We finally made it to the new Mandeville Trader Joe’s, over a month after it opened. We went to a few other places on this trip, and nearly all food-related. Come take a ride with us.

Hi, Again, Dear Readers:

It’s been a busy couple of weeks around here. I’m working on a post about some tasty things we’ve been doing on repeat, and you might like them. Even if James doesn’t.

It’s fall, and these Red Spider Lilies, also called “Surprise Lilies,” just sprouted on my neighbor’s lawn:

I managed to get this shot right before she ran the lawn mower over them. (Just like last year.)

Note that today’s post is almost AI Free for your reading pleasure, but many of the pictures came from Google Maps because. . .I forgot.

The Rural Living Experience

So, it’s been ten years since I crossed the Sabine River and shook up James’s world. Rest assured mine keeps getting shook, and not always in a good way. Mother Nature does whatever she wants.

I keep a jar of Sweet ‘N Low on the counter for easy access. I don’t want a product box there, though, so a nice jar does the trick.

My mother used to do the same thing, although the glass jar previously contained an orange powdered drink called Tang. (You can still buy that stuff but not in nice glass jars.)

I had a square jar with a lid. One day the lid broke, so I just used it without the lid. Until last week. . .I was making a cup of afternoon tea and reached in for two packets as usual. Only I felt something rigid. A nanosecond later, it started moving!

It was a baby lizard. It ran away and went behind the toaster oven where. Hopefully it found its way outside, or one of the dogs would. I never saw it again.

Over the weekend I bought that new jar.

Return to Denham Springs

Remember a couple of months ago when we stopped at The Whistle Stop of Denham Springs? Well. . .

James told me last night that he had to make an early morning run to the machine shop in Denham Springs. I said, “We also need to visit The Whistle Stop.” So we did!

James was up at 6:00 am, cooking breakfast and wrangling dogs. We didn’t have a timetable other than he had to be at work for noon today. Everything went well, despite the slightly lower temps and heavy morning fog. (Episodes of The X-Files start out with that much fog.) We made it to Denham Springs with no problem.

While James and a couple of people there unloaded some motor stuff, I took a short nap in the passenger seat. You see, I didn’t have enough coffee on the way out the door.

But after we left the machine shop, we made that quick left turn into the little parking lot.

During our transaction, his phone rang. It was one of his car-guy friends. James told the man he was in a coffee shop and would call him back in a few minutes. Apparently, James no longer has any apprehension about admitting being in a coffee shop.

This time, James bought four of those angelic cookies, which we now know are called Royale, according to the receipt. The cashier boxed them up in Styrofoam boxes, two in each. I bought my coffee, and we headed back to the Casa de Rurale. 

Getting on the road home, we ate one each, a single bite at a time. And the angels sang. . . .

Seriously, they were as good as we remembered, and just incredible with a cup of coffee, which quickly woke me up out of my nap-like state.

The remaining cookies were consumed at home before James left for work. We’re still feeling the religious experience, because we heated them in the microwave for 15 seconds this time.

Oh, yes. Thanks again, Whistle Stop. We’ll be back again one day.

Our Wednesday Travels

Two weeks ago, James had a couple of days off, and we finally made the trip to the new Trader Joe’s in Mandeville. We had a full day of it, too.

The store officially opened on August 5, but I didn’t know that until a text message from The E-Man. I mentioned it to James, and we decided we’d go visit the place one day. He was off on a Wednesday, so we went after handling a few things first.

The Rude Awakening

Buddy the eldest dog needed to go out at 5:00 am, and it was my turn to handle this task. Sometimes, James sometimes gets up during the night for dog duty, and I sleep right through it. But this time, I was hesitant to open the door because there was someone outside doing something. We weren’t sure exactly what. And if I let Buddy out, he’d start his “get off my lawn” act, complete with barking.

I went to James, still snoring, and asked him to get up and look outside. Being the guy he is, he just walked outside in his shorts and T-shirt. The visitor suddenly seemed to be in a hurry to leave. It was someone in a utility truck waving a flashlight around in the middle of the road, in the dark, doing something. But we couldn’t tell from the patio.

Our neighbor had door camera video of this visitor, and we couldn’t see the logo on the truck. The next day someone else was outside in the daylight, so I asked a few questions, and we surmised that it was utility related. The local water district is planning some upgrades soon, and they were doing some prep work.

