All Things Trader Joe's

Trader Joe's Fearless Flyer - May

2010-05-04T20:07:00.000-07:00

So, it's been awhile! I'm much more consistent over at my other blog, though the content is completely unrelated to Trader Joe's...so, not necessarily helpful (although good :)).

A note to say that TJ's Fearless Flyer is out for May! You can find a copy at your local Trader Joe's store or online here (just select your state).

A friend who works at TJ's just told us how a woman came in and said that, to her, the Fearless Flyer is like porn... Maybe I should have her post a few entries here.

Hope you are also enjoying your Trader Joe's shopping - I know I continue to!

Passing along a post...

2010-04-13T07:41:00.000-07:00

from Beth at Recipes, Deals etc. Thanks Beth!

She reviewed Trader Joe's Multi-grain Pancake Mix. I can confirm the fact that this mix is great! Before I started making my own whole wheat pancakes from scratch we bought this stuff and it is good.

Especially paired with their 100% real maple syrup...

You can find her review of the pancake mix here.

Trader Joe's Fruit - Ends & Pieces

2010-04-08T04:59:00.000-07:00

I feel almost bad (but not really) that we happened upon these at our store. I've been hoping, dreaming that maybe one day we would get the "ends & pieces" of Trader Joe's fruit bars.

Low and behold, I happened to go down that specific aisle and there they were! I bought 8 packs...now wondering if I should have gotten more or, better yet, bought all that was available.

These, basically, are what they say...the ends and pieces they cut off of the fruit leathers/all fruit bars that they sell. I talked about them in this post. Evee thinks that they are candy and they really are that delicious...all while being 100% fruit and goodness for you.

The "ends & pieces" are sold for 1/3 of the price of the other "fruit leathers" and i think taste just as good or better. The only downside is that they come few and far between, which obviously makes sense but is sad none the less.

If you happen to come across them at your own store, my only words to you are this: STOCK UP!

Easy Trader Joe's Meal - Recipe

2010-04-05T20:07:00.000-07:00

A friend just passed along this recipe from the demo station at Trader Joe's. It is SO simple, cheap, and really easy.

Use a package of Trader Joe's refrigerated pizza dough or make your own pizza dough. We bought their garlic and herb one...it's amazing and is $.99. Yup, $1!

Stretch that out to a square or rectangular...not too thin, but with a lot of room to spread toppings. Put a layer of cheese. I used Trader Joe's Mozzarella cheese. I thought it was a good choice.

I had made BBQ chicken in the crockpot. You can also buy TJ's own pulled BBQ chicken for $4.99/lb. It was really simple to make in the crockpot though. Just bought their chicken breasts for $2.99/lb and a bottle of TJ's BBQ sauce. Put it together on high for about 2 hours. Stirred it around and it shredded super easily. So delicious. You could also add onions right into the crockpot. I forgot and caramelized some on the stove in olive oil instead.

Add the BBQ chicken and onions on top of the cheese and roll the whole thing up.

Bake it for approximately 20 minutes at 400 degrees (or until slightly brown on top).

It makes a good amount of food, is delicious and doesn't take much time at all. Our friends have tried a couple of vegetarian varieties that have also been delicious. Really, you could put whatever kind of toppings you'd like. It's like a Stromboli.

Happy shopping and enjoy!

Wonderful Fruit

2010-03-31T17:42:00.000-07:00

I love summer fruit! I am thrilled that different fruit is starting to come with the changing of the seasons.

This past week at our local Trader Joe's I picked up 4 pounds of strawberries for $7.99 ($2/lb.). They were gone in 3 days. The pictures don't do them justice!

I also grabbed a cantaloupe and am just waiting for it to fully ripen as well as the normal bananas we always get.

(Mango was actually on sale for $1 each at our local Whole Foods this week...yum.)

I'm thrilled about summer coming. It gets me excited to see some cheaper prices on fruit we love and miss over the winter months. It makes me happy thinking about farmer's markets and gardening again.

Trader Joe's Culinary Compendium

2010-03-29T17:36:00.000-07:00

This Trader Joe's goody recently came through our mailbox. In their own words, it's

"A concise collection of our culinary creations (and more curiosities) crammed into this handy almost pocket-sized guide."

It's volume #3...I was trying to remember if I've received one before, but then realized that this is the most recent "fearless flyer". If you would like to view your own copy, you can do so here. Or just go to your local store to pick up a paper copy.

Some fun finds...

Buttermilk biscuits ($2.69 for 16 ounces) - page #4. This is a simple find, I know, but one I didn't realize they had in stores. I recently saw a breakfast recipe using biscuit dough but didn't think I could get it from TJ's.
Organic Baby Spring Mix ($2.69 for 5 ounce bag) - page #9. This is a summer favorite.
Sesame Soba Noodle Bowl with Asian Vegetables (8 ounce bowl for $2.99) - page #11. Something we might not get for awhile, but was interesting to make note of...sounds very tasty and perfect for a lunch or dinner on your own.

There are many other things - juices, pre-made items, snacks, etc. These are just a few things that stuck out at me while looking over the booklet.

Another fact that many Trader Joe's fans probably know, but some may not, is also written on the cover...

"In order to be adorned with the Trader Joe's name, a culinary creation must contain only the finest quality, natural ingredients. Our name assures that there are NO artificial flavors, colors or preservatives; No genetically modified ingredients; and NO added trans fats. Trader Joe's - what a name."

I leave it at that. Happy shopping!

2010-03-23T19:39:00.000-07:00

I'm always happy to see other reviews on Trader Joe's Products. I am much braver with Trader Joe's products and ingredients, since it's very hard to go wrong. Especially with the simple fact that if you do get something that you just don't like you can always take it back (amazing!). But, still, there is a lot to chose from!

Here are reviews from this past week...oddly, mostly from the same site, but still helpful...

Frozen Chicken Enchiladas
Tofu - TJ's is in the "middle of the pack" section
Another cheap wine review - always happy to pass those along since we are still to get wine at our particular one (although there are rumors of it coming!)
French Macarons

New Trader Joe's Openings

2010-03-17T04:27:00.000-07:00

Looks like 2 new openings for Trader Joe's

Portland, Maine

and in Chelsea - NYC (the article is older so it is certain now)

Trader Joe's - A Breakfast Cereal Option

2010-03-15T04:19:00.000-07:00

A breakfast staple at our house (for Clint) is this granola with vanilla yogurt. This granola is filled with almonds, raisins, dried cranberries, blueberries and raspberries, cashews, walnuts and granola clusters. It's got lots of goodness packed inside.

You can find it in the cereal aisle of Trader Joe's. $3.59 for a 16 oz. box.

Trader Joe's Trek Mix Granola

Nickel Chef & St. Patty's Day

2010-03-12T04:31:00.000-08:00

Trader Joe's recently sent an e-mail sharing a recipe for an Irish Feast including an Authentic Irish Soda Bread recipe passed down from generations. You can find the page with all of the information here.

And, if you remember the link to the "Nickle Chef" I shared awhile back on recipes with roasted peppers, you can now see the finalist recipes here and vote for them here.

I do love Trader Joe's roasted peppers so I'm looking forward to trying some of these recipes out!!!

Easy Trader Joe's Meal

2010-03-10T04:01:00.000-08:00

We had the best Trader Joe's meal. Clint and I both said that it felt like an Australian meal. And, it was really easy.

I bought the new fish nuggets. These have been at the demo station a couple of times, which was nice since I'd planned to get some anyway. They are really good! Lightly breaded Alaskan Pollock. Definitely worth giving a try! These are $3.99 for 16 ounces and are in the frozen section.

Beyond that we had their wonderful frozen green beans ($1.99/bag), steamed carrots ($.89 for a pound), and mashed potatoes (with butter, milk and garlic). It was a really simple meal and SO good. Oh, and put it with Trader Joe's tarter sauce (or their cocktail sauce is really good as well!).

Oh, and one more thing I should not leave out. We had was sauteed mushrooms and onions (saute with butter, garlic and soy sauce). I can't even tell you how amazing these are! Clint makes them and they are worth every bite!

Appetizer using Trader Joe's ingredients

2010-03-08T05:02:00.000-08:00

This is a super easy appetizer/dip. I love it and could (and do!) eat it as a meal.

It's a simple dip that a friend taught me in college. Here it is with Trader Joe's ingredients...

1st layer - 1 pkg of cream cheese ($1.50)
2nd layer - 1 can Trader Joe's chicken chili ($1.99)
Put chopped onions on top of the chili
3rd layer - mozzarella cheese ($1.75 for half of the package)

Put it in the oven at 350 degrees until cheese is melted and lightly brown. Serve with tortilla chips!

Trader Joe's - Sipping Chocolate

2010-03-05T08:03:00.000-08:00

Passing on a review from Beth at Recipes, Deals, etc.

She tried Trader Joe's sipping chocolate, something we have yet to try but I've heard is great...check it out here! It sounds very yummy!

More meals to come next week as well as reviews...Have a great weekend!

Trader Joe's Recipe to try

2010-03-03T04:49:00.000-08:00

Here are 2 recipes that I've just seen on the Trader Joe's site that I hope to try sometime in the next 2 weeks.

They are recipes from the "Winners of the 2009 HiiP (Highly Innovative Ingredient Pairing) Sandwich Face-Off".

Lamb Wraps

Rome-wich (a good vegetarian option)

Hopefully they are good! Both seem simple and both have 5 ingredients which is wonderful! I'll let you know how they turn out... If you try them before I do, please let me know!

2010-03-01T06:38:00.000-08:00

Tonight we stopped at a grocery store because I needed to pick up some apple juice for something (a lot of apple juice). We went to the cheapest store that was closest to where we were.

It reminded me why I strive to only shop at Trader Joe's (and sometimes Whole Foods and Target)...it's not frustrating! The whole atmosphere seemed annoyed. I can't explain it other than that. There were lots of little things I noticed that added to that general feeling.

A few weeks ago I happened to go to Trader Joe's on a weekend. Monday mornings happen to be our regular shopping time which is wonderful, truly great. Anyway, it was busy and a bit hard to navigate, though do-able.

I got up to the long line (relatively, based on my normal Monday morning line) to check out. Every lane was open, but they were still longer lines. But instead of people being frustrated people were fine. Cashiers were still friendly. A woman 2 people up from me was turned to the people behind her telling them that it was still worth coming, even though it was busy, because the employees really knew there stuff.

Atmosphere makes such a difference. Happy employees make happy customers. Customer service that actually cares about people and truly wants to help customers makes a great difference.

