I'm in love with a guy named Joe!

[GingerPow]

Trader Joe, that is! DH and I took an hour and a half drive to Trader Joe's in search of the much-sought-after unsalted pistachios for biscotti.

That is one amazing store! All of you who have them nearby are probably asking yourselves, "Why is this person flipping out over a grocery store?" I have never seen anything like that around this area of mundane, run-of-the-mill supermarkets.

To have a veritable plethora of organic, high quality products at reasonable prices just sent me into a spin. My husband swore I started to jump up and down!

I found the most gorgeous assortment of nuts, figs, dates, dried cherries and cranberries, fish, breads, coffees and teas. My kitchen counters at this moment look like a horn of plenty spilled forth it's abundance. (Wow, she really is excited, isnt' she? :rolleyes: )
Our next stop was Whole Foods. I miss that store. There was a Whole Foods about 20 minutes from where I lived before moving here, oh how I miss it. Three more bags to bring home, more abundance spilling onto my countertops. --> :p = Life is Good <--

[generic]

I love Joe too! I want to marry him! I can't remember what my life was like before he came to town..... :D

[valchemist]

oh, I was sure you meant Healthy in MN. he is just dreamy. ;)

but seriously, check out his great blog if you haven't!

[dcollier]

GingerPow, I can relate! We moved to the mountains of Arkansas from Dallas seveal years ago. Talk about culture shock! I miss Whole Foods and Simon David and just having a variety of grocery stores. We have two -- Walmart and a small second one with a very limited inventory. I couldn't find votive candles last night! It's a trade off, though. I could never go back. We live in paradise.

[Peggy]

So am I but, unfortunately, ours has been a long-distance relationship. :( Until this month, the closest TJs was 2-1/2 to 3 hours drive away. This December, a new store opened 1-1/4 hours drive but that is still too far for me. I want one in my town!!!!

Peggy

[jenniferW]

I miss TJ's so much. Whenever my parents plan to come visit, the first thing they ask is what do you need from Trader Joe's. The closest store is 6 hours from here. I miss the flowers, wine and snackie stuff.

[GingerPow]

I love Joe too! I want to marry him! I can't remember what my life was like before he came to town..... :D
Oh yes, generic - I heard all about it. You and Joe takes long walks on the beach after grocery shopping! :D

[Ms. Chevious]

I love Joe, he makes me dinner almost every night! What a sweetie.

[Peweh]

OK well after reading the posts I can't complain my closest Joe's is 30-40 minutes away; still too far to regularly shop, for me; but when I can get there, I LOAD UP on cereal. DH is a cereal hound and seems to eat like 3 boxes a week of the stuff that costs 4+ dollars for small boxes... at TJs they're about $2.19!

Also LOVE their cheese selection, breads, flowers... guess I needn't rant to you guys as you already love it! I really can't believe how reasonable their prices are.

[generic]

Oh yes, generic - I heard all about it. You and Joe takes long walks on the beach after grocery shopping! :D
Yes, he's so romantic! He has great taste in wine, too. ;)


Val, Healthy in MN Joe is certainly a dreamboat (and a great cook!), but I think he's spoken for. Not to mention I'm almost old enough to be his mom. :p

[valchemist]

but I think he's spoken for.

I know. so am I. but still... :p

and, on the topic of this thread... I have never been to a TJ's in my life. or to a whole foods, for that matter.

[Franzia]

I'm afraid Joe quit liking me so much anymore! He quit carrying my kefir and yogurt. He quit carrying my orange juice and soy milk drink. He quit carrying my horseradish cheddar cheese - that was real bad. I have an extensive list of the things he quit carrying for me - Better Than Bouillon Beef is another biggy. It's depressing to try to list them...the last two have just about made my trip there just not even worth it. Those were first, my parrots ginger animal crackers - it's real bad when your most faithful companion all of a sudden doesn't get his absolutely favorite treat - and last and THE biggest - they changed their peanut butter to some god-awful thin stuff in a plastic jar - totally unacceptable and way below what used to be his standards - doesn’t even taste the same. It's not even remotely close to the quality peanut butter they've carried for years. I bought grosses of it and shipped it back home to Tennessee to my brother and sister - they shared it with friends and had just given their last away and asked me for more and I had to tell them that Joe's loosing his quality food and going for something that's such a poor and horribly unacceptable substitute. The peanut butter was worth it's weight in gold. They decided to quit at the one and only time I could not get there to re-stock when I got down to one unopened one on the shelf. If I only had one left unopened, I considered myself out.

