New Trader Joe's yea/nay thread 2nd quarter 2010

[shaebones]

It's April! Time for a new thread.

[greygarious]

A third quarter thread is up:

http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/7196...

[joe777cool]

I believe it was on the 1st quarter post - but the Garlic Fries? Not for the faint of heart. Luckily the words "too much" and "garlic" just dont go together in my book. They were delicious......reminds me of the fries I got in a few different ballparks out west. My SO HATES it when i coolk them however....say it stinks up the house.

too bad for her!

[IndyGirl]

I love the garlic fries!!

[obiwandog]

Yay:
Roasted red pepper and eggplant dip/spread - good on its own, excellent when used to jazz up spaghetti sauce
Pinot Grigio Sausage great sliced and served with cheese and crackers
Frozen Spinach and Artichoke dip - I'm not usually a big fan of these, but this one is pretty darn good and my wife who does normally likes these say it is "the best"

Nay: almost any bread sold here in plastic bags (like a grocery bread aisle) - their fresh "bakery" bread is very good, but this stuff - I have yet to find anything I like

[shaebones]

Multigrain bread. Its located where the french bread is. Its unsliced and has a bit of sweetness to it. My new TJ addiction. :/

[Fritz]

yeas.
Spanish EVOO - excellent and inexpensive
Powerberries - yeow!!!
Dark Chocolate Nibs - in a tiny metal can

[goodhealthgourmet]

+1 for the nibs - half the price of Sweetriot!

[mollyomormon]

those powerberries are goooood.

[Girl Friday]

I can add to this post in as much as I know where a lot of artisan breads at the TJ's in the local Boston area are from Jessica's Bread in Woburn. I used to use Jessica's for my own bread when I was a catering chef and I would always go in and find them packing the Trader Joes bread. I can be sure of the tuscan, sliced tuscan, ciabatta and rolls. If it's chewy and bread, it's probably theirs.

[alkapal]

mr. alka loves the root vegetable chips, and i think they are pretty good, but i'm not thrilled. they are not well shaped and are not all crispy.

[alkapal]

yays:
fresh green beans in plastic bag, already cleaned. very nice. $3.24
fingerling potatoes in the mesh BAG -- good and at $1.99 a bargain (much cheaper than their other fingerlings).

[mdepsmom]

Yay:
Dark chocolate pretzel bark. 7 oz of sublime goodness for 99 cents. Doesn't get much better than that.

Nay:
Coffee and cream bars. I was expecting these to be on a stick. They are very small and not very satisfying. They'd be so much better dipped in dark chocolate, imo.

[dagrassroots]

Yes; panang curry sticks in the frozen section.

[Dommy]

What do you serve them with? I'm at a loss...

--Dommy!

[dagrassroots]

Eat them plain as a snack.

You could dip them in some sour cream or plain yogurt as well.

[jrmd]

The dark chocolate pretzel bark is ridiculously good. Sadly (but probably for the best), it is discontinued "for the season".

[MplsM ary]

Yay:
Ginger mango chutney. I throw a jar of that chutney into the food processor, add other ingredients for a tomato base BBQ sauce, cook until caramelized around the edges and the result is tasty beyond compare.
Chocolate chips. I don't know why these are the best chocolate chips, but other brands kind of pale in comparison.

Nay:
Their version of Sun Chips. The worst thing, except for an errant bug, I've tasted this year.

[bulavinaka]

Yah, those pseudo-Sun Chips are really bad. It's as if TJ's didn't even try them before giving the thumbs-up on the contract. I think I ate three before tossing the bag.

[goodhealthgourmet]

