• My family, my brother's family, and some cousins booked a weeklong trip at an all-inclusive resort.
• Traveling in a group had a lot of advantages, including giving the kids some independence.
• That said, traveling with multiple families can take more work and has some challenges.

This past Thanksgiving, my family traveled with my brother's family, which included his wife and two children, and our adult cousins to Beaches Negril in Jamaica.

The 20-acre all-inclusive resort is located on the western coastline of the island on Seven-Mile Beach and had everything we needed on-site — accommodations, multiple restaurants and cafés, pools, and activities for adults and kids.

Since our three families live in different parts of the US, we each made our own travel arrangements and arrived on the same day at different times.

Although traveling as a big group can be tricky, we'd absolutely do it again — especially if the destination is an all-inclusive resort.

We quickly discovered that multi-family traveling has its perks

The resort felt like a manageable size, and everyone in our group stayed busy — including the kids, who got a taste of independence on the property.

Since there were three tweens on our trip, our families felt safe permitting them to do some activities together without adult supervision.

They enjoyed the freedom to go to the on-site ice cream shop and the café, play miniature golf and shuffleboard, and participate in resort-organized beach volleyball and dance parties on their own.

We also found that when an adult in our group wanted to do an activity, they would sometimes bring all the children with them. This allowed different groups to bond and for parents to take turns relaxing.

For example, my husband and I took our daughter, niece, and nephew snorkeling while their parents enjoyed some beach time.

Later in the trip, my daughter had a blast with her cousins, aunt, and uncle on the lazy river and water slides while my husband and I went paddle boarding.

It was also fun to divide into smaller groups based on who was most interested in which restaurants.

One night, a few of us went out for sushi while one group went to the Caribbean seafood spot, and another enjoyed made-to-order Neapolitan pizzas.

As part of a big group, we also got to share and try more dishes when we dined together without wasting food. At the property's family-style Peruvian restaurant, we ordered nearly the entire menu.

One of my favorite family memories of the trip is still passing around the various plates, tasting many different dishes, and talking about our favorites throughout the dinner.

Still, visiting an all-inclusive resort with multiple families takes work

Most of the resort's restaurants can accommodate walk-ups, but a few require reservations for dinner. A larger group can definitely make this more challenging and require extra flexibility with restaurant choices and dining times.

Also, here (and at many similar resorts), you can't make dining reservations before your stay. I suggest trying to do so upon arrival so you have the most options.

If you're in a larger group, you'll also want to consider transportation needs if you venture off of resort property, especially if you prefer to travel together.

We were able to book a passenger van for our trips off-site, which was ideal.

Overall, we'd do it all again

We all had such a great time that we wanted to take advantage of the resort's incentive to book a future trip before departing.

However, we were quickly reminded that it takes a lot of time to agree on which destination to go to next and, most challenging of all, find dates that accommodate everyone's schedules.

• As a busy mom, I sometimes rely on Trader Joe's to create delicious meals for my family.
• We love Italian-inspired dishes like the sweet-potato gnocchi and butternut-squash lasagna.
• When I want something sweet, I reach for the green-tea mochi.

I love to cook meals from scratch, but as a busy mom, there are some days where I just don't have the time.

Over the years, I've found lots of tried-and-true frozen meals from Trader Joe's that come in handy when there's not enough time to labor over the stove.

Here are 10 frozen foods I never leave the store without buying.

Trader Joe's sweet-potato gnocchi is soft, pillowy, and filling. 

Trader Joe's sweet-potato gnocchi with butter and sage is an amazing comfort food. The soft gnocchi perfectly sops up the rich, buttery sage sauce.

Best of all, the sweet-potato gnocchi takes about 10 minutes to cook and serve. I like to garnish the dish with fresh sage and serve it with warm, crusty bread.

We typically prefer to eat this vegetarian dish on its own, but you can easily add chicken, sausage, or another protein.

When it's in stock, the butternut-squash lasagna is a perfect meat-free comfort food. 

Though frozen lasagna doesn't sound all that exciting, Trader Joe's butternut-squash version is an elevated rendition of the Italian staple.

The butternut-squash-béchamel sauce, made with carrots and butter, is velvety and slightly smoky. The pumpkin seeds, chives, rosemary, and pepper also give the dish a flavorful punch, making it a nice alternative to the typical pasta and tomato sauce. 

Trader Joe's butternut-squash lasagna only takes about 10 minutes in the microwave, but if you have the time, I recommend popping it in the oven to get it perfectly crispy on the outside and gooey on the inside.

