Latest news with #TraderJoes
Yahoo
8 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Enough with the popcorn buckets
I woke up one day and suddenly the world was 'on' popcorn buckets. I have a limit. This is it. It is no secret that J.R. Fickle enjoys kitsch as much as the next guy. But my kitsch has a purpose (e.g. historical significance or support of an artist). But $60 popcorn buckets? This all feels too…corporate. And far be it from me to knock someone else's hobby. If you are into popcorn buckets, I cannot and will not hold that against you. But I'm not jumping on board. Why? They're not super limited. We aren't even sure how many are made. They're everywhere. The fun in a Disney Figment bucket is you had to go to Disney and to one specific spot to find it. Finding the Trader Joe's mascot? You need to look for it! Mardi Gras Doubloons? You have to be not only in New Orleans, and not only at a parade, but you have to be at the right parade and be in the right place as they're thrown. Popcorn buckets? Just show up at the theater and be willing to pay $50 for a food holder that will forever remind you of a movie that got a 61 on the Tomatometer. Are these cool? Yes. The Superman newsstand one, especially. But I'm not sure they're collectible. You become 'the popcorn bucket guy' and you run out of room QUICKLY. Remember Funkos? They were fun and awesome…until everyone realized that they take up a lot of space. Cards are nice and flat. Pennants can fit on walls. But popcorn buckets? Start buying your big plastic storage tubs now. There are a lot of details we still need filled in on the Mister Mancave memorabilia scandal. So for now we are left to wildly speculate! As is tradition! In one of my group chats someone called Lemieux a scumbag, but… well… sure. He was probably/assuredly not a good guy, but when I hear scumbag, I think of a low-level huckster with bad intentions. This was sophisticated stuff, getting an auto-pen to recreate signatures is not something you do on a whim. Getting an auto-pen period is not something you do on a whim. Then to have the authenticators' holograms recreated — to the point where Fanatics changed theirs to combat this one guy — is pretty effective/elevated scamming. J.R. Fickle, believe it or not, is a studier of hoaxes and scams (and urban legends). I cannot recommend this graphic novel enough. And there is one scam that is brilliantly put together — the white van scam. It reminds me of this, a little bit. Both are bad. Both infuriate you. But the effort is above the usual low-level scam. In its essence, the white van scam is a sophisticated ruse where two guys who supposedly work at an electronics store pull up and offer to sell you speakers they stole from their racist boss (or some play on that trope). The next few details are where they get you, though. They show you an ad for the speakers. They usually have a manifest with orders. They will open the box and show you the front of the speakers, which usually look awesome. You say no thanks, they pressure and cajole, and before you know it you have spent $200 on speakers worth…$40? You'll see when you check out the back of the speakers. They are scummy, to be sure. But the sophistication at least commands some respect on an objective level. Lemieux also went down swinging and revealed everything he could before exiting. AGAIN, never nice to scam people. They are garbage. But at least Lemieux showed us, in his final salvo, how high-level collectible fraud can get. Have your guard up AT ALL TIMES. Check seller ratings. If a price is too good to be true, it likely is. I have seen a hilarious (NSFW) surprise in a video, and it is courtesy of JunkWaxSal on Instagram. This is a Sixth Sense-level twist. But with bilkinis. If I say anything else, I will spoil it. You don't need the sound on to get the full effect. A friend in Italy sent me a pack of Italian Brainrot cards. I don't know what's happening here (and the cards are in English), but it feels very much like a quick capitalization on a trend done on poor card stock with a very hard to follow set of game rules. Pokemon, but super confusing. Still, Europe is usually ahead of us, and these may be worth something…so I opened one pack and held onto the other. That's it for me this week, as I continue my quest to find the Lil' McDonald's Boo Bucket (which is trending down, as the store – predicted here TWO WEEKS AGO – rises in value. Good luck to my fellow Happy Meal hunters! Your collection deserves a community. Download Mantel today.
