Trader Joe's Food Review

Yay for Babysitters

2011-08-11T19:05:00.000-07:00

Last weekend my babysitter called me and said she was shopping at Trader Joe's and what did I want her to get for me? Was that awesome or what!!!?
I gave her a brief list because I'm planning a road trip in a week or two to stock up on staples. We're going to Kansas City to a party so will check out the new locations. My next trip after that will be around Christmas time to St. Louis.
I'll add my shopping list very soon so you can see what the best staples are for your pantry.

P.S. I love you Trader Joe!

Hot Dogs!!!! Mean it's summer time!

2011-07-15T06:36:00.000-07:00

If you take a look at the ingredients listed above...it will blow your mind. Have you ever read the ingredients on traditional processed hotdogs...don't do it or you'll never eat them again. I did read and that's why we've switched to non-cured weiners. Plus we try to stay away from MSG, nitrites, nitrates, and meat "product".
TJ's dogs are amazing and taste pretty much the same as Oscar Meyer, but maybe less salty. I give these dogs 5 Stars!!! I usually buy 3-4 packs and freeze them, they thaw quickly in the microwave or under hot water and they're great grilled or pan seared.
I just read the ingredients again and I can't believe they can taste so great without additives!
Wake up HOT DOG MANUFACTURERS and start making it right!

2011-05-03T18:25:00.001-07:00

Cannot believe that Kansas City is getting two TJs and Dallas is getting one too...what are we? Chopped Liver! Just have to keep driving six hours to get the goods, that's all.

Luckily, every time I take a trip back home I bring an extra suit case and fill it with stash...tea, jam, cookies, rice pasta, raw organic almonds etc. I really miss being able to run over there to grab a few things for dinner. Especially the yummy salads. Not that the St. Louis ones have the freshest produce...ha ha.

Making a list for our family trip to the zoo in a few weeks. Yahoo!
If you need something, leave me a comment here and I'll email you back.
Cheers!

A few of my favorite things:

2011-02-23T08:52:00.000-08:00

Christmas Shopping at TJs

2010-11-21T05:47:00.000-08:00

We have a family trip planned for December! Yay! Luckily, we might be able to spend the night at a family member's place and possibly get to have some fun! I have quite a list of things I'd like to get, but because of tightening strings on the old money bags, I may have to keep it down to necessities...like:

Irish Breakfast Tea
Pumpkin Butter, maybe Cranberry Butter too
Christmasy Peppermint Tea
Chocolate
Rice Pasta
Parmesan Cheese
Almond Butter
A few bottle of Wine
Creme Fraiche
Everything Crackers

What's on Your List?

TJ's How Do I Love Thee?

2010-08-19T06:42:00.000-07:00

There are many reasons I have loved Trader Joe's. Firstly, I grew up in Pasadena, and lived very close to the original Trader Joe's, and I shopped there up into my 30s. Secondly, you cannot argue with their prices. They purposely buy large quantities of their products to keep their costs low. I mean, you can't scoff at 3 buck Chuck (now 4 I believe)! There is also a wide variety of affordable food, such as Fresh, Frozen, Packaged, Bottled, Bagged etc. And it seems to be of a certain quality that I don't see in regular grocery stores. Maybe it's because they have earth toned packaging, they don't use lots of bright reds and blues (which I associate with food coloring). The list of ingredients on the packaging is relatively short...meaning you can read all the ingredients without going cross-eyed.

So, for me, it's a sentimental thing. And it's a better food quality thing. Price comes in last for me, because I'm paying premium for similar products at my local PigglyWiggly.*

Then there is the fact that I love to be different. I don't want to shop the huge warehouse stores or the local chain grocery. It's boring. It's expensive. It's boring. (Did I say that?).

TJ's has my name all over it...hopefully this Saturday or next I will make my pilgrimage to that heavenly food place...don't forget to comment here if you need something. Make sure and leave your email address so I can reply. I don't charge for this service at this time. Chow Baby!

*P.S. We don't have Piggly Wiggly here, but you wouldn't recognize the name Price Cutter would you?

Irish Breakfast

2010-08-07T09:51:00.000-07:00

Joe's O's are BETTER than Cheerios! Really!

