Category: Trader Joes

Well, it’s no secret that I’m a big fan of Trader Joe’s. I do my regular grocery shopping every week at Kroger, but then I got to TJ every other week or so to buy some of our favorites. It’s been a while since I’ve shared my purchases, so I’m sharing some items from my recent Trader Joe’s trip.

• Pretzel Bagels: These are Hadley’s fave (I love them too) She often has half of one for breakfast with peanut butter on it.
• Marcona Almonds with Rosemary: I love these almonds. I usually buy two bags every time I go. They are a perfect snack!
• Chomps: Speaking of snacks, Hayden loves Chomps and often packs them in his lunch box.
• Buffalo Chicken Dip: I love this dip! I typically eat it as is (cold) with mini peppers or corn chips. One time, the TJ cashier mentioned I should try it heated up…DUH! I actually have a buffalo chicken dip recipe that bakes in the oven, so I should have realized this dip heated up would be good. It is!
• Black Bean Burrito: Hadley and I both love these burritos, and often split one.

• Corn Chip Dippers: We all love these corn chips…perfect for dipping.
• EBB Kettle Chips: Again, theses were a new purchase for me, and if you like the EBB seasoning, you’ll love these.

• Wraps: I usually try a different wrap each time, and this Cubano was so good!
• Salads: Like the wraps, I usually pick up a different salad each time, and I loved this Crunch Slaw salad.
• Brussel Sprouts: I know Kroger has packaged brussel sprouts, but a few months ago, I picked these up from Trader Joe’s that come with garlic and seasoning, and do so every time I go there now. Even Hayden loves them when I saute them and serve them as a side dish for dinner.

• Pizza: This flatbread pizza was a new find for me. I haven’t tried it yet, but I love prosciutto and arugula, so I figured this has to be a winner.
• Turkey Corn Dogs: A couple blogging friends (Hi! Amy and Sarah) mentioned how good the turkey corn dogs are, and they are delish! Of my family of four, I’m the one who loves a corn dog the most! I served these for dinner one night with baked beans and fruit, and it was a great little meal. (The TJ employee who helped me find them in the freezer section suggested putting them in the Air Fryer, and that’s exactly what I did…they turned out perfectly when I used the “frozen” setting on the AF)

• Biscuits: Shay shared these biscuits in one of her Trader Joe’s posts, and they are often out of stock when I’ve been in my TJ. They were finally in stock, so I picked them up. Hayden has been having one for breakfast all week!
• Lemon Cake: I love Trader Joe’s boxed mixes. Hadley does too! I especially love the seasonal ones, and I couldn’t pass up the lemon cake. Most Sundays, Hadley will make a dessert, and often times, she uses whatever mix I’ve picked up from Trader Joe’s.

• I try to pass up these cookies every time I go, but I can’t. We all love them. Remember when Homer ate half an unattended box last summer? 😆 Even Homer loves them!

• Of course, you know I love flowers from Trader Joe’s. I just feel like they always have such a great variety, and I love to pick up whatever is in season…mums in the fall, tulips in the spring, and my favorite…peonies in early summer.

What about you? What are some of your favorite Trader Joe’s items? Let me know; I love trying some thing new every time I make a Trader Joe’s run.

I hope you have a great day.

Hello and Happy Monday! How was your weekend?

Friday night, Hayden and I watched the KC Royals Opening Day game together, and we tried carry out from a new (to us) place. It’s a sushi and hibachi place, and the food was great!

Saturday, we spent most of the day at home, and I even had some time to sit in the pool for about an hour and read. Then, Hayden had a baseball game. They’ve had a great season so far, and keep getting better. His team played the best that they have this season, and they won! It was a hot Saturday afternoon, but fun watching them play. Hayden pitched the last inning and a half and did great. Saturday evening, we got carry out again. (I don’t cook on the weekends!) Then, we started watching Alone on Netflix. It’s kind of like Survivor and pretty interesting!

