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I don't live close to TJS but always stop there when I am in tucson visiting my parents and sister. First part, is they have great "cheap" wine. Their prices are great so I stock my wine cellar every time I go.
Since I don't live close, I don't get fresh produce, but do buy cherry jam, Italian style grapefruit soda (with sugar), nuts, dried cherries.
That is my peeve with TJ's. Just when you find something really good, they stop making it!Quote:
Originally Posted by gnat23
STAPLES-
hormone-free dairy products
organic eggs
nuts/seeds
lunch meat
unsweetened almond milk
pesticide-free frozen/chopped spinach
organic frozen berries
gluten-free rolled oats
raw almond butter
organic canned fire roasted tomatoes
I try to stick with organic for produce on the "dirty dozen" list and usually buy that stuff at TJs. I shop Aldi for most of my produce these days and buy direct from a local farm during the growing season.
I use TJ's to supplement things I can't get at our co-op (or that are outrageously expensive at the co-op). I'll occasionally buy some veg there, but it's definitely not up to par with the farmer's market/co-op. Usually mushrooms/onions/pepper/etc for breakfast if I'm shopping on Friday night. I do like their fresh figs when they have them....cheaper than elsewhere and I love figs.
I also REALLY miss their wine.....apparently one in New Jersey has wine and I've been tempted to make a run up there at some point...stupid blue laws.
On the regular list:
-greek yogurt (maybe 1x/month, it makes a great starter for my own yogurt the rest of the month....)
-bacon. I like the applewood smoked bacon ends (cheaper, and we usually chop it up to put in eggs anyway)
-almond/flax butter. sometimes I'll switch it up and get peanut, but I really like the almond/flax
-nuts/trail mix to keep in my desk
-dark chocolate (also for my desk...)
-olive oil. The Spanish stuff is GOOD and cheap.
-real maple syrup, fairly cheap and darn good in my oatmeal
-frozen fruit
-chicken chili, not the best food ever, but good to keep in the cupboard for emergency dinner
-thai tuna curry (red/green). This is one of those appears/dissappears items. White box with pink or green label, chunks of tuna in fairly spicy/decent curry sauce. Falls into the emergency dinner category...
I'll occasionally buy some kind of treat also.... favorites so far: chocolate mochi, some kind of chocolate/peanut butter/wafer things (mmm!), peanut butter filled chocolate pretzles, salted carmel chocolate bars (these are new, and they tend to be messy, but worth it)
When DP and I left southern CA to move back to MN there were only a few things we missed: first and foremost, our friends, then the ocean, cheap produce available year-round and ... Trader Joe's. We whooped it up when they finally opened one in a nearby burb and whooped even more when they opened one mere blocks from our house.
About the only items we generally do not buy there are meat products (buy from local farmers), although we do love the burgandy/pepper marinated lamb roast. We stop at least a couple times/week as they have good stuff and are cheaper than regular grocery stores. Some of our favorites or stock purchases:
Greek yogurt
Tuscan bread
Garlic roasted hummus
oriental crackers
multi-grain crackers
salsa
bags of spinach and arugula for us
frozen spinach for making our dog's food
baby carrots that our dog eats for treats
dried chicken breasts, again for the dog
McCann's steel cut oatmeal
various frozen lunch items (love the new 4-cheese pasta)
chicken stock
roasted red pepper/tomato soup
pasta
olive oil (for all-purpose use; I buyer a nicer one from a local grocer for use where the oil is the star)
ham & gruyere tart (pizza-like item that I swoon over)
soy ice cream
biscotti
lava cakes (soooooo good!)
apple blossoms
shampoo
soap
face lotion and hand lotion
fresh-cut flowers
wine and beer
charcoal
I just stopped last night and picked up some bell peppers for use w/dinner this week, more carrots for the dog, tuscan bread, and some items for upcoming holiday baking including organic canned pumpkin and a 5 lb. bag of russet potatoes for lefse. We love TJs.
There's not much I can add to the growing shopping list here, except to say that I like their produce. I buy their romaine lettuce and Brussels sprouts and they have a cut veggie bowl for $2.29 that makes salad prep a breeze and lasts three or four meals.
I also like some of their prepared foods -- they have these little seafood cup things that are delicious and not nearly as fattening as you'd think.
What I like about shopping there is that I've never seen an ingredient list with hydrolyzed oils. I feel pretty confident shopping there that it's more "real" food than I'd find in the local Safeway/Vons.
I love their Vanilla 0% Greek yogurt, which I top off with their pomegranate seeds and raw almonds.
Good, good stuff. I also like the quality of their meats -- their steaks are more tender and their chicken, too. I also buy the nitrate/nitrite-free turkey bacon there and it actually tastes good, unlike the Jennie-O stuff I used to get at Vons.
And TJ's is also the only place I've found sprouted grain loaves of bread, and they're only $2.39. And I haven't had any in a long time (pre-SouthBeach), but their sprouted grain bagels are super.
Roxy
I love Trader Joe's. There's one located near a big farmer's market, and there's one located near the hawk nest I watch. Can't beat that for combining trips.
I love their peanut and almond butters, Greek yogurt, and hummus. I also like their tea selection. Irish Breakfast packs a nice morning punch.
Overall, TJ's quality is good. Just experiment to find out what you do and don't like. Prices are excellent so you can't really go wrong.
Our TJ's run out of things fairly often, especially if you shop at night. I've learned to accept that as part of the overall TJ's experience.