Everybody ready for a Valentine’s Day giveaway from my heart to yours? To begin, I am a Trader Joe’s mega-fan. For those of you who knew me when I lived in Washington, DC, my grocery shopping uniquely consisted of Trader Joe’s products because the store was 2 blocks from my apartment building. Moving to Colorado had the downside of forcing me to leave behind my favorite grocery store- and causing me to check bags home from Portland to carry my favorite goods. I knew I could make it, as construction had already started for a store a mere 2 miles from my new place. And the big opening day: tomorrow, Valentine’s Day: basically a love letter from Trader Joe’s to their Colorado fans (have you seen the Coloradoans for Trader Joe’s Facebook page?).
I have had a stockpile of products since moving here in May. From the soy sauced rice crackers to quick cooking farro, I love their genius flavor combinations that you can’t find anywhere else (edamame hummus, people) and their reasonable prices. Trader Joe’s has a list of their 25 top products of 2013 up on their website, and I am sharing some of my favorite products with you today via a giveaway! Since I now will have access to all of these items again, I am able to let go of some of my stockpile to share the goodness with you readers who may not have a Trader Joe’s near you, or just need some new stuff to try out! I also included a fun Valentine’s Day mug from Penzey’s Spices and a container of my favorite cinnamon. I meant to include my TJ’s dark chocolate pomegranate seeds… but those didn’t last 🙂
One winner will receive a package with:
- Trader Joe’s Thai Yellow Curry Sauce
- Trader Joe’s Pumpkin Butter (seasonal product no longer available)
- Trader Joe’s Canned Farm Raised Smoked Trout
- Trader Joe’s Pumpkin Spice Rooibos Tea Packets (seasonal product no longer available)
- Penzey’s Spices China Cinnamon
- Penzey’s Spices Mug
3 additional winners will receive an tea-stuffed envelope with:
- Equal Exchange Organic Vanilla Rooibos Tea Packets (sold at Trader Joe’s)
- Trader Joe’s Pumpkin Spice Rooibos Tea Packets (seasonal product no longer available)
- Clover honey straws
How to win?
- Share the food you associate with love in the comments below.
- Additional entry: follow me on Twitter and tweet about the giveaway with a link to my site. Leave an additional comment letting me know!
- Additional entry: follow me on Pinterest (“Follow All” button) and leave an additional comment letting me know!
- Comments must be received before 11:59 (MST) on Tuesday February 18, 2014.
- The giveaway is only open to US readers.
- Winners, chosen by a random number generator, will be announced and contacted on Wednesday, February 19, 2014.
This giveaway is not sponsored by Trader Joe’s or Penzey’s Spices, and all items were purchased by me to share with my favorite blog readers. Thank you guys for following along and I wish we could all go to the Colorado Trader Joe’s opening and cook up a meal together!
Marisa
Becky @ Olives n Wine says
I definitely associate chocolate with love. I always made cookies (with chocolate, haha) for my friends in high school on Valentine’s Day so it easily became my “love” food 🙂
Marisa says
I would expect you to say chocolate with peanut butter, Becky! I am sure everyone who is the recipient of a cookie enjoys being your friend on V-Day!
Lauren says
I’m a Portland girl too. I’m currently living in Pennsylvania for college, so I can relate to missing our favorite grocers! I would absolutely love all of these goodies! Thanks for the giveaway 🙂
Marisa says
Thanks for stopping by, Lauren! I am happy to hear of another Trader Joe’s fan from Portland. We are the best category of people 😉
Jessi Even says
The food I associate with love from Trader Joe’s is their Peppermint Pretzel Thins around Christmas time. 2014 is my year to stock up on about 10-15 bags and save them for year round love. I guess I also couldn’t live without their wine aisle to get my fix, there’s always a new label to try 🙂
++ Followed Pinterest All (no idea why i wasn’t already!!)
++ Tweeted <3
Marisa says
Um yes HELLO peppermint pretzels. I doubt my Trader Joe’s will carry any of those winter treats, but here’s to hoping they will make up for our lack of Christmas TJ’s spirit! We are also supposed to get a TJs wine shop next door (they cannot be combined in CO), so fingers crossed that I can finally get my favorites again. Thanks for the social media love!
Valerie says
I associate anything homemade with love! It could be any food, really, as long as whoever made it poured lots of love into it 🙂
Marisa says
I agree 100%, Valerie! The thought of making a treat is enough to win me over, no matter what I am presented with! (Chocolate is a sure bet though.)
Valerie says
I followed on Pinterest (I’m eyechow)
Valerie says
And followed on Twitter! (@ValerieBrett)
Sara La Rue says
YES! Scott is taking the day off of work tomorrow so we can go and then picnic with some two buck chuck (which, I’ve heard is sadly not two dollars anymore). I’ve never actually been to a Trader Joe’s but we’ve heard so much about it and we can’t wait! yay for a giveaway too. How fun!
Marisa says
I am counting your picnic with cheap wine as your food associated with love 😉 Text me and let me know how long the line is when you go! I really want to stop by on my way up to Aspen but I don’t have time to wait in line, so it might not happen until next week. Can’t wait to hear what you both think about it!
Lauren says
I love Trader Joes. I used to have to stock up when I made trips up to Portland, but we just got one in Salem a few years ago! I don’t know what my favorite Trader Joes item… too many to choose from. As far as a general food I associate with love, I would have to agree with Valerie (above), that anything homemade = love.
Marisa says
Happy to hear from another Trader Joe’s loving Oregonian! That is great that Salem was able to get Trader Joe’s- it is hard to get everything you want at once when you have to stock up. And homemade is always the best!
