YES another TJ's thread ;)

[calv]

planning on going today. what should I get? Any new discovery/favorites lately?

TIA!

P.S. Why is that I can never walk out of that store w/out dropping $100

[AddiesMom]

Champagne Pear Vinagrette dressing, not with the dressings but near the lettuce and veggies (needs to be refrigerated). It is awesome! It sells out qucikly!

[SnuggleBuggles]

My new favorite semi indulgence is the 6 pack of mini yogurts. They are full fat and absolutely delicious! It's like Yo Baby but better. I scooped up the vanilla yogurt with a homemade chocolate chip cookie. :)

I bake from scratch 99% of the time but I tried their Truffle brownie mix and it is really good.

TJ's has the best deal on the pretzel thins. I love them.

100 calorie chocolate bars.

Frozen puff pastry.

Beth

[MelissaTC]

Horseradish hummus- spread it on a wrap and then place some roast beef slices. YUM!!!!

Tejava- it is microbrewed, unsweetened tea. OMG, it is so good. Serve over ice and add your fave sweetner or flavor. I love it! My store had a big display of it in the front near the registers.

My store was also sampling spiced apple cider in the bottle and had it chilled. It was very good and on sale!

[brittone2]

double post. Whoops

[brittone2]

Here are some staples on my TJs shopping list:

Hormone/antibiotic free chicken drumsticks (99c a pound)
Hormone/antibiotic free bacon
Occasionally some Applegate farms lunch meat
Some cheese selections
F age full fat yogurt (decadent!)
Organic orange rooibos teabags (yum, and great for kids as naturally decaf and very high in antioxidants. Not astringent tasting like regular teas)
Sparkling water
Unsweetened iced tea
Organic coffee
Rosemary marcona almonds
Frozen artichoke hearts (one of the only places I can find them)
Chicken burgers
Mandarin chicken is a great quick freezer meal (pretty close to take out)
Wild USA salmon (frozen)
Frozen berries
If you have any need for desserts, they have some great, easy, inexpensive stuff for entertaining
Dark chocolate bars
2 buck chuck :) (their cheapo house brand wine-it is right around 3 bucks a bottle and surprisingly yummy. One of my fav inexpensive wines and boy is it inexpensive! The chardonnay is tasty to have on a hot summer evening)
ETA:
Aoili garlic mustard
Cheap organic whole wheat pasta
Organic marinara/organic pasta sauces
Organic Valencia Peanut Butter (valencia is low in aflatoxins, and TJ's price is really good on this product)

[calv]

I LOVELOVELOVE the chicken burger!

Are the pack of mini yogurts for kids/babies? I def have to pick some up!

printing things off as everyone replies! thanks so much. :D

[SnuggleBuggles]

They don't say baby on the package anywhere. :)

Beth

[MelissaTC]

Also love the balela salad- chick peas, black beans, onions, tomatoes, olive oil, vinegar, hot pepper, garlic....YUM!!!

[vludmilla]

I love TJ's too. I am getting ideas for new things as people post.
Here are some things we get that others haven't mentioned:

The petite frozen peas (not the organic ones). They are the best frozen peas I have ever eaten in my life, almost as good as fresh.
Sea salt bagel chips (and I don't usually like bagel chips)
Sesame flat bread thins
Organic romaine hearts (3-pk) best price of any store near me
Organic orange juice
Organic flaxseed oil caplets and liquid form
Whole grain English muffins
Yogi tea-Superantioxidant variety
Naan bread (in the frozen food section--almost as good as good naan from an Indian restaurant)
All of the Indian masala and curry sauces--they make a very yummy and quick meal
Organic cold pressed olive oil
Frozen sweet white corn (also the best frozen corn that I've ever had)
Organic frozen succatash
Some of the organic cereals
Steel cut oatmeal (in the cold weather seasons)
French lentils (already cooked and in the produce section--I get these once in a while to make a quick meal)
Some of their Italian sodas and mineral waters--a yummy treat for me.
The raw walnuts and almonds (raw nuts retain the nutrients better and they are tasty with ice cream, in cookies, and cereals...)

[vludmilla]

Oh, I also like to get the TJ's brand castile soap and sometimes the Avalon Organics shampoo and conditioner.

[SnuggleBuggles]

Canned bean salad is a great, quick side dish.

Beth

[pastrygirl]

I recently discovered their Indian food. You boil the pouch in water for 5 minutes. YUM. Goes great with their frozen naan (another favorite).

