Gahhhhhh no one told me Costco was heaven on earth!!!!!!!!!
The Costco people were incredibly nice and gave me a little free pass to walk around to my heart’s content. I probably roamed for about half an hour (could have spent all day) before making the executive decision it was a worthy investment.
And you know what did me in??
No, not the almond butter or the amazing produce….the books! They had a great selection of brand new hardcovers, which at the bookstore would be $27.00 and Costco had them for only $14. YAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I can see us using our membership a lot, but mainly for produce (and Ryan’s pepperoni pizza lean pockets). No more shall I have to go to the store four times a week just to buy pre-bagged organic lettuce, spinach or bananas! I was shocked that the exact same 1 lb organic spinach container was $9.50 at Whole Foods and only $4.00 at Costco. Other noteworthy produce items included bags of avocados, crates of cherries, blueberries and blackberries, organic carrots (for juicing) and tons of citrus! I was in hog’s heaven. I also stared for awhile at the BIG crate of Chobani yogurts and larabars. Bliss.
So what did I walk out today with, you ask?
I was SO good!!!! As much as I wanted it all I took into account that I already had to pay $50 for the membership and we were going out of town tomorrow morning. No need to buy spinach when it would just sit and wilt all weekend! I couldn’t help myself with the book though—-Dor0thea writes excellent “plane books” and I’m a sucker for anything about the Lowcountry. Her books are pretty light and easy to read but they make for great traveling companions!
I plan to go back to the store early next week to stock up on produce and then Ryan wants to go next weekend to get his card made and pick out some of the food he likes. lol
Despite it being 11 miles away, I zipped home on the interstate and made it in only 9 minutes! I was tempted for a brief second to just grab lunch at Crisper’s or Tjuanna Flatts right next to Costco but I know this weekend I’ll be eating out a lot and I had a big bag of organic spring mix that had my name on it at home! 🙂
Thus, I used my HUGE container of hummus and guac to compile the best salad yet.
One bite and I was very glad I waited. This salad totally rocked my socks off!
I used:
- 1 whole bag organic spring mix
- 1/2 cucumber
- 1/2 cup cannellini beans
- bag of mini carrots
- 1/4 cup Sabra’s Sundried Tomato Hummus
- 1/4 cup guacamole
- BIG drizzle of texas pete!!
Guacamole and hummus combined is a match made in heaven. Seriously. It doesn’t get better. Oh wait, yes it does—-if you add hot sauce it takes it to a whole new level. Costco membership was worth it just for this! 😉
Because whenever I go out of town I get incredibly paranoid of coming down with something, I loaded up the vitamins with a shaker full of Berry SuperFood and ice water
Dessert was a tiny handful of these little gems:
I’m just resting now with some herbal tea but I’m going to head to the gym later for cardio and a long steam. Still haven’t packed because Dexter won’t get out of my suitcase and he’s just too cute to move. 🙂
Murphy-Goode Fact of the Day:
Did you know that the Murphy-Goode website features recipes?! Yes they do! You can actually find a four-course dinner menu, with recipes included, for every night of the week! Check it out here.
Courtney (The Hungry Yogini)
July 2, 2009 at 1:25 pmSo glad you loved Costco…didn’t know they had ALMOND BUTTER!!!!!!!!!!! Gonna have to go to stock up.
Seriously Jenna…let’s go together next week! I’d love it =) It would be a foodie adventure! And I’d love to see ya soon!
Glad you can now experience the joys of bulk shopping!!!
Cait (Cait's Plate)
July 2, 2009 at 1:28 pmAH! I’m SO JEALOUS! I wish I had a Costco membership – you seriously can’t beat the savings – or the experience really. What could be better than walking around a huge warehouse filled with FOOD?! 🙂 Glad it was a success!
katie s
July 2, 2009 at 1:28 pmNot kidding… I had the exact same lunch!! Minus the beans… but I LOVE guac and hummus in a salad!! So awesome!!!