"Chocolate chips. I don't know why these are the best chocolate chips, but other brands kind of pale in comparison."
~~~~~~
because they're made by Callebaut!

[jrmd]

I agree, their chocolate chips are the best. They used to be $1.99/bag. I just noticed that the price is up to $2.29.

[sparkareno]

I have to give a thumbs down to the frozen mango sticky rice. The rice comes out all gummy and there is hardly any coconut flavor.

[newfoodie]

I was looking forward to trying that - thanks for the heads up!

[joe777cool]

On you next visit, if you dont leave with a bin of the dried cherry/granola cookies......well then you forgot something. Thank me later

[nosey]

We tried the frozen cheese enchiladas and found thenm to have chemical taste. They also disintegrated while trying to serve. We tried the seasoned chicken tenders and they had the same chemical taste.

[alkapal]

why oh why does mr. alka ever bring home a loaf of bread from trader joe's? he brought something yesterday, and when i saw it, i knew -- just KNEW -- that it would be crummy. and i was not disappointed. even the squishy crust resisted the serrated knife. it was like trying to cut "the blob" or mr. stay-puft.

[alkapal]

yay: brown jasmine rice.

[armagnac]

Use it all the time.

[aunteejoy]

My recent finds...

NAY:
Bite sized pita crackers - have some sort of "off" taste/smell

YAY:
Strawberry/Raspberry/Lemon Froze Fruit Bars
Coffee and Cream Ice Cream Bars
Baked Rice Snacks (frozen)

MEH:
Tokyo Style Soba Noodles

[goodhealthgourmet]

i haven't had the pita crackers, but when i hear "'off' taste/smell" i immediately think rancid or stale. any chance the package you got just wasn't fresh? unfortunately TJ's isn't the best about freshness quality control...

[littleflower]

I loved the pita bite crackers with sea salt - just wish that there was more of a "sea salty" flavor to it. Otherwise, absolutely delicious with Sabra's Roasted Pine Nut Hummus.

[chococat]

Two thumbs up for the caramelized nut mix-- almonds, cashews, and walnuts with a substantial caramelized sugar coating. Hints of vanilla and salt. I was expecting more of a "butter toffee" flavor, but quickly became addicted to them regardless.

[goodhealthgourmet]

something tells me you'd like the Hot & Sweet Sesame Nuts...

[Vetter]

Those caramelized nuts were the first thing I've ever justified an actual trip back to the store! They tasted sicky-sweet and chemical-vanilla to me. Nay!

[mem79]

A friend and I roadtripped to St. Louis Trader Joe's to stock up on groceries and wine. While deciding what purchases to make, we got a picnic together that included the three chevre selection (double pepper, garlic and herb, and plain) and the triple ginger cookies. The cheese was great and the cookies were deemed our "crack cookies" of the weekend. They were great and a second tub has made it onto my shelves. I'll be eating from my freezer for the next month and I'm looking forward to the experience. I did get the cherry preserves, they looked great and I'm toying with an idea with them and puff pastry!

[operagirl]

Mm, yes, those triple ginger cookies are one of my favorite things from TJ's. I hardly ever buy their cookie tubs though, because it's hard for me to exercise portion control. The tiny chocolate chip cookies are great, too.

http://operagirlcooks.com

[IndyGirl]

I'll third this--those ginger cookies are amazing. I actually don't buy them anymore for the same reason OG mentioned!

[joe777cool]

A big NAY to the baked goods (Warwick, RI location)

cinnamon rasin bread was stale from day 1, a day after we bought it and at least 3-4 days before expiration. The plain mini bagels were moldy 3 days later (7 days before expiration)

I will be returning both.

[joe777cool]

FYI - the garlic naan makes a tastey and quick pizza crust. I put in the microwave for about 30 seconds then topped with sauce and cheese and baked at 400 for about 8 minutes. It came out a bit crunchier than I personally like but could easily be fixed (unless you like it crispy)

[IndyGirl]

I adore the TJ's garlic naan. One of my favorite TJ's products.

[mdepsmom]

Has anyone tried the baby back ribs? I just read about them in the most recent Fearless Flyer and wonder how they are.

[mdepsmom]

