heheh Don't worry, Tommy Joe, i'm not talking about you. You're funny and
amusing with your posts! You're pretty cool, imo. :-D

Yesterday, I *finally* made it to and checked out my local Trader Joe's
store (aka: TJ). It's only been open here for almost 4 years now and only
1.5 miles from my home. It was about time that I finally checked it out.

I was at that shopping center and decided to finally take a few minutes to
investigate.

One thing I wanted to buy was in their recent newsletter....The Greek Style
Feta Dressing for salads. As I love feta cheese crumbled on salads, I
wanted to try that. So I bought that for only $1.99 for an 8oz jar...a fair
price.

The second thing I wanted to try was their "Triple Ginger Snaps" that at
least 2 people here raved about. I like those so worth a try, if they are
"all that."

The feta dressing: Disappointing taste. It's nothing more than cheap tasting
ranch dressing with just enough feta cheeze blended in smoothly to give you
a hint of that taste. I'll use it but I'll NEVER buy that crap again. Next
time, I'll crumble some real feta cheese on my salad and use a decent salad
dressing.

As for the "to die for" Triple Ginger Snaps? YAWN!!!!
This was my biggest disappointment. I've always bought Murray brand ginger
snaps. I tried the TJ brand yesterday and expected the clouds to part and
hear angels singing. Nope. Just plain old ginger snaps at twice the price.

To be fair though, I bought a bag of my regular brand this morning and did
the taste test side by side.

I think my old Murray brand is better (or at least equal) and it's much less
cost.

Murray brand ginger snaps: $2.49 for 16oz bag
Trader Joe's Triple ginger snaps: $3.99 for 14oz plastic container

I also wandered the isles while I was there and I was not impressed with
their prices. In most cases, I see that I can get better prices at my
regular grocery store.

Glad that I check out the store (finally) but I won't be going back. Trader
Joe's is nothing special, imo.

G.

On 9/9/2012 9:43 AM, Gary wrote:
> heheh Don't worry, Tommy Joe, i'm not talking about you. You're funny and
> amusing with your posts! You're pretty cool, imo. :-D
>
> Yesterday, I *finally* made it to and checked out my local Trader Joe's
> store (aka: TJ). It's only been open here for almost 4 years now and only
> 1.5 miles from my home. It was about time that I finally checked it out.
>
> I was at that shopping center and decided to finally take a few minutes to
> investigate.
>
> One thing I wanted to buy was in their recent newsletter....The Greek Style
> Feta Dressing for salads. As I love feta cheese crumbled on salads, I
> wanted to try that. So I bought that for only $1.99 for an 8oz jar...a fair
> price.
>
> The second thing I wanted to try was their "Triple Ginger Snaps" that at
> least 2 people here raved about. I like those so worth a try, if they are
> "all that."
>
> The feta dressing: Disappointing taste. It's nothing more than cheap tasting
> ranch dressing with just enough feta cheeze blended in smoothly to give you
> a hint of that taste. I'll use it but I'll NEVER buy that crap again. Next
> time, I'll crumble some real feta cheese on my salad and use a decent salad
> dressing.
>
> As for the "to die for" Triple Ginger Snaps? YAWN!!!!
> This was my biggest disappointment. I've always bought Murray brand ginger
> snaps. I tried the TJ brand yesterday and expected the clouds to part and
> hear angels singing. Nope. Just plain old ginger snaps at twice the price.


No TJs around here so I have only stopped at one a few times. I love
ginger snaps but I agree that the "triple ginger snaps" are nothing to
write home about.



>
> To be fair though, I bought a bag of my regular brand this morning and did
> the taste test side by side.
>
> I think my old Murray brand is better (or at least equal) and it's much less
> cost.
>
> Murray brand ginger snaps: $2.49 for 16oz bag
> Trader Joe's Triple ginger snaps: $3.99 for 14oz plastic container
>
> I also wandered the isles while I was there and I was not impressed with
> their prices. In most cases, I see that I can get better prices at my
> regular grocery store.
>
> Glad that I check out the store (finally) but I won't be going back. Trader
> Joe's is nothing special, imo.
>
> G.
>

On Sun, 09 Sep 2012 09:43:52 -0400, Gary > wrote:

>
>Yesterday, I *finally* made it to and checked out my local Trader Joe's
>store (aka: TJ). It's only been open here for almost 4 years now and only
>1.5 miles from my home. It was about time that I finally checked it out.
>
snip
>
>As for the "to die for" Triple Ginger Snaps? YAWN!!!!
>This was my biggest disappointment. I've always bought Murray brand ginger
>snaps. I tried the TJ brand yesterday and expected the clouds to part and
>hear angels singing. Nope. Just plain old ginger snaps at twice the price.
>
>To be fair though, I bought a bag of my regular brand this morning and did
>the taste test side by side.
>
>I think my old Murray brand is better (or at least equal) and it's much less
>cost.
>
>Murray brand ginger snaps: $2.49 for 16oz bag
>Trader Joe's Triple ginger snaps: $3.99 for 14oz plastic container
>

Just so you have the ingredients list side, by side, you can see the
following::

Murray's-

Enriched Flour (Wheat Flour, Niacin, Reduced Iron, Thiamin Mononitrate
[Vitamin B1], Riboflavin [Vitamin B2], Folic Acid), Sugar, Vegetable
Oil (Soybean, Palm And Palm Kernel Oil With Tbhq For Freshness),
Molasses, Contains Two Percent Or Less Of Ginger, Salt, Baking Soda,
Soy Lecithin. Contains Wheat And Soy Ingredients. May Contain Traces
Of Tree Nuts.


And TJ's -

Unbleached Wheat Flour, Brown Sugar, Butter (milk), Crystallized
Ginger (Ginger, Sugar), Molasses, Eggs, Fresh Ginger, Baking Soda,
Ground Ginger, Kosher Salt.