Jenna
July 2, 2009 at 1:31 pmyum that guac looks so good with hummus and lettuce!! I’m glad you liked costco 🙂
Kyle
July 2, 2009 at 1:37 pmI told you!!! haha. Costco RULES. I only wish we had almond butter here on the west coast!!! I need to make some phone calls. I’ve NEVER seen Maranatha Almond butter here!!
I’m officially angry.
Kristin @ Iowa Girl Eats
July 2, 2009 at 1:39 pmI loooooooove Costco – make sure to hit it up on the weekends for the free samples!! :D:D:D
MarathonVal
July 2, 2009 at 1:40 pmYour Costco looks awesome!!! I’ve never seen Marantha AB or Larabars at mine. How come Florida and California always have better health food stuff?!??! Us Midwesterners like to eat well too!
Mindy
July 2, 2009 at 1:41 pmI LOVE COSTCO!! They have the best produce.. I swear their fruit is always waaaaay better than what I find at my local grocery store. If Costco weren’t always so busy, I’d definitely go more often. I also go there for my tires, contacts, and glasses 🙂
Maria
July 2, 2009 at 1:42 pmHaha, Dexter is still in the suitcase ;). Too cute! It only takes 9 minutes to get to your Costco–so jealous. It takes at least 15-20 minutes to get to ours, or any other decent grocery store, haha. That lunch looks great with guacamole and hummus. Mmmm must try that combo soon!
polly
July 2, 2009 at 1:42 pmYes, Yes!!! Told ya, sweetie! THE BOOKS!!! 😀
Love ya, almond butter sister in the south!! 😉 XOOX
Danielle
July 2, 2009 at 1:44 pmSeriously I go to Costco every week just for the tub of spinach, such a great deal (my local Costco just started carrying the Sabra’s so I’m in heaven). Now if only they’d carry chobani or some other greek yogurt, maybe I need to request it or something LOL.
Vanessa (Last Night's Leftovers)
July 2, 2009 at 1:44 pmIsn’t Costco the best thing EVER?!
Kelly
July 2, 2009 at 1:46 pmToo funny. I used to belong to BJ’s but I was a little too impulsive and kept picking up things I didn’t really need. Your choices look fantastic though.
Gina
July 2, 2009 at 1:47 pmWe love Costco! We get just about everything there! I thought of you last week while shopping at Costco. They had Vitamuffins there! I heard about their products on your blog so I gave them a try. The kids and I love them! Thanks! Love your blog!
Amanda @ Cakes and Ale
July 2, 2009 at 1:50 pmGlad you got the Costco membership – you’ll get a lot out of it. Costco also has great deals on wine – we love to stock up there.
Jen, a priorfatgirl
July 2, 2009 at 1:50 pmYep, Costco is totally addicting! I use my parents memebership and run around like a little girl in a candy store! SO FUN!
Tracey
July 2, 2009 at 1:52 pmI LOVE Costco, too – I’m there so much the employees know me by name! Wait until Ryan sees their flat-screen TV section – they have all the top names for great prices!
Jody
July 2, 2009 at 1:53 pmAwesome! I love Wholly Guacamole too…especially because you can freeze it. I use it as a “base” for the guacamole I serve when we have guests and then jazz it up with pico de gallo and chopped avacado for more texture. It’s nice to have on hand!
Menden (SkinnyMenny)
July 2, 2009 at 1:55 pmGlad you enjoyed your Costco experience! My boyfriend and I are addicted to Costco – we go every Sunday (what nerds, right?!)
Have a great afternoon 🙂
genesis
July 2, 2009 at 1:58 pmdid they tell you about the perks for an executive member? its $100 a year BUT, there is a 2% reward on ALL purchases at the counter. its totally worth it. the lady explained to me that if we could potentially spend $2500 in a year then we get $50 back and thats HALF of our membership cost!
i was amzed at the price of the MaraNatha at Costco, too! Isnt it like less than $10? When I go to the Co-Op a small jar is like more than $10.
Kelli
July 2, 2009 at 2:03 pmMy favorite thing to get is Chobani – a case is under $12, its such a great deal and so are the giant boxes of their organic brand oatmeal!!!