Easy Recipe with Trader Joe's Ingredients

2010-02-24T04:42:00.000-08:00

I hesitate to share this recipe because it wasn't our favorite, but I believe there is potential in this dish (and it's really easy) so I wanted to share it anyway.

It's a chili casserole. This dish could easily be vegetarian or with beef or chicken (depending on the chili you use).

We used... Trader Joe's salsa. box of cornbread, chicken chili and black beans

Mix the beans, chili, and salsa together. Set aside.

Make the cornbread and break up/crumble.

Assemble by putting a layer of cornbread, then the chili mix and then another layer of cornbread (the rest of it). Add shredded cheddar cheese on top.

Here is what I would change... The Trader Joe's cornbread is amazingly good, but very sweet. In our opinion it did not go well with the rest of the dish. If I made this dish again I would use my own scratch recipe for the cornbread.

Also, the cheese got a bit funny on top of the cornbread. I would probably put it under the second layer of cornbread instead of on top.

If you give it a try with the changes, let me know what you think!

Trader Joe's Recall

2010-02-22T04:44:00.000-08:00

Taken from http://www.recalls.gov/recent.html

As an FYI to Trader Joe's fans :)

"Trader Joe's Company of Monrovia, California is voluntarily recalling Trader Joe's Chocolate Chip Chewy Coated Granola Bars, UPC 82818, Use by Dates/Lot Codes 16JUL10H2 and 17JUL10H1, manufactured by Bloomfield Bakery, a subsidiary of Ralcorp Holdings, Inc. because it has the potential to be contaminated with Salmonella, an organism which can cause serious and sometimes fatal infections in young children, frail or elderly people, and others with weakened immune systems. Healthy persons infected with Salmonella often experience fever, diarrhea, nausea, vomiting and abdominal pain. In rare circumstances, infection with Salmonella can result in the organism getting into the bloodstream and producing more severe illnesses such as arterial infections (i.e., infected aneurysms), endocarditis and arthritis.

The product involved in this recall was distributed at Trader Joe's stores nationally and comes in a 7.4 oz box marked with Use by/Lot Codes 16JUL10H2 and 17JUL10H1 on the top of the box and stamped individually on the side of each granola bar. Production of the product has been suspended while FDA and Bloomfield Bakery continue their investigation.

Customers who have purchased Trader Joe's Chocolate Chip Chewy Coated Granola Bars, Use by/Lot Codes 16JUL10H2 and 17JUL10H1 are urged to return them to any Trader Joe's for a full refund. Customers with questions may contact Trader Joe's Customer Relations Monday through Friday, 6am to 6pm PST at (626) 599-3817."

Trader Joe's Cheese

2010-02-19T04:30:00.000-08:00

Another great find at Trader Joe's is their cheese. They have a lot of variety within the cheese section and a delicious options to choose from! If you haven't explored this section of the store yet, you are missing out.

We've tried a variety depending on what the circumstances have been. We've enjoyed their brie with crackers while sipping wine (all at a great price), but today I'm mentioning the "everyday" cheeses that we buy on a very regular basis.

One of our favorites is the New Zealand Sharp Cheddar Cheese. We've been getting this for weeks now since this Trader Joe's opened up by us. It is really good, but I will say it also has a very pungent flavor. More recently I've switched over to the Wisconsin Cheddar that is also sharp, but isn't as intense. Both are $4.99/lb.

For the most part I just buy block cheese and we shred it ourselves. But, sometimes you need or want shredded cheese. One that we've gotten for pasta dishes is this 12 oz. package of shredded cheese for $3.69. You could also use it for some of the cheese in the hot spinach dip recipe I shared a couple of weeks ago.

Trader Joe's Orange Chicken

2010-02-17T04:22:00.000-08:00

Tonight we tried the Trader Joe's Orange Chicken. It's in the frozen section for $4.99. This item was at the top of the list for top rated Trader Joe's items.

I have to say, we really enjoyed this dish. It was easy to prepare and had great flavor to it. You put it in the oven, heat up a sauce and mix the 2 together. We served it with their jasmine brown rice and their frozen green beans (a constant favorite in this home). For an easy meal at home, this is a great one to try!

The chicken was real, which is always nice to bite in to. The sauce was flavorful. The chicken had a nice crunch to it and is lightly breaded.

It tasted like Chinese take out (well, better than a lot of Orange Chicken Chinese take out I've tried). Yet, it's only $4.99 for the bag, which could feed 3 adults. For the meal, with rice and beans, you are looking at approximately $5.50.

Fearless Flyer - February

2010-02-16T04:35:00.000-08:00

Trader Joe's February "Fearless Flyer" is out! You can get it at your local store or check it out online here.

Enjoy!

Easy Recipe with Trader Joe's Ingredients

2010-02-15T04:41:00.000-08:00

These smoothies have been a regular at our house lately. So easy to make and they taste really good. I think they are a great option in fall/winter when, for the most part, the fruits used to make these are not fresh (at least not locally for us).

Ingredients include (I put them in the blender in this order)...

Juice and Milk. We love this juice so that's what we use. Any fruit juice would work, but I think some kind of orange juice works best. And you could use yogurt instead of milk. We have yogurt in the fridge each week, but use it with granola in the morning. Milk is cheaper and has the same affect so that is what I use instead. Essentially, you could omit the dairy all together (it just wouldn't be creamy, but is still very good).

1 banana

frozen fruit - I use Mango chunks or a mix of berries (see below)

Frozen strawberries and blueberries

Vary the amount of everything depending on how thick you'd like your smoothie to be. You can try all different types...these are just our classic flavors (mango/banana or berry/banana - although you can't taste the banana too much in either).

A Trader Joe's Valentine's Day

2010-02-13T08:00:00.000-08:00

Just in case anyone is looking for some last minute Valentine's Day help Trader Joe's sent out a "Trader Joe's Romantic Notions" e-mail this past week.

If you want to see some "romantic recipes" with prices included, go over to this link to get ideas. They are combinations of items you could buy to add to your holiday experience.

From personal experience, their flowers are beautiful and come at really great prices. So, unless they are sold our for Valentines Day, you should definitely get yours there!

We got these beautiful flowers awhile back (5 roses along with other flowers) for $3.99!

Whole Foods Review - Thai Crystals & Coffee

2010-02-05T04:14:00.000-08:00

I needed to give some credit on this blog to Whole Foods, once again, even though I mostly focus on Trader Joe's. The following 2 products are very worth talking about! We've been very impressed.

The first is Thai Crystal deodorant. A friend had told me about this in the fall, but I had thought it was at Trader Joe's and couldn't find it (since they don't carry it). They have a whole selection at Whole Foods and it is very worth getting. It's "deodorant", I guess, but really is just salt crystals. So, none of the harmful things that are found in antiperspirants. But, it actually works and that is why it is so great! You don't smell...at all. There isn't any frilly smell since it's just salt...there really isn't any smell at all. I've tried some natural deodorants, but they haven't worked. This is a product I feel great about and am so comfortable passing info on about. Definitely worth checking out!

365 degrees Coffee is the second product. A different friend had told me about this coffee. I've posted about coffee before on this blog and the other one and Clint tends to be pretty particular about what he is happy drinking. We decided to give this one a try after drinking 5 o'clock coffee for the past year (the only decent cheap one we could find). Clint loves it. Like, really really does. He was super impressed and has been promoting since we've gotten it.

It is more expensive per pound than what we'd been getting, but worth the price and still a lot cheaper than the higher priced brands (beyond being a great company to support). I think it's about $7-8/lb when it comes in the bigger bag. We get the whole bean pacific rim blend.

Great Staple Items from Trader Joe's

2010-02-03T04:13:00.000-08:00

Everyone might know about these, but just in case wanted to highlight items that we very regularly get, are worth getting, are great quality but basic products that are good to have at home. And, as always, are so affordable and even cheaper than a lot of other stores.

Trader Joe's 100% Pure Olive Oil 1 liter - $5.49

Trader Joe's Brown Jasmine Rice - $3.29

Trader Joe's Organic Whole Wheat Pasta - $1.29

Easy, Cheap Trader Joe's Recipe

2010-02-01T04:46:00.000-08:00

The pictures may not do this justice, but it's such an easy dish using Trader Joe's ingredients and very versatile.

It's for yummy quesadillas - just use the following ingredients

Trader Joe's Whole Wheat Tortillas

Grated Cheddar Cheese

Brown Rice - already cooked

Trader Joe's salsa - the roasted garlic is my favorite

Refried black beans or pinto beans or make your own

In process on stove

Not the cleanest picture, but you get the idea...

You can also add other wonderful foods like avocado or sour cream.

It can get very full, so you may just want to heat everything up and make it into a veggie taco/burrito.

Enjoy!

Trader Joe's Tomato Basil Marina

2010-01-27T07:04:00.000-08:00

Trader Joe's Tomato Basil Marina - $1.99 for 26 oz.

I think this marina is a great basic sauce, but still has a lot of flavor to it. We use it for spaghetti, spaghetti pie, or just straight up with noodles on it's own (on the nights Clint isn't home or I feel really desperate for a quick dish).

One great and easy meatless dish is whole wheat pasta with sauteed mushrooms, onions, peppers (Trader Joe's frozen bell), and broccoli all tossed in this sauce. It is a really great healthy dinner and one that our family enjoys.

Easy Recipe using Trader Joe's Ingredients

2010-01-26T04:44:00.000-08:00

Here is an awesome recipe for Spinach Dip - Trader Joe's style. Please note - this is not a healthy dish at all, but it is really good and everyone who has tried it has loved it. It is really simple and very tasty!

Sorry I don't have pictures to share, but I didn't get the camera before we finished it :).

Spinach Dip (hot)

1 cup sour cream ($1.69 for whole container = $.75 for dish)
1 cup mayonnaise ($3.99 for container = approximately $.75 for dish)
1 1/4 cup shredded Parmesan cheese ($4.69 for bag = $1.50 for dish)
1 1lb. bag of frozen chopped spinach ($1.29)
Tortilla chips (Organic Blue Tortilla Chips for $2.99) or french baguette ($1.99)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees
Defrost spinach and squeeze "dry" (I did that with the spinach still in the bag)
Mix everything together (except dipping tool)
Grease a 8x8 or 9x9 pan
Bake for 25-30 minutes or until bubbling and slightly brown on edges

Again, it's so simple and very enjoyable. And, again, sorry for the lack of pictures!

Total approximate price for the dish is $4.29 + the dipping tool (I love it with chips!)