On Sun, 09 Sep 2012 10:32:35 -0400, Boron Elgar
> wrote:

> On Sun, 09 Sep 2012 09:43:52 -0400, Gary > wrote:
>
> >
> >Yesterday, I *finally* made it to and checked out my local Trader Joe's
> >store (aka: TJ). It's only been open here for almost 4 years now and only
> >1.5 miles from my home. It was about time that I finally checked it out.
> >
> snip
> >
> >As for the "to die for" Triple Ginger Snaps? YAWN!!!!
> >This was my biggest disappointment. I've always bought Murray brand ginger
> >snaps. I tried the TJ brand yesterday and expected the clouds to part and
> >hear angels singing. Nope. Just plain old ginger snaps at twice the price.
> >
> >To be fair though, I bought a bag of my regular brand this morning and did
> >the taste test side by side.
> >
> >I think my old Murray brand is better (or at least equal) and it's much less
> >cost.
> >
> >Murray brand ginger snaps: $2.49 for 16oz bag
> >Trader Joe's Triple ginger snaps: $3.99 for 14oz plastic container
> >
>
> Just so you have the ingredients list side, by side, you can see the
> following::
>
> Murray's-
>
> Enriched Flour (Wheat Flour, Niacin, Reduced Iron, Thiamin Mononitrate
> [Vitamin B1], Riboflavin [Vitamin B2], Folic Acid), Sugar, Vegetable
> Oil (Soybean, Palm And Palm Kernel Oil With Tbhq For Freshness),
> Molasses, Contains Two Percent Or Less Of Ginger, Salt, Baking Soda,
> Soy Lecithin. Contains Wheat And Soy Ingredients. May Contain Traces
> Of Tree Nuts.
>
>
> And TJ's -
>
> Unbleached Wheat Flour, Brown Sugar, Butter (milk), Crystallized
> Ginger (Ginger, Sugar), Molasses, Eggs, Fresh Ginger, Baking Soda,
> Ground Ginger, Kosher Salt.

Thank you. That's why people shop at Trader Joe's - although you do
have to read labels there too, especially the canned/jarred tomato
products.

--
Food is an important part of a balanced diet.

sf wrote:
>
> Thank you. That's why people shop at Trader Joe's - although you do
> have to read labels there too, especially the canned/jarred tomato
> products.

Not everybody, just you. I shop there for
the free coffee and samples. Some of the
other TJ's are not as generous as the one
I go to, but I am blessed.

Boron Elgar wrote:
>
> On Sun, 09 Sep 2012 09:43:52 -0400, Gary > wrote:
>
> >
> >Yesterday, I *finally* made it to and checked out my local Trader Joe's
> >store (aka: TJ). It's only been open here for almost 4 years now and only
> >1.5 miles from my home. It was about time that I finally checked it out.
> >
> snip
> >
> >As for the "to die for" Triple Ginger Snaps? YAWN!!!!
> >This was my biggest disappointment. I've always bought Murray brand ginger
> >snaps. I tried the TJ brand yesterday and expected the clouds to part and
> >hear angels singing. Nope. Just plain old ginger snaps at twice the price.
> >
> >To be fair though, I bought a bag of my regular brand this morning and did
> >the taste test side by side.
> >
> >I think my old Murray brand is better (or at least equal) and it's much less
> >cost.
> >
> >Murray brand ginger snaps: $2.49 for 16oz bag
> >Trader Joe's Triple ginger snaps: $3.99 for 14oz plastic container
> >
>
> Just so you have the ingredients list side, by side, you can see the
> following::
>
> Murray's-
>
> Enriched Flour (Wheat Flour, Niacin, Reduced Iron, Thiamin Mononitrate
> [Vitamin B1], Riboflavin [Vitamin B2], Folic Acid), Sugar, Vegetable
> Oil (Soybean, Palm And Palm Kernel Oil With Tbhq For Freshness),
> Molasses, Contains Two Percent Or Less Of Ginger, Salt, Baking Soda,
> Soy Lecithin. Contains Wheat And Soy Ingredients. May Contain Traces
> Of Tree Nuts.
>
> And TJ's -
>
> Unbleached Wheat Flour, Brown Sugar, Butter (milk), Crystallized
> Ginger (Ginger, Sugar), Molasses, Eggs, Fresh Ginger, Baking Soda,
> Ground Ginger, Kosher Salt.

One thing I liked about the TJ ginger snaps was the small bits of
crystallized ginger that gave them a slightly chewy taste at the end. Other
than that, I don't care about the ingredients. I don't eat them often so I
let my taste buds make the final decision. For half the price, I'll choose
Murray's from now on.

G.

On Sun, 09 Sep 2012 09:43:52 -0400, Gary > wrote:

> I also wandered the isles while I was there and I was not impressed with
> their prices. In most cases, I see that I can get better prices at my
> regular grocery store.
>
> Glad that I check out the store (finally) but I won't be going back. Trader
> Joe's is nothing special, imo.

You went in with the wrong expectations. I've said over and over that
it shouldn't be considered a regular grocery store. In any case, I'd
never buy what you bought because I don't buy premade dressings or
cookies.

You didn't like their selection of bread/baguettes? I don't know what
the bread aisle at TJ's is like where you live, but we have a great
selection here - high quality (Acme, Semi-Freddies) at a really good
price. One of my treats from their bread aisle is the "Almond Ring
Danish (think: big bear claw). Eggs and dairy are always a very
reasonable price too. It isn't a huge selection in terms of variety,
but they have what I want at better prices than where I shop for
groceries. Extra large eggs were consistently $1.69 a dozen before
prices started to rise a couple of weeks ago in response to the
drought. Check out the frozen vegetables. I always keep a bag of
petit peas and one of roasted corn in the freezer - you just can't
beat TJ's regular price for them, even on sale elsewhere. You already
know how much I like their Marinara sauce in the 28 oz can and their
Arrabbiata sauce in a jar. Read the labels; they're basically tomato
and spices - home made without the work. On the snack aisle, they
have Olive Oil potato chips, multi-colored potato chips, sweet potato
chips, root chips, vegetable chips - all sorts of goodies - $1.99 for
packages you'd be paying $4-5 for elsewhere. I buy the one pound
package of regular hummus in the refrigerated section, it's perfectly
seasoned for me... just enough garlic. I don't want/need anything
fancier. Then there's the wine aisle... and beware of the checkout
counter because that's where the chocolate starts whispering my name.

But if you're not going back, you'll never know how wrong you are.

--
Food is an important part of a balanced diet.

