I recently got a nice note from the CEO of Annie's Mac and Cheese. He was really pleased that I had name dropped his company in a post, so he sent me a large box of other products. Maybe someone at Trader Joes will send us some frozen burritos and chocolate-covered espresso beans. I'm all about selling out.

My 1 1/2 year old son has virtually lived on the fish sticks, crab cakes, chicken nuggets, and shrimp for dinner the past few months, and their $7-10 wines are a great deal--much better than the discount wine bins at most Boston area liquor stores.

Trader Joe's Green Chile Burrito's and various salsa's are to die for.

There have been a couple of times where I've eaten an entire container of their chocolate-covered espresso beans and only noticed it about a half an hour later. I think they're the only things that actually give me a caffeine buzz!

And I agree with Bill on the wines... TJ's also has some good picks in the higher price ranges, too.

If there's a more perfect foodstuff than chocolate-covered espresso beans, I don't know what it is.

In a perfect world, however, I could scarf these things down every ten minutes with zero effect on my metabolism and BMI.

But the metabolism effect makes you feel sooo goood, man...

Hm. Now that I think about it, these might be a good solution to the perennial problem that I can't carry cups of coffee in the pockets of my sports jacket. I should go stock up.

Careful eating coffee beans - eating too many is a good way to get gum disease.

Barbarians, the lot of you.

Fruit Jellies rule.

Trader Joe's Frozen Gyoza (Potstickers or Dumplings for the laypersons among us) is on my list. As well ast he Green Chili Verde, which is to die for (no seriously, I almost collapsed after mixing it with cornmeal they sell in the bread isle).

For sauces, try the Thai Peanut Sauce. Mix it on anything and everything!

They currently have some good cheese selections--a Welsh cheddar with mustard seeds, Port Salut, and some good Irish cheddar and Emmentaler, also some good German Rohschinken to go with any of the above. Their veggies and baked goods aren't so good. Good deal for eggs and dairy. Big fan of their Tanzanian Peaberry coffee and the Alsatian tart (i.e. Flammenkuechen). Their wines can be hit or miss, but that's better than a lot of places--where else can I get an OK Meursault for under a zillion bucks? And that almond butter....

There have been a couple of times where I've eaten an entire container of their chocolate-covered espresso beans and only noticed it about a half an hour later. I think they're the only things that actually give me a caffeine buzz!

A vendor sent some to the company I work for as part of a christmas gift one year (lots of pepperidge farms cookies, various chocolates, that kind of thing).

The chocolate espresso beans were very popular with the IT department, which promptly siezed the bowl and spent most of the rest of the day playing Quake 3. We used them as a handicap- get a kill, eat a bean. Eventually, the skill differential evened out... ah, good times.

among my faves are the jalepeno blue cornbread mix, and the Thai veggie gyoza. That place rules.

Trader Joe's products make me think of episodes in my love life. The similarity is this: you get to know, even love a product, and then suddenly -wham- it's off the shelves and hasn't even left a forwarding address. If they can't sell it better or cheaper, they pull it. So if you find a non-perishable product at TJ's you love, hoard!

nobody's mentioned 3-buck chuck? *7* dollars for a bottle of wine? whoa, big spenders in this crowd.

Thai red curry with tuna, in a boilable bag.

Mmmm, campin' food.

Likewise, the Indian curry simmer sauces.

chili spiced mango strips

Same as salt & vinegar chips, sounds weird, but strangely addictive.

Chocolate covered bananas.

Honey, how could you forget about Gerolsteiner?

You must try the gorgonzola-walnut stuffed frozen ravioli.

Praline pecans.

Triple Ginger Snaps. I live in Nebraska; closest Trader Joes to me are Chicago and St. Louis, both eight hours away.

Anyone remember the freak storm this summer that blew part of the roof off the St. Louis Airport? I was doing my six-month-stockup at Trader Joe's in St. Louis when the power went out as a result of that storm, and nearly freaked. Luckily, the store generator kept the cash registers going just long enough for me to pay, whereupon I pushed my cookie- and (three)Buck Chuck-laden cart out into the tornado and motored happily away.