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Twenty of My Favorite Trader Joe’s finds

My Favorite Trader Joe's Finds and a free shopping printable

So if you’ve been following for awhile, you know that I am a huge fan of Trader Joe’s. I first became a fan when I was in college living in Boston and I could get a bottle of wine for $2. (I wish my local store sold the 2 Buck Chuck). As I’ve grown into an adult, I love the whole shopping experience there – from the minute you walk through the door being wooed with flowers, free samples, and their variety of seasonal items. I typically hit up my local TJ’s every other week to stock up on my favorites.

Below I am sharing 20 of my favorite Trader Joe’s finds. And be sure to scroll to the bottom and print out my shopping list that I’ve provided for you!

20 of My favorite Trader Joe’s finds

1.) Mandarin Orange Chicken – turns out, this is the most popular item at Trader Joe’s. I love it for an easy weeknight meal.

2.) Vegetable fried riced – I pair this with the mandarin orange chicken and some steamed broccoli for a healthier version of Chinese takeout and a quick weeknight meal.

3.) Cauliflower gnocchi – another favorite for an easy weeknight meal. I saute this with some butter and throw in their chicken apple sausage for some protein.

4.) Chicken apple sausage – love this in the cauliflower gnocchi. My son also loves to wrap them wrapped in crescent roll dough for lunch.

5.) Everything but the bagel seasoning – I recently just bought this for the time as I’ve been craving bagels with this pregnancy. For a healthier option that still curbs your bagel hankering, slice some cucumbers, top with cream cheese and sprinkle some EBTB seasoning! I also hear it’s great on avocado toast.

6.) Dark chocolate peanut butter cups – ummmm chocolate and peanut butter need I say more? I don’t buy these every time I go, but

7.) Spinach artichoke dip – I love having this in the house for anybody that stops in and I can serve it quick with some tortilla chips. I also like to spread it over chicken and bake in the oven for a yummy spinach artichoke chicken bake.

8.) Riced cauliflower – Whenever I’m trying to cut back on my carbs, we do riced cauliflower a few times a week. My favorite way to eat it is in a burrito bowl topped with a protein, cheese, salsa and guac. I love the fresh version in the produce section but they also have it frozen too!

9.) Zucchini noodles – Another favorite carb free subsitute, we do zucchini noodles at least once a week served with marinara and turkey meatballs.

10.) Turkey meatballs – We usually make our own, but I love to have these in the house in case I forget to take the ground turkey out of the freezer 🙂

11.) Vegan kale cashew & basil pesto – What I love about the T.J.’s version is that it’s not oily compared to other pestos. I love to top it on their cauliflower pizza crust or sautee into some of their pasta and add some fresh veggies.

12.) Baby spinach salad – baby spinach, cranberries, pecans, blue cheese and raspberry vinegarette ready to serve. I top it with their grilled chicken for an easy lunch to take to work.

13.) Grilled chicken – this is so convenient. I love to have this in the house to make salads for work. I get about 3-4 salads out of it.

14.) Reduced guilt chunky guacamole – I never met a guac I didn’t like, but I love this one especially made with greek yogurt.

15.) Roasted plaintain chips – these are a huge family favorite in our house for when you want something crunchy.

16.) Joe Joe’s – These are Maxwell’s fave! He even named his Elf on the Shelf Joe Joe. When we pick up a box, it never fails, he has to open them and snack on some while we shop.

17.) Mini hold the cone – these are perfectly portioned little ice cream cones when you want a sweet treat but not over-do it. And they’re perfect for my toddler.

18.) Rosewater facial spray toner – I find this to be pretty comparable to other well known brands. I love to apply it as soon as I get out of the shower before I apply my moisturizer.

19.) Tea tree shampoo and conditioner – Made with peppermint, tea tree and eucalyptus, this smells amazing and it gives your scalp a nice refreshing tingle too!

20.) Flowers – I love their fresh flower selection! My favorites are their eucalyptus and hydrangeas but I also love their other seasonal blooms they have throughout the year. I also love their smaller potted plants like their succulents and lavender. They make perfect little hostess gifts.

What are some of your favorites?

Click here to download my free Trader Joe’s Shopping List printable

April 11, 2019 By Nicolle

2 In food/ Recipes

2 tried and true recipes to get your family to eat more plants

This post is sponsored by Barilla but the content and opinions expressed here are my own.

