Trader Joe's Pot Sticker Review

Things have been so busy here that planning meals has been a bit challenging. So I've had to find a few quick and easy things to throw in a few nights a week.  On Monday I had a chance to drive out to the Trader Joe's that is about an hour away and pick up some things.  One thing I noticed is that they sell pot stickers.  We have had pot stickers before, but usually it is in a pack with a sauce and you heat and unthaw the sauce.

So I decided to give the Trader Joe's pot stickers a try. My husband really likes pot stickers too, so I knew he would want to try them. The one thing that left me scratching my head was that the pot stickers didn't come with any dipping sauce.  So I asked an associate if they sold a bottle of dipping sauce and he directed me to an aisle where they sell a number of different sauces.  He suggested the Gyoza sauce that you'll see pictured below. So I bought that, as well as the Soyaki sauce.  From reading the ingredients on the bottle of Soyaki, I knew it sounded like something my husband would like.  It is reminds me of a sauce they use at a Japanese restaurant nearby where we get take out sometimes. 

If you've never had pot stickers, they are little dumplings that are filled with different ingredients.  They can have chicken, pork, shellfish, etc.  The Trader Joe pot stickers had chicken and vegetables.  My husband has a shellfish allergy, so I can never get the seafood kind.  Such a bummer because he grew up loving shellfish and I love it too. 

To cook the pot stickers you brown them for a minute in a hot pan with oil. Then you add 3 tablespoons of water and cover them and have the stove set on low.  They steam cook.  For whipping something up quickly on a weeknight, they are really easy.  I usually make rice and serve them on top. 

We really enjoyed these pots tickers from Trader Joe's and I'll get them again.  The two sauces were good, but different from the sauces I've had with pot stickers in the past.   These sauces are a garlic, ginger, terriyaki type of base.  The sauces I've usually had with pot stickers have had a sweeter taste.  I think these two sauces could be really great if you wanted to add them to meat and have a very different type of hamburger. You could get that terriyaki burger flavor. 

Hope you are having a great day in your neck of the woods!

Trader Joe's oh how I love thee

Over the last few weeks I've had a chance to shop at Trader Joe's grocery store.  The closest store to me is about an hour away, so it isn't right around the corner.  But, I've had the chance to shop their about three different times in the last few weeks and I have to say I wish it was closer.

The very first time I went into Trader Joe's about a year ago, I didn't see what all the fuss was about.  I found the store a bit difficult to shop and it didn't help that I was there at a peak time so the place was packed.  But since then I've given it a try and I've had the fortune of shopping at less busy times which has helped.  I've found some great products that I like.

One of the first has been Trader Joe's low calorie lemonade in regular and pink. It comes in a 64 oz. bottle.  It is sweetened with stevia.  I tried stevia in my tea as a sweetener and I didn't care for it, but in this lemonade it is different.  Now I will say if you are used to Chick Fil A lemonade this is not going to be like it at all. But I've wanted to cut down on sugar, so having the stevia as a sweetener was what got my attention. Also, an 8 oz. glass has 40 calories in it which is lower than sodas.  So it has been a great substitute for me.

I've also discovered some of Trader Joe's frozen products.  Two things we've tried recently that we liked are the TJ polenta with spinach and carrots and the TJ risotto with asparagus.  They were both delicious and a great change of pace. I like it that it is a different way to get vegetables in our diet.

Another thing I've found at TJ that I like are their spices.  Their spices have been very reasonably priced.  I purchased a 1.7 oz. bottle of cumin for $1.99 which was cheaper than Wal Mart.  They also had a very intriguing bottle that I bought because I thought dh would like it.  The bottle is sugar, chocolate, coffee bean with a built in grinder.  To me I thought this would be great for putting in a jazzed up french toast, or a dessert.  That comes in a 2.47 oz. bottle and was also $1.99.

So are you a Trader Joe's shopper? If so, what have you found that you like to get? 

Hope you are having a great day in your neck of the woods!