I think the Optimum Nutrition micronized creatine powder could be a great addition to your routine, especially if you're hitting the gym.

According to its packaging, this powder can support muscle building and performance when used daily, over time, alongside an exercise routine. To use it, mix a rounded teaspoon of the unflavored powder into a shake or glass of water.

The Optimum Nutrition creatine powder is $20 at my location. 

Each box of the Pressed wellness smoothies contains 10-ounce bottles in acai-berry, strawberry-orange-mango, tropical, and greens flavors. The smoothies contain 100% juice and three to four grams of dietary fiber.

At my location, an eight-count package costs $16.90, which comes out to less than $2.20 per bottle.

As Costco starts bringing in springtime items, I think the Macsports XL folding wagon will be a hot seller.

This collapsible wagon has brakes for easy stopping, an inside zipper pocket, and an adjustable handle. The wagon can also hold up to 350 pounds and has durable, all-terrain wheels.

The Macsports wagon is $90 at my Costco. 

If you ask me, everyone should have the Cat Cube lithium portable jump starter in their garage or car.

This four-in-one tool has a few features, including a lithium jump starter and an air compressor.

The Cat Cube lithium portable jump starter costs $130 at my location.

I recently added the Turbotax 2024 federal e-file and state download to my shopping list.

These downloads are available in deluxe, home-and-business, and premier packages, so there's something for almost everyone's tax needs. Each package also comes with a $10 in-product credit that can be used for services like live tax advice or state e-file fees.

At my store, the Turbotax download packages run from $56 to $96.

If you're running out of freezer space, I recommend heading to Costco to check out this Midea product.

This freezer chest has two removable wire storage baskets, a front-mount temperature control, and an interior LED light. Best of all, it can turn into a refrigerator with the flip of a switch.

The Midea convertible chest freezer is $200 at my location.

If you're a fan of Mexican-style dishes, these Del Real tamales are a great find.

The tamales come with a cheese-and-green-chile filling — don't worry, they aren't spicy — and take less than three minutes to heat in the microwave. I also like that each serving contains 13 grams of protein.

At my store, a 15-count pack of the Del Real tamales can be found in the deli section for $18.80.

The Thomasville Wills oversize chair and storage ottoman both have ultra-soft furry corduroy fabric that's comfortable and chic. The chair, which measures 64 inches long and 35 inches high, has an extra-wide seat and two large pillows.

At my store, this set is $500.

Acne products can be expensive, so I was happy to see the Hero Mighty Patches available at Costco.

Each package contains 54 original patches for nighttime use and 27 invisible patches that can be worn during the day. These patches can extract pus and visibly shrink whiteheads.

The Hero Mighty Patches are $23 at my Costco.

If you have a busy lifestyle, the King Smith treadmill could be a good way to accomplish your workout goals at home.

This product comes fully assembled and has a USB charging port, a 250-pound weight capacity, and a brushless motor (so the walking pad runs smoothly and quietly). It's also foldable, making it easy to store in small spaces.

The King Smith walking pad is $500 at my store.

A great way to start following the Mediterranean diet at home is to replace the butter you use when cooking with olive oil.

We use olive oil in almost everything we make, whether we're cooking eggs, creating a light salad dressing, or baking chicken.

Although Costco sells various types, I usually prefer the Kirkland 100% Italian extra-virgin olive oil.

I help our olive oil last longer by storing it in a smaller dispenser in the kitchen, which keeps us from pouring with a heavy hand.

We no longer eat potato chips or sweets when we're hungry. Instead, we use dried fruits, such as dried plums, to satisfy our snack cravings between meals.

On this shopping trip, I opted for the ones from Kirkland Signature Sunsweet.

After seeing research about wine drinkers in Blue Zones, areas with lots of centenarians, we try to use red wine in our cooking when we aren't just drinking it.

Being in California, I often opt for locally produced wine during weekly grocery runs. Still, I occasionally take home one of Costco's French or Italian wine offerings.

We do our best to follow a diet high in garlic, which is said to be great for the immune system. We dice garlic when cooking fish or chicken in olive oil, and it's a great flavor enhancer for pasta and soup.

In my opinion, the Christopher Ranch garlic at Costco typically tastes fresher than bulbs from other commercially farmed brands.

We're lucky to have a lemon tree in our backyard, but it produces Meyer Lemons, which are a bit sweeter with more of a mandarin taste.

Since we love the taste of citrus lemons, we usually buy them in bulk from Costco.

