Trader Joe’s Fall Spree

Lately, Iโ€™ve become captivated by the seasonal pumpkin craze and canโ€™t figure out why these various scents and spices have suddenly captured my attention. Itโ€™s not a flavor Iโ€™ve ever focused on before and have never tried a “pumpkin spice latte”, but no matter, Iโ€™ve taken to popping into Trader Joeโ€™s every other week just to peruse the shelves for their latest stash of goodies.

The Pumpkin Bread & Muffin Mix is something I canโ€™t wait to try. This weekend the temps will be cooling down and I wonโ€™t mind turning on the oven to bake a loaf of bread. This Pumpkin Biscotti is fantastic with an espresso for an afternoon pickup.

I canโ€™t stop snacking on these Organic Corn Chip Dippers with guacamole, onion-dip or salsa. The Caramelized Onion goats milk cheese is perfect mixed with sour cream, a dash of black salt and pepper to make a delicious onion dip.

Iโ€™ve mixed the Pomegranate Juice concentrate with sparkling water and it was wonderfully refreshing. And very soon will add a few splashes to Prosecco for a seasonal Mimosa. This morning, I made French Toast using the Pumpkin Brioche Twist and will be making it again for breakfast tomorrow โ€ฆโ€ฆ. delicious!!!

Stay stylish,
Kathleen

Trader Joeโ€™s to the Rescue

On a recent flight across country our stewardess sauntered down the aisle to bring a veritable fare of stale pretzels and bottled waterโ€ฆโ€ฆyum, which I might add was not satisfying. ย Iโ€™ve always been the one who has snacks tucked away in a tote when traveling, until two weeks ago, when suddenly my brother turned and asked, โ€œwhere are the snacksโ€? I couldnโ€™t believe I was without โ€ฆ right there on the plane! I wanted to hide, and couldn’t believe I left home without treats. The only thing that kept us going was knowing upon landing, we would have margaritas and shrimp/fish tacos from โ€œPink Tacoโ€.

>> These “trail mix” crackers are a must, made with raisins, cheese, cashews and mung beans- perfect for that 10:00 AM snack at work. >> The cashews, fig cookies, and olive & herb mixed nuts are perfect for lunches during a busy work week or weekend snacks. >> Veggies with lemons and limes. >> Ciabatta and boules- breads for weeknight dinners or lunches. The Thai Shrimp dumplings and Kung Pao chicken are a perfect quick meal after a hard day at work.

The thing about traversing the neighborhoods of Los Angeles are seeing a plethora of Trader Joeโ€™s on every other corner. I was thrilled upon entering the store when a salesperson approached and suggested trying the “trail mix” crackers. These tasty crisp have raisins, mung beans and cashews. I purchased a few bags for the return flight, and couldn’t wait to hit our neighborhood store the following week.

I’m already planning for our next trip to purchase a few seasonal treats that are always delicious and fun.

Travel stylishly,
Kathleen