See...all it took was building a house in North Carolina to bring Trader Joe's to Orlando.

Maybe I don't shop there often enough because it's not close but I am not in love

There are several things I have gotten that I REALLY liked but I'm just sort of eh about it. It is not real close and it is located in one of the absolutely worst traffic nightmares in Nashville - in the heart of Green Hills. It's a nightmare no matter what time you go through there so I avoid it like the plague and TJ's hasn't enamored me enough to make me want to fight it.

 
You can't beat the prices on their bags of nuts or on the organic cereal. I love the Dijon mustard..

and the roasted peppers in jars.

The cheeses are OK for supermarket quality--not like going to a good cheese shop.

I like a lot of the snacks. --and chocolate.

 
I once spat out their fat-free split pea soup and the same for some cheap "simple times" beer

And there have been a lot of mediocre things I wouldn't buy again, but that's a pretty good record for a 30+ year relationship.

Tonight I cooked the legs and thighs from two of their free-range chickens along with fennel bulbs I was surprised to find there. They were featuring a French rose but after a taste I swtched to my house wine--their cheap D'aquino Pinot Grigio. The rose was only five dollars and it will make good vinegar.

 
In my experience, a lot of the stuff they sample is far from delicious. I've learned that

if I want to try something new to me, I take TJ's up on their policy to sample anything...including cheeses. If I don't end up buying the item, they sample it to other customers or the staff. And what pleases me the most is the enthusiasm where they say, "Sure! Let's try this." They don't bat an eye.

 
Lol on the soup. I had a box of Pacifico potato/leek soup in the pantry and thought it would make a

good lunch on a cold day last week. I've never sampled wallpaper paste, but I'm pretty sure that's what it tasted like. It went down the drain.

 
Where in NC will you be? My auntie lives on the coast - across the sound from the Outer Banks

and my cousins are in the Carey/Raleigh area, it's so pretty there!

They have fireflies in the summer. I have always wanted to see them (besides in Disneyland's Blue Bayou, that is.)

 
Amazing how quickly you became a southerner! : ) Rec: Magnolia's Grill Spicy Shrimp, sausage

and grits. LOVED magnolia grill in Durham. Lots of fun memories. I have never made it, but have fun, cherished memories of the restaurant and this dish. It was my favorite. dh just does not like grits, so I have not attempted them at home.
I hope the rec is as good as the restaurant served. It was yummy.

http://www.cookingindex.com/recipes/76455/magnolia-grills-spicy-shrimp-sausage-and-tasso-gravy-grit.htm

 
Part time...closer to the Smoky Mountains. May end up being a rental if costs keep increasing.

Childhood dream to have a house in the woods. Finally said "to hell with it," stopped worrying about getting laid off (which I have for the past 10 years! If it happens, it happens.) and went ahead with The Dream.

 
My parents lived part time in Florida. Rented their house for 6-8 months at a time.

For them, four or five months a year in Florida was plenty, and it was nice to get the rental income.

 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top