Yesterday was the best day of the week because I got to take a little trip to Trader Joe’s. I wish we lived closer so it could be the only place we shop. Why can’t I have one within walking distance?
That probably wouldn’t be good. We would be incredibly broke. And maybe divorced.
As usual, here’s what I grabbed!
First up… the peanut butter cream cheese that I discussed via Facebook and Twitter this week.
I put it to good use this morning with a whole wheat cinnamon raisin English muffin.
It was really good, but I think I was still hoping for it to taste like peanut butter cream cheese frosting.
It didn’t. But I would still recommend it!
I went outside the box and got some new flavors of hummus.
Tuscan white bean will probably always be my favorite, but I wanted to try some new ones after all of your rave reviews. Haven’t opened them yet!
A staple.
Already been opened. Halfway to domination.
And I know why I’ve never bought these before.
Holy addicting. I foresee these being gone by Sunday night.
Tried these strawberry smoothies because Mr. How Sweet likes these sorts of things.
And I love the Fiberful leathers!
They make such a great snack on the go.
I almost didn’t pick up this soup because I tend to avoid soy like the plague due to my hypothyroidism.
But many people have said it is so delicious and I think it would make a quick snack or part of a meal. Let’s just hope I don’t get addicted.
I picked up a few more snacks than usual.
I can’t wait for some wasabi peas!
Clearly I was shopping hungry.
This is my all-time favorite vanilla.
I could literally drink it.
Some of you may remember my obsession with figs. I love this spread so much.
I’m thinking that it may go well with the peanut butter cream cheese??
I picked up some of this water for Mr. How Sweet to mix with vodka.
I love lime and orange!
Some obligatory canned goods.
About to dig into that salsa as soon as I’m finished with this post.
More crack.
It has to last longer this time. I’m going to hide it from myself.
Some produce. Notice my mushroom obsession – there is another container underneath.
The cucumbers are purely for juicing purposes.
And lastly, some ugly, yet necessary greens.
Of course there are a few things I didn’t photograph – the six bags of mandarin orange chicken that I got for Mr. How Sweet and the four boxes of cereal, etc.
Think I can manage to stay away from the grocery store for two weeks? Wishful thinking.
I’m Jessica and this is where I share my stuff. You will find a balance of healthy recipes, comfort food and indulgent desserts.
That fig spread is one of my favorites!
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Jessica — March 11th, 2011 @ 4:49 pm
I remember that from one of my VERY first TJs/Whole Foods posts!
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I wish I could buy the peanut butter filled pretzels but that is something that I’d eat the entire bag of in one sitting!
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I literally can’t remember the last time I was at Trader Joe’s. I know that’s like heresy as a blogger but there’s just not one in a convenient place near me! If I made a trip, I would probably just come back with caramel. Lots and lots of caramel…
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my trader joe trips are like that too! it’s 75 min away so a little too far to go regularly. and when we go, inevitably our friends ask us to grocery shop for them too :)
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I really want to try the fig spread! Oh and HAHA, I totally thought you said “Fiberful Feathers” I was like whaaa?
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Those mini peanut butter cups are a great substitute when making Peanut Butter Blossom cookies (instead of using Hershey kisses). Just sayin…
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I want all of that! I can’t waaaait until I can shop there!
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I went to TJ’s on my lunch break today (walking distance from my office!) and I got whole wheat British muffins and orange seltzer too.
I also noticed the peanut butter cream cheese for the first time (maybe it’s new?), I was curious, but I know I probably wouldn’t like it. And I don’t need cream cheese hanging around my apartment!
And the mini PB cups is definitely a road you should not have gone down. DANGEROUS! I don’t let myself buy them any more.
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I love the fig spread.. try using it as a base on pizza with caramelized onions cheese,,, yum!
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I love TJ’s vanilla!!!! It is seriously drinkable…
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ours is opening in July and I cannot wait! PB cream cheese? Genius. That store is heaven under 1 roof. I’d rather shop their than for clothes :)
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Omgsh~~ PB is so seductive~
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Mmm this post makes me want to go to Trader Joe’s as soon as possible. They always have such fun things to try that are relatively cheap. I really want to try the Roasted Seaweed Snack and the White Bean Tuscan Hummus.
