A few months ago I moved from Calgary Alberta Canada to
Baytown Texas and, getting mail is one of my new found love affairs. I was
recently visited by my mother who after coming to Texas flew to California, the
following week I got a parcel in the mail of food from Trader Joe’s! Trader
Joe’s was started in California and is a specialty grocery store with a range
of unusual products, it just so happens to be my favorite place to shop when I
visit California.
I took a picture of what she sent so you have an idea for
yourself.
Top to bottom:
Earl Gray tea, instant coffee, turkey jerky, buffalo jerky, pineapple chips, freeze dried strawberries, freeze dried grapes, chocolate covered sunflower seeds, english toffee, clover honey, Panda black licorice, Marcona almonds with rosemary, dried mango and pistachio nuts.
One of my favorite things in this package is freeze-dried
strawberries, sliced pieces of strawberries that have all the moisture removed
without sacrificing taste. The bag contains 12 ounces of fruit yet the package
is as light as air, I find this technology fascinating not to mention
delicious. Another thing I like about Trader Joe’s is the limited about of
ingredients they have in many of their products, the strawberries for instance
only have one ingredient. FREEZE DRIED STRAWBERRIES!
I would prefer to eat more foods with less ingredients but
living on a college budget does not exactly facilitate 100% natural, organic, homegrown
meals. That being said, I make small choices when shopping to eat healthy
without spending large amounts of money. I always buy whole wheat over white
breads and pasta, and very rarely eat pre cooked meals like Lean Cuisine and other frozen food products. I like to cook so for
me making dinner is not a chore; dinner is a relaxing time where I get to experiment
with new foods such as, the roasted Marcona Almonds with Rosemary that also
came in my parcel.
Here’s a link to Trader Joe’s website if you are at all
curious.
http://www.traderjoes.com/index.asp
