Our dinner menu this week is as follows:Sun- broccoli chicken casserole, green salad from Mom n Dad's garden (so awesome), rolls, texas sheet cake for friend Joy's 90th birthday. It had 90 candles- they were all lit and it was quite a sight!
M- chili, cornbread, green salad
T- chicken caesar sandwiches, and possibly corn on the cob, or a giant caramel apple to celebrate the removal of my braces. Woo-hoo!!
W- stir fry
F- cold cereal? I dunno, I think five real dinners in a week is pretty OK. I'll call it good til next week.
Sat- see Friday
And for Kristen, our one reader, a Trader Joe's favorites list! As soon as I finish typing this out, I am out the door to pay Joe a visit to do my shopping for the week. Hope this helps get you started. I think you're gonna like their stuff- let me know. :)
To-Try at Trader Joe's
vanilla almond granola
greek yogurt- I like the honey flavor
pizza dough
spaghetti and pizza sauces
BBQ sauce (Kansas Style Bold and Smoky)
all their salad dressings
NY cheesecake
vanilla Joe-Joe's cookies
chocolate covered pretzels
spinach salad kit
ABC cookies
frozen orange chicken
snacks: TJ brand cheetos, chips and crackers
frozen fruits and veggies- very yummy
applesauce
McCann's quick-cooking oatmeal
cornbread mix
I also get a lot of staples there: my butter, canned beans, nuts, oils and such. They also have beautiful cheap flowers and always fun seasonal items to try. Don't miss the taste-testing at the back of the store. The only thing I don't love is their bread section. Their baguettes and other fresh baked stuff is good, but all the sliced packaged breads I've tried I haven't been thrilled with. I think it's because they aren't chock full of preservatives and they go stale fast. Same goes for the tortillas- you have to use them that day or maybe the next, but they'll go bad quick.
Feel free to add your favorite TJ's items in the comments. And Joe, you're welcome for the free advertising.
My very favorite item at Trader Joe's is slab apricots - BEST dried apricots. Ever. Sometimes I think it's worth the trip to Mesa just to get some. We really need a TJ's in Utah. Your menu has my mouth watering, Candice. It's almost inspiring enough to make me want to make dinner tonight... almost.
ReplyDeleteWould you come to my house and cook all my meals for me? I would appreciate it very much.
ReplyDeleteBe sure and try the fresh mango papaya salsa. It is fabulous! In the refrigerated section. YUM! I served it at a dinner party Friday night for an appetizer with tortilla chips and everyone raved over it.
ReplyDeleteWe were there a month ago and they mixed together canned chicken, taco seasoning, salsa verde, corn, organic pinto beans, and chicken stock into a soup. They garnished with cheese, tortilla chips and sour cream.
ReplyDeleteI'm not really a fan of these sort of soups, but it was delicious! I've gone back several times just for these items to make the soup.
Yay! I am so excited! Thank you for the list, and I am definitely not your only reader. Everyone loves this blog! I am off to check out Trader Joe's today!
ReplyDeleteI was so excited when I saw your list. I walk into Trader Joe's and then leave with like a bag of frozen peas because I never know what to buy there. This list will totally help me. I had some dark chocolate/caramels with sea salt from there at Christmas that changed my life forever.
ReplyDeleteIf Joe weren't so far away, I'd probably go there more. I LOVE all the things you've ever fed me from there!!!!!!!!!!! I loved their Peppermint Bark at Christmas!
ReplyDeleteHow can it be that far it's just Gibert and Baseline! That sounds like my mother, I think she cried for a week when Bashas at ValVista and Southern closed down! J/K
ReplyDeleteI love many of the things on your list but I also love the little chocolate peanut butter cups and the cinnamon swirl bread--no problem for us eating it before it goes bad :).
ReplyDeleteHi Candice! I can't resist all things Trader Joes. I live right by one right now and it's just like the old days in SR (minus the WIC office upstairs)! My current faves are the sweet potato chips, the chocolate orange sticks, and their juices. Also, have you had those cute little tiny chocolate chip cookies they sell in the same section as the ABC cookies? They are AMAZING! I bought them because I thought they would be cute for the kids and I wiped out the whole thing myself in 3 days! I refuse to buy them again because I have no self control. SO good!
ReplyDelete