I’m convinced that my Trader Joe’s on Redwood Blvd. in Novato is the best Trader Joe’s in all the land, and I say “my” like I own the place or something, LOL! I don’t own it (I wish), but I might as well be the mayor because I’m there practically daily.
In case you were wondering…they still have that excellent Shea Butter & Coconut Oil Hair Mask in stock (in case you were wondering), and if you haven’t tried it yet, ya need to get on that, sister! It’s worth a trip to TJ’s all by itself.
But since you’ll be there anyway, the Coconut Body Butter is also epic. 🙂
While you’re at it, toss a few of these into your cart…
I never leave the store without getting at least a couple of these frozen Reduced Guilt Spinach & Cheese Stuffed Shells. They’re 270 calories, with 33 grams of carbs and 20 grams (!) of protein, which is more protein than three eggs! Since the last thing I want to do at 7:30 at night when I get home from the gym is make something from scratch, these are great for quickie post-workout meals.
NOW THIS IS THE STUFF —->
When I get a hankerin’ for crab, which happens fairly often because I love crab, a box of this is where it’s at.
It’s cheaper and easier than buying and prepping whole crab from Costco, because sometimes I don’t want to wrestle with the shells. I love it on top of TJ’s pre-made Grass Fed Beef Sirloin Roast. Just add some veggies on the side, and there’s a delicious dinner on the table in less than 20 minutes!
Which brings us to dessert…
Can you say no to chocolate and caramel?!
I can’t.
And speaking of sweet things, I love these Butter Almond Thins, but I rarely buy them because I can finish an entire box in one sitting.
Super good, though!
And when when I’m in the mood for a savory snack instead, I’ll eat a handful of these Plantain Chips with bean dip…
El Hub, on the other hand, is obsessed with these tiny vanilla ice cream cones, which also come in mint and chocolate.
I’m partial to these Raspberry Vanilla Ice Cream Bars myself…
They also come in Mango, but Raspberry is my fave.
In terms of actually preparing food, instead of buying it in boxes and bags, TJ’s has some pretty good deals on spices and cooking and baking staples, like this huge bottle of Pure Vanilla Extract, which is about the same price as the largest bottle at Target, but it’s twice the size!
The seasonal beverages at TJ’s are bomb, too.
I’m all about this Peach Bellini!
What are some of your current faves at Trader Joe’s (beauty and otherwise)?
Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,
Karen
Man, I am also all about that TJ’s life.
1. Grapefruit Body Scrub, bring it back pls.
2. That hair mask is awesome for the price!
3. Seasonal Candle Tins! YAAAASSSSS!
4. Small lot coffee. It’s very fun. The Brazil one was my fave. I hope they have it again this year.
5. Barolo Spaghetti sauce, it’s the only jarred sauce I won’t add things to.
6. Cauliflower Gnocchi!
7. Wheat free dog bones for fresh breath, my dogs love these.
8. Cat scratch boxes. My cat loved them more than any other brand.
9. After sun care cream, smells just like Jasmine Green Tea and works totally awesome.
10. That rose facial spray! SOOOO GOOD.
Also the mango body butter is the best. Honestly, there is very little about TJ’s I don’t like.
Omg I need those raspberry vanilla bars ASAP! And the hair mask too!
My current fav TJ products are –
1) Masala Veggie Burger
2) Cowboy Caviar Salsa (pretty new to me, came recommended by a friend)
3) All their salads
Hi Pav,
If you haven’t tried it yet, you’ve gotta get your hands on their Everything But the Bagel seasoning. SO GOOD on eggs, salads, everything!
LOVE Trader Joe’s.
A few faves-
1. The best appetizer/dinner: pre-cooked lentils (in the fridge section) with bruschetta and feta mixed in. Eat alone or eat with chips or crackers. YUM.
2. Just tried the Scandinavian Swimmers and definitely can’t keep those in the house because they will disappear instantly.
3. Dark chocolate PB cups
4. Any and all cheeses
5. Their frozen pork gyoza- easy and delicious. Serve with the frozen cauli fried rice (or regular frozen fried rice) on the side for a quick dinner.
6. Corn tortillas. Simple ingredient list and delicious.
I love reading what other people buy!
Trader Joe’s is my jam!
I love:
Hatch chile mac and cheese
The frozen macarons
Chocolate croissants(frozen)
Spatchcock Chicken is LIFE
Chicken Tikka Masala
Roasted Gorgonzola crackers
Cinnamon graham crackers
Tarte Alsace
Hi Amy,
So I bought the spatchcook chicken once and I really messed it up. How do you typically cook yours?