I'm going to reply to my own post, since no one else has ;) I tried the baby back ribs last night and really liked them. They're very tender, fall off the bone, with lots of meat. I wasn't crazy about the sauce, though. I used some of TJ's All Natural BBQ Sauce that I happened to have in the fridge (it's my go-to bbq sauce) and that improved the flavor tremendously.

Not a huge rack of ribs for $9.99. I ate 2/3 of them and could have easily eaten the rest if I didn't want to have any sides. So you'd definitely need 2 racks for 2 people.

[walker]

I tried them once and THEN looked at the info on back -- the calories are unbelievably high so won't be buying them again.

[chinchi]

The frozen seeded rolls are my new favorite item.

[gordeaux]

So, I am a fan of the vacuum fried banana chips. I popped into a tj this past Sat, and saw vacuum fried pineapple chips. They were 1.49, and I figured wtf and bought a bag. I usually balk at cooked / dried fruits, but these pineapple thingies are my new favorite. Seriously. Also, another snacky item: Sour Cream and Onion corn puffs. But, those vacuum fried pineapple chips are great. Big YAY!

[southernitalian]

I'm gonna add a yea to the 12 ounce bag of frozen aspargus spears. I can't remember what I paid but it wasn't much. They are so good! I'm bummed when reading this thread because although there are two TJs in my city, I have searched thoroughly but a number of the items on this thread aren't available here.

[coney with everything]

I tried the TJ Vintage soda--no HFCS--both cola and root beer.

Nay to the cola, it didn't have a really deep cola flavor. But Yay to the root beer!

And I got my first carton of lemonade (refrigerated case) this year--I remember really liking it last year, but this year it tasted different, like it had artificial sweetener in it. So I'm going back to Paul Newman products for the rest of the summer.

[Dommy]

Thanks for the report on the Cola... weliked the rootbeer, but like Sparky's a bit better. :)

--Dommy!

[alkapal]

have you tried making "country time" lemonade? i like it -- esp. the pink lemonade. bonus: works well with fresh grapefruit juice and vodka.

[coney with everything]

"country time" from TJs or do you mean what we used to call "chemical lemonade"?

[alkapal]

probably! http://ozbo.com/Country-Time-Drink-Mi...

i like it! it doesn't *taste* chemical-y.

i never had it as a kid.

[buttertart]

They must have jazzed it up because when it came out in the 70's it was very odd-tasting!

[alkapal]

i think it must've been improved, then. people i've served it to also liked it.

[buttertart]

I'll check it out. It once was as alike to lemonade as Tang is to OJ. (Not that artificial flavors are to be sneered at.

[alkapal]

get the PINK lemonade. i can't vouch for the yellow.

[buttertart]

Okeydoke!

[coney with everything]

I don't know...no lemons were harmed in the making of this beverage:

Ingredients:
Sugar, Fructose, Citric Acid (Provides Tartness), Contains Less than 2% of Natural Flavor, Ascorbic Acid (Vitamin C), Maltodextrin, Sodium Acid Pyrophosphate, Sodium Citrate (Controls Acidity), Magnesium Oxide (Prevents Caking), Calcium Fumarate, Artificial Color, Yellow 5 Lake, Tocopherol (Preserves Freshness).

I'm not saying regular lemonade is a health drink, it's mostly sugar too, but I like my lemonade to actually have some lemon in it.

[buttertart]

Well, the citric and ascorbic acids derive from citrus fruit, what is lemon juice but water, these acids, and fructose I suppose? I prefer lemon juice itself too really.

[alkapal]

here is something to check out, coney! http://www.citrech.it/English/Informa...
see esp. the "chemical composition of citrus."

[coney with everything]

Alkapal, I understand that citric acid, etc. are components of lemon juice, but why tease out the components when Mother Nature gives us lovely lemons already tasty?

But chacun a son gout!

[alkapal]

sure, fresh lemonade is preferable, but i thought the thing here was convenience.

isn't that what your lemon drink products are about, too -- the ones you are seeking? to wit >>>"""And I got my first carton of lemonade (refrigerated case) this year--I remember really liking it last year, but this year it tasted different, like it had artificial sweetener in it. So I'm going back to Paul Newman products for the rest of the summer."""<<<

plus, there is the convenience of the country time being a powder mix, so it can sit in the pantry.
~~~~
but i understand your point completely.

