Hi All! Remember when I told you about my background in Deli while working in SuperTarget? Well, one of the odd carry-overs has been an obsession with grocery stores. Being on the East Coast is so much fun because there’s a whole new array of them: Giant, Harris Teeter, Safeway to name a few. One of my long-time favorites is Trader Joe’s. Minnesota just got their first one less than two years ago (I vaguely remember them running out of food in the first few days). What makes Trader Joe’s so great are these 3 things: 1.) A majority of their stuff is private label, so they control the quality of what they put on the floor, 2.) Their goods are cheaper (largely because they do more private label), and they focus on Fresh and Frozen foods over processed and canned goods. It’s just plain FUN to shop there. Their consumers love their products so much that they rate them on their website and give people recipe ideas to use them with! Now that’s LOVE! I recommend this grocery store for singles, people looking for easy-to-prepare meals, and those who like to eat fresh/healthy! New products are introduced all the time, so visit often!
For you Minnesotans, the TJ’s that currently exist include: St. Louis Park, Maple Grove, Woodbury and the soon-to-be-finished one in St. Paul on 35E and Randolph. Here’s a sampling of a few of my favorite products that I’ve found or others have introduced me to (SJ and Emily!): In Clockwise Order starting from the top left- TJ’s Hummus, TJ’s Soy Ice Cream in Mango Vanilla (I never thought I’d like it!), Breaded Eggplant (great baked with marinara sauce over it), Chicken Sausage (in any flavor), Lobster Ravioli, and Mandarin Orange Chicken. YUM. It makes me hungry just looking at the picture! Here’s to good eating!