Anyone who knows me knows that carbs are my love language! Give me a nice warm bowl of pasta and I am one happy girl. However, what I don’t love is the way carbs make me feel tired and pack on those pounds. I recently discovered Barilla’s new chickpea pasta and suddenly I don’t feel so bad about eating all that pasta. Made with one ingredient, (chick peas), it’s a nice low-carb pasta alternative and offers up some plant-based protein too. Plus, it’s a great way to sneak those veggies in for your kids.

Here are two easy recipes your whole family (including the picky little ones) will be sure to love.

Pesto pasta with peppers, artichokes and pine nuts

Ingredients:

1 box of Barilla chickpea rotini pasta
Extra virgin olive oil
2 tsps of chopped garlic
2 peppers diced
1 can of artichoke hearts
2 tbsps of pine nuts
4 tbsps of basil pesto

Directions:

Bring a pot of water to a boil
Add 1 box of Barilla chickpea rotini pasta
While the pasta is cooking, in a saucepan, warm some EVOO over medium heat
When the EVOO and pan is warm, add 2 tsps of chopped garlic and lightly brown.
Once the garlic is brown, add the peppers and artichoke hearts to the pan and lightly roast on both sides then reduce heat.
When the pasta is al dente (about 7-8 minutes), drain in a colander.
In a large bowl, mix together pasta, roasted garlic, peppers, artichokes and pine nuts. Stir in basil pesto. (I used about 4 tbsps but you can use as much or as little as you want to taste).
Optional: Add some fresh grated cheese (I love parmesan) and some chopped parsley.

Lemon oregano rotini

Ingredients:

1 box Barilla chickpea rotini pasta
Extra virgin olive oil
cherry tomatoes diced
1 large cucumber diced
juice of 2 lemons
chopped oregano (about 2 1tbsp)
salt and pepper

Directions:

Bring a pot of water to a boil.
Add 1 box of Barilla chickpea pasta.
Cook pasta until al dente (about 7-8 minutes).
Drain pasta in a colander.
While the pasta is cooking, dice up the cherry tomatoes (about 1 cup) and cucumber.
In a separate small bowl, take the juice of 2 lemons and mix with about 2 tbsps of EVOO. Add some chopped oregano, salt and pepper, stirring together.
In a large bowl, mix together pasta, tomatoes and cucumbers. Add the lemon juice/EVOO mixture, combine well.
Optional: top with some chopped oregano, grate lemon peel and shredded mozzerella cheese.

What are some ways you get your family to eat more veggies?

Click here to buy some Chickpea pasta for your family

January 31, 2019 By Nicolle

3 In food/ kids/ Recipes

5 minute Snow Ice Cream

When life gives you snow you make ice cream right? It’s a nice way to treat yourself after breaking a sweat struggling to stuff your kids into their snowpants and jackets and arguing with them why they need a hat and gloves. All that work only for them to run outside and play for 5 minutes, you deserve something sweet. And I suppose the little ones like it too!

Using only 4 ingredients that you probably already have in your kitchen, this is the easiest recipe to make your own snow ice cream.

Ingredients:

Fresh snow (I used about 6 cups)
1/3 cup Granulated sugar
1 cup Milk
dash of Salt
1 tsp Vanilla extract

Directions:

In a large mixing bowl, whisk together all of your non-snow ingredients. Throw in the fridge while you go gather your snow.

Next, go outside and fill a large mixing bowl with snow. Your kids can help you with this part.

Bring your snow inside and immediately stir into your mixture you made earlier. Keep adding more snow until you get a scoopable ice cream consistency. I used about 6 cups. (You may need more snow depending on how light it is)

Scoop into dishes to serve or store in an air-tight container in your freezer for later. We prefer ours with sprinkles and in our PJs!

January 20, 2019 By Nicolle

1 In Christmas/ DIY/ food

Homemade Irish Cream Recipe

This homemade Irish cream is a favorite among family and friends! It tastes really yummy, makes you feel all warm and toasty inside and makes great homemade gifts.

I make this homemade Irish cream every year. It’s something I look forward to every holiday season and my family and friends do too! In just under 5 minutes you can have your own homemade Irish cream to drink on its own or add a splash to your coffee. Plus, add a cute ribbon and you have your own homemade hostess gift

Ingredients:

1 cup heavy cream
1 1/2 cups of whiskey
14 oz of sweetened condensed milk
1/4 cup chocolate syrup
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon almond extract (optional – you can also use coconut extract instead, either way both are delish!)

Directions:

Pour all ingredients into a mixing bowl.
Using an immersion blender, mix together all ingredients for about 30 seconds. (You can also blend together in a blender). Just be careful not to overmix so as not to whip the cream.
Pour into a glass bottle or mason jar. Keep refrigerated.