I don't have brand loyalty for lemons at Costco — I just get what's in stock. If organic lemons are available, I'll buy those.

Fresh blueberries from Costco are a great addition to my typical breakfast of low-fat Greek yogurt. However, the bulk size isn't always the best option when I'm only shopping for two.

Instead, I sometimes pick up dried blueberries. They're rich in polyphenols, which may improve cognitive functioning.

Dried blueberries pair well with mixed nuts for snacking and are also great in yogurt or oatmeal.

The Mediterranean diet is heavy on fruits and vegetables, and avocados seem to be the most adaptable to various recipes.

A Mediterranean-style way to eat them is by mashing them and adding onion, tomato, and garlic to make fresh guacamole.

To dip in it, we swap out fried tortilla chips for thin pita chips.

We never leave Costco without picking up organic grape tomatoes.

They're great for a snack — especially when paired with fresh mozzarella and basil — or as a side dish or tossed in salads.

Fresh fish is the staple of a Mediterranean-inspired diet, so I always check out Costco's seafood section. Often, we find fresh tilapia.

Although I've found making baked whole tilapia requires more advanced cooking skills, other fish, such as cod, can be much easier to prepare.

For beginner cooks, fresh tuna steaks can also be a great place to start.

Our local Costco has salmon in both the meat aisle and in the prepared-foods section, where a version already seasoned with garlic butter is ready to be put in the oven.

Since I prefer to avoid butter as often as possible, I typically prepare salmon myself. A pan-seared salmon dinner only requires a few ingredients, many of which are often part of the Mediterranean diet, including lemon, olive oil, salt, pepper, and garlic.

We also use salmon in other meals, like breakfast. We'll pick up smoked salmon at Costco and pair it with eggs.

Since I work full-time, it can be difficult to cook every meal entirely from scratch. On busy days, I reach for Costco's prepared foods.

The chain's rotisserie chicken might be a fan favorite, but I love its delicious quinoa salad, which is a great light side for dinner or lunch.

I'm not sure if it's a seasonal or limited-edition item, but I always keep an eye out for it. One container is large enough to last us a few meals.

In my experience, premade salads with "Mediterranean" in the title often have dressing ingredients that aren't up to snuff for me.

Instead, I make my own, using olive oil and lemon juice as the dressing. I like to pick up an organic spring mix from Costco to use as a base.

By chopping up some vegetables — carrots, cucumber, or whatever else I like — I can quickly make my ideal salad with the freshest available ingredients.

Click to keep reading Costco diaries like this one.

This story was originally published on October 24, 2023, and most recently updated on January 6, 2025.

Lemons are a grocery staple for me, as they're often the star ingredient in Mediterranean-inspired meals and drinks.

In addition to using it in recipes, I squeeze lemon juice in my water or tea every morning and put the zest in my nondairy yogurt as a midday snack.

I love that grapes satisfy my sweet tooth without also giving me a sugar high.

Sometimes, I'll put Specially Selected grapes on charcuterie boards alongside manchego cheese, goat cheese, roasted almonds, toasted baguette slices, pine nuts, cucumber slices, bell peppers, and roasted-garlic hummus. 

I also like to slice grapes in half, freeze them, and drop them in my drinks like ice cubes to sweeten them without using sugar. 

Tomatoes are a hit in marinara sauces and Greek salads, but I think the fruits' true magic is their ability to maintain their flavor and texture in pretty much any dish. 

Roma tomatoes are always on my grocery list, whether I use them for minestrone soup or bake them into a puff pastry topped with feta cheese.

They also give me a dose of vitamin C, potassium, and lycopene, a plant nutrient in tomatoes that researchers have linked to several health benefits.

I didn't always enjoy eating mushrooms, but incorporating more Mediterranean-inspired ingredients into my diet has inspired me to try more foods I thought I'd never like.

Now, I love making mushrooms at home. One of my favorite buys is the South Mill Champs mushrooms stuffed with spinach-and-artichoke filling. Since they're premade, I don't have to worry about following a recipe.

The mushrooms are small enough to serve as a side dish or to eat as a light snack.

Even if I only add a small dollop of goat cheese to my salads and charcuterie boards, I still get a punch of tangy flavor. 

Aldi carries a range of goat cheeses, though I particularly love the Emporium Selection garlic-and-herb variety. It's great to spread on toasted crostini, and I recommend topping it with chopped tomatoes and avocado.

There are so many things you can do with chickpeas, from putting them in salads and stews to making them into hummus and falafel. 

