Bottle Tree Shopping at Trader Joe's

So, here I am on a gorgeous Saturday afternoon, and I'm bumping around inside of one of my most favorite stores ever, Trader Joe's. If you've never been in Trader Joe's you HAVE to go. It's that good!

I was on a mission this day. I'm cruising the "beverage" isles, checking out all the goodies that come in colored bottles. If you are regular reader of BNOTP, you know where this is going.  I'm determined to make one of these this summer:


(Image from Southern Living magazine)

As I'm standing there in the beverage isle, really studying this one bottle of wine trying to decide if it's a good green for the tree, an older gentleman speaks to me bringing me back to reality. He asks, "What are you looking for?" Anyone with the sense of a door knob would probably have made up something "normal." But, nooo, not me. I just blurted out, "I'm looking for anything that's in a pretty bottle...I'm going to make a bottle tree." Realizing how dumb that must have sounded, I asked him if he'd heard of a bottle tree? Without even skipping a beat, he says, "The one in the green bottle is better." You know he must be thinking, "Women!" Being the wise southern gentleman he was, he knew that it was best to just go along and not argue. ;)

Just then, a young man (obviously a TJ employee since he's wearing a TJ badge) comes sweeping down the isle rapidly in route somewhere, calling out that the Vinho Verde is a great summer wine. He paused just long enough to tell us (me and the southern gentleman) that it's "very light and refreshing." Silly boy, I already had it in the buggy...it was in a tall, pretty green bottle.

People are sooo nice in Trader Joe's!

So, here's what I came home with...



Now, you guys already know I'm weird...so I have to share a little hint on the way I shop in Trader Joe's. TJs is absolutely filled with awesome food stuff and great prices. I've never bought anything in there that I wasn't crazy about. So each week when I stop in, I ALWAYS make myself buy something I've never bought before. There are so many wondeful things in Trader Joe's that I've never even known about; I want to try them all!

But, how is a body supposed to know what new item to try? Ummm, well, here's what I do and it works great. I usually stop by on a Saturday, later in the day...toward 3 or 4:00, and I look to see what's missing. Huh? Try it...it works! Just go over to shelves in the cheese/dip/whatever isle and look to see what's missing...what have folks been buying all morning. It's easy to tell because the stock of that item will be a good bit back...with several of that item missing from the front. I figure if it's selling well, it must be pretty tasty.

Yesterday, there was lots of Trader Joe's Tzatziki Creamy Garlic Cucumber Dip missing, so guess what I bought?



It's excellent. It has me eating carrots and broccoli...stuff I don't normally want to eat.

Also, I bought one of their yummy lemon tarts, some of their amazing fresh salsa (I've bought it before and I'm hooked) and some of their Avocado's Number Guacamole Dip, which the sign beneath said was a national best seller. Can't wait to try it.

Ok, now you know a secret for shopping at Trader Joe's, and you know for sure that I'm weird. lol

See ya tonight for Metamorphosis Monday!