My Trader Joe's Favorites

Trader Joe's might be the most popular place to shop especially if you run in my circle of friends. Literally, any gathering is mainly a show and tell of who can find the best of the best Trader Joe's has to offer. Spinach dip? Cheese? Pastry puff wrapped hot dogs? Giant chocolate chip cookie? Mini tacos? We've had it all. It's true. Trader Joe's a complete treasure trove when it comes to food. There's always something new to discover or try. I try to be very strategic when it comes to shopping at Trader Joe's. Not because I'm afraid I'll miss something, but there's only so many crowded shopping trips I can handle. Seriously, you don't need to let your kid have their own little basket, let them put whatever they want in it, and then claim you're teaching them adult responsibility. But I digress.

Of course, I buy the usual things like greens, fruit, and even pasta. Although I have yet to try the famed bruschetta sauce. But there are a few things I love buying at Trader Joe's.

I heard about Everything But the Bagel seasoning blend via a food blogger trying it out on everything. Everything bagels are my favorite, but since I can't have them, this is the next best thing. You truly can put it on anything.

I always leave TJs with a box of tea. I obsessively drink one glass of green tea a day. This is my current favorite because it's not too minty. It has enough flavor without adding tea as recommended.

This is a party favorite. They claim it serves 10, but truly that's more like maybe 2 tops. I will say as delicious as this cookie is, following the box instructions is not recommended. You really have to use your pizza cookie senses to make the perfect warm, gooey dessert.

Bon Appetit claims this butter is just as good as real French butter, and I'm going to take their word for it. I love a good European butter on everything from simple toast to something complicated. But, let's be real I'm mostly eating it on toast.

Speculoos Cookie Butter is available in cookie form (which I think I mentioned before), but you might as well just get a jar and eat it with a spoon. Not that I do that...

This is truly the holy grail of cheese. Someone brought it to a sip and see a few months ago, and I have barely had another cheese since. It's always featured on homemade cheese boards and at parties. It's savory and has a deep flavor. It's great to just eat alone or with crackers. I have yet to try it on burgers which I hear is absolutely delicious.

Wine is one of my favorite things to purchase at TJs. There's always great tasting, budget-friendly wines. I don't think I've had one I didn't absolutely love. That said, these Simpler Brand wines in a can are actually pretty good. They are just $4 a box! The real selling point is how easy to transport they are which makes them easy to bring places where glass isn't normally allowed. They are great for pool season, picnics in the park, and we have even taken them to the movies.