Trader Joe’s Fall Haul

I haven’t been to Trader Joe’s since before the pandemic began. I know. 😯 We are still limiting our trips as much as possible, to avoid unnecessary stops, and since I can’t usually buy everything we need for a couple of weeks at a time at TJ’s alone, we usually end up making one stop at HyVee or Fareway, where we can get everything we need at once.

But, this past weekend, we needed some fresh produce, and we were out near Trader Joe’s for an appointment anyway, so I suggested we go there for the produce, and also because I knew they’d have alllllll the fall goodies out.

And while I do totally appreciate their mitigation efforts in limiting the number of people in the store at once, I was not prepared to find this situation when we arrived… 😫

Fortunately, we were a bit early for the appointment we were headed to, so we had time to kill anyway, otherwise I would not likely have waited out this line. While we inched our way closer for a good 30 minutes before our turn, I resolved that I’d stock up on all the fall favorites, because I probably won’t be back for awhile.

Our Haul

Maple & Sea Salt Kettle Corn

I had this last year, and was quick to bring home a second bag this year. When we pop our own fresh popcorn, I like to mix in just a handful of this, rather than butter. Mixing the two popcorns creates that delicious sweet/salty combo that is so good, and since the bowl is primarily just plain unsalted popcorn, it’s a better snack healthwise.

Organic Canned Pumpkin

I have some pumpkin recipes on my to-do list, so I grabbed TJ’s organic canned pumpkin.

Maple Almonds

My husband likes to have a snack on hand for nights when he works late at the hospital. TJ’s discontinued his favorite cinnamon almonds last year, so he spotted these and thought he’d give them a try.

Dark Chocolate Covered Cherries

Dark chocolate over chewy dried cherries? Yes, please. This is a great combo when you need just a little bite of chocolate.

Parmesan Crisps

These are destined for a charcuterie tray soon.

Jasmine Rice

I needed some rice for making another batch of my Meal Prep Burrito Bowls, as well as one of our favorite quick meals– Easy Burrito Bowls. Jasmine rice is my favorite for dishes like that. It has just the right amount of stickiness without being too starchy, and a little bit of a nutty flavor that I like.

Vegetable Chips

These vegetable chips are so good. They are a blend of root vegetables (sweet potato, taro, batata, parsnip). What the heck even is a batata? I had to look it up. It’s a white sweet potatoe native to South and Central America. So now we know.

Cauliflower & Swiss Egg Fritatta

These little fritattas make a yummy breakfast, or even a quick lunch. It is super easy to just pop one in a container and heat it up at work.

No Bake Nut Butter Bar Mix

These are new to me, and I’m excited to give them a try! I thought they might be a quick and easy variation on my Easy Energy Bites, for a portable breakfast or snack.

Roasted Frozen Corn

I like to keep this roasted frozen corn in my freezer. It comes in handy for making a batch of my Meal Prep Burrito Bowls, and also for our favorite Hot & Cheesy Corn Dip. The corn dip is on the menu for sometime soon, after a sweet reader recently commented that she had made it for her family multiple times already and everyone loved it. Happy Hour at Home is overdue around here, and this dip will be the main attraction. 😜

Pumpkin Spice Batons

My daughter recommended these, so I picked some up. They go great with a cup of coffee for just a tiny bit of pumpkin spice happiness.

Cinnamon Bun Spread

I saw this and immediately thought my hubs would love it. He’s a cinnamonaholic. We plan to try it swirled in some oatmeal, or spread on an English Muffin. Has anyone else tried this? If so, I’d love to hear what other ideas you have for using it!

Cheesy Spaghetti Squash Casserole

This is another recommendation from my daughter. She said it was fabulous, so of course I had to get one. I like to have items like these in the freezer for a quick side dish for dinner, maybe with some roasted or grilled meat.

Lemony Arugula Basil Salad Kit

Salad is what originally sent me into Trader Joe’s in the first place, and I ended up with this one. I was not disappointed. It was excellent and a nice change from the typical salad kits found at other stores.

Mini Colored Carrots

I spied these while I was browsing for salad and couldn’t resist. Aren’t they so cute? I plan to just drizzle them with a little olive oil and roast them for a quicky and healthy side dish.

Dried Wheat Stems

And finally, I bought these dried wheat accent pieces for a new fall floral arrangement I’m making in another of my antique stoneware crocks. Watch for that post as part of my Fall Front Entryway contribution to the DIY Blog Hop coming up this Sunday!

What have you been buying at TJ’s lately? It may be awhile before I get there again, but what do I need to be on the lookout for when I go? Holiday goodies will be coming out soon! Hit me with all your suggestions and I will get a list started. 😃