Month: August 2021

Lunch

After spreading a toasted Brioche Bagel with Neufchatel, we topped it with a generous serve of Smoked Salmon, Capers, Tomato and Onion Sprouts.

• The Brioche Bagel is 58c
• The Smoked Salmon pieces were $1.38 per serve
• Add 20c for Neufchatel
• Add 30c for Onion Sprouts
• Add 40c for Tomato and Capers.

An excellent sandwich for $2.76 per serve.

Dinner

We mixed two recipes: the Thai Noodle Salad, but with the Gado Gado Peanut Sauce.

• Brown Rice Pad Thai Noodles add 85c per serve
• Slaw mix adds 30c per serve
• Bell Peppers add 32c per serve
• Mango was $1.69 or 85c per serve
• The peanut butter was $1.99 and we used about 1/2,  or 50c a serve
• Add 30c for Sauce ingredients
• Coconut Milk was $1.89 for the can, and we used ⅓ or 32c per serve.

A surprisingly good Meatless Monday for $3.44 per serve.

Lunch

Baked Beans on toasted Italian Bread with folded Scrambled Eggs. The folded Scrambled Eggs are sometimes referred to as “Australian Style” where the pan is heated quite hot before the eggs go in, which are quickly folded, repeatedly until almost ready, then served and “carry on” will finish the job.

• The Italian Bread loaf is $2.19 and we used about 1/5 or 22c per serve
• We had three Pastured Eggs each, instead of Bacon, in our Scrambled Eggs for $1.14 per serve
• Half a can of Baked Beans is 77c per serve.

A very tasty meal for $2.13 per serve.

Dinner

Although last Sunday’s Roast Duck Legs were good, they are not as good as our sous vide Duck Breast, which we then sear extensively to get a perfectly crips skin and rendered fat.

• The Duck was $16.48 or $8.24 per serve
• The Noodles are $3.19 for the pack, or $1.60 per serve
• The Bok Choy was $2.00 and we used about half or 50c per serve.

Other than unfortunately picking spicy Yakisoba Noodles, which didn’t fit the flavor profile at all, this was a tasty meal. The Duck was perfectly medium rare and the skin rendered to perfection. An excellent meal for $10.34 per serve.

Lunch

It turns out it was four weeks since we last had Skewers’ Nashville Hot Chicken Sandwich. It was also three weeks ago, and two weeks ago! But we have missed a weeks, so we were back for another. It is our favorite meal for $8.75 per serve, with a shared Fries. Although we don’t think we really need the fries.

Dinner

We sous vide a half Rack of Lamb and then fried off the skin side to render some of the fat layer there. We served with a Salad of Raspberries, Feta and Mint on a Bed of Spinach.

• The Rack of Lamb was $14.27, but we split that into two meals, or $3.57 per serve
• Raspberries were $2.20 and we used ½ of the punnet, or 55c per serve
• The Mixed Greens were $1.49 and we used half, or 38c each
• Mint was from our garden
• The Feta adds 48c per serve
• Add 15c for Dressing ingredients
• Add 30c for Greens.

An excellent meal for $5.43 per serve.

Lunch

For variety we cooked up the Shin Ramen and finished with Butter.

• A pack of four Shin Noodle Bowl was $3.69 or 93c per serve
• Butter adds 40c per serve
• Coleslaw Mix adds 20c per serv5.

It still carried some spicy heat, because the Vegetable Pack probably includes some Chili. An easy and tasty lunch for $1.33 per serve.

Dinner

Tonight it was Smoked Salmon Pizza night, grilled from Dough on the grill outside.

• Sockeye Smoked Salmon pieces were $5.49 or $2.75 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
• Pickled Onion adds 5c per serve
• Pickled Beets adds 15c per serve.

The small serve of Pickles went perfectly with Pizza for another luxurious meal for $4.45 per serve.

Lunch

We enjoyed a Bacon, Lettuce and Tomato Sandwich on toasted Italian Bread.

• The Italian Bread loaf is $2.19 and we seem to be getting five meals from a loaf, or 22c per serve.
• Pre washed Lettuce adds 50c per serve
• Uncured Bacon was $5.99 for 10 slices, and we had two each, or $1.20 per serve
• Add 30c for Sherry Vinegar for the dressing (with Bacon Fat).

A very tasty sandwich for $2.22 per serve. The par baked Italian Loaf is a tasty bread, and when we cut it and toast, it finishes like fresh bread.