One of my favorite ways to enjoy them is in the Park Street Deli chickpea salad, which has edamame, cranberries, carrots, and bell peppers. The cranberries' sweetness cuts through the vinegar dressing's acidity, and the crisp bell peppers complement the edamame.

I like picking up Specially Selected flatbreads at Aldi, which tend to be large and full of flavor. They're also easy to customize. 

I love topping them with different Mediterranean flavors, like grilled chicken with feta, artichoke, spinach, roasted chickpeas, mushrooms, shallots, and goat cheese with pesto. I usually drizzle balsamic vinegar on top to finish it off.

Pesto makes a great base in so many recipes, and Priano often has different varieties of the sauce.

Its alla Genovese pesto is green, nutty, and garlicky. Its red rosso pesto is more tomato-forward and equally delicious.

I toss warm linguine in the green, basil-based pesto and spread the red, tomato-based pesto on flatbread. Sometimes I mix either into hummus to add some flavor or use them to season chicken, beef, veal, and seafood.

Artichoke hearts and leaves have so many vitamins and minerals. 

Some people eat the Tuscan Garden marinated artichoke hearts straight out of the jar, but I like to experiment with them, whether I'm adding zest to simple salads or using them as a pizza topping. 

I don't focus on limiting or cutting out carbs, but I care about finding delicious alternatives that are better for my health.

Savoritz Parmesan crisps have 13 grams of protein and 1 gram of carbs per serving, which aligns with my nutrition goals. I like to crunch Savoritz Parmesan crisps over a Caesar salad or use them as crackers on a charcuterie board.

I use Priano's balsamic vinegar to make a Mediterranean-inspired salad dressing, combining high-quality olive oil, freshly squeezed lemon juice, garlic, and Italian herbs and spices.

I pour this mixture over romaine lettuce, tomato wedges, thinly sliced red onions, cucumber slices, and a chunk of Greek feta. Sometimes, I add a roasted marinated lamb leg or chicken breast to the salad for extra flavor and protein. 

Hummus is such a large part of Mediterranean cuisine that it needs no introduction. However, it can be hard to choose which flavor I want to have in my refrigerator until my next grocery run.

Park Street Deli's hummus quartet solves that problem by offering four flavors in one container: classic, roasted red pepper, roasted garlic, and cilantro jalapeño. I try to buy this variety pack whenever I can find it. 

Although I'm not a huge fan of jalapeño, I've spread this hummus on turkey wraps and avocado toast, and it isn't the worst combination I've ever tried.

Aldi's delicious Atlantic salmon tends to be affordable and it's the star of many of my meals. I especially like the one seasoned with Mediterranean herbs — they give the fish so much flavor.

I like to pair it with a vegetable medley that includes broccoli, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts, carrots, and green beans.

The Mediterranean-herb salmon also goes well with Greek lemon potatoes or pasta in a light sauce with lemon and garlic butter.

As a freelancer running my own business, it can be hard to pull myself away from work. 

Luckily, Bremer's gyro kit has everything I need for a quick lunch, including 16 ounces of fully cooked gyro meat, 8 ounces of tzatziki sauce, and five pieces of pita bread. 

The gyro meat can be warmed in the microwave or on a skillet for a quick, delicious lunch or dinner. 

Spanish paella is typically made using a saffron-and-seafood broth, which gets absorbed into the rice during the cooking process. Then, seafood — like fish, shrimp, clams, squids, and mussels — adds the flavors of the Mediterranean Sea.

Whenever I can find it, I like to pick up Specially Selected's frozen Spanish seafood paella. It's a great meal for busy nights with pollock, shrimp, and calamari. 

When I visited Spain and Greece in 2022, I liked seeing locals use honey to sweeten their meals and desserts. It's a smart, obvious, and natural way to enhance the flavors of Mediterranean cuisine.

I like to drizzle Specially Selected raw honey over rich Italian pizza to create a contrast between sweet and savory flavors or dip Greek doughnuts in a honey-and-cinnamon mixture. 

No matter how I use it, raw honey is a delicious way to add sweetness to a dish.

Click to keep reading Aldi diaries like this one.

This story was originally published on March 6, 2023, and most recently updated on January 3, 2025.

When I attended the Culinary Institute of America, we learned about wine pairing during a five-course lunch — and the experience sent me down a dessert-wine rabbit hole. 

Now, serving sweet wines alongside desserts in my own home makes me feel like I'm recreating that special experience for my guests.

