I Drive Out of State to Go to Trader Joe’s; Best Things I Buy Family

Although they’re not as sweet as my favorite Honeycrisps, I love grabbing a bag of Piñata apples from Trader Joe’s. They have a nice tropical flavor and come in a large, 5-pound bag.

They never last long in my house, so I always hope they’ll still be available on my next shopping trip.

I never wore sunscreen as a kid, mostly because of the smell and greasy feel on my skin.

As a mom, though, I always have to make sure my kids are sufficiently protected from UV rays, which means I constantly have my hands covered in sunscreen. However, I don’t mind it as much when it doesn’t smell or feel greasy.

Trader Joe’s has a great line of health and beauty products, and I especially love the invisible gel sunscreen. I find that it soaks in quickly after application, and I can’t even tell by the smell that it’s been applied.

Trader Joe’s Just the Clusters vanilla almond granola is so tasty that I almost forget how nutritious it is.

I typically buy more than one bag at a time because I either eat handfuls of it as a snack, or with milk for breakfast. It also adds a great crunch to Greek yogurt.

This Alfredo sauce has a nice blend of Parmesan and Romano cheese flavors. Even my picky child eats it without complaining.

I like to brown some chicken and simmer it in the Alfredo sauce with broccoli and pasta. The whole process is quick and results in a quick dinner that everyone will eat.

These wide noodles cook quickly and pair well with any sauce. I only wish they came in a bigger package.

I grew up with a mom who baked, so I don’t usually like store-bought desserts. However, I gave Trader Joe’s glazed vanilla-bean scones a chance, and now they’re one of my go-to treats.

My husband and older son both love spicy foods, so I like to get them Trader Joe’s cheddar jalapeño pull-apart bread.

It’s not super spicy, but it has a nice kick. I usually buy at least one extra package to freeze, since they typically polish off the first one within days.

Homemade pizza is a fun, quick, and easily customizable dinner.

Trader Joe’s pizza crust, which can be found in the bakery section, is sturdy enough to hold lots of cheese and toppings.

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