On 9/9/2012 10:34 AM, sf wrote:
> On Sun, 09 Sep 2012 09:43:52 -0400, Gary > wrote:
>
>> I also wandered the isles while I was there and I was not impressed with
>> their prices. In most cases, I see that I can get better prices at my
>> regular grocery store.
>>
>> Glad that I check out the store (finally) but I won't be going back. Trader
>> Joe's is nothing special, imo.
>
> You went in with the wrong expectations. I've said over and over that
> it shouldn't be considered a regular grocery store. In any case, I'd
> never buy what you bought because I don't buy premade dressings or
> cookies.
>
> You didn't like their selection of bread/baguettes? I don't know what
> the bread aisle at TJ's is like where you live, but we have a great
> selection here - high quality (Acme, Semi-Freddies) at a really good
> price. One of my treats from their bread aisle is the "Almond Ring
> Danish (think: big bear claw). Eggs and dairy are always a very
> reasonable price too. It isn't a huge selection in terms of variety,
> but they have what I want at better prices than where I shop for
> groceries. Extra large eggs were consistently $1.69 a dozen before
> prices started to rise a couple of weeks ago in response to the
> drought. Check out the frozen vegetables. I always keep a bag of
> petit peas and one of roasted corn in the freezer - you just can't
> beat TJ's regular price for them, even on sale elsewhere. You already
> know how much I like their Marinara sauce in the 28 oz can and their
> Arrabbiata sauce in a jar. Read the labels; they're basically tomato
> and spices - home made without the work. On the snack aisle, they
> have Olive Oil potato chips, multi-colored potato chips, sweet potato
> chips, root chips, vegetable chips - all sorts of goodies - $1.99 for
> packages you'd be paying $4-5 for elsewhere. I buy the one pound
> package of regular hummus in the refrigerated section, it's perfectly
> seasoned for me... just enough garlic. I don't want/need anything
> fancier. Then there's the wine aisle... and beware of the checkout
> counter because that's where the chocolate starts whispering my name.
>
> But if you're not going back, you'll never know how wrong you are.
>
I quite like TJ's spaghetti sauces but I wish they would sell them in
smaller quantities. Yes, I know I can freeze small quantities and I do!
A lot of their breads are quite good but I don't think much of their
baguettes; my regular (Giant) grocery store does better and sells a more
authentically French tasting sourdough. I can't talk much about their
wines since none of their stores in Maryland seem to have licenses.

--
Jim Silverton (Potomac, MD)

Extraneous "not" in Reply To.

On Sep 9, 7:51*am, James Silverton > wrote:
> On 9/9/2012 10:34 AM, sf wrote:
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
> > On Sun, 09 Sep 2012 09:43:52 -0400, Gary > wrote:
>
> >> I also wandered the isles while I was there and I was not impressed with
> >> their prices. In most cases, I see that I can get better prices at my
> >> regular grocery store.
>
> >> Glad that I check out the store (finally) but I won't be going back. *Trader
> >> Joe's is nothing special, imo.
>
> > You went in with the wrong expectations. *I've said over and over that
> > it shouldn't be considered a regular grocery store. *In any case, I'd
> > never buy what you bought because I don't buy premade dressings or
> > cookies.
>
> > You didn't like their selection of bread/baguettes? *I don't know what
> > the bread aisle at TJ's is like where you live, but we have a great
> > selection here - high quality (Acme, Semi-Freddies) at a really good
> > price. *One of my treats from their bread aisle is the "Almond Ring
> > Danish (think: big bear claw). *Eggs and dairy are always a very
> > reasonable price too. *It isn't a huge selection in terms of variety,
> > but they have what I want at better prices than where I shop for
> > groceries. *Extra large eggs were consistently $1.69 a dozen before
> > prices started to rise a couple of weeks ago in response to the
> > drought. *Check out the frozen vegetables. *I always keep a bag of
> > petit peas and one of roasted corn in the freezer - you just can't
> > beat TJ's regular price for them, even on sale elsewhere. *You already
> > know how much I like their Marinara sauce in the 28 oz can and their
> > Arrabbiata sauce in a jar. *Read the labels; they're basically tomato
> > and spices - home made without the work. *On the snack aisle, they
> > have Olive Oil potato chips, multi-colored potato chips, sweet potato
> > chips, root chips, vegetable chips - all sorts of goodies - $1.99 for
> > packages you'd be paying $4-5 for elsewhere. *I buy the one pound
> > package of regular hummus in the refrigerated section, it's perfectly
> > seasoned for me... just enough garlic. *I don't want/need anything
> > fancier. *Then there's the wine aisle... and beware of the checkout
> > counter because that's where the chocolate starts whispering my name.
>
> > But if you're not going back, you'll never know how wrong you are.
>
> I quite like TJ's spaghetti sauces but I wish they would sell them in
> smaller quantities. Yes, I know I can freeze small quantities and I do!
> A lot of their breads are quite good but I don't think much of their
> baguettes; my regular (Giant) grocery store does better and sells a more
> authentically French tasting sourdough. I can't talk much about their
> wines since none of their stores in Maryland seem to have licenses.
>
> --
> Jim Silverton (Potomac, MD)
>
> Extraneous "not" in Reply To.

Where in France have you had a sourdough baguette?

On Sun, 9 Sep 2012 14:58:02 -0700 (PDT), Helpful person
> wrote:


>
>Where in France have you had a sourdough baguette?

It is available in many places - all that is necessary for it to be a
"sourdough" baguette, is to have the leavening agent be a starter
rather than commercial yeast. It need not taste sour. That is a
misconception.

There are still a lot of French bakeries that sell "tradi," the
traditional, levain-raised baguettes.

