Author: Philip

Lunch

We shared a couple of very basic sandwiches: Smoked Turkey & Coleslaw, Smoked Turkey, Garlic Spread & Tomato.

• Dave’s Killer Bread is 74c per serve
• The Coleslaw was from Mr Fish & Chips and adds 35c per serve
• The Smoked Turkey Breast is 58c per serve
• Garlic Spread is 25c per serve
• We used half a Tomato, which adds 35c per serve.

Decent sandwiches for $2.27 per serve.

Dinner

Folded Eggs on Avocado Toast with Chili Onion Crisp certainly meets the definition of Meatless Monday, but is quite tasty too.

• The Pastured Eggs average 57c per serve
• The Italian Bread was 22c per serve
• An Avocado each adds 99c per serve
• Dave’s Killer Bread adds 37c per serve
• Add 30c for the Chili Crunch.

To be honest, it’s the Chili Onion Crisp that elevates this dish from being quite bland. With the Crisp it’s pretty good for $2.45 per serve.

Lunch

We decided to make Netherlands style Pannenkoek, which largely means cooking your “topping” in the pan before layering on the Pancake Mix. We chose a high Protein Pancake Mix. We topped with Fried Eggs, which is not traditional.

• Pancake Mix was $2.99 and we shared half, or 75c per serve
• Uncured Bacon was $5.99 for 10 slices, and we had two each, or $1.20 per serve
• Eggs average 72c per serve.

We know to make the mix a little looser next time, and the slight sweetness of the Pancake mix wasn’t the perfect match, but it was a good first attempt that we will improve on, for $2.67 per serve.

Dinner

As we were able to get a Pomegranate we revisited the Shredded Lamb Salad, squeezed in the Pomegranate Juice, topped with the Arils, and served with Dolmas, Caramelized Onion Hummus and a Salad of Lettuce, semi-dried Tomatoes, Feta and Preserved Lemon.

• The butterflied Leg of Lamb from Aldi was $23.28 and we will get eight serves, or $2.91 per serve
• Mint and Preserved Lemon were free
• Add 30c for Onion and seasoning
• We used semi-dried Cherry Tomatoes for 30c per serve
• The Mixed Greens were $1.49 and we used half, or 38c each
• The Feta adds 48c per serve
• Add 15c for Dressing ingredients
• Dolmas from Whole Foods were $3.41 (on special) or $1.13 per serve
• Add 46c for Hummus.

Having experimented with alternatives, our consensus is that a fresh Pomegranate is essential for this dish. If you don’t have one, don’t do the Salad! An excellent meal for $6.41 per serve.

Lunch

We revisited out new regular order at Pho Saigon 1: a shared serve of Egg Rolls and a shared Bahn Mi for $12.92 per serve with tax and tip. Unfortunately it took twice as long to be ready as their estimate.

Dinner

By modifying the rendering of fat and crisping the Duck Skin from high and fast to medium heat and longer, we get a better render and a crisper skin. Served Asian style with Bok Choy and Yaksoba Noodles.

• The Duck was $17.24 or $8.62
• The Noodles are $3.19 for the pack, or $1.60 per serve
• The Baby Bok Choy was $1.99 and we used about half or $1.00 per serve.

As always a very tasty meal, but the Duck tonight was exceptionally good for $11.22 per serve.

Lunch

A simple lunch of Delice de Bourgogne & Apple Slices on Rye Crispbread eaten at the picnic table.

• The Delice de Bourgogne was $5.38 and we shared ½, or $1.35 per serve
• The Rye Crispbread was $3.29 for a pack of 20, or 33c per serve
• Apple adds 20c per serve.

A very tasty lunch for $1.88 per serve.

Dinner

It was a perfect night for grilling a Smoked Salmon Pizza out on the terrace and eating under the stars, so that’s what we did. This time we used Trader Joe’s Herb Dough.

• Sockeye Smoked Salmon pieces were $5.49 or $2.75 per serve
• The Herb Pizza Dough was $1.49, or 75c 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 Herb Dough wasn’t a great match for the Smoked Salmon, Capers, etc, but not enough to interfere with our enjoyment of this rather luxurious Pizza for $4.56 per serve.