I've always loved the Peach Salsa. One jar = 1 serving! :love-retry:

[elektra]

Another TJ's Indian fare fan here too. I did the Korma simmer sauce on chicken in the crock pot last week along with the frozen naan, basmati rice and the boil-in-bag sides. Yum!
I also like the Mini meatballs in the frozen section.
My SIL and I used to be addicted to the Jo Jo's too. I've cut back a bit though.
The YoBaby is cheaper there than the regular supermarket too.

[icunurse]

I love peanut butter and there is just something SO good about their Organic chunky peanut butter. I could eat the whole jar :)

Toasted flax seed - nutty taste, so I throw it into salads, etc

Frozen lamb roast. Preseasoned just right. Cooks up fast, too. My parents have me buy them and bring them to their house, they love it so much.

Blueberry Heart Healthy oatmeal. Lots of fiber and plant sterols, but *really* good, too.

DH and DS like the Druid Circle cookies (oatmeal raisen). I also like their pretzel bread.

[Tondi G]

My most recent fav is the mini Savory rice crackers that are multi seed (flax seed and black sesame seeds) with soy sauce... they come in a bag. My kids love them too!

my kids LOVE the banana chocolate chip muffins... they are fattening but yummy!!!

we were there recently and they were sampling a chicken sausage polenta lasagna (think polenta instead of noodles) and it was really good. My 7 year old begged me to buy some!

my mom swares by Charles Shaw... 2 buck chuck wine!

[jhrabosk]

I don't go often, but here are a few faves for us:

Dark chocolate pretzels (nice little treat!)
tub of ginger snap cookies
frozen fruit (they have a nice assortment...we use it to make smoothies)
honey whole wheat pretzels
fruit leather ends (they put all their assorted leftovers into a bag!)
string cheese (SO much cheaper and more per pack)

[WatchingThemGrow]

I can't believe no one has mentioned my faves yet...

Greek yogurt to make gyros
frozen mango chunks
chocolate truffles
vodka sauce for pasta
Italian pane to go with soups

[pastrygirl]

I almost forgot! I love the TJ sunflower butter, for those of you that need a good peanut butter alternative. It separates less than other brands I've tried, and takes very little stirring when you first open it. :)

[kimberley-k]

Their white whole wheat bread is perfect for making French Toast.
The frozen dark sweet cherries make a fantastic smoothie!
The frozen sticky pecan buns are amazing.
I like the Kashi Good Friends Cinna-Raisin Crunch Cereal, and find it cheapest at TJ's.
Individual serving organic applesauce
Individual serving Annie's organic mac-n-cheese
DS loves their hummus and pita chips (I like that the chips are only a half layer of pita - not too hard to bite)

-Kim

[erosenst]

A few that no one else has mentioned:

*Organic ketchup - no HFCS
* TJ's fat free balsamic
* TJ's Sesame Soy dressing (makes a great marinade for fish and chicken)
* TJ's lowfat yogurt - no artificial sweeteners in it. Abby loves it.
* Arugula. $2.19 for 5 oz; other stores have it for $3.99 for the same amount.
* Caponata - eggplant dip. Great on bread or crackers.

And the sea salt bagel chips were a relatively recent find for me. I love them!

Emily

[niccig]

Everything. Seriously, I do most of my grocery shopping at TJ's. I get all the staples much cheaper there: bread, eggs, milk, yoghurt, cheese, cereal, pasta, pasta sauce, crackers, chips etc.

Some things we particularly like:'
Dried Strawberries - DS can eat an entire packet if I let him.
Prik King Stir Fry Mix frozen section, has beans and sauce packets, you add chicken and red pepper strips
Frozen vegies of yellow beans, grean beans and carrots
Froze rice mix of Nasi Goreng or Biriyani - I serve a side or add chicken for a complete meal
Caribbean Fruit Floes - frozen ice popsicle- sooo yummy
0% fat Greek Yoghurt - really creamy despite non-fat milk used.

[mamaoftwins]

I just read this post b/c I have only been to TJ's a handful of times in college, and man, it sounds like they have a ton of great stuff now!! Wow. I'm adding it to my to-do list for me and the boys for tomorrow!

[infocrazy]

Chocolate croissants...seriously good. In the freezer section. Thaw overnight and bake in the morning. OMG.

My niece is in love with the lemon bars. We haven't tried them yet...but we will!