Jess
July 2, 2009 at 2:03 pmCostco sounds wonderful! Gotta find one here. lol.
Wonderful lunch!!
<3 jess
xoxo
Emily (A Nutritionist Eats)
July 2, 2009 at 2:08 pmI am going to have to try hummus and avocado…I love both so I should like that, right?!?! (with hot sauce too!)
brandi
July 2, 2009 at 2:09 pmi’m glad you got some good stuff! they do have a good book section.
I’m so mad they didn’t have the almond butter when I looked at nick’s parents this weekend! I looked all over the place.
Sarah W.
July 2, 2009 at 2:09 pmWhen I saw that you had purchased Costco’s amazing Guac and sabra, I KNEW that next up would be a salad containting those 2 items. Its my FAVORITE salad topping in the world – I think I could eat guac until I’m stuffed!!! so so so good!!!!
Sarah
July 2, 2009 at 2:13 pmAhh! I don’t know if I would have had the willpower to resist buying everything in sight! Looks like Costco is the place for you
Sheena
July 2, 2009 at 2:15 pmI have been considering a Sam’s Club membership for a long time but living and eating by myself it has not seemed practically. i am extremely jeoulous of your memebership and all teh goodies you have to look forward to. take Care and have a good workout!
Susan
July 2, 2009 at 2:15 pmI can’t wait until they finally built a Costco in my city!!! They just bought the land… I always anxiously look out the window when I drive buy to see if they’ve broken ground yet 😛 My mom gets the sweetest deals on Maranatha at the Costco back home. That alone is worth the membership!!
Ellen (Peace In Motion)
July 2, 2009 at 2:17 pmThat salad looks divine! and I love costco for their almond butter!!
Bec
July 2, 2009 at 2:18 pmI’ve never been to a cosco but now I want too!!
Danielle
July 2, 2009 at 2:27 pmWe share a Costco! I go to the same one. Just started reading your blog and love it!
Therese
July 2, 2009 at 2:28 pmI can’t believe this is your first experience with Costco!! I feel like a kid in a candy store when I’m in there lol. You would be amazed how cheap some of their electronics, home furnishings, etc. are. Definitely a smart investment 🙂
Have a fun safe trip this weekend!
Lynn
July 2, 2009 at 2:35 pmYAY for Costco!!!!!!!!!!! totally awesome goodies!
LK- Healthy Delcious
July 2, 2009 at 2:56 pmoh how I miss costco! we moved and there isn’t one anywhere near here. 🙁 I bought eyeglasses at one once though! Can you imagine! Super cute Burberry glasses for like 100 bucks. Take that, lenscrafters!
Peabody
July 2, 2009 at 2:58 pmMy husband had never been to a Costco before he met me. He was in awe. I love Costco. I get a book everytime I am there. 🙂
Shannon (the daily balance)
July 2, 2009 at 2:58 pmSo glad you enjoyed your first costo experience!!!
Rebecca
July 2, 2009 at 3:08 pmYour salad looks so good. I’ve never thought of putting hummus on a salad! I’m glad you like Costco and found a good book to read on the plane!
Lola
July 2, 2009 at 3:16 pmPrepare to become border-line obsessed with Costco. It’s nearly impossible not to. It is literally my favorite store – above any clothing or shoe store. It’s embarassing to admit it but oh so easy when it’s anonymously written on a blog 😉
Christie @ Quit Your Diet
July 2, 2009 at 3:18 pmI moved my blog today to a new URL, I am the commenter aka find my weigh.
Anyway, wanted to say:
Hooooray for choosing Costco! I love it and I think you will get your moneys worth in no time at all!
Diana
July 2, 2009 at 3:35 pmCostco is wonderland! I can spend hours and tons of money there!
Diana
Whitney
July 2, 2009 at 3:38 pmLet us know if the book is any good! I am forever looking for new reading material. So glad you enjoyed Costco. I like it mucho better than Sam’s.