Links to check out

2010-01-25T05:32:00.000-08:00

Here are some other Trader Joe's sites that would be worth checking out and that I've been meaning to pass on to you...

Trader Joe's Fan

Cooking with Trader Joe's

The Trader Joe's Story

Trader Joe's Wine Blog (already mentioned in a previous post)

Trader Joe's Saucy Scallops with Mushrooms

2010-01-22T05:10:00.000-08:00

These Saucy Scallops with Mushrooms are found in the freezer section (found on pg. 5 if, by chance, you still have your October Fearless Flyer). They come at $4.99 for a 1 lb. bag.

When I saw these in the Fearless Flyer I was really excited about them. I mentioned them to some friends who had gotten a hold of them and really enjoyed the dish, which made me all the more happy to try them.

For weeks I would get to Trader Joe's and they were out of stock. When I finally got my hands on them I bought 3 packages. We served the dish with rice and a side dish.

In all of my excitement, I actually came away disappointed. I hate to say it, but I wouldn't buy them again. My husband thought they were okay, but not amazing.

It's hard to say why exactly we didn't love this item, but I think it was something with the sauce. A bit too bland for my husband and just a weird taste for me. Again, we have friends who loved this dish, so I won't say it's a loss for everyone. This review might be a personal preference, but we won't get it again.

Trader Joe's Big Avocados

2010-01-21T05:07:00.000-08:00

There's not a whole lot of detail to give about these. It is what it is, but I do love avocado.

I will say, that they've been great when I've gotten them. I love the price - $1.29 each. And, I like that you can just get one if that is all you need verses their pack of 4.

One time I got a pack of 4 avocados and when I cut into them, each one was really bad. I called Trader Joe's to see what I should do and if I could take them back. The woman I talked with said not to worry about it, just throw them out, and bring in the receipt and let them know they were bad. Pretty amazing customer service!

So, if you get bad quality stuff, you know that you can always take it back.

These are definitely worth the purchase!

Trader Joe's Soft & Juicy Dried Mango

2010-01-20T05:09:00.000-08:00

Trader Joe's Soft and Juicy Dried Mango was a hit around here for awhile (it was in October's Fearless Flyer pg. 3). It is $1.69/bag and is exactly as it's described - both soft and juicy.

While we really liked it, as far as taste, what I didn't like was the added sugar. And, I couldn't tell how much sugar had been added. Trader Joe's does have other dried mango, but it is much more expensive and still comes in a smaller bag then some of the other dried fruit.

It is a treat, but more like a candy treat than a healthy snack. I won't be buying it again because we switched over to Trader Joe's Dried Apricots which don't have any added sugar and are still soft and juicy. I'd recommend those over the mango, for that reason alone.

Trader Joe's All Natural Stew Meat

2010-01-19T05:08:00.000-08:00

Trader Joe's "All Natural Stew Meat" comes at $4.99/lb.

I decided to try this meat one day for a beef stew I made. I usually buy a roast and then cut it up into pieces to put in the stew. This time I was making it in bulk and decided to buy the already cut up stew meat that is actually cheaper than the roast.

I put it in the crockpot with some water and it turned out great. Very juicy and fresh tasting.

I love Trader Joe's meat standards. Our friend, who works at Trader Joe's, once told me all about what "all natural" means to Trader Joe's and it is really good quality. I will get all the information and post about that on here sometime soon.

In the end, I'd probably only use it for stews and soups. But I love that it is so easy and already cut up - all while still maintaining the flavor of the product.

2010-01-18T05:07:00.000-08:00

I thought I'd start looking at some of the items I'd posted on the sidebar back in October from the Fearless Flyer, since there are a few we've tried.

This week I'll just go through these items, reviewing them and then taking them off the sidebar in preparation for putting new items up! Sadly, I don't have pictures for all of them, but will put in the one's I do hav.

I'm thinking about doing a rating system for the reviews. Would this be helpful? Any thoughts? I'd love thoughts on this because I have a possible rating system I could try out :).

I'll start with Baker Josef's Flour 5 lb. bag $2.99 (pg. 1 of October's Fearless Flyer, if anyone still has it around).

I get the 100% white Whole Wheat flour and we've really enjoyed it. I use it for baking, cooking, for wheat flour and white flour recipes. It has been versatile and easy to use. I think it's a fair price for whole wheat flour.

Additional notes from the bag - it's a good source of fiber, made from wheat milled 100% in US mills, and can be used in place of all purpose flour.

I'd agree.

Other TJ's items reviewed

2010-01-15T05:08:00.000-08:00

Here are some other recently listed reviews for Trader Joe items...

Trader Joe's Buttermilk Biscuits

Trader Joe's Sipping Chocolate

Trader Joe's Dark Chocolate Lover's Bar

Trader Joe's Espresso Pillows

Trader Joe's Gingerbread Cake

And, as a general Trader Joe's review site to check out, go to Trader Joes Fan.

Trader Joe's Fruit Leathers

2010-01-14T05:03:00.000-08:00

These fruit leathers are a favorite treat of ours. They come in different flavors, some being raspberry, strawberry, mixed berry, etc and are $.49 each. They are sweet, but all natural and made with 100% real fruit.

Trader Joe's has other fruit leather/bars that are bigger for $.55 each or ones that have added fiber for $.59 each. These come in additional flavors, including apricot.

We use these as special treats, but they are always worth it! The only reason they are not a bulk buy is because of the price. The only place I've seen these cheaper is at Target, where you can get a 10 pack box for $2.99.

Trader Joe's Love

2010-01-13T05:23:00.000-08:00

Trader Joe's has so many great qualities.

Last year, we went to another Trader Joe's about an hour away. I asked for pretzel bread, only to find out that this was only a mid-west product. However, the employee that I asked empathized with me about the fact that they didn't have it.

She said that she had had it and loved it and wished that it was available everywhere. Even though I couldn't get it, I wasn't mad because I felt so understood.

The friend who introduced me to Trader Joe's told me a story a little while back. She moved to the mid-west from California (where Trader Joe's originated). On one of her first stops to the Trader Joe's in her new area, she asked about a product she had always gotten in CA. She was so sad about the fact that she couldn't get it anymore. The employee replied, "Well, you're not in California anymore."

She said that she hasn't seen that employee in Trader Joe's since not long after that. You know why? My prediction is this - he was not the kind of person that stays at Trader Joe's (and actually, usually not the kind of person that gets hired). Trader Joe's employees are happy, friendly, and know what they are talking about. I have a pleasant interaction with an employee each time I go in our store.

If you want to read a couple other stories about other people's experiences, here some are... :)

Customer Service Done Right

Trader Joe's Customers (it's one part of the post)

Super Easy Trader Joe's Roast

2010-01-12T06:20:00.000-08:00

Here is the easiest recipe using Trader Joe's ingredients. Best thing about it is that you just throw it all in the crock pot for a few hours and it's done.

For 3 of us I use TJ's

Boneless Beef Tri Tip Roast (see note below) - salt and peppered
Gold Potatoes (3-4 potatoes cut in half)
Whole Carrots (4-5 carrots cut in 3's)
1/2 cup water
On low for approx. 8 hours

I use one package of the roast for 2-3 meals (the additional meat goes great with curried lentils). You can cut and freeze it.

We butter the potatoes and you can add sour cream if wanted. We also made TJ's frozen green beans to go along with it - they are a staple around here!

Super easy meal!

Trader Joe's Wines

2010-01-11T05:23:00.000-08:00

I thought I would pass along this site since, even though we can't regularly enjoy Trader Joe's wines at our New Jersey store (at least not yet, that is), everyone else should know the scoop on them!

Here is Jason's Wine Blog and he posts regularly about wines you can find at Trader Joe's.

Have I already posted about this? Well, if not, here it is now :).

Also, one great post of his for Trader Joe's fans is Trader Joe's Wine Top 10 Wine List

Salmon Salad

2010-01-08T05:48:00.000-08:00

This tasted amazing tonight...so easy. And we will easily get 2 meals from all of this food.

All from Trader Joe's

Salmon ($6.99/lb) - one package can be used for 2 meals for us when putting it on a salad
Organic romaine lettuce ($2.89 for pack of 3)

Cucumber ($1.99 for extra long seedless)
Tomato ($.79 each)
Carrot ($.89/lb)
Dressing (I used a bit of TJ's raspberry vinaigrette along with some balsamic vinegar and olive oil)

Going for organic

2010-01-07T05:12:00.000-08:00

Awhile back I posted about buying eggs and milk at Trader Joe's. At that point we were buying regular dairy and egg products. Since then, though, I had a conversation with a friend about organic, free range for these products.

Obviously, it's always the better route to go with organic, but I wasn't sure if I could justify the cost. At this week's shopping trip I was going to buy a gallon of milk for $2.99, but instead went for a 1/2 gallon of organic milk for $3.69. We don't go through a ton of milk so I though I might justify it and see how it goes.

So, here's to going organic on milk! I'll let you know if I take the plunge with eggs and other dairy products!

Trader Joe's Chicken BBQ Pizza

2010-01-06T09:12:00.000-08:00

We tried this pizza for the first time this week and it is really good! It was $4.99 and fed 2 adults so you could make it cheaper yourself. Having said that, though, it was a great meal and so easy to make. It's nice to have something like this in the freezer to pull out whenever. And, it still doesn't have preservatives or additives, which is always a plus!

Some of their other pizzas looked tasty as well, but we haven't tried them yet. Let me know if you have any suggestions!

Trader Joe's Happenings

2010-01-04T17:57:00.000-08:00

I hope your holidays were great!!! Sorry again for the lag in posts last month.

I'm trying to get my camera working properly (I think it's a simple battery issue, but still....). I have some pictures from this week's shopping trip, but can't quite post them. Hopefully in the next couple of days I'll figure it out.

Until then - some Trader Joe's happenings/news.

TJ's recently asked fans what items are their favorites. You can check out the list of the top 33 products here. p.s. I see that their frozen Orange Chicken is #1 on the list and I had noticed it at the store this past week. I will be getting this product next week and "reviewing" it for anyone needing an additional opinion :).

They are hosting a "2010 Trader Joe’s Nickel Chef Recipe Competition". You can find all the info here, but the basic gist is that it's a competition calling for recipes that are simple and quick. The theme ingredient are their "Fire Roasted Red & Yellow Peppers" (which I've had and are amazing). The deadline is January 18, so if you have good recipes get them in soon!

