Month: July 2022

Lunch

We returned to Viva La Fiesta for Green Chili Pork Enchiladas for $17.00 per serve with tax and tip.

Dinner

Aldi’s Beer Bratwurst with Apple Slaw is a regular, but tonight we amped it up to Apple Bacon Slaw!

• Beer Bratwurst were $4.49 or $2.25 per serve
• The Coleslaw mix adds 35c per serve
• The Envy apple was $1.38 or 35c per serve
• The Bacon was $6.69 for 12 slices, and we used ⅓ or $1.17 per serve
• Add 20c for apple cider vinegar and seasoning.

An enjoyable meal for $4.32 per serve.

Lunch

For lunch we had a Smoked Trout Salad, like a Tuna Salad, on Italian Bread.

• The Italian Bread adds 34c per serve
• We shared a 3.5oz can of Smoked Trout at $3.49 or $1.75 per serve
• Add 60c for May, Capers and Celery.

While it was a decent meal for $2.79 per serve, it was a little disappointing as the Trout flavor seemed muted.

Dinner

We’ve enjoyed a Niçoise Salad before, we decided to sear fresh Tuna to headline the Niçoise.

• Our Tuna was a mix of Aldi and Amazon Fresh so the pricing was a little mixed, but 8oz of Tuna shared, was $3.80 per serve
• Pastured Eggs are 50c per serve
• Cherry Tomatoes add 40c per serve
• Baby Potatoes were 68c per serve
• Green Beans add 62c per serve
• Add 40c for Spinach and Balsamic.

The Seared Tuna worked very well with the Niçoise and it made a pretty good meal for $6.40 per serve.

Lunch

Our final attempt at a Wrap was our most successful, featuring Ham, Neufchatel, Sun-dried Tomatoes and Arugula in a Sun Dried Tomato Wrap.

• The Sun-dried Tomato Wrap is $1.00 per serve
• Ham is 92c per serve
• Add 30c for Neufchatel
• Add 30c for Arugula.

While it was the most successful Wrap we’ve done, it was still quite ordinary, for $2.42 per serve.

Dinner

We decided on Spanish Mussels with Chorizo and Tomato-Wine Sauce served with Garlic Toast because we like it.

• The pre-cooked Mussels were $2.29 or $1.15 per serve
• Sherry adds 58c per serve
• The Chorizo was $5.11 after all discounts and we used half, or $1.28 per serve
• Add 85c for other ingredients
• The Italian Bread is 38c per serve
• The Garlic Spread adds 40c per serve.

A very tasty meal for $4.64 per serve.

Lunch

We finished a Ciabatta Demi-baguette and stuffed it with Speck and Arugula.

• The Demi-baguette was $1.29 or 65c per serve
• The Speck was $3.99, or $2.00 per serve
• Arugula adds 40c per serve.

Our generous serve of Speck made it a very tasty meal for $3.05 per serve.

Dinner

A simple mix of a Saucy Scallops with Mushroom packet was enhanced with some frozen pre-cooked mushrooms.

• Black Rice is 34c per serve
• The Scallops were $6.99 or $3.50 per serve
• The Mushrooms add 89c per serve.

The added Mushrooms improved the meal, even though they contribute to the cost, putting the price up to $4.73 per serve.

Lunch

We enjoyed some of the remaining Popeyes Fried Chicken cold with homemade Coleslaw.

• We will get four serves from the chicken at $5.10 per serve
• Coleslaw Mix adds 45c per serve
• Dressing ingredients add 40c per serve.

A quite tasty meal for $5.95 per serve.

Dinner

Although it was Forth of July, it was also Meatless Monday so we had a Quesadilla with Fried Eggs.

• The Sun-dried Tomato Wrap is $1.00 per serve
• Half a can of refried beans, shared across two halves is 26c per serve
• We used sliced Chipotle Cheddar at 86c per serve
• Eggs add 75c per serve (average)
• Salsa adds another 80c per serve.

Although it should have been good, the end result was a very stogy Quesadilla and we both left half on the plate, for $3.62 per serve.

Lunch

It had been a long time, but we decided on Popeye’s Fried Chicken for lunch. Surprisingly there was no special so we picked up an Eight Piece Pack that ended up with 13 pieces. Score!