I've been out of Irish Breakfast for almost four weeks. It's been horrible. I ordered some tea from Special Teas, which has been nice, but not fabulous. My lovely daughter just arrived from L.A. and brought me four boxes. Bless her! She also brought cashews with which I am going to top my famous Springfield-style cashew chicken (and use the green onions growing in my garden).
In other food news, I just purchased some raw whole milk. I'm going to make my first batch of clotted cream. I don't know how much it will make. But one of those tiny jars is $6 at the store.

I miss you TJ's!!! (I'm hoping I will be taking a trip of some sort back to L.A. to see friends and go to all the places I miss in a month or two.)

Everybody loves Joe

2010-06-02T10:56:00.000-07:00

It's amazing how many folks around here love Trader Joe's. Even after TJs has dissed us all.
The guy who stripped my neighbor's wall paper for her asked her if she would bring him a case of Charles Shaw!!! (She wasn't able to sadly). My 82 year old neighbor loves TJs and is impressed with their frozen desserts. A friend from the old days Facbooked me and offered to get me some stuff when he goes to St. Louis this weekend. Wow...what a sweet offer eh?

Some things I'm running out of:
Rice pasta - all forms
Tea
Water w/ electrolytes
Joes' Os
Organic low sugar jam
Canned marinara sauce
Canned mandarin oranges

I am starting to not remember things that I want...I mean, I shop at Sam's Club now...and the selection of high quality stuff is limited (I think).

Well...I'm trying to come up with a date for my next foray to St. Louis. It will probably be the last weekend in June as my mother is coming to stay for a few weeks.

And check me out in the Blog Guidebook!

Finally made it to Trader Joe's in St. Louis

2010-05-21T06:43:00.000-07:00

One of the Trader Joe's in St. Louis area (yes, I made it!)

I finally drove the three hours from Springfield to St. Louis with my long shopping list to Trader Joe's. I hope they appreciated my effort. Luckily this one was on the western edge of the city so I didn't have to drive another hour to the other side and it was also off the freeway (or is it highway here?).
I took my friend Dee with me. She was amazed by all the affordable food (as compared to chain grocery stores, like Price Cutter and Dillons). She even bought some pizza dough for 99 cents!

I rolled out of there with two cart fulls. I only spent $200. That includes a few bottles of wine and two cases of water (which I didn't really need, but I love their water).
I stocked up on things that are expensive where I live, such as: organic almonds, dried fruit, rice pasta, tomato sauce (with no citric acid people!!!!), lots of tea, chicken broth and more.
I did not take a picture, although next time I will.

I cannot believe they don't want to open one in my area! Springfield is KNOWN for eating and shopping!!! It would be so trendy.
Anyway, I shall continue sending emails to them and leaving comments on the facebook page.
I'll add that link to the sidebar.

I have another TJ's trip planned for the month of June. Wanna join me?

I've Got A New List Started:

2010-04-04T19:35:00.000-07:00

I'm REALLY planning a trip to St. Louis in a couple of weeks. I need some stuff!!! The food around here is so annoying and boring. Everything has additives in it. What is it all about???

I started following Jamie Oliver's Food Revolution. I definitely loved it!!! He wants us to eat fresh, local food that we've prepared ourselves... Wow. Does that sound familiar?

I'm going to follow his lead and start shopping the local farmer's market when it opens next week!
Yay! Add that to my TJ's list and maybe start purchasing raw milk too, and we'll be set!

I was just wondering if you have any suggestions for places to shop for groceries? Where do you love to go for the best produce? Do you shop at more than one store? Or do you just go to Wholefoods and spend your Wholepaycheck??? Hee hee.

I'll keep you updated on my TJ's list.

Two recent trips to Trader Joe's

2010-03-24T07:43:00.000-07:00

I traveled to my old stomping grounds twice in the past two months. And I can tell you it was very unpleasant to pack all my TJs items and carry them on the plane etc. and so forth. I kept thinking how I just need to drive to St. Louis one Saturday and just fill up then. But the hassle did not outweigh the need for Rice Pasta (the best!) and Tahini. I also brought back some Turkey Keilbasa that had no sugar or nitrites! I froze it and then packed it in a checked bag, although I guess I could carry it on in the future. The tahini is great, although I need to make sure and eat it all soon. Tahini is a sesame seed paste to which garlic, salt and lemon juice has been added. Great for those of us who are on allergy free diet.

Which I haven't mentioned here, but I started about three weeks ago to kill yeast and parasites. I won't go into detail here, but you can read about it here if you like.

On my first trip to TJs in January I bought everything my heart desired...including mini peanut butter cups, cinnamon pita chips, ice cream, and chocolate.

