trader joe's

i love trader joe's.  i was more excited than a kid on christmas when i found out that it was coming to salt lake.  and the fact that it was coming just down the street from me was the icing on the cake.

i try to tell everyone how amazing trader joe's is, but for some reason my friends and family aren't catching on to the craze.  i'm always told "i went in there and i just didn't know what to get.  i wasn't that impressed."  i want to cry when i hear this because it is a shame that people can't experience what i do at tj's: pure bliss.  i love that anything with a "trader joe's" label has no preservatives, no artificial flavoring, no MSG, no GMO's, etc.  it makes me feel somewhat healthier and i promise you it tastes better.  

so lately i have been making lists for people of my trader joe's must haves, and it has made a big difference.  my people are now sharing in my joy, and appreciate trader joe's like i do.  it's not that i think tj's is the only grocery store i can ever go to.  i still hit up smiths every now and then.  but there are some things at tj's that you just can't get anywhere else, and that's what i wanted to share with you all today.  

i am finding new products all the time that i love (i usually am at trader joe's twice weekly, which i justify because it's less than a mile from my house), and my current favs are always changing.  but here is a list of what have become staples in our little household and what i'm certain i can now never live without.

my top ten trader joes must haves

do you notice how this package is almost empty?  sadly we go through 2-3 of these guys a month.  we now find it necessary to grab a couple of these bad boys after every single meal.  but hey, it's better than a snickers, right?

this one may seem very odd.  but i promise you, this is one of the best thing at trader joe's!  these lentils are already cooked, so all you have to do is open up the package and put them in your recipe.  think you don't have any recipes that call for lentils?  just ask me and i'll give you some (i'll post my most popular one later). they are SO good for you, and a great diet food...

cheese is hands down my favorite food.  string cheese, grilled cheese, cheese pizza, etc.  anything with cheese is my favorite, and i usually ask for extra.  this "unexpected cheddar cheese" is one of my obsessions.  and i'll be honest, i usually just eat it with crackers.  i do have a few recipes for it though, so if you want them just let me know!!!

there is a great hummus section at tj's, but this one is the kind i keep going back to.  it has the most amazing flavor.  i've tried other brands of edamame hummus and none of them even compare.  i eat it with crackers, with veggies, on sandwiches, etc.

how many of you have put brown rice in the rice cooker about 30 minutes before dinner, expected it to be done in time, your husband is at the table waiting patiently for dinner, and then it ended up not being ready for another 2 hours?  ok maybe that just happened to me (what can i say, i was a newlywed and never cooked rice before)!  but this brown rice is AWESOME.  it's the perfect size for 2-3 people and is ready in 3 minutes, which makes it ideal when you are throwing together a dinner quickly.  i love it and always have some in my freezer.

i'm not much of a ham eater, so this ham might not actually be that amazing and i just don't know any better because i don't have much to compare it to.  but it is delicious.  i usually chop it up and put it in with my eggs, but i've had it with provolone and honey mustard (just roll it up with no bread for a low carb snack!) on a sandwich and it is mmm mmm good.

this one is another random.  but i use this to make the best salad dressing in the world.  it is perfect on summer salads with fruit on them; i usually do raspberries, goat cheese, and walnuts.  or use it as a marinade for meats. 

if you don't like curry, you might change your mind if you try this.  they also have red curry sauce, but i like this one better.  i just make chicken curry with it usually, but remember those lentils from before?  try sautéing onions, carrots and peas, adding some lentils and simmering it all in this sauce.  add chicken if you want, and you have the highest protein meal of all time.

you might have tried dried coconut before, but this is different.  they are chips, and they are spectacular.  i eat them plain, i eat them in yogurt with berries, i put them in salads, and i've baked them in cookies.  it helps that dawson and i both love coconut, but i think anyone would find these delicious.

and last but not least, my favorite salsa of all time.  i have learned to like many things (onions, peppers, mushrooms, etc.) but i cannot learn to like tomatoes.  i still eat salsa, but i have to pick out the tomato chunks.  this salsa solves all my problems.  it is tomato-less!!!  and it is so much more than a salsa.  i put it on my eggs every morning.  i put it on salmon.  i mix it with green beans and feta.  i put it on turkey wraps.  i cut up an avocado and pour this over it.  i think i am probably a freak and like it more most people would, but i think you should still try it.

some other of my favorites that i use on the daily (but didn't take pictures of) are their coconut and almond milks.  their plain greek yogurt.  their coconut oil spray (instead of pam).  most of their other salsas.  their already peeled garlic.  their organic sugar.  their pizza dough.  their alfredo sauce (YUM).  i could go on and on.  oh, and i couldn't call myself a trader joe's lover if i didn't mention their cookie butter.  crunchy or smooth, you can't go wrong.  eat it on graham crackers, fruit, s'mores, pancakes, or by the spoonful.

so there you have it!  i may be a little obsessed, but i would consider myself selfish if i didn't share my love for tj's with the world.  i dare you to go to trader joe's and try just one of these things.  or all of them.  you won't regret it.  and you can thank me later.