Trader Joe’s $163.66
I was able to do a Trader Joe’s stock up trip and so there were lots of easy and tasty meals this past week.
I love Trader Joe’s. Have I mentioned that before? The small stores, friendly staff and the package sizes are perfect for this stage in our lives. And they have plants too!
I have zero need to walk past aisles of cereal when 10 choices are fine. No more giant bakeries, or meat sections or produce sections filled with subpar produce.
Just give me good quality basics and I’m good. In and out in 15 minutes every 3-4 weeks. What more could I ask for?
Did I mention I’m on quick and easy meal mode these days? I’m trying to stay focused and get my rug hooking inventory to the level I need it to be, so I’m on grab and reheat mode until mid to late march.
After that, I suspect I’ll be back to trying new recipes and working outside again. Variety is good! Or that’s what they say at least. I’m just trying to be pragmatic about all the things I hope to accomplish this year. And sticking to a plan is the easiest way to do that.
After I loaded up at Trader Joe’s, I popped by Costco to pick up some rotisserie chickens and bananas. But after grabbing what I needed, I stopped by the deli and the chickens were still in the roaster.
I asked HOW MUCH LONGER and the chicken guy said it would be another 20 minutes or so until they were ready and well… You know, places to go, things to do, people to see… So I left without them. I figured it was better to leave than wander around Costco for another 20-25 minutes and come home with stuff I really didn’t need.
Fact: Costco rotisserie chickens are $4.99 each. Costco chickens you have to cook yourself are $18.70 for a 2 pack. Simple math: The rotisserie chickens are a much better deal!!!
Costco $55.72
I think I like shopping at Trader Joe’s better. 🙂
Chicken skewers with a little pineapple sauce.
Big chicken salad with Trader Joe’s Green Goddess dressing. Fantastic!!! I would buy that dressing again. {Or make it myself when I’m back on cooking from scratch/recipe mode.}
I ended up having 3 big salads last week. All of them were fantastic!
Chicken burrito, spicy rice with all the extra bits.
Tuna and tomatoes. Boring, yes. But satisfying.
And remember a few weeks ago when someone mentioned the Oakhurst sour cream? HOLY COW MAN… It’s worth the extra few cents to your grocery bill. The HH said he could taste the quality difference and would seek it out from now on.
Thanks for the tip!!!
It was an expensive week. But I was able to stock the fridge, freezer and pantry again so that’s the main thing.
I’ll have the HH pop into a store for another round of milk and bananas in a couple of weeks, but other than that, I think we’ll be good until the end of the month if I use up what we bought along with what’s in our pantry/freezer. With a bit of beans and rice thrown in of course too. 😉
Trader Joe’s. I’m hooked!
What’s new on YOUR dinner plate these days? Have you found any new products from the grocery store you’re in love with lately? Do tell.
~Mavis
Total Spent This Past Week on Groceries $219.38
- Total Spent in February $219.38
- Total Spent in January $167.55
Tracy says
I am fortunate to have a Trader Joe’s in my town. Their dried fruit section can’t be beat.
Erin says
I’m so glad you enjoyed the sour cream – I just went to 2 stores looking for it again because my local was out. Gotta have it for nachos this week!
Dawn says
I love Trader Joe’s but there isn’t one convenient to me anymore. I ight have to make a special trip soon though. That haul looks good and my bestie just tried their Birria and said it was fantastic.
Connie says
My nearest trader joes is 5 hours away where daughter lives. Love their quality and ingredients. Have to look at every little item. Hard to get frozen home even with cooler. I watch hauls to see what’s new.
You can get just the rotisserie chicken picked off bone in a bag at Costco.
We are retired and I am all about easy these days. Love all your meal ideas.
Suzanne Shaw says
We have a Trader Joe’s about 20 minutes from home, but I can never get near the place! Only time I can conveniently go is on the weekends, and this area has 5 colleges around it in Western Mass. Can’t get a parking spot / it’s always a zoo!
Annette says
Look for TJ green goddess seasoning blend. Great on avocado toast or cottage cheese toast.
Mavis Butterfield says
What is that next to in the store, do you remember?
Laura says
Spice section (former TJ employee here). My current favorite easy and delicious TJ’s go to meal is two cartons of roasted red pepper soup blended with one package chimichurri rice (in the frozen section). Cook the rice, add to soup, and voila! Easy and satisfying. Add shredded chicken, shrimp, andouille or other spicy sausage, okars, etc. The possibilities are endless (and delicious)!
