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Trader Joe's, 16 Area Locations


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oh, thank you very much for checking for me, it was very kind of you!

the triple ginger choc cookies are good? excellent! i bought a package of those and the choc covered caramellows as the new treats to try this year and am looking forward to them. i do love their seasonal treats like the salted caramel chocolate cookies and peppermint pretzel slims, and every year i try a couple of new ones. (if you havent tried the pumpkin maccarons, and they still have them, you definitely should!)

has anyone tried the chocolate covered shortbread stars? i was tempted, but the last time i bought the shortbread cookies with the dollop of chocolate in the center i was dissapointed in the shortbread.

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I tried the dark chocolate 3x ginger cookies and didn't like them. I don't think even very good dark chocolate is a good pairing with the intense ginger of those cookies.

Now, the sea salt dark choc cashew brittle is to die for!

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has anyone tried the chocolate covered shortbread stars? i was tempted, but the last time i bought the shortbread cookies with the dollop of chocolate in the center i was dissapointed in the shortbread.

Yes, I had them last year, and I have a box of this years, they are pretty good.

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I tried the dark chocolate 3x ginger cookies and didn't like them. I don't think even very good dark chocolate is a good pairing with the intense ginger of those cookies.

I do like the ginger cookies better on their own, but the chocolate covered ones were a nice treat.

Yes, I had them last year, and I have a box of this years, they are pretty good.

I agree about the chocolate covered shortbread cookies - I like them too :)

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I have some good news for frustrated apricot lovers like me, who grew up eating tree-ripened, sweet juicy apricots from California backyard trees. This morning, Trader Joe's was selling "Angelcot" white apricots. I tried one in the store, and the juice was dripping down my arm, so I went back and got a couple more boxes. Very sweet. Flavor could have more depth, but hey, when all you can usually find on the east coast is slightly sour, flannel-textured 'cots these are very special. They'll probably sell out fast, so don't get mad at me if you wait a few days and they are gone.

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Just finished off a package of confetti rice (it's the rice in the frozen section with lemongrass, ginger, small slices of baby corn, etc.). I don't know what it is about this stuff, but I find it totally addictive. Add to that that I haven't eaten rice for about 6 months and this was a real treat. I always used to serve it alongside their beef bulgogi, which takes all of 2 seconds to sear off in a hot hot pan for a super quick dinner.

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It's also pfefferneuse (sp?) season, which makes me very happy.  nothing like not one coating of sugar, but two -- iced layer, then a powdered sugar layer.

the lack of vegetarian meatballs is now starting to settle in, however.  since TJ's announced that they needed to change their supplier about a month ago, i was using my stash sparingly, but have now run out.  i tried to stock up when i heard the news, but was too late. i don't know why a new supplier is needed, but i'm hoping that they find one soon - and that can provide the same product.  they were so good!  a meat eater probably wouldn't confuse them for beef, but were pretty darn close.

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Checked out the 14th Street TJ's yesterday afternoon - the store itself is pretty nice (the aisles seemed a bit wider than the West End store, though it was still crowded and tough to maneuver sometimes), and the staff were great, as always.  The parking is a nightmare - they have a teeny tiny lot underground, which looks to be a small sliver of the Louis apartment parking deck, and it is TIGHT.  Even compact cars were having trouble getting into the spaces, and the turns are really dangerous.  I am not sure the closer-to-me location is worth the anxiety attack.  Great news for folks who live in the neighborhood, though.

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The parking is a nightmare - they have a teeny tiny lot underground, which looks to be a small sliver of the Louis apartment parking deck, and it is TIGHT.  Even compact cars were having trouble getting into the spaces, and the turns are really dangerous.  I am not sure the closer-to-me location is worth the anxiety attack. 

I think it's the corporate policy of the overlords at Aldi that Trader Joe's (Joe's's? Joes?) can only be located in areas with badly-designed parking lots with not enough spaces. I've noticed the same phenomenon with warehouse clubs.

I figure if Trader Joe's ever opened a warehouse club variant, it would have only one parking space...and that would be for a handicapped placarded motorcycle.

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Thanks for your posts guys, I love Honeycrisp apples and will look for SweeTango.  I also am saddened by the loss of the meatless meatballs, I eat meat, but really liked them.  

Just noticed the other day that the meatless meatballs are back!  Assuming the recipe is still the same, It is a happy day in the ozgirl household.

