Day 3 - Meyer Sweet Lemons

I discovered Meyer Sweet Lemons as a variety at a grocery store in Florida a couple of years ago.  I assumed they were like “regular” lemons when I bought them, and boy was I WRONG.  They are far juicier, sweeter, fruitier, and more delicious!  I am a fan!! 

Bag of Meyer Sweet Lemons

So when I saw them at Trader Joe’s I was elated!  If you see them grab a bag, they go fast and are not often in stock (I have learned that they have a limited season – December/January – May).  We use them to squeeze on top of cooked veggies (like broccoli) and as a salad dressing (Meyer lemon juice, extra virgin olive oil, and salt).

I hope one day to have my own Meyer Sweet Lemon tree so I can pop outside and pick a fresh one.  Until then, I will pick them up whenever I see them at Trader Joe’s.

Learn more about Meyer Sweet Lemons and find recipes for them here –

http://localfoods.about.com/od/lemons/a/meyerlemons.htm?utm_term=what%20is%20a%20meyer%20lemon&utm_content=p1-main-1-title&utm_medium=sem&utm_source=msn&utm_campaign=adid-8ff7574b-c446-42f6-acbc-47a36d95a504-0-ab_msb_ocode-4604&ad=semD&an=msn_s&am=broad&q=what%20is%20a%20meyer%20lemon&dqi=&o=4604&l=sem&qsrc=999&askid=8ff7574b-c446-42f6-acbc-47a36d95a504-0-ab_msb

Price - $1.99 per bag

Rating – 4.5 stars

Day 2 - Georges Duboeuf Beaujolais Nouveau wine

Beaujolais Nouveau is a wine that comes out only once a year – the 3^rd Thursday of November.  It is made of Gamay grapes from the Beaujolais region of France.  (These are not things I know off the top of my head, the internet is my friend.)  I am sure it is a big marketing thing, but we are happy to participate – Beaujolais Day is fun! 

This year we were lucky enough to happen to be at Trader Joe’s at the right time (totally unplanned).  The Beaujolais Nouveau 2014 was there!  And amazingly – it was cheap, cheap, cheap.  Well, for wine in general it was cheap - $9.99.  For Trader Joe’s wines in particular, that does not fall on the low end of the spectrum (considering they have some wines that used to be called “2 buck Chuck” and have many, many wines under $10).

Georges Duboeuf Beaujolais Nouveau 2014

Anyway, this particular Beaujolais Nouveau was lovely!  It was fresh, fruity, and light.  The scent of it (I am sure there is a fancy wine name for the aroma, but you won’t find fancy in this blog) was amazing – you didn’t even need to do the famous “swirl and sniff” technique to have the scent hit you – just lifting the glass and raising to drink brought the perfume to your nose.  David says, “It is an unpretentious as wine can be without being crap”. 

After finishing our first bottle we tried to buy more on our next trip to Trader Joe’s, but were told it sold out right away.  When we were in another grocery store to pick something else up, we noticed they had the same exact bottle of wine, but for a couple of dollars more.  Alas, we liked it so much we ponied up and bought two more bottles.

So, mark it on your calendar now – 12:01 am November 19^th 2015 starts BEAUJOLAIS DAY!  Rush to your local Trader Joe’s and pick up a few bottles!

Enjoying the Beaujolais Nouveau

For more on Beaujolais Nouveau, check out http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beaujolais_nouveau

Price – a very reasonable $9.99

Rating – 4.5 stars

Day 1 - ""Just Sauce" Turkey Bolognese

I will start this year-long blog off with one of our FAVORITE Trader Joe’s products – TURKEY BOLOGNESE.  This is one of the very, very best staples you can have in your freezer.  I kid you not!  We always have an extra one on hand. 

"Just Sauce" Turkey Bolognese

What it is – frozen Bolognese sauce for pasta, but instead of BEEF, it is made with TURKEY.  We are not health nuts at our house.  We do not eat this sauce because it is turkey as opposed to beef.  We eat it because it is SO DARN TASTY!!!!!  It really is delicious!  And such a simple meal – boil up some pasta, heat this in the microwave, make a quick green vegetable, and hey presto, your dinner is ready!  This is our go-to meal, especially on evenings where we have both worked and are exhausted. 

The sauce is amazing – it’s rich and tomatoe-y (is that a word?).    There is a lot of ground turkey in it which makes for a hearty meal.  You can put cheese over it, but if you do not have any on hand you will still be very happy and satisfied.  And FULL.  The two of us eat one package of this per dinner.  Find it in the frozen foods section.

David adds – points to stress here – it is DELICIOUS, satisfying, and very, very quick and easy to make.

Price – a CHEAP $3.29   

"Just the Sauce" Turkey Bolognese price tag

Rating - solid 5 STARS