Trader Gods

This is what we used to call Trader Joes because we loved the place so much and basically worshiped it.

When I was considering jobs in Chicago and Philadelphia I did not go to the job websites first, I went to the TJ's website to see if there was one in that particular city. I could not imagine living where there were no Trader Joes potstickers or frozen mango chunks or frozen brown rice.

Now I live on the most happening island in the world and there is only ONE Trader Joes on the island! Impossible to believe. How can Manhattan be considered to be part of a world class city with just one TJs?

And this very crowded purveyor of everything that is good and affordable is geographically undesirable for me and so ironically I rarely enter my house of worship.

It is much like Lego or Six Feet Under: I could not imagine life without either, but then I grew up and got rid of my HBO (respectively) and I survived.

But today I was down by Union Square and went in. I was back in love. It was as if my products had been abducted in a parental dispute and here I was reuniting with them once again. They were so familiar, but I knew we had not been together in a very long time.

I wanted to grab them all and throw them in my basket. We had a lot of catching up to do. But the reality is there no car and no trunk waiting outside. I have to sherpa home what I put in my basket. I didn't want to Trader Sophie's Choice, but I had to let some products be "until the next visit." It was hard, but I managed.

Here are a few of my bundles of joy:

I know you can get this loads of places, but it is so much cheaper here and this was where we first met. I LOVE this oatmeal.

Cannot say enough about the versatility of the chunks. We do so many things together.

Some folk say this sprouted wheat pasta takes liked boiled corrugated cardboard box, but not to me. I love the stuff and so Weight Watchers Freundlich!