Trader Joe's Tuesday

Non-GMO ingredients

 

this past election day Californians voted on Prop 37 .
and although we didn't get it passed it remains a big issue in my state and in my home. i just wanted to take a minute to point out that since 2001 Trader Joe's private label products have been made from non-GMO ingredients. you can read more about it here. and although i know there is some pressure to get them to take things a step further and label their food as non-GMO, as a mom, i'm just happy to know there is a one-stop-shopping place i can go to feed my daughter without thinking about genetically modified anything. because thinking about it is truly unappetizing

 

 

last week my husband was out of town so i kept the meals light.

cheese, crackers, a bottle glass of wine, and date night with @BravoAndy are all it takes to keep me happy. when my husband is home he generally prefers meat, vegetables, and some type of dessert.

 

 

caprese bites

 

i usually make these for a party. they're quick, easy, and just fancy enough

i had some mozzarella balls leftover from a dinner party so i made a few for myself in an effort to clean out the fridge. i used to go to the trouble of boiling down the balsamic vinegar to make a reduction until i found this balsamic glaze from Trader Joe's. i love this stuff. i didn't have basil on hand but i usually put pieces of basil between the tomatoes and the mozzarella balls

 

 

salt & vinegar chips and caramel corn

 

  these are my favorite chips right now. i know these are terrible for me but i can't stop eating them.

 i could eat salt&vinegar chips until my tongue is raw. and i'm guessing the empty bag of caramel corn tells you all you need to know. my only complaint? the bag is too small!

 

trader joe's coastal: sauvignon blanc

 

 

i love wine. my trader joe's wine guy likes to say

"wine is bottled poetry" -robert louis stevenson

and i agree

CJ and I used to have a condo in a part of downtown san diego called little italy. as you can imagine, it was heaven for a wino like me. and i'll admit that for a while there i got pretty snooty about my wines. i'm not sure if it's a result of moving to the 'burbs, or what, but these days i just like any wine with a screw top. i don't care if it's a $3 or $30 bottle so long as it's good

 i'm having a sauvignon blanc moment, so lately if i'm rushed to order at a restaurant i just blurt out "any sauvignon blanc from marlborough new zealand, please!" and as long as it's cold i know i'll like it. i'm also liking Martin Codax albarino right now, or any albarino for that matter. (but TJ's doesn't carry it so I'll save this conversation for another day...) i said all of that to say, this wine from TJ's is about $4 a bottle and i love it. my only complaint is that it doesn't have a screw top. if you like Cupcake Sauvignon Blanc, you'll like this. i like to stock up on this Trader Joe's Coastal line, in all varieties, and when i need a quick gift i just stick an Erin Condren gift label on the bottle and i'm good to go! as an added bonus when you stock up on wine for random acts of gift giving you'll find you have wine on hand when you randomly need for wine guzzling



wish my girls Lolo and Neah could have had a week long slumber party with me while CJ was out of town...next time ladies?! i have chicken in the crockpot as i type so we're back to our regularly scheduled meal planning around these parts. sadly, this means a whole lot more dishes 'round here