Oh, the story of my life!

Trader Joe's Recommendations

Lately, I have rediscovered the loveliness that is Trader Joe's. The food is reasonably priced and they have quite the variety of fun foods and staples for meals. I am not a fancy vegan-gluten free-monounsaturated fat person but I do like the option to be that healthy if I want to.

Here are some amazing products that you need to try:


Seriously Seedy & Nutty Wafers

These weird looking little cookies are amazingly good. The mixture of cashews, pumpkin seeds, sesame seeds and sunflower seeds in a honey based concoction that is placed on odd white wafers are crunchy, sweet and fulfilling.


Savory Thin Mini Edamame Crackers

I don't really consider these crackers because they are freakin' crispy like chips. Like chips that you can't stop eating no matter how hard you try. These delicate "crackers" have a wonderfully nutty taste that is perfectly salted. The bonus is that they are gluten free and low in calories and fat. For 38 crackers (count them out so you don't end up eating the whole bag...not that I have) it's only 120 calories and 2 grams of fat. I say if you have a crunchy craving to buy these. Now. Yes.


Vegetable Masala Burger & Sweet Potato Fries


I blame Cara for this completely. I innocently had these vegetarian burgers thinking "No Biggie" but instead the flavor is awesome and the patties are incredibly versatile. I have put a fried egg on top and had them for breakfast. She served them with Sweet Potato Fries that are not only healthier alternatives to the classic potato fry but also feel incredibly decadent. I leave the fries in the oven until they are a bit crunchy so they do take some time but are so very worth it. Add a TJ's bean dip and these could be a meal!



Whole Wheat Tandoori Naan

This stuff is yummy and has a nice bit of fiber to boot. I customarily have it with TJ's sour cream spinach dip that is aaaamazing. Even my picky mom said it was "not bad" so you can imagine how good it is. To be warned, the naan can mold fairly quickly if not kept in the right conditions. I keep it in the fridge and try to just watch out for any signs of the little green/blue invader. The naan is also good plain or with a little bit of savory spread.



Other yummies:
---Reduced Fat Cheddar Cheese Sticks-a good alternative if you are tired of the traditional string cheese or just don't like it
---Chocolate Cat Cookies-low fat, thin chocolate cookies that pack a lot of chocolate flavor and are very satisfying
---Carrot Juice-slightly high calorie and sugar amount but if replacing a meal then it is well worth it
---Freeze dried banana chips--make sure these are the FREEZE and not the FRIED ones; these are the kind of fruits that they usually put in cereals; they have the amazing banana flavor and the crunch texture without being fried in fatty oils; slightly odd smell to me at first but no biggie

Oh man! This episode of 30 Days entitled "Same Sex Parenting" just absolutely enrages me. The woman who is a proponent of man and woman only marriage and adoption is so inflexible and close minded that I have no idea why she would even sign up for such a experiment in social difference. I thought that maybe when she saw how foster children grow up and the important of loving families rather than only married couples, she would perhaps open up her perspective more but somehow, it did nothing.

I think that same sex marriages/couples should be able to adopt as much as they want. They have to seriously struggle and apply to get children, participate in background checks, financial checks and references yet we have people everyday that get knocked up and have no way of supporting or caring for a child. I am hoping that this is one of those things that gets easier and more accessible with time for gay and lesbian couples just as rights have slowly come to those of different ethnicity and backgrounds.