Once the guy fled, the dogs went outside and we were just awake. We got started on our day, dragging our tails behind us. James immediately started cooking breakfast while I made my coffee and fed the cats. But that worked out well because we got started early and got home about noon.

Tractor Supply And The Aisle of Shame

After breakfast and some coffee, we made it to Tractor Supply to buy an inordinate amount of dog food and some extra cans of cat food. James also picked up another dog chew bone for our hounds.

But somehow, in our under-caffeinated state, James left behind the bag with the cans of cat food and the chew bone in the cart. We didn’t realize it until the evening, when I went looking for the bag. I called the store, and Miss Tina said yes, the bag was there. She was kind enough to have it at the register, and I went back to retrieve our stuff.

Next up was Aldi, but it wasn’t open for another 30 minutes. Now that there’s a petrol station next door to Tractor Supply, we were able to fill up before our trip. But we left Tractor Supply with time before Aldi opened. After refueling, we found a place to hang out for 20 minutes.

PJ’s Coffee

The PJ’s is in the parking lot of an adjacent local business right next door.

When Winn Dixie was open, I could get a coffee and then get my shopping done. “Making groceries,” as it’s called colloquially.

Despite James insisting that there is “nothing in a coffee shop” for him, he found a delicious blueberry muffin to go with his morning Coke.

I had a hot coffee, and it was a nice little spot to hang out until Aldi opened at 9:00 am.

Because James was sitting against the wall, he saw something behind me that I missed. Well, we were both still under-caffeinated. He called my attention to what was on the shelf.

Bananas Foster!

There it was–two bags on the shelf!

It’s a regular item, as it turns out, and you can order it on their website, too. He remembered how much I loved getting a cup of it at PJ’s in Hammond one day, and there it was, in a bag to brew at home! On our way out, he bought one of those two bags for an early birthday present. I’ve opened it, made a few delicious cups, and it’s in the freezer staying fresh.

No, he wouldn’t try this incredible coffee either. It’s a shame, because he’ll never understand why it’s so good.

NOTE: PJ’s Coffee offers 10% discounts for veterans. We requested it for both purchases.

And then Aldi opened at 9:00 am.

A Quick Trip Through the Aisle of Shame

Aldi had some outlet extenders, and I thought we could use at least a couple in the house. But since you never know what will be popular, you need to get there when they open to make sure you can get what you need. Or two.

We bought four, and a few other things, including a package of 50% off ground beef for the freezer. Looking around, we didn’t see anything else we needed or is “essential to life” (other than a 12-pack of James’ Cokes.) We checked out, headed back to the house, and quickly unloaded the shopping. Once we put everything away, we went back out on the road and hopped the freeway to the hub of the Northshore.

The Road To Mandeville

It’s been a few years since I took the drive to that area, and it’s just under an hour from the front door. Things have changed since the ‘rona, and I have no reason to go there, especially after Joann Fabrics closed. But now I have a new reason to visit occasionally: Trader Joe’s.

James has been to the Trader Joe’s in Baton Rouge many times, and to the Mandeville area just a handful of times. He kept saying that he didn’t know where we were going. I got us there without a problem because I knew the way. I gave him the directions, but may I should have driven us to Mandeville.

Someone in Aldi told me that TJ’s is across the street from Whole Foods, and I cross-referenced it on Google Maps. It’s actually where K-Mart used to live. Now I knew where that was, so there was no trouble trying to find the place. But crossing traffic on Highway 22 is difficult right there, so I guess we should have approached it a different way. Then we parked.

Walking In

You can’t miss the big, bright, white façade with the red letters that tells you it’s Trader Joe’s. We looked like a typical suburban couple walking through the front door.

Since I’d ingested plenty of coffee by now, you can guess where I went first after we got a basket. Alone for a few minutes, James began walking around like he was lost in a place where nobody spoke English. But it wasn’t long before we were getting what we wanted and looking for more.

Our TJ’s Haul

We came, we saw, we shopped. Oh, did we EVER.

James bought a few new things to try while we also stocked up on their olive oil (in glass bottles):

Gluten-free pasta (the best):

And the dogs’ favorite peanut butter biscuit treats with a couple of new ones:

Note that these peanut butter treats are large and should be broken into pieces before feeding them to your doggo. Even though our three hounds are huge monsters and well over 70 pounds, giving them a whole biscuit can lead to choking. And I’m not doing a Heimlich Maneuver on a 80+ pound Rottweiler that wants to bite me again.