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Just noticed the other day that the meatless meatballs are back!  Assuming the recipe is still the same, It is a happy day in the ozgirl household.

I just picked some up a week or so ago. The brand we used to like was discontinued by both WF and Yes! Gourmet some time ago. These actually compared very favorably to frozen (real) meatballs Dame Edna bought. I hope this is something they will continue to carry.

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Thanks for reminding me I haven't been to TJs in a couple of months, & I need triple ginger cookies, feta dressing, random salsas, TJ hefeweizen, & probably lots of other stuff.

I had to reference this, because it's exactly what I picked up today, plus pumpkin spice coffee & pumpkin body butter (the pumpkin body butter smells so awesome, it makes me want to chew on my arm).

We're doing the 'random' grocery store runs, tomorrow we're going to Aldi & maybe Bestway.

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Avoid the new product; "Pork Rib Bites in BBQ sauce". for $4.99, you get a bag of bones with a tiny bit of meat on them submerged in a candy-sweet BBQ sauce. I really didn't like them, and threw most of it out.

Something else to avoid: Frozen mushroom ravioli with sauce. Not very good. I thought I was just buying the ravioli until it came time to cook it. The sauce is in the form of frozen squares mixed through the bag. I should have stayed with the fresh ones found in the section with the cold cuts and cheeses and make my own sauce.

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70% of the pages in the new flyer have at least one pumpkin product on them.  I'm boycotting. 

I often feel the same in this season of everything pumpkin spice, but, well, even I have to admit their Pumpkin Spice Pumpkin Seeds are yummy!

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i may have gone a little overboard on the holiday stuff yesterday. :unsure:

I haven't tried much yet, but the coconut cupcakes are delicious. i bought them for the inch of ganache on top and was pleasantly surprised by how good the cake itself was. The coconut flavor isn't that strong, so even people who don't like coconut might like these. from the flyer description i thought the salted caramel gelato might have been made by talenti, so we got some. it's good, but not talenti, it has a more milky carmel flavor, and is less salty. Sadly i didn't see any of the awesome peppermint/candy cane truffles from last year and i fear they might not have returned this year. but the ganache pastry ring is back at least.

not holiday but also good--the arugula ravioli actually have that distinct nutty arugula flavor.

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Major Trader Joe's fail:  I made their Israeli couscous for the first time tonight.  The recipe on the box calls for 1 1/3 cup of couscous but the box provides 1 1/2+ of couscous.    Anyone need a futile amount of couscous that will now just take up space in the cabinet?

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For the past month I have been buying a very good Gruner Veltliner from Hungary at TJ's. $5.99. Can't beat it.

Thanks!

Mr. lovehockey's dad, a Pinot Grigio lover, adores the Contadino Vivace Pinot Grigio from TJ's.  I introduced him to it.  It's bubbly, and not to be confused with the regular Contadino Pinot Grigio (he liked that too).

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We threw a very impromptu party the other day, and I have been super busy so I was pretty happy that I did a run to Trader Joes and had some interesting things in the fridge/freezer.  We have made the frozen mandarin chicken (like orange chicken I think) and liked it.  I put both turkey and beef meatballs into a crock pot with bbq sauce and hubby loved them and our friends devoured them.  I also had the parmesan-gouda cheese and that was a great cheese too.  I didn't see the spinach kale balls at the Alexandria location.  I picked up a couple other frozen meals that looked good that we will likely make here soon. A lot of their single serving frozen meals taste better than your average lean cuisine etc, but I checked the calories and some of the are a few more calories than I normally do at lunch.

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Do you guys have the newish purple-packaged naan on the East Coast? Out in California it's a paneer masala flavor and I eat it as a snack all the time (toaster oven, baby!). I think it showed up about a year ago? We now get all three flavors of naan whenever we hit a TJ's (heh, if they are all available) - plain for eating with curries, garlic-flavored as the base for making emergency pizzas (also in the toaster oven), and these new ones for anytime. Sometimes we get weird looks but we really like their naan  ;)

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 A lot of their single serving frozen meals taste better than your average lean cuisine etc, but I checked the calories and some of the are a few more calories than I normally do at lunch.

if you're watching calories, don't get the Balti Pies. I looked at the label and each of the two "pies" is something like 690 calories each!!!

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