Wednesday, January 08, 2014

KELLY IS GETTING TOGETHER A TRADER JOE’S SHOPPING LIST

IMG_1177

SOUND ASLEEP THIS MORNING WITH HER LITTLE PAL OLLIE THE OLIPHANT

Ahhhhhh, clear blue skies with a big bright Arizona sun this morning.  Just what the Doctor ordered.  Now if Arizona could just turn it’s heat up a tad to the point where I can begin complaining about how hot it is all will be well again.

IMG_1179

MY GARDEN TOOLS WERE PATIENTLY WAITING FOR ME THIS MORNING >>>

Contentedly resumed my clean-up project on the neighbor’s property.  Working in a nice quiet secluded area now with Joshua Trees, Agave’s, Saguaros, Ocotillos, Chain Fruit Cholla, Prickly Pear Cactus, Palo Verde, & Mesquite trees etc.  Raking out dead cactus & trimming back overgrown branches.  For me it’s a nice way to spend a few solitary hours & get myself a little exercise to boot.  Worked away till I wore myself out around 1:30.  Best part about wearing oneself out is flopping in a big old comfy recliner & kicking back for some R & R time.  I like that feeling.

IMG_1181

ANOTHER WHEELBARROW LOAD OF DRIED CACTUS ETC HEADS FOR THE BRUSH PILE

Something I forgot to mention about Prescott in Tuesday’s post.  Two big thumbs up for the 101.7 radio station.  What a pleasant surprise to come across a mature radio station in this day & age with easy listening music & no yammering announcers or teeth jarring hoaky commercials.  Thank you for adding to our pleasant day Prescott:))

IMG_1180

THIS AGAVE WAS COMPLETELY OVERWHELMED BY THE PALO VERDE TREE NEXT TO IT SO HAD TO CUT THE PALO WAY BACK

So glad we are not back in Bayfield digging our way out of yet another winter blizzard.  Imagine I will have myself a big Spring clean-up this year with tree limbs down etc.  An email from home said a falling Pine branch broke the globe on our light at the end of our driveway.  Fingers crossed that our water pipes will be alright with the intense cold this year. 

DSC_0004

AW COME ON PHEEBS HOW’S ABOUT ANOTHER SMOOCH

Been nearly 2 years (March 2012) since we bought our Congress house so how do we feel about that decision at this point.  Two thumbs up with no regrets comes to mind & we especially enjoy it while we are here for the winter.  But it’s a long stretch from when we leave in early April until we return in late October.  And it is during this time we have a tendency to occasionally waiver & think to ourselves maybe we should sell it.  However, those wavering doubts are soon dispelled as soon as we pull into our Congress Arizona driveway here in the Fall.  We’re just so glad to have what we have & all our reasons for buying the house & property in the first place come rushing back ten fold.

DSC_0002

Congress is such a great central location & springboard for area travels to new & old places.  We could drive to Bisbee Arizona in a day or Borrego Springs California in half that time.  It’s a full day’s drive to Moab Utah & we could make it to the South rim of the Grand Canyon in about 4 hours.  About 3 & a half hours to Joshua Tree National Park.  A short 3 hours down to Darby Well in Ajo & about 3 hours over to the Sedona area.  Two hours can put us in the Kofa Mountains.  A day’s drive could easily land us in Silver City New Mexico & a good day’s drive from Congress could put us up into Cortez, Colorado.  Yep, I think we are in a pretty great area for future travels alright.

DSC_0017

<<< I’VE BEEN BUSY DOING SOME MORE PLANTING

Kelly is putting a list together for the next time we go to Trader Joes.  Peanut Butter Pretzels were suggested & are high on that list for me.  Kelly’s got ‘Almonds’ wrote down after another suggestion.  Not being familiar with TJ’s I guess we’ll have to spend a bit more time having us a look around in there.  Do any of you TJ folks out there have any more suggestions for Kelly to add to her Trader Joe’s list…………….

DSC_0015

It was mentioned in the Shout Box today that I have written some ‘bad blogs here’.  Well, let me be the first to say yes I have written some posts & said some things over the years that I would rather take back but I stop short of thinking of them as bad.  Opinionated for sure, a bit aggressive at times, maybe not well thought out at other times, occasionally accusatory, biased even, but downright bad……hmmmmm.  Here’s how the dictionary defines ‘bad’……of poor quality; inferior or defective. 
substandard, second-rate, second-class, unsatisfactory, inadequate, unacceptable, not up to scratch, not up to par, deficient, imperfect, defective, faulty, shoddy, amateurish, careless, negligent, miserable, incompetent, inept, inexpert, ineffectual; awful, atrocious, appalling, execrable, deplorable, terrible, abysmal; crummy, rotten, godawful, pathetic, useless, woeful, bum, lousy………… I guess it’s all in what one considers ‘bad’.