This sweet Guillaume Gonnet wine, made from fruit harvested in France's Rhône region, contains 100% muscat grapes.

It tastes like sweet apricots and honey, so I'd pair it with pumpkin pie, vanilla ice cream, buttery shortbread, and desserts made with stone fruits (like peaches and plums).

I'll be honest — most of the time, prosecco isn't a wine I tend to reach for. It can have a dull, muted flavor, and I may as well just be drinking sparkling water.

However, the Kirkland Signature Asolo prosecco superiore is anything but that.

When I put my nose to a glass of this drink, I'm hit with fruity notes — to me, it smells like white peach and green apple — and florals. Upon tasting this wine, my palate gets a refreshing acidity and zippy bubbles.

This prosecco makes a fabulous spritz when mixed with amaro liqueur and ginger beer. It also pairs beautifully with crunchy, salty snacks.

While studying to be a sommelier, I visited the Scharffenberger tasting room in Mendocino County, California, and the quality of the wines blew me away.

Because Mendocino County has a cool maritime climate, the grapes used in this wine have a perfect tartness that elevate this sparkling beverage from good to great. This brut (dry) rosé also has notes of raspberry jam and strawberries on a pastry base.

Plus, it's made using a similar method to how Champagne is processed. So, if you want something of similar quality to Champagne for one-third of the price, this is a great option.

Chablis is like the nice, popular girl. Pretty much everyone loves it, and it's a total crowd-pleaser. Even people I know who hate chardonnay — the variety of grapes used in this wine — adore this option.

This white wine, made with grapes harvested in France's Burgundy region, tastes fresh and light. It also spent nine months on the fine lees — a fermentation process that gives the beverage a more complex flavor — so it has a pillow-soft texture.

I love to serve this wine when my guests arrive so they can whet their appetites.

Gigondas is a French appellation (a designated area where grapes are grown and harvested) in the southern Rhône region known for robust red wines.

This Kirkland Signature wine has a satisfying juiciness and fruity notes — when I have a glass, I can taste spiced plum, black cherries, and even mocha. Plus, it's the perfect partner for heavier dishes.

One of my favorite pairings for this wine is a juicy cheeseburger. If I'm hosting a dinner party and want meals where I let the oven do most of the work, I serve it with short ribs, shepherd's pie, or a deep, rich ragù.

Click to keep reading Costco diaries like this one.

As someone with a small family who cooks almost daily, these Snapware Pyrex 18-piece glass food-storage sets came in handy all year.

Each set comes with nine airtight containers in various sizes that are leak-proof and microwave-safe.

The Shark Detect cordless stick vacuum is one of the best cleaning devices I've ever owned. At just over 6 pounds, it feels lightweight and is easy to haul up and down the stairs.

The Shark vacuum has four deep-cleaning modes and runs for up to 60 minutes, giving me plenty of time to tidy up. Each set also comes with a crevice tool and a multi-surface brush roll.

Even better, the device converts to a hand vacuum, making it easier to clean small, hard-to-reach places, car interiors, and staircases.

The Yummy Dino Buddies chicken nuggets are a great way for my kids to get their protein in. The chicken is juicy, and the nuggets get a slight crunch when air-fried.

To prepare them, I simply place some nuggets in the air fryer at 400 degrees Fahrenheit or microwave them for about a minute and a half.

If you shop at Costco, you may have seen kiosks from different cell-service providers when entering the warehouse. These kiosks usually offer deals on new cell-service plans and upgrades from carriers like T-Mobile, Verizon, and AT&T.

Depending on the carrier and warehouse, Costco customers who stop at the cell-service kiosks may also be eligible for members-only perks. For example, I got a $200 Costco shop card when I added a new phone line to my plan.

The Kirkland Signature rotisserie chicken has made making quick lunches and dinners easy.

Costco team members cook the rotisserie chicken fresh at the warehouse every day. I like to serve it with a side or shred the whole thing to use in meals like enchiladas or chicken salad.

At just $5 for a 3-pound chicken, it's one of the best deals out there.

The Arlo Essential XL wireless-camera bundle has been a good investment when it comes to feeling safe and at ease in our home.

This system is easy to install and has live HD video and color night vision. I also like that I can access the camera from my smartphone.

Each bundle comes with three cameras and a four-month Arlo secure subscription.

As a coffee fanatic, I know buying Keurig coffee pods can get pretty pricey. However, I feel I get a pretty good bang for my buck when I buy 120-count boxes of the Kirkland Signature K-cups.