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I can’t buy the pb filled pretzels anymore because they are gone in like a day!
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Love the mini PB cups. TJ’s is now my favorite store!
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Wasabi peas are HOT! Well the ones I’ve had are. I love seeing what other people buy at the grocery store. What’s the deal with that obsession? ;)
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i recommend dipping those pb filled pretzels IN the pb cream cheese. oh yes, it is glorious. p.s. my shopping cart at tjs is very similar.
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I wonder how that peanut butter cream cheese would work in cream cheese brownies. Yes. I wonder.
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Jessica — March 11th, 2011 @ 5:08 pm
I actually think you’d have to add more peanut butter to really pick up the flavor – it’s not super peanut buttery.
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Eeee this makes me want to get to Trader Joe’s stat!!!
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You know, it’s funny you say you would be broke if you had a TJ’s closer to you. We shop there pretty much exclusively, and I swear it costs less than a regular grocery store. But I said that to someone recently and she looked at me like I was crazy. So I don’t know! The scientific reasoning behind my belief is that on the occasions I go someplace like Kroger, my estimate for how much my cart of groceries will cost always ends up being low.
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Jessica — March 11th, 2011 @ 5:08 pm
OH I totally agree! TJ’s is SO much cheaper than our grocery store. It’s just that I want to buy everything inside.
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Sara — March 11th, 2011 @ 5:40 pm
Oh good! I feel validated now. Thanks for that.
There are no Trader Joe’s in Canada!! I’ve googled it and there is one Michigan about an hour from us. It’s pretty easy to get my hubby to take a road trip, but the fact that its for groceries is something he has trouble comprehending…..
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ugh. i am green with envy.
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It always amazes me how TJ’s in different states carry different products. Makes me wanna travel to other TJ’s and find new things to buy.
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Shopping hungry is DANGEROUS! I think I’ve given half the money I’ve earned in my life to Whole Foods.
And the thought of peanut butter cream cheese is sparking lots of ideas in my mind right now. I want to make my own! (And make it taste like peanut butter cream cheese frosting!)
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i heard they’re opening up a new trader joe’s in pittsburgh later this year. maybe it’ll be closer to you!
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Jessica — March 11th, 2011 @ 5:19 pm
They are! It’s about the same distance… haha.
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I wish I had a Trader Joes or another health food grocer. I would do anything for a healthier cream cheese.
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Mmmm….wasabi peas are my FAV!! I’m glad that there’s not a Trader Joe’s near me or else I’d be flat-broke! :p I probably would’ve bought all of those things you bought and more! lol!
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Oh my goodness. The mini peanut butter cups. I swear, I could survive on those alone. My waistline however, would not.
Here’s a tip: stick them in the refrigerator. They’re SO much better when cold.
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Molly — March 12th, 2011 @ 10:35 pm
OMG they are AWESOME when they are cold, I do the same thing with their peppermint patties :-) I am also addicted to their black cocoa almonds mmmm
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Allison — March 15th, 2011 @ 11:46 am
I actually put them in the freezer… my boyfriend knows whenever he goes to TJ (which is at least twice a week since it’s so close) that he’d better come home with a box. I must have at least 3 of them in there now. They are amazing!
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PB preztels are crack in a container…literally the big containers from COSTCO are gone in a week in my house.
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I love to see what you get at TJs! I wish I had one in walking distance too..
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I have some of that fig spread in my fridge right now! It’s so good. I’m running out of fresh ideas to use it with though. I would love to see some recipes using it or any reccomendationa on how you use it! :)
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Love the cilantro jalepeno hummus!!! You got some great finds!!!
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You will definitely enjoy that jalenpeno/cilantro hummus! Its one of my favs. That fig spread is goin on my grocery list right the second! Thanks for introducing me to what could quite possibly be my new obsession :)
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they carry kale at your TJ’s?!?! they dont have it at mine! just a HUGE bag of cut up ‘greens’ which is a mix of collard, mustard and akale, but doesnt make kale chips as good as the stuff on the stalks!
the seltzer is SO good! i got the raspberry lime last time! I also love orange…cant wait to try it!
my mom ALWAYS has that fig spread in her house…if its on its way to the last teaspoon, she always has another one right in stock!
