When I went to the Bruce Springsteen concert in Buffalo, I knew that the trip would include a visit to Trader Joe’s.  A trip to Buffalo would simply not feel complete without stopping at a grocery store. (in my humble opinion)

I bought a mixture of old Trader Joe favourites and some new products that I’ve never bought before.

For example…these dried baby bananas caught my attention.

I have no idea what I will be doing with them but something tells me I will be incorporating them into a brunch dish one day soon!

Here’s what they look like on a plate. Can’t decide if it looks pretty or if it looks creepy!!

There was a section at the back of the store with a sign over it that said “new product”. How brilliant. I couldn’t resist buying these Preserved Lemon Slices even though I have no idea what I will be doing with them. But for $1.99 I couldn’t resist.

 I’m a huge fan of Trader Joe’s chocolate and this time I bought a PB & J chocolate bar.  As you can see from the photo, most of the bar is now gone. Why oh why did I only buy one bar?

I’m already looking forward to my next trip to Buffalo.

Website; www.traderjoes.com

Address: 1565 Niagara Falls Blvd, Buffalo, NY
Phone:+1 716-833-4687

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I recently hosted a chocolate and cheese fondue party. I usually host wine and cheese parties but seeing as it was held right before Valentine’s Day, I thought it would be a fun to involve some chocolate.

Here’s what was involved:

GUESTS: I invited 10 friends on a Sunday at 1 pm and the table looked like this.

MENU: Four brands of chocolate, party sandwiches, fruit, wine (and more wine), fondue, huge chunks of bread (from Blackbird Baking Co.), a few other snacks.

Let’s take a minute and talk about the chocolate that was served:

1. Green & Blacks. This chocolate company based out of the UK uses only organic ingredients to create great tasting chocolate. In 1994 their Mayan Gold bar became the first chocolate bar to be awarded the Fair-trade Mark by the Fair-trade Foundation in the U.K.

2 Sweets Canada Gourmet Chocolate Bars They are a new E-Tailer in town and sell a line of Premium Chocolate bars with pure Dried Edible Flowers Petals (how cool is that?)… like Rose, Jasmine, Lavender, Sunflower, Safflower, with Bits of Strawberry Matcha tea, Apricot, and Apples. Each bar is packed in the cutest burlap bag.

My guests also sampled their chocolate bars made with finest European chocolate added with Cashew, Ginger or Banana -Caramel and touch of Sea salt. I’m a flavour junkie so Sweets Canada really appealed to me.

Feel fee to head over to their website to learn more about gourmet chocolate bars from Sweets Canada.

3. Dufflet/Steam Whistle: I purchased this adorable tin while visiting the Steam Whistle Brewery. I just couldn’t resist the combination of beer/chocolate.

4. Trader Joe’s Dark Chocolate Bar with Caramel and Black Sea Salt: Every time I go to Trader Joe’s I seem to buy another chocolate bar! Adored the combo of the caramel and the sea salt.

Conclusion: The party was a huge success and as always, I look forward to hosting more parties in the future.

Disclosure: I was compensated and/or given product however all opinions are my own.

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I’m a sucker for new product. I don’t know how this happened to me but it’s hard for me to pass new products on the shelf. Take for example..this product: Gaylea Coconut Whipped Cream. Did I need it? NO. Did I buy it? YES. I have to admit that the words “Lactose Free” really appealed to me as well as the three letter word “NEW”. LOL. Please don’t judge me!

I was also intrigued by the  new IOGO Moment yogurt! This new product is creamy, creamy, creamy. No need for dessert after a meal. Seriously.

c) This package of lentils  (from Trader Joe’s) which is conveniently PREPARED for you is nothing but brilliant. I chopped up some orange pepper, some onion and then sprinkled some feta on top of it. A perfect side dish with some salmon. Don’t you think? ps huge thanks to my cousin for introducing me to this product.

d) Pringles are also hanging out in my kitchen. They have a clever campaign going on at the moment: To Dip or Not to Dip. Plus the NEW Pringles are now made of hearty corn, instead of potato and the thicker cut tortilla chip makes it easier than ever to dive into a bowl of your favorite dip. Follow the discussion re: To Dip or Not to Dip on facebook or Twitter #PringlesDipBate

What’s hanging out in your kitchen? Do share…..