Boron

On Sep 9, 2:58*pm, Helpful person > wrote:
> On Sep 9, 7:51*am, James Silverton > wrote:
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
> > On 9/9/2012 10:34 AM, sf wrote:
>
> > > On Sun, 09 Sep 2012 09:43:52 -0400, Gary > wrote:
>
> > >> I also wandered the isles while I was there and I was not impressed with
> > >> their prices. In most cases, I see that I can get better prices at my
> > >> regular grocery store.
>
> > >> Glad that I check out the store (finally) but I won't be going back. *Trader
> > >> Joe's is nothing special, imo.
>
> > > You went in with the wrong expectations. *I've said over and over that
> > > it shouldn't be considered a regular grocery store. *In any case, I'd
> > > never buy what you bought because I don't buy premade dressings or
> > > cookies.
>
> > > You didn't like their selection of bread/baguettes? *I don't know what
> > > the bread aisle at TJ's is like where you live, but we have a great
> > > selection here - high quality (Acme, Semi-Freddies) at a really good
> > > price. *One of my treats from their bread aisle is the "Almond Ring
> > > Danish (think: big bear claw). *Eggs and dairy are always a very
> > > reasonable price too. *It isn't a huge selection in terms of variety,
> > > but they have what I want at better prices than where I shop for
> > > groceries. *Extra large eggs were consistently $1.69 a dozen before
> > > prices started to rise a couple of weeks ago in response to the
> > > drought. *Check out the frozen vegetables. *I always keep a bag of
> > > petit peas and one of roasted corn in the freezer - you just can't
> > > beat TJ's regular price for them, even on sale elsewhere. *You already
> > > know how much I like their Marinara sauce in the 28 oz can and their
> > > Arrabbiata sauce in a jar. *Read the labels; they're basically tomato
> > > and spices - home made without the work. *On the snack aisle, they
> > > have Olive Oil potato chips, multi-colored potato chips, sweet potato
> > > chips, root chips, vegetable chips - all sorts of goodies - $1.99 for
> > > packages you'd be paying $4-5 for elsewhere. *I buy the one pound
> > > package of regular hummus in the refrigerated section, it's perfectly
> > > seasoned for me... just enough garlic. *I don't want/need anything
> > > fancier. *Then there's the wine aisle... and beware of the checkout
> > > counter because that's where the chocolate starts whispering my name.
>
> > > But if you're not going back, you'll never know how wrong you are.
>
> > I quite like TJ's spaghetti sauces but I wish they would sell them in
> > smaller quantities. Yes, I know I can freeze small quantities and I do!
> > A lot of their breads are quite good but I don't think much of their
> > baguettes; my regular (Giant) grocery store does better and sells a more
> > authentically French tasting sourdough. I can't talk much about their
> > wines since none of their stores in Maryland seem to have licenses.
>

> Where in France have you had a sourdough baguette?

pain au levain -- fairly widespread though a boule is more usual.

On 2012-09-09 13:43:52 +0000, Gary said:

> Glad that I check out the store (finally) but I won't be going back. Trader
> Joe's is nothing special, imo.

Yeah, the feta and the ginger snaps; that's pretty much all they've got.

gtr wrote:
>
> On 2012-09-09 13:43:52 +0000, Gary said:
>
> > Glad that I check out the store (finally) but I won't be going back. Trader
> > Joe's is nothing special, imo.
>
> Yeah, the feta and the ginger snaps; that's pretty much all they've got.

I did walk up and down each isle looking at everything yesterday,
Mr.TakesValiumAtNight.SoAsToNotLoseAnHourOfSleep.O nceOrTwiceAMonth.

None of the prices were impressive. All seemed to be equal or higher than my
regular store. TJ is not all that. Just my opinion. I finally gave it a
try and wasn't impressed. No need to defend them.

No need to get offended either that I won't go back unless you are a
stockholder just hoping for more dividends each year.

G.

On Sun, 09 Sep 2012 11:31:08 -0400, Gary > wrote:

>gtr wrote:
>>
>> On 2012-09-09 13:43:52 +0000, Gary said:
>>
>> > Glad that I check out the store (finally) but I won't be going back. Trader
>> > Joe's is nothing special, imo.
>>
>> Yeah, the feta and the ginger snaps; that's pretty much all they've got.
>
>I did walk up and down each isle looking at everything yesterday,
>Mr.TakesValiumAtNight.SoAsToNotLoseAnHourOfSleep. OnceOrTwiceAMonth.
>
>None of the prices were impressive. All seemed to be equal or higher than my
>regular store.

TJs is a specialty foods store and many of the products they carry
cannot be brand-duplicated at regular groceries at all or easily. A
lot of them are organics and/or all natural, which appeal to some
folks, maybe not to you. And you do not seem to seek out products with
all natural ingredients. The grocery store would seem more appealing
to you for that, too, but to find such all natural products can be
daunting at a regular market. Some groceries carry them, many, if they
do at all, are limited. YMMV. YOu may have the best grocery stores in
the world.

They are certainly much cheaper for a lot of things, though, but they
may not be the kids of foods *you* buy, so they are of no interest to
you.

.....their 17 oz bittersweet and dark chocolate bars, my go-to
ingredients for baking many things, are superior in quality and much
more economical compared to anything you can get in a regular grocery,
and that includes Lindt and Ghiradelli.

...their little containers of pear sauce are fantastic and not
something I can find anywhere else.

...their imported cheeses, while not a full array of all types, is very
good and very reasonably priced. Same with imported salami or other
charcuterie.

....They have cookies that are just not found easily elsewhere and are
reasonably priced compared to national brands, even if the types of
cookies themselves are not comparable, nor appealing to you
specifically. Your favorite of Murray's, is, frankly, a discount
brand. TJs isn't a discount store. Murray's is the sort of thing they
have on the bottom shelf at CVS around here.

....they have great and reasonably priced fair trade coffees. Cheaper
and more eco-friendly than at the grocery stores. Again, you might not
care, but some folks do.

....they have the cheapest orchid plants I have ever seen. I collect
orchids, so that is important to me. If you don't, you can stay at
your local whatever and shop.

....lots of vegan dishes and ingredients.

....great imported canned tuna. They used to have even better, but they
discontinued it.

...cheapest frozen veggies and frozen fish around. Excellent quality on
both counts.

....they are damned cheap on vitamins and supplements and "green"
household products. If you don't like that stuff, you won't care.

....they suck for produce, generally. It is all pre-packaged and I
prefer local, of possible, BUT this varies from TJs to TJs. The one I
go to here in NJ has crappy produce, the one I visit when in
California, is terrific. Can not beat them for shallots out there.
Hands down. Or for their guacamole combo of 2 avocados, jalapeno,
garlic, tomato, lime and onion all packed together for under $3.

....prepared salad dressings...well, frankly that Is not of much
interest to me one way or the other. I get some Wishbone Italian as a
marinade to have around the house, but other than that, I make my own
dressings....oh, you should like the TJ olive oils, vinegars and mayos
for that.

....NO giant sized anything at TJs. If you like that sort of economy,
you will not find it there.

