According to wiki : The total antioxidant capacity of artichoke flower heads is one of the highest reported for vegetables.[11] Cynarin, an active chemical constituent in Cynara, causes an increased bile flow.[12] The majority of the cynarin found in artichoke is located in the pulp of the leaves, though dried leaves and stems of artichoke also contain cynarin.
This diuretic vegetable is of nutritional value because of its exhibiting aid to digestion, strengthening of the liver function, gall bladder function, and raising of HDL/LDL ratio. This reduces cholesterol levels, which diminishes the risk for arteriosclerosis and coronary heart disease.[13] Aqueous extracts from artichoke leaves have also shown to reduce cholesterol by inhibiting HMG-CoA reductase and having a hypolipidemic influence, lowering blood cholesterol.[14] Artichoke contains the bioactive agents apigenin and luteolin.[15] Artichoke Cynara scolymus also seems to have a bifidogenic effect on beneficial gut bacteria.[16] Artichoke leaf extract has proved helpful for patients with functional dyspepsia,[17] and may ameliorate symptoms of IBS.[18][19]

Super bummed TJ's doesn't carry their giant white beans anymore. These are all great products though, and I know soon enough they'll have some amazing new product on their shelves. Love them!

Some people take their paychecks and go wild spending on shoes, or electronics, or vacations...I am pretty sure that ALL my fun money goes to Trader Joe's.

It's not a staple, but they have this amazing chocolate snack called, "Petit Cocoa Batons". Their these small chocolate treats that are crispy on the outside and creamy on the inside. And they're really inexpensive - maybe $1.79 per box. You get a lot for your buck nutritionally too - I think 17 pieces has 5g of fat. They're wonderful!

The last time I purchased them the check out girl said that she wasn't sure how long they would last since nobody buys them. She also raved about them and was sad that nobody knew they existed.

Great frozen food section, I always keep a few TJ's apps in my freezer just in case. Also check out the sliced peppers - green, yellow and red pepper strips frozen. Great addition for omlettes, soups, stir fry, anything! Around $2 a bag which is a pound - half the cost of fresh and all the nutrients! I caught frozen chopped leeks only once and they aren't there anymore, boo!

High Brow Chocolate Chip cookies real do taste high end. No nasty ingredients either.

This is just not fair. Not all of us live near a Trader Joe's! The closest one to me is an entire state away!

Just remember to buy in bulk as TJ's has a habit of discontinuing things in the blink of an eye.

I've gotten the chopped frozen leaks - made a-to-die for soup. And I 2nd the sliced peppers. I add them to stirfry and other dishes since they're so much cheaper than fresh! I think I spend half my income there! haha j/k. I thought about renaming my blog Our trader joes life! A few of our pantry favs are: white pizza dough, goat cheese, regular naan, coffee beans and fizzy waters. I love TJ's!

can someone please tell trader joe's that St. Petersburg, FL would be a great location for a store. I can even think of a few good locations--that happen to be right near my house!

I love the Dark Chocolate Powerberries, just a few totally satisfies my sweet tooth and the Roasted Seaweed Snacks are awesome.

sunandtea, let your Trader Joe's know you miss their Giant White Beans. All four TJ's near me carry them, so it's a product that still exists.

so happy TJs is coming to kansas city this year. :)

I love the TJ. Just wish more of their stuff, especially produce, was ORGANIC!

i routinely drive across the border into the US just to pick up things from TJ's.

I always stock up on TJ's Goddess Dressing (I just bought six bottles this week!) and their freeze-dried mangoes - YUM!

That almond meal is a must have in my house. Also love the roasted piquillo peppers in jars and the Sorrento salad mix, which I think is new.

Those sun dried tomatoes are amazing. I always have a jar in the fridge, along with a jar of their roasted red and yellow peppers (combined in one awesome jar)! Pick up their 99-cent whole wheat pizza dough, a $2 jar of pizza sauce, some low fat mozzarella shreds... and you've got a simple, quick and easy dinner!

i recently bought (and loved) their coconut ice cream
http://theactorsdiet.wordpress.com/2011/04/10/sniff-sniff/

(in the same post i make a coconut gingerbread using their mix too!)

I love their almond meal and chocolate callets as well. Plus their pound plus chocolate range is excellent for baking applications as well as for nibbling.

I wish I had known about their peanut flour before they discontinued it because now I'm a little obsessed with PB2 and I keep reading that TJ's peanut flour was better and cheaper.

The almond meal is an insane deal. Compare to other brands as widely available such as Bob's Red Mill which runs at least $10 per 1lb bag. I've been using it for cheesecake crusts forever and when I got into making macarons I thought I would be more refined and get actual almond flour. I balked at the $15 pricetag at the restaurant supply store, especially since it wasn't any finer ground.

The trader joe's brand of prosciutto

It's seasonal (Fall/Winter), but their boxed steamed chestnuts are amazing. Way better tasting than "fancy" gourmet brands and of course, in the TJ way, cheaper!

That's interesting, Tamalinn. I chatted with an associate when I was there last. Went like this:

me: did you discontinue the giant white beans?
him: yes, not selling well.
me: oh that's weird, everyone I know loves them. bummer.
him: i'm sure you could pour some tomato sauce over some beans and make them yourself.
me: um, I guess...

It was strange, and I felt like he was mocking me!? And no, it was more like an italian style dressing, not a tomato sauce that they came in. Either way, bummer all around for me :(

I've been a huge fan of TJ's for years, but, as a baker, I've got to say the Semi-Sweet Chocolate Callets are not up their usual standard. Their Pound Plus Dark Chocolate Bars are a much better choice for cooking.

