Sharing some of my favorite healthy products from Trader Joe’s!
Hi friends! How are ya? I hope you’re having an amazing day! I have some calls this morning, and then am getting a massage… can’t.wait.
For today’s post, I wanted to share some of my favorite healthy finds from Trader Joe’s! During the time-that-shall-not-be-named, the Pilot did all of our grocery shopping because he was “out in the world” and the girls and I were at home. We also got a lot of grocery delivery from Whole Foods and Thrive Market. It kind of stuck around for years after that, until I realized that I actually love grocery shopping and had missed it. So now, we alternate, since we both like going to the store in person — you find so many more fun things that way!
Trader Joe’s has some amazing things, and here are some of my favorite healthier finds. While I believe that ALL foods should fit into your lifestyle, this is a list of things that have less ingredients and offer more on the nutritional front (with a few of the soul-hugging must-haves in here, too).
Here’s the list!
Healthy Trader Joe’s Shopping List
PRODUCE/COLD:
– Organic fruit: we go for berries, bananas, grapes, apples, and anything seasonal and exciting, like cherries, melon, stone fruits, or rambutan
– Organic veggies: sweet potatoes, zucchini, celery, carrots, bell peppers, squash
– Edamame
– Root vegetable hash
– Cold-pressed green juice
– Mirepoix (makes soups and casseroles SO easy)
– Onions, garlic, and ginger
– Medjool dates
– Organic guacamole
– Salsa! We love their pico and their Salsa Especial
BEANS, SPICES, PANTRY STAPLES:
– ALL organic beans: each week, I get white beans, kidney beans, black beans, and garbanzo beans
– Organic chicken broth
– Organic jasmine rice
– Organic pasta from Italy
– ALL the spices! We love their oregano, basil, thyme, rosemary, garlic powder, and Everything But the Bagel seasoning
– Canned tuna, sardines, anchovies
– Almond butter
– Organic peanut butter
– Organic raspberry or strawberry preserves
Sharing the books I read in February and if I’d recommend adding them to your list.
Hi hi! How are you doing? I hope you had a wonderful weekend. We spent a lot of it ripping out baseboards and moving furniture downstairs, but I caught a yoga class at Session and we had a lovely family dinner. Today, I have a couple of calls and am going to sneak away to work since the house is under construction.
For today’s post, I wanted to share the books I read in February! I made it through four books last month, and there was a mix of finance-related fare, in addition to SPICINESS. Here are the details if you’re looking for some new options to add to your TBR (to be read) list.
February Reads
Rich AF
I definitely recommend listening to the audio version of this, especially if you don’t mind a little sass and crass language. Vivian Tu, aka Your Rich BFF, has such a fun way of explaining basic finance priciples (investment types, budgeting, tips for saving) and is extremely motivating and encouraging along the way. It included a lot of necessary nudges to focus more on our investment and saving strategy; it’s one of my goals for the next year, especially as the Pilot transitions back to the airlines. One of my favorite quotes is that you can buy anything, but you don’t need to buy everything. It’s about making your purchases worth your while. 9/10 recommend.
From Amazon:
When Vivian Tu started working on Wall Street fresh from undergrad, all she knew was that she was making more money than she had ever seen in her life. But it wasn’t until she found a mentor of her own on the trading floor that she began to understand what wealthy people knew intuitively—the secrets to beating the proverbial financial game that has, for too long, been male, pale, and stale.
Building on the lessons she learned on Wall Street about money and the markets, Vivian now offers her best personal finance tips and tricks to readers of all ages and demographics, so that anyone can get rich, whether you grew up knowing the rules to the game or not. Vivian will be your mentor, dispensing fresh, no-BS advice o
This cold buster green smoothie recipe is packed with fresh fruits and vegetables to boost your immune system, hydrate your body and send those winter colds packing!
Green smoothies were all the rage a while ago and still are, but I never really thought they were that big of a deal. And then I realized that with all of those vitamins packed into a smoothie we would actually be giving ourselves the proper nutrition that we are recommended in getting. So, we started keeping a full supply of spinach and fruits and sure enough, not only did we start feeling better but we weren’t getting sick.
I hate winter. I know, lots of people love it and cannot wait to get outside and enjoy all that the snow has to offer, but I hate it. Strong word? I seriously dislike it I guess. I am learning to really enjoy skiing, but I still freeze to death and cannot last very long out there. But the major reason I don’t like winter is because we all get sick and pass it around over and over again all winter long. I freeze all winter which I’m sure keeps me sick.
You don’t have to pass a cold around all winter. Last year we cracked down and learned how to fight a cold and this cold buster green smoothie was a huge help! Keep scrolling to the end to see other products we love to help us survive winter colds.
What Makes a Green Smoothie?