Meal Plan Follow Up

2009-12-02T13:10:00.000-08:00

Here are the results of shopping this week - all done at Trader Joe's

Salmon - $5.75
Eggs - $1.39
Baking powder - $2.19
Dish soap - $2.49
Pasta (2 pkg.) - $1.29 x 2
Spaghetti sauce - $1.79
Broccoli - $2.99
Sun-dried tomatoes - $3.29
Frozen peppers - $1.69
Organic Romaine - $2.79
Dried cranberries - $1.99
Tortilla chips - $2.49
Cheese - $3.52
Brown rice - $3.29
Toilet paper - $3.99
Milk - $2.99
Frozen beans - $1.99 (down in price by $.30)
Oranges - $3.69
Bananas - $.95
Bread - $2.49
Salsa - $1.99
Fruit leather snack - $.49

Total = $57.27 (a bit over, but not bad)

Also, a reminder that Whole Foods has there new weekly deals up!

Go to their website to find your local sales! At the top of the page put in your zip code and make whatever store you go to "your store". Then, click on "specials".

Looks like we have some good meat sales this week as well as a special one day sale this Friday...might have to go check it out for fun :).

Meal Plan Monday

2009-11-30T05:10:00.000-08:00

I'm actually writing before I shop this week :). Hopefully I'll get to feature some TJ's items again this week too.

Here is the meal plan this week...

Meals
Monday - Chicken & potato quiche
Tuesday - Salad and biscuits
Wednesday - Nachos (refried blk beans, onion, peppers, salsa, sour cream) & make spaghetti for another family
Thursday - Frozen meal from our meal swap (just had it again last night, so I have 3 new meals in the freezer)
Friday - Whole wheat pasta with salmon, broccoli, sun-dried tomatoes, and peppers
Saturday - Curried lentils
Sunday - Leftovers

Shopping List

Salmon
Eggs
Baking powder
Dish soap
Pasta (2 pkg.)
Spaghetti sauce
Broccoli
Sun-dried tomatoes
Frozen peppers
Lettuce
Dried cranberries
Tortilla chips
Cheese
Brown rice
Toilet paper
Milk
Frozen beans
Oranges
Bananas
Bread

I'll post later about prices - I may be a few dollars over this week.

Don't forget to check out the other Meal Plans over at Organizing Junkie!

Meal Plan Monday

2009-11-23T18:58:00.000-08:00

Just sticking with meals this week...we will probably have our normal breakfast/lunch items.

Meals
Monday - Chicken with this tangy mustard sauce (so good), green beans, whole wheat biscuits, and salad
Tuesday - Potato Soup
Wednesday - Tuna melts or use birthday money to go out :)
Thursday - Thanksgiving with family (we don't technically have to bring anything, but might bake bread or something)
Friday - Tacos and chips & cheese
Saturday - Scallops (extra pack from last week) with pasta
Sunday - Leftovers

Grocery List

At Trader Joe's we got

Sharp Cheddar - $3.47
Sour cream - $1.69
Yogurt - $2.99
Refried black beans - $.99
Olive oil (1 liter) - $5.49
Balsamic Vinegar - $2.29
Chocolate Syrup - $2.49
Organic romaine hearts - $2.79
Granola - $2.39
Whole wheat pasta - $1.29

Total = $25.88

At Whole Foods we got

Milk - $2.99
Popcorn - $.99
Onions - $2.69
Potatoes - $3.99

Total = $11.89

Total this week = $34.77

I will need to run out soon and grab more fruit, but otherwise I think we are set!

Meal Plan Monday and follow up

2009-11-17T19:56:00.000-08:00

It has been a long week (weekend). Happy in so many ways and tiring in some too. Thanks for still checking in - to those that do :).

So, this week's meal plan Monday...

Breakfasts

Fruit
Tea/coffee
Toast with peanut butter
Yogurt/granola

Lunch

Veggies (cucumber & carrots)
Salad
Hummus with pita
Fruit

Snacks

Fruit
Veggies
Popcorn

Meals (all with vegetables) - thought I'd just start with where we are at. Tonight Evee and I used a gift card to go out and we had leftovers Monday night...
Wednesday - Chicken Fried Rice with friends
Thursday - Roast (leftover flank steak I froze from last week)
Friday - Snack on stuff and then go have snacks at a friend's "Swiss night"
Saturday - Scallops over rice (it's finally back at our Trader Joe's store)
Sunday - Leftovers

Grocery List - smaller list this week...got it all at Trader Joe's

Organic romaine lettuce (3 hearts) - $2.79
Dried cranberries - $1.99
Walnuts - $3.99
Raspberry vinaigrette- $2.99
French bread - $1.99
Carrots - $.89
Bread (regular whole wheat bread) - $2.49
Yogurt - $2.99
Granola - $2.39
Frozen peppers - $1.69
Butter - $2.49
Chips - $1.99
Dried apricot - $2.99
Fruit leather (for Evee) - $.49
Scallops with mushroom sauce (3 of them - I've been trying to get this for weeks) - 4.99 x 3

Total this week = $47.13

Whole Foods Deals Reminder

2009-11-11T14:11:00.000-08:00

Whole Foods - their deals are up for 11/11 - 11/17.

Go to their website to find your local sales! At the top of the page put in your zip code and make whatever store you go to "your store". Then, click on "specials".

I will also say that both Whole Foods and Trader Joe's had pineapple for $2.99 when I went this past Monday! The one I got smells so good. I'll probably cut ours up tomorrow for a great treat!

Natural Remedy Recipe

2009-11-11T04:14:00.000-08:00

Thought I'd share this here since it is cold season and might be useful to some of you. And also since the ingredients can be found at Whole Foods and Trader Joe's. I wrote more about why I am making this at my other blog...

I got ginger at Whole Foods ($4.99/lb - I think). We got 2 "chunks" for $1.05.

Then I picked up honey at Trader Joe's for $4.99.

I already had lemon juice, but would have to get it at Whole Foods if we needed it. Not sure how much it would be, but I know it's organic and fresh squeezed.

I shredded some ginger (with a cheese grater) into a pot and added water. I boiled it for a bit.

Then I strained the water (kept the ginger for another time) into a coffee cup and added 1 tsp lemon juice (add more if ginger sting is too strong) and 1 tsp. honey. I also added extra water. For Evee, I put hers with a bit of orange juice and I added mine to some herbal tea I had left from the morning.

I got this idea from this article at simplemom.net.

Hoping we get better and hope all of you are healthy!

Meal Plan Monday Follow Up

2009-11-10T10:48:00.000-08:00

Here is my follow up to yesterday's shopping trip...

At Trader Joe's we got

2 pkgs. frozen green beans - $1.99 x 2
Bananas (5) - $.95
Hummus quartet - $4.99 (cheap as all the other kinds of hummus per ounce and you get 4 different varieties!)
Peanut butter (all natural, just peanuts and salt) - $1.79
Dried Apricots (I loved the mango but felt frustrated every time we ate it that there is sugar added. They do have just dried mango, but we went for the apricots instead...more for your money) - $2.99
Whole Wheat pasta - $1.29
Beef - flank steak (I'm splitting the 2 pounds into meat for 3-4 meals) - $14.19
Whole Wheat pita shells - $1.29
TJ's soft whole wheat bread - $2.49
72% pound plus dark chocolate (I love this stuff!) - $3.99
Baby bella mushrooms - $1.99
Whole carrots (1 lb.) - $.89
Gallon lowfat milk - $2.99

Total = $43.82

At Whole Foods we got

Oranges - $3.99
Pineapple - $2.99
3 cucumbers - $2.07

Total = $9.05

Total this week = $52.87

I also went out today to get a couple of items to use as natural cold remedies. I'll post about that soon! Hoping that they work for us!!!

Meal Plan Monday

2009-11-08T17:59:00.000-08:00

I am going simple this week (for breakfasts and lunch). I'm going to try to have the same basic thing everyday for those meals and see how it goes. Evee is pretty easy to please and Clint is sometimes here, sometimes in classes or work and also easy to please.

I did just post a great breakfast recipe over at Baby Get Green, though, if anyone wants to take a look at that! I used the Trader Joe's syrup for it too :).

Breakfasts

Fruit
Tea (Clint drinks coffee)
Toast with peanut butter
(there are eggs and yogurt/granola as other options)

Lunch

Veggies (cucumber & carrots)
Hummus with pita
Fruit

Snacks

Fruit
Veggies (same as above)
Popcorn (a staple around here!)

Meals (all with vegetables)
Monday - Fried rice or scallops (if they have them in this week at Trader Joe's! I still haven't found them at our store...they've been out for awhile)
Tuesday - Noodles & Gravy - whole grain pasta from TJ's, my own mushroom sauce (I'll try to post the recipe), and Australian flank steak from TJ's
Wednesday - Frozen potpie from our swap
Thursday - It's my birthday and we are going out on a date!
Friday - Leftovers
Saturday - Curried Lentils (recipe at bottom of linked page)
Sunday - Salmon with veggies and potatoes (we didn't get to this last week)

Grocery List (I'm happy to keep adding this. I just didn't know if it was relevant or helpful, but I can let you be the judge of that. Even if it's just for Stephanie's enjoyment :). I write it for myself either way...I might as well post it here too.)

Peanut butter
Scallops
Steak
Noodles
Mushrooms
Milk
Green beans (2 pkgs.)
Carrots (2 pkgs.)
Cucumbers (3)
Fruit - oranges (2 pkgs.), bananas, and another
Pita
Bread (I decided not to make my own this week, recipe linked though if interested)
Pita
Hummus (again, deciding to buy instead of make this week - but how to cook dried beans here and hummus recipe here)

Hope you have a great meal plan this week! As always, check out other Meal Plans over at Organizing Junkie.

Trader Joe's News

2009-11-06T08:47:00.000-08:00

Trader Joe's this week in blogs...

Trader Joe's meat scare - here and here and here (there are more, but I think you get the gist)
New Trader Joe's openings - Raleigh, NC
Product reviews - Brownies and mini croissants and love for Joe Joe's
Wine reviews (for those who can buy wine at their store) - 2007 Blue Fin Petite Sirah ($3.99) and one from Good Grape
Recipes using TJ's ingredients - Polenta French Toast

Whole Wheat Pizza, Trader Joe's style

2009-11-05T04:57:00.000-08:00

The other night it sounded fun to make pizza. And, relaxing to make my own dough...knead it, spread it out, etc. (Trader Joe's does have great premade pizza dough, if you ever want that!).

I think I talked about how I now love the pizza at Whole Foods. So I tried to make one as close as possible to that.

Here's the process...