September was a very quiet month that we spent entirely 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 $2.20 ($2.26 in Aug)
• Lunch eaten or purchased outside the home: $8.75 ($12.58)
• Dinner eaten at home: $4.71 ($4.95)
• Dinner prepared in a restaurant $17.74 ($20.15)

The variation is small month to month.

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

This month, lunches at home cost 25% of the cost of eating lunches prepared outside the home. Our evening meals prepared in the home are 28% of the cost of take-out meals.

Had we purchased every lunch and prepared none it would have cost us $92.50 per person in June. We actually spent $50.02 for lunches at home plus $48.75 for lunches purchased or eaten out:  $98.77 per person in total. These are within a few cents of the averages for recent months.

If every evening meal cost us the same as our one this month, it would be $514.20. We actually spent $127.14 for dinners at home and $51.42 for six dinners out, or $178.56 per person in total.

Without the travel we’re back to our typical meal costs, within normal variation. We saved about $330 per person by preparing almost all our meals at home and we have a lot more control over what we eat.

Lunch

It was time to return to Mr Fish and Chips in Simi Valley as part of a larger errand run, where we picked up our typical Scallops, Coleslaw and Fries (with extra Coleslaw) $7.27 per serve with tax and tip.

Dinner

Foodie Greg picked up some thin cut, boneless Pork Chops from Whole Foods, along with some Prosciutto, so obviously we are eating Saltimbocca. Tonight we served with Sautéed Garlic Spinach, and Pumpkin Sage Ravioli from Aldi.

• Prosciutto was $3.99 or $2.00 per serve
• The thin cut, boneless Pork Chops were $7.59 or $3.80 per serve
• Sage came from our garden
• The Ravioli was $2.79 or $1.40 per serve
• The Spinach was $1.39 and we used half, or 35c per serve
• Add 10c for Garlic.

The Saltimbocca was cooked perfectly, with a crisp Prosciutto crust and tender, juicy Pork inside. The Ravioli was disappointingly seasoned more like Pumpkin Spice Pie with no Sage taste at all. Overall a very good meal for $7.65 per serve.

Lunch

We defrosted a serve of Mushroom and Red Wine Meatloaf and sandwiched it in a hot French Roll with Lettuce and Blue Cheese Mustard.

• The Sandwich Rolls are 89c per serve
• The Meatloaf is $1.54 per serve
• Lettuce adds 10c per serve
• Blue Cheese Mustard adds 30c per serve.

A tasty roll for $2.83 per serve.

Dinner

Although Summer isn’t over yet, a cool spell made 13 Bean Soup very attractive, particularly when made on home-made Ham Stock.

• The Ham Bone was free so the Stock had no cost
• Add 25c per serve for Bay Leaf, Carrot & Onion
• The 13 Bean Mix was $5.49 and we used half, or 69c per serve
• Add 22c per serve for Italian Bread
• Add 50c per serve for Garlic Spread.

While it doesn’t photograph particularly well, the soup is very flavorsome, particularly since we made the Ham Stock with just the amount of water we needed for the soup, thus amping up the Ham flavor. A good hearty soup for $1.66 per serve.

Lunch

For lunch we shared a Quick Lorraine from Trader Joes got $5.49 or $2.75 per serve.

Dinner

It hardly seems like we finished the left overs from the last Turkey, Bacon, Chipotle Meatloaf and here we are again, with Cuban Beans and Coleslaw.

• Ground turkey cost $6.39 or $1.60 per serve
• Bacon was $5.99 and we used ⅓, or 50c per serve
• A can of chipotle is $1.50 and we used half, or 38c per serve
• Add 65c for onion, breadcrumbs and seasonings
• The Cuban Black Beans are 50c per serve
• The Coleslaw Mix was $1.99 and we used half, or 50c per serve
• We made our own Dressing from Mayonnaise, Chipotle and Apple Cider Vinegar for 40c per serve.

A tasty and well balanced meal for $4.53 per serve.