Jessica
July 2, 2009 at 3:40 pmOoh, I have had that hummus before, it is really good! I will have to try that salad sometime-yummy!
Annie D.
July 2, 2009 at 3:48 pmI didn’t know Costco HAD organic food!?!!!
Erin
July 2, 2009 at 3:48 pmLove all that guac!! I’m not a fan of COSTCO tho, cuz there’s a reason why that produce costs so little. But I’ll avoid my soapbox here and just congratulate you on your fun purchases!
lyss
July 2, 2009 at 3:53 pmlucky! i usually have to sneak into costco for the free samples! and seriously, you are right – there’s nothing better than sabra’s and guacamole! (this post made me miss my family – that’s their FAVORITE kind of guac!)
Christina
July 2, 2009 at 4:15 pmLOVE Costco- it’s the only place I shop anymore! Here in Texas Costco carries the Maranatha Almond Butter for like $8 and a huge thing of Fage for $6. They also sell 8 packs of Amy’s burritos or Indian meals. It’s definitely worth the membership fee. Try to avoid it on the weekends, though- it gets crazy and everyone has those super wide carts! If you have to go then, watch your toes and make sure not to wear flip-flops!
Melinda
July 2, 2009 at 4:17 pmI told you that you’d fall in LOVE with Costco- it’s the best seriously!! We have that same Sabra hummus,guac and almond butter at our Costco too- we go to the one in Tallahasse, Florida close to Georgia- the 2 hour drive every couple of months is worth it in my opinion!! 🙂
Meghan@traveleatlove
July 2, 2009 at 4:28 pmCostco is so fun! And I love the Murphy-Goode site – wine + food = right up my alley! 🙂
MyThy as in "Mighty" ;)
July 2, 2009 at 4:37 pmDoesn’t Costco ROCK?!?! The hummus, guac, and spinach are our usual buys. Plus bananners for the GM and their seasonal fruits (pears/blackberries/strawberries) are a bargain. AB is such a steal too! Now if only there were a TJ’s (Trader Joe’s) near you guys! 😉
Enjoy your weekend!
Nicole
July 2, 2009 at 4:43 pmI am obsessed with CostCo!! They have really cheap bikes there too! Or maybe that’s BJ’s.
Marcia
July 2, 2009 at 4:45 pmHummus, guacamole, and books? You truly are a girl after my own heart!
I consider canceling my Costco membership every year…but the books keep me going back.
Sherry
July 2, 2009 at 4:55 pmIt’s great that you’re now a member of “The Club” (Costco used to be called Price Club”) . . . it IS a heavenly place. I noticed your hummus. . . I don’t get headaches . . .ULNESS I eat Costco’s hummus . . . so I Googled its ingredient sodium benzoate and found out why (so now I make my own huge batches of hummus for about $1.50 using Ina Garten’s recipe off the web. )
Here’s a quote from a Google search: “Sodium benzoate is a commonly found preservative in such food and drink products as fruit juice, soft drinks, coffee flavoring syrups, as well as a variety of condiments. Although the FDA has previously classified sodium benzoate as a safe preservative, this classification is now being questioned. It appears that sodium benzoate forms a chemical known as benzene when in the presence of vitamin C. Benzene not only causes damage to DNA, the genetic material, it’s also a known carcinogen and appears to play a role in a variety of diseases due to it’s DNA damaging capabilities.”
BTW . . . it has been banned in Europe since 2007.
Adi (oatonomy.com)
July 2, 2009 at 4:57 pmHaha those are my two favourite finds at Costco – the giant Maranatha almond butter jars and the books!
Jessica
July 2, 2009 at 5:03 pmWould they let you buy anything on the guest pass? I really want to check it out but I can’t afford an actual membership right now!
Also, I read back in your blogs because I just love reading what you have to write, and I got to the point about your brother passing away. Now I know you have talked about it often before, but as I started getting closer, I just started to tear up. He was so handsome and sounded like a fantastic individual. I have only lost one person to me in my life, and it was my mother, and I was 4. It was devastating (I did understand what had happened) so I can definitely sympathize with you on losing family.
