Monday, November 11, 2013

Trader Joe's: Exemplary Customer Service

As I sit here at another favorite specialty foods store of mine working away, I think about what I did not receive a great amount of, when I shopped here today - exemplary customer service.  Even though Trader Joe's has only been open in town for less than 2 weeks, I have already been spoiled and it is not just because they are a new store in town either.  Like I said in my previous post - that I grew up shopping at a Trader Joe's - and have always experienced exemplary customer service at their stores.  Now, I think people are flocking to the new Trader Joe's in town not only for the great prices, but to get a whiff of their exemplary customer service!  It is so awesome to walk into a place and be greeted by employees, have employees willing to help and actually have a majority of the registers open!  I have been spoiled myself and have chosen to do most of my shopping at Trader Joe's now and will probably never set foot inside a Walmart ever again.  Many of you may live in an area where Walmart has exemplary customer service, but where I live, it is like pulling teeth to even get an ounce of good customer service, so when I did shop there, I had to look around for cashier I remembered to have good customer service...sad, right?

Anyway, Trader Joe's has been welcomed here with open arms and I am so happy they are here.  I will probably be back there again later this afternoon after I pick up my little girl from school.  I thank them for bringing the joy back into shopping again!



Happy Shopping,

~ Trader Joe’s Shopaholic ~  





  

 When I am not shopping at Trader Joe's, I am shopping for great deals at Vitacost.com

Vitacost.com

Saturday, November 9, 2013

Trader Joe's: Fall Food Favorites

My favorite part about the Fall season are of course, the Fall foods.  During my last shopping trip to Trader Joe's, I found myself amidst the beautiful colors of Fall!  I searched the store in hopes to find some things I could label as my "fall food favorites".

Pumpkin Macarons 

I love are macarons...not to be mistaken with macaroons (I do like those also).  Unfortunately, I have never worked up the courage to make macarons myself because from all of the preparation demonstrations I have watched, it all looks far too complex make plus I do not have a stand-alone mixer, which all the demos used.  I am not a baker, so I was never interested in trying to make macaron from scratch and risk completely destroying the end product and the money I paid for the ingredients would all go down the drain!  For those of you that have never had a macaron, I describe them as a light, chewy cookie sandwich with very similar properties to a meringue cookie that comes in many different flavors to choose from.  I do not eat them regularly because they are quite pricey and are only sold in specialty stores.  Fortunately, Trader Joe's sells some Pumpkin Macarons for a great price (and are probably seasonal): $4.99 per box of 12 (in the frozen section) as opposed to $1.99 - $2.50 per piece at high-end bakeries/stores.  Now, I love anything pumpkin, but I was still unbiased, when I tried these macarons because after all, I still love a good macaron.  I will let someone know if it was good or not, even if it was a favorite flavor of mine.  After the first couple of bites of the Pumpkin Macaron from Trader Joe's, I was hooked!!  I immediately knew that I was going to have to serve these for Thanksgiving dessert.  It is like a piece of pumpkin pie heaven in a delightfully delectable cookie !  Are you interested, too?  They are delicious and even more awesome if you are a pumpkin-lover...here is what you will need to look them for during your next Trader Joe's visit.


























Persimmons

I grew up eating persimmons and I truly love them, so I was excited to see them at Trader Joe's for a very reasonable price = $.69 each.  When completely ripened, eat them right away - persimmons are delightfully sweet.  My mom used to make cakes and breads with persimmons, but I did not appreciate them until I was in my adulthood.  During my childhood, persimmons were just too sophisticated for my taste; however, my daughter (who has a very sophisticated palate) had one for the first time from the batch I bought from Trader Joe's and she, too, enjoyed them!  I cut them into eighths and she at them just like she would orange slices with a rind on them.  If you can get your hands on some persimmons from Trader Joe's, you will be in for and treat!  They are delicious and seasonal, so act fast...they will not be around for long; they are a Fall fruit!


Happy Harvest!!

~ Trader Joe’s Shopaholic ~
 

Friday, November 8, 2013

Trader Joe's = Awesome Prices

The one thing I have constantly heard, since Trader Joe's opened in my area is that the prices on food have been great compared to other area food retailers.  Being a Trader Joe's shopper most of my life, I agree with that a 110%.  Their prices are awesome and it has always been a pleasant shopping experience for me and my husband.  If you have never been to a Trader Joe's, get ready for an amazingly unique shopping experience.  Friends who have never been asked me what Trader Joe's is all about.  I cannot explain it...you just need to go and experience it for yourself.  It truly is a store not like any other.  The store is not huge, but you will find something that you like or will find something you have never tried and will want to try.  

Why shop at Trader Joe's for your family?  You can get nutritious, delicious and unique foods for your family at the fraction of the cost.  This has been the first time I have shopped at Trader Joe's as a family of three; it always used to be my husband and I that shopped there before our little girl was born.  Before I go into sharing any of my food finds, I want to share with you that I was able to shop for my family of three for $115.00 for 2-weeks worth of food.  From fresh produce, meats, poultry, frozen fruits/veggies, dairy and some fun foods...we are set for the next 2-weeks.  I will still go into the store during the week to look for some fun finds or re-stock on some things like kale and spinach that go quickly in my household.  

Here is a photo from my recent family shopping trip...






 













When I am not shopping at Trader Joe's, I am shopping at Vitacost for more great deals.

Vitacost.com

Happy Shopping!


Trader Joe’s Shopaholic