My Wednesday Pantry- Lazy Baking and a Little TJ Haul

      My lazy baking this weekend consisted of cutting up 6 apples that were getting too soft to taste good eaten fresh and using up a handful of blueberry's in some  Aldi baking mix (Bisquick) for muffin bread. Hardly stimulating pantry recipe content. 

     But if you are wondering about the  muffin bread-it's basically the biscuit recipe on the box with half the flour and adding as much sugar as you feel you'd like for the sweetness level you prefer. I used 1/3 cup  sugar to 1 1/4 cup flour, and probably about 1/3 cup of milk. Toss the blueberry's in and bake in two mini/small bread pans for 35  minutes, or in a muffin tin for 6 muffins, for probably 20-25 minutes. 

      My apples for the apple crisp were tossed with a couple tsps. of cinnamon and 1/3 cup of sugar, laid in a 6 by 8 glass pan, and topped with a crumble of 1/4 stick butter, 1/3 cup brown sugar, 1/3 cup flour, and probably 1/2 cup quick cook oats, and another sprinkle of cinnamon. I don't measure really, just form the crumble consistency. I baked mine at 350 for 45 minutes-apples still a bit firm-not mushy, how we like it. We've been nibbling on both the bread and crisp since Sunday

     I know all do not have Trader Joe’s around, but should you find one near you or you near it, it’s worth a fun explore. I seem to go in person only every two to three months, Saturday being my first venture in since mid January. My daughter's work schedule puts her near one generally at least once a month so she'll do requests and pick up for me. The two items above, their Jumbo Cinnamon rolls, which are began, and the Organic Vanilla Yogurt, which is not, are two favorites. Both, along with fruit, are now part of our Christmas morning tradition, well, in the  normal years, when this was plenty for something at home, but have to be at my mother-in-laws for Christmas Dinner. Now, as no one needs to get up early on Christmas morning, this might wain a bit as folks slip in, but the smell of the rolls baking with a big pot of coffee brewing, and me knowing my own family will be together at least for a bit, makes these rolls part of my little tradition. Of course we like them other times in the year as well, and I think these will part of maybe a Mother's Day brunch-not necessarily on Mother's Day.  I think both are around $2.99.

     A couple shelf stable items that find their way in my cart are the Chai Tea Latte mix and the almond granola. In fact, I bought two boxes of the granola on Saturday and DH has almost devoured one already. So many of the other brands, if I can even find in stores, are ridiculously expensive per ounce, and some do not taste half as nice as the TJ version. Pair the granola with vanilla yogurt-my preferred way to eat it. So good. The chai tea is loaded with sugar, so I consider it a treat, but compared to a $6 version in a coffee  shop, when this container for $4.99 will easily get 6-8 large mugs, it's worth the price. DD2 has one at school, I have one at home, and I will eventually keep one in the office as well. For those that see a TJ's on a road trip, these would be nice take home buys to try.

    I usually buy bruschetta, but didn't this time, but did buy some artichoke hearts in olive oil. At my daughters recommendation, I bought the peanut butter which is nothing more than peanuts. I plan to make another batch of the vegan PB, oatmeal, Chocolate Chip cookie dough for the freezer this weekend. Other favorite items we bought, or I wanted to buy this past week are:

• Vegan Mac n Cheese-ignore the vegan part even-it's that delicious. This was a new buy for both DD1 and myself, and will be on the list now.
• Palak Paneer-Heated up and eaten with naan bread, and I am in heaven. Is it authentic? Probably not, but I don't care. It has a good curry spice tot he spinach and the  paneer cheese is a nice texture. Sadly, they were wiped out as seems to happen a lot of the time so I must not be the only one digging on this product.
• Mandarin Orange Chicken-My old standby to have in the freezer for nights I really do not want to cook. This feeds DH, DD2, and myself, with rice and steamed vegetables for 1/3 of the price of take out, and is no more work than ordering take out. 
• Haloumi Cheese-I guess it is seasonal, but I bought the last two times I was there, and  it was no longer in stock. I really don't understand the seasonal part of it. Must be a supplier issue as it says, product of Greece. .Cypus-I double checked. 

     Of course these products or similar might be found other places, and I'd love to know if anyone has any other store brand favorites in  other national grocery store chains. I love trying new things and if we do plan a road trip this fall, I'd love to pop-in and have a look. I in know way have any affiliation to Trader Joe's. I just really like to shop there for fun items I don't find at Aldi or my local store.