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Thursday, February 12, 2009

Ode to Trader Joe's



I love this video so much it's ridiculous :) Everything we love about our wonderfully quirky favorite grocery store where we find all the stuff we need and then some we never knew we'd like but now adore. Things are always fresh, easy, healthy (most of the time), delicious, and most importantly, interesting. And often value for money too.

Things in the video that appear frequently in Jude and Serene's shopping cart:
- organic milk
- bread (we just discovered their naan and it's wonderful!)
- peanut butter filled pretzels
- chocolate covered nuts
- soup in cartons
- 2 buck Chucks (Charles Shaw wines)
- Thai Lime & Chili Cashews
- bananas sold singly (so we can buy just three if we wanted to...)
- peeled baby carrots (I never eat them whole but I'll chop them up into tiny pieces and throw them into stews or soups so I'll get the nutrition but I can't really see that they're there)
- Fuji apples
- Mochi ice-cream (mango, of course!)
- organic eggs
- cereal (because their cereal selection rocks!)
- $0.99/can tomatoes
- flavored lemonade
- Airbourne (nothing staves off an imminent cold/flu like this Vitamin C booster)
- mini watermelons (perfect for just two of us)

I could go on about our other favorite TJ products like their frozen Orange Chicken, guacamole, pear sauce, frozen tamales, pasta sauces, cheap cremini mushrooms and arugula salad, interesting simmer sauces like Chicken Marsala or Cacciatore, cheapest saffron anywhere, and so many many, much much more. And just like it is in the video, we never pass up the food samples, always take a small cup of their coffee or tea, and have had the handles of the TJ paper bags rip on us so many times, we now bring our own shopping bags. I have to say though, that the only time I've had problems finding a parking spot in the TJ's here was the day before Thanksgiving last year. And really, I should have known better...

What's your favorite thing about Trader Joe's? :)

3 comments:

darkorpheus said...

I envy you to have a grocery store like this where you live. Don't even get me started on how limited and expensive groceries are in Doobai.

serene said...

Is it hard to make your favorite vegetarian dishes? Maybe you can take this as an opportunity to explore and experiment with different types of grains and veggies :)

Sorry to hear about the impending sand storm- be careful!!

darkorpheus said...

One of the most annoying thing about shopping in Dubai is the lack of variety - whether it's in the CD shops or the supermarket. Vegetable-wise it's mainly salad-type vegetables- tomatoes, spinach, etc - all pre-packed, air-flown from Europe, Africa and the region. All not very fresh. If you're a fan of fresh veggies - it's frustrating here. Things are over-priced, yet you know you're not paying for quality.

Thanks. But while the news said sandstorm - it seemed to have died before reaching Dubai. Just some really sandy winds a few nights ago. The kind where you can't seem to walk forward because the wind is threatening to knock you backwards.

I am sorely disappointed. (Would love to watch a sandstorm behind the comfort of my bedroom window) And I now have a very sandy balcony to sweep. :(

Did I mention I am now spying on my "Hairy Half-Naked Guys" neighbours in the apartment across from my block?