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.
Our TJ’s has chocolate covered peanut butter pretzels–they’re great! Also, have you tried their pretzel bread (rolls) dipped in their caramel sauce–so yummy when they are both warm!
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Oh man. I just came home from Trader Joe’s…and now after reading this post I’m inclined to run back out and pick up all the things I neglected to get, namely peanut butter cream cheese and fig spread. Drool.
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Since you like mushrooms so much:
http://blogyoureabouttoread.blogspot.com/2011/03/mmmm-soup.html
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I would have eaten that whole bag of white cheddar corn puffs on the way home. I love anything white cheddar :)
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The white cheddar puffs are my favorite! They literally melt in your mouth. Now I have to get some for myself. Thankfully TJ’s is only 10 mins away. :D
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WOW, it all looks good but that caramel sauce caught my eye :) I don’t have a trader joe’s in my state! :( Maybe I should take a roadtrip, haha.
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You could totally use the mini peanut butter cups for a sweet batch of Better-Then-Crack Brownies. No chopping necessary.
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TJ’s is one of the greatest inventions ever! The cilantro jalapeno hummus is my favorite type of hummus in the whole world. I hardly ever buy any other hummus these days. And the mini pb cups? I can’t buy them either! I find that the big dark chocolate pb cups are a good substitute; I seem to be able to control myself much better when I have a few big treats, rather than a zillion tiny ones.
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I wish TJ’s existed in Canada!
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When we lived in an apartment in Boston, Trader Joe’s was on my way home, a mere half mile away. I went weekly, if not more. Now that we’re out in the suburbs it’s a 40 minute drive and I’ve only gone once. It’s sad, and my life is worse for not having Mediterranean Hummus in it. On a side note, I love that fig spread! It’s delicious over goat or cream cheese on crackers or bread.
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Nice goods!!! Those pb pretzels are the death of me. I either buy those or the ones at Costco and they disappear quite fast. :)
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I hate avoiding soy for my hypothyroidism too. :( I tend to eat tofu every couple of weeks anyways. I love it too much.
I’d say that was a pretty successful trip to TJ’s!
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I love, love, LOVE Trader Joe’s! I’m pretty lucky to live near a couple TJ’s locations….or not lucky, depending on how you look at it =P !
That fig spread looks delish! I will have to pick some up. I love the “A Fig Walks Into a Bar” breakfast bars…have been very into fig lately.
My new favorite from TJ’s: the smores candies! They’re little chocolates filled with marshmallow and graham cracker, found right above the freezer section where all the other candies are. I think they’re called “Smashing Smores” or something. SO GOOD!
Thanks for sharing!
<3 Leigh
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I love me some Trader Joe’s. As a girl who does live within walking distance of one, I have to say you actually spend less than the trips where you grab everything you can since your trips are so infrequent. Just a thought. :) Glad to see you grabbed so goodies.
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where is the new trader joe’s opening in pittsburgh?
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Jessica — March 12th, 2011 @ 12:08 am
I think Upper Saint Clair!
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Love it! And love how many peanut buttery things you got :) I live a 5 minute walk from TJs and that’s exactly why I’ll never move away from my neighborhood! Also, how have I not seen that peanut butter cream cheese?? MUST FIND!!
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So so so much envy. Last year I brought back those peanut butter pretzels and teeny tiny peanut butter cups, and they barely lasted a week before I was crying into my Australian pillow.
By the by, you’re totally going to make peanut butter cream cheese frosting for us, right?
Oh, and when you come to Australia, I’ll make sure to have some of Maggie Beer’s Burnt Fig Jam waiting for you. It’s to die for.
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I can’t keep those mini peanut butter cups in the house anymore. My husband doesn’t even like peanut butter so it’s all me, and it’s NOT GOOD. they ROCK.
I’m a HUGE TJ’s fan…just included them in my blog post today, too :)
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There’s so many things in this post I didn’t even know existed at Trader Joe’s! That caramel looks dangerous. I bet it’s amazing, though!
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There are no TJs in Canada :-(
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I just need to let you do my grocery shopping too!
Good thing you said that peanut butter cream cheese didn’t taste like icing, because I was going to be on my way out the door to get some of it now.
I have those mini peanut butter cups in my freezer. So easy to walk by and grab a few every time I pass the freezer!
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I absolutely love the seaweed snacks im dying to go back and get more!
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So much awesome stuff!! Almost exactly what I buy when I go to TJ’s. Our closest one is 75 miles away, though, so I only get to go a few times a year at most. :( I am begging them to put one in my area! Of course, like you, I’d go broke and probably be single soon after. Hope my alimony checks will cover my TJ addiction, LOL. Just kidding! :D
PS. I bring coolers with ice packs when I go to TJ’s. Is that over the top? haha
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Jessica — March 12th, 2011 @ 11:17 am
Hahahah definitely not! You can’t risk that food spoiling after you drove 75 miles!
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TJ’s is only about 1/2 mile away—-but it is so addicting that I only go once a week. Each Friday I get some flowers and renew our supply of orange chicken. Of course, some 2 buck Chuck for cooking and drinking and some of their private label beer—oh, and cheese
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Jessica — March 12th, 2011 @ 11:16 am
We can’t get 2 buck Chuck here since they can’t sell alcohol outside of state stores in Pa. It seems like they are starting to get a bit more lenient, so I’m hoping eventually we can get it!
