This morning Aidan announced that there was nothing to eat in this house. As we all know, that is crap. There’s always plenty of food in this house to eat. What he meant to say was that there were no convenient things to eat in this house.
There is a big difference between two statements. One requires effort. One does not. I guess when you are a teen you prefer the latter.
Nonetheless, he was sort of right. Everything in house is the “you’ve got to cook it” type of food. So, off to the grocery store I went.
My first stop was Trader Joe’s. My basil plant is still going gang busters, so I figured I’d make a late season pesto. I’ve switched to using sunflower seeds instead of pine nuts for my pesto due to how expensive pine nuts are.
But you’ll notice that there are pine nuts in my cart along with sunflower seeds. That’s because I use the pine nuts as a topping on my pesto now. That way we still get the pine nut taste without the ridiculous expense. A little bit of pine nut flavor goes a real long way.
Trader Joe’s had some good finds today. Have you tried their Ginger Cats Cookies For People? $2.89 per bucket, these cookies deliver a huge gingersnap taste for precious few calories. A great fall treat that won’t wreck havoc on your waistline.
And how about these brussel sprouts for $3.49 a stalk? You just can’t beat that price. I love brussel sprouts roasted in the oven with maple syrup and bacon. The only bummer is that Michael and I are the only people who appreciate brussel sprouts in our home. On the upside, we don’t have to share.
Let the angels sing. Our stores were out of Cookie Butter for months. Many months. Now that they’ve restocked the shelves, I’ve stocked up myself. If you haven’t had this before, it’s a mixture of gingerbread cookies and peanut butter.
Crazy awesome stuff that is highly addicting and a diet buster. It’s a good thing that Trader Joe’s runs out of this stuff quickly.
At Stop & Shop, I stocked up on chicken broth because there is an instant savings promotion going on right now. I go through a ton of broth throughout the winter.
I tossed in two pork shoulders for Sunday supper, apples that were .77/lb, day old bread for croutons, ribs for tonight’s supper, and Edy’s Pumpkin ice cream because it was the right thing to do. It goes with those gingerbread cookies from Trader Joe’s. A match made in heaven.
Everyone was pretty satisfied with my purchases except for the brussel sprouts. Those were greeted with animosity by most everyone except Michael. Like I said before, more for us.
How about you? What’s on your menu for this week? Have you tried the Trader Joe’s Cookie Butter? How about brussel sprouts? Are you a fan?
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Just made a note to hike over to Trader Joe’s (10 minute drive) and snag some of that Cookie Butter. Sounds delicious!
So worth the drive over. And lucky you that you live so close to a TJ! Mine is quite the hike!
I LOVE the Cookie Butter!!!! It tastes heavenly on an english muffin or crumpet. Trader Joes’s is on the other side of the bridge for me. We make the trek out every once in awhile and I try to stock up on my favorites. Their Blue Moon coffee is also excellent. As a coffee lover, I think you’d really enjoy it.
I’ll have to try that. I’m always up for trying new coffees. There are just so many awesome products in that store. I wish our stores carried their wine. No bargain wine for me.
I feel your pain as to ‘nothing to eat in the house’ syndrome. I’m sure the Cookie Butter and ice cream answered that question! I love roasted veggies so I think your maple syrup and bacon brussel sprouts sound marvelous. Just like zucchini and asparagus, roasted veggies are wonderful compared to their boiled counterparts.
Yes, roasted veggies are far more delicious than their boiled counterparts. And you really can’t go wrong with adding bacon to pretty much anything!
I am not a Brussels sprouts fan either although I did try them once when prepared by a “chef” and they were at least passable. I am writing, though, to say I had no idea that’s how they grew (on a stalk). Thanks for the “lesson.” c:
Isn’t it neat how they grow like that? I used to hate them myself, but then I learned the whole roasting technique. Now I’m a sprouts junkie. And they are good for you too!
I used to be the only one in my family of 5 that would eat Brussels sprouts but ever since I started roasted them instead of steaming, my family can’t get enough! It’s ok though, I love to hear the kids argue over who gets the last of the veggies.
I would love for my kids to fight over veggies. They might tug-o-war over potatoes or corn on the cob, but I consider those a starch more than a veggie. It’s the green stuff I’d like them to eat. You’re so lucky your kids will eat the sprouts roasted. I could dip them in chocolate and it wouldn’t change their minds. Except Michael of course.
My daughter, husband, and myself love, love, love brussel sprouts…so much in fact, this year they became part of our garden, and I am so very happy that we did it. You see that stock you purchased…I have 12 of them that I will be blanching and freezing these lovely little bits of delicious for future use. I plan to have some to last throughout the winter, and maybe some spring months because they are not ready until late September, even October depending on the area you reside. We did plant 18 plants, but only got veggies from 12 of the plants. Next year I plan on planting at least 24. In my book, it’s not a bad thing to have heaps upon heaps of brussel sprouts. Enjoy.
They must be so cool to watch grow. I hear that they aren’t easy to keep alive. Therefore, I’ll never attempt it. But kudos to you for growing so many plants. They are going to taste so good come February!
Mmmm! Brussel sprouts. Grew them in the garden one year. Hubby didn’t think we got enough to make it worthwhile, but we do love them. I’ll have to try roasting them. Could you post your recipe, please? I will try planting them again next year, but they are a cold crop so I will try starting them in doors, a lot earlier for our area.
