Best Grocery Items to get at Trader Joe's (from $1.79 and up)

Hi Everyone!

Happy Monday. Hope everyone had a phenomenal weekend. My weekend was amazing. As planned, I attended my first blogger conference, SoFabU, here in New York City and I was blown away with everything I learned as well as all the amazing bloggers I met. The experience was truly awesome. I look forward to sharing a review of the event in an upcoming post. Please stay tuned for that! I am so glad I attended.

In other news, today I want to share some tips on the best (and most affordable) grocery items you can get at Trader Joe's. This was inspired by a recent visit and based on purchases I have made over the years as well as my overall experience.

Hopefully you have a location near you that allows you to benefit from all the amazing deal the place can offer. If you've never heard of Trader Joe's, the best way I can describe it is as a "much more affordable" version of Whole Foods. You can find organic/all natural products at incredible prices. Whenever people tell me eating well is too expensive I direct their attention to places like TJs. Even if you pay I bit more, your health is worth it, right?

So, without further 'ado, here are some of the best Items I have purchased at the best prices (these items are staples on my grocery list and I pick them up pretty much every time I visit a Trader Joes):

Under $2.00 ($)

Cereal Fig Bars $1.99 

TJs Organic Unsweetened soy milk $1.79

Cinnamon Raisin English Muffins $1.79

World’s Puffiest White Cheddar $1.99

1 Lb bag of yellow Lemons $1.49

Abuelita’s Corn Tortilla $1.99

Three-pack chocolate bars 72% chocolate $1.79

Frozen Fruit Strawberries $1.79

Frozen Brussels Sprouts $1.19

$3.99 and Under ($$)

Organic Broccoli florets’ (frozen) $2.49

Red Seedless Grapes $2.99

Crunchy Peanut Butter with Flax seed $2.99

Sliced Roasted Turkey $3.29

Organic Cinnamon spice oatmeal $3.49

1 LB Cherries $3.99

Frozen Blueberries $2.49

TJs Chicken Sausage 4-pack

Sliced Mozzarella $3.99

“Splurges/Necessary pleasures” $7.99 and Up ($$$)

Organic Sweet Potatoes (3Lb) $4.49

Crunchy Unsalted Almond Butter $7.99

Bouquet of 1 dozen Flowers $7.99

So necessary for my apartment <3 Love having flowers around.

Yes, almond butter cost and arm an a leg but is sooo worth it. Wouldn't you agree?

Awesome go-to as a side for my dinners. I make them mashed, bakes, roasted, and the list goes on. 

[edited to add: had to remove the printable list. Having issues with google docs. sorry to my readers]

Hope you enjoyed this post!

Tell Me- What is the BEST thing you've ever gotten at Trader Joes?

Love,
Mabelle

How Trader Joes solves my dinner problems almost every time

Ok Trader Joes is going to have to start paying me commission for mentioning them so much on the blog. If you were wondering what was my favorite supermarket, well, secret is out!

I love to cook. My favorite meal of the day to cook is breakfast (specially when I have time to do so like on weekends) and my second favorite has to be dinner and I like to mix things up a bit. Sometimes when I am running low on ingredients or run out all together, I have to get creative. Tonight was one of those nights.

I eat vegetables almost every single night (yes, I am one of those weird people that actually likes to "indulge" in broccoli, mixed veggies, and Brussels sprouts). I only had a very small stalk of broccoli left so I decided to do some sort of "stir fry" with mushrooms, garlic, and onions. I steamed the broccoli first before mixing it all together. I seasoned it all with these two amazing powders:

Obviously that was just the "side". Here is where TJs really saved me. I steamed up one of these delicious Cheese & Green Chile tamales:

...and I was pretty much set:

Perfectly delicious and wholesome dinner for a long day! Now I am indulging on some fruit, tea, watching The View on my Roku and blogging for a bit. Hows your night going?

Tell me, Have you ever tried real Mexican tamales?

A quick, wholesome, delicious dinner using Trader Joes Sweet Apple Chicken Sausages

Whenever I am in the mood for something quick yet healthy and wholesome; Trader Joes sausages are my go-to. I got home from work trying to figure out what to make for dinner and this was absolutely perfect. All you need:

...well, this a a few more ingredients.