DSC_0009

PICKED UP THE MINERAL SPIRITS IN PRESCOTT TUESDAY TO TRY & GET THESE ROAD PAINT SPATTERS OFF THE JEEP

Liked the colorful photos TRAVELS WITH CC & DIXIE had in their recent post.  Especially the ones of the Dade Battlefield Historic State Park. It was the 34th annual Reenactment of the Seminole Indians vs. American soldiers battle of December 23, 1835, so called Florida-Indian wars.  A quote from their post says, “With the smoke in the woods, many of my photos look like paintings”.

DSC_0012

WITH A WHOLE LOT OF LUCK THIS FELLOW MAY ONE DAY GROW INTO A FULL BLOWN JOSHUA TREE >>>

Boy are the birds ever mad at me.  Ran out of birdseed & the store where we get it is closed today.  We could have a full scale feathered revolution here at any minute.  Our back yard right now is full of angry looking winged warriors.  Could be tense over the next 24 hours……………………..

DSC_0001

DSC_5273_thumb1

<<< YEP, THIS GUY IS REALLY TICKED OFF

GROANER’S CORNER:((  Did you know that marriage is a relationship in which one person is always right, and the other is a husband. And there's one good thing about snow, it makes your lawn look as nice as your neighbor's.

-------------------------------------------------------------
- Tourists see the world, travelers experience it.
- Home is where your pet is:))
- "If having a soul means being able to feel
love and loyalty and gratitude, then animals
are better off than a lot of humans."
(James Herriot)
- The pessimist complains about the wind; the optimist expects it to change; the realist adjusts the sails -William Arthur Ward
- The only thing better than right now will someday be the memories of right now...AL.
- It is not so much having nothing to do as it is not having the interest to do something....AL.

- I sure hope I don't live long enough to get old....AL.

26 comments:

  1. If you like black licorice, Trader Joe's has a great Australian licorice, and we also love their No Salt salsa. You would never know it doesn't have salt.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Love the picture of sleeping Pheebs....Jack, our little pup sleeps with a teddy bear. So cute.

    I had to go back and read the past couple of posts...got behind traveling. I bet you did kick yourself...you missed 5 Guys. We don't care much for RL either.

    Ok, so Congress is a days drive from Moab. Any chance you and Kelly might consider coming to Moab in August? Just think about it! We will be there the entire month! Would live to go hiking or Jeeping with you both!

    ReplyDelete
  3. TJ's vanilla yogurt is super! And their cheeses! Yum and double yum. Try the steel cut oats...you will never want a different kind of oatmeal! Oh my gosh...almost forgot our very favorite...T.J.'s Kamalata Olive Oil. Soooooo good.

    ReplyDelete

  4. Oh please, ' bad blogs ' ....... I can't take it !!!!!
    Just go read something else and let Al express his opinions,thoughts and highlights ....... I for one am grateful he is so honest, active, and willing to share the good, the bad and the ugly !!!!!!!! Hey by the way, this blog belongs to ' THE BAYFIELD BUNCH ' ...... Keep on keep'in on Al and how LUCKY is that neighbor of yours who is getting a four star landscaping makeover ???
    Kelly, try the Almond Crousants for a treat from TJ !!!

    ReplyDelete
  5. I'm hooked on TJ's Ginger Snaps. Also buy organic vegies and meats.

    ReplyDelete
  6. Trader Joe's has all SORTS of great sweet stuff. :) It all depends on what you enjoy, but if they have them, the dark chocolate salted caramels are to die for. On the savory side, their bruschetta pasta sauce is wonderful. You can add chicken, sausage, or just about anything to create a delightful, light pasta dinner. And their guacamole is great as well. Their coffee is good, too. You can either grind it at the store or take it home whole bean.

    Everybody has their favorites. I'm sure you'll find yours after a few visits. :) Enjoy!

    ReplyDelete
  7. I have to say I love TJ's almond croissants. They are frozen and you can take out just a couple at a time and they bake up fresh. Such a tasty, flaky treat.

    Bad blogs - no way!!

    Great picture of Pheebs curled up with her elephant.