TJs is not a grocery store. It is a specialty market.

Boron

On Sun, 09 Sep 2012 12:17:33 -0400, Boron Elgar
> wrote:

> ...they suck for produce, generally. It is all pre-packaged and I
> prefer local, of possible, BUT this varies from TJs to TJs. The one I
> go to here in NJ has crappy produce, the one I visit when in
> California, is terrific

I love their prewashed & bagged salad greens mixes and prefer TJ's
smaller, less expensive packages over what I am limited to at my
regular grocery store.

--
Food is an important part of a balanced diet.

On 2012-09-09 15:31:08 +0000, Gary said:

> gtr wrote:
>>
>> On 2012-09-09 13:43:52 +0000, Gary said:
>>
>>> Glad that I check out the store (finally) but I won't be going back. Trader
>>> Joe's is nothing special, imo.
>>
>> Yeah, the feta and the ginger snaps; that's pretty much all they've got.
>
> I did walk up and down each isle looking at everything yesterday,
> Mr.TakesValiumAtNight.SoAsToNotLoseAnHourOfSleep.O nceOrTwiceAMonth.

Wow; that reminds me of how bad Usenet can be when it's bad.

> None of the prices were impressive. All seemed to be equal or higher than my
> regular store. TJ is not all that. Just my opinion. I finally gave it a
> try and wasn't impressed. No need to defend them.

I didn't.

And you didn't givfe them "a try" any more than reading the back-panel
of a book is "a try". Not that I give a ****, but it's easy to point
out, even on a topic I'm not invested in. I heard the Stones once,
they suck, might get the same response.

> No need to get offended either that I won't go back unless you are a
> stockholder just hoping for more dividends each year.

I wasn't. No need to make it so personal and barbed because I said,
"Maybe there's more to a store than one cheese and one cookie".

You must have some real hurt in there. I'll be glad not to know any
more about it.

On Sep 9, 7:44*am, gtr > wrote:
> On 2012-09-09 13:43:52 +0000, Gary said:
>
> > Glad that I check out the store (finally) but I won't be going back. *Trader
> > Joe's is nothing special, imo.
>
> Yeah, the feta and the ginger snaps; that's pretty much all they've got.

I didn't even know Trader Joe's carried feta dressing. And I sure
don't remember any raves about their ginger snaps here.

What we buy from TJ's:

Raisins
Bagged mache and arugula
Occasionally bananas
Sliced Jarlsberg
Milk, half and half, butter, cream-top yogurt, and Greek yogurt.
Coffee
Rose wine
Two Buck Chuck (for cooking it's cheaper than broth)
Chicken broth in the 1L tetrabrik
Roasted red pepper in ditto

All of these are at lower prices than the non-TJ's versions in other
stores, unless bananas are on sale. Dairy products are 25% to 33%
cheaper than their brand name counterparts (whereismymilkfrom.com).
The name brand versions of the tetrabriked soups in other stores are
obvious. Other products can be tracked to their source via the various
kosher certification web sites.

We'll stop off at TJ's roughly twice every three weeks, a 15 minute
stop, at most, on our way home.

On Sun, 09 Sep 2012 09:43:52 -0400, Gary > wrote:



>I also wandered the isles while I was there and I was not impressed with
>their prices. In most cases, I see that I can get better prices at my
>regular grocery store.
>
>Glad that I check out the store (finally) but I won't be going back. Trader
>Joe's is nothing special, imo.
>
>G.

I don't go there for the prices. We stop at a TJs once or twice a
year. Last year they had apple pies that we reasonably priced and
very good. They had some good bread too. Most of their stuff seems
geared to the working family that wants a quick meal on the table,
thus a lot of frozen stuff easy to prepare.

If I want something special, Whole Foods or Wegmans are better
choices, IMO.

Gary wrote:

> Murray brand ginger snaps: $2.49 for 16oz bag
> Trader Joe's Triple ginger snaps: $3.99 for 14oz plastic container

Funny you should focus on two items and come up short.

> Glad that I check out the store (finally) but I won't be going back. Trader
> Joe's is nothing special, imo.

Here are my regular TJ items:

nuts
breakfast cereal
cheese
dried fruit
frozen vegetables
yogurt
chips

On all of those items, TJ's prices are much lower than supermarkets
around here. They also have many prepared foods, mostly frozen, that
are either unavailable at big stores or, again, a lot more costly
there.

If the cookies and salad dressing are what matters most to you, then
you're right to shun the store.

"George M. Middius" wrote:
>
> Gary wrote:
>
> > Murray brand ginger snaps: $2.49 for 16oz bag
> > Trader Joe's Triple ginger snaps: $3.99 for 14oz plastic container
>
> Funny you should focus on two items and come up short.
>
> > Glad that I check out the store (finally) but I won't be going back. Trader
> > Joe's is nothing special, imo.
>
> Here are my regular TJ items:
>
> nuts
> breakfast cereal
> cheese
> dried fruit
> frozen vegetables
> yogurt
> chips
>
> On all of those items, TJ's prices are much lower than supermarkets
> around here. They also have many prepared foods, mostly frozen, that
> are either unavailable at big stores or, again, a lot more costly
> there.
>
> If the cookies and salad dressing are what matters most to you, then
> you're right to shun the store.

I'll probably try TJ's one more time. I just wasn't impressed with the
first visit and the two highly recommended items that I bought. i did a
quick walk around. I'll look closer at other things next time.

G.

On Sep 9, 8:36*am, Gary > wrote:

>
> I'll probably try TJ's one more time. *I just wasn't impressed with the
> first visit and the two highly recommended items that I bought. *i did a
> quick walk around. *I'll look closer at other things next time.
>
> G.

Gary, what Boron posted about the ingredients in the two brands of
ginger snaps is one of the things I like about Trader Joe's. They
search out and find good products with better ingredients, healthier
ingredients and keep the prices as reasonable as possible.

I don't buy many prepared foods. But the ones at TJ's seem to be
healthier to me. I really like TJ's selection of cheeses. They
have a huge variety at VERY reasonable prices. Did you look in the
dairy case?

