Month: April 2021

Brunch

The Foodies met a dear friend for an early lunch in an outdoor setting at Viva La Fiesta. Foodie Greg had Fajitas while Foodie Philip had Pork Enchiladas Verdes, which was very good. Our friend paid for lunch.

Dinner

Puttanesca – a.k.a. slut spaghetti – is a quick and easy meal, mostly from cans, topped with White Anchovy

• Anchovies for the sauce are $1.59 a can, or 40c per serve
• Garlic and seasonings add about 10c per serve
• The pasta was $2.99 but we used half, or 75c per serve
• The White Anchovies were $3.19 or $1.60 per serve.
• A can of Tomatoes is 49c or 25c per serve
• The Green olives come in a $4.49 jar, and we used half, or $1.25 per serve.

The White Anchovies are very mild in taste, so good for those like Foodie Greg, who are not big on strong fishy flavors. The Lentil Pasta didn’t have a great texture, but otherwise the meal was tasty for $4.35 per serve.

Lunch

We’re really enjoying the Delice de Bourgogne (Trader Joes) and Apple combo, today in a hot Panini Roll.

• The Panini Roll is 63c
• The Delice de Bourgogne was $5.38 and we shared ½, or $1.35 per serve
• Apple adds 20c per serve.

We even got to eat this very tasty, and $2.18 meal, outside in the sun.

Dinner

Thursday night’s ‘Steak Night’ is a return to the Cambodian Hot and Sour Beef Salad, as it’s been a while since we last had it.

• The NY Strip was $16.07 for two steaks, or $4.02 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
• Spring Onions we grow
• The Bell Pepper was 64c or 32c per serve
• Instead of a Chili we used some Sweet Chili Sauce, which adds 20c per serve
• Add 30c for Fish Sauce and other ingredients.

This is a flavor sensation. No wonder it’s a favorite for $5.57 per serve.

Lunch

A return to a favorite sandwich.

• Dave’s Killer Bread is 74c per serve
• Smokey Cheddar is 68c per serve
• The Chorizo was $$5.75 after all discounts and we half, or $1.44 per serve
• Add 50c for Garlic Spread
• Fire Roasted Peppers cost $1.99 and we used half, or 50c per serve.

Putting these ingredients together transforms the sandwich into something completely of itself for $3.86 per serve.

Dinner

We served the remaining Choucroute with some Aldi Beer Bratwurst.

• Beer Bratwurst were $4.49 or $2.25 per serve
• Choucroute adds 33c per serve
• Carrots add 45c per serve.

A tasty and satisfying meal for $3.23 per serve

Lunch

A spur of the moment decision had us drive down and pick up a Nashville Hot Chicken Sandwiches & Fries from Skewers Hallaal for $8.75 per serve. Skewers Halaal is the only take out place we visit for more than one dish, so I guess it counts as our favorite restaurant.

Dinner

Foodie Greg purchased some Pasture Raised Stew Beef from Whole Foods as the basis for Beef Massaman Curry.

• The Stew Beef was $5.08, or $2.54 per serve
• The curry is $3.38 per can or $1.69 per serve
• Coconut milk is $1.69 per can or 85c per serve
• Peanuts were $2.99 but we only used half, or 75c per serve
• White Carrots were $1.99 to $1.00 per serve
• Peal onion adds 30c per serve.

Tonight we took the extra step of defatting the dish before serving, which gave it a better mouth feel. As always a great meal for $7.13 per serve.

Lunch

Since we had the Leg Ham, we went classic.

• Dave’s Killer Bread is 74c per serve
• Leg Ham adds 10c per serve
• Smokey Cheddar is 34c per serve
• The Kumato were $3.69 for six, and we had one each, or 62c per serve.

A pretty tasty sandwich for $1.80 per serve.

Dinner

Our Meatless Monday tonight is a simple Soba Soup with Poached Eggs.