Lauren says
I’m following on Twitter. I’m @EllieSooTweets
Sara La Rue says
Oh yea, I want in too. I consider homemade desserts the food of love. Whether its cheesecake or cupcakes or cookies, anything sweet and made “especially for you”. That right there is love =)
I have followed your pinterest as of two seconds ago and am going to retweet in two more seconds. Yay giveaway!
Lauren says
I’m following you on Pinterest too. http://www.pinterest.com/elliesoo/
Ashley Anderson says
There is nothing that says love more than a Chocolate Molten Lava Cake for two. It makes my heart (and stomach) flutter just thinking about it.
Marisa says
That sounds delicious, Ashley- and what a perfect dessert for sharing with Taylor. I don’t even have any chocolate with me today to satisfy my new craving thanks to your lava cake idea!
Ashley Anderson says
I also followed you on Pinterest!
Nicole @ FruitnFitness says
What a fun giveaway, I mean who doesn’t love TJ’s? I think of chocolate, especially chocolate covered grapes when I think of love.
Marisa says
Exactly! I have never had chocolate covered grapes- sounds delicious! I’ll have to try that out.
Amanda Ussak says
I associate red meat, particularly a rare-cooked prime rib steak, with love. Especially if someone I love makes it for me!
Marisa says
Nothing better than a juicy steak to share the love! I agree on someone else cooking- that’s why going out to eat is so nice.
Justeen says
For me, chicken noodle soup = love. I am originially from Portland, too, and I did the same thing when I was living hours from the nearest TJ’s. My suitcases would be filled with 50+ lbs of TJ’s goodies after a trip to my parents’!
By the way, I made your kale tortellini soup a couple of weeks ago – it was great!
Marisa says
Hi Justeen- love to hear from another Oregon native! Yes, agreed about those heavy suitcases 🙂 Thanks for letting me know the soup turned out well. I love to hear that! Any feedback is always welcome if you make any tweaks or need clarification!
Milena says
Hmmmmm…. potatoes! No one else makes potatoes as well as my boyfriend does, no matter what kind. Fried potatoes, baked potatoes, fries… everything is just amazing, and I have no idea how he does it. So I guess I associate potatoes with love. 🙂
Marisa says
I love that, Milena! How unique! Now you have me craving some potato creations.
Erin @ The Almond Eater says
Ahhh what a great giveaway! I’m going to have to say chocolate ( so unoriginal I KNOW). Following you on both!
Marisa says
Hey, unoriginal but totally accurate! Chocolate does it for me too! Thanks for the follows, Erin, and happy Valentine’s Day!
Karen says
Sounds odd: but homemade bread. The time that goes into it truly makes it a labor of love to me 🙂
Marisa says
Homemade bread is a wonderful labor of love! Thanks for sharing, Karen!
Abbott t says
Eat – live! How great! Love and food go together naturally. How sad if we did not love food$?:;
We might end up chewing gum – not really a food in my mind. Or, Cracker Jacks which if you made it yourself would be soooooo delicious (I’d add almonds and coconut). But, in the box with a “prize” sold to children is kind of evil.
For me live love eat with friends is delicious
Abbots eats!
Abbott Eats says
Ooooooops, I posted before I got a chance to edit. Oh we’ll. everyone in uprootfromoregon world use my ‘Abbott Eats’ name instead please. Abbott’s Eats was a street fair food booth Cathy strobe, David Griggs and Stella Yu ran in the 70’s on Gaylord st and south pearl. How fun. For you foodies I highly recommend getting out there with an adult version of a lemonade stand. Meet your neighbor and feed the world.
Marisa says
Thanks for the comment, Abbott! It would be very sad if we did not love food and couldn’t share it with friends. I am sad I missed the era of your Wash Park food booth. I will happily help you out if you want to run it ever again 🙂
Abbott Eats more says
Eating means you are alive. Yum!!!!!!!!!!!!
Carolsue says
I think the obvious answer is chocolate — since so many people give/get chocolate for Valentine’s Day, a day of love!! 🙂
Digicats {at} Sbcglobal {dot} Net
Marisa says
Thanks Carolsue for the follows- thanks for the reminder that I need to snack on some more of the chocolate I got last Friday!
Carolsue says
I follow you on Pinterest as cezovski9
Carolsue says
I follow you on Twitter as @MsCarolsueA and I tweeted
https://twitter.com/MsCarolsueA/status/435341126552145920
Tiffany @ Snack Snark Bark says
Cheese, cheese is love. Unless you’re lactose intolerant that is!
Marisa says
Cheese IS love, Tiffany! Loved reading your recap of the TJ’s. I tried to go today but the parking lot was crazy and I wasn’t willing to wait 30 minutes for a spot. Next time I am going to walk from my apartment and get Noah to pick me up!
Tiffany @ Snack Snark Bark says
I follow you on Pinterest!
And you will love the CO Blvd TJ’s, I just posted about it. I was too impatient to buy $3 chuck but will be back soon to get some!
Wendell says
Must read
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/health/dietandfitness/10634081/John-Yudkin-the-man-who-tried-to-warn-us-about-sugar.html
Marisa says
Hi Wendell- thanks for sharing that article! It is pretty unbelievable to me that the food industry has such weight into our nutrition, and that scientists are discredited or ridiculed for going against them.
Calli says
hot cocoa is all about love!
Marisa says
I love hot cocoa! Thanks for the comment, Calli!
Joan Wallis says
Sharing lovingly prepared food with family and friends is love. Wine, coffee, cheese and of course chocolate are definitely foods that encourage love and friendship.
Marisa says
Those are wonderful things to share! Thank you for sharing your wine, coffee, and apres-ski cheese with me this weekend!