Tag: Trader Joes

• Autumn Has Arrived

  Posted at 11:15 AM by Brittany, on October 11, 2023

  I have been making a habit of visiting Trader Joe’s about once a week in the last year, and on each visit I was counting down the days until I saw the sign. The sign that indicates the changes of seasons, the Holy Grail of the modern day basic American woman, and the source of a multi month giddiness I know I am not alone in…

  

  Hello. My name is Brittany, and I loose my marbles over the beginning of pumpkin season.

  The thing is, I don’t actually consume most pumpkin items. I’ve never even had my own pumpkin spice latte (I have had sips, but it’s not for me for a handful of reasons.) For me seeing this sign is an indication that calmer days are coming my way. The busyness of summer adventures are coming to an end, the rainy days are on the horizon, and the much needed rest my body seeks is more acceptable to my go, go, go mindset.

  I love fall. This time of year always feels cleansing to me. A time to appreciate the changes of colors in nature, heartier seasonal foods, and there is a sense of joy that fills my soul when I see pumpkins sitting outside every grocery store. What can I say, I am a sucker for large orange spheres. Walking into Trader Joe’s with the smells of cinnamon brooms and the sights of every gourd imaginable makes me feel like a kid again.

  I don’t care what this says about me, I will take any source of excitement I can get.

  

  Pumpkin season also starts my adventurous attitude with food. I typically keep things strict with what I eat, but I let my hair down this time of year through Christmas to taste some forbidden fruits. There are a handful of seasonal treats I avoid, but there are a handful I don’t avoid. I had been waiting 365 days for Trader Joe’s to bring back an item I discovered last year, one I consumed many times.

  And in typical Trader Joe’s fashion they did not bring back my beloved this year.

  As my luck would have it anytime I find a decent gluten free item, it’s limited. I fell in love with a local muffin company a handful of years ago and they no longer exist. I fell in love with Trader Joe’s gluten free pumpkin bread and it no longer exists (at least not at my local store.) This bread was hands down one of the best store bought loafs I have ever eaten. It’s hard for me to find a treat that not only tastes good, but doesn’t leave me feeling like I consumed an entire fifth of vodka the night before.

  

  Alas, I must move on and continue to seek a new seasonal treat. There are some items that are seasonal, but they’re items I would eat on a normal basis. Add a seasonal flavor to something and I am all over it. Sometimes they are a win, and sometimes they are such a huge loss that I wish teleportation existed so I could speak face to face with whomever created such an abomination.

  

  

  Tasty treats aside I also look forward to an annual visit to a pumpkin patch/corn maze. The weather has been a bit finicky in Washington, but I hope to get lost in a maze soon. I last all of 15 minutes before I stop trying and begin allowing Duncan to guide me out. I just like to wander. The pumpkins, the flannels, the boots, the corn, the leaves changing – all of this is the beginning of a magical few months of holiday seasons.

  I never used to be big on holidays, but as I get older I look forward to them. I don’t care for the consumeristic aspect of them, in fact I abhor that correlation with holidays, but I love the sense of togetherness it brings. I love the fun activities available, the foods, and sometimes even the weather. I savor October and November and I look forward to many pots of homemade applesauce, nights of wool socks and movies, stormy afternoons while I snuggle with my cat, and all the decorated porches.

  

  If anyone out there knows of a good gluten free item I must try (yeah yeah I know I can just make my own and I DO, but sometimes a girl just wants to buy an unhealthy treat), please let me know. Or just share with me your favorite fall treat you like to consume.

  Q’s:

  • Do you like fall?
  • Do you get seasons where you live?
  • What’s your favorite fall treat!?

  

  | 43 Comments Tagged Fall, Pumpkin, Trader Joes

• Exceptionally Great Day

  Posted at 11:41 AM by Brittany, on July 30, 2015

  Last Thursday I had an exceptionally great day, and the moments just kept coming.
  

  Exceptional moment #1: I woke up with the sun. It’s ALWAYS a good morning when there are no alarms. I rose from the dead around 6am – my happy wake up time.

  

  

  Goodmorning sun.