I sure will post it. I need to get another stalk so I can take proper pictures. I’ll try to get it up by the end of the week.
By the way, I love the look on your husband’s face. Priceless!
We just got a trader joes! I would live a post on the must haves and why. Also, recipe for the Brussels sprouts pls!
Yup, the recipe will go up later this week. Seems like lots of people would like to learn how to roast them. TJ has so many great products. Any of their salsas, tapenades, and sauces are usually wonderful. I love their frozen brown rice that you can cook in the microwave. Their cookies and bars are reliably good. I like their peeled garlic cloves when I’m feeling lazy. All of their nuts that I’ve tried are cheap and yummy. I can’t really think of anything I’ve had that I didn’t like at that store!
Trader Joe’s has a chocolate bar stuffed with Cookie Butter near the register. Since you already have a couple jars
, I’d suggest grabbing a bar of chocolate and dipping it into Cookie Butter. You can thank me later.
Good grief I DID NOT NEED TO KNOW THAT!!!! Now I have to go back. Sigh. How did I miss that???
I always look at the clock when you post these. Did you shop for this on Sat or Sun? I refuse to head out at the crack of dawn for anything anymore ! Where I am now it is10:30. Youv’ve hit two stores and home !!
Chuckle, no. I’m not a morning person. I went shopping on Saturday and posted around 9:15 that night. Not sure why the time stamp is so wonky. Odd!
We love Trader Joe’s and I have never heard of Cookie Butter. This requires a trip!
So stinkin’ good. Just wait til you try it. Come back and tell me what you think!
i’ve never been in an area that has a trader joes so i’ve never tried anything of theirs. this week i’m looking at some new recipes but today is the favorite, spaghetti bread!
yummers 
Ooooh, what the heck is spaghetti bread? Do share! Carbaholics unite!
I LOVE Trader Joes. Cookie butter is definitely on my shopping list for my next trip! Sounds delightful!!
Make sure you grab that chocolate bar that I just learned is at the front of the store stuffed with Cookie Butter. If I’m going down, we are all going down hard together.
Can u share how you fix the brussel sprouts.. I have just recently tried them roasted with olive oil and salt, and that’s ok but yours sound scrumptious !!! Thanks!
Sure thing. I’m going to post it later this week complete with pictures on how to roast and sauce them.
I LOVE brussel sprouts. They’re one of my very favorite things. Roasted with a little olive oil and garlic. Delicious.
Agreed. I love them. I don’t understand why they have such a bad reputation. They sure do taste good when cooked properly.
Oh my oh my. I was headed to Trader Joes…I know have a new addiction. The cookie butter is out of this world! I am debating about hiding it. No reason for the kids to learn about this!! Thanks for the recommendation!!
I know, right?? Amazing stuff. Like Christmas and peanut butter mixed together and stuffed in a jar. I wonder how they came up with it. And yes. Hide it.
Unfortunately, the nearest Trader Joes is in Worcester about 50 minutes away.
Next time I go, I’ll have to check out that cookie butter! I’ve never seen that pumpkin ice cream either! Gotta put that on the list!
There’s a blogger that shared her roasted brussel sprout/butternut squash recipe on my blog a while back. I’m obsessed with it! http://www.makeaheadmealsforbusymoms.com/pancetta-sprouts-and-squash-holistic-recipe/
Most of the time, I leave out the pancetta, to make it a little healthier. It’s so good!
Did you post your brussel sprout recipe? I’d love to try it!
Thanks for sharing the recipe! I’ll definitely check it out! I love anything with pancetta. It’s not really that fattening since a little goes a long way. And yes, I’ll get that recipe up later this week. So yummy!
Does the pesto taste the same with sunflower seeds? Good idea! I need to try that!
Yes!!!! Tastes exactly the same. Just wait and see. You are going to save a lot of money switching over to sunflower seeds. Just make sure to buy the salted and roasted type.
We just got a Trader Joe’s and it is AWAYS PACKED -it must be the cookie butter! I too love Brussels Sprouts roasted in garlic – YUM!
Yup, it’s always packed. They do a swingin’ business. Their prices are pretty decent and the food is good quality. Hard to beat that combination!
I love tjs! I also love Biscoff (cookie butter is tjs version) but havent tried it yet from tjs! Odd! Walmart now carries Biscoff smooth and crunchy version…in case your tjs is ever out:)
LOVE the face in that photo! My son used to adore Brussel Sprouts but when we were at TJ’s on Saturday, I grabbed the same bunch you did and he gave the same face. ‘I don’t like those anymore Mom!’
Dang it.
Funny, was at TJ recently and saw the cookie butter for the first time, didn’t grab one as I’m loyal to the Biscoff spread. Did the happy dance when it came to the US, you should give it a try, you won’t be disappointed. They now sell the smooth version at Walmart, $3.78 a jar, cheapest price I have seen (they are in peanut butter aisle).
Will grab TJ’s version next time and compare them.
Cookie butter?!? That is just….so right in the world. : ) Too bad the nearest TJ’s is 13 hours away. Although hark! The angels proclaim one will be opening early 2013 that will only be 6 hours away! *sigh* Until then, I’ll have to cruise the net to find a recipe to make my own.
Big sprouts fans over here. And the kids LOVE to watch them grow in the garden. So bizarre.
Does Trader Joe’s cookie butter really contain peanut? The Biscoff is peanut free, as it is simply the ground cookies and binders. Just curious.