Trader Joe Favorites?

[susiestar]

We got a Trader Joe's in our state a few months ago. Jess and I have been there twice. It is an easy path from the Sprouts we like to Whole Foods where I get bulk spices and a few other items to the Trader Joe's around the corner. Of course I have to drive an hour to get there, but it is the town where my doctor appts are.

Anyway, we are enjoying Trader Joe's and it still is quite busy all the time. What are your favorite things there? I like the sliced smoked gouda - it is hard to find under about $9 a pound and it is much less there, plus it is in slices and not thick chunks. The pizza dough is also great, and CHEAP! I cannot buy pizza dough premade here, much less made with-o additives. The ones we get from TJ's taste great and work well for $1.19 - and it is so convenient!

husband and thank you were not impressed with their Green hot sauce - too mild for them but my husband often adds cayenne to his sriracha, so that isn't too surprising. husband always says he isn't big on sweets, but I got him a bacon ganache bar he ate in under an hour. I was shocked because I have seen it take him longer than that to eat a Hershey bar, and the bacon bar was 2x the size of a reg Hershey bar!

I tried some honduran coffee and it is the first dark roast I have EVER liked. I even bought a can. I almost bought a can of 100% Kona for my mom, but changed my mind because I have not been able to get in touch with her.

What are your favorites at Trader Joe's? What else should we try? So many things look tempting, but I wondered what you would recommend.

 

[pasajes4]

We got one last year. It is always packed. I have a lot of favorites. The prices are much cheaper than Whole foods and Sprouts.

 

[Calamity Jane]

They offer frozen puff pastry seasonally - only from Thanksgiving thru Christmas, but what I like about it is it's made with butter. I usually use the Pepperidge Farm puff pastry, but that's not made with real butter. Trader Joe's' brand flies out of their freezer around Thanksgiving time, so I buy a lot and keep them in my freezer at home. So many of their products are unique, that it's a fun experience to shop there. I sound pathetic, don't I?

 

[pasajes4]

I sound pathetic, don't I?

Then so do I. Grocery stores are my favorite hangouts. I love looking at different foods and gadgets.

 

[susiestar]

Good to know I am not the only one who loves grocery stores. Trips to the city usually involve going to Sam's, Sprouts, Whole Food and now Trader Joes. Jess and I both LOVE grocery stores. We hit them all plus Costco for wine (brand new here also). It was great, esp as we didn't have the guys to fuss about 'buying too much' or whine about 'taking too long', lol!

 

[KTMom91]

Mmmmmm...Trader Joe's. Orange chicken, cookie butter, waffle cookies, pizza margherita, and the gingerbread men! LOVE the gingerbread men!

 

[pasajes4]

Susie, That describes my Saturday. My daughter and I make the rounds of those same stores. Sometimes I go to every last one of them and only buy 1 or 2 items from each.

 

[Wiped Out]

For anyone who is gluten free they have great gluten free chocolate chip cookies and some really good gluten free barbecue sauces. I don't get there often because ours is located downtown where parking is limited and there parking lot is not huge.

 

[Tanya M]

I wish our town would get one. I love Trader Joe's and like you I have drive an hour to get there. I don't make it there as often as I would like. I shop quite a bit at Aldi which is owned by the same German family as Trader Joe's.

I love that when Trader Joe's needs another checker they don't announce it, they ring the bell and also that they all wear tropical shirts.

 

[AppleCori]

Trader Joe's sounds like fun, but alas, there is only one in this state and it is several hours away, so I never go there.

I will have to try it next time I am in TX. I love the HEB plus stores, too.

 

[RN0441]

We have one close to us. Love their lotions, shaving lotion (for women). Pretzel bread. Mini ice cream cones, frozen banana chips, cheese with jalapeno spread, hummus. Too much to mention!!!

 

[pasajes4]

H.E.B. Rocks. It is also one of the best places to work in Texas. My granddaughter is a bartender at the 3009 restaurant inside of H.E.B. She is making 12.50 an hour. not bad for a college student.

 

[AppleCori]

H.E.B. Rocks. It is also one of the best places to work in Texas. My granddaughter is a bartender at the 3009 restaurant inside of H.E.B. She is making 12.50 an hour. not bad for a college student.

One of my kids works there in the corporate offices as a project manager.

 

[witzend]

We buy about 8 cases of their lemon sparkling water a month there. It's not at all handy, but it's so much cheaper than anywhere else, and it keeps husband off of the Mt. Dew. Their wine selection is wonderful, and their store brands are good. I really like the Seeded Dijon Mustard, and don't even get me started on their store brand dark chocolate mini peanut butter cups, or the dark chocolate covered orange sticks. Heck the dark chocolate covered ANYTHING!

 

[Copabanana]

After having TJ's nearby I moved to where there are none. But even 9 years later I remember: At Christmas the marzipan sweets and the fruitcake, the black licorice in bags near the cash register, they have German Bread,rye, without wheat, with seeds. It is a small loaf but it is very dense and delicious. I toast it. Especially good with smoked salmon. The tubs of crumbled blue cheese to put on salad. The boxed soups are excellent especially tomato, winter squash and Sweet red pepper. They are good (and pretty) with half of one flavor on one side of the bowl and another flavor on the other side. Or sometimes I put a dollop of pesto on top of the soup. The best ready made pesto I have found is in regular grocery stores in the freezer sections. I think the brand is Armanino or something like that.

 

[HMBgal]

They are always crazy crowded, but the employees are nice, I love their nuts, snacks, ready made foods. Great sweets, too.

 

[pasajes4]

One of my kids works there in the corporate offices as a project manager.

Lucky kid. They now give employees a piece of the company after a year of employment. My granddaughter loves working there.

 

[pasajes4]

They have such a variety of ethnic frozen foods. I buy them for my mother.

 

[Tanya M]

Heck the dark chocolate covered ANYTHING!

YES!!!

 

[witzend]

Tanya, if I see those the store will be out. YUM!