-Garlic & Onions to taste
-Oregano and curry powder (or any other kind of seasonings you may have around)
-Coconut oil (you can substitute w/ olive oil or oil-spray)
-1 chicken sausage per person
-Slices mushrooms
-Broccoli & mixed veggies

Heat up some coconut oil in a pan, in medium heat (I use about 1/2 tablespoon as it its just for me)
Once the oil is warm, add the onions and garlic, raise the heat enough to caramelize them. If you have some oregano and curry powder, add some to taste.

Once that process is completed, turn down heat back to medium and add the chicken sausage and sliced mushrooms. Cover it and lets it "simmer". Keep an eye on it to make sure nothing burns and everything remains "juicy". {Note: the TJs sausages are already cooked, as per the label. You simply want to make sure you heat them up well enough. No one wants to eat frozen meat.)

While you are waiting on the sausage to heat up, place your veggies in a steamer (if you have one) and steam away.

After about 15-20 mins or so, and once you notice the sausage has heated up well and the mushrooms have cooked as well, slice the sausage in multiple pieces and mix together with the onion and garlic thats already in the pan (similar to a "stir fry).

Check on your veggies-- are they nice and steamed?

FINAL STEP--  Mix up the veggies and the sausage 'stir fry' in one single bowl. Add some cheese on top if you have some on your fridge (I used feta).

Heat up a delicious tortilla and eat it on the side. I found this during my recent visit to Trader Joes and I think I discovered a new favorite:

...And thats all ladies and gents. Hope you liked it. For "dessert" i had a couple of tangerines and may have some dark chocolate later. But this dinner always hits the spot.

Whats your favorite quick and healthy dinner to make?

My Happy Places (Part 3) {and a life lesson}

Hey all!

Hope everyone had a great weekend. New York City woke up to a whole lot of snow and ice this morning. Thankfully I work from home during the day, hence, I was able to stay indoors. I did step outside to try and clean off my car and heat it up for a bit. Unfortunately I wasn't able to get it out of the snow just yet. Will try again tonight. Pray for me!

So anyways, I am here to share with you all another one of my happy places. If you missed parts I and II of this series see below.

Happy Places Part 2

Happy Places Part 1

This weekend I was feeling a little bummed out about a particular situation. Instead spending the weekend in depression mode, I decided to get it together and took a very productive trip to my local Trader Joes. I have to drive about 20 minutes from my apartment to get there so I don't really go often. I do, however, compile a list of "Trader Joe Favorites" which I add to as the days, weeks and months go by. I wasn't able to get everything that I needed, specially almond butter. I was a little bummed out about it (peanut butter it is, until further notice). But here is what I did get:

One huge life lesson I have been learning during the past several months is that we cant always control what people will do or life randomness. However, we always have control over how we feel about things. I used to think the saying was so "cliche" and would even get annoyed whenever I would hear it or see it posted somewhere.

However, I have realized the truth behind that and the immense power we all have to take control of our emotions and subsequently change our state of mind and situations. It is definitely not an easy automatic thing to choose to be optimistic, we have to work at it. But guess what-- I rather work at being optimistic and grateful rather than let my mind take over and make me miserable and depressed. What would you choose?

How about we take it one day at the time. Happiness always returns.

Thank you for reading!

Tell me, what is your favorite item to get a Trader Joes?

Fortunate Friday {Good Friday Edition}

Hello dear friends!

It is good Friday today. To all of my dear Catholics out there, a day to reflect and to be thankful for everything that the one up above did and does for us. I am missing my mom as she is out of the country visiting her family. We would go to church every good Friday and take part in all of the activities.  I may have to do that on my own this weekend. My grandma is having a family dinner this evening so, looking forward to that.

I took today off from work to catch up on school work and to at least enjoy one day from my so called "spring break" without having to rush around and just to find some time to relax.

I woke up super late today catching up on sleep and then enjoyed a yummy breakfast.

In addition to the above noted "tasks" my apartment is in some serious need of deep cleaning and I may also go grocery shopping. I also woke up with the strange urge to purchase new sheets, a new comforter, new underwear, new everything! I may even paint my apartment (having painted it since I moved there over 2 years ago!).

 I've also been on some serious need of getting a bookshelf for the gazillion books I have at my place but I am not sure if that will take place today. I am just excited to "revive"  my apartment. and myself. :)

Will keep you all updated, of course.