I found Trader Joe's gnocchi al Gorgonzola surprisingly delicious.

This gnocchi is super easy to prepare — simply add the bag's contents and some oil to a skillet. I like to jazz this dish up with vegetables like peas, tomatoes, and spinach, or proteins such as pancetta, sausage, or chicken. 

Trader Joe's Thai vegetable gyoza is a vegan delight. 

Trader Joe's vegetable gyoza is stuffed with white cabbage, carrots, chives, white radish, onion, ginger, garlic, and soy sauce. These crescent-shaped dumplings can be steamed, microwaved, or pan-fried.

I like to brown the wrappers in a cast-iron skillet for a slight crunch — all you need is a little oil and water. I serve these with extra soy sauce for dipping, steamed rice, and simple stir-fried vegetables. 

The bean, rice, and cheese burritos make a great lunch or dinner.

My 9-year-old loves Mexican-inspired food as much as I do, and she's a big fan of Trader Joe's bean, rice, and cheese burritos.

Though this two-pack can be prepared in the microwave, I think the burritos taste so much better baked in the oven, especially with enchilada sauce. Once they've cooked through, I add shredded cheese and broil the dish to give the simple meal a restaurant feel. 

I recommend pairing the burritos with Spanish rice and black beans for a complete, inexpensive meal. 

The vegetable bird's nests look beautiful when plated. 

These nest-shaped combinations of onions, carrots, and kale come fully cooked, so all you need to do is heat them and serve.

They can be deep fried, but I prefer to air-fry or bake them on a cookie sheet.

The package also comes with soy dipping sauce, which I defrost by submerging it in a mug of hot water.

The salsa-verde chicken enchiladas are zesty and delicious. 

These chicken enchiladas come with salsa verde made with tomatillos and green chiles. I like how the shredded chicken really lets the chile flavor come through.

They're great with cilantro, brown rice, beans, and some shredded cheese or guacamole.

I like to grab Trader Joe's frozen organic fruit for smoothies.

I love the convenience of smoothies, so I always stock up on Trader Joe's organic frozen fruit. My favorites are the organic raspberries, wild blueberries, and mango chunks.

The mini French baguettes are one of the store's best items. 

I'm lucky to live near a bakery — but they often sell out of baguettes before noon. When this happens, I turn to Trader Joe's mini French baguettes. 

They're already partially baked, so they only need four to six minutes in the oven to get soft, chewy, and crisp on the outside.

They're the perfect accompaniment to a hearty winter soup, stew, or slow-cooked meal. 

Trader Joe's green-tea mochi is the perfect sweet treat.

When it comes to desserts, Trader Joe's has some unique finds, like this six-count box of green-tea mochi. These chewy bites contain soft, flavorful green-tea ice cream in the center, perfect for satisfying a sweet tooth.

These are best enjoyed when taken out of the freezer to defrost for a few minutes before eating (if you can resist the wait).

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

• I compared three premade espresso martinis to determine which was the best.
• I thought the On the Rocks espresso-martini cocktail was bitter and had an odd aftertaste.
• The Ketel One espresso martini was the winner because of its smooth, sweet flavor.

Espresso martinis have been around for decades, but today, they seem more popular than ever.

I recently saw a few bottled and canned versions of the alcoholic drink — usually made with vodka, coffee liqueur, espresso, and simple syrup — at my local liquor store.

Eager to see which was best, I decided to try three brands of premade espresso martinis. To level the playing field, I made sure to prepare each drink the same way — pouring the liquid into a shaker with ice and straining the drink into a martini glass. 

Here's how each espresso martini stacked up.

The On the Rocks espresso-martini cocktail was my least-favorite beverage

A sales associate at the liquor store told me the On the Rocks espresso martini, which has 20% alcohol by volume, was a popular drink.

According to its label, this "rich and dark espresso martini" was made with Effen vodka and espresso-coffee liqueur.

In the glass, the deep-caramel-colored liquid resembled scotch. It smelled neutral, but it had an overpowering flavor when it hit my lips. It started out bold and bitter, then left an odd, lingering, acidic aftertaste well after I finished my sip. 

Overall, I wouldn't purchase this beverage again. 

The Cutwater espresso martini had a tasty, coffee-forward flavor

The Cutwater espresso martini came in a pack of four cans. According to the label on the box, each can contained at least two shots of "real spirits" and 13% alcohol by volume.

When I poured the drink into a glass, the aroma was exactly what I expected: coffee-forward with vodka overtones.

