We get most of our groceries from the Kroger's {well, it's actually called QFC here} across the street, but we also live within walking distance from Trader Joe's. While I fondly appreciate their ability to dip everything from potato chips to cheerios in chocolate {you know I'm head over heels in love with their dark chocolate peanut butter cups} I do have a few items that I like to pop in for on a regular basis.
- Pizza dough. Saturday night is pizza night at our house. I love that this dough is not only much cheaper than the Pillsbury version, but also doesn't taste like a crescent roll.
- Pie crust. Again, cheaper and tastier than the Pillsbury version.
- Honey roasted almond slices. Seriously half the price of the "Almond Accents" for salad that you find everywhere else.
- Salsa autenica and salsa verde. We do not like chunky salsa and these guys certainly fit the bill.
- 100 calorie dark chocolate bars. A perfect lunch time treat.
- Golden rounds crackers. I love that I can actually pronounce all the ingredients.
- Fresh flowers. I can usually make one of their $3.99 bouquets last for two weeks if I remember to change the water and snip the stems every few days. That thirty cents a day is totally worth it for a little cheerful greenery on the table.
I use cilantro for several recipes and hate that it's only sold in huge bunches. I feel like I'm always throwing slimy cilantro away. I need to give these cubes of frozen herbs a try!
My culinary abilities have definitely fallen to the wayside since Claire arrived. I'd really like to get back to making homemade pizza dough and pie crust. And maybe salsa too. Definitely going on my goal list for 2013.
i was fixin' to get onto you about not making your own pizza dough. but i see that you understand ;) i wish we had a trader joe's closer. i feel like i could find some interesting things there.
ReplyDeleteOh my goodness, Kailin and I went to the Trader Joes on Alabama in Houston last night. The location is close to us (and conviently located by St. Ann's and my favorite Goodwill) and in a really cool one movie theatre BUT it was sooo stressful. Way too many people and they were out of half the stuff. I definitely think that Trader Joe's is more for special items, like things covered in dark chocolate, and i'll stick with my Kroger card/occassional HEB visits.
ReplyDeleteP.S. Your password identification thing is really hard, you should consider turning it off :)
I have the same problem with cilantro... I'm working on growing it in my little potted herb garden, but it's much more finicky than my mint and basil and won't grow very fast. I just read yesterday though that you can freeze it in bunch form and just pull out a bit whenever you need it (apparently it thaws really quickly and still tastes fresh). Haven't tried that yet though!
ReplyDeleteI have grand plans to visit the Houston Trader Joes on Friday (it just opened this week!)... parking there has been an absolute mess, but I'm hoping I can squeeze in if I go during business hours. I'm really excited about these $3.99 flowers!
Oh and also, we just booked our big graduation vacation, an Alaskan cruise! And it departs from Seattle! We're planning to go a couple days early and see Seattle... maybe we can see you guys too? :)
ReplyDeleteUmm, yes, please! We would love that! When (approximately) will y'all be up here?
DeleteEarly August, after I finish the Bar exam! :)
ReplyDeleteMy culinary abilities have fallen by the wayside as well ... I've just begun cooking dinner more than once a week.
ReplyDeleteLove Trader Joes! Giant Eagle is right next to us so we usually go there but it isn't all that much cheaper, I don't think.