The definition of a “green smoothie” can be quite ambiguous but the basics of a green smoothie are:
Leafy Greens + Liquid + Fruit
Then, of course, you can add other ingredient to add protein and more nutrients. Keep scrolling below to see suggestions for the best types of leafy greens, liquids and fruits. We also want to highlight what makes this recipe specifically a cold buster green smoothie.
Ingredients in a Cold Buster Green Smoothie
This smoothie is unique in that we chose specific items to kick the cold right where it hurts:
- Spinach: adds great fiber, vitamins and nutrients like vitamin A, vitamin C and vitamin K as well as iron, folate and potassium
- Orange Juice: isn’t just about the vitamin C it’s also about staying hydrated
- Orange with Peel: really slam dunk the vitamin C and the peel contains 4 times more fiber than the fruit itself, it has anti-inflammatory properties and may even help reduce harmful LDL’s
- Baby Carrots: great for killing germs in the mouth and helping with digestion
- Banana: gives the body natural energy which is something you are lacking when sick, and it helps the smoothie be extra creamy
- Frozen Pineapple: adds flavor and helps thicken the smoothie when it’s frozen
- Apple: adds flavor and natural sweetness
- Ice: helps thicken the smoothie without adding sugar or extra calories
- Optional: add a scoop of protein so our b
Did you know that you can make creamy, rich, and saucy stovetop mac and cheese from scratch in the same amount of time it takes to cook boxed mac and cheese?
And I’m happy to say that this pasta is infinitely tastier than the boxes of mac and cheese that used to have a home in our pantry.
Creamy Stovetop Mac and Cheese
I’ve tried countless mac and cheese recipes over the years and never found one that I truly loved. This recipe though is absolutely foolproof and it turns out wonderfully creamy every time.
I am so very happy to have a new favorite dinner and my kids are pretty excited about it too. I’ve made this creamy mac and cheese at least a half dozen times over the past few months and we absolutely love it.
The recipe below is loosely adapted from a mac and cheese recipe that I found over on Cookie & Kate. The spices here are the game-changer – adding the garlic, onion, ground mustard, and a pinch of cayenne makes such a lovely difference.
Everyone has their own opinion on the best mac and cheese recipe. For me, the best mac and cheese is creamy as it possibly can be.
While lots of people swear by baked mac and cheese, I’m a stovetop mac and cheese girl for life.
Mac and Cheese with Heavy Cream
Want to make this even easier? Or would you prefer to skip the step with the flour? Replace the milk with additional heavy cream (for a total of 1 ½ cups heavy cream). Skip the flour. Just warm
This is an easy spring salad full of seasonal ingredients like asparagus, radishes, peas, fresh herbs and enhanced with roasted chickpeas, feta cheese, toasted pine nuts, and hard boiled eggs all topped with a bright and tangy lemon salad dressing.
Well, we did it again! We survived winter! And boy was it a doozy here in Utah this year. I have never seen so much snow here and we have lived here a really long time. So the fact that a “spring” salad is even a possibility brings a smile to my face! It is time for bright refreshing flavors and warmer temperatures!
What Goes in a Spring Salad?
One of the beauties of a salad is that they are so versatile, so I’m going to share the ingredients for how we like to make this salad, but keep in mind that you can omit or add ingredients to your liking. Here is what we like…
Dressing
- Olive Oil: the base of the dressing
- Dijon Mustard: adds intense mustard flavor
- Lemon Juice and Zest: adds a bright pop of freshness and acidity
- Shallot: adds mild onion flavor
- Champagne Vinegar: if you can’t find champagne vinegar, you can use prosecco or white wine vinegar
- Salt and Pepper: adds flavor
Salad
- Pine Nuts: adds texture and we toast them for maximum flavor
- Asparagus: remove the tough stem end and then cut it into 1-2″ pieces
- Frozen Peas: let them defrost in a bowl of water
- Baby Salad Greens: this can be any mix of greens you enjoy…romaine, spinach, arugula, chard, etc.
- Radishes: adds a little heat and gorgeous color
- Cucumber: we prefer an English cucumber
- Fresh Herbs: mint, basil, parsley, chives – this blend is so bright and bold
- Feta: totally optional, but we love them saltiness flavor it adds
- Roasted Chickpeas: you can buy roasted chickpeas or roast your own and they add great texture
- Olive Oil: used to roast the chickpeas
- Salt and Pepper: adds flavor
- Hard Boiled Eggs: adds protein and heartiness to the salad
This is meant to just be an overview of the ingredients for this salad. For all the details and measurements, scroll down to the recipe card at the end of this post.
How to Make a Fresh Spring Salad
I like to start salad recipes by making the dressing. It can be made up to a day or two ahead of time, so it’s nice to get that made and out of the way. For this salad dressing, just whisk all the ingredients together and set it aside.
Other parts of this recipe can also be prepped ahead of time. You can hard boil the eggs, toast the pine nuts and roast the chickpeas up