The total of $25.68 with tax, included eight pieces and a Large Red Beans and rice.

• $5.26 of the Red Beans and Rice at this meal for $2.63 per serve
• We will get four serves from the chicken at $5.10 per serve.

A nice change for $7.73 per serve.

Dinner

Rack of Lamb dropped off our recipe rotation for some reason, but it’s back tonight with a Raspberry, Feta and Mint Salad.

• The Rack of Lamb was $27.69, but we split that into two meals of two each, or $6.92 per serve
• Raspberries were on special for $1.49 and we used ½ of the punnet, or 38c 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.

The slightly higher sous vide temperature definitely gives the meat a firmer, less slippery texture that we prefer, and the extended sear provides color and renders some the fat away. The Salad is a great complement for $8.31 per serve.

Lunch

We had the last two Beef Rissoles on a Ciabatta Roll, Caramelized Onion Cheddar and Arugula.

• The Ciabatta Roll is 58c per serve
• Arugula adds 40c per serve
• We used about ½ of the $5.75 Caramelized Onion Cheddar, or $1.44 per serve
• A Rissole adds 91c per serve.

This was a tasty roll for $3.42 per serve.

Dinner

Foodie Greg built a Dashi Broth and prepared a very nice Ramen Bowl with Bob Choy, Pork Belly, and an Onsen Tomato, or Hot Spring Egg.

• The Dashi Broth adds 89c per serve
• The Pork Belly is $6.49 or $3.25 per serve
• The Ramen is $1.63 per serve
• Bok Choy adds another 48c per serve
• A Pastured Egg adds 48c
• Add 60c per serve for other ingredients.

A very tasty meal, helped a long way by the Pork Belly, for $7.33 per serve.

Lunch

Since we like Smoked Salmon Bagels, and we like Smoked Trout, we wondered if we could substitute Smoked Trout on a “Smoked Salmon” Bagel.

• The Brioche Bagel is 58c per serve
• We shared a 3.5oz can of Smoked Trout at $3.49 or $1.75 per serve
• Neufchatel adds 15c per serve
• Add 30c for Shallot and Capers
• Moonblush Cherry Tomatoes add 40c per serve
• Add 10c for Lettuce.

We decided that the Smoked Trout does not have the same ‘cut through’ that Smoked Salmon does, and the sandwich was rather dull for $3.28 per serve.

Dinner

Being Fishy Friday we settled on Striped Bass, a Vinegar Coleslaw and oven bake Waffle Fries.

• The Striped Bass was $4.68 per serve
• Coleslaw mix adds 45c per serve
• Coleslaw Dressing ingredients add 40c per serve
• The Waffle Fries were $1.49, and we shared half or 38c per serve.

The Vinegar Coleslaw from chef Ann Burrell is a particularly good match for the Fish, almost creating a “Malt Vinegar with Fish and Chips” vibe popular in Australia. Overall a quite good meal for $5.91 per serve.

Apart from Foodie Philip taking a quick trip to Montreal to speak at a conference, June was a very quiet month. The first third of May was most atypical as we were vacationing in Italy.

The averages for this month were within our range of “normal”. We did have less lunch take-out than typical.

• Lunch prepared at home $2.50 ($2.36 in May 22)
• Lunch eaten or purchased outside the home: $11.30 ($12.11)
• Dinner eaten at home: $4.58 ($4.97)
• Dinner prepared in a restaurant $20.87 ($16.61)

The variation is usually small month to month and June was within our normal range.

Our most expensive meal of the month (again) was the Bento Box with Tuna Tataki for $22.86.

This month, lunches at home cost 22% of the cost of eating lunches prepared outside the home. Our evening meals prepared in the home are 22% of the cost of take-out meals.

Had we purchased every lunch and prepared none it would have cost us $339.00 per person in Jun. We actually spent $57.58 for lunches at home plus $45.19 for lunches purchased or eaten out:  $102.77 per person in total. 

If every evening meal cost us the same as our average this month, the total for evening meals would be $626.10. We actually spent $114.55 for dinners at home and $41.73 for our two dinners from a restaurant, or $156.28 per person in totaL. 

We saved about $706 per person by preparing almost all our meals at home and we have a lot more control over what we eat.