I spent a little time with my old friend, Joe, this afternoon. Trader Joe, that is! I love Trader Joe’s, but I don’t do much of my shopping there because the nearest location is about 40 minutes from home. In honor of The Vegetarian Challenge, I decided to take a trip to stock up on some of their specialty items.
Foodie Fun!
I didn’t make a full meal plan for the week, but I went with some ideas of the items I really wanted needed. Weekends are notoriously busy at grocery stores, but I braved the crowds! The employees at Trader Joe’s were so efficient that the busyness of the day didn’t affect my shopping experience at all. I loaded my carriage pretty quickly!
The foodie finds.
I came home with plenty of great buys! Here are the highlights:
Produce:
- red and green bell peppers
- yellow squash
- zucchini
- eggplant
- 2 grapefruits
- clementines
- 1.5 lbs. fresh blueberries
- frozen pineapple tidbits
- frozen cherry berry medley
Dairy:
- liquid egg whites – oatmeal pancakes, anyone?
- Trader Joe’s fresh ricotta
Whole Grains:
- whole wheat pizza dough x2
- whole wheat couscous
- brown rice tortillas
Veggie Challenge Specials:
- sliced almonds
- cashew pieces
- TJ’s roasted garlic hummus
- canned black beans, kidney beans, and cannellini beans – veggie chili, coming right up!
- frozen vegetable gyoza – for quick, easy meal!
- frozen edamame
- organic tempeh – trying for the first time! Any suggestions?
- extra firm tofu
Extras that jumped into my cart:
- dried unsulfured apricots
- brown sugar – time to bake!
- TJ’s salsa
- Clif bars – Carrot Cake and Peanut Toffee Buzz
Lots of fun at Trader Joe’s…good thing I only go every so often because I bought a lot of food!
Don’t worry, I did follow the golden rule of grocery shopping: Never shop hungry.
I ate a tasty lunch before I left – so tasty that I nibbled before I took a picture, oops!
My lunch consisted of a slice of leftover grilled pizza topped with roasted tomato sauce, caramelized onions, and fresh mozzarella. I paired it with a salad of romaine, mixed baby greens, green pepper, red pepper, grape tomatoes, dried cranberries, and crushed peanuts. It was a fresh, delicious lunch and I got rid of some leftovers!
Time to relax…maybe some reading…maybe a nap with my dog!