  Exceptional moment #2: I made a French press, opened my computer, and sliced myself a piece of raw blueberry pie. I was sipping on some Organic Yukon, which has a smoothness that paired beautifully with this creamy pie.

  Recipe for the pie here. Exceptional moment #3: I took a drive a few towns over for a run along the water and across the bridge. Everything about this run was on point.

  

  Exceptional moment #4: Post run grocery haul, aka the two stores that are the Disneyland away from Disneyland. Plus Whole Foods had my favorite Theo bar.

  

  My bags indicate my two favorite states.

  Exceptional moment #5: Satisfying my week long burger craving, and remembering the beauty that is iceberg lettuce. I always opt for dark leafy greens because they have a higher nutritional punch, but all I wanted was a lettuce ball.

  

  Lettuce “bun” topped with roma tomatoes, oven roasted red onions and green bell peppers, artichoke hearts, mustard, turmeric, ginger, and an adzuki bean patty. With a side of salt and vinegar baked chips.

  It was like the 4th of July firework finale in my mouth.

  Exceptional Moment #6: Discovering a box of all things wonderful with my name on it. I had no idea this was coming, one of the many perks of blogging.

  

  More on that later…I think that’s enough feel good for now.

  Q: What kind of adventures constitute an exceptional day for you? Leisure mornings, hikes, good coffee and food pairings, running, food, more food, all the food.

  

  | 43 Comments Tagged Enjoy Life, Garmin, Run, Trader Joes, Whole Foods

• NO MORE CATS

  Posted at 6:27 AM by Brittany, on February 5, 2015

  This week I’m spending some quality time with this guy.

  

  I’m house sitting until the 13th, which means I will be hanging up my crazy cat lady apron and going on multiple daily dog walks instead. I house/dog sat this guy back in October so we’re already lifelong friends. House sitting meant making a trip to TJ’s.

  

  That’s all I bought. Just kidding. I wanted to highlight/share the new hemp seeds they’re selling. Fantastic purchase. I also picked up the usual 15 lbs of produce, along with a new to me treat. When I worked at TJ’s I was in charge of the cookie order (go figure right) yet I never actually tried these cookies…until now.

  

  These chocolate cats are pure evil, they’re straight from Satan’s bowel movements. I cannot stop eating them. The tub has 15 servings and I ate HALF the tub in two days. As if it couldn’t get any worse I also thought this would be a good idea…

  

  …it was not. The PB jar is also half gone in two days.

  

  The cat made me do it.

  No more cats. NO, get them away from me.

  There is one positive outcome from this gluttonous cat adventure I embarked on. Both days I ate the cat/pb combo I had insanely good energy for my evening spin class. I could hear the cats crying as they dripped from my pours. That sounded gross, sorry.

  Seriously though, I’ve never ended a spin class with a higher watt (power) output than I had at the beginning. So maybe the cats can stay…no…yes…no.

  Moral of the story: do not purchase cat cookies when you’re house sitting alone.

  Q: Have you tried these cats? They also make them cinnamon flavored….

  

  | 72 Comments Tagged Cats, Peanut Butter, Trader Joes, Vegan

• Real Talk

  Posted at 7:47 AM by Brittany, on February 2, 2015

  I finally broke into the box of Halloween Joe-Joe’s I’ve been hoarding for the last four months. As I stated on my Instagram, I’m a self proclaimed minimalist. Clutter makes me anxious, and if I’m not going to “use it” then it’s time for me to “loose it.” However, there are almost always exceptions – like this box of Joe-Joe’s.

  Halloween in January never tasted so good. Real talk.

  

  I finally got a waffle maker. I’ve used it twice, and both times I got something other than waffles. What’d I do wrong? Coconut flour. I love the stuff, but it can be tricky to play with. Thankfully despite my non waffle like waffle, this mush tasted so good.

  Sometimes ugly food tastes the best. Real talk.

  

  Even the photo is ugly, ugly lighting, ugly colors, just…ugly.

  **UPDATE** I gave up on waffles for a few days and tried my hand at scones. They were PERFECT. So perfect I settled for mediocre iPhone photos.