Dinner

We enjoyed the Vietnamese inspired Caramelized Pork Bowls with Asian Dressing on a Coleslaw mix.

• The ground pork was $5.99 and we’ll get four serves from that, or $1.50 per serve
• Add 40c for ginger, shallot, garlic and chili, etc
• The Coleslaw Mix is 30c per serve,
• Dressing ingredients add 40c per serve
• Mint adds 40c per serve.

A very tasty meal for $3.00 per serve.

Lunch

We toasted some Italian Bread, spread Delice deBourgogne over it while hot, and topped with sliced Apple.

• The Italian Bread loaf is $2.19 and we used about ⅓, or 37c per serve
• The Delice de Bourgogne was $5.38 and we shared ½, or $1.35 per serve
• Apple adds 20c per serve.

Best enjoyed in the shade at our picnic table in the gully for $1.92 per serve.

Dinner

We swapped our Meatless Monday in the hope of avoiding cooking on the hottest days of the week, but it didn’t work out that way. Still, Nigella Lawson’s Watermelon Salad is always a favorite.

• The watermelon was $3.99 and we used half, or $1.00 per serve
• The feta is $6.49 for 10.5 oz and we shared 1/2 or $1.63 per serve
• Mint adds 40c per serve
• Limes were $1.95 or 98c per serve
• Olive oil and seasonings add another 20c per serve.

Tasty as always for $4.21 per serve.

Lunch

At lunch we had a Prosciutto, Bell Pepper & Smokey Cheddar toasted sandwich each.

• Dave’s Killer Bread is 74c per serve
• Smokey Cheddar is 27c per serve
• Fire Roasted Peppers cost $1.99 and we used half, or 50c per serve
• The Prosciutto was $4.99 and we shared ¼, or 63c per serve
• Add 50c fo Garlic Spread.

A very tasty sandwich for $2.64 per serve.

Dinner

Who doesn’t like a BLT sandwich, so why not make a Bacon, Lettuce and Tomato Salad?

• Pre washed Lettuce adds 50c per serve
• Uncured Bacon was $5.99 for 10 slices, and we had two each, or $1.20 per serve
• The cherry tomatoes were $2.99 and we used half or 75c per serve
• Add 30c for Sherry Vinegar for the dressing (with Bacon Fat).

A decent meal, but not as exciting as it sounds or looks in the picture, for $2.75 per serve.

Lunch

The Foodies decided on a shared Bahn Mi from Pho Saigon 1, which paired it with five Fried Egg Roll for $12.92 per serve, with tax and tip.

Dinner

When had intended to have sous video Duck Breast, but when we opened the packet they were mislabelled Duck Legs. A quick change of menu to Roast Duck and we had Potatoes roasted in the Duck fat paired with a Grapefruit Citrus Salad.

• We overpaid for the mislabelled Duck Legs at $15.63, or $7.81 per serve
• A Medley of Potatoes was $2.39, and we used about ⅓, or 46c per serve
• The Grapefruit was $1.36 or 68c per serve
• Mint adds 30c per serve
• Add 30c for Shallot and other ingredients.

A very tasty meal for $9.56 per serve.

After may and June’s travel, we had a very quiet month at home.

Our evening meals continue to be about 20% down on last year, with a wider variety of protein! 

The averages for this month:

• Lunch prepared at home $2.26 ($2.26 in Jun)
• Lunch eaten or purchased outside the home: $12.58 ($12.58)
• Dinner eaten at home: $4.95 ($4.95)
• Dinner prepared in a restaurant $20.15 ($20.15)

The variation is small month to month.

Our most expensive meal of the month was our modified Bento Box with Tataki Tuna for $20.93 per serve.

This month, lunches at home cost 24% of the cost of eating lunches prepared outside the home. Our evening meals prepared in the home are 28% of the cost take-out meals.

Had we purchased every lunch and prepared none it would have cost us $314.34 per person in June. We actually spent $50.26 for lunches at home plus $91.28 for lunches purchased or eaten out:  $141.54 per person in total.

If every evening meal cost us the same as our one this month, it would be $549.63. We actually spent $128.83 for dinners at home and $53.16 for six dinners out, or $181.99 per person in total.

Without the travel we’re back to our typical meal costs, within normal variation. While our meals prepared outside the home is up because of the travel, we still saved about $540 per person by preparing most of our meals at home and we have a lot more control over what we eat.