On Sep 9, 9:01*am, ImStillMags > wrote:
> On Sep 9, 8:36*am, Gary > wrote:
>
>
>
> > I'll probably try TJ's one more time. *I just wasn't impressed with the
> > first visit and the two highly recommended items that I bought. *i did a
> > quick walk around. *I'll look closer at other things next time.
>
> > G.
>
> Gary, what Boron posted about the ingredients in the two brands of
> ginger snaps is one of the things I like about Trader Joe's. * *They
> search out and find good products with better ingredients, healthier
> ingredients and keep the prices as reasonable as possible.

Reminds me of my childhood. Ever since I could remember, if we had
soup it was Campbell's. Then we went to Great-Grandma's house for
dinner. She served chicken soup she had made herself, with fresh meat
and vegetables, finished with lots of parsley. I thought: "What the
hell is this?" Where was all the sodium? How come the vegetables
tasted like vegetables? Why that strange herby flavor? Clearly Great-
Grandma knew nothing about making chicken soup.

On 9/9/2012 11:07 AM, spamtrap1888 wrote:
> On Sep 9, 9:01 am, ImStillMags > wrote:
>> On Sep 9, 8:36 am, Gary > wrote:
>>
>>
>>
>>> I'll probably try TJ's one more time. I just wasn't impressed with the
>>> first visit and the two highly recommended items that I bought. i did a
>>> quick walk around. I'll look closer at other things next time.
>>
>>> G.
>>
>> Gary, what Boron posted about the ingredients in the two brands of
>> ginger snaps is one of the things I like about Trader Joe's. They
>> search out and find good products with better ingredients, healthier
>> ingredients and keep the prices as reasonable as possible.
>
> Reminds me of my childhood. Ever since I could remember, if we had
> soup it was Campbell's. Then we went to Great-Grandma's house for
> dinner. She served chicken soup she had made herself, with fresh meat
> and vegetables, finished with lots of parsley. I thought: "What the
> hell is this?" Where was all the sodium? How come the vegetables
> tasted like vegetables? Why that strange herby flavor? Clearly Great-
> Grandma knew nothing about making chicken soup.
>

I had a BIL actually try my home-made chocolate pudding and declare he
couldn't eat it. He had always eaten the prepared stuff, and home-made
just didn't taste like what he thought pudding should be.

My sister had a similar problem with a neighbor's kids. They'd been
raised by their trailer trash momma on processed chicken products
(nuggets, tenders, etc), so they'd turn their noses up at chicken "on
the bone". They (and their momma) thought that was icky.

On 9/9/2012 11:36 AM, Gary wrote:
> "George M. Middius" wrote:
>>
>> Gary wrote:
>>
>>> Murray brand ginger snaps: $2.49 for 16oz bag
>>> Trader Joe's Triple ginger snaps: $3.99 for 14oz plastic container
>>
>> Funny you should focus on two items and come up short.
>>
>>> Glad that I check out the store (finally) but I won't be going back. Trader
>>> Joe's is nothing special, imo.
>>
>> Here are my regular TJ items:
>>
>> nuts
>> breakfast cereal
>> cheese
>> dried fruit
>> frozen vegetables
>> yogurt
>> chips
>>
>> On all of those items, TJ's prices are much lower than supermarkets
>> around here. They also have many prepared foods, mostly frozen, that
>> are either unavailable at big stores or, again, a lot more costly
>> there.
>>
>> If the cookies and salad dressing are what matters most to you, then
>> you're right to shun the store.
>
> I'll probably try TJ's one more time. I just wasn't impressed with the
> first visit and the two highly recommended items that I bought. i did a
> quick walk around. I'll look closer at other things next time.
>

I just thought a little about what I buy at TJ's and I'd add to many of
their breads: low-fat Canadian Bacon, ham, coffee, bananas sold at a
unit price, and very good jams and jellies. They used to have a good
price on Keiller's marmalade but are now selling their own Seville
Orange marmalade that is actually pretty good. The frozen chicken,
shrimps and various fish aren't bad but their selection does not seem
what it once was. Their natural-flavored jelly beans and several other
types of candy taste well too.


--
Jim Silverton (Potomac, MD)

Extraneous "not" in Reply To.

"George M. Middius" wrote:

> nuts
> breakfast cereal
> cheese
> dried fruit
> frozen vegetables
> yogurt
> chips

> On all of those items, TJ's prices are much lower than supermarkets
> around here.

Yep. I don't have the exact same list as you, but among our staples
TJ's is the low price leader on organic nuts, breakfast cereal, yogurt,
and cottage cheese; and non-organic cheese (but their selection is
limited). They are competitive on pasta, prepared hummus,
some beer/wine, protein bars, vitamins (other than on-line) and certain
breads (particularly the ones made by Alvarado Street).

Chips are less expensive at Grocery Outlet.

Steve

On 9/9/12 9:43 AM, Gary wrote:
>
> Yesterday, I *finally* made it to and checked out my local Trader Joe's
> store (aka: TJ). It's only been open here for almost 4 years now and only
> 1.5 miles from my home. It was about time that I finally checked it out.

1.5 miles, four years? Wow!

> Glad that I check out the store (finally) but I won't be going back. Trader
> Joe's is nothing special, imo.

Trader Joe's is *not* a high-end specialty store, and has never claimed
to be. It is a grocery store which purports to offer non-brand name,
relatively healthy foods at low prices.

If you know all your local markets, you can find some interesting, even
unique items there. That's all. Their selection is limited; like Whole
Foods, they will not suffice for all your grocery shopping, no matter
how much you like them.

Just think of them as another tool in your bag, another arrow in your
quiver. To say they suck is pointless and inappropriate, really.

-- Larry

On 2012-09-09 15:20:56 +0000, pltrgyst said:

> On 9/9/12 9:43 AM, Gary wrote:
>>
>> Yesterday, I *finally* made it to and checked out my local Trader Joe's
>> store (aka: TJ). It's only been open here for almost 4 years now and only
>> 1.5 miles from my home. It was about time that I finally checked it out.
>
> 1.5 miles, four years? Wow!
>
>> Glad that I check out the store (finally) but I won't be going back. Trader
>> Joe's is nothing special, imo.
>
> Trader Joe's is *not* a high-end specialty store, and has never claimed
> to be. It is a grocery store which purports to offer non-brand name,
> relatively healthy foods at low prices.

It doesn't matter what they are or what they do. Didn't you read where
he said: "it sucks". What more can be said?

