Trader Joe's Fig Butter

Didn't announce to friends that I wouldn't be around year-end of 2014, except to those I visited. Otherwise dear Fern could have spent less on postage and prepped the gift box as domestic mail!

Had arranged for mail and stuff forwarded to me in the US. Fern told me the contents of the box, and after having photos sent over, I decided to ask for only her card which I wanted to read asap. The box's contents stayed quietly at home because I wanted to savor them and have them last as long as possible in Singapore .

Love the contents. Trader Joe's goodies! That is one store that I could wander around in for hours, wanting to buy everything and probably coming out with only three items. During the week in Los Angeles, I kept popping into Trader Joe's to buy stuff to take to the friends' makan sessions or whatever, but I didn't buy anything to pack in the suitcases home. Whatever Fern picked out in this gift box were great. Oils for salads. Crisps of fig and olive, and raisin rosemary.

There's a jar of Trader Joe's signature fig butter too, one that I really quite like! The thick sort of fruit butter. Or jam, if you prefer. Apparently an 11-oz jar holds 11-12 figs. That's generous! I've stocked up a few bottles and am down to two final jars. Am so thrilled to receive another. Hehehe. Between the man and I, we finish about two jars a year. I've a soft spot for fig butter or jam with savory items- pâté or cheese, hummus or tapenade, fruit and nuts. So appetizing.

One afternoon working from home, when there was a ton not-happy-corporate-matters to be handled, I didn't feel like a large lunch. Bites would be nice. Popped open the fig butter and opened up the fig and olive crisps. There was a precious bottle of the Aunts' homemade crab pâté to go with the crisps and butter. YUM YUM. The lunch board put me in a much more amiable mood to quickly breeze through the rest of a productive work day.