Trader Joe's--More Than Just Appetizers

I love Trader Joe's, but, until recently, it was only for a quick run-in for some wine or ready-made appetizers. I usually peruse the aisles, picking out things that look good, but rarely buy anything more than snacks. Noticing how inexpensive TJ's can be in comparison to the big grocery stores, I thought I would try them out as a primary grocery supplier. I am hooked. We generally buy "health food" pretty regularly, and I was pleasantly surprised by how much our grocery bill was cut down AND by how much good and new food we got. I still had to run to Kroger for some general food staples and produce that was not available at TJ's, but I still think it was worth it. Meals this week have included:

-Spinach salad (with candied pecans, egg, red onion, and cherry tomatoes) with a Champagne Pear Vinaigrette
-Cheese tortellini with roasted tomatoes
-Loosemeat sandwiches and sweet potatoes (the sandwiches were more a product of Kroger)
-Lots of whole-milk yogurt and granola for Patrick
-Natural peanut and almond butter sandwiches
-loads of produce for snacks--grape tomatoes, champagne grapes (new favorite), blueberries, strawberries

Adam is really happy, too, because he has a sudden interest in healthy eating. Trader Joe's is where it's at...not to mention the under-$5 wine selection is pretty impressive. I was watching something on TV about general rules of healthy eating, and that food should have a shelf-life of no more than two weeks. We did a good job with this. Our fridge is STOCKED, but have little more in the cabinets than granola, pasta, whole-grain cereal, etc. I'm loving it. Admittedly, the freezer still has quite the selection of ice cream, but everyone needs a vice, right? (By "selection," I mean we have 6 different types of ice cream and one frozen yogurt. It's pretty impressive, even for us.)

Patrick, our little comedian, loves the new selection of food, but not enough to suppress his insatiable sweet tooth. Yesterday, he marveled at the pecans I gave him (candied, nonetheless) and told me how much he loved nuts. "These are so good, Mom. I really like nuts."

Me: "You do? Really? What's your favorite kind of nut?" (Here, I expected Patrick's signature "Whhaaaaaaatt?")

Instead, his reply: "Hmm..Donuts. Donuts are my favorite nut."

That's about right.