    ReplyDelete
  8. Try Trader Joe's Meyer Lemon Thins -- one of the nicest cookies ever!
    Agree with Sally B. There's no such thing as a "bad blog", especially on the Bayfield Bunch. Thank you for all your different viewpoints.

    ReplyDelete
  9. Agreed on the "bad blog" thing...whoever heard of saying someone's efforts at thoughtful writing and beautiful photos is "bad" Just because they don't agree with what you say? Get a life, I say, or go somewhere else. Just so dumb for people to say things like this, but I guess there are dumb people everywhere.

    Oh...Trader Joe's half baked breads. Put them in the oven and you have fresh amazing.

    ReplyDelete
  10. My favorite are the Dark Chocolate Covered Almonds... located above the frozen food cases. Their multi-grain crackers are pretty good, too. Oh heck, I love food! As for bad blogs (or good blogs... or whatever) ... what the heck? It's your blog, and folks have a choice whether to read it or not...

    ReplyDelete
  11. Don't worry about the birds ... they forgive quickly once you fill up the feeders again ... maybe we humans should take a lesson from them!

    As for Trade Joe's, if you use much olive oil, I can highly recommend the Trader Gioto's President's Reserve Extra Virgin Olive Oil. It is very good, and a much better value than any others I've found anywhere! Also, if you like shallots, theirs are very well priced, and fresh. Another favorite is their brand of parmesan cheese in the wedge. Hmmm, those three ingredients make me hungry for some pasta!

    Love your posts and photography!

    ReplyDelete
  12. I agree! Trader Joe's vanilla yogurt is THE BEST! I also buy the dogs a box of their natural peanut butter dog treats! I think if you start shopping there, you'll find you love Trader Joe's! They also have good juice drinks. Oh, and their frozen pizzas are inexpensive and good, especially their 4 cheese one!
    ~~Cheryl Ann~~

    ReplyDelete
  13. Oh, and I didn't want to face a mob of angry birds this morning, so I bought 2 bags of birdseed yesterday! I like the COSTCO birdseed in the red bags, but they seem to be the only place to stock it. Right now it is $7.98 a bag, 20 pounds, I believe, which is about $2.00 less than I've seen it other times of the year. We are fortunate to have 2 COSTCO stores near us, however. I've tried other brands and either the seeds are different or there's too much corn and our little finches and sparrows won't eat that...
    Cheryl Ann

    ReplyDelete
  14. 'Taint No Bad Blogs on Bayfield Bunch!

    Those poor birds will divebomb your jeep with droppings now to get back at you!

    I remember buying big bags of bird feed at Elfrida to feed those hungry birds you were taking care of. Gosh that food disappeared FAST!


    ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
    Karen and Steve
    (Blog) RVing: The USA Is Our Big Backyard
    http://kareninthewoods-kareninthewoods.blogspot.com
    ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

    ReplyDelete
  15. I don't remember whether you have a wood stove in your house, but I think not. That is something I would consider to put in presto, as the house doesn't have a furnace. You know there are always a few cool days coming. And just how cozy could it be to sit in front of a warming wood stove.

    ReplyDelete
  16. No such things as a bad blog is there?
    It is your Blog and your picture , thoughts and memories and you choose to share them with whoever is interested.
    It you don'y like it don't read it.

    ReplyDelete
  17. My mouth is watering reading your comments--I like TJ's wild rice too but all those cookies people were talking about sound good!! The comment about a wood stove in your house is a good one, too. We are on our way to Congress today--hope to see you guys!

    ReplyDelete
  18. Trader Joe organic chicken and brown rice dog treats have never been turned down by any dog we meet even the "picky" ones.

    Don

    ReplyDelete
  19. We are big Trader Joe' s shoppers. When you first go in one you wonder what all the hooplaw is about. They do not have most of what a regular grocery has. Along with many wonderful sweets, there are some extra good items. If you like avacados, grab a mesh bag of four. They usually are not yet ripe, but in a few days they will be. The frozen croissants, almond, chocolate, or plain are wonderful. the boxes are small and you put the croissants out to thaw and proof over night and bake in the morning. Better than any bakery in the comfort of home.
    Also frozen, but a speciality at Christmas are boxes of bacon wrapped scallops.
    The bags of pitted prunes are the best. As are any of the dried fruits.
    I like things that keep so I don't have to shop as often. They have vaccume packed lentils and baby beets that are good.
    Many of their frozen fish are also well packed and we have not had any bad ones.
    I could go on and on.
    Take you time, bring a cooler bag or two for the frozen.

