Highbrow Chocolate Chip Cookies

I just heard today that one of the co-founders of Trader Joe's, Theo Albrecht, has passed away today. I have been a loyal shopper for many moons and I especially love the fact that the store was created with the "over-educated and underpaid" in mind. In his honor, I am writing about my new favorite Trader Joe's item: Highbrow Chocolate Chip Cookies.

I have suddenly found myself to be overwhelmed by a desire to bake. I have been really good about eating healthy lately and I'm back to working out regularly. I am not really tempted by sweets on a regular basis, but a good cookie every once in a while? I cannot resist. So I was at the store gathering some ingredients for my baking extravaganza when I came across these cookies by the checkout. Highbrow Cookies?! These are new, I thought to myself. Their picture reminded me a little of another store bought cookie favorite of mine: Tate's Bake Shop cookies from the Hamptons that they sell at Whole Foods. Now those are certainly "highbrow". I can recall many times when I ate the whole bag in one sitting. So I bought these cookies and sure enough, they are delicious and addicting (beware)! Tate's are still a little better in my opinion, but these are a very close second. I know everyone has a different opinion when it comes to chocolate chip cookies, but if you like a crispier cookie, then you should give these a try. And as I type, this post, I am already half way through the bag. Old habits die hard.

Quick Dinners

So, last week I started a new job and I realized that it is going to be difficult to make dinner each night. On some nights Husband and I will both be coming home late and we won't have a lot of time to cook. So I will have to figure out some short cuts and learn some quick dinner menus. The other night we tried Trader Joe's Braised Short Ribs that is already made and all you do is heat it up. I know this sounds terrible to serve my Husband for dinner, (don't judge me!), but in a pinch it worked out great! It was very tasty and the best part about it, was that it was quick. I served it with a side of healthy veggies to make up for the "instant" dinner. I will definitely keep this in my freezer for those nights we both come home late.

Wasabi, Wow!

I am such a snacker! I think I love the eating between meals more than I do actual meals. My problem isn't that I eat a lot of sweets; my problem is that my snacks turn into meals. Think pizza bagels and tater tots.

So I was thrilled when I found this trail mix at Trader Joe's. I'm usually not a huge fan of trail mix because there is always something in the mix that I don't like: random seeds and strange dried fruit. But in Wasabi, Wow! there are only almonds, peanuts, dried cranberries and wasabi peas. All basic ingredients, nothing funky and with the perfect kick. I usually can't handle spicy foods, but the amount of spice in this mix is just right.

Nuts have a lot of nutrients and are a great source for antioxidants, protein and fiber. This mix is a great way to get all of that. Oh, and it's low sodium! Throw a little bit in your bag so you can snack healthy when you’re on the go. Check it out!