The store carries flavors like breakfast blend and summit roast, but my family's staple is the Kirkland Signature organic Pacific Bold pods.

Getting new tires is a big purchase, but buying them from the Costco tire center was one of the best decisions I made this past year. The center offers various sizes from a few top-name brands, like Michelin and Firestone.

Not only do customers get wholesale prices, but the tire center also offers installation and inflation pressure checks.

Costco is the only place I buy my produce. Whether I'm getting berries, oranges, bananas, or even mangoes, the produce always seems to be high-quality and is sold at wholesale prices.

If you have a big family or know you'll be able to consume large amounts of fruit or vegetables before they go bad, I think it's worth buying produce in bulk.

Each year, I get an eye exam and purchase prescription glasses at Costco's optical center.

Customers can contact their insurance provider to check if the optical center's services are covered. However, you can still get an exam and purchase glasses if you're not covered by insurance — at my warehouse, out-of-pocket eye exams start at about $70.

Patients don't have to be cardholders to get an exam, but only members can purchase glasses or contacts.

Click to keep reading Costco diaries like this one.

Eating protein-rich foods, like this smoked trout, is an excellent way to create an energizing, filling meal.

Trader Joe's smoked trout has become a staple in my home — it's a great shelf-stable item to have on hand when I want to add more sustenance to a meal.

This flavorful fish makes a great addition to a greens-and-feta salad, though the fillets are also delicious simply paired with a cracker.

When I followed restrictive diets, I was afraid to have sugar-sweetened beverages because I felt guilty about drinking my calories.

Now, as an intuitive eater, I know that adding fun drinks to meals can be a great way to enhance satisfaction. When our meals are satisfying, we can move on without dwelling and decrease our chances of bingeing or overeating later.

This tea-and-lemonade beverage has the perfect level of sweetness. I love having it with a turkey sandwich, a hearty salad, or cheese and crackers.

A friend recently shared a recipe for spicy-vodka rigatoni, which called for Calabrian chiles. She recommended using Trader Joe's Italian Bomba sauce, a Calabrian-chile-based flavoring, and it has become an instant favorite.

It adds a flavorful punch to pasta dishes and soups, though it's also tasty when smeared on crusty bread or mixed with mayo.

I've tried many different kinds of goat cheese, but this one from Trader Joe's is my favorite.

It's the ideal mixture of creamy and crumbly, making it a perfect addition to fall salads or a roasted-root-veggie dish. It also adds richness to pasta dishes when I don't have milk or cream.

I recommend spreading this goat cheese on toast and pairing it with different toppings, like walnuts, honey, and sea salt, or caramelized mushrooms and onions.

When a craving for salad strikes, I enjoy using Trader Joes toasted-sesame dressing.

Having a premade dressing lowers the workload of making a salad, which is another reason I love keeping this delicious dressing stocked in my fridge.

Some days, I crave fresh flavors but don't have the bandwidth to cut up lettuce and veggies — which is why I appreciate this broccoli-and-kale slaw with dried cherries, slivered almonds, and sunflower seeds.

Even when I don't have the time or energy to start chopping ingredients, I can almost always find it in me to dump the contents into a bowl and toss them with the kit's premade, sweet slaw dressing.

Sometimes, I'll doctor the salad up with goat-cheese crumbles. I typically pair the salad with a frozen pizza to add a source of carbs and fat and create a more filling meal.

In my opinion, the Argentinian red shrimp tastes so fresh, you'd never know that it comes frozen.

During the summer, I add this shrimp to a simple pasta dish with pesto, pine nuts, and tomatoes for a protein-rich meal with lots of staying power. In the colder months, I make a shrimp scampi with simple ingredients like lemon, broth, wine, and Parmesan cheese.

Like the smoked trout, this frozen shrimp is great for adding a protein boost to my meals.

When I ask new clients which foods they enjoy, many of them have been dieting for so long that they no longer know what flavors they authentically enjoy.

In my intuitive-eating experience, I discovered I love the combination of sweet and salty flavors. In particular, I adore Trader Joe's sweet, spicy pepper jam with savory cheese and crackers.

It's also delicious spread on a grilled-cheese sandwich for that same flavor contrast.

Click to keep reading Trader Joe's diaries like this one.

Whenever I see the Simply Nature gluten-free PB&J bites at Aldi, I stock up. My kids enjoy snacking on them, and I love the sweet-and-salty flavor.

The Savoritz cheddar turtles are very similar in taste to Goldfish and are a fun way to mix up our usual snack selection. The only difference I've found is that they're slightly less puffy than Goldfish.