Crust recipe (for 1 ball of dough):

In a large bowl combine 1/2 cup warm water and 1 1/8 teaspoon dry yeast (half a package - if using a pkg just double the recipe and make 2)
Once dissolved, add 1/2 tbsp. sugar, 1/2 tsp salt, 1 tbsp. oil, and 1/2 cup flour
Beat above and add 1 more cup of flour or enough for the dough to become stiff
Knead well (about 5 min)
Put in greased bowl till double (approx. 1 hour)
Stretch to fit your baking sheet
Let rise another 15 minutes (mine doesn't really rise much this time)

Then, add toppings. We used...

homemade pesto (basil, olive oil, Parmesan cheese, and pine nuts)

Trader Joe's Parmesan and Mozzarella Cheeses (used less than 1/2 package of each)

Trader Joe's Sun Dried Tomatoes ($3.69 for the jar - a great deal!)

Sauted frozen bell peppers from Trader Joe's. You can get a bag for $1.69 and they are awesome. So much flavor and such a great price!

Viola! (This is pre-baked.) Bake the pizza at 450 degrees for 20 minutes or until cheese is melted and crust is golden brown.

And it was really good! My husband said it was the best pizza I've ever made. It did taste really good!

Whole Foods Deals and other info...

2009-11-04T10:34:00.000-08:00

I thought I would post more recipes and less details to grocery shopping. It's hard saying that we do it on a certain budget, because I know what is in my cupboards but obviously everyone has different food items on hand.

So, after this week, I may stop posting my grocery list each week, but will continue to share the meal plan. Therefore, just know that we stick to $50/week and if you ever want the exact breakdown, I'm happy to share and have my receipts :).

The fun part is that I will post more about specific Trader Joe's ingredients (and how much they cost) and the recipes to the meals we made. One to come tomorrow!

As for Whole Foods - their deals are up for 11/4 - 11/10.

Go to their website to find your local sales! At the top of the page put in your zip code and make whatever store you go to "your store". Then, click on "specials".

Trader Joe's 100% pure Maple Syrup

2009-11-03T10:31:00.000-08:00

Last week when we made pancakes I picked up some maple syrup from Trader Joe's. It is so good. I love the real maple syrup!

This bottle is one of the cheapest per ounce, but not the smallest bottle. They range from $5.99 for the smaller bottle and up. This one was $13.99. Definitely worth checking out! And, a great and healthy (natural) breakfast option. Especially if you make whole what pancakes with real maple syrup and fruit! It's been a hit with all of us!

Meal Plan Monday

2009-11-01T11:03:00.000-08:00

Like I mentioned last week, some of the meals from last week's Meal Plan Monday are moving to this week's - we ended up being with friends and having a few random things to eat last week (and leftovers).

This week's meal plan...

Breakfasts

Fruit
Yogurt/Granola
Eggs/toast
Cereal bars
Pancakes - this recipe turned out really well and easy!

Lunch

Tuna Wraps
Leftovers
PB & J

Meals
Monday - Chicken Tortilla Soup
Tuesday - Pasta (sun dried tomatoes, broccoli, garlic, & basil)
Wednesday - Frozen meal from our swap (enchiladas or potpie are the options)
Thursday - Leftovers (from Wed. night) or sandwiches if there aren't leftovers
Friday - Scallops with mushroom sauce (already packaged at TJ's) over rice
Saturday - Salmon with veggies and potatoes
Sunday - Leftovers

Grocery List

Cereal bars
Granola
Oranges
Bananas
Another fruit
Yogurt
Scallops
Salmon
Brocolli
Carrots
Potatoes
Onion

And, as always check out other Meal Plans over at Organizing Junkie!

Trader Joe's All Purpose Cleaner

2009-10-29T10:30:00.000-07:00

I've been using Trader Joe's all purpose cleaner for a few weeks now and really like it. It does have a strong scent, but it works really well. From what I can tell, the ingredients are friendly to my hands and to what I'm breathing in as well as to the environment.

I use this cleaner on everything now...in the kitchen and bathroom sinks, stove, toilet, shower, etc. It's been great and I am not afraid if my daughter is around.

Definitely something to check out (unless you are really sensitive to smells)!

Whole Foods Deals Reminder

2009-10-29T10:27:00.000-07:00

The sale items went up yesterday for the week of 10/28/09 - 11/3/09.

Again, the sales go by region. These specials are always posted at the front entrance for you to tear off. You can also find your local sale ads by going to their website. At the top of the page put in your zip code and make whatever store you go to "your store". Then, click on "specials".

Meal Plan Follow Up

2009-10-28T10:15:00.000-07:00

I'm looking forward to posting this week about some Trader Joe's products that I love!

As for the follow up... I switched the meal plan a bit.

I realized that with being in nyc on Monday night, having plans for Friday night, and then Saturday night is Halloween (we'll probably just have something quick) - the meal plan was a bit unrealistic.

So, last night we ate a meal from a cooking swap we had. Then we'll have leftovers tonight. A meal from the meal plan Thursday night. Not sure yet on Friday night. A quick meal on Saturday and see if there are leftovers for Sunday.

I took the scallops meal out of the meal plan and will buy stuff for that next week. Then I spent a bit more on a bottle of maple syrup (it's a bigger bottle, but cheaper per ounce) for whole wheat pancakes we made this morning - they were very good!

So, here is how we came out this week. We didn't need too much.

At Trader Joe's we got

Maple Syrup - $13.99
Dried mango - $1.69 (from the side bar)
Sun-dried tomatoes - $3.29
Frozen green beans - $1.99
Mozzarella cheese - $2.99
Frozen pepper blend - $1.69
Dark chocolate almonds (73% dark) - $4.99
Bananas - $.76

Total = $31.74

At Whole Foods we got

Oranges - $3.99
Yogurt (Brown Cow was on sale!) - $3
Throat drops (we've been sick) - $1.99
Avocado - $1
Bulk popcorn - $1.21

Total = $11.19

I'll post more soon on the great things we are finding!

Meal Plan Monday

2009-10-25T20:14:00.000-07:00

This week's meal plan...

Breakfasts - we have a different kind of week, so we are emphasizing breakfasts together

Fruit
Yogurt/Granola
Eggs/toast
Toast (with avocado & salsa) and potatoes
Pancakes

Lunch

Soup
Veggie Wraps
Leftovers
PB & J

Meals
Monday - In NYC with a friend and each other
Tuesday - Pasta (sun dried tomatoes, broccoli, garlic, & basil)
Wednesday - Pizza (pesto with sun-dried tomatoes and mozzarella)
Thursday - Quesadillas
Friday - Dinner with friends, but we are not sure of the plans yet
Saturday - Scallops with mushroom sauce (already packaged at TJ's) over rice or pasta
Sunday - Leftovers

Grocery List

Sun dried tomatoes
Brocolli
Mozzarella
Scallops in mushroom sauce
Avocado
Maple syrup
Peanut butter
Popcron
Eggs
Yogurt
Granola
Cucumber
Carrots
Frozen bell peppers
Oranges
Bananas
Dark chocolate covered almonds

I won't grocery shop till Tuesday morning...so I will report in then!

And, as always check out other Meal Plans over at Organizing Junkie!

Trader Joe's chocolate covered almonds

2009-10-23T06:29:00.000-07:00

These have been my latest favorite Trader Joe's item! They are so good. They also have milk and dark chocolate covered almonds (a mix).

I was curious about what percentage of dark chocolate these were, since that matters with dark chocolate (70% or higher is best and makes it a healing food!). A woman at the customer service desk called the distributor to ask! How awesome are Trader Joe's employees!

Anyway, in the treat pictured above, it's only 50% dark chocolate. So, not great... BUT, this same employee pointed out that there are containers with dark chocolate covered almonds that are 72% dark chocolate! I just had never seen them. They are a bit more expensive, which is to be expected with the higher cocoa content.

You should definitely try them out some time! And, I'll be getting the true dark chocolate ones next time.

The almonds pictured above are $6.99 for 24 ounces. The darker chocolate one is $4.99 for less, but I can't remember how much exactly (maybe 16 ounces or so).

Happy snacking to you!

2009-10-22T11:24:00.001-07:00

A baking post is up on my other blog if you'd like to check it out.

A great recipe for "Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Cookies" using pumpkin for some of the shortening!

Whole Foods Deals Reminder

2009-10-21T12:13:00.000-07:00

The sale items are up for the week of 10/21/09 - 10/27/09.

Again, the sales go by region. These specials are always posted at the front entrance for you to tear off. You can also find your local sale ads by going to their website. At the top of the page put in your zip code and make whatever store you go to "your store". Then, click on "specials".

The only sale I was excited about this week was 10 for $10 avocados. That is 1/2 their normal price at Whole Foods.

On another Whole Foods note...

Today Evee and I went to Whole Foods. We needed to get out of the house after cleaning. We are both a little sick. My throat was hurting and ice cream sounded good. I also hadn't really eaten lunch and decided to get a little something while there. We had such a great time!

I'd never gotten their gelato (it's at the front of our store with the coffee bar). It is so good! We got a 2 scoop size to share, but the lady serving us let us get 3 flavors (since Evee wanted the "pink" (aka strawberry) and I wanted mint chip and cookies & cream - all very good flavors!). It would normally be $2.99 for the 2 scoop, but the cashier only charged us the 1 scoop price ($1.99). I corrected him after I realized, but he said it was okay.

Beyond that I got pizza. Our friend got me hooked on their pizza now. You pay by the pound and it's fairly reasonable and for really tasty. The pesto pizza is amazing. Today it had roasted peppers on it (the other day it had roasted tomatoes and was unbelievable...I'm going to try to make it at home).

So, for a great price ($5), we got pizza (2 pieces), ice cream (2 scoops for the price of one :), but by accident), and a soda (their 365 root beer for $.69) we got to eat really well.

Follow Up to MPM

2009-10-20T11:01:00.000-07:00

I added a few things to the grocery list because I'd picked up a few things early (not on my normal Monday trip). I added them to the totals below as to keep with the blog integrity :).

At Trader Joe's we got

Tortilla chips - $2.39
Chocolate covered almonds - $6.99 (and yes, they are worth it!)
Salt & vinegar chips - $1.99 (this was an add on as a special treat for Clint)
Eggs - $1.29
Granola - $2.39
Bananas (5) - $.95
2 lb. bag of onions - $1.49
Carrots - $.89
Tuna (1 can) - $1.39
Brown Jasmin rice - $3.29
Whole Wheat flour - $2.99 (this was on my list of things to get in the sidebar)
Roasted garlic salsa - $1.99
Butter (sticks) - $2.49
Tomato - $.69

Total = $31.71

At Whole Foods we got

5 lb. bag of potatoes - $3.99
365 brand Yogurt - $2.79
Bulk popcorn - $1.32
Bulk kidney beans - $.80
Bulk navy beans - $.61
$.05 bag refund (to me)

Total = $9.46

Target

Target brand wipes - $1.29
Target brand body wash - $3.49
Eight O'clock coffee - $4.14

Total = $9.16

Grand total = $50.33!

