Dear LilyOnTheLam.Com Readers:
Well it only took two attempts, but I finally made it to the new South Tampa Trader Joe's! (Seriously I have waited TEN YEARS for this day to come!)
The first time I tried to go to the new Trader Joe's the tiny parking lot was packed and a cop motioned for everyone to circle the block. Street parking in South Tampa can be a pain with residential permit parking only zones. I didn't feel like risking a parking ticket and I didn't feel like circling the store like a buzzard. So I drove away and went to Costco instead. Sigh.
But I waited awhile and took a friend's advice and went early in the morning - and voila two empty parking spaces!
I made a tragic mistake of going to Trader Joe's on a growling, empty stomach. Everything in the store looked good! I have been trying to cut down on higher fat cheeses to save calories and "be healthy." The Trader Joe's cheese case has so many delicious items - i saw a blueberry vanilla goat cheese that looked to die for! I just stood there in front of the cheese case, staring at all the things I wanted but could not have!
Speaking of things I could not have- I stared at a small container of Trader Joe's English Toffee. This stuff is so delicious. But oh so many calories in a small container! If you can just eat one, it's not too bad. But I cannot just eat one! Lack of impulse control!
I have been to the Trader Joe's in Naples/Bonita Springs and Sarasota. I have to say that when I went to the South Tampa Trader Joe's, it was a much different experience. There were not throngs of elderly people hogging the aisles, being confused and bitchy that they couldn't find the Ritz crackers and other favorite brands. No, the senior citizens at the South Tampa Trader Joe's were savvy - they knew the score and the best items to buy. An older gentleman was raving about one of the frozen chicken dinner mixes - I think it was like an orange chicken Asian meal. So, "well done" South Tampa senior citizens! You are hip and informed!
I texted the following picture of my Trader Joe's shopping cart to a friend. Her eagle eyes spotted something and she said "Hey, what are in those individual packs." BUSTED! Yes, I had kettle-cooked potato chips in my cart. OK maybe not everything I was buying was healthy!
I, of course, had to pick up my absolute favorite Trader Joe's item. Check out my review of this particular item here.
I also picked up these mini chicken cilantro dumplings. I hate cilantro but they looked good, so we'll see how they taste!
When I would drive an hour to Sarasota or three hours to Naples to go to Trader Joe's before the South Tampa location opened, I would bring a cooler but I would not buy any frozen treats - ice cream, etc. because even in a cooler I didn't think they would travel long distances well. But now I live merely minutes from Trader Joe's, so I went crazy in the freezer aisle! There were all sorts of yummy treats, but many with too many calories! I found a couple interesting looking items that won't blow my diet.
In the weeks to come, I'll post some reviews on the new items in my Trader Joe's shopping cart. I had a tomato salad for dinner with mini heirloom tomatoes from Trader Joe's. They were flavorful but a little too hard. Every time I cut into one, I sprayed myself with tomato juice! Small price to pay for a good salad though.
What is your favorite Trader Joe's item? Leave a comment below and let me know!
P.S. For quite some time I have been in mourning that Trader Joe's no longer carries a smoked sea salt grinder. It was absolutely the best smoked sea salt I have ever tried. I purchased some at Eataly in NYC and it doesn't even compare. Any time I am in a Trader Joe's, anywhere in the US, I always check in vain to see if perhaps I was in the one store that may still have it. Every time it is a big let down! I need to start a petition to bring it back. It is so good and a little goes a long way!
Well it only took two attempts, but I finally made it to the new South Tampa Trader Joe's! (Seriously I have waited TEN YEARS for this day to come!)
The first time I tried to go to the new Trader Joe's the tiny parking lot was packed and a cop motioned for everyone to circle the block. Street parking in South Tampa can be a pain with residential permit parking only zones. I didn't feel like risking a parking ticket and I didn't feel like circling the store like a buzzard. So I drove away and went to Costco instead. Sigh.
But I waited awhile and took a friend's advice and went early in the morning - and voila two empty parking spaces!
I made a tragic mistake of going to Trader Joe's on a growling, empty stomach. Everything in the store looked good! I have been trying to cut down on higher fat cheeses to save calories and "be healthy." The Trader Joe's cheese case has so many delicious items - i saw a blueberry vanilla goat cheese that looked to die for! I just stood there in front of the cheese case, staring at all the things I wanted but could not have!
Speaking of things I could not have- I stared at a small container of Trader Joe's English Toffee. This stuff is so delicious. But oh so many calories in a small container! If you can just eat one, it's not too bad. But I cannot just eat one! Lack of impulse control!
I have been to the Trader Joe's in Naples/Bonita Springs and Sarasota. I have to say that when I went to the South Tampa Trader Joe's, it was a much different experience. There were not throngs of elderly people hogging the aisles, being confused and bitchy that they couldn't find the Ritz crackers and other favorite brands. No, the senior citizens at the South Tampa Trader Joe's were savvy - they knew the score and the best items to buy. An older gentleman was raving about one of the frozen chicken dinner mixes - I think it was like an orange chicken Asian meal. So, "well done" South Tampa senior citizens! You are hip and informed!
I texted the following picture of my Trader Joe's shopping cart to a friend. Her eagle eyes spotted something and she said "Hey, what are in those individual packs." BUSTED! Yes, I had kettle-cooked potato chips in my cart. OK maybe not everything I was buying was healthy!
I, of course, had to pick up my absolute favorite Trader Joe's item. Check out my review of this particular item here.
I also picked up these mini chicken cilantro dumplings. I hate cilantro but they looked good, so we'll see how they taste!
When I would drive an hour to Sarasota or three hours to Naples to go to Trader Joe's before the South Tampa location opened, I would bring a cooler but I would not buy any frozen treats - ice cream, etc. because even in a cooler I didn't think they would travel long distances well. But now I live merely minutes from Trader Joe's, so I went crazy in the freezer aisle! There were all sorts of yummy treats, but many with too many calories! I found a couple interesting looking items that won't blow my diet.
In the weeks to come, I'll post some reviews on the new items in my Trader Joe's shopping cart. I had a tomato salad for dinner with mini heirloom tomatoes from Trader Joe's. They were flavorful but a little too hard. Every time I cut into one, I sprayed myself with tomato juice! Small price to pay for a good salad though.
What is your favorite Trader Joe's item? Leave a comment below and let me know!
P.S. For quite some time I have been in mourning that Trader Joe's no longer carries a smoked sea salt grinder. It was absolutely the best smoked sea salt I have ever tried. I purchased some at Eataly in NYC and it doesn't even compare. Any time I am in a Trader Joe's, anywhere in the US, I always check in vain to see if perhaps I was in the one store that may still have it. Every time it is a big let down! I need to start a petition to bring it back. It is so good and a little goes a long way!
No comments:
Post a Comment
Lily On The Lam wants to hear from you ... Seriously, she does ...