Trader Joe's/Whole Foods Market

[SlowButSteady]

We don't have Trader Joes so I'm not familiar with the "concept" but we do have a Whole Foods in our region.

For fresh local food, choose a farmer's market!! Whole Foods stuff is labeled as to where it came from, but most of it ain't local. I can buy eggs organically grown in my hometown from free range chickens for $1.50 a dozen. Better taste, healthier, greener and more humane. Not to mention inexpensive.

Whole Foods is slickly packaged and marketed. It's, dare I say, trendy. I liked our local organic grocery/vitamin/cafe but, yeah, Whole Foods put them out of business.

I go there for a treat to graze off the food bars and buy a few select items.

Their wine selection is great and WOW, very, very inexpensive for many wines.

[OnTerryOh]

Whole Foods has a bigger selection of produce. Their fresh fruits and vegetables are usually very good but expensive.

Trader Joe's costs less and offers more food that's fun and exotic. These are staples I buy at Trader Joe's -- my favorites:

* Trader Giotto's Bruschetta -- "an Italian tomato topping with fresh garlic and fresh basil". I use this in soup, pasta, on crackers, mixed with hummous, with scrambled eggs and more. I always keep a few jars on hand.

* Trader Joe's Diner Classics -- Chili Mac with ground turkey. This is a refrigerated dinner with about two servings. I spice it up with Trader Giotto's Bruschetta. Great stuff!

* Vinta crackers, made by Dare. These come in a red box and are so good!

* Kerrygold Dubliner cheese, imported from Ireland. Costs less at Trader Joe's.

* Trader Joe's Brownie Truffle Baking Mix. Tastes like homemade brownies. Add butter and egg, mix and bake. Absolutely delicious!

[salsabike]

I like them both, for different things. I love T Joe's enchilada sauce, and some of their frozen meals. I like Whole Foods' baked goods and they have one of the best cheese shops in town. I really like lemon meringue cookies, which T Joe used to have, and Whole Foods has now.

What are Druid Circles?

[ny biker]

* Trader Joe's Brownie Truffle Baking Mix. Tastes like homemade brownies. Add butter and egg, mix and bake. Absolutely delicious!

Good to know!

I tried their hummus with kalamata olives recently, and it was good.