One of the consolations of living in New Jersey is that I am privy to the mecca of shopping outlets that have previously been out of reach.

Growing up on and island where chains (aside from our one Stop&Shop and Cumberland Farms) were not allowed and you were separated from the retail world by 30 miles of ocean, I didn’t do a whole lot of shopping. Then, fast forward to life in Ithaca, NY where there are your fair share of shops (especially for me), but it’s not exactly a shopping destination. I lived in London and New York for brief periods, which was consumer sensory overload, but funds were usually quite tight because of the fact that they were London and New York.

So now I’m here. In the JerZ (we’re already on nickname terms) and I’m growing accustomed to the multitude of strip malls and abundance of things to purchase within them. Now I can choose between Wegman’s, Trader Joe’s and Whole Foods aka the wholly trinity of grocery goodness, whenever I want some grub. Let’s just say, as a person who suffers from crippling indecision over her Starbucks order I have what I believe the kids are calling it a serious “first world problem.”

So I’m starting a new feature called “5 Favorites” where I’ll feature 5 things from a particular place or in a particular category that I totally endorse and I believe you should check out (I mean, if you wanna). This could be from one store or brand, like Trader Joe’s or 5 separate brands of one particular item like sneakers or running gear. I’m leaving it pretty open so I can have some fun with it, and maybe if people are interested we can start a linkup because I’m always looking for recommendations (because as I mentioned I have a very difficult time choosing anything).

So drum roll…. We’ll start with:

5 Favorite Items from Trader Joe’s

It was difficult to narrow this down, because let’s face it, TJ’s is the bomb(dot)com and I love a lot of their shtuff, but I seem to get these things consistently and always thank myself when I do.

1.) Almond Butter: Creamy Unsalted Raw

It will come as no suprise to anyone who knows me or who reads this blog, but I do have a minor addiction to almond butter and I’m not sorry. Sorry PB fans, but once you go almond you don’t go back. I’ve tried their roasted and crunchy, salted and unsalted, and all are great, but this is the best. This is for long time AButtz lovers who are looking for the deep cuts, the most almondy of butters.

2.)MMMMMango: Unsulfered, Unsweetend

This is one of the products, that I seriously have to pace myself with because once a bag is opened, let’s just say I often ignore the suggested serving size. They’re great as sweet snack just try not to over do it like I do.

3.) Crystalized Candied Ginger

I love ginger. In all forms. Love the stuff. I see anything on a menu with ginger in it well it’s a big buzzword in my book and TJ’s has done an excellent job with their candied ginger. I often have it after a meal as a mini dessert, but like the mango pacing is something I need some help with.

4.) Pecan Pieces: Dry Roasted

Wholly yum Batman! I love sprinkling these ‘lil guys on salads and yogurts as a crunchy toasty addition. They take an average salad into the awesome category and the lil pieces help me not overdo it. I try to measure it out, but sometimes I get a bit handsy (I guess that’s a theme for these products).

5.) Roasted Coconut Chips

Basically the food equivalent of fairy dust. Sprinkle these guys on anything and wham bam it’s magically delicious (yes, way better than Lucky Charms here). I’m personally a lil kooky for coconut, so I like most coconut related foods, however I believe even the coco-haters would go weak at the knees for these lil crunchies. I put them on yogurt, over smoothies, in salads and yes, even right out the bag. #nomSo there ya have it, just 5 (out of about 1000) of my favorite products from Trader Joe’s.

Your Turn:

1. Do you shop at TJ’s?
2. If so what are your favorites? If not, where’s your favorite place to buy food?

 

 

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