[givemecarbs]

My TJs also has orange creme vintage soda and I like that.

[coney with everything]

I'll try that too at some point, the cola and root beer were the only ones that were in the "individual bottle" part of the shelf when I was there last.

[bulavinaka]

TJ's jarred piquillo peppers from Peru. The flavor is fantastic and they're so darned convenient. These have gone well in every dish I've prepared them with so far. Even my kids will eat these without picking them out.

[alkapal]

how do you use them, bulavinaka?

[bulavinaka]

Sausages are a natural. Italian sausages with fennel are good. Compound that with pasta. No tomato-based sauces - you want to let the peppers do the singing. Soups, salads (chic peas, onions, herbs), even seafood. Paella-type rice dishes or blended in soups (butternut squash/piquillo/shrimp).

[alkapal]

thanks, bulavinaka. i'd only seen them used on josé andrés show (which i adore).

[bulavinaka]

I vaguely recall that show - I'm just too lazy to find it. :) His lead I would follow any time. Jose is a culinary treasure and a great ambassador for Spain.

Just about all of the piquillos I've poured out of the jars have been perfectly intact. This inclines me to suggest that they would be great for stuffing as well. With summer around the corner, I could see this as a perfect opportunity to stuff the peppers with a good tuna or chicken salad.

[alkapal]

ah, beautiful idea -- on some dressed butter lettuce!

(i'm already concocting the salad in my mind. somehow "jicama" jumped into the mix ;-).

[bulavinaka]

Wow - sounds like summer is already here! Love the dressed butter lettuce and jicama jumping into the mix. I recently had a wonderful tuna (albacore) salad with no mayo. I think it was just a little olive oil, wine vinegar, diced red onions, capers and a sprinkling of herbs mixed in with the albacore. The jicama would be a great addition. And the butter lettuce? This would be the bomb on a warm night. What do you think about wine pairings - rose? Any sugggestions? :)

[alkapal]

a medium rosé would be delightful, i think. also, what about a medium white from the loire?

i hear the sheltering oaks beckoning us out to the patio! come, enjoy the late afternoon, see the crystal sparkling with wine, feel the cool hint of a breeze.

[bulavinaka]

I don't think I've had a white from the Loire - but you've caught my interest! Your wonderful prose makes me think I've stumbled upon the love child of Joanne Weir and Gary Soto... :)

[Dommy]

Ooo! I've been staring at that jar on the aisle for AGES, but have resisted because a) my fridge is nothing but CONDIMENTS already and b) I still have about 10lbs of Hatch Chiles I'm working though...

But the mention of paella just got me. Plan to make it soon...

--Dommy!

[bulavinaka]

I just made a soup using TJ's (low salt) roasted red pepper and tomato soup as a base, roasted the last of my butternut squashes, sauteed some leeks, blended those in with some chicken stock, added that to the red pepper soup, sauteed some good italian fennel sausage from Claro's and set that aside, sliced up some carrots, cauliflower and potatoes and sauteed in the sausage fondant and added that to the soup, then sliced up the piquillos and for the soup as well to really give it that roasted red pepper punch. Once the veggies were cooked through, I added back the sausage before serving, grated a little red pepper asiago (also from Claro's) and served with some crusty bread. Very filling but all in all pretty healthy as well. And the piquillos really added that extra roasted red pepper umph to the soup.

[givemecarbs]

My friend got six boxes of roasted red pepper and tomato soup all bundled together at Costco, and then learned to his dismay that he didn't care for the soup that much and gave the boxes to me. I'm on my last one now and I've found them very useful in recipes. I'm so used to being able to reach for a box maybe I'll try the TJ's brand.

[bulavinaka]

I never tried Costco's product but the TJ's brand is useful for just as you described - I like using it as a base. Another thing I like about TJ's soup in this case is the fact that they offer both a regular version as well as a low-salt version. It comes in handy for me since I'm trying to watch my sodium intake, and as you know, as one starts to add ingredients, salt may already be in those as well, and it starts to add up quickly. This version lets me decide how much salt to add at the end.

[lynnut]

TJ's Macaroni and Cheese in the freezer section is AMAZING. 5.5 minutes in the microwave and it's utter pasta and cheese perfection.

[jenscats5]

Totally agree!!

[smr33]

Can't believe nobody has mentioned the pimento cheese. Ate an entire container in two days (and am resisting the temptation to open the 2nd container lurking in my fridge). No, it's not real homemade pc, but it's mighty tasty and certainly much, much better than any of the store versions I've tasted.

[cbrunelle]

I was about to post Nay to the pimento cheese. But then I'm new to pimento cheese, so maybe I don't know what to be looking for. You can have the rest of mine!

Yea to the sweetened dried hibiscus flowers. They're pleasantly inexpensive, and I always serve them at cocktail parties, because I enjoy watching my guests try to figure out what they are. Most people end up deciding they are fruit roll ups for adults.

[DianeCGW]

I didn't care for the pimento cheese either, but my husband loved it!

[alkapal]

wasn't ga-ga over the little butter cookies dipped in chocolate. thought they were quite generic-tasting. ;-(.

[yamalam]

Maybe my expectations were too high, but I didn't think the Gorgonzola Crackers were cheesy enough, and they were relatively expensive.

[obiwandog]

bland, bland, bland. completely agree with you on flavor and price

[d_doubleyew]

New to me: Jarred Bruschetta, Gourmet Chicken Meatballs (refrigerated), Parbaked Demi-Pain Rustique. Made for a quick and tasty supper.

The next day, had leftover meatballs for lunch with Trader Joe's Brown Rice Penne pasta and my home-made garlic scape pesto. Yum!

[Dommy]

I adore the Jarred Bruschetta... and those gourmet chicken meatballs are much better than the frozen turkey ones (And they also freeze wonderfully!)