It's a tiny tiny world.

"Gary" > wrote in message ...


> Glad that I check out the store (finally) but I won't be going back.
> Trader
> Joe's is nothing special, imo.
>
> G.

I really like the store, but don't go that often, too many temptations there
for me. Sorry you were disappointed in it.

Cheri

In article >, Gary > wrote:

> heheh Don't worry, Tommy Joe, i'm not talking about you. You're funny and
> amusing with your posts! You're pretty cool, imo. :-D
>
> Yesterday, I *finally* made it to and checked out my local Trader Joe's
> store (aka: TJ). It's only been open here for almost 4 years now and only
> 1.5 miles from my home. It was about time that I finally checked it out.
>
> I was at that shopping center and decided to finally take a few minutes to
> investigate.
>
> One thing I wanted to buy was in their recent newsletter....The Greek Style
> Feta Dressing for salads. As I love feta cheese crumbled on salads, I
> wanted to try that. So I bought that for only $1.99 for an 8oz jar...a fair
> price.
>
> The second thing I wanted to try was their "Triple Ginger Snaps" that at
> least 2 people here raved about. I like those so worth a try, if they are
> "all that."
>
> The feta dressing: Disappointing taste. It's nothing more than cheap tasting
> ranch dressing with just enough feta cheeze blended in smoothly to give you
> a hint of that taste. I'll use it but I'll NEVER buy that crap again. Next
> time, I'll crumble some real feta cheese on my salad and use a decent salad
> dressing.
>
> As for the "to die for" Triple Ginger Snaps? YAWN!!!!
> This was my biggest disappointment. I've always bought Murray brand ginger
> snaps. I tried the TJ brand yesterday and expected the clouds to part and
> hear angels singing. Nope. Just plain old ginger snaps at twice the price.
>
> To be fair though, I bought a bag of my regular brand this morning and did
> the taste test side by side.
>
> I think my old Murray brand is better (or at least equal) and it's much less
> cost.
>
> Murray brand ginger snaps: $2.49 for 16oz bag
> Trader Joe's Triple ginger snaps: $3.99 for 14oz plastic container
>
> I also wandered the isles while I was there and I was not impressed with
> their prices. In most cases, I see that I can get better prices at my
> regular grocery store.
>
> Glad that I check out the store (finally) but I won't be going back. Trader
> Joe's is nothing special, imo.
>
> G.

what did they say when you brought those items back to the store for a refund?

--

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nisi erat, aliquet scelerisque sagittis vitae, pretium accumsan odio. Sed ut mi
iaculis eros rutrum tristique ut nec mi. Aliquam nec augue dui, in mattis urna.
In pretium metus eu diam blandit accumsan. Ut eu lorem sed odio porttitor
blandit. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Cras lobortis
volutpat commodo. Morbi lobortis, massa fringilla adipiscing suscipit, velit
urna pharetra neque, non luctus arcu diam vitae justo. Vivamus lacinia
scelerisque ultricies. Nunc lobortis elit ligula. Aliquam sollicitudin nunc sed
est gravida ac viverra tellus ullamcorper. Vivamus non nisi suscipit nisi
egestas venenatis. Donec vitae arcu id urna euismod feugiat. Vivamus porta
lobortis ultricies. Nulla adipiscing tellus a neque vehicula porta. Maecenas
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augue dui, in mattis urna. In pretium metus eu diam blandit accumsan. Ut eu
lorem sed odio porttitor blandit.


--

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nisi erat, aliquet scelerisque sagittis vitae, pretium accumsan odio. Sed ut mi
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blandit. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Cras lobortis
volutpat commodo. Morbi lobortis, massa fringilla adipiscing suscipit, velit
urna pharetra neque, non luctus arcu diam vitae justo. Vivamus lacinia
scelerisque ultricies. Nunc lobortis elit ligula. Aliquam sollicitudin nunc sed
est gravida ac viverra tellus ullamcorper. Vivamus non nisi suscipit nisi
egestas venenatis. Donec vitae arcu id urna euismod feugiat. Vivamus porta
lobortis ultricies. Nulla adipiscing tellus a neque vehicula porta. Maecenas
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augue dui, in mattis urna. In pretium metus eu diam blandit accumsan. Ut eu
lorem sed odio porttitor blandit.


--

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commodo. Morbi lobortis, massa fringilla adipiscing suscipit, velit urna
pharetra neque, non luctus arcu diam vitae justo. Vivamus lacinia scelerisque
ultricies. Nunc lobortis elit ligula. Aliquam sollicitudin nunc sed est gravida
ac viverra tellus ullamcorper. Vivamus non nisi suscipit nisi egestas venenatis.
Donec vitae arcu id urna euismod feugiat. Vivamus porta lobortis ultricies.
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sagittis. Proin nisi magna, molestie id volutpat in, tincidunt sed dolor. Nullam
nisi erat, aliquet scelerisque sagittis vitae, pretium accumsan odio. Sed ut mi
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In pretium metus eu diam blandit accumsan. Ut eu lorem sed odio porttitor
blandit. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Cras lobortis
volutpat commodo. Morbi lobortis, massa fringilla adipiscing suscipit, velit
urna pharetra neque, non luctus arcu diam vitae justo. Vivamus lacinia
scelerisque ultricies. Nunc lobortis elit ligula. Aliquam sollicitudin nunc sed
est gravida ac viverra tellus ullamcorper. Vivamus non nisi suscipit nisi
egestas venenatis. Donec vitae arcu id urna euismod feugiat. Vivamus porta
lobortis ultricies. Nulla adipiscing tellus a neque vehicula porta. Maecenas
volutpat aliquet sagittis. Proin nisi magna, molestie id volutpat in, tincidunt
sed dolor. Nullam nisi erat, aliquet scelerisque sagittis vitae, pretium
accumsan odio. Sed ut mi iaculis eros rutrum tristique ut nec mi. Aliquam nec
augue dui, in mattis urna. In pretium metus eu diam blandit accumsan. Ut eu
lorem sed odio porttitor blandit.

