KirstenL4W

Have any of you been to Trader Joe’s? I’ve been in a few times, when I was shopping for 1, and usually would pick up a little something here and there, usually frozen foods. TJ’s is usually lumped in the same category as Wild Oats and Whole Foods, since they tend not to carry the same varieties of processed foods that conventional supermarkets do (no sugar puffs cereal, no foods in neon colors, etc). The other stores, however, cost a lot. They don’t call it “Whole Paycheck” for nothing. But if you shop at the other stores, they start to look like conventional stores dressed up in natural clothing. Not that Trader Joe’s is 100% all natural and all organic - I’m sure if you start looking hard enough you’ll find a preservative or something on one of their labels.

The thing that surprises most people once they start shopping there is that TJ’s is less expensive than a traditional supermarket. Yep, that’s right. Boyfriend was shocked at how little we spent, and we even got a giant piece of salmon for dinner. Now forget about your local Wally World megalomania mart - they may have better prices on regular stuff than the regular stores do, but come on now. Shopping there is a chore. Shopping at TJ’s is fun. The food looks great, yummy, delicious, even when it’s sitting in the frozen food cases. I’m inspired to cook when I’m there, and trust me, that ain’t an easy thing for me to feel.

Boyfriend did have a few criticisms. One, they’re not open 24 hours. In Vegas, all supermarkets are open 24 hours (except for the wild and whole ones). So closing at 9pm like they do puts a serious crimp in the last minute plans to go get some frozen taquitos. Boyfriend also said the the selection was a bit slim. Now, the stores are small - really small, like the tiny supermarket my extended family shops at when they’re spending time at the summer home at Lake Ossipee, NH. But when you go there and really look at the selection, you’ll see that they really don’t lack anything. Everything you need to make a decent meal - not even a health freak meal, I’m talking about a regular decent meal - is there. Besides, who really needs the toaster pastries with purple frosting?

I love roasted garlic. And now everyone in the office knows it. I just had some Chicken Crostina from the Olive Garden that I originally had the other night - “Potato-parmesan crusted chicken breasts sautéed with roma tomatoes and roasted garlic. Served with linguine tossed in a creamy garlic-butter sauce.” - and it was absolutely delish. But after the salad, breadsticks, and Hot Artichoke Spinach Dip, it was all I could do to get the rest of my dinner down without exploding. So, to-go box it was and to-work it went.

I’m also reminded of another one of my favorite Italian restaurants - Vinny T’s. At Vinny’s, the bread basket is nothing short of spectacular. The bread itself is focaccia bread, but it’s the way it’s served that makes it what it is. They give you - get this - a whole head of roasted garlic to spread on your bread and taste the garlicky goodness! Oh yes! It’s worth it to go there just for that.

I myself am a bit lazy to roast garlic, since I spent most of my adult years cooking for 1. I usually keep a jar of the minced, roasted garlic in my fridge, and it’s great to just plop some on some pasta with garlic-infused olive oil. That, some fresh asparagus and fresh grated Parmesan cheese are a wonderful meal that combines the best of yummy flavors and comfort foods. These days I cook for Boyfriend as well as myself, and lucky for me he likes roasted garlic as much as I do. I even spied a garlic roaster in his kitchen, which will have to get dusted off and used one of these days. One thing’s for sure - he doesn’t mind kissing me when I have roasted garlicky breath!

Ok, those of you not from New England probably don’t know what a Fluffernutter is. It’s one of the best sandwiches ever. Marshmallow Fluff and Peanut Butter, preferably on white bread. Simple. Yummy. Find out more here.

I’ve mentioned before that finding all the yummy foods I grew up with is not easy now that I am 2700 miles away from home. Marshmallow Fluff is one of those indispensable ingredients that I was craving. And no, that Jet-Puff crap is no substitute. Anyway, I was shopping at my local supermarket when lo and behold, I saw it - the beautiful white jar with its red cap and vintage label. Oh, yeah. Into my basket it went. Now I am enjoying one of my favorite sandwiches, to be followed with some cookies. It’s good to have some easy yummy comfort food.

Photo courtesy internet search 

I must sing the praises of these tissues. Of course, with my cold right now I can’t sing, unless I want to believe that I have a sexy singing voice like in the TV show Friends when Phoebe got a cold and thought it made her singing voice sexier. Anyway, back to the tissues. I love these things. I can’t imagine having to go through a cold or other upper respiratory illness without them. Back in 1993, as the second semester of my freshman year of college was starting, I came down with mono, the great kissing disease. I also had the nastiest upper resp infection ever at the same time. I was going through an entire box of tissues every day. Were it not for this miracle product seen before you today, I would have worn the nose right off my face after two weeks of this. Yes, I love this product.

Disclaimer: I am not one of those annoying PPP bloggers, and I am not receiving any money for this post. I hab a code, and these tissues have saved the skin on my nose many, many times. I’m just here blogging about stuff I love. I’m sure you prefer that over my other choice, which is blogging in great detail about what this wonderful tissue is helping me expel. Didn’t think so. Just don’t use Puffs to clean your glasses or shades, since it will leave lotiony smears on your lenses.

Photo courtesy internet search