--Dommy!

[d_doubleyew]

I froze half of the chicken meatballs and then had some for dinner today in TJs whole wheat pita pockets. Those meatballs may be my new favorite thing! Delicious! (Although, I always feel that I should be making items like this at home...oh well.)

[UnderemployedInNYC]

Yea to the wine country chicken salad with dried cranberries and celery and pecans. Its not new but I only tried it a few days ago and was blown away by my awesome lunch (I put it in one of the apocryphal pitas with some fresh lettuce and it was perfect to eat at work).

Nay to the sea salt pita puffs. They weren't nearly salty enough given the emphasized sea salt ingredient.

I love Trader Joe's. I can actually afford my groceries.

http://underemployedinnyc.blogspot.com/

[alkapal]

nay: corn crackers with chive & onion.

the cracker tasted like a round, thicker yellow corn tortilla chip, with very little aromatic or flavor boost from the paltry chive and onion "addition."

it's a corn and "jive" cracker.

it might be good as a tortilla chip substitute for dipping some onion dip (;-), but it was a little pricey, imo. won't buy again.

(safeway has -- had?-- terrific "everything" crackers in a good size oblong shape. safeway keep playing whether they'll keep them in stock. excellent value, if you can get them!).

[Dommy]

Yeah, I was disappointed with the crackers too, I should have seen it coming, but they tasted like dusty fritos...

--Dommy!

[alkapal]

