My Favorite Things: Trader Joe's

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! 

Wine

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? 

Chicken Parmesan Bake

Am I the only one that struggles with meal planning? Seriously, it can be so challenging to make the husband happy, the child happy and then myself happy! I had been wanting to try a recipe of stuffed peppers that a friend shared on Facebook, but I was quickly informed by the Mr. that stuffed peppers wouldn't be enough for him for dinner. So, I immediately racked my recipe file (uhhum brain) to try and come up with a dinner idea. Then I remembered today is Chicken Day at Fresh Market! I'm sharing this because SO many of you do not know about it! $2.99/lb hormone/antibiotic-free chicken breasts every Tuesday! How can you beat that and who doesn't LOVE going to Fresh Market!? I was super good today and bought my chicken and a pack of mozzarella cheese! That's it! Normally my cart has a few bottles of wine and of course some flowers, but today I was in a hurry, so no time for extra items!

Ok, so onto the recipe. I found this one on Pinterest and tweaked it a bit. This is a perfect and quick go-to meal AND toddler-approved. I've made this for new mom meals too! I quickly came home from Fresh Market and threw my chicken breasts in the crock pot with chicken broth on low and headed out for a showing. This recipe is seriously so easy.

Chicken Parmesan Bake

- 2-3 lbs cooked and shredded/diced chicken (I use my crockpot, but you could grill or bake, too)

- Large jar spaghetti sauce or tomato sauce 

- 2 cups (1 package) mozzarella cheese (you can also mix with shredded parmesan too) 

- 1 cup Italian breadcrumbs

- 1 tbsp olive oil 

1. Shred your cooked chicken and set aside. (I couldn't live without my Pampered Chef Salad Choppers to do the job right) 

2. Spray a 13x9 baking dish with cooking spray.

3. Layer the shredded chicken on the bottom of the dish.

4. Layer the spaghetti sauce on top.

5. Sprinkle the cheese on top of that. 

6. In a separate bowl, mix 1 cup of Italian breadcrumbs with 1 tbsp of olive oil. 

7. Sprinkle on top of cheese. 

8. Preheat oven to 350 degrees and bake for 25-30 minutes.
9. Serve with a salad, bread, pasta or by itself!

Enjoy! 

Zucchini Spaghetti and Shipt

Zucchini Spaghetti is one of our new go-to meals! I got this tool at a Pampered Chef party a couple of months ago and we finally broke it out to try a few weeks ago! The recipe is super easy and probably takes less time than boiling water for noodles.  We also like the sautéed veggie noodles as a side for steak or chicken. Even little Charlotte enjoyed a couple of bites! 

If you haven't heard of it yet, you should also check out Shipt! It is a new grocery delivery service and is super helpful, especially on Sundays when you want to relax and enjoy the day! While I was putting C down for her nap, I "shopped" for items in the app. All of the items are from Publix and you can take advantage of sale items and BOGO items, too. I haven't done a true price comparison, but from my research there is about a 5-10% markup on items. You also pay a monthly subscription fee of $14/month. All orders over $35 have free delivery, which is really easy to achieve! On each item you add to your cart, you can add a note, like large onion or green bananas. If they have a questions on an item, they will call or text to clarify! So far, we have been really happy with the service! Sign up for Shipt here and receive a $10 credit for signing up! I plan on doing a more thorough review in the future! Stay tuned! 

Zucchini Spaghetti

• 8 medium sized zucchini 
• 1.5 lbs ground turkey
• minced garlic 
• 2 jars spaghetti sauce 
• 1 can tomato paste 
• coconut oil 
• salt and pepper 

- Brown turkey with minced garlic 

- Once cooked, add in sauce and paste and simmer 

-Slice zucchini into small strips or use the Pampered Chef Veggie Strip Maker

-Add 1 tsp. coconut oil to pan

-Add sliced zucchini strips and add salt and pepper 

-Saute for 8-10 minutes until desired softness. 

-Drain excess water 

-Top with sauce and enjoy

                                               

                                                        Toddler approved!

Quinoa & Turkey Taco Bake

Lately I have been on a crock pot kick, but this week I came up short for meal planning, so I decided to turn to the ever so faithful Pinterest for some inspiration. Kyle had a craving for corned beef and cabbage, but to his dismay, the recipe took over 8 hours to cook and we just didn't have that kind of time, so it was a Quinoa & Turkey Taco Bake!