Without further 'ado here is what I am feeling fortunate for this week:

1. God's unconditional love in my life and the feeling that I know for a fact he is always looking out for me. I cant explain it but when things are chaotic in my life and then when they finally fall in to place {sometimes miraculously} things make perfect sense and I cant attribute that to anyone else but the one up above! 

2. Co-workers that become amazing friends-- Not sure how this happened but I have become very close with one of my co-workers whom is fairly new. She has been such an amazing support system and I just feel so positive and optimistic around her. That's when you know you've met a good person!

3. Uplifting radio shows that motivate me-- I listen to a motivational show on Spanish radio which always manages to put a smile on my face. Do you listen to any uplifting shows?

4. The courage to talk to one of my managers about something (will share the topic on a post coming soon).

5. Finally finding Almond Butter!! (Quick Trip to Trader Joes)-- I made a gazillion trips to the whole food by my job with no lunch and yesterday I finally found my beloved almond butter during a trip to TJs! I also picked up a few staple items.

6. The time I've had to reflect on my experiences and getting to know myself better (does that process ever end?)

7. Optimism towards the future, finally feeling good again.

8. Things finally making sense, and self-forgiveness!

9. The courage to be more open on the blog (super freeing!)

As you may all have heard, one of the best known authors of the world, Gabriel Garcia Marquez, passed a way yesterday. I read several of his books growing up and I was very, very saddened by the news. I dedicate today's 'quote of the week' to one of his best sayings:

"What matters in life is not what happens to you but what you remember and how you remember it". GGM

Tell me,
1. Do you listen to any uplifting shows or podcasts? Please share!
2. Any plans for the weekend?

January Goal Review: How did I do?!

Hey everyone! Happy Saturday! I had quite the eventful day. I went to lunch with a very good friend of mine. We met up at California Kitchen and I had the most amazing Cobb Salad with house ranch dressing on the side (used very sparingly).

After a very nice lunch and an amazing time catching up I decided to do some shopping. My goal was just maybe an hour or two but that turned in to about 5 hours where I visited:

• Walmart
• Target
• Trader Joes
• The Container Store

I had to take advantage because most of the stores are no where near my apartment (I was about 20-25 miles away from home). So, believe me! I had a blast. Specially at Walmart  I think I stocked up on enough house cleaning products and snacks to last me for the rest of the year!

So anyways, without further ado I'd like to get to the point of the post which is my January Goals Review. If you missed the very first post of the year you can check it out here. These were my target goals:

1. Read an entire book of choice. January's Selection: Aleph By Paulo Coelho

I finished the book in about 2 weeks in to the month. Although the book was quite good and included several "inspirational- follow your dreams" quotes, which are almost in every Coelho's book--- I still find that the Alchemist is his best work to date. 

Aleph is written as non-fiction and is actually Coelho's personal account of a trip he made
with his writing team while crossing the Trans-Siberian railway (a very, very long and adventurous train ride from Europe to Russia). I wont tell you much in case you want to read it but he shares multiple adventures where the main character is a stalker fan which he allows to join him on the trip. 

Like I mentioned, the book is filled with amazing quotes. Here are a few of my favorites:

"When faced by any loss, there’s no point in trying to recover what has been, it’s best to take advantage of the large space that opens up before us and fill it with something new." -Aleph, Paulo Coelho

"Don’t be intimidated by other people’s opinions.  Only mediocrity is sure of itself, so take risks and do what you really want to do."

"Anyone who knows God cannot describe Him. Anyone who can describe God does not know Him."

2. Get started on my new Jillian Michaels DVD. Shred IN 30

What can I say?! I love, love, love Jillian! I am currently on week 2, day 4 of Shred In 30. Ive been doing the workouts pretty consistently about every other day (minus this past week because I did not have time due to my school-scheduling chaos). Nonetheless, the workouts continue to be amazing and I definitely find this DVD much more challenging that the 30 day shred. I feel so much stronger and with more definition. Cant wait to see what weeks 3 and 4 are all about. I have a feeling I should be quite scared. But I am sure it'll be worth it!

*The way I am approaching the workouts: Since is 4 weeks worth of different workouts what I am doing is completing each week through the course of 7 days (skipping a day in between) which makes it to about 2 weeks per weekly workout. Hope that makes sense! I dont do it everyday because the workouts involve weights so, I like to give my muscles a rest day in between.