Made with coffee-cream liqueur, it had a nice cold-brew flavor and a light mouthfeel. Because the drink went down easy, the alcohol could definitely sneak up on you.

I think the Cutwater cocktail would be perfect for events like tailgates or fireside sipping.

The Ketel One espresso martini was my favorite of the bunch

The Ketel One espresso martini blended the brand's vodka with coffee liqueur. Though potent at 20.1% alcohol by volume, the Ketel One espresso martini was pretty smooth.

Its subtle chocolaty aroma and strong flavor were a nice surprise. The martini's dark-amber hue gave way to a velvety smooth, sweet drink with slight hints of a flavor that reminded me of hazelnut — mimicking exactly what one expects from a traditional espresso martini.

Overall, the Ketel One espresso martini's coffee-forward flavor dominated the competition, making it my winner.

• My family tried and ranked plain Greek yogurt from four grocery stores.
• My daughter and I thought Trader Joe's Greek nonfat yogurt had an odd flavor.
• The organic plain nonfat Greek yogurt from Wegmans was our winner.

My family consumes a lot of Greek yogurt — most brands are low in carbs, high in protein, and contain probiotics. Plus, it serves as a filling breakfast or snack for my daughter.

Though many brands offer Greek-style varieties, I find they're often twice the price of standard plain yogurt. So, to see which Greek yogurt is the best value, I tried store-brand versions from Trader Joe's, Whole Foods, Costco, and Wegmans.

I bought the most basic plain Greek yogurt I could find at each store and sampled them without any toppings. All were nonfat except the 365 brand from Whole Foods, which contained 3.5% milk fat.

Here's how the Greek yogurt stacked up, from worst to best.

Trader Joe's nonfat plain Greek yogurt had a medium-thick consistency. 

I liked that Trader Joe's option didn't have the ubiquitous pool of milky whey that sometimes settles on top of yogurt when I open it. The yogurt seemed to have a nice, medium-thick consistency. 

At $5.50, the 32-ounce tub of Greek yogurt was the least expensive of the four brands I tried. 

The yogurt was creamy but a bit too tangy for my taste.

Sadly, I thought this yogurt had an intensely tangy, almost sour flavor. Because of its standout creaminess, I'd be more inclined to buy Trader Joe's flavored Greek yogurt with honey the next time I'm at the store.

The 365 organic 3.5% milk fat plain Greek yogurt from Whole Foods was the most expensive option. 

At $6.70, this 32-ounce tub was the highest-priced yogurt I tried. When I opened the container, the yogurt looked creamy and smooth.

The 365 Greek yogurt tasted mildly sweet, with no tanginess. 

The 365 Greek yogurt tasted fresh and was well-balanced — mildly sweet and not too tangy or tart.

I'd likely use this yogurt in one of my smoothies, as I don't feel it would alter the taste but would add a nice boost of protein.

The Kirkland Signature organic nonfat plain Greek yogurt from Costco was the best bang for my buck.

Costco sells many items in bulk, including the $6 Kirkland Signature organic nonfat Greek yogurt, which comes in a 48-ounce tub. 

At cost-per-ounce, it was the best-value item in this taste test. The entire tub was cheaper than the 365 organic yogurt from Whole Foods and contained 16 more ounces.

The Kirkland Signature yogurt would make a great base for fruit or granola. 

The Kirkland Signature yogurt was rich and full-bodied, with just enough tartness to give it some depth. 

I appreciated that this yogurt, though less dense than the others, didn't have a puddle of whey at the top. It seemed like an ideal base for fruit, granola, or other add-ins.

Finally, I tried Wegmans' organic nonfat plain Greek yogurt.

The 32-ounce tub of organic Greek yogurt from Wegmans cost $6 — a pleasant surprise, as I thought it would be more expensive.

Some whey floated at the top of the yogurt, but only creamy goodness remained once I dumped it out. 

The yogurt from Wegmans was my favorite.

This Greek yogurt was creamy and smooth with the slightest tang, making it a solid base for add-ins. I think its light consistency would also be ideal for recipes that call for Greek yogurt.

Notably, this yogurt had the most sugar (7 grams) of all four options. My daughter also liked it the most, so I plan on packing it in a container with some toppings for her lunch.

I liked this yogurt so much that I'm permanently keeping it in my refrigerator. The next time we need Greek yogurt, I'll reach for this one from Wegmans.

This story was originally published on June 9, 2024, and most recently updated on December 13, 2024.