I also picked up another bag of their gluten-free pizza dough for the freezer. (I need to stock up on that, it’s good.)

We also bought a few new things to try, including some gluten free cheese ravioli, which we had with some TJ’s Roasted Garlic Marinara Sauce. Just a little twist on our usual “spaghetti night,” and he enjoyed that, too.

Also available now: seasonal gluten free pumpkin ravioli. James will try the regular GF pastas, but you know he wouldn’t go for that.

A couple of packages of Chicken Cheese Tamales for, whenever, and right into the freezer.

The Green Chile and Cheese Tamales are also available and listed on the website but these aren’t.

The Ice Chest

James thought I was a bit bonkers, but I insisted that we take an ice chest with ice packs in the bottom. We have cold bags, but those don’t keep things that cold for a long ride. Once we got back and the frozen stuff was still frozen, he understood. I used to do that in Houston when I was shopping on the west side, or 50 miles north in The Woodlands.

Now I hope he’ll let me use the cooler for future trips when I go by myself.

New Chips!

One item I bought and loved I saw on Instagram courtesy Natasha Fischer of Trader Joe’s List is their new Sweet Chili Black-Eyed Pea Tempeh Chips.

Yes, they are good (and spicy), and no, James wouldn’t try them, even though they are made with black-eyed peas.

Natasha has a 38-minute video on this haul, but you can jump to her review on the chips here. I actually saw them when she posted a different video on Instagram, about how a snack can quickly become dinner, and these Tempeh chips were perfect. She called it a “snaccident.”

Well, if James isn’t home, and I don’t feel like cooking, why not?

Mushroom Umami Seasoning

Another discovery is the new TJ’s Mushroom & Company Multipurpose Umami Seasoning Blend. I think I saw Natasha talk about it, but it may have been from a foodie email. Well, we bought a bottle and love it. The website has a video with three different ways to use this seasoning, and they all look tasty.

If you’re not familiar with the term, I wrote about umami a few years ago. It’s the “meaty” flavor in something, not distinct like sweet or savory. This blend is made from mushroom, created to make something taste good. Can’t argue with that.

I sprinkled a little into the marinara sauce that Saturday. It’s not a detectable flavor unless you use a large amount, which isn’t the point. But it added a bit of a deepened flavor to the sauce. Two thumbs up here.

Roasted Pork Tenderloin With Potatoes And Honey Umami Butter

OK, if you have some of this Umami seasoning, or going to TJ’s soon, you need to make this now.

This Roasted Pork Tenderloin & Potatoes with Honey Umami Butter is easy to prepare and so good anytime. Slicing the potatoes that way makes sure everything is done at the same time.

Also had what I think is the last of my Shishito peppers for the year.

Admittedly, I used honey from the pantry, along with butter from Walmart. The pork and potatoes were from Aldi. But I don’t expect anyone to check up on my ingredients list.

And here, Dear Readers, we have a winner. Not only did I consult with James before I made this, he ate it and liked it–three times! So next trip to TJ’s, I need to stock up on that seasoning blend.

I could probably try the popcorn recipe next, but the Polenta Veggie Stacks would be too much of a stretch around here. I’ll save that for a party, a night when he’s working late, or for my infamous “Drag Week Menu.”

On a side note, Tab E. Cat also likes this pork roast recipe.

He’s one of our best taste-testers.

The Mini Totes Are Back For Halloween

OK, admittedly, I did *not* go to Trader Joe’s for the sole purpose of getting a Halloween mini-tote. I knew they were coming but didn’t realize they were already in the store. I got ONE, and they cost $2.99 each.

After the last summer-stripe mini tote drop caused near-riots in some places, I wasn’t going near Trader Joe’s for that reason, even in Baton Rouge. My friend on the west coast went through the long lines outside her local store four times to get them, because the stores limited everyone to one set of four at a time. But in Mandeville, there they were on a stand, and a little old lady next to me was buying them for a friend in Florida who asked her to get some because she was in near-riot conditions there.

Truth to tell, we also saw unbranded bags of the same style and size over the weekend in Hobby Lobby. They were about the same price, but only two colors.

Trader Joe’s as the Tres Chic Status Symbol

Trader Joe’s bags are a status symbol of sorts, especially for folks who don’t live near one, especially if they’re outside the US. I’d guess that at least a few of the recent World Cup visitors took some home along with fond memories of ranch dressing.