Continue to have the strength and vibrance that you exhibit daily on this blog, and I hope that you feel great about your life.
Have a great day sweetie!
-Muffy
jenna
July 2, 2009 at 8:12 pmMuffy,
Nooo you can’t buy anything on a guest pass. Unfortunately!
Jessica
July 2, 2009 at 5:04 pmPS mmm sundried tomato hummus? they don’t have that one at sam’s… 🙁
Runeatrepeat
July 2, 2009 at 5:20 pmI love buying the spinach from Costco – the bag is HUGE and even if you don’t finish it all it’s still cheaper than buying multiple bags at another store!
Foodie (Fab and Delicious Food)
July 2, 2009 at 5:38 pmGlad you had a good time at Costco!
The salad looks great!
rebecca @ durch dick und duenn
July 2, 2009 at 5:47 pmi agree…the guac is fabulous and i typically freeze them until i need them!
wish mine carried fage… i think thats my biggest weakly expense.
K
July 2, 2009 at 5:55 pmGlad you liked Costco!! Just a warning: it can be a scary, scary place on the weekends 😉
Tracy
July 2, 2009 at 6:04 pmLove Costco! I don’t know about Tampa, but the case of Chobanis rings in at less than $1 per cup at my Costco in Kansas City!!! The exp. date is always at least a month away, too, so never a worry about spoiling.
Matt
July 2, 2009 at 6:49 pmCongrats on the Costco membership!
Heather @ Health, Happiness, and Hope
July 2, 2009 at 6:53 pmWow, that Costco membership really does sound great! I love how they let you scout the place out. 😉 And wow, I would have been in heaven with all that MaraNatha! Can’t wait to hear how you end up liking your membership!
Amanda
July 2, 2009 at 7:51 pmGlad you love Costco! I’m going to love seeing what you buy from there to give me ideas! Just a heads up – the pharmacy has REALLY great deals on prescriptions. I get my birth control 3 months at a time there (insurance doesn’t cover it), and it is SO CHEAP!
Rebeca
July 2, 2009 at 8:27 pmWhenever my mom and I are together we go to Costco (or wherever is closest depending on whether she’s visiting, or I am) and get that guac and chow and talk… it only happens a few times a year and is sooo priceless and so good! Love it!
Congrats on your new membership!
Nabeela
July 2, 2009 at 10:00 pmSo glad you got the membership. We have the executive membership since we shop a LOT at Costco. They have a 2% money back on this membership and since we end up spending something like 4000+ per year, the membership basically pays for itself 🙂
Bev
July 2, 2009 at 10:30 pmCostco Rocks!!! Love the produce. Great price on nuts .I will have to check out the books. Have fun at the wedding. can’twait to see your dress.
Caroline
July 3, 2009 at 12:19 amAlmond butter AND guac?! You’re making me think I need to give Sam’s the boot ASAP and get on board the Costco bandwagon!
Tay
July 3, 2009 at 2:13 amYAY!! I’m so glad you enjoyed Costco. I too love Costco’s books – such a great deal! My Costco also has 6 Amy’s lasagnas for $12. Check to see if yours does as well!
Danielle J.
July 6, 2009 at 5:34 pmHi Jenna! I’m loving your blog! I did have a question about how you store your “wholly guacamole”. I bought some of that from Costco the last time we were there but we didn’t finish the whole thing so we scraped it out of the container, put it in a big ziploc and added lime juice but it turned completely brown by the next morning. I *love* it, though, so I want it to last! Any tips or advice would be greatly appreciated!
jenna
July 6, 2009 at 5:48 pmDanielle,
Good question! Totally easy fix: just gently scrape off the brown layer with a spoon! I just did that this morning 🙂
Sarah
July 8, 2009 at 9:39 amOh my gosh, I so have to go to Costco! I belong to Sam’s club but I hate their selection of yogurt and nut butters, which I buy the most of. But their produce is good. Hmm…