Thanks for checking in this week! I hope its a great one for you!

Meal Plan Monday

2009-10-18T20:18:00.000-07:00

This week's meal plan...

Breakfasts

Fruit
Yogurt/Granola
Eggs/toast
Toast (with avocado & salsa) and potatoes

Lunch

Soup
Veggie Wraps
Leftovers
PB & J

Meals
Monday - Roast with potatoes and veggies (meat leftover in the freezer)
Tuesday - Vegetarian Chili (made in crockpot) - how to cook dried beans
Wednesday - Sandwiches (not sure what kind yet)
Thursday - Veggie burritos
Friday - Curried Lentils
Saturday - Tuna Melts
Sunday - Leftovers

Grocery List

Brown rice
Eggs
Wheat Flour
Potatoes
Salsa
Yogurt
Granola
Carrots
Tomatoe
Bag of onions
Tuna
Bananas
Kidney beans
White beans
Popcorn
Butter
Wipes (for diaper changes)
Coffee
Body wash
Tortilla chips
Dark chocolate covered almonds

I'm looking forward to next week's meal plan (I have it done early), but need some of the other ingredients this week, so I couldn't just switch them!

And, as always check out other Meal Plans over at Organizing Junkie!

New item on the blog's side bar

2009-10-17T11:07:00.000-07:00

Today I went through the October 2009 Fearless Flyer. Sadly, I hadn't picked it up yet this month. I don't think I'd seen it or I think October is going much faster than expected. I did blog about the Almost Fearless newsletter I got via e-mail from Trader Joe's.

Anyway, I went through and circled a bunch of things that I'd like to get at some point. They are all things that we've never tried, but that I plan to purchase (as the budget allows from week to week).

I thought it would be kind of fun to have a rotating list of things we plan to pick up and try at Trader Joe's. I will keep it as a side bar on the right side of the blog. I will try to get the items within the month they are featured in the Fearless Flyer and I'm adding what page they are on, just in case you are interested as well. When we pick something up and try it, I'll try to write about it and take it off that list.

If there are things you've tried and love, feel free to comment any time! I love to know what's good and what could be passed up on.

"On My Way to Buy Eggs"

2009-10-16T04:02:00.000-07:00

I've just finished reading On My Way to Buy Eggs to Evee. It is such a sweet and simple book.

In the back of the book the author, Chih-Yuan Chen talks about traditional Chinese stores and convenience stores.

Although it is a stretch...and even though Trader Joe's and Whole Foods are both very convenient in many ways... I thought I'd share these lines from the author since the feelings of our experiences are so similar (for me, Whole Foods, Trader Joe's and Farmer's Markets feel like the traditional stores the author writes about). It is as much about the people and the atmosphere as it is filling a need to buy food for your family.

From the author:

"Today when I looked out my window I saw a little girl carrying a bag of eggs. She was coming out of a traditional store. There are modern convenience stores nearby, but...there are still many traditional stores, quietly doing business...

When I was little I would hear my mother call from the kitchen, asking me to buy salt, soy sauce, or eggs from the traditional store. I would always see neighbors and friends in the store. It was a place that was much more than a shop for buying and selling.

It is nice to see that even though times have changed there are some things that remain the same."

Whole Foods weekly deals

2009-10-14T12:20:00.000-07:00

I'll always put the following as a reminder of the weekly deals that just started and where you can find them...

The sale items are up for the week of 10/14/09 - 10/20/09 (Wednesday - Tuesday).

Again, the sales go by region. These specials are always posted at the front entrance for you to tear off. You can also find your local sale ads by going to their website. At the top of the page put in your zip code and make whatever store you go to "your store". Then, click on "specials".

Some of the good specials for our region this week are

Food Should Taste Good Tortilla Chips 5.5 - 6 oz. 2 for $4 save $0.99
Bone In Split Chicken Breast (Air Chilled) $2.99 lb save $1.00
Wild Caught Swordfish Steaks $12.99 lb save $5.00
Talapia Fillets$7.99 lb save $2.00
Ben & Jerry's all natural ice cream 2 for $7 save $2.18 on 2

Happy shopping to you this week! I hope there are more great deals in your area!

Follow up to MPM

2009-10-13T18:32:00.000-07:00

I forgot to mention on Monday that we have a good amount of meat in the freezer from my parents leaving some here and other stuff (can't remember right now). So, we are using that meat up first.

On Sunday we went apple picking. Therefore that will be our fruit this week (and possibly into next week) - so we will be eating A LOT of apples!

We went to a few places this week and went over budget a bit, but am hoping that some will last through to next week (i.e. some of the household products and fruit). We also got a couple of special treats (carmels and chocolate syrup and ice cream for our homemade apple pie - yikes!).

I had to get flour and sugar this week. I ended up getting that and some other things from Target because we needed it in time to make an apple pie on Sunday. I went to Target to get coffee and figured I would get the pie ingredients there too.

No pictures this week, but here is the breakdown...

At Trader Joe's we got

Gallon of milk - $2.99
Eggs - $1.19
Sour Cream - $1.69
Butter - $2.49
Chocolate syrup (yes, we've gotten into chocolate milk lately) - $2.49
Potatoes - $2.49 (saw later that these would have been cheaper at Whole Foods)
Carrots - $.89
Frozen Green Beans - $1.99
AND, dark chocolate covered carmels - super special treat (they are AMAZING) - $3.99
I also got avocados for free since my last bag was really bad (all of them were fully brown)...they told me to just bring in the receipt (I had called them) and we got a new bag

Total = $20.49

At Whole Foods we got

Cucumber - $.69
365 brand Yogurt - $2.79
Cereal bars - $1.69
Bulk popcorn - $1.46

Total = $6.58

Target

Dishwasher detergent - $3.24
Eight O'clock coffee - $4.14
White sugar - $1.62
Brown sugar - $1.59
Flour - $2.19
Ice cream - $2.69
Colgate toothpaste - $2.00

Total = $19.16

And, apples from Terhune Orchards cost =$18.26

Grand total = $64.12 - not great, but not terrible either

I've also been thinking about how I could switch to organic &/or free range dairy/eggs...

Props to Whole Foods

2009-10-12T19:12:00.000-07:00

Tonight I couldn't find my envelop holder - where we keep our cash for the month. I had taken it grocery shopping and was trying to think of the last place I'd been. It was Whole Foods. I thought maybe I'd slipped my mind and just left it at the cash register.

I called them to see and was trying to stay calm. They looked around and looked in the safe (where they normally put that stuff if they find it). No luck. I thought maybe it was in the little shopping cart that Evee had pushed around (for some odd reason)

Another woman got on the phone and told me that she would run around the parking lot looking to see if there were shopping carts out there and call me back.

As she ran around I retraced my steps again, I realized that I'd put it in a safe place in the car. Lovely.

I called them right back to tell them to stop looking and I'd found it. I told them I was sorry, but just had called straight away just in case.

The woman who had been looking hard to help me out called me back a few minutes later. I thought she just hadn't gotten the message.

No, she was just calling to tell me that she was so happy that I'd found it.

Meal Plan Monday

2009-10-12T06:21:00.000-07:00

The meal plan...

Breakfasts and Lunches - same as always :)

Oatmeal
Fruit
Yogurt/Granol
Cereal bars (just recently tried one at Whole Foods and it was good)
Eggs/toast
Vegetable Soup
Veggies and hummus
Quesadillas
Brown rice and veggies

Meals
Monday - Possibly go out for a fun treat OR Salad with lettuce, black beans, corn, avocado, cucumber, tomato, pepper (how to cook dry beans)
Tuesday - Chicken, potatoes, and carrot roast (in the crock pot) with other veggies on the side (and maybe biscuits)
Wednesday - Sandwiches (homemade bread, leftover chicken from last night, tomato, lettuce, mayo)
Thursday - Going to some friend's house for Indian. yum. We'll probably bring some nan (not homemade...from Trader Joe's).
Friday - Fried Rice
Saturday - Snack on stuff and then are going to a friends where we will snack some more :)
Sunday - Leftovers!

And, some night I'm planning on making this Spinach dip.

Grocery List

Butter
Popcorn
Milk
Cucumber
Tomato
Carrots
Potatoes
Yogurt
Nan
Eggs
Green beans
Sour cream
Soup mix (for spinach dip)
Wine
Sugar - white and brown
Coffee
Toothpaste
Dish detergent
Fruit
Flour

And, as always check out other Meal Plans over at Organizing Junkie!

Simply Almonds, Cashews & Cranberries

2009-10-12T05:03:00.000-07:00

Just a quick note to say that this trek mix is amazing. We've been getting it for awhile now, but for those who have never tried it - you are missing out! It's like all the best things of a trail mix, but without all the stuff you don't like (for me, at least :)).

You can buy it like this for $4.69 or in individual bags (which are really convenient) for the same price (but you get an ounce or 2 less). Last week they just had this bag and I ended up putting them in individual containers for us to grab and go.

I'll report in tomorrow with the Meal Plan Follow Up!

Whole Foods Value Tour

2009-10-09T04:57:00.000-07:00

Last week Saturday a friend and I were able to attend Whole Foods' "Value Tour". It was on the Whole Foods calendar and I signed up. Space is limited and the tour is free, so make sure to check in advance and get signed up if it is something you are interested in. I highly recommend it!

Some of the great things about this tour (aka reasons you should go)

You really see what the company is all about. You can find their core values here and during the tour you definitely see how these are lived out day to day.
It was really fun and interesting. We heard a lot of great information, learned about local farmers and retailers, and we saw a fish get cut :).
You get to try food out. It was awesome to get samples of a few great products. Our "tour guide" opened a few things along the way (cereal bars and truffles) and passed them around. There were also samples going on throughout the store that we tried along the way.
You get a free gift. When we left we got a reusable bag along with a few different 365 products. I got Caesar dressing, whole wheat pasta and pasta sauce! I'm always so happy to get free food :).