  

  I finally found a Starbucks Reserve coffee that I love. The last five blends I’ve tried have been MUCH too bright and acidic for me. My boss bought a bag of Sulawesi Pango Pango from the roastery when we visited last week. I had three coffee tastings.

  Coffee is more fun when you talk and write about it. Real talk.

  

  Talk about fresh, roasted on 1/18 and consumed on 1/23.

  I finally made my first batch of pico de gallo. I know, I know…it took me far too long. My “dressing” of choice on all my salads/grain bowls is salsa. All the salsa. I was about to buy some locally made pico at the store when the light bulb finally went off.

  Pico so good I ate over half in one sitting. Real talk.

  

  I finally got myself a cupcake..or two. Actually my mom did. She wins everything.

  Cupcakes taste better in multiples. Real talk.

  

  I finally branched out of my ice cream bubble. 99.9378% of the time I buy ice cream I get vanilla. Why? Because it’s a universal flavor. I can pair it with any and everything. I decided to try something new and bought Almond Dream Praline Crunch.

  I took one bite and had a revelation. Pretzels + praline =  Real talk.

  

  Q: What’s your real talk moment of the week?

  

  | 65 Comments Tagged Coffee, Food, Halloween, Random, Trader Joes, Vegan

• Traveling the World One Bite at a Time

  Posted at 7:20 AM by Brittany, on November 28, 2014

  I hope everyone woke up safely from their Thanksgiving day comas. I volunteered to sling coffee all morning to ensure maximum movement, which enabled me to eat all the food. I’ll spare you any photos and just tell you I’m still obsessed with squash.

  I made GF biscuits for the first time, and I ate so many I had my own turkey wattle.

  

  I did manage to get a run in after I worked the morning shift!

  After my encounter with these bark thins last week I decided to take a break from sweets for a whopping five days. It’s amazing how such a short time can help balance things back out. I was getting wayyy too comfortable eating all the chocolate.

  

  This leads me to the topic of this post. How freaking cute is this chocolate passport?! I’m seriously so obsessed I don’t even want to eat them!…but I will.

   

  

  I found these at Trader Joe’s last weekend while I was shopping to escape chemistry homework, I call it grocery store therapy. Each chocolate is from a different location, ranging from 60-73 percent dark chocolate. Bring on the antioxidants!

   

  

  I think my favorite part is the addition of an ideal pairing. I’m all about pairings and tastings as most of you know, so this tickled my fancy big time. Tickle tickle.

  This makes the perfect holiday gift for…yourself.

  

  One of these bars has an ideal pairing of a cappuccino, but I suspect all of them will be good with a coffee like Caffe Verona or Ethiopia. Both have strong cocoa notes.

  Speaking of coffee, I just realized it’s almost December and I never brought out my fall coffee mug. I rotate between 3-4 mugs throughout the year, and the beginning of fall means it’s time for my favorite pumpkin orange mug. Coffee is better in a good mug.

  

  27 days until Christmas…just thought you should know.

  Q: Are you a sucker for great marketing? Guilty as charged. 

  

  | 46 Comments Tagged Chocolate, Coffee, Starbucks, Trader Joes, Vegan

• A History of Memorable Events

  Posted at 3:49 AM by Brittany, on November 6, 2014

  – 1989: Shot into the world, or “birthed.”

  

  Note: I did not come out looking like this. I was 8 mo. here, and already loving everything Halloween.

  – 1991: Stepped on a giant slug, proceeding to give me a life long phobia. Real talk.

  – 1992: Had the best hair I’ll ever have, this cannot be repeated.

  

  – 1997: Became the coolest kid on the block with my authentic Japanese Pokemon cards. Thank you dad for living in Japan and sending me this gold.

  – 2000: Hit puberty, tried to fight it by wearing the same soccer shorts and Old Navy tech vest…everyday. This lost me my title of coolest kid on the block.

  I also had a hair cut like this for years…thanks mom.

  

  – 2004: Introduced myself to coffee at the orthodontist (totally ironic.) Put enough cream and sugar in my cup to give five people diabetes for life.