This recipe was a little more involved only because there were a few steps, but so easy and really delicious. I always put my own spin on recipes that I find or improvise with what I have in the pantry. Not only would this be a great potluck meal, it is also great for lunches during the week. The best part?  It is remotely healthy! We loosely follow the 21 day fix meal plan (with the addition of Oreo thins and wine) and I am happy to report this is 21 day fix approved, as well as husband and toddler approved! Yay!

Quinoa & Turkey Taco Bake

• 1 lb. lean ground turkey
• 1 cup quinoa (uncooked) 
• 4 oz. tomato sauce 
• 1 1/3 cup shredded cheddar cheese 
• 2.5 tbsp. chili powder
• 2.5 tsp. cumin 
• 3 garlic cloves (minced) 
• 1/2 cup chopped onion 
• 4 oz. petite diced tomatoes (canned)
• 1/2 chopped jalapeno 
• greek yogurt and chopped green onion 

-Prepare 1 cup quinoa as directed on package and set aside 

-Brown turkey with garlic and then add cumin, chili powder, jalapeño and diced tomato

-Add cooked quinoa, tomato sauce and 1/3 cup cheddar cheese 

-Stir well and transfer to a greased baking dish 

-Top with remaining cheese (1 cup) 

-Bake at 350 degrees for 10-15 minutes. 

-Top with greek yogurt and green onions. 

Enjoy! 

Healthy Broccoli Tots

As a mom I am always trying to find new ways for Charlotte to get her veggies. We are very lucky that she is an amazing eater and quite the little piggy! She loves her carbs (pasta, bread, crackers, etc), but when it comes to meats and veggies she can be a little picky because of texture. I actually saw this recipe on Pinterest for 21 day fix recipes and thought it would be perfect Charlotte and then Kyle and I could enjoy too! :)

I actually had some leftover broccoli florets in the fridge and figured I should probably use them before they went bad!

Healthy Broccoli Tots 

• 12 oz. broccoli florets 
• 3 egg whites
• 1/2 cup sharp cheddar or mozzarella (I used mozzarella)
• 1/2 cup breadcrumbs 
• salt and pepper 

-Steam your broccoli in pot and then drain and rinse. Pat dry with paper towel to remove excess water. 

-Add 2 cups of the broccoli to your food processor ( I used our Vitamix) 

- In a bowl, combine the egg whites, cheese, breadcrumbs and S&P. Once the broccoli is finely chopped, add the broccoli to the bowl. Mix well

- Line a baking sheet with parchment paper ( Very important! I doubled this recipe and ran out of parchment on the other baking sheet. Even with cooking spray, the result was not the same) 

- Roll into balls or use a mini ice cream scoop or melon baller and place on baking sheet. 

-Cook for 8-10 minutes, then flip and cook for another 8-10 minutes! 

They turned out great! Husband and toddler approved! Charlotte was already done with dinner but she saw me sampling and asked for a taste and asked for more! :) 

Steamed Broccoli

Egg Whites, Breadcrumbs, Cheese and S&P

Blend until finely chopped

Add broccoli to the bowl 

Drop onto parchment lined baking sheets

Turn after 8-10 minutes of baking! Nice and crispy!

The final product! Yummy! 

Mediterranean Egg Cups

I have been making "egg cups" or "egg muffins" for a while now! They simplify your morning, not only in cooking your breakfast, but also in clean up!

I think egg cups are best when you experiment with what you like. I've made very healthy egg cups with only red peppers and spinach and very yummy egg cups with croissants, sausage and cheese! Think about what flavors you like and just improvise! Here is a recipe that I came up with that we are really enjoying!

Mediterranean Egg Cups 

• 12 eggs (beaten in a large mixing bowl) 
• 1 red pepper (diced) 
• 1 lg. onion (diced) 
• 1 package sliced baby bella mushrooms 
• 1 package crumbled feta 
• Cooking Spray ( I prefer TJ's Coconut Oil Spray) 
• Salt & Pepper 

1. -Dice red pepper, onion and mushrooms. Spray non-stick frying pan and sauté veggies. I think this step is really important because it brings out the flavor. Once translucent and soft, set aside and let cool. 
2. -Whisk together 12 eggs and add salt and pepper. 
3. -Add cooled veggie mixture and feta cheese 
4. -Spray muffin tin with cooking spray and divide the egg mixture evenly. 
5. -Cook at 375 degrees for 15-20 minutes! 

This recipe makes 12 egg cups. A serving is equivalent to 2 egg cups. So, this is a perfect recipe to make in the beginning of the week and then eat throughout the week. You can always double this recipe if you have a larger family! I usually microwave mine for 45-60 seconds before eating! These are toddler and husband approved! 

Yummy!

Enjoy!