I focus a lot of my shopping on the Aldi Finds aisle, which has a rotating selection of fun items. Earlier this year, Aldi had a Disney drop that included Mickey ears, sneakers, pillows, and more.

On my recent trip, I found Disney princess shoes and slippers, some seasonal food items and decor, and multiple Bluey toys.

I never leave Aldi without fresh fruit, as the store's prices are almost always lower than that of other grocery stores near me.

I grew up eating cheese Danish from a small bakery near my grandma's house, and I rarely find anything that comes close in terms of taste.

However, I love the version from Bake Shop Bakery, which has the perfect ratio of filling to pastry.

Aldi's frozen selection always has fun and unique treats, including seasonal ice-cream pops, which my children love.

At one point, my store even had Barq's frozen root-beer floats in push-pop form.

Aldi always has a good selection of indoor and outdoor seasonal decorations.

During my most recent trip, the store had Christmas decorations, cozy blankets, Christmas trees, and holiday plates and serving platters.

Aldi's serving trays are perfect for entertaining — cute and festive but not so precious that I'm concerned about my kids grabbing food off of them.

One of the things I love most about Aldi is the store's large selection of gluten-free items. In addition to the aforementioned Simply Nature PB&J bites, I love grabbing Aldi's liveGfree stuffing.

Click to keep reading Aldi diaries like this one.

Trader Joe's eggplant parmigiana sfogliatelle was the first time I saw sfogliatelle, an Italian pastry, used in a savory dish.

I thought the delicate layered pastry would make for a phenomenal texture.

When I baked the appetizer, the exterior became crispy and flaky, and the interior was moist and chewy.

The eggplant pieces pulled apart easily, though the cheesy, saucy filling was a little messy.

They were simple to make in the air fryer, and I thought they looked more elegant than anything you'd expect to come from the freezer aisle.

I wasn't sure if I'd like Trader Joe's figgy cheddar because I usually prefer unadulterated cheeses. However, I decided to give it a try.

The fig flavor gave the cheese a subtle hint of sweetness, and the rum (in which the figs were marinated) contributed a light, pleasant spiced note.

The cheese paired well with the chili cracker from Trader Joe's scalloped cracker trio, as the sweetness of the fig complemented the spice.

This pack of Trader Joe's mini quiches comes with two flavors: uncured bacon with sweet onion and Swiss cheese with mushroom.

Out of the package, I thought they looked promising and perfectly portioned.

The mini quiches were surprisingly moist.

I especially liked the version with uncured bacon and sweet onion, because they had a nice smoky flavor.

My wife preferred the mushroom-and-Swiss option, but that one was a touch too mushroom-heavy for my taste.

Lasagna is a holiday staple for the Italian-American half of my family, so I had high expectations for Trader Joe's family-style meat lasagna.

At first glance, the components of the baked lasagna were oddly distributed — all the meat sauce was on top of the noodles and the bottom layers were solely pasta and ricotta.

Luckily, there was plenty of sauce to spread around.

I wouldn't be able to pass it off as homemade, but it was good enough to buy for my family of four again.

However, if the Italian side of my family finds out I'm praising a store-bought lasagna, I might not be welcome at the next party.

If there's one thing I could tell from Trader Joe's shrimp pouches of many colors, it's that food in various hues is always better than boring old monochromatic options.

My 3-year-old daughter squealed with delight and insisted on trying each color when she saw these festive dumplings.

I pan-fried my shrimp dumplings so they'd be crunchy on the outside and soft on the inside.

The dumplings weren't anything super special, but they were still pretty good and fun to look at.

I'll likely serve these as an appetizer this holiday season.

The label for Trader Joe's Brie en croûte listed all sorts of ways to gussy the thing up — like dolloping raspberry preserves or red peppers and pine nuts on top.

I went for the most basic preparation.

On its own, the pastry-wrapped Brie didn't look like something I'd want to put out for guests.

But when I sliced into it, all the molten Brie came cascading out, and I was reminded that cheese is delicious.

I thought the Brie paired perfectly with the flaky bits of pastry.

Many people eat crackers straight from a box, but I usually prefer them crumbled into soup or used as a vessel for a spread.

Though these crackers come in rosemary, red-chili, and garlic flavors, my family wasn't exactly thrilled to try Trader Joe's scalloped cracker trio.

The crackers were a bit thicker and less crunchy than the kinds we usually like.