Yahoo
18 hours ago
- Business
- Yahoo
I've Eaten More Than 50 Frozen Dinners So Far This Year — These Are the 3 I'll Stock in My Freezer Forever
This article may contain affiliate links that Yahoo and/or the publisher may receive a commission from if you buy a product or service through those links. Thanks to major improvements in flash-freezing technology, better sourcing, and a surge of innovative brands, the freezer aisle has become one of the most exciting (and overwhelming) sections in the grocery store. There are hundreds of meals touting plant-based ingredients, globally-inspired recipes, and famous chefs. It can be hard to tell what's worth stocking up on just by looking at the frosty packaging. I've made it my mission this year to try as many frozen meals as I could get my hands on — more than 50 and counting. There were frozen burritos, sandwiches, pasta, and plenty of frozen pizzas. These are the three that really stood out to me and have (and will continue to be) on my grocery list. 1. Saffron Road Chicken Tikka Masala There's a wealth of frozen Indian food options in grocery stores today (Trader Joe's has a dozen in its freezer case). I've tried a handful of tikka masala, and while a lot of them fell short (too much cream or not enough spices), Saffron Road's Chicken Tikka Masala is absolutely delicious. It's got a bit of warmth from the medley of spices like cinnamon, cardamom, and nutmeg. The chicken is really tender, and you really won't believe that it came straight from the freezer, while the rice is plentiful and fluffy. Saffron Road makes a few other really good frozen meals, too. Try the Saffron Road Chicken Biryani with Basmati Rice; our resident registered dietitian raves about it. Buy: Saffron Road Chicken Tikka Masala, $5.99 for 10 ounces at Amazon 2. Dr. Praeger's Pizza Stars I'm getting a little abstract on what is considered a meal. These Dr. Praeger's Pizza Stars are what happens when you cross a pizza pocket with veggie-shaped nuggets, and I am here for them. They are gluten-free (the exterior is made with a cauliflower base) and feature a cheesy, marinara sauce-rich filling with a few hidden (as in you can't taste them) vegetables, like zucchini and cauliflower. I'd say the entire box is a meal in itself, but it also goes great with a side salad. I heat them in the air fryer to get a bit crispy while the center stays gooey. It's one of Dr. Praeger's greatest creations to date, just behind those frozen veggie burgers. Buy: Dr. Praeger's Pizza Stars, $5.99 for 9 ounces at Target 3. Mìla Caramelized Scallion Noodles Most frozen foods are meant to be baked or microwaved, but Mìla has helped redefine convenience by offering a variety of frozen dumplings and noodles that are steamed or boiled. These Caramelized Scallion Noodles require a quick stint on the stovetop before being tossed in a sweet and savory sauce. Trust me — these noodles taste better than takeout and cost less than half as much. Plus, they're readily available at retailers nationwide, like Target, Whole Foods, and more, in addition to Mìla's website. Buy: Mìla Caramelized Scallion Noodles, $5.99 for 9 ounces at TargetWhat frozen dinner do you always have in your freezer? Tell us about it in the comments below. The Weekly Checkout Sign up for The Weekly Checkout to get the most up-to-date grocery news, tips, and highlights. Subscribe to The Kitchn! Further Reading We Used Our New 'Room Plan' Tool to Give This Living Room 3 Distinct Styles — See How, Then Try It Yourself The Design Changemakers to Know in 2025 Create Your Own 3D Room Plan with Our New Tool Sign up for The Kitchn's Daily newsletter to receive our best recipes, posts, and shopping tips in your inbox.
CBS News
a day ago
- Business
- CBS News
Hannaford grocery store in Marlboro to close. Another supermarket chain is replacing it.
Hannaford is closing one of its grocery stores in Marlboro, Massachusetts later this summer, and another supermarket chain will be taking its place. The last day of business for the Hannaford supermarket on Route 20 will be Sept. 2. A spokesperson for Hannaford Supermarkets said the store will be "fully operational" until then. The store is closing due to a real estate issue. "We've learned that we will not have the opportunity to renew the lease at our Marlborough store," the Hannaford spokesperson said. Moving in to the location is Shaw's, which has over 50 stores in Massachusetts. It's not clear yet when the new Shaw's supermarket will open. "We look forward to serving the Marlboro community," a Shaw's spokesperson told WBZ-TV. Hannaford filed a Worker Adjustment and Retraining Act (WARN) notice with the state last week. It says 160 employees could be out of a job by Sept. 13. "We express our sincere and deepest gratitude to our valued associates and customers for their loyalty," the Hannaford spokesperson said. "We're confident that there should be opportunities for impacted associates who are interested in taking jobs at other local stores, and will make every effort to transfer them." Maine-based Hannaford has 16 locations in Massachusetts. The nearest locations to Marlboro are in Clinton, Leominster, Uxbridge and Waltham. In other grocery store news, Trader Joe's recently announced it will be opening new stores in West Roxbury and Newton. Opening dates for those supermarkets have not yet been shared.
New York Times
a day ago
- Lifestyle
- New York Times
Has Trader Joe's Made It to London? Only as an Accessory.