On 9/9/2012 7:43 AM, Gary wrote:

>
> Glad that I check out the store (finally) but I won't be going back. Trader
> Joe's is nothing special, imo.
>
> G.
>


You're entitled to your opinion. I was in two different TJs last week
in CA and can testify that many people disagree with you. I stand among
them and will be happy when the Denver area stores open.

gloria p

gloria p wrote:

> You're entitled to your opinion. I was in two different TJs last week
> in CA and can testify that many people disagree with you. I stand among
> them and

Which row are you in? I'm in the third.

gloria p > wrote:

>You're entitled to your opinion. I was in two different TJs last week
>in CA and can testify that many people disagree with you. I stand among
>them and will be happy when the Denver area stores open.

Are they planning more than one now? I thought they were limited
to one per county, or something like that. The first one is going
in in Boulder.

Steve

On 9/9/2012 2:06 PM, Steve Pope wrote:
> gloria p > wrote:
>
>> You're entitled to your opinion. I was in two different TJs last week
>> in CA and can testify that many people disagree with you. I stand among
>> them and will be happy when the Denver area stores open.
>
> Are they planning more than one now? I thought they were limited
> to one per county, or something like that. The first one is going
> in in Boulder.
>
> Steve
>

Self-limited? There are three in Carlsbad/Encinitas CA.

The only CO limit is one alcohol license per store chain and I don't
think grocery stores can sell anything but beer, altho they have tried
to get legislation permitting wine and hard stuff. The liquor store
owners have a strong lobby. They fought against Sunday opening hard but
eventually lost that battle.

TJs likes to have multiple stores in a region to use the economies of
central warehousing. They are building the one in Boulder from the
ground up where they knocked down an existing store. I heard recently
they are planning one in Denver/Cherry Creek near the former CU Medical
Center area, in an existing storefront near Colorado Blvd and 8th Ave.
I have also heard there is one planned for the southwest suburbs,
Littleton or SW Jeffco.

Denver area now has Penzey's, IKEA, Sprouts and TJ is coming. Nice!

gloria p

gloria p > wrote:

>On 9/9/2012 2:06 PM, Steve Pope wrote:

>> Are they planning more than one now? I thought they were limited
>> to one per county, or something like that. The first one is going
>> in in Boulder.

>Self-limited? There are three in Carlsbad/Encinitas CA.

Well, yes, but that's not in Colorado.

>The only CO limit is one alcohol license per store chain and I don't
>think grocery stores can sell anything but beer, altho they have tried
>to get legislation permitting wine and hard stuff. The liquor store
>owners have a strong lobby. They fought against Sunday opening hard but
>eventually lost that battle.

>TJs likes to have multiple stores in a region to use the economies of
>central warehousing.

They are also set on having a liquor license at each store.

>Denver area now has Penzey's, IKEA, Sprouts and TJ is coming. Nice!

I do not know whether TJ's has managed to get a change in regulation,
or they have given in and are opening liquor-less stores.

Steve

On 9/9/2012 4:30 PM, Steve Pope wrote:

>
> I do not know whether TJ's has managed to get a change in regulation,
> or they have given in and are opening liquor-less stores.
>
> Steve
>


They have liquor in only one store in Massachusetts and, I think,
Maryland. I don't know where else that law exists, but they cope.

gloria p

"Steve Pope" > wrote in message
...
> gloria p > wrote:
>
>>You're entitled to your opinion. I was in two different TJs last week
>>in CA and can testify that many people disagree with you. I stand among
>>them and will be happy when the Denver area stores open.
>
> Are they planning more than one now? I thought they were limited
> to one per county, or something like that. The first one is going
> in in Boulder.
>
> Steve

TJ's will be a nice addition to Boulder's half-dozen Whole Foods.


W. Pooh (AKA Winnie P.)

Gary wrote:
>
> One thing I wanted to buy was in their recent newsletter....The Greek Style
> Feta Dressing for salads. As I love feta cheese crumbled on salads, I
> wanted to try that. So I bought that for only $1.99 for an 8oz jar...a fair
> price.

That product used to be much better. Maybe
6 months or a year ago it became much thinner.
It used to be thick with lots of feta flavor.
I guess featuring it in the flyer is one last
effort to try to restore sales to their previous
level. That will not work, and I expect the
product to be discontinued shortly.

Too bad. It was a great product. They probably
had difficulty maintaining the price, and decided
to cheapen the product rather than raising the
price. Bad move. Stupid move, because now they
don't have the option of saving the product by
raising the price. They've ruined the reputation
of the product.

On 9/9/2012 3:43 AM, Gary wrote:
> Glad that I check out the store (finally) but I won't be going back. Trader
> Joe's is nothing special, imo.
>
> G.
>

We don't have any TJs on this rock so it seems like a most magical place
to us. My friend has returned from the outer regions i.e., the mainland,
with news that the TJs ketchup is most wondrous and special. The next
time I do a walkabout, I will seek out this most holy of condiments.

dsi1 > wrote:

>We don't have any TJs on this rock so it seems like a most magical place
>to us. My friend has returned from the outer regions i.e., the mainland,
>with news that the TJs ketchup is most wondrous and special. The next
>time I do a walkabout, I will seek out this most holy of condiments.

It's a basic tomato/sugar/vinegar/allspice ketchup, no HFCS,
but nothing special beyond that. Regardless, it's the only
ketchup we use at home.

Tangentially, ginger ketchup is rad. Seems da Islanders should
have that one down.

Steve

On 9/9/2012 7:42 PM, Steve Pope wrote:
> dsi1 > wrote:
>
>> We don't have any TJs on this rock so it seems like a most magical place
>> to us. My friend has returned from the outer regions i.e., the mainland,
>> with news that the TJs ketchup is most wondrous and special. The next
>> time I do a walkabout, I will seek out this most holy of condiments.
>
> It's a basic tomato/sugar/vinegar/allspice ketchup, no HFCS,
> but nothing special beyond that. Regardless, it's the only
> ketchup we use at home.
>
> Tangentially, ginger ketchup is rad. Seems da Islanders should
> have that one down.
>
> Steve
>

I got this assessment from 2 Chinese guys. Beats me why they're so
worked up about TJ ketchup. The restaurant my daughter's boyfriend works
at makes their own ketchup - by golly! He says that it throws people off
and they ask for some Heinz 57 ketchup but there is none to be had in
the joint. I was also surprised that they made their hollandaise from
scratch too. We just buy most of our ketchup of the shelf. I just get
the cheapest kind that I can find.