Then I found out that I am sensitive to wheat, oats, milk and coffee. And that I am acidic! Great! I was bummed about all that, but am finding that I don't really miss dairy that much, but I do miss sugar.

Going Allergy Free

2010-02-01T21:05:00.000-08:00

So I raided Trader Joe's when I was in town two weeks ago and flew home with a nice stash of tea, parmesan cheese, nuts and dried fruit and a big box of organic basil! I promptly made cream of tomato soup with lots of basil and bought a large round of brie to make tomato, basil and brie sandwiches on French bread. Pretty much heavenly.

I guess I'll have to start including being away from Whole Foods too. It's an extremely extravagant store on my part...I mean, not really affordable. Except now that my middle child is on such a strict semi-vegan diet...I have to go there. March 5 & 6 will see my husband and I on our second trip to Kansas City! We're going to see Cheap Trick that Friday night and then shop at WF on Saturday morning. Luckily some friends are hosting us, and some others are driving, so this trip should be somewhat relaxing.

My shopping list includes:

A few loaves of gluten free bread
Organic soy milk (which is nowhere to be found in this town!)
Gluten and wheat free tortillas
Dairy free grated cheese (soy)
Organic and citric acid free tomato/marinara sauce
Large quantities of organic oats
Chocolate chips
Various vitamins for the kids
Probably some coffee and chocolate for us grown ups

Trader Joe's will have to wait until I can get to St. Louis, but I will go to the one in La Canada again in March as I am traveling westward again to visit my daughter and go on a retreat! Have to keep looking forward to things...

Three and a half hours later

2009-12-14T18:32:00.000-08:00

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:

2009-11-10T18:08:00.001-08:00

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.

2009-10-18T07:24:00.000-07:00

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.
Update: Okay, I made this to put in some of my mini chocolate cups.
It was bad. I don't know if I made it the wrong way, but it was fluffy and bubbly.
It was also runny. So...maybe it needed some finessing...not sure.
I don't recommend this unless you're desparate!

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!

2009-09-26T16:33:00.000-07:00

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

2009-09-10T23:04:00.000-07:00

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

2009-06-28T08:38:00.000-07:00

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

2009-01-22T11:51:00.000-08:00

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!

Cannelles De Bordeaux

2009-01-21T17:27:00.000-08:00

Price: $4.99
Servings: 6
Preparation: Thaw for 20 minutes or microwave for 20 seconds
Storage: Keep frozen
Taste: Well, to be honest, they didn't taste "bad", but the consistency of the caramel outside was like eating a wax ring. I didn't care for the feeling of eating something plastic. Inside the caramel cakey coating is supposed to be custard, according to the box. That part tasted like a very light vanilla sweetness, but not much of it. The burned caramel wax flavor overpowered the light quality of the vanilla inside. The box I bought also contained mostly dark browned pieces, which on the box were a very pale gold. Maybe we just got a bad box. Probably won't chance that again.
Kid Friendliness: They were willing to try it, since it was dessert. Would rather have had a scoop of ice cream.
Real Cooking time: None, we liked the non-heated flavor better.
Overall: Don't bother unless you are feeling adventuress and have an extra 5 bucks to spend.

Trader Joe's Gluten & Dairy Free Homestyle Pancakes - In the frozen breakfast section

2009-01-20T10:42:00.000-08:00

What to look for if you'd like to try these

Three pancakes in each individual wrapping

A close up look at a prepared pancake - looks like a pancake to me!

Price: Very good $1.99
Servings: 4 (4 packages of three small pancakes each)
Preparation: Excellent
Storage: Must be kept frozen
Taste: Good, very "pancake-like", although if not warmed properly the consistency will be rubbery and dry. Very good for a gluten free product
Kid Friendliness: Excellent, my kids loves these little pancakes with real maple syrup or jam pretty much any time of day.
Real Cooking time: 1 pancake in my small microwave takes about 1 minute 20 seconds. 3 pancakes takes about 2 minutes 30 seconds. (Our microwave is small so keep an eye on them while heating your pancakes the first few times.) I've tried toasting them but they are so small I'm afraid they'll get stuck down in there. I have not tried the oven yet, but I can see where that would taste best (doesn't it always?) and you could warm the whole box more effectively.
Overall: Very quick and easy for those mornings you don't know what to make. A good alternative to Wholefoods prices. We're going to keep buying these!