That being said, they were heartier, and I could see them holding up on a charcuterie tray, especially if dipped into an antipasto spread.

Trader Joe's fried olive bites looked like a simple variation of jalapeño poppers.

When I air-fried them, a lot of the cheese filling oozed out onto the appliance's tray.

I expected a full olive stuffed with cheese, but these were more like breaded and fried cheese-filled balls of olive tapenade.

If you truly love the flavor of olives, this is the appetizer for you.

The label on Trader Joe's holiday hash suggests using the mix of diced butternut squash, sweet potato, red onion, and celery in soups and stuffings.

I sautéed the hash to use as a side dish.

The holiday hash was tasty, thanks to the sage's assertive flavor and the squash's sweetness.

However, the slightly mushy hash didn't look the most appetizing, and it even turned off my squash-loving son.

Still, I could imagine it being a time-saver if I was making a wintertime stew.

As a porchetta lover, I had high hopes for Trader Joe's uncured bacon-wrapped porchetta pork roast.

Per the instructions, I roasted the pork at 500 degrees Fahrenheit until the bacon was browned and crispy.

This was supposed to take 25 minutes, but the bacon didn't seem that crispy even after 30 minutes in the oven.

I still followed the instructions and lowered the temperature to 325 degrees, as I feared I'd scorch the thing.

I enjoy rosemary, but, in my opinion, too much of the herb was stuffed into the pork.

The meat tasted best in a sandwich alongside the holiday vegetable hash, as the vegetables and bread helped cut the rosemary flavor.

I assumed Trader Joe's cranberry chevre would just be goat cheese rolled in sweetened, dried cranberries. However, it looked like the fruit was also whipped into the cheese.

I didn't find the chevre to have enough of a tangy edge.

It was OK on one of the rosemary crackers from the scalloped cracker trio, but I could also picture it on a sandwich with the porchetta and holiday hash.

I didn't know what to expect from Trader Joe's artichoke bread pudding.

Judging from the label, it seemed like a reconfiguration of stuffed artichokes.

The bread pudding also came in an oven-safe casserole dish.

The oven didn't fix the bread pudding's off-putting appearance, in my opinion.

Taste-wise, it was too heavy and had a strong black-pepper flavor.

It was the type of thing that tasted good on the first bite but was unpleasant by the third.

I wasn't certain if I'd like Trader Joe's Portuguese tarts, which had a filling of bechamel, egg yolks, diced potato, and salted cod.

I tried not to let the "cod custard tarts" label deter me.

We try pretty hard not to waste much food in my household but we didn't even come close to finishing the tarts.

These were a bit like a cream-based seafood chowder embedded in pastry, but they mostly tasted like goopy cod.

I was looking everywhere for the Pillsbury holiday sugar-cookie dough, so I was happy to see this item stocked at my Costco.

Each 60-count box comes with precut, ready-to-bake cookies with Christmas-tree, reindeer, and snowman designs.

At my store, the Pillsbury holiday cookies can be found in the refrigerated section for $8.

This month, my Costco has a new premade item: the beef-and-pork meatball sandwich with marinara.

The sandwich, made with artisanal bread, provolone and Parmesan cheese, and ground beef and pork, is large enough to serve a few people. I recommend heating it in the oven or an air fryer to get a nice, cheesy melt.

This meatball sandwich costs $6 per pound, which comes out to about $13 to $15 total. 

The Bayside Furnishings heater could be a great winter addition to your home.

The device has a metal frame, an infrared-heating element, a sleep timer, and three flame colors. At 24 inches wide and just over 23 inches tall, it's also compact enough to fit into small spaces.

This electric heater is $125 at my Costco.

The Shark FlexStyle air-styling and drying system, which allows users to curl, straighten, smooth, or add volume to their hair with less heat damage, could make the perfect gift.

This set includes two multi-style curlers, a diffuser, a concentrator, paddle and oval brushes, a FrizzFighter finishing tool, and a storage bag to keep everything secure.

The Shark FlexStyle system is regularly $300, but at my location, the set is on sale for $230 until December 24.

This month, you can take home your own statue of the Grinch and his dog, Max, designed by artist Jim Shore.

The hand-painted Grinch collectible stands about 20 inches tall and weighs just over 8 pounds. At my Costco, it costs $50.

Costco's holiday-cookie tray is the perfect dish to bring to parties. Each tray contains 60 cookies in chocolate-chunk, brown-butter-sugar, double-chocolate-chip, double-nut, and candy-gem-chip flavors.