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Trader Joe’s recently opened in Buffalo!!  This is great news for foodies like me. Naturally I had to stop enroute back to Toronto from Greenwich Conn last week.

I’ve been a fan of Trader Joe’s ever since I went to visit their store in Detroit. Lot’s of amazing products with pretty good prices too. Definitely not your average grocery store.

When you walk into the new Buffalo location, you are greeted by this mascot!!

Then the fun begins as you walk thru the aisles looking for goodies to buy!! Here are a few items that went into my grocery cart.

1. Ginger Miso Broth: at $1.99 a box! So I bought two. The other night I used it and now I’m kicking myself that I didn’t buy 6. Arghhhh.

2. Dried Kimchi: Haven’t tried it yet but it intrigued me.

3. Milk Chocolate Covered Toffee Popcorn: I served this the other night with on a cheese platter and they were inhaled.

4. Speculoos Cookie Butter: Described as “A deliciously unusual spread reminiscnet of gingerbread and made with crushed biscuits”  I spread some of this on a cracker and even though it was sweet – I enjoyed it. Basically, I’m a sucker for anything with the word gingerbread in it.

5. Soap. ..that’s right..Soap!!  I bought one bottle on my last trip to Trader Joe’s in May and this time I bought 3 bottles. I’m getting smart!!

Definitely worth visiting!!

For More Information:

Trader Joe’s (Amherst) 1565 Niagara Falls Blvd. 716 833 4687

Hours : Monday to Sunday 8 am to 9 pm.

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I’ve just returned from a trip to Hartford Connecticut. I had the chance to hang out my amazing cousins at a bar mitzva AND I had  a chance to visit Trader Joe’s. The last time I went to a Trader Joe’s was in March 2012 while visiting Detroit.  Go figger that this is how I like to spend my spare time while visiting a city I have never been to!

Here’s a sample of my purchases:

–Shelf Stable Whipping Cream ($1.29) – Never know when I might need Whipping Cream last minute, right? Can’t wait to do a taste test and compare this product to refrigerated whipped cream. Stay tuned.

–Trader Joe’s Guacamole Kit: I coudn’t buy this kit due to restrictions about bringing in veggies over the border. But, don’t you think this is a brilliant idea? This contains all the ingredients you would need to make fresh guacamole. LOVE IT.

–Trader Joe’s Chile Spiced Mango:  ($1.99) I have no idea what I want to do with it but I know that I haven’t seen this type of dried fruit in Toronto. Right?

–Trader Joe’s Savoury Popcorn. ($1.99) This totally appealed to me as I’m all about flavour. Can’t wait to try it.

More items that I bought included: Beer $1.50 a bottle, a super amazing kitchen towel ($3.99), Tomato Basil Pasta Sauce $1.99, Crunchy Curls ($2.69), Chocolate bars (99 cents), Cheese and More. My bill was $81.44 to be exact. …so trust me, I did OK.

After my visit to Trader Joe’s, I sat at the pool at the Ramada to enjoy some sunshine. Also wanted to share with you that I purchased my hotel night using Hotwire and selected the Secret Hotel Optionl. I’ve done this only once before and had such a great experience that I did it again. Did I score? You Bet.  I scored a 3.5 star hotel in DOWNTOWN Hartford with a $63 a night room rate. #happiness

Next weekend: I’m off to Ottawa  to:

a) Celebrate Mother’s Day with my mom

b) See the Tulip Festival

c) Hang out at the Ottawa Farmer’s Market  on Sunday.

