Trader Joe's and Costco options

[Susan W 3553]

I can not find Kerrygold in our Costco! The last time I saw it was around St. Patricks say and not seen it since. Let me know how the lobster is, I saw it the the other day but hesitated to buy it.

You know...I had to look near the cheese to find the butter. It wasn't with their other butter which they keep in a Dairy walk-in with milk, so maybe your costco does have it. I didn't buy lobster, I bought the frozen langostino. I'll let you know. I'm going to doctor it up with home made mayo, celery, green onions and avocado.

[jillian 224]

Trader Joe's now has cooked chicken breast that's made with just olive oil, salt and pepper!!! Super convenient...

[Susan W 3553]

I can not find Kerrygold in our Costco! The last time I saw it was around St. Patricks say and not seen it since. Let me know how the lobster is, I saw it the the other day but hesitated to buy it.

Sharon, I finally tried the langostino lettuce wraps. Delish. The langostino (with some research, I guess it's more closely related to a hermit crab) is fairly tasteless by itself, but when wrapped in butter lettuce with cilantro, coleslaw (made with home made mayo of course) and avocado is really really good. A fun protein alternative. I am going to try it with David Sisson's Big Ass Salad and use a mayo and balsamic dressing.

[Susan W 3553]

Sharon, I finally tried the langostino lettuce wraps. Delish. The langostino (with some research, I guess it's more closely related to a hermit crab) is fairly tasteless by itself, but when wrapped in butter lettuce with cilantro, coleslaw (made with home made mayo of course) and avocado is really really good. A fun protein alternative. I think next, I will make Mark Sissons Big Ass Salad and use the langostino and make a mayo and balsamic dressing.

Hmmmm....I quoted myself. Wonder how I did that. How clever.

[MJWoo 2]

I'm just in week 2 and have only made one trip to Costco. My find was the giant bag of frozen mixed veg -- pea pods, beans, carrots, onions, broccoli, red pepper and the odd mushroom. Since I'm just developing the habit of cooking (again), I find that frozen veg to be very useful for a quick breakfast. It cooks up fast and when warmed up the broccoli and peas still have some crunch.

Costco is short on organic veg ... spinach, salad mix, celery and a huge bag of baby kale are about it. I have a hard time getting through the whole bag of kale. Need to work a deal with my neighbor.

[Sharon Simpson Thumann 378]

My Costco doesn't have kale.. grrrr! Anyway, the frozen mix has beans? If it's not green beans then it's not compliant, unfortunately. I don't always buy organic.. I try but sometimes the budget doesn't allow for it. I always try to only buy organic greens more than most veggies.

I bought a bottle of white balsamic at TJ's to try.

I've been buying WF's sparkling waters, love the strawberry but.. the lemon taste like I would imagine Pledge tastes like.. I was really disappointed!

Oh, I am not Whole30 atm so some stuff might not be compliant.

[jhmomi 676]

FYI to newbies. Regarding "peas" or "pea pods"...

No english peas. Snap peas and snow peas (mostly pod, immature peas) are acceptable because the problematic compounds are in the peas themselves.

[Xandra 633]

Costco has bags of frozen organic broccoli florets. Best quality frozen broccoli anywhere. We go through a bag a week. Now that peas and corn are out, I'm getting the frozen green beans there, too.

[SpinSpin 1948]

Costco is short on organic veg ... spinach, salad mix, celery and a huge bag of baby kale are about it. I have a hard time getting through the whole bag of kale. Need to work a deal with my neighbor.

The baby kale rocks sauteed and I even made kale chips out of some when I did a taco salad a while back. My son (19 months) LOVES it cooked with his eggs. I also do a breakfast casserole with sausage and mushrooms and I toss in a few good handfuls of kale and let soften before I cool and mix with beaten eggs and cook (here is the recipe-- http://www.marksdailyapple.com/sausage-egg-breakfast-bites/#axzz2CEuUiJfc ) soooo yummy and hubby loves it cause he cuts his portion into cubes, bags it up and eats it on the go between stops (he is a delivery driver)

[Susan W 3553]

Update on using Kerrygold salted butter to make ghee. DON'T do it!! Duh Susan...as the moisture evaporates, the salt intensifies. No wonder EVERY single recipe calls for unsalted.

[Sharon Simpson Thumann 378]

Awww, I bought some Kerrygold, haven't used it yet.

[Susan W 3553]

Awww, I bought some Kerrygold, haven't used it yet.

Oh shoot Sharon. Is it salted? If so, don't make ghee. If not, you are a lucky duck.

[Sharon Simpson Thumann 378]

Yeah, it's salted. Since I am not Whole30 and dairy doesn't bother me, I will just use it for cooking eggs. It has a delicious flavor.. so buttery! I can definitely taste the difference between Kerrygold and conventional butters. I kept one brick out and put the rest into the freezer. It will be the only dairy I have.