Customers can find the holiday cookies in the bakery section for $25.

This month, you can get ready and illuminate your bathroom or bedroom with the Conair LED double-sided vanity mirror — an item that seems to be selling fairly quickly at my Costco.

The model includes a square mirror, an accessory tray, and three touch-control light settings.

At my store, the Conair vanity mirror — regularly $30 — is on sale for $24 until December 24.

If you ask me, the Phantom A10, an electric scooter with a 400-watt motor, is one coolest things at Costco right now.

It has puncture-proof tires, cruise control, a top speed of 15.5 miles per hour, and a Gogo Connect companion app. The scooter is also foldable, so it's easy to store.

The Phantom A10 smart electric scooter is $400 at my location.

This month, my Costco is carrying a variety pack of the Dr. Squatch all-natural bar soap. Each pack contains six bars of soap with two of each scent: wood-barrel bourbon, fresh falls, and pine tar.

I was excited to see this soap at Costco because it's a great deal compared to the prices I've seen at other retailers. At my store, a pack of Dr. Squatch natural bar soap costs about $20.

Costco gets lots of name-brand clothing throughout the year, and this month, my location is carrying the Adidas men's hoodie.

The Adidas hoodies come in blue, gray, and green colors and range from small to 2XL sizes. My Costco even carries matching joggers to complete the outfit.

At my location, each Adidas fleece hoodie is $16.

When I have time to make breakfast, I opt for an egg sandwich with mushrooms and kale on a Trader Joe's classic English muffin for a low-sugar, moderate-carbohydrate meal.

Because I exercise a lot, I try to ensure I'm getting my macros — a balance of carbs, fats, and proteins my body needs.

This English muffin has 24 grams of carbohydrates per serving, and the two eggs have about 12 grams of protein.

I've stuck with Trader Joe's peanut butter my whole adult life. I use it in homemade protein balls or simply have it with a banana or apple for a quick snack.

I love that this product has only one ingredient — dry-roasted peanuts.

Not to sound boring, but cottage cheese can be a great high-protein, low-carb breakfast. This particular cottage cheese has 12 grams of protein per serving.

If I want something simple for breakfast, I'll have cottage cheese and fruit. If I'm in the mood for something savory (but don't feel like bringing out a pan), I'll eat it with salsa.

For me, Trader Joe's seaweed snacks are a perfectly portioned low-carb potato-chip replacement.

They give me the same satisfaction as a handful of chips, and each package contains 3 grams of protein.

I love keeping microwavable breakfast bowls in my freezer for busy weeks when I don't want to deal with dishes.

This breakfast bowl has scrambled eggs, chicken sausage, and cheddar cheese — so each serving is mainly protein (32 grams) and fat (27 grams). However, it's important to remember that some fat is not necessarily a bad thing.

Trader Joe's chicken strips are high in protein, and the retailer carries various prepared options: grilled chili-lime, grilled balsamic-vinegar-and-rosemary, plain, and grilled lemon-pepper chicken.

I go through moods when I can eat the same thing for several days or weeks at a time, and these strips, paired with a bag of salad, are a great go-to option when I'm in this routine. 

I like to pair Trader Joe's broccoli-and-kale slaw with chicken for a low-carb, low-sugar salad. I also like the classic Greek salad because it has fiber, protein from feta cheese, and little sugar. 

Additionally, the lemon-basil pasta salad is pretty low in carbohydrates and sugar (considering it's made with pasta), with only 26 grams of carbohydrates and 3 grams of sugar per serving. 

On my latest trip, I wanted fresh veggies and dip, so I opted for these teeny tiny tomatoes to pair with a dressing.

These look and taste like tiny heirloom tomatoes and are great in salads. Because they're so small, they don't even need to be sliced.

Trader Joe's carries a few low-sugar dressing options — this week, I went with the Green Goddess dressing. 

I couldn't resist buying figs when I saw them, so I impulse-purchased this cheese to pair with them.

Though I was craving a sweet snack, my Trader Joe's also carries goat's-milk cheese without honey.

Trader Joe's squiggly noodles take only four minutes to boil. They come with soy-and-sesame-sauce packets, though I also like to pair them with a high-protein peanut sauce or Trader Joe's crunchy chili-onion topping.

This week, I used the noodles in a stir fry. To make the dish, I sautéed a few vegetables and baked Trader Joe's wild, raw Argentinian red shrimp on a sheet pan for 25 minutes.

I tossed everything together in the same pot and had leftovers for the rest of the week.

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