Month: November 2020

Lunch

After enjoying the Fall Harvest Vegetable Soup from Aldi, we thought we’d try the Harvest Potato Soup. It was great. We served with a quarter of a par-cooked Baguette.

• The Soup was $1.99 or $1.00 per serve
• The Baguette was 38c per serve.

The Potato Soup was great. All up a warming lunch on a cold day for $1.38 per serve.

Dinner

One of the challenging items to deal with from our meat box is Pork Cutlets. These thin cutlets have proved hard to find a good way to prepare them, so we tried Saltimbocca.

• At 1.1 lb it was a very generous serve of pork cutlets costing $13.99 or $7.00 per serve
• The Prosciutto was $4.99 and we used about 70% or $1.75 per serve
• The Medley of Baby Potatoes was $2.69 and we used ⅓, or 45c per serve
• Spinach was $1.45 or 72c per serve
• Add 30c for Butter.

This is definitely the best way to prepare the Pork Cutlets. Very tasty for $10.22 per serve.

Lunch

We took the remaining Rissole serve and split it across two segments of a par baked Baguette.

• Rissoles are $1.92 per serve
• The Baguette was 38c per serve
• Add 10c for Carolina BBQ Sauce
• Add 20c for Butter Lettuce
• Five Kumato were $3.49 and we used one, or 35c per serve.

Always an enjoyable sandwich for $2.95 per serve.

Dinner

Barramundi with a bagged Caesar Salad Kit is a simple, but very tasty Fishy Friday.

• The Barramundi was on special for $7.99 or $4.00 per serve
• The Caesar Salad kit was $1.99 or $1.00 per serve.

Fast, Fishy and Friday for $5.00 per serve.

Lunch

With Apple Sauerkraut Salad on hand, we added it and Ham to a toasted Brioche Bagel.

• The Brioche Bagel is 58c per serve
• Black Forest Ham is $3.29 per pack, or 66c per serve
• The Apple was 79c or 10c per serve
• The Artisanal Kraut is $3.29 per packet and we used about ⅛, or 21c per serve
• Add 40c for Garlic Spread.

A favorite combination for $1.95 per serve.

Dinner

With a cold snap coming we took the opportunity for salad before it arrived. Specifically, the Hot and Sour Beef Salad.

• The Top Sirloin was $12.36 or $6.18 per serve
• The Salad Greens mix was $1.99 but we shared half, or 50c per serve
• Limes were 49c for two but we shared one, or 13c per serve
• Mint was from our garden
• Lettuce adds 60c per serve
• Shallot adds 10c per serve
• The Bell Pepper was 64c or 32c per serve
• Instead of a Chili we used some Sweet Chili Sauce, which adds 20c per serve.

An excellent meal for $7.93 per serve.

Lunch

Today’s lunch was again dictated by the Avocado ripening, so paired with Smoked Trout, we made some sandwiches.

• Dave’s Killer Bread is 74c per serve
• We shared a $3.49 can of Smoked Trout, or $1.75 per serve
• The Avocado was 51c or 26c per serve
• Add 30c for Alfalfa Sprouts
• Garlic Spread adds 50c per serve.

A decent sandwich for $3.55 per serve.

Dinner

Taking advantage of what is probably the last opportunity of the grilling season, we prepared Beef Rissoles with that Australian inspired Salad of Pickled Beets and Cheddar. Our third serve becomes sandwich filling.

• Dry aged 85/15 ground beef $8.57 or $2.86 per serve
• 8 oz Panko breadcrumbs are $2.99 and we used half, or 50c per serve
• A Pastured Egg is 42c or 14c per serve
• The onion is 4c per serve
• Spinach was $1.49 or 38c per serve
• Pickled beets in vinaigrette are $1.69, of which we used about ⅓ or 28c per serve
• We used about ⅓ of the $5.75 Caramelized Onion Cheddar, or 96c per serve
• Add 10c for Carolina BBQ sauce.

We skipped the Cherry Tomatoes in tonight’s Salad, because we had sufficient with Beets and Cheddar. A favorite meal for $5.39 per serve.

Lunch

With one sandwich worth of Coleslaw left, we prepared another with Apple and Smokey Cheddar.

• Dave’s Killer Bread is 74c per serve
• The Coleslaw is 28c per serve
• Black Forest Ham is $3.29 per pack, or 33c per serve
• Smokey Cheddar was $2.69 for 10 slices, or 27c per serve
• The Apple was 79c or 10c per serve
• Add 15c for Mustard.

Two decent half sandwiches for $1.87 per serve.

Dinner

A return to a favorite: Beer Bratwurst with Apple Sauerkraut Salad. The Salad makes four good serves that we use on sandwiches.

• Beer Bratwurst were $4.49 or $2.25 per serve
• The Apple was $1.23 or 28c per serve
• The Artisanal Kraut was $3.29 or 42c per serve
• Add 30c for Dressing ingredients
• Add 10c for Dutch Mustard.

It a regular on our roster because the Apple Sauerkraut Salad is a slightly acidic, balancing the Pork Fat of the Sausages. A flavorsome meal for $3.35 per serve.

