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| In my fantasy world, ALL my groceries fit in 1 tote bag and I look this chic traveling home from the store. (Reality = 3 bags and 5 "stop and rests" en route) |
We've never met; I don't know what exactly he "trades"; but I am in love with Trader Joe. Trader Joe's is my absolute favorite place to grocery shop because it is impossibly cheap (I live in fear of some sort of child labor expose) and though Dr. H and I love to cook, life doesn't always allow time for following recipes, no matter how few ingredients. Also, their employees are clearly taking some sort of happy pills and they pack your bags with Tetris like precision. So here are some Merry Meri & Dr. H approved favorites for your next trip to the happiest grocery store on earth (and check out THIS great site for more ideas).
Trader Joe's refrigerated and frozen sections are filled with packaged foods which will give you the satisfaction of a "home cooked" meal in a fraction of the time.
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| We love ALL the pre-marinated chicken breasts (found in the refrigerated section) |
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| We ALWAYS have a bag of these guys in our freezer. So easy, so tasty. |
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| Recommended by one of my girlies, this is now a staple in our freezer for "I don't know what to make" nights. |
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| AWESOME side dish for an otherwise homemade italian dinner (or ya know, pasta with turkey meatballs!) |
A few other AWESOME "TJ-sponsored" meal ideas: Vegetable or Shrimp Fried Rice and a few types of dumplings and shu mai (all found in the frozen foods section); Keep some pizza dough in the freezer for an impromptu make-your-own pizza night; Reduced Guilt Mac Cheese (small portion, but so tasty I pretty much lick the container clean); frozen Linguine with Clam Sauce (one of the only non-takeout meals Dr. H will feed himself if I'm not home for dinner); Quinoa Duo with Vegetable Melange (because I still haven't figured out how to cook quinoa flavorfully).
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| The broccoli florets are another favorite. |
I also like to keep some frozen vegetables from TJ's in our freezer. Though they aren't nearly as tasty as their fresh counterparts, it's nice to know that I can always get my greens into a meal without stopping at the grocery store on the way home from work.
And of course, my friend Joe has you covered for sweet treats as well:
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| The perfect tart and sweet snack when you're craving "just a taste". Get them. Get them now. |
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| Be careful. Studies show that it is impossible to keep these in your home without eating them all within 72 hours ("studies") |
Are you a fan of Trader Joe's? Do you have any favorites which I should add to my next grocery list? Leave a comment - share the deliciousness!