Some new things I learned from the tour

We learned that even though the packaging of something can be the same store to store, there are different ratings for the product inside. Strawberries, for example, at Whole Foods are the best of the best even though the packaging may be the same at a store nearby. These are why some of their prices on produce are higher.
In the meat department at our store there is a chef who is now in charge. He takes meat cutting, storage and selling very seriously. It was interesting to hear how they do things differently and that it's important to them.
They have many organic products that are higher quality. There goal is to have the best quality for the best price.
They have quality meat. Our tour guide was telling us that once a meat guy from Europe was at the store and said that it is so hard to compete with meat farmers in the states because the meat prices are so low here. In Europe they have higher standards (like about hormone usage and feeding of the animals) and therefore he has to sell his meat at a higher price to still make a profit. It is illegal in Europe to sell meat like it is sold here. (Scary!!!)
You can by a half loaf of bread from the bakery. They then cut the price in 1/2 for you when you buy it. They put the other half by the other bread, but at a reduced price. I thought this was a great idea!
Our guide told us that you are able to try things out before you buy. If there is something you are interested in trying, you should be able to tell a Whole Foods' worker and they will open it and give you a sample.
Just like Trader Joe's, you can return anything you don't like. This is not just if it's gone bad, but really if you don't like it you can return it. Pretty amazing that these 2 companies are so sure in their products!

I'm sure there are tidbits of information I'm forgetting in this moment, but it was a fun time. You should definitely grab a friend and sign up together. It's a great opportunity to see more of what Whole Foods is all about.

Trader Joe's - Almost Fearless

2009-10-08T04:28:00.000-07:00

I just got my "Almost Fearless" e-mail from Trader Joe's. If you sign up for their eNewsletter here you can get a little preview of the one coming out soon. I will say, if you are hesitant to sign up, this is my first e-mail from them and I've been signed up for a number of weeks. They really only send you what you sign up for!

I received the eNewsletter yesterday for the "Fearless Flyer" coming out on October 13th. If you just want to look over the current "Fearless Flyer" you can do that here.

Some things I'm excited about from the info in the newsletter

They've added a couple of recipe links (this edition has one for drop biscuits and an enchilada casserole
They have a frozen ready-to-make dish involving Saucy Scallops with Mushrooms.
For winter, they have Baker Josef's Flour • $2.99 for 5lbs. It's white whole wheat flour at a great price! They also have a white and wheat mixture for the same price.

They say this at the end of the newsletter, but I'll add it here too

Download the entire Fearless Flyer on October 13th at www.traderjoes.com or visit your neighborhood Trader Joe's for a copy that's printed on 100% recycled newsprint using soy-based ink.

Whole Foods weekly deals

2009-10-07T07:35:00.000-07:00

The sale items are up for the week of 10/7/09 - 10/13/09 (Wednesday - Tuesday).

Again, the sales go by region. These specials are always posted at the front entrance for you to tear off. You can also find your local sale ads by going to their website. At the top of the page put in your zip code and make whatever store you go to "your store". Then, click on "specials".

There weren't any sales that really caught my eye this week, so I won't list them here, but you may be interested :). There were some meat, sweet potatoes, and yogurt sales.

MPM Follow Up

2009-10-06T10:31:00.000-07:00

We stayed right under budget this week at $47.44!

I also added to the list

Nut mix
Toilet paper
Tissue
Apple juice
Fruit leather for Evee

At Trader Joe's we got

Eggs - $1.19
Granola - $2.39
Cereal bars - $1.69
Avocado (bag of 4) - $3.49
Salsa - $1.99
Corn (frozen) - $1.29
Milk - $1.89
Nut mix - $4.49
Toilet paper - $3.99
Tissue - $.99
Trader Joe's all purpose cleaner (instead of the vinegar) - $2.99
A banana for Evee to eat while we shopped - $.19
Fruit wrap (for Evee as a treat since she just had her immunizations...she thinks that it's candy :)) - $.49

And, I got a refund from taking the coffee back of $3.49. I used that towards buying coffee this week.

Total = $23.58

At Whole Foods we got

Cucumber - $.69
Lettuce - $2.49
Tomato - $1.19
White distilled vinegar (for cleaning)
Yogurt - $2.29
Oranges - $3.99
Grapes - $2.59
Tortilla shells - $1.29
Black beans - $.83
Red pepper - $.98
Pinto beans - $.89
(added, wasn't on list) Apple juice on sale - $2

Total = $19.23

And, I went to Target to get coffee (Eight O'clock)- $4.14

Grand total = $47.44

Notes/Thoughts:

Eggs are an amazing deal at TJ's.
Toilet paper is a great deal too - 6 rolls for $3.99 and it's 100% recycled.
Cereal bars are the same price at both Trader Joe's and Whole Foods for the same amount.
I wrote about a mini coffee dilemma here. It would be interesting to hear what other people do.
I bought the plain yogurt at Whole Foods (365 brand), but will go back to buying the vanilla flavor ($.50 more) next week. It wasn't a good choice :).
The cranberry/almond/cashew mix at Trader Joe's is a great one! Definitely worth checking out.
I'm excited to try Trader Joe's all purpose cleaner and will try to report here how it works.

Meal Plan Monday

2009-10-04T18:59:00.000-07:00

For those of you that are Whole Foods shoppers, "The Whole Deal" just came out for October/November. You can get it at your local store or you can download it here.

Other notes:

I did pick up some orange juice this past week from Whole Foods ($2.99) and borrowed 2 eggs from a friend :). I just want to say anything extra that we pick up to have integrity with the budget. Next time, I'll just add a note to the actual follow up post.

This is our last (almost fully) meatless meal plan (we are grilling out one night this week). Granted, we don't eat a ton of meat anyway, since the meals we do have it in the portions are smaller. But, still, next week will be back to "normal".

I went on a Whole Foods Value Tour this past Saturday. It was so much fun and very insightful. I will post about it later this week.

I bought coffee at Trader Joe's last week, but Clint did not like it. He tried it one morning and we haven't touched it since. Trader Joe's has a great policy that if you don't like something, you can return it. So, I'll be bringing it back when we shop and will go with something different.

Now, for the meal plan...

Breakfasts and Lunches

Oatmeal
Fruit
Yogurt/Granol
Cereal bars (just recently tried one at Whole Foods and it was good)
Eggs/toast
Vegetable Soup
Veggies and hummus
Pita and roasted garlic
Brown rice and veggies

Meals

Monday - We are having a cook out with our apartment building. I'll probably bring brownies to share, make a salad, and put something on the grill.
Tuesday - Stir fry - with basic homemade sauce and lots of veggies
Wednesday - Salad with lettuce, black beans, corn, avocado, cucumber, tomato, pepper (how to cook dry beans)
Thursday - Whole wheat pasta with a marina sauce, onion, and broccoli (we got the pasta and sauce for free from the value tour!)
Friday - Dinner with friends or we'll make quesadillas (refried and black beans, salsa, tomato, pepper, corn and avocado)
Saturday - Hearty Minestrone Soup - We had this last week and it was really good. I still have enough ingredients to make a second batch. I substituted potatoes for the pasta since we had some that needed to get used up. Also, the flavor was powerful enough that we actually put the soup over rice instead of eating it plain. It's a very hearty dish! A good one to share with friends!
Sunday - Leftovers!

Grocery List

Cucumber(s)
Lettuce
Tomato
White distilled vinegar (for cleaning)
Yogurt
Eggs
Granola
Cereal bars
Avocado
Pinto beans (this week I really will have to make refried beans)
Salsa
Corn (probably frozen)
Tortilla shells
Black beans
Pepper
Milk
Fruit (whatever is on sale)
Coffee
Maybe a special treat or 2

We should come in right around $50.

Also, at some point this week I will get Whole Foods vegan sushi that's on sale from $6.49 to $4.99, but that will come out of our "going out" budget.

Next week I'll start featuring some Trader Joe's products that I love but haven't been eating these past couple of weeks. Very exciting!

You can also always check out other Meal Plans over at Organizing Junkie!

Whole Foods Locations

2009-10-02T04:11:00.000-07:00

And for the Whole Foods Locations nearest you - go to this page and put your zip code.

You can also sign up for their newsletter and for recipes (each come 2 times per month) at this page.

Other pages on their site that are good to know...

Recipe page
Nutrition and special diet info here

Also, you can put your zip code in at the top of the home page and you'll find the store nearest you. From there, you can make that store "your store", go to "your stores" webpage, and find classes that they offer (which can get somewhat pricey) but also great information.

Another great thing they offer is called Value Tours. You just have to call to find out when those are offered. And I will share about my experience as soon as I attend (in 2 Saturdays)!

Trader Joe Locations

2009-10-01T05:02:00.000-07:00

As I start on this fun journey, I wanted to post some helpful links. Starting with how to find Trader Joe locations.

If you're wondering if there is a Trader Joe location in your area, check here.

Other TJ's links

A few recipes - go here
The Fearless Flyer (their "ad") - here
You can sign up for their eNewsletter is here

Whole Foods weekly deals

2009-09-30T06:54:00.000-07:00

Whole Foods sales start on Wednesdays and go through the following Tuesday.

The sales go by region. I'm guessing we are in the North West region. You can find your local ads by going to their website. At the top of the page put in your zip code and make whatever store you go to "your store". Then, click on "specials".

This week's (9/30-10/6) sales, for our region, are as follows...

Bell & Evans® Frozen Chicken Breast Tenders - Buy One Get One Free!
Reg. $6.49 ea
Bone In Rib Steak - $9.99 lb
Reg. $12.99 lb
Whole Foods Market® Adobo Black Bean Soup (23 oz) - $4.99 ea
Reg. $6.49 ea
New YorkMcIntosh Apples - 99¢ lb
Reg. $1.69 lb
California Organic Raspberries - $2.99 ea
Reg. $4.99 ea
Farm Raised To Our Standards Catfish Fillet - $6.99 lb
Reg. $8.99 lb (Available in Cajun, Cornmeal, and Pecan Crusted)
Divina Peppadews - $5.99 lb
Reg. $8.99 lb
Red Fork Pizzas (10 inch) - $3.99 ea
Reg. $6.99 ea (Choose from Bianca, Margherita, and Chicken and Smoked Gouda)
Genji® Sushi Veggie Roll - $4.99 ea
Reg. $6.29 ea
Apple & Eve Apple Juice (64 fl oz) - 2 for $4
Reg. $2.99 ea

Trader Joe's shopping follow up

2009-09-29T05:09:00.000-07:00

So, I'd been hearing that Trader Joe's had been crazy all weekend. I knew that from being there opening day, but was curious how it would be on a Monday during the day. We got to find out!