3. Look at the NY Road Runners schedule and map out a few races for the year or next 6 months. My sister got me a membership for Christmas (gotta love her!) so I cant wait to put it to use

Yes! So excited I have my 5 races mapped out for the year (I had made a goal of completing at least 5 races in 2013). I sat down the other day and googled some cool races for the year. I still have to sign up but a couple of the ones I am super excited about are: The Rock N Roll Race and The Color Run. Tomorrow I am running my very first race of the year with my sister. Is a 4-miler. Not too bad but I am excited :)

Ok, so I know I mentioned I would have my February objectives mapped out by today but I am still working on a few details for that particular post. I want to make sure my goals are realistic and attainable considering I am about to go back in to my full-time employee/ Part-time student routine so, there's going to be quite a nice mix of time-management going on. I am hoping to finish up rounding up my feb goals by tomorrow.

Question: Did you have any particular objectives for January? What was the best thing that happened to you in the last 31 days?

Getting Creative in the Kitchen

Hey all! I feel like I’ve had quite the hectic week and it’s only Wednesday. Ask me why I woke up this morning thinking it was Thursday already?! Ugh! Yesterday there was a crazy accident on my train line on my way home from work so I had to find an alternative way to get home. I was left stranded at a random train station. Thankfully, I made the best out of it by going in to a Barnes and Noble while the craziness died down and it made for quite the productive evening (Barnes & Noble is one of my favorite places to be. Nerd alert!). Another plus side is that I even found my local express bus  in the area which eventually took me straight home! Sometimes breaking away from the routine can help us discover new things we’d probably never realize otherwise.

In terms of workouts—Ive been pretty good with doing Jillian “shred in 30” every other day since the beginning of the year. I love her DVDs. I seriously never though I’d be able to find a work out DVD I would love as much as this one (plz don’t judge lol. I still love his videos!!) but I did and I love it!! Ive also been walking several miles per day.

Somehow I’ve been able to maintain a fit and healthy lifestyle without a gym membership! NYC can be an amazing gym in and of itself!

So…back to the title of the post. Lately I have been enjoying loving the kitchen and finding clean, healthy, yet delicious recipes to try or I’ll just make up random stuff (which I what I usually do). I have to share with you the three top dinners I’ve come up with this past week. Every single one of these dishes was soooo good and full of flavor! And guess what! I barely used any oil and zero salt. For flavor; I use about 1 teaspoon of coconut oil and then I add garlic and onions; which I sauté. I also add some of my curry powder which adds flavor to everything (with a gazillion times less sodium than regular salt).

Sunday: Chicken Quesadilla

Monday: Mashed Sweet potato with Grilled Shrimp

Tuesday: Organic black bean soup with carrots and veggies on the side (not pictured)

…don’t you love Trader Joes? The delicious dish above came out of this lil’ number.



Oh! And I figured out a way to make ~65 calorie hot chocolate (Simple Ingredients: One cup vanilla unsweetened almond milk, one packet of “sugar free” hot cocoa, some cinnamon on top--- One word: D.E.L.I.C.I.O.U.S. The almond milk gives it such a creamy taste! (side note: the Masala Chai  tea experiment is still a work in progress lol. For now, hot cocoa will do).

So, those are my eats so far for the week. Let’s see what new experiment I come up with tonight. I find that ENJOYING the foods we eat place a HUGE impact on weight loss and maintenance. As you may already know, it has to be a lifestyle. Who wants to go through life eating things that taste like cardboard just for the sake of being skinny? Not my style. There is a better way! Food is to be enjoyed. Bon Appetite!

Question: Do you like to cook? Are you a recipe person or a “I’ll figure it out” kinda’ girl?

Back @ Work... and the Longest Trader Joes line in History!

Hey all!

So today should probably declared as "back to reality day" for the majority of us. Back to the work routine. I can def get used to the good life of not having to work for weeks at the time but until that day becomes a reality for me off to work I went!.My alarm went off at the set time but I woke up nearly 30 mins later (insert: PANIC). I got ready as quickly as I possibly could and ran out of my apartment like a bat out of hell. Here is today's work ensemble:

(Sweater is from H&M and was a xmass gift from my sister. Bracelet I already had but matched the sweater perfectly. Sorry about the somewhat blurry pic!)

