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Help make out my Trader Joe's shopping list
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Anonymous
OP -- I can't imagine why you would htinkn anyone on DCUM would give you grief about asking for advice for your grocery shopping list!!! 
OK -- I shop there once a month and stock up on the following -- I like TJ because most of their products do not have artifical ingredients. I freeze the bread products and thaw them every week. TJs brand Cheerios (Joe Os') and some other cereals whole wheat tortillas whole wheat bagels soft whole wheat bread sourdough baguettes frozen multigrain waffles whole wheat fresh pizza dough yougurt cheese whole wheat mini pita breads hummus Ministrone Soup in a can various simmer sauces (they are usually all great and make an easy dinner in the crockpot) frozen precooked Basmatic rice frozen vegetable lasagna frozen Mandarin Chicken some pork product I am blanked on the name of -- you eat it in a taco shell -- carnitas? frozen tilapia fillets various chips and snack foods... sesame sticks are great, also they often have chili-lime cashews... yum |
Anonymous
| If you like Pitrate's Booty, they have their own version called Unburied Treasure - much larger bag and only $1.99. |
Anonymous
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I like their Chicken Tikka Masala sauce and their frozen pizza margharitas. Frozen berries (blend w/yogurt for a smoothie) are good, as are their nuts. Oh, and the Double Rainbow ice cream is excellent. I also buy chicken and beef stock, olive oil, pasta and their gluten free brownie mix (YUMMY if you are GF).
Not sure what staples are missing -- they have bread, milk, juice, cold cuts, cheese, eggs, pasta, etc. Their selection of meat and produce is small but they do carry some. They don't have so many non-food items so if you are looking for Tide or Bounty or what have you you will be short, but I buy that stuff at Costco anyway. The secret to using their prepared foods is to cook them but doctor them up a little. Extra parm, beef stock, veggies, chopped deli cuts, etc., go a long way. |
Anonymous
huh huh. you said "booty." |
Anonymous
| If you lack self-control do not - DO NOT! - buy the sweet and salty trail mix that has peanut butter chips, choc chips, dried cranberries, cashews, etc. I swear to god, it's a 1lb bag that turned into 10lbs on my ass because I could not put it down. It's the perfect mix of sweet, salty, crunchy, and chewy. If you can't resist, dole out small portions to bring with you to work each day. Don't let it sit around where you can grab handfuls without thinking about how much you're eating! |
Anonymous
FYI, their frozen fish is a great deal but I found the breaded fish (both fish sticks and 'fish and chips' style) disgusting. |
Anonymous
| I actually find their frozen fish to be horrible. It's the absolute one thing I will not buy there. However, the frozen shrimp with tail on is good and at a good price. |
Anonymous
| Bagged organic salad, 1.99 and so easy. A lot of the frozen food, I love the roasted corn, its sooo yummy. Also some of the pastas, there is a basil garlic one that is amazing tossed with olive oil and pine nuts, with a side of salad. Dinner in less then 10 minutes. Their strawberries, fresh fruit and breads are always good |
Anonymous
I've never used "simmer sauces" before. Is that what they are called or just the name you've given for them. What should I look for, is there a line that they carry of these sauces? Is it something that I can just pour in a pan and cook fish in and serve over the frozen rice? If so, that could be perfect for a quick but not totally "defrosted" meal. And how do you use with a crockpot (which will be the next thread I start). I don't have a crockpot but I want to get one, I just have no clue how to use them. |
Anonymous
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Frozen Rice
Frozen Fish Chocolate covered pretzels Frozen veggies Dried Mango Madarin Chicken Mini Tacos Cheese(any kind) eggs butter milk Guacamole Kit Baked blue corn chips Low Fat French Toast Frozen Steel Cut Oats 3 pack onions(red, white and yellow) Granola Nuts Wine Turkey meatballs Ceral Bars |
Anonymous
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I forgot :
frozen naan potstickers roasted corn pasta sauce chocolate chips |
Anonymous
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Another thing to avoid if you have no self control is the Pecan Pralines. DH and I can each go through a whole tub of those in a day. Bad bad bad.
Oh, and at Christmas last year they had the most wonderful dark chocolate covered caramels with sea salt sprinkled on top. Heaven. When we lived close to the TJs in Old Town Alexandria, I really felt like I was able to do 75% of my grocery shopping there. Organic produce was much cheaper there for making baby food. I like their dairy products. I also liked their frozen mexican food for quick meals, and if they still have them, awesome frozen organic blueberries--mix with yogurt and kashi cereal for breakfast. We live a 4 hour drive from TJs now, so whenever family drives to visit us they get a list. Salsa, nuts, dried fruit, oatmeal, cheese (excellent prices!), whole grain baking mix, enchilada sauce, cookies and chocolate covered whatever, olive oil, vinegars, maple syrup (grade B in the big jug--more flavor than grade A), spices, seasoning blends, snack foods. . . Last summer I stopped at the one 4 hours away coming home from a road trip and spent almost $400 stocking up (including wine--and they have hard liquor in NM and AZ, too!) |
Anonymous
| And I like their soaps and sunscreen too, also vitamins and good prices on clif bars. |
Anonymous
| There's a website out there that I've used in the past called Trader Joe's Fan that I found very helpful. It had great easy recipes using special items from the store. I loved the Thai Tacos recipes. Fast and easy. |
Anonymous
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OP here. This is SO helpful.
So what is the deal with the frozen fish? I may just have to try it and see for myself. As I mentioned, I'm used to cooking from scratch and have never used frozen meats or fish, but I'm willing to start. For those that thought it was gross, what didn't you like? Was it too Vande Kamp's-ish? Or was it just yucky and fishy? Too frozen tasting? I was raised by pescaterians, so I'm a bit of a fish snob, but DH is just getting into fish and if it is Vande Kamp's-ish maybe he will like it.... |