Lunch

We still had Coleslaw from Mr Fish & Chips, so we toasted a Brioche Bagel and added the Coleslaw with sliced Deli Ham.

• The Brioche Bagel is 58c
• The Coleslaw is 56c per serve
• Black Forest Ham is $3.29 per pack, or 66c per serve.

The combination worked well for $1.80 per serve.

Dinner

For Meatless Monday we found a new recipe for Asian Mushroom Ramen Noodles.

• The Ramen Noodles were $1.29 or 65c per serve
• The Sliced Mushrooms were $1.78 or 89c per serve
• Add $1.00 for Bone Broth per serve
• Add 35c for Garlic and Spring Onion
• Add 32c per serve for Baby Bell Peppers
• Add 50c for oil and seasoning.

This was full of flavor and surprisingly good for $3.61 per serve.

Lunch

With Smoked Salmon left over from our Pizza, we went classic and did a Brioche Bagel with Smoked Salmon, Neufchatel, Capers, Shallot, Semi-dried Cherry Tomatoes and some Sprouts for crunch.

• The Brioche Bagel is 58c
• The Smoked Salmon was $1.38 per serve
• Add 20c for Neufchatel
• Add 20c for Shallot and Capers
• Add 30c for Tomatoes
• Add 30c for Sprouts.

An indulgent and tasty sandwich for $2.96 per serve.

Dinner

We returned to the Mango, Avocado and Shrimp Salad, with Sous Vide Shrimp.

• 1 lb of shrimp is $10.99,  or and we used half $2.75 per serve.
• A Mango was 20c per serve
• An Avocado was 25c per serve
• Add 35c for Butter Lettuce
• Add 20c for dressing ingredients.

Tonight’s version was a little disappointing, largely due to a less than great Mango. At least this was a disappointing 39c Mango, not a disappointing Mango from Whole Foods for $4.99! Still a decent meal for $3.75 per serve.

Pandemic isolation continues, and this month we did two take-out meals. A repeat of our variation on The Country Deli’s Marinated Skirt Steak dinner, and Kebabs from Skewers Halal. We were planning on two Lamb Kebabs, but they had only one serve, so we chose Chapli for our other Kebab, and preferred it.

The averages for this month:

• Lunch prepared at home $2.14 ($2.17 in October)
• Lunch eaten or purchased outside the home: $8.07 ($9.21)
• Dinner eaten at home: $6.06 ($5.75)
• Dinner prepared in a restaurant $16.09 ($16.54)

The variations month by month are quite small.

We ate eight lunches and two dinners, of 62 meals in the month, that were prepared outside the home. 

Our most expensive meal of the month was the Dry Aged New York Strip Steak with Steak Frites and Cucumber Strawberry Salad at $11.74. Our evening meal average cost is slightly above our long term average

Other than Skewers, we order an entree for one, and split it, which keeps costs, and food consumption, reasonable.

This month, lunches at home cost 27% of the cost of eating lunches prepared outside the home. Our evening meals prepared in the home are 38% of the cost take-out meals.

Had we purchased every lunch and prepared none it would have cost us $250.17 per person in June. We actually spent $46.99 for lunches at home plus $64.54 for lunches purchased or eaten out:  $111.53 in total.

If every evening meal cost us the same as our one this month, it would be $498.79 We actually spent $169.57 for dinners at home and $48.27 for dinners out, or $217.84 in total.

We saved about $420 by mostly eating at home, and we have a lot more control over what we eat.

Over the month we prepared 25 different recipes for evening meals.

Lunch

Once again we had some homemade Sourdough from a neighbor, so we sliced and toasted it before topping with Giant Baked Beans and Fried Eggs.

• The Giant Baked Beans are $1.99 or $1.00 per serve
• Eggs are 84c per serve
• The Sourdough was free.

A very enjoyable meal for $1.84 per serve.

Dinner

Tonight we grilled the final Lamb Loin Chops we have from Aldi. We prefer the Rack of Lamb, even though it’s a little more expensive.

• The Lamb Loin chops were $5.51, or $2.76 per serve
• Mint was from our garden
• Eggplant was $1.39 or 70c per serve
• The French (Valbreso) Feta was $10.99 but we used 1/6 or 92c per serve
• Pomegranates came from a neighbor’s tree
• Add 30c for dressing ingredients.

A nicely balanced meal for $4.68 per serve.

Lunch

A trip to buy extra cement took us near our favorite Gyro outlet, New York Chicken and Gyro, where we picked our Gyros for $8.17 per serve with tax and tip.

Dinner

Today’s Fishy Friday is a return to the Smoked Salmon Pizza.

• Sockeye Smoke Salmon Pieces are $5.49 and we use about half, or $1.38 per serve
• The Pizza Dough was $1.29, or 65c per serve
• We used semi dried Cherry Tomatoes for 60c per serve
• About two ounces of Neufchatel went on each Pizza, or 25c per serve
• Add 30c for Capers and Shallot.

Each time we cook this Pizza we get it a little better, particularly the cook on the dough. Tonight’s version was excellent for $3.18 per serve.