I'm in Tucson. There used to be only one store here and it was on the east side. I'm in the northwest area and they 'finally' got one here. Now there’s like 4 more. The more stores they get, the lower the quality and variety of their products go. The ‘only-in-season’ currants haven't showed up at all this season... It’s another ‘oh, well’ I guess.

Moral of the story: if they're selling a product you really love, stock up because they'll quit stocking it sooner or later. If it's in the name of progress, the only thing progressing is their pocketbooks.

I'm in mourning and I wear black. I'm watching a quality store go the way of the others and stock cheaper, lower quality food. It's so sad that he got the big head and lowered his standards...

Franzia

[GingerPow]

Franzia, that is sad. Unfortunately, things change in some relationships.

He no longer brings you flowers, or the right kind of peanut butter. There are no more compliments on how you look, no more horseradish cheddar cheese.

Sometimes there is a disconnect, the withholding of emotions, the withholding of your parrot's ginger animal crackers. He may be jealous of your affection for your parrot.

Is it too late to suggest grocery therapy? In any case, I hope you can part as friends, and remember the good and "Better-Than-Buillion-Beef" times.

Don't be bitter, Franzia. There will come a day when the tears have stopped, then you'll look back and fondly remember a guy named Joe.

[vhoward]

Well, I am afraid I am having an affair w/ Joe as well. Unfortunately, there are none here in Texas. My parents have one somewhat near them in Ohio. Whenever I visit, I bribe them with dinner out if we can go to Joe's. I barely pack anything in my suitcase and my dad dutifully wraps all of the glass in bubble wrap for me to take back. Most of the time, my bag is so heavy that I cannot lift it into the overhead myself. Joe has seemed to forgotten about my facewash as they discontinued but I have forgiven him. I am currently in lust with the holiday coffee. I just asked my mom to send me a care package as I won't be spending the holidays with Joe. So sad...why is Texas not worthy of Joe?

[GingerPow]

Well, I am afraid I am having an affair w/ Joe as well. Unfortunately, there are none here in Texas. My parents have one somewhat near them in Ohio. Whenever I visit, I bribe them with dinner out if we can go to Joe's. I barely pack anything in my suitcase and my dad dutifully wraps all of the glass in bubble wrap for me to take back. Most of the time, my bag is so heavy that I cannot lift it into the overhead myself. Joe has seemed to forgotten about my facewash as they discontinued but I have forgiven him. I am currently in lust with the holiday coffee. I just asked my mom to send me a care package as I won't be spending the holidays with Joe. So sad...why is Texas not worthy of Joe?

Hhhmmm, sounds like you and Joe are having a long-distance relationship. Or in other terms "G.U" - Geographically Undesirable.

[lindrusso]

oh, I was sure you meant Healthy in MN. he is just dreamy. ;)

but seriously, check out his great blog if you haven't!

Hee, hee. I was thinking the same thing when I saw the name Joe. :)

[heavy hedonist]

My sisters from Buffalo Always stop in to see Joe when they're in town! I cannot live without the frozen grilled sweet peppers, the canned whole tomatoes w/basil, and the incredible cheeses at incredibly affordable prices.
I love him, and am happy to share him.

[Alleycat]

Joe and I get together often. I'm fortunate -- there is one 10 minutes from my office, and another 15 minutes from my house.

We rendevous regularly, and we fight when he stops giving me things I want. My frozen chicken eggrolls, for instance. And the blueberry muffin top cookies.

But he's been kind enough to introduce me to many new things, so I try to remember that he's just trying to keep our romance fresh and exciting!