Hi Hilary,
Have you tried the Green Goddess salad dressing yet? It’s SO GOOD!
I am dying to try that dressing since I’ve read so many positive reviews! I’m currently munching on some of their dark chocolate pretzels and they’re delightful!
1 I love the hair mask
2 I always pick up burrata cheese to make the best caprese salad ever
3 If I’m feeling snacky or have a party to go to the olive tapenade, the roasted red pepper hummus and the whole grain pita chips are awesome
4 I keep a jar of the basil pesto on hand as well
5 we typically keep a pack of the chicken Chile verde frozen burritos in the freezer in case of a dinner emergency ?
6 When they have the Kringle from O and H I always pick that up too
7 I also love the almond windmill cookies. I’ll have to try the thins
Hi Megan,
If you ever see the rose hand cream you must get a tube!
I love those tiny cones! Vanilla, chocolate, mint—yum! The mango, not so much. I’d love for TJ to come out with a strawberry cone. There are so many good things to be found at TJ’s. I always have refrigerated tapenade and fresh bruschetta sauce in the frig. As for my husband, he loves TJ’s raisin cinnamon bread lightly toasted for breakfast. It makes the kitchen and breakfast room smell heavenly. The only thing better than many of the products, is the staff. We have a great “crew” at our local TJ’s. Wonderful people!
Hi Eileen,
Did you try the peppermint candy cane cones over the holidays? That one was my favorite. 🙂
Oh, yes! I couldn’t go to TJ’s without picking up a box. I hope they have it back next year—along with peppermint Jo Jos ?
I have two cones of the peppermint left in my freezer! I should really eat them soon before they go bad, LOL!
The pumpkin cones this past fall were SO good! I hope they bring them back! I bought backups, but now they’re all gone 🙁
I never got to try those! For some reason the thought of pumpkin ice cream freaked me out. lol
The scallops with mushrooms which happen to be next to the frozen crab is off the chain. Addiction at it’s finest.
Wow, Cathy! That looks decadent! YUM!
Like you, I too live in TJ 😀 Everything there is so so good, aint it? Best thing I like they are all relatively healthy with good macros ratio !
Things I always have in stock:
1: Frozen Paneer butter masala and chana masala.. their garlic Naan in bread section is also awesome
2: Chicken soup dumplings and regular Chicken gyoza dumplings
3: Hazelnut dark chocolate bar is heavenly!! so much whole nuts in there.
4: Thai Veggie Burger patties so good!
5:Frozen Organic Chicken breast ..also packaged grilled seasoned chicken breast for quick meals.
6: Tomato Basil Marinara sauce
7: Frozen Macaroons
8: Mushroom Truffle Pizza-divine!
9: Their frozen mini Tacos and salsas are awesome too!
My teenage son is attempting to live off of their Orange Chicken. It is really good.
Their Mac and Cheese is the bomb. The Pepperoni Pizza Mac and Cheese is mighty fine too.
Other loves are:
Chicken Chile Lime Burgers
Unexpected Cheddar Cheese
Rosemary Marona Almonds
Peach Bellini
Mini Tacos
1. That Peach Bellini is the best – I am going back to TJs just for that!
2. O&H Kringle is my favorite and I was so excited when TJs started carrying it.
3. Mango shave cream – amazing. Hub uses it too.
4. Gummies (which you turned me on to a couple years ago).
5. Coffee bbq rub – not in stock yet because it’s not “grilling season” (FYI – I live in Phoenix, it’s ALWAYS grilling season!).
1. Honey Butter potato chips — I always have to pick up a bag (or two) when I’m there. I once ate a whole bag in one day, and I’m not ashamed.
2. Garlic Spread Dip — Not ashamed to have awful breath, either.
3. Frozen macarons
4. Smoked Ghost Chilies with grinder (the ghost pepper potato chips are pretty decent, too, but not as spicy as I would like)
5. The strawberry and blueberry types of Walks into a Fruit Bars
6. Apple and Mango Fruit Bar
7. Mediterranean hummus
8. Beef bibimbop bowl
9. Aloo chat kati pouches
10. Scandinavian Swimmers
Oh my, where to start…Let me just keep it short – the cultured salted butter from Brittany, France is TO DIE FOR. It might be possible that every now and then I just eat little slices of it straight from the block…
Hi Suz,
I don’t think I’ve ever seen that at my TJ’s. I’ll look for it next time I’m there (tomorrow, haha!). Sounds delish!