  – 2005: Got braces. This sparked my fascination of teeth.

  

  16 yr old black haired Brittany.

  – 2007: Became a carbotarian by giving up meat, but eating all things bread and chips.

  – 2009: Got a job at a smoothie shop and found my love for veggies, and wheat grass.

  

  – 2011: Started this blog, ran my first race, unleashed the (slow as molasses) beast, got a job at Trader Joe’s, and met a boy.

  – 2012: Gave up all animal products, and perfected the art of roasted vegetables. Ran my first half marathon through the happiest place on earth.

  

  – 2012: Sparked my insatiable appetite for cupcakes.

  – 2013: Had a life changing breakup with aforementioned boy, which taught me peace, patience, and balance. I’m now very (possibly too) comfortable being alone.

  

  Balance is bliss.

  – 2013: Got a job at Starbucks. Cracked out on coffee even more than at the orthodontist when I was 15. Discovered a new passion for the bean.

  – 2014: Fell in love with the mountains and with my life, despite my always changing path. Learned that change is constant and adaptation is key.

  

  – Yesterday: Reminded myself why I never wear LOOSE fitting cotton bottoms while running. Everything moves. Everything.

   Q: What was a memorable moment in time for you?

  

  | 64 Comments Tagged Mountain, Random, Running, Starbucks, Trader Joes, Vegan

• Not My “Standard” Deviation

  Posted at 3:43 AM by Brittany, on October 9, 2014

  My typical daily eats look a little something like this: nut buttes, fruits, veggies, nut butter, cayenne pepper, tempeh, beans, nut butter, cinnamon, and nut butter. Basically I eat the same foods day in and day out, and the only deviations I usually make are for treats. I like to think the wicked healthy diet I eat balances out the treats I allow myself once in a while.

  Sometimes my deviations take me away from my standard treats of just cupcakes and cookies. Sometimes I enjoy being wild. I’m not talking “see you on the 5 o’clock news” wild, I’m talking straying from my clean eats for season themed treats wild. When it’s fall and pumpkins are everywhere, I trip into the genius marketing traps faster than a mating rabbit.

  Let’s take a look at last weeks “pre long run” dessert of choice. FOUR pumpkin Joe-Joe’s, at least 2 tblsp cashew butter, and a solid serving of vanilla coconut ice cream. Twice…in two days.

  

  I thought I had it under control with the pumpkin themed treats by keeping it at one simple and happy box of cookies, but then I began to see pictures online of pumpkin this and pumpkin that…so after my 10 miler I went to Trader Joe’s…again.

  With a sweaty face, and a determined spirit this is what I walked out with…

  Breakfast Foods

  

  I use the term “breakfast food” loosely because I don’t actually eat these for breakfast. I need something of solid substance and these two just aren’t solid in my book. I used the cereal for multiple desserts, and the bagels for a snack. The cereal was good, but the bagels knocked my pants off. I’m talking clear across the room off. Topped w/cashew butter and cinnamon.

  If you take anything away from this post let it be this: get these bagels in your life right now. Don’t even look at the ingredient label, just put them in your cart.

  Snack Foods

  

  Fortunately for me, most of the snack items had dairy in them which made them easy to stay away from. These pita crisps however, did not. I basically had to wrestle my own arm to keep it out of the bag. This is not a safe scenario while driving. These.Are.Un.Real. Get them. Now.

  Dessert Foods

  Also known as, the most important meal of the day. As you already know I snagged a box of the pumpkin Joe-Joe’s, which took me all of two days to consume. I did have a little help. Those Joe-Joe’s were festive and fun, but Halloween would not be complete without at least one box of Halloween Joe-Joe’s, the one cookie I immediately turn into a 12 yr old child after purchasing.

  Plus, I can’t deviate toooo much from my standard treat “norm.”

  

  Fun Fact: This photo of Joe-Joe’s is from this post, where I first shared my love for pumpkin faced cookies as I finished my last week working at Trader Joe’s in 2012! I still miss that job…

  How about a recipe?!