Mavis Butterfield says
Love the chimichurri rice. I think I’ll try that combo! Thanks Laura.
Teri says
Is that the chimichurri rice next to your chicken burrito? It looks delish!
Mavis Butterfield says
Yes!
Peg says
Ugh. No Trader Joe’s here, nearest one is 50ish miles away and might as well be on Pluto. However, it was just announced last week that we’re getting a Sprouts! We have a Natural Grocers but we need more variety of those kinds of stores. I have a Sam’s membership because of personal care supplies my mom needs at assisted living. I was last there right before July 4th to buy their 4.99 rotisserie chicken. Sam’s is too big for me. Rumor has it we may be getting a Costco. But it’s too big for me too. As empty nesters in a small house we don’t have the room to store large quantities. I just shop sales elsewhere.
Annette says
Peg,
You will like Sprouts. Their produce selection is lovely. Nice butcher shop too. Their sale dates overlap, instead of just running for a week.
Rosemary says
Did you know that when the rotisserie chickens are done, they sound a bell and have the red light on? So, if you wanted to hang around (go have a goodie at their cafe) you would hear the bell when they are ready.
Claudia says
Can anyone tell me what’s on the asparagus risotto?
Sarah says
it’s the sauce. It comes frozen and you just heat it up-it’s sooo good
Sbk says
I live 10 minutes from 2 Trader Joe’s and a Costco AND my sister works at Trader Joe’s… but I still prefer Market Basket. It’s straightforward and consistent and has everything we need. Time is precious and limited for me right now, so I like the simplicity of shopping one place every two weeks.
Angel says
We hit Trader Joe’s maybe 4 times a year…it’s about 2 hours away so when we go we stock up too….and we grab 4 rotisserie chickens every 3 months at sams…we don’t have a Costco….
Anissa says
Did you make or buy the pineapple sauce?
Would love to try!
I searched and only saw a reference when you had chicken meatballs a few weeks back.
Thank you!
Mavis Butterfield says
Kiln Guy gifted us some at Christmas time. 🙂 I’ll see if I can get his recipe.
Anissa says
Thank you!! It looks like a great addition. We love sauces on our house.
Cheryl says
I wish I could buy some of those meals from Trader Joe. My husband has a food allergy and most convenience food have citric acid in them. He can’t even eat the rotisserie chicken at Sam’s club but thank goodness from costco.
Marie says
We too struggle with additives in foods due to allergies. After many, many years of always cooking from scratch I started to purchase a few of these frozen meals just for me. I will bake a chicken that will feed everyone with no additives, dairy, salt or soy. I then share my personal treat from TJ’s with the non-allergic members so we all have a tempting meals in rotation. Honestly, I can only handle these meals once in awhile as they really are very high in sodium, Check those labels!
Beth says
Your meals look delish! I do shop at Trader Joe’s frequently- the multigrain rice that microwaves in 3 minutes is a wonderful side dish for us and right sized as well. I know I can cook rice for less money but for now it works for us. Tonight’s dinner is chicken enchiladas with green sauce (using canned sauce and leftover Costco rotisserie chicken) and refried beans- it will last us a couple of dinners and at this point I value not cooking every night.
When I was at Trader Joe’s this weekend they had a peanut satay sauce that would be delicious with those chicken skewers you did this week.
Lana says
We passed TJ’s on the way home from our lake house on Sunday. I asked Hubby if he wanted to stop and we both started laughing. We hate TJ’s. So crowded and we can’t ever find a thing we would buy. Just us I guess. We like Lidl which is another German grocer.
Terry McA says
We ate some of the freezer meals this week, it was nice not having to cook after working 70 hours plus doing school work. I did go to a nearby Brakebush Chicken outlet, picked up 10 lbs of southern breaded chicken breast chunks for $15, and 10 lbs of oven roasted chicken wings for $16. These both go in the oven for 20 minutes and done.
There is a Trader Joe’s an hour and a half away, in Madison WI. My brother has to go there on the 1st for surgery, so I think I will make the time to swing by and find what I find.
This Sunday is the superbowl, so we will be having chicken wings, baked mozzarella sticks, and cheesy bacon cheeseburger dip with veggies. Other than that, we’ll have blackened salmon, chicken bacon ranch casserole, and crustless pizza.
Have a great week!
Mavis Butterfield says
So much food for the game!! The HH would love all of it.