Ooh, I hope you found it! It’s about the same size as a bar of Kerrygold (8-ish oz) and comes in a blue and yellow wrapper.
Were there any new and irresistible items that jumped into your cart today?
Hey Suz!
I didn’t end up going because we were running late after our morning appointment. I’m going tomorrow and plan to look for the butter! I usually get unsalted because I use it for baking but I’m down to try ANYTHING that would be good with freshly made bread. *drools*
Are you a salad person? Last time I was there I saw a carrot miso dressing, and I think I’m going to toss it in my cart this time. I tried the Green Goddess last time and it’s so yummy!
Greenery is good! I usually whip up my own dressing for salads (blue cheese is my fave, or just a simple oil/vinegar/shallot/dijon/herb mixture), but I did spy that bottle and have been intrigued!
On a not-completely unrelated note, I got to try a nibble of their grapefruit marmalade this morning, and it was lovely! Not too sweet, not bitter… I bet it would be perfect on some buttery toast 🙂
Where to start?
– Their greeting cards
– almond croissants
– The aloe unscented body lotion in the white pump dispenser
– dark chocolate covered marshmallows
– Velvet Moon cab sav
– everything but the bagel seasoning
Ooh I forgot about the frozen almond croissants. I keep those in the freezer on the regular as well.
1) the candles
2) Calming Sleep Formula (must have!!)
3) super acidophilus complex
4) ginger thins
5) raisin rosemary crisps (amazing with Brie!)
6) seasonal candle tins (grapefruit right now is so fresh and yummy)
7) ALL THE CHEESES!!!
Those frozen chocolate bananas! (Seen in your picture next to the raspberry cream bars) So simple, yet so goooooood and perfect in the summer 🙂
I always have the Mango cream bars in my freezer and the Ice Cream Bon Bons (only 60 calories each!). A new fave is the Zhoug sauce – contemplating making a Zhoug hummus. I make my own using TJ’s organic garbanzo beans.
The soup dumplings are a quick lunch or dinner as are the frozen Chile Lime chicken burgers or their frozen turkey burgers. ANY of their chocolate bars; the Fireworks bar is my favorite though.
So many good things! I picked up that hair mask after you blogged about it and love it too. 🙂 For food I love their frozen orange chicken, Scandinavian Swimmers, dark choc PB cups (who am I kidding? All their candy is great!), and the sour cream and onion popcorn is soooo good.
I’ve been slowly switching over a lot of my beauty products to their stuff now that I’m a stay at home mom, and don’t feel like I’m budgeting, they’ve upped their game so much the last 10 years. I’m a big fan of their enriched intensive face moisturizer, extra dry body cream, sugar scrub, argan oil (you’ll never find a better price), and on my last trip I picked up the hyaluronic serum and LOVE it. Totally boosts the effectiveness of my day and night creams, which is especially awesome since my skin is drier postpartum. 🙂
Thanks for the heads up on the body cream and the hyaluronic serum! I’m gonna grab both today (hopefully, if they have it on the shelf).
Yay, let me know what you think! I mix a few drops of their argan oil with the body cream and it makes my skin so happy. 🙂
gosh everything you pictured and everything in the comments sound so damn good!!! bring it to my country too please, please!!!
We don´t have Trader Joes in Germany, but I would buy everything you showed here in a heartbeat.
Things not mentioned:
Chicken potstickers
Tea Tree Tingle Shampoo and Conditioner (the conditioner is a great co-wash)
Canadian White bread
3-pack milk chocolate bars (great price for Swiss chocolate)
Just turned 60 and got the BEST b-day present from 2 girlfriends. They know I love TJ’s, so they went to customer service and asked for guidance to the 15-20 best products in the store (all categories) and brought me a HUGE Joe’s shopping bag with skin products (coconut body butter, argan oil, hand cream), chocolate (dipped pretzels, 3-pack of milk chocolate bars, PB cups), snacks (dried mango, gorgonzola crackers, chewy ginger candies) and a bottle of French rose wine. Loved this creative gift!
I have to try those caramels! I have a few favorites from TJ’s, mostly the White Cheddar Corn Puffs, the Roasted Seaweed (both plain and wasabi, amazing snacky food), and the Ginger Mints near the checkout! Oh, I also like the kettle-brewed unsweetened black iced tea in the big jugs. It’s so yummy, actually has that hint of that astringency that I find commercial iced tea often lacks. I like to get it and put it in my reusable water bottle to take with me throughout the day.