I’m back with my monthly Let’s Look post. I’ll be sharing ‘What’s In Our Pantry’.
Shay from Mix and Match Mama is doing this monthly link up with her friend Erika and they give you a prompt for each month of the year to “look” at different aspects of your lives, to blog about it and share your blog post on her link up.
So, let’s get started… Let’s Look: What’s In Our Pantry {August Prompt}
Well, I’ll just be upfront with you… a lot of the items in my pantry are from TRADER JOE’S! And, I finally got over there for a summer trip and it was SO fun! Why is Trader Joe’s always a FUN grocery trip and other grocery stores aren’t? Maybe because they always have so many new seasonal items… and inexpensive flowers… samples… oh, just so much to LOVE.
Like I said… I love the new seasonal items at Trader Joe’s and when I saw this Lemon Pesto Sauce on the shelf, I stopped immediately. YUM! I love lemons… so much that my kitchen is decorated in a lemon theme.
I saw these on the shelf and I thought what a neat concept for a tea cookie! Kaldi’s, the local coffee shop here has a seasonal ube latte and it is SO delicious, so I knew I’d love these cookies. These look like they’d be great dunked in some hot tea!
Now for the crunchy munchies… I LOVE these Rolled Corn Tortilla Chips in Chili and Lime. SOOO good. I picked up the Enchanted Jangle for some trail mix to set out and it is really good too!
I usually pick up the gluten free mini cupcakes from the bakery… I’m not even gluten free, I just love their cupcakes! But, I spied these treats for the summer… Lemon Flower Cookies and Strawberry and Rhubarb Hand Pies. YES, please!!
I always like to make a little sample plate after I get home from Trader Joe’s to try all the new goodies (and old). So fun!
Ok, now for non-Trader Joe pantry faves! Truvani is my ABSOLUTE favorite go-to plant based protein powder and I’ve been drinking it for YEARS. This protein powder has minimal ingredients and is clean. They just came out with a new Lemon Cookie flavor and it is SO good!
I follow some Iced Coffee groups on Facebook (I know, I know, I need help!) and the Nescafe Gold Blend Espresso Rich Crema has been mentioned countless times on there. I can’t find it in my store yet, but Amazon does have it HERE. It is supposed to be one of the only (or few?) instant espresso mixes and everyone says it tastes really good. I have an espresso machine, but I’m curious to try this new product and I’d love to try it once I find it. Have you tried it?
For breakfast, sometimes I enjoy toasting one of these 100 calorie Thomas Light Multi Grain English Muffins (they have lots of fiber and are low in fat!) and spreading it with some jam. My favorite jam right now is Stonewall Kitchen Raspberry Peach Champagne Jam. SOOO yummy. I really enjoy this combo after my morning runs!
If I’m craving a little cheese… I LOVE The Laughing Cow and my favorite flavor is the Aged White Cheddar right now. It’s nice to have a little cheese without all the saturated fat, etc. I’ve tried Blue Diamond crackers in the past and I’ve found them to be just meh… very plain and dull. But, I picked up this new Smokehouse flavor and IT IS SOOOOOOO TASTY!!! So much that I’m probably on my fifth box and this cracker and cheese combo is my favorite snack to hold me over till dinner. And, 8 crackers and a wedge of this cheese comes in at under 100 calories and it really just hits the spot. I’m so addicted. I’ll even take it with me if I’m waiting in the car to pick Autumn up, it is just an easy and quick snack!
Salsa is always a must in the summer. This Red Cactus is my new favorite salsa (thanks, Ashley!).
My latest love is Limoncello, even though I’ve only had it a couple of times at restaurants. I found it at the grocery store and grabbed a bottle for my birthday. I even ordered some cute shot glasses off Amazon (shop HERE!) and plan to have a glass on my birthday (which will already be past by this post, it’s on August 10th!). You can even make a Lemon Spritzer: Add 1 oz of Limoncello and a splash of soda water to your favorite prosecco and garnish with a twist of lemon. Salute!
Well, the summer is almost over for our household. Autumn starts her sophomore year on Friday, but Nathan won’t be starting college till the 26th. He’s been working 3 days a week, though and will continue to do so once school starts. I feel like this was one of the quickest summers we have had yet, but I’m excited for FALL and PSL!! But, mainly… I’m SO excited for some cooler runs in my future!
If you’re interested in following along, the prompt for September is… Our Quick Weeknight Dinners. I’d love to see you join in, it’s been a lot of fun!