[wencit]

Frozen mochi ice cream desserts (I could eat the whole box in one sitting -- and have :o )
Frozen macaroni and cheese (total indulgence, but oh so good!)
Frozen "really expensive authentic handcrafted chicken burritos" (yes, that is the name; I checked my freezer just now)
Frozen quiches
Frozen ham & cheese tartlets
Frozen mushroom turnovers
Frozen chicken/pasta/veggie stir fry (yummy and low-fat, too!)
Frozen potstickers, both chicken & pork varieties are good
Morningstar Farms veggie sausage patties

Yes, my freezer is stocked for the next decade. :hysterical:

[calv]

ya'll rock! thanks so much for the great tips/replies. I spent $180 and um, got way too much junk/yummy food.

Keep em' coming. :D

[Drag0nflygirl]

I can't believe no one has mentioned the choc. covered peanut butter pretzels! They're above the frozen section with all the cookies and they are just evil. Also the frozen breaded chicken tenderloins are awsome. DD gets those for dinner when I just can't cook. As a treat for her we sometimes get the soy corndogs. I think they're gross but she loves them.

[SnuggleBuggles]

I forgot about their frozen mac& cheese. It is so good. Just check the serving size/ nutritional info first if you are on a diet!

I wish dh weren't out with the car. I want to go there *now!*

Beth

[vludmilla]

I went to TJ's today equipped with new things to buy! I spent almost $40 on completely unnecessary but yummy new things. I already loved TJ's but now I love it even more.

One more thing, I noticed that they were stocking the hazelnut chocolate spread...it is so yummy! It is better than Nutella because there is no HFCS or hydrogenated oils, it has just as many calories as Nutella but the taste is a bit better and the "nutrition" is a bit better too. I stocked up because I haven't seen it there in almost a year.

[writermama]

I love, love the Tuscan White Bean Hummus (sun-dried tomatoes) and the White Bean and Basil Hummus (pesto) -- I spread it on a Handmade Whole Wheat Tortilla and top it with some fresh sprouts for extra crunch (I grow my own sprouts, but everything else comes from TJs.

For the kids, I'm liking the freeze dried banana and freeze dried mango in a foil bag (easier to tote around than just tomatoes tubs). Just be warned, there is a dessicant packet in each bag, so always check carefully what is getting to the kids.

In the indulgence department, I am loving the new dark chocolate Concerto Batons -- basically thick sticks of dark chocolate that are oh-so-satisfying to bite into. They're kind of like two and a half 100 calorie bars stacked, but a little creamier.

And then, as always, the dark chocolate covered dried cherries.

On my wishlist, I wish that TJs would make a simple cupcake mix (hint, hint). It doesn't have to be organic, but I'd just love a simple to make box of pre-measured dry ingredients that doesn't contain hydrogenated oils or high-fructose corn syrup, or a list of things that I don't want to give the kids. That and perhaps a real buttercream frosting (frozen maybe?) would make taking birthday cupcakes to school so much easier.

[ilfaith]

Oh I am so jealous of all of you people who live near a Trader Joe's. We don't have them in Florida. (But Jacksonville is finally getting a Whole Foods this fall.)

Whenever DH travels on business to a place with TJs he brings stuff back. He was in Milwaukee a lot recently and always came home with a tub of the pistachio dark chocolate butter toffee for me.

I guess TJs is something I can look forward to if we end up moving to the Philadelphia area.

[gobadgers]

Wow, this list is making me so hungry! Some of my favorite things from TJ's haven't been mentioned yet:

- soups in a box - I especially love the Roasted Red Pepper/Tomato. I love having these for lunch, even in the summer
- Olive Tapenade (by the jarred olives, I think) - this spread is so tasty on a sandwich with hummus, or as an appetizer with crackers
- Jarred salsas, by the tortilla chips - We are serious about Mexican food in our house and love TJ's salsas. My husband likes the habanero one, I like the one with jicama in it, but their Salsa Authentica is the one we have most often, it's unbelievably inexpensive and fantastic. I only get to TJ's every couple months, so I buy a few jars every time.
- Refrigerated whole wheat pizza dough - it feels like cheating. It tastes so much better than a frozen pizza and is probably a little healthier, and comes together almost as quickly.
- Seedy Currant Cookies - they're less than healthy, but yummy and addictive!

I'm going to have to go there tomorrow...

[gobadgers]

(Whoops, a double post!)