Before his trip to New York this year, Christos Paphiti, a lawyer based in London, considered two stops on his itinerary to be essential: the Whitney Museum of American Art and … Trader Joe's. His visit to the grocery store was the culmination of months of longing. Mr. Paphiti, 29, had for about a year seen more and more people in Dalston, his trendy East London neighborhood, sporting Trader Joe's tote bags. 'Seeing people in their cute fits wearing them, I was like: 'What is Trader Joe's? Where can I get one?'' he said. Mr. Paphiti left New York with seven tote bags for himself and friends. 'Everyone was super touched by it,' he said. 'I was like, 'Sweetie, it was $4.'' Though Trader Joe's does not have a single location in Britain, the chain's large cream and navy tote bags can be spotted all over London these days. Their popularity was clear on a recent sunny afternoon in East London, where the bag swung from many a shoulder. 'I think I've seen more of the Trader Joe's tote bags in London than I have where I live in San Francisco,' said Hannah Tyldsley, a 27-year-old who works in consulting and was in the city visiting friends. Some have expressed confusion at the bag's seemingly sudden ubiquity in the city; others are questioning why a Londoner would want to sport merch from a midrange foreign supermarket chain. 'It feels a little bit overdone,' said Annabel, a 24-year-old in London Fields who declined to give her last name, because of where she worked. 'It's such an American thing, which is weird because I feel like America is not cool at the moment.' Want all of The Times? Subscribe.
Telegraph
2 days ago
- Business
- Telegraph
It's time to show a little more affection for our supermarkets
The British are renowned for their virtuoso queuing skills. We have been forming an orderly line since the Industrial Revolution, according to Dr Joe Moran, the author of Queuing for Beginners. Admittedly, time and technology have eroded the concept: with the arrival of online shopping, the jolly queues of bargain-hunters who used to camp outside posh stores at sale time have all-but vanished. As for waiting in line outside a supermarket: the very idea is haunted by dire memories of the interminable queues of Covid. A rare example of Brits voluntarily queuing en masse for an item of supermarket merchandise occurred in 2007, when some 80,000 shoppers flocked to Sainsbury's branches to buy a £5 limited-edition Anya Hindmarch canvas shopping bag, emblazoned with the legend 'I'm NOT a plastic bag'. A humble shopping bag recently provoked a similar frenzy in the US. Across the country, lines formed outside Trader Joe's discount grocery stores. As opening time approached, the crowd counted down to the moment when they could dash in and claim their prizes: canvas totes branded with the store's logo, priced at $2.99. Like the Hindmarch bag, examples turned up on eBay at vastly inflated sums. But this wasn't a one-off: The Atlantic reports that US supermarkets now boast their own fanatical fan followings: Target, Wawa, Costco, Wegmans et al, each has its faithful adherents, who proclaim their loyalty by wearing store-branded merch, forming online communities, gathering IRL for special events, and giving themselves cute nicknames (Wegmans fans are known as Wegmaniacs). Meanwhile, the stores themselves are keen to promote the idea of a shopping trip as a fun outing, rather than a chore. As Trader Joe's website puts it: 'We have been transforming grocery shopping into a welcoming journey full of discovery and fun since 1967.' Wawa, even more ambitious, aspires 'to make the world a better place'. Here, by contrast, our relationship with supermarkets is surprisingly cool – even grudging. We might mention having found a decent Lebanese red at Aldi, or a random bargain in the middle aisle at Lidl. But the discourse is more often tinged with grumbling: price rises, shortages, excessive packaging – and so on. The Government's latest measure to tackle the obesity crisis, by ordering supermarkets to cut up to 100 calories from the average shopping basket, is unlikely to make us less critical. No one likes to be nagged about their food choices, and the big chains are putting up a stiff resistance to becoming the nutrition police. But while we reserve our nostalgic affection for farmers' markets and indy food shops, we seem to have forgotten how supermarkets have transformed our eating habits. In the 1950 preface to her first book, Mediterranean Food, Elizabeth David described an era 'when almost every essential ingredient of good cooking was either rationed or unobtainable'. Seventy-five years later, with quinoa and croissants available in every Sainsbury's Local and Tesco Express, perhaps we should celebrate the infinite variety of these cathedrals of culinary consumption by showing them a bit of love. After all, many of us spend more time at the supermarket each week than we do at church, the theatre, the cinema or even the sports pitch. We may as well enjoy ourselves while we're there.