[Susan W 3553]

Yeah that's what I did. As soon as I realized what was happening I poured it into containers and froze them for down the road. It is the best butter ever! The unsalted makes such a nice ghee.

[Junelily 29]

I was at Trader Joe's today and remembered a post I saw regarding grass-fed beef in the freezer section. I was so excited to find grass-fed beef patties! They will be great to have on hand in the freezer. I buy compliant meats from the butcher's section but hadn't thought to look in the freezer. Thanks!

[Billie Burke 14]

Just saw this post! I'll be in Milbrae California (south of San Fran) for a whole week Jan 20. I sure hope their TJ still carries compliant rottisserie chicken!!!

[Sharon Simpson Thumann 378]

I have not found grass fed beef in our TJ' s.

Anyone shop at Sam's? I'm curious about their cage free eggs.

[Holly 78]

How much conventional vs grass fed organic meat is everyone else eating?

[Nicole M 19]

My husband and I eat both. We eat a lot, so it is just not economical for us to buy all organic. I try to buy organic ground beef from Costco because ours does not have any grassfed. I tend to buy conventional chicken. At one point I joined a meat CSA from a local farm, but it just was not enough meat for us, so we always ended up having to supplement, which ended up being more expensive. Luckily, my husband's dad is getting ready to slaughter 2 cows at his place in Kentucky, and is going to bring us half of one of them. Totally grass fed and pastured. I am trying to talk him into getting some pigs next

[Sharon Simpson Thumann 378]

Do you guys buy pork from Whole Foods? I've never looked at their rating for their pork. I buy local from a butcher but it's extremely expensive. Buying pork chops from them is a rare treat at $15 per pound.

I buy grass-fed ground beef from Costco, it's cheaper than anywhere else I have found. I also buy conventional chicken breasts, steaks and other meats from Costco in the leanest form I can find.

[Holly 78]

Where I live, there is no grass fed pork available at the stores. I keep forgetting to go to the winter farmer's market, where they have pork available. However, it is in the league of $15/lb- which isn't worth it to me. A nice pork roast might be good on a special occasion, but it isn't my favorite meat source.

I finally went over to TJs to check out their prices and offerings. The store near me is newer-ish, and I haven't been that into their quality of food. I found some reasonably priced organic free range chicken, which has been harder for me to find. I also bought some of their conventional chicken, which I am feeling guilty about now since I usually at least by "Certified Humane" if I'm buying chicken. Their grass fed beef is about a dollar more than at my conventional grocer, so I will buy that from there. Organic eggs were surprisingly less expensive at TJs.

When I got home I cracked open a can of TJs coconut milk for zucchini soup I was making, but I am kind of disappointed in the watery quality of it. It was less expensive than Thai brand coconut milk, but it didn't taste as good. I think since I don't use coconut milk all that often I will just buy the more expensive brand.

It's difficult to follow a budget! I'm planning on tracking my food purchases better all during February. I have a feeling I'm spending less on whole foods and not eating out, even though I am feeding my two children in addition to me.

[Susan W 3553]

Holly, did you buy the lite version of coconut milk? That's why it was watery. I buy it but only because my daughter likes it in her coffee. They now carry full fat but it has more stuff in it and I thought it was icky tasting. Walmart has the best price on full fat coconut milk. Nothing in it. I forget the brand but it's really inexpensive and good. They also carry the Thai Kitchen brand for $1.43 a can.

[Holly 78]

I did accidentally buy a low fat version, but the one I tried was their "coconut cream", which I think was supposed to be full fat coconut milk. I'm not that familiar with Trader Joe's, but I think the stores sell different items. There is one farther away that is bigger, and has many more options.

Oh my gosh, I never go to Walmart....but that Thai coconut milk sounds like it is a whole dollar cheaper than my grocery store! Maybe I can go just to stock up on that.

i am feeling bummed that my truly local sources of pastured meats are more expensive than the ones from the store. How can that be?

[Terez 227]

This is a TJs and Costco thread but since you're talking about prices for pastured meat, I belong to a "club" where we buy pastured meat directly from the farmer. There is a 15% delivery and admin fee added to the bill so I'm increasing the prices here by that amount to show the true cost:

Pastured pork is $9/lb $10.35/lb

Chuck roast (beef) is $6/lb $6.90/lb

Pork shoulder roast is $6/lb $6.90/lb

This is a small sample of what's available. I mostly buy the cheaper cuts like chuck roast and shoulder roast. Then I rend the fat from them and use it for cooking.

Anyone in DC or suburban Maryland who's interested, PM me for more information.

[Sharon Simpson Thumann 378]

Lucky you! As far as I know we do not have any meat CSA's where I live.