Top 5: Trader Joe's Fall 2019
Ok people, I have a confession. I don’t like pumpkin. I swear I’ve tried! So while everyone is freaking out about the yearly deluge of PSLs (pumpkin spiced lattes), pumpkin breads and pumpkin everything, I am secretly rolling my eyes. Even at Thanksgiving, I usually skip the pumpkin pie and opt for apple. My plan this week was to share a simple and light pumpkin mousse. I tested recipes and tried different combinations of ingredients. I even looked at other (classic) recipes to see what I was doing wrong. As I stood in the kitchen trying to figure out what was not right about my recipes, it dawned on me, the pumpkin is the problem! Since this blog is called JodiLoves, why am I trying to make a recipe with ingredients I do not love. This is the hard thing about food blogs. I always want to create recipes that are seasonal and current, but I don’t always like what is in season (or trending). I love most of the fall in-season fruits and veggies, but pumpkin gets all the glory. Damn you pumpkin!
I wanted to share a list of other fruits and veggies that are in season here in Ohio. If you are anti-pumpkin like me, you might find some inspiration on this list. It will remind you that there are other options for Fall ingredients.
What’s in season in Ohio in the Fall:
Leeks
Mushrooms
Potatoes
Rutabagas
Onions
Sweet Potatoes
Turnips
Winter Squashes (butternut, acorn, spaghetti)
Apples
Beets
Bok Choy
Broccoli
Brussels Sprouts
Carrots
Cauliflower
Eggplant
Greens
Since I abandoned my recipe for this week, I decided to head out to Trader Joe’s to see what’s new in the store. As I walked the aisles I saw pumpkin madeleines, pumpkin spice almond milk, pumpkin spiced coffee, pumpkin cheesecake, pumpkin spiced granola bark, pumpkin bisque soup, pumpkin oatmeal, pumpkin raviolis, pumpkin rolls…you get the picture. Enough already TJ’s, I get it. Autum is coming. For those of you out there that do love pumpkin, is there a point of saturation? At what point do you say, “this is madness?” I read today that there is pumpkin spiced SPAM! I can’t take it anymore!
When picking items I wanted to highlight this week, I’ve decided to look for the products that are new and not getting as much love on the blogs because they, you guessed it, are not made from pumpkin spice. I was really hoping I would find the Fall Leaf Corn Tortilla Chips. These look so freaking cute (not that I need an excuse to eat chips and salsa). After searching the entire store, I finally asked an employee and he said they are sold out for the season! How can this be? Really? After commiserating with me, he said that when Trader Joe’s sell them next year, they would be sure to make more so they last longer in the store. That is why I love going to Trader Joe’s in the morning on a weekday. There are less people, kids, and I have the employees all to myself!
What are your favorite fall flavors? Did you get to try the Fall Leaf Corn Tortilla Chips?
#5 Glimmering Pumpkins, Sugar Coated Sugar Cookies, $3.99
These sugar cookies are shaped like little pumpkins! They are totally adorable and I love that they do not taste like pumpkin-spice! They taste like a traditional sugar cookie, sweet and buttery. The only criticism I would have is that they are a little dryer than I like my cookies. We currently have them in the office as a mid-afternoon snack. They are great with a cup of coffee!
#4 Plant-Filled Mini Ceramic Skulls, $3.99
How darn cute are these sugar skull planters for Día de los Muertos! They come in several colors and with different types of succulents in each. I had to swap out the plant from another color skull because I like this plant the best. Since succulents are low maintenance, I hope I can keep this little buddy going for a long time. There are also larger planters for $9.99, but for some reason, they are not as cute.
#3 Ginger Ultra Moisturizing Hand Cream, $4.99
I love this hand cream! Mostly because it reminds me of Origin’s Ginger Souffle Whipped body Cream which will set you back $38.00. Something about the smell of ginger is both soothing and invigorating. In the last few weeks, I have been washing my hands constantly. First it was because of a cold that I caught in Alaska. Now, it is because of a food photography project that I am working on that involves meat. This hand cream helps my hands stay smooth and my cuticle from drying out.
#2 Ghosts & Bats Crispy Potato Snacks, $1.99
These are light and airy potato chips. They are quite thin and not exactly what I was expecting. I was thinking they would have the flavor and texture of Pringles or Bakes Lays? They taste more like veggie chips. I love that they have fun shapes, but they are so thin that dipping them is a bit of a problem. I think that they would be great for a Halloween Party, but are not a chip I would buy to eat normally.
#1 Focaccia Bread with Roasted Tomatoes & Parmesan, $3.99
Oh hello there yummy focaccia bread! I know that I have mentioned this before, but I love anything salty that I can dip! This bread is best served warm but can be eaten straight out of the package. I can think of so many things that it pairs great with; pasta, salads; grilled veggies. Also, you could serve the bread as an appetizer with TJ’s Chili Onion Crunch as the dip! The bright bursts of flavor from the roasted tomatoes pair so well with the nutty salty parmesan. This is a must buy this season!