On Sunday, we didn’t have much going on which was very much needed! I finished the book I was reading, picked up groceries, did laundry, and prepped for the week ahead.

Anyway, I did a Trader Joe’s run recently, and I thought I’d share what I brought home. I go to TJ every other week or so. Sometimes, I will go in between those hauls to just pop in for flowers or something only Trader Joe’s has…but I usually pick up quite a few things on my hauls…some new items and some tried and true faves.

Flowers:

Y’all, Trader Joe’s has the best flowers. I always pick up a bouquet or two and put the flowers in a big vase for the sunroom. Then, I usually put some in smaller mason jars here and there around the house.

Dinner Idea:

We are having this for dinner Tuesday and Wednesday nights this week. Just put the carnitas and salsa verde in the slower cooker for 4 hours, shred the meat and enjoy! I sometimes put it on half of the Southwestern Chopped Salad, especially if I’m trying to eat low carb. The kids and Travis usually put the carnitas and toppings on tortillas or taco shells. I often serve this with Trader Joe’s Mexican Style Roasted Corn (street corn)…which is another TJ fave. We can usually get two nights out of this dinner.

Snacks:

The corn chips are perfect with the Buffalo Chicken Dip. I ALWAYS buy the Havarti Dill Cheese. I love it so much! The kids love the mozzarella sticks for snack or even for lunch some days. I picked up these crackers for the first time to eat with the hummus I also picked up.

Hayden always requests Chomps, and Hadley loves the Fruit Wraps. I LOVE the Perfect Bars. The peanut butter one is my fave. They are pretty high cal for a snack, so I usually split it in half for a sweet treat over two afternoons.

Sides:

I usually pick up a couple bags of risotto and one or two of their different kinds of frozen gnocchi. They are perfect to heat up quickly as a side for dinner!

Dips & Dressing:

I’ve been buying the Buffalo Chicken Dip for a few months. It’s perfect with raw veggies (peppers are my fave) or the corn chips. The Dill Pickle Hummus is a new find for me. I love it. Like I said above, I eat it with the crackers as a part of my lunch or as a snack. I’m sure it’s good with raw veggies too.

I made California Roll Bowls the other night for dinner, and this Carrot Ginger Miso Dressing is perfect on top.

Lunch Ideas:

This is the second time I’ve picked up these Gyro Slices. It’s also the second time I’ve forgotten to pick up pitas! So, I tend to eat these a few slices at a time just on their own.

I love Alouette spreadable cheese from Kroger (not TJ). A few weeks ago, I spotted this cucumber and dill flavor and love it! It was perfect timing because I put a bit of it on the gyro slices, and they are the perfect combo.

I’ve mentioned before that I love summer lunches (and, I guess pandemic lunches) because I have time to cook lunch items. The kids love all of these options below (I do too!). Hadley is the one that mostly eats the mac & cheese, but even Hayden loves it.

Hadley and I usually split the black bean burrito, but Sis could eat her weight in black beans, so sometimes she claims it as all hers! 😂

Desserts:

My sweet tooth is sometimes hard to control, so I only picked up a few desserts this time. Honestly, Trader Joe’s has the best dessert and little sweet options around.

I always pick up the molasses cookies. Always. (We’ve learned our lesson and put them up high now…ever since Homer ate half a box of them a few months ago!) Those cookies are definitely a family favorite.

I’ve seen people share about the Brownie Crisp Coffee Ice Cream Sandwiches, so I picked them up this time. I actually got two boxes. Good news is that only Travis and I like them. The ice cream is definitely coffee flavored, so I don’t have to worry about the kids swooping in and eating them all! They are only 140 calories each, and filling enough for a dessert.

This is the first time I’ve picked up the lemon cake mix. I made it yesterday for our Sunday dessert, and it was a hit! It’s very refreshing and a great summer dessert option.

A slice of lemon cake for dessert was a perfect way to end the weekend.

What are some of your favorite Trader Joe’s items?? I don’t know that I’ve ever been disappointed in anything I’ve purchased from good ole TJ!

I hope you have a great week.