Trader Joe’s Guide To Summer

/2 Comments/in /by

We had a pleasant surprise today when we went shopping at Trader Joe’s in Tucson: The Trader Joe’s Guide to Summer has arrived! See it here on the web at www.traderjoes.com

This June version of the Fearless Flyer is a trimmed down summer version, that includes a unique multiple folding system that took me a little time to figure out! I kept trying to make it into the  Fearless Flyer book, and instead this booklet was one long page folded up about 4 times.

Eeks! More Coffee!!

Anyway, this Guide to Summer illustrates a few of Trader Joe’s more Summer Friendly items. These include items to grill, snack on and drink to stay cool.

One item that we have to mention (as we have already finished off our first cup!) is the Avocado Salsa Verde. This is a wonderful “vibrant” (their wording here) tomatillo salsa verde (green salsa). It first caught our eye in the sample area, as they were combining the salsa with the Red, White and Blue Tortilla chips!

We both just loved the salsa- it was cool and had large chunks of avocado in it. At first it seemed to be very mild, but then … the heat (medium) came a few seconds later.

We brought this Avocado Salsa Verde home and enjoyed the salsa with eggs and tortillas – a sorta Ranchero dinner.

Another way to serve the Avocado Salsa Verde is the way they fixed the sample at Trader Joe’s: with tiny shrimp chopped and mixed in. This became a kind of mock Seviche (you know that fish dish that you sometimes see in Mexican Restaurants).

This brings me back to the Summer Guide. Pick up a copy today – in it you will find some great new products to help you stay cool this summer!

Trader Joe’s Wine: Chariot Gypsy, 2007

/2 Comments/in , /by

A wine moment with Delaina…the sipping continues….

This wine moment features the red wine Chariot Gypsy 2007. Chariot’s Gypsy comes out of Jim Neal Wines in St Helena, California. This red wine is complex and smooth, but with enough playfulness to drink on summer evening.

Now remember, we live in Tucson Arizona so a summer evening for us means that we are inside with the air conditioner running… and staying cool.

The label does not describe the wine’s flavors for you, other then to note the obvious, “Red Wine”.  I am always intrigued by wines that say “Red Wine” or “Table Wine” (the latter is usual for Italian wines). So I thought perhaps the winery from California wanted the Chariot Gypsy to be California’s “table wine.”

So you have only my taste buds to describe this wine for you. The bouquet to me is a mixture of lavender and cherries. The flavor I would say matches the smell.  It is what I would imagine drinking summer would be like in a vineyard.

Yeah…  I do know this sounds ‘cheesy.’ But hey speaking of cheese, this wine would pair nicely with a number of different cheeses. For example, try smoked Gouda, or even a creamy plain and simple cheese like Monterey Jack. We love to serve a selection of cheeses and fun crackers with wine for an appetizer.

If you were thinking about a full dinner paring, then I can tell you that this wine also pairs nicely with a salad and gnocchi tossed in garlic butter.

Either way, bon appétit! And I hope you enjoy drinking yummy wines during the summer nights to come.

Have you tried this wine? Take a moment to leave a comment if you like… we can compare wine tasting notes….

Cheers!

Delaina

Vita Mix: Strawberry Banana Smoothie

/1 Comment/in , , , /by

We mentioned how the Vita Mix blender makes making smoothie drinks so easy, right? Well we are at it again, with a new, classic smoothie flavor: Strawberry Banana.

Click HERE to Get FREE shipping on your Vitamix

We noticed these wonderful strawberries the last time we were at Trader Joe’s. They were plump and full of flavor. They were so good that our Trader Joe’s store was using them in the morning sample 🙂  Yeah! We tried some wonderful muffin pieces as well, but seriously the strawberries were simply fabulous.

Vita Mix Super 5000 in Action

Vita Mix Super 5000 in Action


Like we noted, many times you see great looking fruit in stores, but when you go to eat it, the fruit is watery or just lacking in flavor.  Well, not these strawberries, that is for sure.

So into the Vita Mix they went! We popped a banana, some of the strawberries and used almond milk as the “creamy” part. We even added a few ice cubes to this smoothie just to add some extra coolness to the drink.

Because the strawberries were soo sweet we did not need to add any honey to this drink, we just poured it out- and enjoyed!

Vita Mix Smoothie: Strawberry & Banana

Vita Mix Smoothie: Strawberry & Banana

Have you checked out the Vita-Mix yet?  This super blender might be just what you need to reach your health goals. Take a look today….

Click HERE to Get FREE shipping on your Vitamix

Do you have a Vita Mix blender? What are your favorite items to make in yours? Please take a minute to leave us a comment – even if it is just to say hello, we love to hear from our readers.

Trader Joe’s Sparkling Clementine Soda

/1 Comment/in , /by
Trader Joe's Clementine Sparkler

Trader Joe's Clementine Sparkler

This is a delicious and refreshing soda to try on a hot day this summer. We are hitting 100 degree now on a regular basis here in Tucson (the norm for the first part of June) and so we are looking to try new, cool items when we brave the heat and go shopping at Trader Joe’s.

This product recently caught our eye on our recent visit and in the pages of the May, 2010 Fearless Flyer.

In the Fearless Flyer, the headline for this product –on the front page no less- read: Oh My Darlin’ This Clementine Sparkles! And for some strange, unknown reason, that title just caught our eye.

Now to be frank, we both love orange sodas, but find it a bit too sweet and bubbly for drinking on a regular basis.  This product solves our orange soda hang-ups by not being soo sweet, actually containing real fruit juice (an amazing 84% juice) and by being lightly carbonated. WOW you can’t get much better than that!

We were laughing and saying how much this drink reminds us of a Buck’s Fizz (Champaign and orange juice) but naturally without the “kick”.

BUT, along those lines, it would be a wonderful new item for a brunch- light and tasty and it looks beautiful in a glass.

Glass of Trader Joe's Clementine Sparkler

Glass of Trader Joe's Clementine Sparkler

Have you tried the Sparkling Clementine soda yet?  Please leave us a comment to tell us what you thought…