My breakfast consisted of PB&J on an English muffin, cafe with soy milk (no sugar) and a side of pineapple:

During my lunch I walked to a local Barnes and noble (about 1 mile away from my office) to work on some new years resolutions (if you are committed to something you will find the time!). I got a decaf w/ vanilla soy milk (which I asked for AFTER my order because is cheaper that way) and got to work for about 30-40 minutes before it was time to head back to the office. Mid afternoon I still had some of the decaf leftover and was feeling a tad hungry (had a turkey sandwich and some chips for lunch that held me over for a couple of hours) so I had a snack:

**That Kashi flavor is delicious, btw!

After work I immediately made my way to trader Joes. The place was PACKED (as usual). Trader Joes and I def have a love/hate relationship. I LOVE the food but HATE the crowds and the lines. ugh! Anyways, I managed to do my quick shopping and get out of there on time to find this chaos going on outside:

One of the longest TJ lines I have ever seen!!! I guess people are serious about their new years resolutions! ha! Hope this lasts more than a week for most of those people. The line was seriously long as heck! I apologize for the blurriness but I was feeling a little crazy taking a random pic in the middle of the chaos. I suddenly felt lucky (and glad) that I was able to make it in and out of there before this craziness started. (If this was TJs I can online imagine how packed most gyms were today!).

And this was what I got:

So anyways, managed to get home despite the FREEZING NYC temperatures. Turned on ALL my heaters immediately and then proceeded to make a quick dinner because I was starving!

Baked sweet potato w/ chicken on the side (chicken was made by my mother for new years and I brought some leftovers back to my apartment. Is regular chicken breast with some sauce--everything was delish!).

Now I am lounging here (banana bread in hand lol) ready to get back to reading my book which is getting interesting. Hope you all had a great first work day of 2013!! (Or second day if you worked yesterday).

PS: Random non-health related note---I was super happy today that the fiscal cliff issue (most of it) was resolved last night and now the markets can get back to normal. If you read my blog you know I am into finance and I follow the markets so I was super happy to see the s&p500 and other indexes soar! 

QUESTION: Do you shop at TJs? Does your local trader joes ever get super crowded? (the one I go to is in downtown Manhattan and is ALWAYS insanely packed!)

Double Celebration on Christmas 2012 + What ive been up to

Hello everyone!

Hope you all had an amazing holiday! Better late than never--Here is my Christmas recap!
First of all, I spent a couple of days at my parents house and ate pretty much everything in sight from desserts to pastelitos (latin dish) you name it I probably had it. Lets blame it on the spirit of Christmas and lets just say I am getting myself back on track because I have come to the conclusion that I simply love eating healthy and being active. I may steer off the health wagon from time to time but I love getting back on track. And I am only human!

Anyways, enough of that. I want to share that in addition to celebrating the holidays with family and friends we also celebrated my parents 30th anniversary! I am so blessed to have parents that love each other dearly and have been able to grow with each other over 30 years while raising two very respectable young ladies. They set a great example and I look forward to finding that one person to grow old with. How amazing is that! They got married on 12/25/82. Here is a family pic from Christmas night:

And yes I am still in my 20s! lol they had me AFTER they got married in case anyone out there is calculating. Ha! My family partied until 6 am and by that I mean lots of dancing and drinking. I called it a night morning at around 3-4am on Christmas day and snuck away to one of the rooms at my parents house to pass out. I was still snacking at that time! It was time to sleep. My family continued the celebration...

So what have I've been up to this week? Lets just say I am fully enjoying and loving my time off from work. This morning I woke up around 9 ish and talked myself in to going for a 4 mile jog which turned out to be a 4 miler walk/jog combination because it was cold, raining and extremelly windy from time to time. Nonetheless, I was proud of myself for getting my workout in. 

 

 Post workout I did a 15 minute ab session while I waited for breakfast to be ready. And this was breakfast--

2 slices sprouted whole wheat bread and 2 boiled eggs plus my new discovery: Chai Tea!! (I know I am late to the party but I love it!)