Can’t wait. So much to see – so little time!

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I took advantage of the clear skies and the holiday Monday to go to Buffalo. It was time for some good old fashioned RETAIL THERAPY.

My definition of retail therapy combines my love of two stores in Buffalo: Target  and Wegmans. I actually spent just as much money at the grocer store as I did at Target. The customs guy thought I was crazy to go to Buffalo for TWO stores. Ps he didn’t pull me over even though I spent more than what I was suppose to when you visit for FOUR hours.

Here’s what I bought at Wegmans. (it’s all about the food – not the shoes I bought – hee hee).

1 Lesser Evil Brand Chia Crisps…Baked Crunchy Black Bean Chips. I picked out the Zesty-fresh, herb infused CRUNCHY DILL PICKLE because that’s my favorite flavor! (how did they know).

I opened up the bag (even though they are a gift for my friend) to sample a few. A “few” turned into a “few dozens”. I LOVE them and now I’m kicking myself that I only bought one bag! Story of my life.

Let’s review what’s in these chips: Omega 3’s (ALA), Powerful Antioxidants, EC Free, Good Source of Fiber and 4 g of protein per serving. Take a look at all the info thats on the back of the bag!!

2. Prometheus Springs Lychee Wasabi Capsaicin Spiced Elixir. Once again – opened it up when I got back to Toronto and the stuff is WICKED. It’s USDA organic and kosher! Whats in it: Filtered water, organic evaporated cane juice, organic lemon juice concentrate, natural lychee wasabi flavor, sea salt, capsaicin extract. Would love for some bartender to create a cocktail with this stuff!

3. Siggi’s Icelandic Sytle Skyr – 0% milk fat, strained non fat yogurt. Again – all natural, milk from grass fed cows, no aspartame, no sucralose, no gelatin, no artificial colorings, no preservatives, no high fructose corn syrup. YUM.

3. Lord Nut Levington Rebel Mary Peanuts (spicy bloody mary). Had to buy this and guess what? Scored once again. Will be serving this the next time friends come by for drinks.

5.. This item I bought at the DOLLAR TREE  – Tasty Tortilla Non Stick Steel Tortilla Pan. Not that I NEED this but it was A DOLLAR. How could I not buy it? Will let you know if it works in a future blog post k?

It certainly was a great trip to Buffalo. Naturally I will be going back soon as I’ve heard rumours that Trader Joes is opening in Buffalo. Too excited for words.

Road trip anyone?

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Visiting a Trader Joe’s was on my bucket list for 2012 but I’m proud to say that as of last week, I can now tick it off. I finally went to a Trader Joe’s on my visit to Detroit last week.

I will repeat this story again because I think it’s the coolest story ever: When I was in Trader Joe’s, I approached a random sales person to guide me around the aisles and said: “Hi I’m a food blogger from Toronto” and he replied “Are you Mom Who Runs? we have been chatting on twitter”. Naturally we became fast friends, cameras were whipped out and photos were taken of me and @JoeFoodie.

Here’s what I bought:

Item #1:

Buy Me. I did.

This chocolate bar was 99 cents. Thats right..99 cents. I bought 4 of them and should have bought a dozen!

It was NUTS how good these taste!!

Items #2 and Item #3: Marcona Almonds with Rosemary and Rosemary Pecans and Cranberries, that are too good to describe, so I won’t.

More Goodness

More items: @JoeFoodie suggested I buy these Chocolate Vanilla Bean Cookies and he was bang on with this suggestion. Definitely not an Oreo. As for the Gorgonzola crackers…I bought them because one of my facebook friends told me to buy them. (I’m easily convinced…can you tell?)

chips and beer - the best combo

@JoeFoodie suggested I buy these quinoa and black bean tortilla chips plus these beers. Again – I’m kicking myself that I didn’t buy more.

This happens every time I shop in the States…I simply don’t buy enough!! Why can’t I get it right?

