Monday, April 13, 2009

Trader Joe's- My Shopping Mecca

I don't know why there was a hiatus from our regular shopping trips to Trader Joe's. It used to be that Christy and I would make a lunch time trek to our favorite unique grocery store at least once a week. A favorite lunch from last year was a bag full of various and random goodies procured at Trader Joe's and consumed by a creek in a park on a sunny day. Last week, we decided it was beyond time to go back. Pub cheese spread and pretzel bread was calling my name. If you listen closely, you might hear it... Liz... Liiiiiz! Eat me!!! I returned to the office today with 2 paper sacks crammed full of food. Mostly items intended for breakfast and lunch at work; a few items intended for home consumption. From the mundane.. microwave popcorn... to the intriguing... palak dal shorba (spinach, lentil and garlic soup in a microwavable pouch)... I found all I had come for and more. For breakfast, we will be enjoying our choice of: -Crustless quiche- in either bacon and feta or chorizo, egg & cheese -Full fat yogurt- blueberry and cream or vanilla and cream For lunch... -Another lunch tomorrow of pretzel bread and pub cheese. Maybe some identity crisis tortilla chips (made from corn, potato, and brown rice- slightly sweet, slightly salty) with pineapple salsa. - noodle bowl (mushroom or garlic) Or, our new discovery, for those who love Indian food... "Trader Joe's Indian Fare Take-out Thali" Aloo Matar (peas and potatoes) Yellow Dal (lentils and spcies) Basmati Rice They had samples out of this... it's all in pouches, you just microwave and serve. And it was really, really good. Surprisingly good, really! Also picked up a variety of frozen veggies, chicken fried rice, a chicken stir fry kit, and other frozen goodies. Like, for example, our planned afternoon snack. Light as a Chocolate Cloud Cake From the box: "If there were, in fact, a cloud made of chocolate, it might taste just like this cake. Plenty of chocolate flavor comes from the cake and the embedded bands of dark chocolate ganache, with layers of fluffy (as a cumulus cloud), lightly sweetened whipped cream to keep each serving from being too heavy." It was too tempting. I think it might have literally jumped up and shackled itself to our cart. There was no possible way to say no... afterall, there are those "embedded bands of dark chocolate ganache" in there. How can you fight off Dark Chocolate Ganache??? So sorry you can't be here at 3:00 when we get to enjoy this tasty treat! And for my dieting or otherwise food limited friends... I'll sacrifice for you. I will take on the burden of these calories. See what a great friend I am?

10 comments:

Boozy Tooth said...

I think I can safely speak for my friend Joanie as well as myself that your food bragging is completely UNcalled for (as we eat our celery sticks).

But seriously, enjoy every bite! You must keep your strength up for all that gym work you've been doing.

Love ya!

I'm Grace said...

Oh man, I haven't been to Trader Joe's in forever. I am going to have to go just to check out the cake.

The Courteous Chihuahua said...

LOVE Trader Joe's! One of my co-workers does a part-time gig there, and she just brought in some of their Beans and Rice chips - really, really delicious.

Joanie said...

Thank you, Alix! Hey! I discovered an ice cream treat I can have that has only 20 g of carbs and is made with splenda. (Blue Bunny Sweet Treat Lites... Krunch lite ice cream bars) I'm a happy girl!

Liz, There's a Trasder Joe's right in John's neighborhood. I wasn't one bit impressed with it. I saw over-priced items and a very poor selection of items. My daughter loves TJ's and I bought her a $100 gift card for Christmas.

Anonymous said...

oh god, YUM. i love me some trader joes. i need to head up there and get some stuff, especially that cake. YUM.

Garret said...

Joanie and I are like minds on Trader Joes. I do go occasionally.

Garret

C. Beth said...

I am really, ridiculously jealous of you (in a very unrighteous way) because we don't have Trader Joe's here. And it's a fabulous store. It sucks. :(

Jackie E. said...

TRADER JOE'S IS THE BOMB!!! I can't tell you how many times I'm in conversation with people and they are talking about where they buy grocery, etc and I just HAVE to tell them that they are totally missing out if they don't shop at TJ's.

The selection is great, the various pre-cooked/semi-prepared options, even greater and the prices are best of all! I would've thought for sure, given the quality of the food that it would be pricey but it beats Ralphs, Vons and Albertsons hands down!!!

Obviously, you struck a chord with me on this, lol, but I'm just a big fan.

Have you ever tried the Eggplant and Garlic Dip....to die for:-)

Alison said...

I have to admit I was disappointed by my single TJ's visit. But that's probably because Miss Chef and I had just entered our "no processed foods" phase and I was shocked, simply SHOCKED at the dominance of the frozen food aisle.

I am willing to make an exception for that cake, though.

And who can argue with Two Buck Chuck??

Mrs4444 said...

Love, love Trader Joe's!!! If only we had one near here... :(