Their organic brown rice that is frozen. 3 minutes in the microwave to delicious and healthy rice. The pumpkin bread around Christmas time is supposed to be a classic. One man was so disappointed that I got the last box in the store that I had to give it to him since I'd already made a few batches.

Right by the sundried tomatoes you will find sundried tomato pesto.
Oh my, is that stuff awesome!
<3 TJ's

The callets are really awesome for making candy

I love, love, love TJ's!! Moving to Colorado in a couple of weeks. Mourning the loss of pretty much immediate access to the store. :( Seriously, TJ's in Omaha (and Des Moines, IA) no store ANYWHERE in CO. WT_??? is up with that.
I happen to absolutely need their frosted mini wheats for breakfast at least 5 days/week. We eat many of their frozen items on a regular basis. Don't even get me started on the wine. Great selection, and really good prices.
I will miss TJ's so very much. Please get stores in Colorado (Boulder-area first!) and very soon!

We love the cubed frozen mango!! And for a treat, the chocolate frozen bananas and chocolate crisps (look like chocolate potato chips in a box)!! YUMMY!!!!

We dredge chicken in egg and then the almond meal all the time for a tasty fried chicken.

Love TJs! We have so many favs. Including: the frozen Tarte D'Alsace; the seasonal pumpkin bread mix (wish it was offered all year round and not just at Thanksgiving!); and this is going to sound really lazy and weird, but their peeled hard boiled eggs are amazing. I suck at hard boiling eggs (who knew it was so tricky!) and the yolks on the Trader Joe ones are super fluffy.

We also recently discovered a jarred coconut green curry sauce that is well on its way to becoming a pantry staple.

I love TJs as a store in general!

One great thing is that if you find something that you just don't like, return it. They'll take it back, no questions asked.

Another is that the shelves are always well stocked and there are no little special promo stands in the aisles to make getting thru with a cart difficult. Staff is great too.

TJ masala simmer sauce is amazing!

The new Cilantro dressing is great.

For an easy hor d'oeuvre put a log of goat cheese (sliced or not) in a flat bowl and then cover with TJ's grilled red and yellow peppers in olive oil (in a jar near the artichoke hearts). Smear on sliced baguette or crackers. Yum!

Their Reduced Guilt Mac and Cheese is amazing, 270 calories of pure yum. I miss the black beluga lentils they used to carry, those were great for a quick lentil salad.

My family like to joke that I moved back to the east cost from Colorado simply because there wasn't a Trader Joe's or an Ikea and I didn't know how to function.

My TJ favs: Yaki onigiri (healthy!), pot stickers (healthy!) and guac. OK, and the truffle brownies, but I try to pretend I don't notice those sneaking into my cart.

Their frozen quinoa is great.

Their version of chocolate syrup (called Midnight Moo) is devine....dark chocolate and organic. Their organic ketchup is so much better than Heinz'. I love their Garlic Aioli sauce in a jar, and their mustards (both Dijon and their whole-seed Dijon). Agree with their branded prosciutto, its amzing and half the price of the others. I LOVE me my TJ's.

Here is a recipe for all you big bean lovers. Did not know TJ's stopped selling the big beans -SAD DAY! http://www.woodfiredkitchen.com/?p=1384

My top 5 for Trader Joe's staples are the Cuban black beans, brown rice pasta, frozen pearl onions, draper valley chickens for 1.29/lb, and their caramelized onion and feta pastry puffs.

They have FROZEN quinoa? And I thought just finding boxed dried quinoa for under $5 was a win. I love that store so much. Like Whitrome said, it's where I spend pretty much ALL my take home pay. I have to second the comment that they DO still carry the white beans, your store just stopped carrying them. Because the shelves at my store are fully stocked. My favorite, favorite, FAVORITE item is the big jug of good quality olive oil for $7.99. I had to ask an employee if the price was written correctly because I COULD NOT believe my eyes. I'm a TJ's fanatic. Don't even let me get started about the wine.

The jasmine rice (frozen), the smoked salmon in pieces (a great value for high-quality lox), the frozen colorful peppers, the St Andre cheese (can't find it anywhere else these days) and the organic ketchup (the best out there short of homemade)!

No TJs out here in Colorado, unfortunately. Apparently they won't open one because the liquor laws wouldn't let them sell wine.

@gambrinus - I don't think the liquor license is the reason they aren't in Colorado. My local (Massachusetts) TJs doesn't sell wine, but I know other TJs in MA do sell it.

My standbys are frozen Naan, Tarte d'Alsace, frozen turkey meatballs, Apricot Sauce in big quart jars, when they have it. and olive oil. Their California estate bottled olive oil is good and relatively cheap.

Definitely the cornichons, when they have them! So delicious and cheaper than anywhere else.

I just made baked chicken with those sundried tomatoes and kalamata olives.

TRADER MING'S CUCUMBER WONTONS!!

Their 2 buck chuck is solid, but Tennessee still has some blue laws, so my TJs cannot sell wine. Such a bummer.

I too managed to snag the frozen leeks once, and haven't seen them since. That seems to be part of the TJ charm. Their brown basmati rice is also very good, but only appears intermittently at my TJ's.

And as for the lack of TJ's in CO -- I doubt it has to to with not being able to sell wine. The county laws where I live don't let them sell wine either.

I was at Trader Joe's today in Chelsea, NYC and they still carry the giant white beans...they're hiding on the bottom shelf where all the sauces are.
This was the biggest store I've been to. It was so nice not to crash into people in the aisles.

I can't believe no one has mentioned their curry sauces! The yellow and red are both amazing...you don't need to add a single thing to either one. They're fabulous when combined with the ridiculously cheap frozen chicken breasts ($6?! I couldnt believe it) and the $2 bags of frozen green beans and cut peppers :)