What I Bought: Trader Joe’s II

• Tomato Basil Marinara Sauce~ I use it primarily for my favorite meat sauce, or on top of meatballs & spinach for a quick dinner.
• Old Fashioned Organic Oats~ Not Paleo, but oats are gluten-free, and a good breakfast (or dessert) option mixed with coconut milk & frozen berries.
• Vanilla Extract~ I go through this so quickly; must-have for baking!
• Pumpkin Pie Spice~ Amazing flavor, perfect for the season, & free of sulfites/other fillers that some contain! Plus you get a great amount for your $. Try it in Pumpkin Spiced Paleo Granola.
• Omega Trek Mix~ A tasty mix of pistachios, walnuts, cranberries, & roasted almonds that’s good for snacking.
• South African Smoke Seasoning Blend~ This little grinder contains paprika, sea salt, garlic, & basil. My mom recommended it to me for spicing up meat & veggies, & I love it! Perfect for Crispy Oven Green Bean Fries.
• Organic Free Range Chicken Broth~ Great option for a ‘soup base’! I plan on sharing a recipe with this soon, check back 🙂
• Light Coconut Milk~ The canned version is so much more creamy & tasty than the boxed drink versions. I use it in my coffee & also used this to give a creamy (dairy-free) base to Spiced Butternut Squash Soup.

• Baby Bell Peppers~ I love how you get a variety of colors (yellow, orange, red) without having a giant amount to use up. Perfect for salads & stir-frys.
• Red Seedless Grapes~ Great to toss in a bag for snacking during the day!
• Honey Crisp Apples~ I slice these up & dip in almond butter for a snack, & love how they taste when cooked in Baked Cinnamon Applesauce.
• Bosc Pears~ Hadn’t tried this variety before but they are amazing! I love pears for fall time.
• Avocado~ Perfect healthy fat with lots of fiber. They have such an amazing flavor all on their own, & add a great creamy richness to salads… Try my Smoked Salmon Salad with Avocado or simple Chef Salad.

• Sweet Apple Chicken Sausage~ One of my favorite breakfast sausages EVER. You must try it. It’s so good + the ingredients are good too!
• Fully Cooked Applewood Smoked Bacon~ Great option for a quick breakfast; I always keep this on hand. It’s also easy to chop up & mix into salads. Never enough bacon.
• Black Forest Ham~ I’m picky about my deli-sliced meats, but this one is awesome. It’s thick & hearty without that weird watery/salty flavor some sliced hams can have. Plus, it’s always sold out- so I must not be the only fan of this! Give it a try.
• Asian Vegetable Stir Fry~ Love that the raw veggies are already prepped for you & ready to quickly sauté. The little baby corns are my favorite 😉
• Organic Grass Fed Ground Beef~ I use it for meatsauce & chili. Great quality meat option for a great price.
• Broccoli & Cauliflower Florets~ I toss these in a bag with carrots & bell pepper for snacking throughout my work day.
• Italian Style Meatballs~ Homemade meatballs are the best in terms of quality & ingredients, but these are a good quick option for when I can’t make my own. I broil them in the oven & toss with tomato sauce & spinach for a quick weeknight dinner.
• Organic Mixed Berry Blend~ Perfect blend for berry smoothies & tossing into oatmeal for dessert. Also great in Mocha Berry Mug Cakes & Sparkling Berry Sangria.
• “Just Chicken”~ I picked this up as a quick protein option to toss into salads & stir-frys… It’s my first go with this product so I’ll let you know how I like it! Pre-cooked/packaged chicken pieces freak me out sometimes, but this one looked like a winner… We’ll see 😉

Last, but not least…

I picked up this little guy in the seasonal section near the other baked goods as a little treat for boyfriend. He came to visit me this weekend & recently solidified a new position at work… So, this was my little “I’m proud of you” & “I love you” & “I want you to eat some dessert” gesture 🙂 If you see this at Trader Joe’s, TRY IT; it was amazing.

Well, I hope this was helpful & gave you a few ideas of what to look for when you’re out at your local Trader Joe’s!

Take care & thanks for reading 🙂