Trader Joe's

Trader Joe's is an amazing place. If you have never been, you must. When one came to my area years ago, I assumed it was yet another over-priced gourmet store. Produce is pricey there, but the rest is a bargain compared to other grocery stores around me. It is *heaven* for people who just want, say, unsweetened unsulfured apricots. Favorite items there include the tubs of lavendar salt scrub, freeze-dried strawberries, tamari roasted almonds, chili-lime cashews, dried chicken bits with no preservatives for the dogs, Lara bars (raw, vegan bars made of nuts, fruits, and spices), and frozen fruit. Most of my weekday eating is done in the car or out of a briefcase, so protein-packed non-perishables are a must.

The service, too, is great: every single clerk will reel off recipes and give opinions if asked, and they all seem genuinely happy to be there and get patrons interested in new and different foods. Ask nicely, and they will phone you when they get a new shipment of gazpacho. My favorite TJ treat is a pina colada smoothie: frozen chunks of sweet pineapple, soy milk, and a spoonful of coconut sorbet. Addicting. And the $4 "Two Buck Chuck" rivals libations that retail for five times the cost.

My only criticism is that the place encourages hoarding: it seems the best stuff is only stocked for a year or so. I've searched high and low for chunks of dried rhubarb sweetened with strawberry juice for about six years now.

Can you tell I am excited about my Friday grocery trip?