It was still very busy, but nothing like the weekend. I was able to get what I needed, though it was crowded, and was checked out quickly. I will say, I love grocery shopping on Mondays. We shopped Trader Joe's a bit after lunch and didn't get to Whole Foods till later in the evening (which turned out to be a great and peaceful time to shop!).

{I got a free Trader Joe's bag for bringing in the "coupon" (right) that we got in the mail. I am now in the drawing for $50 of groceries too!}

From our grocery list for the week, this is what we picked up at Trader Joe's (and prices) -

Brown Jasmine Rice - $3.29 (for 3 lbs.)
Fresh tomato (plum) - $2.99 (possible could have gotten these cheaper at WF)
Whole wheat pasta - $1.29
Carrots - $.89
Celery - $1.79
Tomato paste - $.89
Bananas - $.76

To the list, I added

coffee (last minute I remembered we were almost out) - $3.49 (SO cheap)
Rice crackers - $1.69
and a Cliff bar for Evee - $.69

Total = $17.77

Here is what we picked up at Whole Foods -

Whole wheat tortilla shells (these are cheaper at WF than TJ's) - $1.29
Pine nuts (These are so expensive and not a regular item for us. They were $7.99 at TJ's. I'm hoping they will last awhile!) - $7.69
Cannellini beans - $.75
Savoy cabbage - $1.82
Apples - $2.49

To this list, I added

3 5-gallon distilled water bottles (we go back and forth on if we should keep doing this) - $5.85
Popcorn kernels (bulk section) - $1.17
Throat drops (we've been fighting colds) - $1.99
Yogurt - $2.79
Granola (Bear Naked was on sale for $4.39 and I had $1 off coupon from the whole deal. I will get granola at TJ's next time since it's cheaper there.) - $3.39

Total = $29.07

Total for the week = $46.84

It will get interesting when meat and dairy go back on the list!

From the list, we didn't get

Curry powder
Zucchini (see below)

Note on the meal plan: I decided to nix the zucchini spaghetti and make my own kind. I'll put the recipe and pictures on this week when I make it. I think it will be really good and cheap!

Meal Plan Monday

2009-09-27T19:24:00.000-07:00

For months now I've been posting my meal plans over at baby get green. I'm happy to have Trader Joe's and Whole Foods so close and to be meal planning specifically with those stores in mind. That said, I'm sure with some simple tweaking (on some items and prices) the meals can be flexibly used even if you don't shop at one or both of these stores.

I do want to add that we are going with no meat or dairy right now. I've been getting eggs and milk for Evee. Meat and dairy will be basically out of our diets for this Monday's meal plan and the next, but after that it will go back to some meat, eggs and dairy for sure. In the mean time, it will definitely look more like a vegan diet the next 2 weeks - thanks for being flexible!

I will do a follow up post on where we bought the items and how much it totaled. I'll go to Trader Joe's first and then follow up with Whole Foods.

Breakfasts and Lunches

Oatmeal
Fruit
Vegetable Soup
Veggies and hummus
Pita and roasted garlic
Brown rice and veggies

Meals

Monday - Brown Rice Palif (w/ sun dried tomatoes and pine nuts and w/out prosciutto) - recipe from "the whole deal"
Tuesday - Hummus with pita or homemade chapitas (how to cook dry beans for hummus), veggies
Wednesday - Whole wheat pasta with tomatoes & zucchini (without the cheese) - both a recipe from "the whole deal" and there is a similar one from More-With-Less Cookbook (World Community Cookbook) (under Spaghetti & Zucc sauce)
Thursday - Vegetarian tacos with whole wheat shells
Friday - Curried lentils
Saturday - Homemade whole wheat pizza with lots of veggies (and no cheese) - using this crust recipe
Sunday - Hearty Minestrone Soup - again from "the whole deal" - we will substitute with whole wheat pasta

Grocery List

Brown rice
Tomato paste
Pine nuts
Pinto beans - to make refried beans
Whole wheat tortilla shells
2 medium zucchinis
Fresh tomato (plum)
Whole wheat pasta
(Possibly) curry powder
Carrots
Savoy cabbage
Celery
Cannellini or white beans
Fruit - whatever is on sale

I already have some of the other ingredients - lentils, olive oil, broccoli, peppers, canned tomatoes, garlic... I also have started growing basil and parsley, so I have that fresh for the recipes calling for that.

Hope your meal plan is a fun one this week! You can also always check out other Meal Plans over at Organizing Junkie!

Trader Joe's - Now Open!!!

2009-09-25T07:49:00.000-07:00

So, today our Trader Joe's in Princeton, NJ officially opened! Happy day. :) Here is a picture story of our own Trader Joe's Adventure!

A group of us rode bikes over there - kids and all - to celebrate the grand opening of our new store.

There was actually a good group of people there at 8:30 am (1/2 hour before the store actually opened). There was music, coffee, and breakfast treats. Definitely a fun atmosphere.

A lady standing next to me told me how she was so excited for the opening. She mentioned that she would regularly travel the 45 minutes to get to the closest Trader Joe's (before this opening). Then she would call up her girlfriends to see if they needed anything while she was there. Trader Joe's has such dedicated and loyal followers. I was happy to be part of the group gathered this morning.

Around 8:50 the mayor of Princeton said some opening words. He shared how people have been asking him for years about getting a Trader Joe's. This was a long awaited store opening!

Along with the mayor were some congress women (I think that's who they were) and the Captain and First Mate of the new store (along with many employees - some working and others just there for fun). Then there was the official cutting of the lei to announce the store was opened.

On our way in, the employees were lined up on either side of the aisle and cheering for those coming in to the store. Very fun atmosphere and lots of excitement. If I can get my video working on the blog, I will post a video of it too.

Beautiful new store. Just walking around it felt comfortable and fun.

The lines around 9:30. They actually ran out of shopping carts. People were having to pick them up at the door as customers were leaving.

The end of a happy visit - the first of many!

I must confess - I only picked up a few things this trip. 1/2 gallon of milk, a nut mix (cranberries, almonds, and cashews - the best mix I've ever had), and bananas. I like to stick with my regular shopping day as Monday, but still had to be there for the opening.

Sunday night I'll post my first Trader Joe's meal plan (with a price estimation) and then a follow up post will come Monday or Tuesday on how we did with prices.

Happy weekending! Thanks for sharing in this fun day!

Why Trader Joe's (and Whole Foods)

2009-09-22T07:40:00.000-07:00

I am so happy to have Trader Joe's in the area and to start this blog! Here is the what, why, and how of it all.

What...
So, the plan for this blog is to share meal plans, recipes, ideas, and special treats that are from Trader Joe's with a little bit from Whole Foods. AND - to do it all for $50 per week (totaling somewhere between $200-250 per month).

We've been on a $200 per month budget this past year not shopping at Trader Joe's or Whole Foods (much). So, no absolute guarantees here. I can say, however, that we used to shop at Trader Joe's all the time and I have gone (for fun) to write down prices on our normally used items.

I will strive to be as truthful as possible about where our food is coming from for the integrity of this "experiment". And, lastly on the what...I'm sorry if you do not have Trader Joe's nearby and this is then, of course, of no use to you. For others who do and are hoping to stick to a tighter budget...I hope this may give ideas.

Why...
Before we moved to the east coast, we shopped almost exclusively at Trader Joe's. Once moving here we've switched it up, due to not having one closer than 45 min away. We've been on a $200 per month budget up till now (including everything - TP, shampoo, wine, etc.) so the plan is to stay as close to that as possible. If you want to check out those meal plans you can find them at my other blog (see the food label).

On September 25th a Trader Joe's opens up almost right across the street from us! So, now back to meal planning...Trader Joe's style.

Why the passion for Trader Joe's? Fair question - especially if you've never been to one of their stores. You can read some of the reasons why I love TJ's in this post from a year ago. Beyond those reasons, it is a really great company to support.

Recently I read this post that highlights a guide called The Better World Shopping Guide - 2nd Edition: Every Dollar Makes a Difference. The book "grades" companies based on these factors - Human rights, environmental issues, animal protection, community involvement and social justice issues (generally good things to get on board with :)). In the post it quickly highlighted a few different companies and their grades.

I was delighted, although not surprised, to see that TJ's had an A-. (See the other grades here.) This only helped me to be more determined to do the extent of my shopping there.

Trader Joe's will tell you that you probably cannot exclusively shop there. Although I've just about done that in the past, I am realizing that I will have to shop another place or 2 as well. This is mostly due to the fact that I have started using more dry beans and lentils and making other items from scratch. For example, off and on I make our bread from scratch. TJ's tends to only carry yeast during the winter months. Hence, the problem.

To offset the things we cannot get there, I will be shopping at Whole Foods for those additional items. Did you see that they got an A grade?

At Whole Foods I will focus on getting things like beans & lentils which are in their bulk section and are as cheap as any other grocery store. They often have great sales on produce as well.

They have told me that there sales run from Tuesdays through the following Wednesday. I know of a couple of blogs that post those sales and I will be checking out our local store as well since the prices vary by region.

How...
Another fair question. It can be a bit tricky at times. But, let me reassure you, it's also very fun.

Things to keep in mind.

We are a family of 3. 2 adults and a 2.5 year old.
We've cut quite a bit of meat out of our diet. We do love a good steak every once in awhile and love salmon, so we are not fully vegetarian. But, in the everyday aspect of eating, we do tend have smaller portions of meat or cut it out of the meal completely.
I make most of our sweets from scratch (brownies, oatmeal cookies). And our snacks are stuff like homemade popcorn.
We've started using dry beans and make those up.
Sometimes I make our own bread.
I make lunch stuff like hummus.
We eat most meals at home, including most lunches.

That is all that is coming to mind in this moment!

Let the fun begin!!! :)

Welcome Trader Joe's Fans!

2009-09-20T22:26:00.000-07:00

To anyone who may read this first post... I wanted to have a "starter post" before my "first post" explaining more about the blog (coming on Wednesday!).

To any Trader Joe's fans, or soon to be fans, welcome! I plan to post meal plans, recipes, favorite products, and some TJ's happenings...and, all on a budget.

I've decided to start this blog because I enjoy blogging, tend to be passionate about Trader Joe's, and a store is opening up right down the road from us this Friday!

I will write a long post Wednesday sharing much more information about the company and this blog. Then, I'll hopefully be posting some fun pictures from our town's grand opening of the store (that's happening on Friday morning). Then, the regular Trader Joe's meal plans and all will start on Monday!

Thanks for reading! Should be fun.