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How to Make Easy Coleslaw

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Trader Joe's Shreadding Cabbage for Coleslaw

Trader Joe’s Shreadding Cabbage for Coleslaw

We enjoy coleslaw almost year round in Tucson. Maybe it is the heat (yes… very likely) but it could be because we just love all the contrasts: crunchy veggies and creamy sweet-tangy dressing.  And we also like how flexible the salad is (you could eat it regular style, or experiment with stuff like apples or celery – whatever you liked).

Shopping at Trader Joe’s makes it easy to love coleslaw. They have the cabbage already sliced up in the bag, ready for what every dressing you wish.

Also when you make the dressing from scratch yourself, you will be amazed at how wonderful it tastes and you will not have another bottle in the fridge with some half-used up dressing for who- know- how- long!  (Then you have to guess if it is still fresh?? Eeks! This stuff is so simple to make you will just love it.

Here is a recipe for an easy, basic, Coleslaw Dressing (all measurements are guessed as I was just tossing them in the bowl…. Sorry….)

Goodies from Trader Joe's

Goodies from Trader Joe’s

What you need (for the dressing):

  • 1Tablespoon sugar
  • ¼ cup apple cider vinegar
  • ½ cup mayo
  • celery seed (optional, but AWESOME)
  • Salt and pepper

1 bag shredded cabbage.

How to:

1. Add the sugar and the vinegar into a bowl and whisk together until the sugar dissolves, 1 minute. Then add the mayo and some salt and pepper. Whisk again until smooth and creamy.

Whisking the sugar and vinegar for a minute

Whisking the sugar and vinegar for a minute

Add mayo and whisk until smooth

Add mayo and whisk until smooth

2. Toss ¾ of the dressing with the cabbage in a large bowl.  Then see if you need more dressing for your taste. (I usually add all of it). Taste some cabbage and see if you need more salt or pepper.

WOW that is it!!  We like to make our Coleslaw up a few hours before we serve it, just to allow the flavors to blend together.

Variations:

  • Add a teaspoon (or more) of Trader Joe’s Taco seasoning for a SW coleslaw
  • Add grated apples or sliced celery to the cabbage
  • Add grated carrots or sliced sweet onions to cabbage for color and sweetness

We hope you enjoyed seeing how easy it is to make coleslaw from scratch- how do you like to eat coleslaw? Do you add any wild ingredients or are you a classic coleslaw person??

Leave us a comment below and tell all!

Nuts About Nuts at Trader Joe’s

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Trader Joe's Balpark Peanuts

Let’s be frank. We love nuts!

In fact, we love all kinds of nuts-all shapes and sizes. Trader Joe’s has helped with our nut love, or rather obsession,  with a great selection of nuts both toasted and raw as well as a pre-made nut and fruit snack mixes.

Two of our favorite nuts are the toasted pecan halves and the Ballpark peanuts.

First, we start with the pecans. Trader Joe’s sells pecan halves that are lightly toasted and salted and are great in a variety of recipes, or just in handfuls right out of the package.  We love to add these pecans to our morning oatmeal for a little crunch and an extra protein burst in the am. (See the post about out current breakfast at: https://www.livingtraderjoes.com/2010/02/02/breakfast-is-great-at-trader-joes/

Our second favorite nut is the Ballpark peanuts. These are the kind of peanuts that are cooked so that they have crunchy little bumps that appear on the surface of the nuts. They are crunch and lightly salted and make a wonderful snack at work with or without raisins and chocolate chips mix in…

Breakfast is GREAT at Trader Joe’s

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oatmeal, banana, pecans, maple syrup

We are addicted to our breakfast.

What is it you ask? What can be so good so early in the morning?  Wait for it… OATMEAL!

You can’t believe it can you??

Let us clarify. This is not just any oatmeal. This is organic, long cooking and hearty oatmeal that stays with you throughout the AM. This is the kind of oatmeal that cold cereals only dreams about becoming… This oatmeal is a star at the breakfast table.

OK maybe we are just getting carried away?

But we really do like this oatmeal. Because it is long cooking, sometimes we cook a batch the night before. Sometimes we cook up an even bigger batch for 2-3 mornings when there is NO extra time. Usually, we bring the oatmeal and water to a boil in the pan and then turn off the heat, and then go for our morning power walk. When we return, the oatmeal is nearly finished with only about 5 more minutes left to cook.

Then the real fun begins.

The toppings! What better way to keep your breakfast new and different then by changing up what you top it with? We have tried bananas and apples, raisins and dried cranberries an assortment of nuts, apple butter (WOW- just delish) and even granola (yes made from oats too) in a zillion combinations. What about whip cream and chocolate chips?

Right now for our breakfast we are serving up a most excellent batch of oatmeal topped with sliced banana, toasted pecans, blueberries and a swirl of maple syrup. Yum. If you have not tried a bowl of oatmeal in a while, we suggest you start. It is a great way to start a wintery morning when it is dark and cold, and we live in Tucson! Now just so we are clear here, this is not a Trader Joe’s brand, it is  a product that has the “Trader Joe’s seal of approval” and is sold in their stores. We also purchase all the wonderful toppings at our Trader Joe’s store as well.

Oh yeah…. want to know the secret to delicious oatmeal that we discovered in some cookbook, some show or on the Food Network?

Don’t stir it too much.

Really, just leave the oatmeal alone and “shake” the pan once or twice. OK… stir it quickly to make sure that it is not sticking on the bottom, but then stop and just swirl or “shake” the oatmeal around the pan. It is a myth that making oatmeal uses the same skills as making risotto. You do not need to stir it constantly. If you do, you only wind up with a gummy, pasty mess that no one wants for breakfast. When you “shake” or swirl the pan, the oatmeal grains are more separated and are still nutty.

Warning:  Go slowly when learning this technique, as we have spilled oatmeal on the stove a couple of times when we first started… Ugh….

Let us know if you have tried this oatmeal and how you like it. What toppings do you love on your oatmeal? Please leave your comments below and let us all know.

Have a great, OATMEAL start to your day!

oatmeal, pecans, bananas, blueberries