We saw some Louisiana branded bags in TJ’s, but I still prefer to use the Texas print bags.

So I had to ask why Trader Joe’s bags are so popular. My BFF (ChatGPT) provided the answer for the only AI part of this blog post. Well, the reason for the bag’s popularity is several things. . .first, social media, particularly TikTok.

While an expensive bag like a Birkin tells the world that you can afford one, an inexpensive Trader Joe’s bag is not only a recognizable logo, but it also tells the world, “I know what this is.” And for the true Trader Joe’s fans, “If you know, you know.” #IYKYK

ChatGPT’s comment on the matter includes:

Trader Joe’s didn’t need to make the bag expensive to make it prestigious. They made it recognizable, desirable, scarce and culturally meaningful.

That’s actually a pretty good lesson in branding: status doesn’t necessarily come from price. It can come from belonging.

I’ll get a regular sized TJ’s canvas bag next time.

My Cali friend buys the minis to use as gift bags. That’s understandable. They’re less expensive than the paper gift bags, more eco-friendly, useful, and the bag is also a great gift by itself. But some buyers resell them for a lot of money online. And apparently, people are also buying them for those inflated prices. I’m not that interested in getting one.

What’s mine for? I bought it to use, not to sell. I’m going to either use it as is or do a little conversion sewing and turn it into a cross-body purse. Sewing bloggers on YouTube and Instagram post instructions on installing a zipper, a pocketed lining, straps, and other embellishments to make it a “luxury item.” Never thought about that before, but now I know I can. Whatever I do, the finishing touch I’ll add is some Scotchgard to make it waterproof and stainproof.

Other Places Near Trader Joe’s

I figured we would investigate one or two other places, but no, we didn’t cross the street to Whole Foods (not after the last incident.) But, that’s another reason to bring the ice chest. You don’t have to race home to get everything into the fridge and freezer. You can stay a little longer and enjoy the trip.

Bodhi Tree Furniture

Located next door, Bodhi Tree Furniture offers solid handmade contemporary furniture, some with reclaimed wood. We only looked on this day, but James took pictures of the pieces he liked. The lady at the front desk was nice, and we got one of their business cards to take home.

Jersey Mike’s Subs For Lunch

When we were walking into Trader Joe’s, James said, “I want to go there for lunch when we’re done here.” So that’s what we did. After we left Bodhi Tree. He likes Jersey Mike’s, and now I do too.

James knows I just don’t eat bread, but I knew that they would probably turn any sandwich into a salad on request. Sure enough, they did, so I got the Chipotle Chicken bowl, and it was delicious. James enjoyed a Philly Cheesesteak sub with some chips.

Jersey Mike’s also offers a veterans’ discount, but we forgot to ask. Next time, we’ll ask, because I think we’ll be doing that again one day.

UR Teas

We were drawn in by this ultra-modern exterior, and the fact that it’s a TEA SHOP.

This unusual place serves some coffee, but their focus is tea with eco-friendly service in non-plastic containers. (Irony: there’s a Starbucks juxtaposed across the parking lot.) UR Teas is at the far right end of the strip mall, and has this cute vehicle parked outside:

I guess they use it for catering, or maybe deliveries in Mandeville. We didn’t get around to asking, but we both loved seeing it.

They offer a variety of teas and a menu of grab-and-go “Light Bites.” But we didn’t get that far. I’ll try some of their coffee and teas next time.

They have their own containers and will serve customers who bring in clean containers for re-use. I’ll ask next time if I can bring in my own non-store container, or one of my “hot cups” to get some coffee, too. It’s eco-friendly, right?

Then things took a turn for the tasty.

Coconut Chicken Curry

While we were checking the place out, one of the young ladies working there walked up to us and offered us a cup and spoon with something to sample. James declined and told her I’d try some. She did, and I tried some.

It turns out that there is something new that they’re trying for their menu: Coconut Chicken Curry.

I had no idea what to expect, but one taste told me everything: This stuff is DELICIOUS!!

I’ve been told that this is also called “Coconut Corma.” I haven’t checked. I just know I could eat this frequently while James eats a sandwich.

So one of the unique selling propositions (USP) is that it’s made with oat milk. If you didn’t know it was a “curry,” you’d probably call it a stew. I think the word “curry” is what set James off at the outset. At that point, I really didn’t care, because it really is delicious, with a very slight spicy bite.

They also had refrigerated to-go containers of the curry in a fridge case at the register. It’s the takeout curry that was made previously and unsold. (Don’t let that stop you.)