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I love looking to see what all you buy on your fun trip to Trader Joe’s!!! I had to Google to see if I had one near me. There are none in South Florida :( The closest would be South Carolina or Georgia. I do have Whole Foods which is very nice and Fresh Market which I absolutely love!!! I need a second job when shopping at Fresh Market… XoXo
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I used to buy the wasabi peas in mass quantity when my husband was deployed in iraq. He loves them! And me, I love the mini peanut butter cups. I agree with Laura from prior comments. Freeze them- heavenly!
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I really want to try that fig jam!! :D How would you recommend I try it for the first time? Spread of Bread? Baked in something?
xoxo
Kathleen
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Jessica — March 12th, 2011 @ 11:16 am
I love it spread on things – I used to eat it on toast with goat cheese! That was really good.
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Kathleen @ Kat's Health Corner — March 12th, 2011 @ 1:11 pm
That sounds delicious!!! Now I need to get me some Goat Cheese! :D
xoxo
Kathleen
I love this post. I am so hesitant to try anything new at Trader Joe’s without a recommendation. Looking forward to trying some of your favorites!
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Lentil chips?!?! Ugh! Why can’t we have a Trader Joe’s in Colorado? Although, they recently built one in Omaha, NE, I hear…hmm…I have in-laws thereabouts. Time for a roadtrip ;)
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Those mini peanut butter cups are THE BEST! They are so yummy! I don’t buy them anymore because I can’t. stop. eating them.
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Looks like a successful trip. I love TJs and was so happy I got to go when I was at home last month. I ate tons of those mini-pb cups at my mom’s house and I always get those PB filled pretzels.
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What a haul! I’ve never been to a Trader Joe’s. Hopefully when we move next month from The Middle of Nowhere to Actual Civilization I will be able to check one out!
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All I want to do now is go to Trader Joes. I love the peanut butter cream cheese but have also heard rave reviews about the strawberry. I need to try it now.
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Oh how I wish I lived in the US just for my grocery shopping!
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Do you, by any chance, like peanut butter? hehe :)
Love that white bean hummus also – one of my favs!!
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I soooo want those hummus containers and that caramel. Holy delicious!! You had one awesome trip to the store, Jessica :)
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For not like veggies…you sure buy alot. I like them alot and dont even get that many
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Jessica — March 13th, 2011 @ 1:21 pm
The only veggies I like are kale, brussels and mushrooms. The spinach and cucumbers are for smoothies and juicing. The peppers are for “fillers” in recipes, like pastas, etc. The arugula is for two blog recipes.
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If you haven’t already, I highly suggest trying that fig spread on some bake brie. It’s a staple appetizer at family holiday get togethers!
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Jessica — March 13th, 2011 @ 1:19 pm
I have. It is unbelievable.
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I LOVE their british muffins…so doughy! It also cracks me up that they call them British Muffins… :)
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Have you had the maple pecan- just the clusters- cereal? It’s amazing!
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Jessica — March 13th, 2011 @ 1:18 pm
No! That sounds amazing.
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Living in SoCal, I’m super-spoiled and go to TJs at least once a week. It’s dangerous.
I’m so jealous of that fig spread as I’ve never seen it at any of the (4) stores I frequent! MUST. FIND.
I can never leave without spending at least $50… but there’s *always* a couple bottles of wine in my cart ;-)
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Jessica — March 13th, 2011 @ 1:18 pm
The fig spread is from Whole Foods!
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I LOVE that fig spread too, it’s soooo good! Now I have the urge to go shopping at Trader Joe’s. ;)
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you got some MAJOR goodies! I am this way with whole foods, I really shouldnt be allowed in the store haha
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first of all, i am blaming you for my obsession w/ TJ’s tuscan white bean hummus. i first saw it on your blog and had to have it. now i can eat a container in about 3 days! same w/ those darn pb filled pretzels.
second, how does one make kale chips? i think i’d like them (probably in hummus)and i always have left over kale.
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Jessica — March 14th, 2011 @ 2:49 pm
I tear them into pieces, spray with olive oil, cover with nutritional yeast, then bake at 350 for 20 mins, flipping once!
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Your haul looks quite similar to mine from Saturday. Next time, try the strawberry cream cheese – I love the PB, but strawberry has won me over as my favorite TJ cream cheese. Also I stumbled on frozen leeks – I’ve never, ever seen a bag of frozen leeks in a grocery store!
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I wish we had a TJs in our region of the US…I want to start a petition. Glad you got your caramel sauce back, if you need a place to hide it – you can send it to me. :-)
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Ok, whose bright idea was it to UNWRAP all the peanut butter cups before putting them in the container??? That would be so dangerous for me to have in the house considering the wrapper is the only reason I don’t eat the entire bag!
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i work next door to a trader joe’s and i’ve rationed myself to only making the trip over once a week…before work…on a full stomach. it’s going quite well so far. :)
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Since I read this post last week, I’ve been dying to get to Trader Joe’s. I finally went yesterday and fully blame you for the cilantro and jalapeno hummus, peanut butter filled pretzels, fruit leather, and caramel sauce that came home with me!
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Jessica — March 19th, 2011 @ 11:51 am
Enjoy it! :)
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I <3 Fig Spread! I have been searching for it for like 4 years, I am so going to TJ after my hike tomorrow and might have to get 20 jars.
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