Pumpkin-palooza at Trader Joe’s

When pressed to pick their favorite flavor additives, most people pick something fruity, a nice strawberry lemon or cherry lime perhaps, but, if you ask me, it's all about banana and pumpkin. And while we don't have a national holiday or season that celebrates banana flavored stuff (yet!) pumpkiny goodness reigns supreme in the fall. And nowhere will you find the sweet, spicy flavors of pumpkin on display more than at your local Trader Joe's.

And while we're all used to finding the usual seasonal offerings like pumpkin ice cream, pumpkin bread and even pumpkin granola on display this time of year, the sheer volume of pumpkin-flavored goodies on TJ's shelves right now is positively staggering!

There are pumpkin cookies, pumpkin ravioli, pumpkin croutons (which are freaking awesome, BTW), Joe's Pumpkin O's and of course, pumpkin spiced coffee to wash it all down. But the real standout this year is Trader Joe's new Harvest Salad mix! Yes, they even have pumpkin salad!

Featuring a fall-tastic blend of baby kale, pumpkin seeds, pumpkin cornbread croutons and pumpkin vinaigrette, this salad tastes as good as it sounds and smells. The only thing I'd caution against is using too much of the dressing. As I said above, I loves me some pumpkin-flavored food, but the vinaigrette is very flavorful and a little goes a long way, so, use it sparingly.

And speaking of using things sparingly, stay away from the Pumpkin Joe-Joe's! I know they sound good, but the pumpkin-flavored stuffing is flat out disgusting. Seriously, I defy you to find a more processed, sickly-sweet and artificial-tasting flavor in the Trader Joe's pantheon. Blech!

That said, I am kind of dying to try the pumpkin Joe's O's and the pumpkin soup they were sampling last week is absolutely delicious! So, if you're looking for some seasonal yumminess, you'd better get a move on!

Oh, and if you're looking for actual pumpkins for the low, low price of $2.99, you might already be too late. I think we bought the last four at our TJ's over the weekend. Seriously, those things are going like well, Trader Joe's pumpkin-flavored hotcakes, which are also quiet yummy. Especially smeared with pumpkin butter and syrup! Yum!

Happy pumpkin palooza, amigos!

Posted with Blogsy

Family Road Trip Rule #1: When in doubt…bribe!

Hit the road last week for our annual road trip to Oregon to visit my wife’s family. It’s a long-ass drive, but we love road trips (yes, even with a two-year-old in tow) and the time spent just hanging out with the niece, nephews and assorted brothers and sisters-in-law on the family farm is kind of, well, rejuvenating. I don’t know if it’s the country air or what, but, man alive, do we go home relaxed!

Anyway, I firmly believe that a huge part of the adventure is the actual act of driving there — seriously, we have found that even short-jaunt road trips are great for the soul — and since no one wants to have their soul-cleansing road trip ruined by a screaming toddler, I give you, Family Road Trip Rule # 1: When in doubt…bribe!

I don’t care what your kid’s favorite thing is (be it a food item, a beverage, toy or DVD) but secretly pack a lot of them in your car before you leave. Emphasis on the secret part, if they know how many you’ve packed, your screwed. Bribery only works when your child thinks that the desired item they will do anything for is in very limited supply. So hide your loot well!

Right now, Greta will do almost anything you ask her to for a Trader Joe’s Organic Fruit Leather. I don’t know exactly why she loves them so, but she’d seriously take a bullet for the strawberry variety…it’s crazy.

So, we packed 25 of them in a secret stash in the car, and the minute she acts up or won’t finish her meal or, well, any time she’s just being a typical two-year-old on an eight-and-a-half hour car ride, we bribe her. “Greta…if you do blank, we’ll give you a fruit leather.” we purr in her screaming, red-faced direction, and she calms down almost instantly.

If I wasn’t so happy it worked, I might be a little freaked out by it, but at the end of the day…it works. Like a fucking charm. Every. Single. Time. So, who cares why?

With order restored in our car, we crank up the tunes and resume our lovely road trip in peace…or, you know, until the next big blow up.