  

  Pumpkin Pie Cereal Cluster

  • 2 cups Trader Joe’s “Joe-O’s”
  • 1/4 cup raw pumpkin seeds
  • 1/4 cup raw honey
  • 1/4 cup cashew butter
  • 1/4 cup pumpkin puree
  • 1/2 tblsp cinnamon

  1. Mix together cereal, pumpkin seeds, and cinnamon.
  2. Heat on low to combine honey, cashew butter, and pumpkin puree. Once smooth pour over cereal.
  3. Set in fridge for 10 minutes. Serves three-four.

  These were meant to be cereal bars, but didn’t hold together as well as I had hoped. The flavor was TOO GOOD not to share though, so make do with a cluster.

  There you have it, my version of “PUMPKIN EVERYTHING.” I’d also like to note I did purchase substantial food items too like all this squash, pounds of honeycrisp apples, enough vegetables to power a mini van, and enough beans to (gas) power a tiny home, but these are wayyy more fun.

  Q: Have you fallen prey to the pumpkin themed treats?? 

  

  | 48 Comments Tagged Garmin, Pumpkin, Recipe, Run, Trader Joes, Vegan

• Coffee Tasting for One

  Posted at 7:13 AM by Brittany, on October 6, 2014

  My life has been taken over by chemistry. If I’m not doing chemistry- I’m working. If I’m not working – I’m running. If I’m not running – I’m eating, and if I’m not eating – I’m sleeping. Catch my drift? It amazes me how I ever got through chemistry when I first started college a few years ago. Either I wasn’t dedicating enough time to the subject, or…no that’s about it.

  I am now spending HOURS on my homework everyday, and I am only taking one class!

  

  I found myself with a free afternoon last week and while I would have loved to be out exploring the mountains, time did not permit such an activity. Instead, I drove 40 minutes out of my way for a cup of coffee and some grocery shopping. Starbucks + Trader Joe’s = BlissfulBritt. <–corny.

  

  Trader Joe’s wooed me with its fall themed charm, and infamously cheap squash. Where else can you buy all that squash pictured above for $10? No where I tell you..a single honey crisp will cost you $3, and a spag squash of this size could easily cost $6 elsewhere. Joe-Joe’s are priceless…

  Conveniently tucked next door to this TJ’s is a Starbucks Reserve store. This is why I drove out of my way. Actually it’s the combination of the two stores, but this post has coffee in its title so I’ll focus on that. The Starbucks I work at is not a reserve store, so in order to enhance my coffee knowledge I like to try the rare coffees that these stores sell. Plus after 3 hours of straight chemistry I needed to study something I was actually passionate about.

  

  Unfortunately what I asked for is not what I got. Knowing very little about these coffees (precisely why I want to try them) I asked the barista working which of the five they offered had the most cocoa notes. What he gave me happened to be the complete opposite, but I drank it anyway. This is what I get for not doing my homework before I walked through the door. Lesson learned.
  

  I’m not a fan of “bright”/ highly acidic coffee’s, and this one was very citrus-y. I wouldn’t buy it again, but I took some notes to add to my memory bank, and now I know how to describe this blend. Mission accomplished. Coffee and squash made for the perfect afternoon.

  

  While at TJ’s I briefly (all of 3 seconds) contemplated purchasing their pumpkin spice coffee. I realized how absurd this would have been due to the fact that I have pounds and POUNDS of (free) coffee at home, and all I needed to do was add my own spices to my french press. This morning that is exactly what I did. I added 1/4 tsp of pumpkin pie spices and 1/4 tsp of cinnamon to 5.5tblsp (and about 24oz H2O) of the already subtlety spiced blend Komodo Dragon.

  Life is good.

  Q: Do you ever go out of your way for something you really want? Food and coffee usually warrant an adventure.

  

  | 46 Comments Tagged Coffee, Coffee Tasting, Starbucks, Trader Joes

• Green Mountain – Par Baked

  Posted at 7:56 AM by Brittany, on May 26, 2014

  I was a hiking machine this weekend. Between Saturday and Sunday I conquered 18 total miles of pure nature bliss. Hiking season is here.