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Jessica — March 11th, 2011 @ 6:40 pm
Nope they don’t – I got it at Whole Foods!
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It all looks so good! I would have never thought of peanut-butter cream cheese. Wishing I had a Trader Joe’s nearby.
-FringeGirl
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At least you have access to Trader Joe’s. I live in Montana, which I love, but the nearest TJ’s is in Seattle. We visited once and fell in love. Now we have a long distance relationship ;)
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That’s got to be one of the best TJ’s trips OF ALL TIME! Happy eating! Have a faaab weekend :)
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PB Cream Cheese???? They don’t sell that in my TJ’s! Probably a good thing.
And for a self-proclaimed veggie hater, you bought kale and brussel sprouts???
Oh, and watch out for that miso soup, it is addicting….I weened myself off of that stuff years ago.
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Jessica — March 11th, 2011 @ 6:40 pm
Not sure how long you’ve been reading my blog, but those are the only two veggies I like! I only eat them in kale chip form and pan roasted in bacon grease or butter.
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Just a quick question: I have hypothyroidism also, why do you avoid soy?
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Jessica — March 11th, 2011 @ 6:39 pm
I have always been told by my doctors and ENT surgeon to avoid it. It is thought to interfere with the body’s ability to absorb the medication. Plus, most soy is super processed. As with everything, I think a little bit is fine, I just have never wanted to start to love it.
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Lindsay — March 16th, 2011 @ 12:13 am
I had this SAME question. I too have hypothyroidism and I am on Levothyroxine for managing it, but I have NEVER been told to avoid ANY foods. Do you know if there is any scientific evidence stating that we should avoid soy?
Jessica — March 16th, 2011 @ 6:41 am
Honestly not sure! I’ve been told by 3 different doctors in the last 10 years and have read it numerous times since I was diagnosed. I honestly have never been that concerned as eating highly processed soy has never been something I’ve done.
Lindsay — March 16th, 2011 @ 8:47 am
I guess I too also do not eat that much soy, but I do eat it at least once a day so I was concerned that it might be messing with my medication. Have you ever done a post on hypothyroidism? I think you should. :)
Jessica — March 16th, 2011 @ 9:11 am
I did once: http://www.howsweeteats.com/2010/01/living-with-hypothyroidism/. Honestly I don’t even think about my thyroid. I take my medicine in the morning and have never had issues so I forget about it all the time.
The cilantro jalapeno hummus is sooooo good. I love the white bean too, but the cilantro jalapeno is my favorite. I just finished a handful of those PB pretzels. Our closest TJs is about 45 minutes away, but I’d be in trouble if we had one any closer too.
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Quick question! If I wanted peanut butter cookies, but not just any normal peanut butter cookie. Would it be possible to use this peanut butter cream cheese in a cookie?! Or is that wierd…and potentially gross? I figured you would be a good person to ask the sweet connoisseur!
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Jessica — March 11th, 2011 @ 6:36 pm
I doubt it, it isn’t very peanut buttery.
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Oh! I’ll bet that fig spread would be good on baked chicken or fish!
We don’t have a TJ OR wholefoods here…but we do have wegmans. They’re pretty spiffy too!
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Your groceries make me want to go shopping. That fig spread is awesome by the way. Try it with some cream cheese on those english muffins. Delish!
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Oh, I’m so jealous! I am a trader joe’s addict but too bad I live 1.5 hours away! Love that caramel sauce… my husband devoured it last time in about 3 days.
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Was just at TJ’s… Havent’ ever seen the pb cream cheese but it sounds YUMMY. Need to look for it next time.
I love the cilantro lime hummus… I actually ended up making my own version of it at home. So yum.
Happy Friday!
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Oh how I love Trader Joe’s!! That cilantro and jalapeno hummus is the best thing I’ve ever tasted. I eat it with a spoon.
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How have I NOT seen the peanut butter filled pretzels!?? Those are crack to me! Gimme gimme!! :-P
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AWESOME haul! I love those Wasabi Peas but cannot find them at my TJs anymore! Those peanut butter pretzels are downright addictive.
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This is SUCH a tease! =) haha my TJ is 2.5 hours away!
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I can’t buy those mini peanut butter cups!! I eat them ALL.
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