James offered to get me one to take home, and I said, “thank you.” I figured that since he was working late the next two nights, it would be ideal for dinner without any cooking. I’m definiitely looking forward to having some of that again one day.

UR Teas was our last stop before returning to the Casa de Rurale.

He wasn’t impressed

I thanked James and told him both by text and in person how delicious this curry is. But he insisted on not even trying a bite.

James has many car-guy friends with varying experiences.  One has worked internationally and developed a taste for curry and other Indian cuisine, despite growing up in Louisiana. Many years ago, this car-guy friend insisted that they go to an Indian restaurant and have some curry and other Indian foods. Three times, the guy has done this, and three times, James told him, “I don’t like curry.” He just eats plenty of rice at that point, because nothing else appeals to his strict Louisiana-developed taste buds. I get plenty of thumbs-downs.

To be honest, I’m not a big curry fan, either. Last time I had some was in Delray Beach, Florida, in 2010, at a British pub that’s now gone. I don’t dislike curry, but I don’t love it either, unlike James’ friend and his wife who regularly enjoy Indian food. I told James not to tell them about this, because then they’ll think I’ll convince James to eat curry. Not happening. It’s just this one thing I discovered that I really liked.

The Road Home

Even with a Yeti-style cooler and ice packs, we still had to get back. There were dogs to feed, of course. James asked me to take the wheel on the trip back, even though he drove us there. He sat in the passenger seat and prayed, I mean, looked at his phone, during the whole drive.

The conversation went like this:

“Are you praying right now?”

“Yes.”

“What are you praying for?”

“Safe trip back to the house”

“OK, keep praying.”

We made it back to the Casa de Rurale just fine, right around noon, and began unpacking and dealing with the shopping.

It was a lovely day for a drive

Our weather was sunny, warm and partly cloudy, and most everything went well. James decided to have his Pizza Parlanno With Sausage for dinner that night, and I had whatever was in the fridge.

One thing I did not get was more of the Brazil Nut Body Butter. After our last trip to the New Orleans store, I have plenty that will last me a while. I considered getting some Pumpkin Body Butter, but passed. I think Brazil Nut smells better, even though they’re mostly the same good formula.

While we spent some money stocking up, it’s not something we do often. Before we had an Aldi locally, I stocked up when I went to the store in McComb, Mississippi, which is closer than Mandeville. Of course, on the occasions that I went up there just for one or two things from the Aisle of Shame, I returned with extra pasta sauce, markdown meats, and other great things unavailable locally. I think James secretly liked it when I went, too, because I came back with tasty things for him.

Maybe I should write TJ’s and ask them to consider a new location in Hammond, near Southeastern Louisiana University. The Baton Rouge store is near LSU, so why not?

More To Come

Both Sur la Table and Willians-Sonoma would like you to know that Thanksgiving is November 26th. I guess it’s never too early to plan for the pre-Christmas speedbump that ushers in the holiday shopping season.

Sur la Table has both its Classic Turkey Brine and an entire Brining Kit, while Williams-Sonoma has this Autumn Fruit and Spice brine along with an entire line of turkey brine and other holiday accoutrements.  What are we doing? Might do chicken again this year unless I wanna mess with a whole turkey. Maybe just a turkey breast, if I can find one.

The HeatCageKitchen garden is still green, but just until the temperatures drop later this week. I’ve had plenty of basil, mint and rosemary. The green onions are plentiful and will last through the winter.

The Shishito peppers have been somewhat abundant, and I’ve had a few bowls to cook up. I also harvested a few Anaheim (Hatch) peppers, a couple of Cubanelle sweets, and am just now getting a few Poblanos growing. No tomatoes, unfortunately, and I’m told that many gardeners just didn’t get any tomatoes this year. Well. . .maybe next year, right?

Texas’ famous travel stop Buc-ee’s now has a location in Pass Christian, MS. We’re working up to taking a day trip there one day. Might be a while, since it’s three hours round trip.

I’m still working on the next post about some things we’ve been doing on repeat lately. Remember Salmon Croquettes from a long time ago? I have a gluten-free option that’s delicious and goes perfectly with my favorite white bean and olive salad. Unfortunately, cannellini beans seem to be in very short supply right now, but I’m investigating. Because James won’t eat either one, it’s perfect for dinner when he’s working late.

Until then. . .

Enjoy!