I was still a little hungry after that so I had 1/2 gala apple with 1 tablespoon Peanut Butter Dream (Cinnamon & Raisin flavor) Yum!:
 

Today I met up with a friend of mine downtown which was supposed to be followed by a trip to Trader Joes which has gotten postponed until further notice because it is freezing outside!!! the wind is making it a million times worse so I opted to come home instead and made myself a delicious dinner--

3/4 cup whole wheat pasta with chicken, peppers and onions plus a side of steamed veggies. I also had 1/2 whole wheat Naan from trader joes w/ a little bit of butter added:

 Still so much to do during this break! Is crazy how much you can get done when you dont have to worry about being somewhere from 9-5. Would love to work from home one day! Preferably my own business. :)

Oh! Before I forget--- Yesterdays Elf4Health challenge was:

Wednesday

Look at yourself in the mirror & find THREE things you love about yourself. 
Show us what they are! 

Here are the three things I came up with:
1. My Smile :) <--you can see a glance of it in the pic above 
2.  My body shape---I like to think I am well proportioned whether I am chubby or skinny and I like that.
3. My legs

Bonus: Non-Physical things I love about myself:
1. My good heart
2. My intelligence
3. My Kindness

How is everyones week going? My absolute favorite day of the year is fast approaching (12/31) any exciting plans? I usually spend it with family (yes, another huge party just like on Christmas eve).

Thanks for reading :)

Yummy Dinner, Tuesday Confession and 12/12/12

Hello everyone! Happy 12/12/12 so I hear that this is the LAST time we'll ever see a repetitive date--ever. Let’s make this a good one! I feel lucky today maybe I should play the lottery. Or maybe I’ll get a call from a long lost relative offering me a few millions. *wink* *wink*.

Yesterday was one of those long work/school kinda days. I snacked more than usual but I was happy because I was listening to my body’s needs and I wasn’t just eating just to eat. It was an “intuitive eating” kinda-day if you know what I mean and If I could strive to always listen to my body in that way than I think Im on the right track. Before class I stopped by Starbucks and had a decaf with soy milk (added cinnamon & vanilla powder/no sugar) and a almond biscotti. The combination was nothing less than amazing. I snacked on it while going over stuff for my final next week.

Yesterday I also enjoyed a pear for the first time in YEARS and it was delicious. I forgot how good they are. Specially this kind:

Note to self: eat pears more often.

When I got home from school last night I put together this delicious dish:

Whole wheat pasta with chicken--Mixed it in with pepper/white onions/ curry powder which I stir fried with a teaspoon of coconut oil. Sounds like a mouthful but it was delicious. I also had ½ piece of TJs Naan bread which never fails to hit the spot.

The meal prep from this past Sunday has been a lifesaver! I’ve been able to come home and heat up my food quickly and sit down and enjoy it after a long day. I should seriously organize my time better so that I can continue this Sunday night food prep thing. After having eggs for dinner almost every night last week (because that was the quickest thing I could make) I said enough was enough.

In other news; I also did something kind of random yesterday. I am reading an amazing book which is helping me personally put a lot of things in to perspective about my life, my relationships and my future in general. One of the assignments for this week was to do something ‘daring’ and reach out to someone and tell them something you probably never would. The assignment emphasized we should not attach ourselves at all to the outcome. The main purpose is to get out of our comfort zone, and so I did. I contacted an acquaintance whom I used to feel attracted to year ago! And I told him. I also quickly explained the ‘confession’ is part of a book I am reading and that I hope he doesn’t think I am crazy. To my surprise he took it very well and was super cool about it. I also had to throw in there that I am taken now just in case (lol) but it felt amazing to just let things out (regardless of how terrified I was). Sometimes you have to put life in to perspective and realize that no one gets out alive!! So, why hold yourself back and not do random things from time to time? What do we have to loose?

So we’re in the final week of classes and next week is my last final. I am at a cross roads at this point in my life in terms of what I want to do education/career wise. I mean, I believe I have a 100% clear idea of what my passions in life are (and what my purpose is) and I feel extremely lucky and blessed for that clarity. HOWEVER, the situation comes in when trying to decide how I will “jump” in to my life purpose and figuring out the best way to go about it. They do say that to follow your dreams is not good to think too much but I also want to make sure I do things right. I know God will guide me through this process and I have faith. I will continue doing my part. I will share more about this throughout the blog. One thing I do want to say though is that I am very excited for my future.

Happy hump day & 12/12/12---I feel like doing something out of the ordinary. Any thoughts? Are planning on doing anything special on this special day?