Two reason (only two) to like Trader Joe's

Blair P. Houghton said:

And, at $8.50/lb, these are now cheaper at retail than strip steaks, which show up in the
supermarkets for well over $9 during the phony beef shortage.

$8.50 a pound? Show off food, who'd you impress the checker making a menial wage? Still tasted good
after you burned it? Are we supposed to be impressed? "Go to trader joes burn the food and it still
tastes great!"

In Cal. Charles Shaw is $1.99/btl.

Blair P. Houghton said:

First, Charles Shaw, the $3 wine that my ex-grilf's mother absolutely loves, so she gets a full
case of it for xmas, and it costs me less than $40. (Don't ask; it's complicated.)

Second, they sell these preseasoned frozen lamb rib-racks that are beyond easy to cook and beyond
delicious to eat.

I had one a year or so ago and loved it, but never bothered to go back to TJ's to get one because
I find everything else there overpriced or mendaciously marketed [censored]. (Honestly, "organic" is not
a synonym for "good" and usually means "substandard quality but you won't get exposed to chemicals
that 6 billion other people survive for decades"😉.

So I was there on my viniferous errand last week, and I saw this rack o' lamb in the freezer bin,
and it found its way into my cart. (I do know how that works; neurons and myelin and muscular
contraction and all.)

I had it today. Even better than last time.

I grilled it. Maybe a little too much. I did it for the recommended 7 minutes per side, and of
course the heavy crusting of herbs and spices on the outside burned up. But when I scraped the
black stuff off, I realized it was only the coating, and the meat was glistening and maillarded to
perfection. And since the thing had lived in that spice for a couple of months or so, it wouldn't
matter a bit if it wasn't there when I ate it. The time was a tad long, I fear, because instead of
medium-rare it was closer to medium-well, but it was still super-moist, almost fork tender, and
tasted fantastic. Almost no gamy overtones.

And, at $8.50/lb, these are now cheaper at retail than strip steaks, which show up in the
supermarkets for well over $9 during the phony beef shortage.

I'll probably be into this again. Especially if I uncork that extra bottle of Charles Shaw cab
that I got to try and find out it's great for a $3 wine and want a case for my own damnable self.

--Blair "I got the chard, too. Full report to follow. Pardon the
pun."

"TonyP" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
"]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Blair P. Houghton said:

And, at $8.50/lb, these are now cheaper at retail than strip steaks, which show up in the
supermarkets for well over $9 during the phony beef shortage.

$8.50 a pound? Show off food, who'd you impress the checker making a menial wage? Still tasted
good after you burned it? Are we supposed to be impressed? "Go to trader joes burn the food and it
still tastes great!"

If all the TJ customers avoided buying higher priced items so as not to offend the checkers, there
would be a lot of ex-TJ checkers earning no wages.

"Kent H." <[email hidden]> wrote in message
"]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

In Cal. Charles Shaw is $1.99/btl.

In Ohio there is a minimum mark-up at each step in the distribution channel for wine and spirits. By
the time "two buck Chuck" reaches the check-out it is about $4. Due to recent sales tax changes
(precipitated by the State's budget crisis), retailers are unable to give the traditional 10% case
discount, taking away any financial incentive to purchase an entire case.

"Sam D." <[email hidden]> wrote in message SNIP

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

$8.50 a pound? Show off food, who'd you impress the checker making a menial wage? Still tasted
good after you burned it? Are we supposed to be impressed? "Go to trader joes burn the food and
it still tastes great!"

If all the TJ customers avoided buying higher priced items so as not to offend the checkers, there
would be a lot of ex-TJ checkers earning no wages.

Frankly, when I go grocery shopping, MY budget is what I think about, not that of the checker. I buy
what I want and need, and I've never yet had a TJ's checker or for that matter, any OTHER grocery
clerk, scowl at me or look hurt regarding the contents of my shopping basket. Not to sound hard
hearted, but I go to a grocery store to buy _groceries_, not to worry about the checker's feelings.
Okay, they work hard for the money, but I work hard for mine, too.

I go to TJ's for a lot of different things--I can buy a bag of Basmati Rice for 2.00--considerably
less than at the other grocery store I go to. They also have better, cheaper packaged pasta, and I
used TJ's olive oil and balsamic vinegar in my cooking regularly. I like their ready to eat salads,
especially since I've been keeping away from fast food restaurants like McDonalds and Jack in the
Box etc etc. I'm also a sucker for TJ's English Toffee, and some of the cookie varieties they have
on sale, although I try not to buy them too often. My cat loves the white cheddar cheese popcorn--
she'd climb me to get to it. I can also get a six pack of San Pellegrino Aranciata (Italian Orange
soda) for $2.99, which is a very good price, as I've seen single serving bottles of the stuff sell
for more than a dollar each. Unlike most American orange sodas, it's not too sweet.

Melissa

Three: best price for Just Cranberry and Just Cherry juice Four: only place I can get Earth Balance
shortening, much better in a side by side I did with Crisco (for pie crusts). Five: only place I've
found with that non alcoholic beer no one can guess is such....blanking on name.

Kent H. said:

In Cal. Charles Shaw is $1.99/btl.

It costs a buck To put on a truck.

--Blair "Nor are we lax Collecting tax."

On Mon, 15 Dec 2003 10:43:26 GMT, "Kent H." <[email hidden]>
arranged random neurons, so they looked like this:

Quoted message said:

In Cal. Charles Shaw is $1.99/btl.

I don't know about the reds, but the Two Buck Chuck chardonnay is absolute swill. I tried it for a
lark - figured it'd be awful. It was. Not much of an investment to satisfy my curiosity.

Cannot beat Beringer's 2001 Founder's Estate chard when it's on sale at $6.99, IMHO. (Beverages and
More at Fashion Island in Newport Beach CA.)

Terry "Squeaks" Pulliam Burd AAC(F)BV66.0748.CA

"If the soup had been as hot as the claret, if the claret had been as old as the bird, and if the
bird's breasts had been as full as the waitress', it would have been a very good dinner." Anonymous.

To reply, remove "gotcha"

Blair said:

First, Charles Shaw, the $3 wine that my ex-grilf's mother absolutely loves, so she gets a full
case of it for xmas, and it costs me less than $40.

Jeez, inflation has gotten REALLY bad. When I was in San Diego in June I bought two cases @
$1.99/bottle at the Carmel Mt. Ranch TJ's.

And if you can only find TWO things to like, you're not looking hard enough.

gloria p

Melissa Houle said:

Frankly, when I go grocery shopping, MY budget is what I think about, not that of the checker. I
buy what I want and need, and I've never yet had a TJ's checker or for that matter, any OTHER
grocery clerk, scowl at me or look hurt regarding the contents of my shopping basket. Not to sound
hard hearted, but I go to a grocery store to buy _groceries_, not to worry about the checker's
feelings. Okay, they work hard for the money, but I work hard for mine, too.

I agree. Than again, I have never had anyone at Trader Joe's scoff at my purchases. The staff there
are always kind and helpful. One of my favorite items from TJ's is their frozen meatballs. For $2.99
you get a package of 12 decent size meatballs. When I am in a rush to make dinner, I pop four of
those meatballs in a pan and slowly simmer them in a can of diced tomatoes with their juice. Combine
with a little pasta and I have a delicious meal and inexpensive meal.