious about that. I also think that their vanilla ice cream is.

[Dory Shafrir]

Oh, I know you love their vanilla ice cream.

[Elise Hu]

Yeah, I am, like, a bit of a vanilla ice cream snob. And theirs is really good. Like, since I started eating it, I've gotten other vanilla ice creams, including, like, Van Leeuwen and, like, you know, quote unquote, fancier brands. And I think the Trader Joe's ice cream is really good. Yeah. So I feel like, you know, I do feel like that was a miss.

[Dory Shafrir]

A lot of their confections are really great, but I'm guessing, like, there's a certain balance, too, that you have to maintain when you're putting one of these together of, like, savory to sweet and then frozen, totally dry goods to. So.

[Elise Hu]

But the frozen stuff is available, like, everywhere, so I don't know. There's a lot of Trader Joe's products. I just didn't feel like this. Was this purported to be, you know, the definitive. It was like our favorite things from Trader Joe's, but I didn't feel like they cast an especially wide net. I guess that's what I'm saying.

[Dory Shafrir]

So anyway, let us know what y' all thought. Yeah, let us know. Any, like, major hits and misses from that list folks. This is the wire cutter list.

[Elise Hu]

It's headline our favorite things from Trader Joe's. All right everyone, thanks so much for listening and we will talk to you soon.

[Dory Shafrir]

Okay, talk to you next time.

[Elise Hu]

Bye.

[Dory Shafrir]

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