I'm excited to start a "My Favorite Things" blog series. I've had several requests through my followers on Instagram and I'm excited to share. If you have a favorite things request, send me an email!
We are very lucky to have TWO Trader Joe's here on the Monterey Peninsula. Moving to Monterey was definitely an adjustment because there is NO Publix here, which is where I exclusively shopped back in Florida (in addition to Costco). The Trader Joe's in Jax was about 20 minutes from our house, but I did go there to pick up special items occasionally. Our Monterey house is less than a quarter mile from the commissary (military grocery store), but we really love shopping at Trader Joe's because of the quality and cost. The commissary is great for last minute things though and fun to walk to with Charlotte!
We attend 8:30am church service on Sunday, which means we are out of church and in our car by 10:00am. This gives us plenty of time to get our grocery shopping done before we grab a later breakfast or early lunch. I actually love shopping as a family too, because my husband does do quite a bit of the cooking. He is very talented and comes up with excellent recipes on a whim. Thanks babe! A few weeks back we attended the 50th Anniversary of TJ's! Can't believe it has been around that long, but definitely a successful business. Ok, well on to my favorite things from Trader Joe's.
Produce/Prepared Foods
The produce speaks for itself. It is fresh, good quality and inexpensive. At Trader Joe's everything is sold by item vs. weight. So keep that in mind when picking out your items!
Broccoli Slaw. I buy a bag of this weekly. It's so versatile and is an easy "Zoodles" replacement, except the work is already done. We love to make Thai Chicken Meatballs with Zoodles.
Butternut Squash Zig Zags. These are awesome for little ones or even a replacement for pasta noodles. I love to toss with olive oil, S&P and roast in the oven. Charlotte loves butternut squash and sweet potatoes!
Shaved Brussel Sprouts. These are thinly shaved and so yummy roasted and tossed with TJ's Applewood Smoked Bacon!
Fresh Flowers/Orchids. TJ's has flower bunches starting at 3.99 and up. Their flowers are amazing and beautiful. Perfect for a hostess gift or for your own home! Throw them into a mason jar and you have a centerpiece! Their orchids are also beautiful and start at 9.99. What a deal! Add some dark chocolate and you have the perfect birthday gift for a friend, too!
Five Spice Chicken & Asian Style Noodle Salad. I buy these for Kyle for a quick lunchbox item. Everything is packed inside, including the dressing and he loves them!
Egg White Salad with Citrus. I LOVE egg salad, but of course it is loaded with calories. This is a lighter option with lots of flavor! I love snacking on this with crackers!
English Cheddar with Italian Truffles. I really could have shared ALL of the cheese at TJ's, but this one is one of my favorites! They have some amazing varieties of meats and cheeses (including our favorite, prosciutto). You can make a mean charcuterie board with their amazing selections. Once again, prices are on point too!
Frozen Items
Sweet Potato Gnocchi with Butter & Sage. We bought this on a whim one day, but it has easily become one of my favorite items/ go to side dishes. The calorie count really isn't bad when you consider the flavor and servings! Yum. This pairs excellent with a grilled steak and asparagus.
Cauliflower Rice. If you have ever heard someone talk about Trader Joe's, they have probably mentioned the cauliflower rice. I actually like to mix this half and half with brown rice. You really don't even notice the difference! We love to make Crock Pot Beef and Broccoli and serve with the rice mixture!
Turkey Corn Dogs. These are a great item to have in the freezer as a back up for your little ones! Charlotte loves these and they are fun to eat!
A Dozen Macarons. These are great to have on hand for a little dessert or to take to a party! You would never know these were frozen before!
Dry Goods
Speculoos Cookie Butter. There really isn't much to say about this except, it is heaven in a jar. If you haven't tried this yet, RUN to TJ's! I prefer the crunchy version and love to put on toast and top with banana. They also have yummy Speculoos Cookie Butter Sandwich cookies which are also amazing! When we lived in Hawaii, my sister used to ship this to me!
Cinnamon Schoolbook Cookies. These adorable and yummy cookies are perfect for your little ones. If I give these to Charlotte, she has to tell me the letters or numbers before she can eat them. A little lesson and treat all in one! These are also fun to spell out messages for a spouse or older child!
Everything but the Bagel Sesame Seasoning Blend. Yes!! This is a fairly new product, but boy is it amazing. If you love Everything bagels, but don't love the calorie count that comes along with it, you have to try this. I love the sprinkle mine over Avocado toast. So good!
Lasagna Noodles (No Boil). These are a great and inexpensive product to make homemade lasagna. No boil, just simple layer with your sauce and ricotta and bake!
Coconut Oil Spray. A great alternative to other cooking sprays and super inexpensive!
Pumpkin Pancake Mix. This is a seasonal item, but so yummy for fall. You can make pumpkin pancakes or waffles with this mix! Yum!
Orange Muscat Champagne Vinaigrette. This dressing is amazing! Kyle makes a salad with grilled chili-lime chicken, avocado and mango and this dressing pairs perfectly with it! It is low in calories too!
Truffle Marcona Almonds. Ah, two of my favorite things. Truffles and Marcona Almonds. These are amazing, but I can usually only have a couple. They are so rich! These pair perfectly on a cheese board. Have them on hand for your next party or get together!
Mini Hamburger Buns. We aren't huge bread people, well at least we try not to eat a lot of bread. But these little mini buns are so cute and perfect for sliders. TJ's has an amazing bread selection with tons of different options, including pretzel sticks, brioche and even a cinnamon swirl french toast bread. I can get in trouble in this section!
Coffee. TJ's coffee selection is on point and offers a wide variety of options. I am currently drinking decaf, which I grind fresh in store and I think that makes it drinkable and tasty even though it has no caffeine! Kyle loves the K-cup options and they also released a Cold Brew Coffee too and it is organic!
Health/Beauty
Honey Mango Cream Shave. Kyle bought this and I'll admit, I have hijacked this product. I used it to shave my legs the other day and I couldn't believe how amazing it left them feeling. It has Aloe Vera and Vitamin E. It's really amazing!
Enrich Moisturizing Face Lotion. Great price for this everyday lotion with SPF!
Trader Joe's has an amazing selection of wine and of course, they are most commonly known for their "$2 Buck Chuck Wine", which is now $2.99. I've price compared TJ's with Total Wine and Costco and they usually have the best price. For example, Meiomi is $15.99 at TJ's!!
I really could go on and on, but the items listed above are really my go-to TJ items. Don't have a Trader Joe's in your area? A quick Google search will return many shippable dry good items! Of course, you will pay a premium for these items! What are your favorite Trader Joe's items?
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