I HEART TRADER JOE'S

Once my friend Adrienne and and I drove up and down the New England states. It was a beautiful drive... but then there it was, smack-dab in the middle of New Hampshire - a Trader Joe's! This made an already wonderful road trip all the more perfect.

I can't remember what life was like before Trader Joe's and I can't imagine life without it. It is place where gastronomic dreams really do come true.

For me? It's the white chedder popcorn, the sea salt peta chips, the eggplant hummus, mushroom/artichoke dip, Trader O's cereal, the spicey black-bean dip, the organic marinara sauce, the white chedder mac & cheese, the spinach dip, the three layer pesto-sundried tomato-cream cheese dip, the duck paté, the white corn tortilla chips, the turkey stromboli, the veggie enchiladas, the salsa (in all degrees), tofutti cuties, the chococlate chip dunkers, the roasted pinolas, the world-mix nuts, the dried cranberrries, the salted cashew pieces, the mini toast crackers, mini oatmeal cookies, the fresh produce, the mango chutney, the mushroom brie, the veggie potstickers, the mudd pie, La Brea Bakery breads, the assorted meats and sea foods, the chocolate advent calendar, assorted pizzas, the turkey meatloaf, pumpkins in October, the mini rose bushes, the mini mushroom turnovers... all to name but a few.

History of...

Trader Joe's actually began in 1958 as a chain of convenience stores called "Pronto Markets” by Joe Coulombe, the original "Trader Joe," in the Los Angeles area. In response to increasing competition from 7-Eleven, he expanded the chain in 1967 to include gourmet foods at discount prices and changed the name to Trader Joe's.