Three and a half hours later

We arrived at the Trader Joe's location off the 70 in St. Louis around 5 p.m. and it was so crowded! We were able to get a bunch of things we needed: organic sweet potatoes, chocolate oranges, tofu cream cheese, nitrite free hot dogs, sunflower seed butter and $200 worth of more stuff.
It was extremely busy there...and it was odd to be in a TJs in the cold, no flip flops and no talkative checkers. Kind of sad.
We will be going back!

A few of my favorite TJs things:

There are a few yummy things I've been indulging in. I've been buying avocados and strawberries and I recently bought these huge juicy blackberries. I put together this trio in the blink of an eye. An affordable and easy dessert.
Another staple around here are the Organic Sweet Potatoes. Amazing just by popping a few in the microwave for 11 minutes. Just add a bit of butter and you've got a great snack. And at $3.29 a bag, you can't beat that price.
Joe's O's are another favorite that I don't know if we can live without...they are comparable to Cheerios, but I like their flavor better, and their price! $1.99
I'm also going to miss the wide variety of tomatoes that TJs carries...especially the high lycopene variety...tasty and nutritious. Not cheap at all, but I like to splurge on a few of the good things.

This granola is very delicious. It's almost $5 a box.
It's an occasional treat here.

I'm making this next weekend...affordable and doesn't have
tons of extra ingredients or food dye.

I bought this because it said "almond", but it doesn't
have that much almond flavor, so you might be disappointed.
A bit pricey for what you get.
I don't recommend this item.

Looks pretty though

Reviews coming up soon!

Here's a look at some products I will be reviewing over the next few weeks:

Bakery Made Snack Granola

Almond Paste/Puff Pastry

Frozen Section

Not Trader Joes

Update 9/26: We found some in Laguna Beach, preground, but that's okay. We'll enjoy it anyway.
I checked at our local Starbucks and they don't have it anymore. Replaced with Yukon which is good but not as smooth.

Okay, I haven't reviewed in a while. So I am going to review something that doesn't exist anymore.
Why would I do that you ask? Well, I want it back for one thing.
It's called Starbucks Organic Serena Coffee and it's my absolute favorite coffee. It just disappeared off the shelves one day and no one noticed until I asked where it went and they didn't know, and didn't even seem to remember that there had ever been a coffee called Serena. Or how good it was.
OMG.
I'm having withdrawals. I am trying their new Yukon Organic. Almost, but now quite the punch.

Serena, was smooth yet strong, simple, aromatic and gentle. It was kind of woodsy and sweet.
I can't believe it's gone.
If you see some somewhere in the world, I would love one or two more sips. Thank you!

Chocolate Souffle

Okay, it's been a while...I don't even have a picture for this post. Last week I bought some of TJs frozen chocolate souffles. Two come in a box, in their own cute little ceramic souffle dishes, all for $4.99. I thought this was a bit pricey, but I love the dishes and it saved me from having to buy them anyway (about $2-3 a piece at Crate and Barrel).
We LOVED the souffle. It was easy to make, and I poured some heavy cream in the middle and garnished with strawberries. We recommend this highly. Great for a quick treat and celebration. The reuseable cups are super cute and a must! I'll have to buy some more to take pics for you. I don't think this is a seasonal item as it was purchased in June. Yay chocolate!

Trader Joe's Sipping Chocolate

• Price: unknown, this was a gift
  
• Servings: Says 9 on the can, but we don't make it that rich, so probably about 18
  
• Preparation: Warm milk on the stove, just like the old days, and add the amount you prefer. Follow directions on the tin. We also added marshmallows.
  
• Storage: Keep in cupboard in the tin the beautiful tin
  
• Taste: Hot chocolate like when you were a kid, not bitter, just rich and mellow
  
• Kid Friendliness: Oh yeah!
  
• Real Cooking time: 5 minutes or so
  
• Overall: Fabulous item, we love it. I hope to find it at TJs soon, and that it wasn't a holiday item!