24 August 2010

Inside the Secret World of Trader Joe's

The behind-the-scenes happenings at one of my favorite stores in the world.

(via peterwknox:jratlee)

And in case you needed more inspiration to make Joe your boyfriend, here’s a list I posted a while ago with some of my favorite TJ’s items.

Ten TJ’s Items to Try:

1. Flavored Greek yogurt (honey, blueberry, and pomegranate): Though fun-flavored Greek yogurt is popping up all over the place now, I’ve always had a special place in my heart for TJ’s version. This yogurt is filling, has great flavor and consistency, and is fairly affordable.
2. Just A Handful trail mix: Yes, it’s true, you CAN make your own trail mix and portion it out into individual baggies. But let’s keep it real: Will you? This is such a great item to have on hand, and I almost always keep a pack in my desk at work or in my purse. I think they make two or three different types, but they all contain a mix of dried fruit and nuts in a nice portion-controlled serving size. If you do want to make your own trail mix, TJ’s sells a plethora of affordable dried fruits as well as a variety of nuts (some flavored).
3. Apple cranberry bran muffins: I’m in awe of the nutrition stats on these babies: 80 calories, 13g fiber, and 5g protein. These make for a perfect (filling) snack or accompanyment to breakfast. I’ve mixed them into yogurt and oatmeal, too. A warning: these muffins are pretty “branny” (read: they taste like they have as much fiber as they do), so if you’re not a fan of bran, stay away.
4. Multigrain cereal: I’ve basically replaced oatmeal with this stuff. It looks like oatmeal, tastes like oatmeal, but boasts better nutrition stats (see the linked post for more info). I usually mix in PB and banana for a little more flavor.
5. Organic peanut butter: The first time I had organic PB, I almost chocked. That stuff tasted nasty to my Jiff-seasoned tongue! But I was relieved to find that TJ’s peanut butter doesn’t have the weird texture and taste that other organic PBs do. And peanut butter is one of the things to definitely buy organic (nuts can soak up a lot of pesticides!). Their almond butter is also affordable and delish.
6. Shelled edamame: Trader Joe’s is one of the only places I’ve found that sells shelled, NON-FROZEN edamame. It’s perfect for snacking or adding to stir-fries, etc.
7. Precooked grains and beans: I know this is kind of a cop-out answer, but for the time-crunched chef, TJ’s sells all the precooked time-savers you could ever ask for. I’ve heard the frozen steel-cut oats are great, and they carry lots of premade rices and other grains. The precooked beans (like lentil and fava) come packaged rather than canned, so they don’t have that weird tinny taste. They’re great for throwing in soups or salads.
8. Dark chocolate wedges: These come in a little tin by the front of the store. At 35 calories each, they’re a great way to get a portion-controlled hit of dark chocolate without having to break a bigger bar with a hammer.
9. Banana, flattened: This “banana roadkill” (tm delishyourdish) is a great portable snack. Turn it into a roll-up by spreading on some PB or AB, and adding dark chocolate chips if you like. Say “yum.”
10. Mirepoix: This one’s just on the list for it’s pure usefulness. It can be the base of almost any sauce or soup, no chopping necessary! A great thing to have around.

3 May 2010

Smarter Stocking Up

I used to go grocery shopping with a very specific list (i.e., “4 chicken breasts, green beans, 1 lb salmon,” etc.). Now, I go in with a much more open mind — and get way better deals! These days, my grocery list looks more like “meat, veg, fish, cheese.” It’s simple, it allows for flexibility, spontaneity, and creativity.

I also tend to stock up on things that can be frozen, like meat and fish, so I can hold off between major shops for longer. My latest haul:

Produce

• poblano peppers
• organic strawberries
• kale
• artichoke (I was inspired!)
• bell pepper
• baby spinach
• red bananas (low-down to come)

Dairy

• Fage Greek yogurt
• local raw goat’s cheddar
• samples of various cheeses including a raw jack, raw munster, and smoked gruyere (each of these were around $1 — a great way to taste new cheeses!)
• cream cheese

Meat (all local/organic/grass-fed)

• flank steak
• 80% lean ground beef
• whole chicken
• pork ribs
• bacon

Fish

• wild-caught lake perch
  
• wild-caught trout

Misc.

• Tilia malbec (I loved it so much I bought it again!)
• coconut milk
• seaweed snacks (more on these tomorrow)
• Lindt 85% dark chocolate
• Ecover dish soap
• Meyers counter top spray in basil scent (I was so intrigued, I had to try it.)

Total = $156. This shop should last me at least 2-3 weeks, so that’s about right. I used to balk at spending that much on one trip to the grocery store, but it’s so worth it to get quality ingredients. With quality, whole foods, a little goes a long way! I like to stock up all at once because the grocery store isn’t close to where I live, plus it’s nice to have everything (that won’t spoil) on hand.