dusty fritos -- that's it precisely, dommy!

~~~~~~~
speaking of fritos, has anyone tried the reduced-sodium fritos?

[toodie jane]

no, but the Frito 'big scoops' are very much like the lamentedly-gone-forever TJ's whole grain stoneground corn chips, which I use as the crust for a savory chipotle white cheddar smoked salmon cheesecake. Can't do it without them.

[buttertart]

Now come on, you have to post that recipe, it sounds stupendous. Please...

[southernitalian]

How about artichokes as big as your head for $.99!!!

[toodie jane]

I'm liking their newish baked potato chips. Not cardboard like the other brands. They must be sprayed with oil, then baked. They have some fat, but marginal compared to regular fried chips. In Regular, Hickory BBQ, and Salt & Vinegar

I want Double Rainbow ice cream back. The store personnel swear the TJ's brand IS made by Double Rainbow, but all but the vanilla is awful. Grainy and not creamy. Vanilla is OK, but somehow not the same lucious quotient as DR.

The chocolate coated pretzels are sinfully good.

There's a a new Tuscan country bread in plain and whole wheat (100%) that's pretty good. Under $3 for a large oval loaf. Very flavorful. A good bargain.

[jessicheese]

I've tried the Tuscan whole wheat and it was delicious.
I also bought the New Orleans style coffee with chicory and it's awesome!!

[Vetter]

I've been eating the TJ's vanilla ice cream, and it's not remotely grainy. Seems to me to be a lot like Double Rainbow. Wonder if we're getting different formulas/batches?

[toodie jane]

"all but the vanilla"

I suspect the poor containers of coffee that I've gotten were crystallized because of poor handling (thawed, then refrozen) but the mint is chaulky and nasty. Always.

[Vetter]

Wow. Now I'm really perplexed. The mint is my favorite and it's sublime! I swear, I'm no ice cream idiot. I make it all summer long--I know creamy. Maybe we are getting different products under the same label?

[Antilope]

Yea for the Trader Joe's Dark Sumatra Whole Bean Coffee. Freshly ground beans brewed in a french press and it's Heaven in a cup.

Yea also for the Trader Joe's Chocolate Orange Sticks. I was raised on the Sweet's brand orange sticks, but the Trader Joe's version blows those away.

[werewolf]

Those darned orange sticks are too addictive, though. Is the Dark Sumatra an instant coffee?

[toodie jane]

No it's whole bean

ahhhh, coffee... thy name is Sumatra

[alkapal]

tj's sumatra is good -- it's much "rounder" than starbuck's' version.

[woodleyparkhound]

I like the Ultra Dark Sumatra (I think it's called) too - in the mostly red, cylindrical container. I don't have a use for the containers though, which is unfortunate. I'd like it better if it came in flimsier packaging.

[alkapal]

i try to re-use all containers, but those are somewhat flimsy....

[buttertart]

That's my biggest beef with their coffee. I hate the packaging. Uses up too much counter/cupboard real estate as well as being essentially unreuseable.

[Sloth]

Donate the empty cans to a local library or daycare center. They can use them for crafts, storage, etc. Teachers and librarians are the best at re-using and recycling.

[maryv]

I just tried the 100% Columbian instant coffee and was pleasantly surprised by it. (I think they have two kinds with similar labels - maybe "100% Columbian Instant Coffee" and "Instant 100% Columbian Coffee"? Anyway, I got the one that says it's surprisingly close to fresh brewed.)

And the peanut butter with golden flaxseeds is making my breakfasts a little crunchier.

[nickdanger]

Triple fruit treat - mango, cranberry, blueberry dried fruit. Not as good as all fruit mix, and twice as expensive, as it is only 8 oz., but since the all fruit mix is never coming back....

[southernitalian]

I was in on Saturday and picked up the fat free feta on the advice of someone on this board. It's horrible. On the other hand, I got a crate of clementine's for $6.99 that are terrific and the 12 ouce jar of salsa verde is almost gone.

[buttertart]

I love their natural peanut butter but found out the hard way the (plastic) jar isn't microwaveable...had had it in the fridge and wanted to soften it up a bit...1 min at 30% power...at 30 seconds the rim of the jar had sparked and basically caught fire, I presume because of the foil left around the rim from the "safety" seal. A mess. More fool me.

[jenscats5]

Oh wow, I've never tried that but good to note. My ANPB never seems to fully harden in my fridge.

[Ruth Lafler]

I never keep peanutbutter in the fridge -- it's not like it spoils, although I suppose eventually it could go rancid.

[buttertart]

I didn't used to until a friend who is a food-safety nut told me I was risking aflatoxin...which I don't really know is true or not, I thought it had to be in the peanuts used to make the PB to taint it. The jar says to refrigerate it so I did. The part transferred to a glass jar is now on my counter as all its predecessors were.

[Ruth Lafler]

I think you're right: the aflatoxin is already in the peanutbutter, and toxins aren't affected by refrigeration. A quick google shows that almost all peanutbutter contains small amounts of alflatoxin, with the maximum allowed regulated by the government.

[buttertart]

On the counter it stays then. It's quite good but a bit sweeter than I really like, must be the Valencia peanuts.

[Dommy]

Yeah, that foil is reactive, you have to peel it off completely, especially if exposed to the microwaves...

--Dommy!

[shaebones]

I usually make my pancakes from scratch. Got a box of multigrain pancake mix from TJ's last week. Used buttermilk instead of milk, added a tsp+ vanilla and dotted w blueberries before flippin' them over. The family thought they were the best panckes EVER!

[mollyomormon]

thanks! I am definitely checking out that mix!

[greygarious]

I like that mix too, but not as much as Kodiak Kakes, which a friend used to send me when she lived in the Pacific Northwest. It's not sold in New England though I hear it is in FL, go figure, and online. If you ever have a chance to try it, do. It's all whole wheat but not at all bitter or strong, and all you add is water. Thanks for rebooting the thread. I didn't want to come off as a control freak so I was hoping someone else would do it!

[alkapal]

miss gray, i'm glad that you rebooted the thread! i like people with initiative!

[greygarious]

It was shaebones' initiative, not mine. Didn't want to seem too anal aboout it - which reminds me that at work, if I didn't change the toilet paper roll in the ladies' room, the new one would perch atop the empty cardboard cylinder for days, until I couldn't stand it any more and performed the transplant....on the bright side, that way it always rolled over the top and not the "wrong" way (from below)!

[givemecarbs]

I think TJ's people are just better than Costo shoppers. Last spring I tried to start a new Costco thread but nooooooo. That thread has become huge and repetitive. Since I post on both that makes me subject to severe mood swings and loss of identity. But the pure TJs folks that only post here and avoid that nasty old Costco thread are superior human beings. He he he. I was sick for April Fool's Day so I just had to start later. I am so just kidding here. :) Last week my friend wasn't sure if he liked pumpkin seeds enough to eat a whole bag of them and asked if there was any way he could have a sample first. The employee he asked was very friendly and happy to open up the bag he was wondering about. He bought the seeds and now they have more noshes for their break room.

[alkapal]

they'll open packages for samples, if one simply asks.

~
p.s.
cool slam on the costco deal. hey, what's up with that? start a new thread already.

[coney with everything]

I used that mix last night to make dumplings...they were a little heavy but tasty nonetheless.

[mollyomormon]

yay for the the almond butter with golden flaxseeds!