    Funny, I like Jiff better than TJ's peanut butter.
    Final reccomendation is for their ketchup. Just as good as the homemade we did many years ago.

    ReplyDelete
  20. I see you have lots of TJ read fans. We had a great stop there yesterday. Our number one purchase is nuts. I mentioned the almonds yesterday. We like the dry roasted, unsalted nuts the best. They have raw nuts, too, which aren't as crunchy. They also have lightly salted. We sometimes mix lightly salted and plain which makes a great combo. Our selection usually includes almonds, cashews, mixed nuts, and pistacho pieces.

    My number two purchase is cheese, especially TJ's brand of gorgonzola and blue cheese. Unbelievable flavor and price. Lots of great shredded cheeses also.

    Check out the rice and grain selection...yum!

    I don't think we've ever purchesed anything we didn't like.

    ReplyDelete
  21. Don't know if TJ's has them, but I'll bet they do...dark chocolate and salt covered caramels..Our daughter got us some at Costco and the are pure Heaven..We allowed ourselves ONE per day to savor them..As for "bad" blogs..no such thing.

    ReplyDelete
  22. Bad blog?NEVER!!! From the loks of that birds eye...... I wouldn't waste much time getting to where ever you get it's food.

    ReplyDelete
  23. Dear Cookie Butter,
    I wasn’t aware of your existence until I was standing in line at Trader Joe’s a few weeks ago and noticed a display of jars with a sign that said “LIMIT TWO PER CUSTOMER.”

    I went to investigate but was stopped by a middle-aged man with a handlebar mustache wearing a Gryffindor t-shirt. Apparently sensing my curiosity, he held his hand up and shook his head.

    “You don’t want to buy that,” he said ominously.

    “Why?” I asked. “What is it?”
    “It’s cookie butter,” he said, “and once you start buying it, you will never stop.”

    I looked in his basket and saw he had two jars of cookie butter. The woman behind him in line did too. People were swarming the cookie butter display like yellow jackets to a rack of ribs at a 4th of July picnic. Since I’m only human and extraordinarily helpless when it comes to even the most basic marketing schemes, I found myself suddenly overcome with the urge to buy a jar of cookie butter.

    I pushed past the Oracle of Gryffindor, grabbed one of the few remaining jars and put it in my cart, triumphant.
    And then, as the cashier began ringing up my purchases, she got to the cookie butter and stopped.

    “Are you sure you want to buy this?” she said.
    Jesus, cookie butter, what kind of beast are you?
    “Yes,” I said. “Well, kinda. I only want it because everyone else does and I’m weak and gullible. I don’t even know what it is.”


    “It’s basically peanut butter with ground up cookies in it,” said the cashier, glancing wistfully at the label.
    “Oh my God that sounds amazing,” I said. “How do you eat it?”
    “However you want,” said the woman who was bagging my groceries. “On bread, celery, crackers, out of the jar. The problem is figuring out how to stop eating it.”

    So now you know, cookie butter, that I ignored a total of three dire warnings in order to get you home, where my boyfriend and I promptly popped you open and dipped two spoons into your sweet, creamy innards. “Well, here goes,” we sighed, tapping spoons before taking our first bite of you.
    My first thought as you melted on my tongue?
    WHAT SORCERY IS THIS?!
    You are sweet, creamy, and a little bit spicy thanks to a generous swirl of crushed ginger snap type cookies. We quickly sampled you on apples, toast, and crackers while continuing to take bites straight out of the jar. When our cookie butter frenzy was over, the jar was half gone and we were cursing ourselves for falling under your seductive spell.
    Cookie butter, I’m sure I’ll be buying two jars of you every time I go to Trader Joe’s for the rest of my life, and I suppose I just need to accept that, but luckily this experience has taught me a valuable life lesson: never, ever disregard advice from a dude in a Gryffindor t-shirt.

    Cordially,
    Winona

    Swiped without guilt for elsewhere on the internet..... Rod

    ReplyDelete
  24. I'm surprised that all of that story posted, but with your addiction to peanut butter and honey sandwiches, I knew you had to know about this stuff... And your blogs are just fine.... and even if they aren't, they are yours and you aren't censored here on blogger unless you write something that isn't decent. And even then they just flag you...

    ReplyDelete
  25. You might need to bring your trailer when you go to Trader Joe's. Wish we had one so I could try some of the recommendations. There is a Whole Food store going up near me so I can hang out there.

    ReplyDelete