8 April 2010

Stripping Down

Groceries, kids! What did you think I meant?

So lately, I’ve been really paring down my groceries. Since I’ve basically eliminated everything even remotely processed and I get most of my produce from Door to Door, grocery shopping has been a breeze. I’m focusing on high-quality protein and dairy, and choosing in-season produce when I need to supplement D2D.

You guys, this is a really amazing way to shop. I don’t balk at the $11.99/lb prices for meat and fish, because I know I’m not going to be supplementing with overpriced boxes of crackers or chips.

Here’s the loot I came home with today:

• organic pastured butter
• organic pastured ghee (clarified butter) - I was so excited to find it that I had to get it it!

• local grass-fed flank steak
• local grass-fed NY strip

• local organic spicy Italian pork sausages
• organic, uncured, nitrite-free applewood-smoked bacon
• kale
• organic strawberries
• local free-range eggs
• full-fat single-serving Fage Greek yogurt
• Lake Michigan trout
• wild-caught sockeye salmon

• 86% Ghiradelli dark chocolate - I may or may not have dipped into this in the car on the way home, so it’s unpictured.

This, along with the produce I’ll get on Tuesday, will probably last me almost two weeks (I’ll freeze some of the meat). Don’t get me wrong: I feel incredibly lucky to have several grocery stores where I live that sell this kind of food. I know not all of you have easy access to grass-fed meat and wild-caught fish. But if you don’t? Seek it out. Google around and find nearby farms, CSAs, and farmers’ markets. Commit to finding this kind of food even if you have to drive 45 minutes to get it. You can always stock up and freeze it for later use.

I’m not going to lie to you. This grocery haul was not cheap — $88 total. But I don’t mind because this is the kind of food that makes people love food. This is the kind of food that recipes are built around, rather than the other way around. This is the kind of food we were meant to eat, not the kind that comes from factories and CAFOs.

As cheesy as it sounds, your body and health are worth this kind of food!

12 March 2010

Grocery Shop: Weekend Pick-up

There’s a special place in my heart for Friday evenings. This is the first one in as long as I can remember that I’ve had zero obligations, so I took the opportunity to do a little leisurely grocery shopping. The plan for the rest of the evening? A long bath, lots of reading, listening to one of my bday gifts (the new Sade album!), and then deciding if I want to trek out into the world.

But first, I grocery shopped, because that’s one of my all-time favorite activities. Since we’re expecting our next Door to Door Organics box on Tuesday, I went easy on the produce and stocked up on the organic meats and cheeses. Since I had planned on using another one of my birthday gifts (a gift card to Whole Foods), I treated myself to some pricier items.

What came home with me:

• two dozen organic omega-3 cage-free eggs
• Zingerman’s creamery fresh goat cheese
• raw goat’s cheddar
• Kerry Gold pastured Dubliner
• two avocados
• a pound of grass-fed lamb shoulder
• a pound of artic char fillet (I realized after I bought it that it wasn’t wild-caught… boo!)
• five bison snack sticks (made at Whole Foods)
• uncured, nitrite-free organic applewood-smoked bacon
• Voges Oaxaca dark chocolate bar
• heavy cream from a local dairy
• baby organic carrots
• big ol’ tub of baby spinach
• four containers of full-fat Fage Greek yogurt

Food, delicious food.

On an unrelated note, how beautiful is the Sade cover? I want a back like that!

Enjoy your Friday…

19 February 2010

My Day in Food: Enough with the Spinach!

My afternoon snack consisted of… not spinach: A tangerine from the aforementioned Door to Door box and a hard-boiled egg.

Just a few words about the egg: Hard-boiled eggs aren’t hard to make (put eggs in a pot; fill with water so eggs are covered by an inch; bring to a boil; remove from heat and let sit for 15-17 minutes; immerse eggs in cold water bath immediately after). But on my last trip to Trader Joe’s, just for kicks, I picked up a bag of pre-made hard-boiled eggs. You get 10 of them for about $3.50, so while it’s more expensive than buying raw eggs and cooking them, it’s not prohibitively more.

The point of all this being, though I can and do make my own hard-boiled eggs, the pre-made ones from TJ’s are SO MUCH BETTER. How do I describe the difference? I don’t know! They’re creamier, perfectly cooked, not rubbery, not smelly… everything that my homemade ones aren’t. So if you have a few extra bucks and are short on time, do yourself a favor and pick some up. Even though it doesn’t seem possible, this is just one more thing Mr. Joe does better than I do.

Oh, and Rachel, who recently asked if we’d met her boyfriend Joe (“he’s a trader”)? You’re going to have to fight me for him!