I don't cook.  I love food, I love eating....I don't love cooking.  I don't even like cooking.  I think it's because I don't like taking the time to actually do the cooking; and when I do, I've come up with something that's not very good.  I end up getting frustrated and wishing I had just spent the money on a yummy salad from Fresh to Order or a hamburger from The Vortex.  No, it's not very economical, but it's much more satisfying and there's a lot less clean-up.  So when I moved back to Atlanta a year ago, I was THRILLED to learn there was a Trader Joe's opening up in Midtown.  Just one more thing to make me love the A-T-L!

I heard of Trader Joe's as a child growing up on Long Island, New York, but it was always this mysterious store where my great aunt and uncle would buy the most interesting candies.  I grew to love the orange jelly candy covered in dark chocolate.  The first time I set foot in the actual store was when my husband and I moved to San Francisco for a year and happened to bump into a Trader Joe's while looking for another store.  As soon as we entered the store, I knew it was a match made in Heaven!   For those who haven't heard of Trader Joe's, their claim to fame is they're your neighborhood grocery store, but much much more.  To grab their words..."Our shelves are stocked full of delicious foods and beverages from the basics like milk, bread and butter to more exotic fare like imported cheeses, organic produce and hand-tossed pizza from Italy. We taste every product before we decide to sell it, and we guarantee you'll like it."

One of the many great things about Trader Joe's is they prepare these great food items that are fresh and tasty that you can take home and just pop in the oven or microwave and 5 - 40 minutes later, you're eating a delicious and nutritious meal.  From a zesty chicken cutlet and tortellini meal for two to a fresh individual Greek meal for one consisting of tabouli, hummus, falafel, and pita.  What makes it even better than picking up a sandwich from the Cypress Street Pint & Plate right behind my apartment is not only do I feel like I cooked a little, it was affordable.  You'd think all of their fancy foods (the prepared, frozen, dry goods, …all of it) would break the bank, but they really don't.  Every time I leave the store, I'm always amazed at how much less I've spent than I thought I would...pretty much the complete opposite feeling from when I leave Publix (and definitely Whole Foods) shaking my head at how much more money I've spent than I wanted to, and showing very little for it.
 
For brevity's sake, here's my top ten list of why I love Trader Joe's, in no particular order:

1. Fun, different foods along with most staples
2. Prepared, fresh meals that you can take home and heat up for dinner -- great for singles or couples who don't like to cook (hubby and me!)
3. Frozen foods and meals I believe are healthier than Stouffer's and Lean Cuisine, and way more tasty
4. Inexpensive
5. Very friendly employees
6. Beautiful and inexpensive flowers for sale
7. Great selection of wine and beer (and inexpensive)
8. Really yummy snacks (chocolate covered everything)
9. Nice selection of coffees
10. The monthly flier that has fun tid-bits to read, and even recipes (I have a stack of these at home in case one day I actually begin to cook)

Every rose has its thorns.  Trader Joe's doesn't have everything I need to stock our fridge and pantry.  I need our 12 pack of Diet Coke, my Yoplait yogurt, my husband's Orville Redenbacher Light Butter microwave popcorn, my Kleenex, and our Charmin.  They also package a good amount of their vegetables together.  I don't want three onions - just one will do; same with the tomatoes and peppers.  I also can't find some other vegetables I like in my salads.  So for every weekly trip to Trader Joe's, I do need to make a trip to Publix for the mentioned items.  A small inconvenience compared to the many conveniences and pleasures Trader Joe's has to offer!