I sometimes feel blessed that my neighborhood seems to have more Trader Joe’s stores than any other. The ever-growing chain is great for unique, yummy and convenient foods at great prices. Typically, I stop by the store for a quick lunch or dinner. However, I often walk away with more than I’d planned – for TJ’s aisles are lined with all manner of tempting, ready-to-eat snacks. Most of Trader Joe’s stock consists of in-chain generic brands. In addition to keeping prices low, this strategy results in many products that can’t be found elsewhere - offering the adventurous snacker nearly endless opportunities to try new things.

Today, I walked away with some Trader Joe’s 100% Dried Fruit Bars. I’d noticed the snacks, seemingly TJ’s answer to a Fruit Rollup, on my last few visits. Though the flavors looked interesting, I’d abstained from purchase. This morning, however, a sign on the fruity snacks’ display rack caught my eye. “We’re sorry,” it explained, “but our warehouse is out of this product.” Out of the product? That sounded serious. I needed to take some home – it could be my last opportunity to taste the delicacies! The fifty-cent fruit bars were available in four flavors – Apricot, Raspberry, Passion Fruit, and Cape Gooseberry. Naturally, I grabbed one of each.

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