The Enlightenment

So I’m the last of the Murder Mommies {the group of moms I hang with, so named because we murder mommy stereotypes in everything we do—yes, baby!} to experience the enlightenment that is Trader Joe’s. For those of you who still cannot get your mind around those $5 cartons of blueberries because afterall, the fruit is in season and the carton does not say organic {I can admit to the same disappointment as I dump two and three cartons into my grocery basket week after week}, Trader Joe’s is an honestly priced grocery store around Union Square—A block away from Whole Foods, no less. In fact, I got the idea to finally try Trader Joe’s after pacing the aisles of Whole Foods in a daze. I mean, I get the philosophy behind freshly packed, whole foods and can appreciate the ambiance associated with it, and let’s be clear, I once was a huge fan of the yuppie establishment. Trader Joe’s, on the other hand, is an entirely different experience because, well…Trader Joe’s is for the people. According to the story printed on the paper grocery bag, Joe made his fortune, and everyone else’s, by cutting out the middleman and began producing private label goods to be sold at significantly lower prices than his competitors. Hence why even their exquisite items are packaged in an unassuming everyday people kind-of-way. After braving the ridiculously long line {I’m talking go-to-the-back-of-the-store-and-stand-in-that-ridiculous-line long}, Hayes and I walked to Union Square Park to enjoy the contents of our two full grocery bags filled with goodies that I only paid $25 for. It included a big bar of dark chocolate{mom favorite}, a basket of peaches, a sack of avocados {hooray for good fat}, corn chips and Tuscany white bean dip that Hayes smeared up his nose, fresh vegetables and the best dried pineapple rings I’ve ever tasted {no sugar added}. The Trader Joe's wine store even sells $2 bottles of private label wine, for the heart healthy, of course {2-buck Chuck, they call it}. Alas, in the familiar form of corporate downsizing, illumination is here.