The good news: I will just have to return to Trader Joe’s. I hear they are opening up on in Rochester so perhaps it’s time to eat my way thru Rochester. Road trip anyone?

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I’ve finally crossed another item off my Bucket list. This past week, I went to Detroit so I could finally visit a Trader Joes. That’s right – I had never been to a Trader Joe’s. I travelled to Detroit with my foodie friend @pronosher, who didn’t mind joining me so we could “eat our way thru Detroit”

Here’s a break down of Day 1 in Detroit.

9:00 a.m to 1:oo pm – travelled to Detroit. Quick check-in to the Hilton Garden Inn in downtown Detroit.

1:30 -2:00 p.m. – visited “GreekTown” which was a lot smaller than what we expected. Sadly we didn’t discover anything particular unique.

2:30 – 3:30 pm. – dropped into Honey Bee Supermarket which is in Mexcian Town and not to far from downtown. I scored. I found spiced cajun boiled peanuts and scooped up a variety of other goodies as well. Thanks to @theChefUpstairs for recommending that we visit this unique supermarket.

Hard to find this..so I bought 6 cans

4:00 – 4:30 – a quick visit to Taqueria Mi Pueblo. We knew we scored when we discovered we were the only caucasians in the restaurant. Inhaled a taco and tried hard not to eat the complimentary nachos and salsa. Operative words: Tried Hard. By the way, we went to this restaurant as a result of talking to a random stranger at Honey Bee Supermarket.

perfect taco

5:00 – 6:00 p.m. – took advantage of happy hour  at Roast so I could sample a variety of local Michigan Beer and eat Brussel Sprouts (thanks to @clickflickca for this recommendation). I sampled the following beers: Great Lakes Burning River Pale Ale, Jolly Pumpkin Bam Beer, Founders Brewery Dirty Bastard, Shorts Brewery Co Uncle Steves Dry Stout. Sadly no room to try one of their desserts that really appealed to me. Think: Beer and Pretzels.

7:00 p.m – Trekked out to  Cadieux Cafe to take a peek at “feather bowling”. This establishment is the only one in NORTH AMERICA that has this sport. Pretty Cool. It was worth the trek.

7:30 – 8:30 p.m. This was the highlight of my day…..We went to Trader Joe‘s. But the visit got really interesting, when I introduced myself to a sales person. I said  – “Hi Im a food blogger from Toronto and I’m wondering if someone could take me around the store to show me interesting items”…he then replies “are you momwhoruns? we have been chatting on Twitter”. How totally cool is that? I mean..what are the chances!! We took photos and then @JoeFoodie walked thru the aisles suggesting items I should buy. (which I did…LOL). I will blog about my “Trader Joe’s” products in another blog post. Promise.

@momwhoruns with @joefoodie

9:00 p.m. Went to Slows as I had read that it was a really popular spot. It was true. We were pretty lucky to have found 2 spots at the bar otherwise it was going to be a 45 minute wait. I tried the split pea and okra fritters and loved the fact that you could see chunks of okra in this dish. Certainly not something I could find in Toronto.  I also shared a Rogue Chipolte Ale, which I’ve had before but hadn’t had it in years, so I was thrilled.

a unique dish.

10:00 p.m  We stumbled across Sugar House as we were walking back to the car. I was too full to consume one of their craft cocktails but @pronosher managed to drink a beautiful cocktail. This place reminded me of Bar Chef – great atmosphere and sophisticated unusual cocktails.

11:00 p.m – Finally back to the Hilton Garden Inn in Downtown Detroit so I could collapse into this ergonomical Mirra Chair designed by Herman Miller to write a blog post. I not only loved this chair but was delighted to stay in this hotel due to the great location and the amazing service. Plus there was a fridge in the room and not a mini bar – perfect for foodies.

Nothing beats a good chair at the end of the day!!

To Be Continued…..

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