  

  

  

  

  I just can’t get enough!

  Along the way I found Sasquatch.

  

  Ah, nope that’s just me. I assure you this balancing act was much harder than it looks. I debated walking across the log for a whole second and quickly shoved that idea south. I decided I wanted to live.

  

  

  Post Sat. hike I came home and made myself the most epic pizza. I had been craving pizza for WEEKS, and finally got around to “sorta” kinda making some. I say sorta because this was a “semi” homemade pizza.

  

  I usually like to make my dough from scratch, but I also like to try new things. I snagged this gluten free flatbread on my last trip to TJ’s and OH MY it was good! I was pleasantly surprised. I mentioned a while back that too much wheat causes my stomach to rebel, so I limit my intake on breads. Next time I’ll try making my own GF dough.

  

  Most people can’t live without cheese on their pizza, for me it’s potatoes. Two years ago (I love blogging because I can dig back in my archives for moments like this) I was introduced to potatoes on pizza and I never looked back…ever. I’ve had them on every pizza since.

  First time using sweet taters, and all I have to say is yes. Just yes. I baked my sweet potatoes, my beets, and my garlic in the oven before my hike to ensure they were ready when I came home ravenous.

  For this I just sliced them thin, wiped my pan with coconut oil, topped with a little sea salt and baked at 375 for about 45 min – an hour. The garlic will need to come out after about 20 minutes. I also cheated on this pizza and used a store bought sauce! All kinds of crazy over here.

  

  I am in love with these Bolani sauces!! They are amazing, and they are LEGIT using minimal ingredients. I love making my own sauces/pesto and as a vegan I usually have to, but these are a fun treat and I totally approve of the nutritional stats/ingredients.  Random Costco find!

  

  I could have definitely eaten two.

  

  Q: Who’s embracing the hiking season!?

  

  | 47 Comments Tagged Adventure, Hike, Hiking, Pizza, Recipe, Trader Joes, Vegan

• The Opening Shift

  Posted at 9:12 AM by Brittany, on October 3, 2013

  Once upon a time I worked at 4 am, every single day. I loved it. I miss it, and even talk about it at times to an annoying extent. “Ohh man I love getting up early, I used to work at 4 am every day so this is nothing.” This is usually when I get the, “I don’t give two hoots” glare. OK so at the time I would complain, but looking back my days were ideal.

  I finally got the opportunity to open at Starbucks and I loved it. I won’t get these shifts everyday, but once a week is a start! My internal clock decided to be a biatch and actually woke me up before my alarm. Instead of trying to sleep for 10 more minutes, I got up. I grabbed my head phones and spent some time with my coffee and NPR. I’m old.

  

  Please notice the time…I was already up for an hour.

  This article was SO interesting. Obviously the title is what caught my eye, but I was engrossed the entire time. AHH I miss working early mornings! I miss my old job…A LOT. I had a 5 miler scheduled after work and it was SO UNBELIEVABLY ROUGH! I was so tired, my body hurt, and I was hungry. I did find 10 cents though! CHA-CHING!

  

  I love getting paid to run.

  Not all runs are easy, and this has been a tough week in the running department. Hopefully next week I’ll be back to mentally running with wolverines. I’m also craving sugar like a pregnant woman craves pickles and peanut butter…together. I’ve cut down my sugar intake, and when I order a latte at work I make sure to only get an 8oz. ALL THE FOAM!

  

  Fun fact: I like to dip my food (bready goods-think PB&J or muffin/breakfast rolls) in my latte foam. SOOO legit. This ensures that no foam gets left behind. Mmmm foammmm.

  Lastly I’d like to publicly say hello to October. This is hands down my favorite month of the year and so far it has been going swimmingly. The rain has been lovely, the crisp air has been magical, and I’m ready to get crafty with some pumpkins!

  

  Q: Are you a morning bird, or a night owl? I slept in until 7:30 this morning after yesterdays long day. It was amazing. 

  

  | 59 Comments Tagged Garmin, Latte, Morning, Running, Starbucks, Trader Joes

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• Contact: blissfulbritt@yahoo.com

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