• Soba Noodles are $3.29 and we used about ⅓ or 55c per serve
• Pastured Medium Eggs are 34c each or an average of 51c per serve
• The Bok Choy was $2.48, and we used 1/5th, or 25c per serve
• Add $1.00 per server for Bone Broth
• Add 40c for Fish Sauce, Soy Sauce and other ingredients.

Tasty and filling for $2.71 per serve.

Lunch

Our Sunday lunches tend toward Eggs in one form or another. Today we shared a toasted Brioche Bagel topped with Leg Ham, Smokey Cheddar and Scrambled Eggs with Spinach.

• The Brioche Bagel is 58c, or 29c per serve
• Leg Ham is 10c per serve
• The Eggs are 34c each or $1.02 per serve
• Smokey Cheddar is 34c per serve
• Spinach adds 30c per serve.

A tasty sandwich on a relaxed Sunday lunch for $2.05 per serve.

Dinner

Nigella’s Shredded Lamb Salad with Pomegranate has been a favorite of ours, and indeed, our whole family. Tonight we decided on a variation featuring our Preserved Meyer Lemon and Mint.

• The Lamb Shoulder Blade Chops were $8.88 or $4.44 per serve
• The Sweet Potato Halloumi Bake is $2.34 per serve
• Mint and Preserved Lemon were free
• Add 30c for Onion and seasoning.

A very tasty meal for $7.08 per serve.

Lunch

We finished the Baguette today, but not the Delice de Bourgogne!

• The Baguette was $1.59 or 40c per serve
• The Delice de Bourgogne was $5.38 and we shared ½, or $1.35 per serve
• Apple adds 20c per serve.

Very, very good for $1.95 per serve.

Dinner

Aldi had Ham at 69c per pound, which isn’t quite the 49c/lb bargain at Christmas, but still definitely a loss leader!

• The Ham is 55c per serve
• Carrots were 51c, or 13c per serve
• The Sauerkraut was $1.29and we’ll get four serves of the Choucroute, or 33c per serve
• Fingerling Potatoes were 34c per serve
• The Dressing ingredients add 35c per serve
• Add 40c for Blue Cheese Mustard.

The Ham came out perfectly juicy and the Choucroute is, as always, a great side. An enjoyable meal for $2.10 per serve.

Lunch

For lunch we purchased Heuvos Rancheros from La Fiesta for $10.54 per serve, with tax and tip.

Dinner

As it was a very warm Spring evening we grilled a Smoked Salmon Pizza and enjoyed it outside, for a brief moment!

• Sockeye Smoked Salmon was $6.49 or $3.25 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
• Add 40c for dressed Greens.

Our favorite Pizza for $5.45 per serve.

Our evening meals are back up to the low end of last years, losing the 20% we’d been saving, but we are eating very well!

This month we did seven take out lunches and two take out dinners: Skewers’ Chapli Kebab plate, and The Country Deli Skirt Steak Dinner, which we augmented.

The averages for this month:

• Lunch prepared at home $2.63 ($2.68 in February)
• Lunch eaten or purchased outside the home: $8.04 ($8.10)
• Dinner eaten at home: $5.59 ($4.87)
• Dinner prepared in a restaurant $15.44 ($18.55)

The variation is small, but as noted above, the 20% drop we noted from not buying meat via a Keller Crafted Meat Box has evaporated this month.. 

Our most expensive meal of the month was the augmented Skirt Steak from The Country Deli for $16.65 per serve.

This month, lunches at home cost 33% of the cost of eating lunches prepared outside the home. Our evening meals prepared in the home are 36% of the cost take-out meals.

Had we purchased every lunch and prepared none it would have cost us $178.88 per person in March. We actually spent $60.58 for lunches at home plus $64.29 for lunches purchased or eaten out:  $124.87 in total.

If every evening meal cost us the same as our one this month, it would be $519.40 We actually spent $156.6 for dinners at home and $30.87 for dinners out, or $187.37 in total.

We saved about $385 by mostly eating at home, and we have a lot more control over what we eat.