Category: Uncategorized

Lunch

For variety we finished some par baked panini rolls and stuffed them with Trader Joe’s Egg Salad and some sprouts.

• The panini roll is 63c per serve
• The egg salad is $3.69 for 10 oz and we used 2 oz per serve, or 92c per serve
• The sprouts cost $1.96 and we shared about 1/8 or 13c per serve.

We enjoyed this roll a lot for $1.68 per serve.

Dinner

Boeuf Bourguignon (Beef Stew with Red Wine, Mushrooms and Bacon) is a classic French recipe that we served with Farro. We will get four serves from this meal.

• The beef was around $3.12 per serve
• Carrots were $1.99 or 50c per serve
• A yellow onion was 50c or 13c per serve
• The wine is $3.00 for 3 cups or 75c per serve
• Add 50c per serve for seasoning, garlic and oils
• The farro was $1.79 for the pack, but we shared ⅓ or 10c per serve.

Lunch

Earlier in the day we were at Whole Foods for other reasons, so we picked up Albacore Sashimi and a black rice Cucmber Avocado Roll, for $10.49 per serve.

Dinner

Another new recipe to use some stewing pork from our meat box, this Slow Cooked Coconut Pork Curry was surprisingly good.

• The pork was $8.99 or $4.50 per serve
• A can of coconut milk was $1.69 or 85c per serve
• A can of diced tomatoes was $1.00 or 50c per serve
• Ginger was $1.38 but we used 1/6 or 12c per serve
• Curry powder was $4.99 and we used 30c per serve
• Add 30c for other seasonings.

This curry started out with nearly a full pot and it reduced to just a couple of cups of intensified flavor. We enjoyed it a lot as it had melded into something completely unlike the ingredients that went in. The pork was very tender and the sauce full of flavor for $6.57 per serve.

Lunch

A repeat of the tuna, capers and Swiss with Sweet and Spicy Tuna and a sandwich spread heavily with the garlic spread and the remainder of the heirloom tomato.

• Sprouted rye bread is 32c per serve
• The tuna pouch was $1.99 or $1.00 per serve
• Swiss slices are 12 for $3.99 or 34c per serve
• Add 30c for butter, and garlic spread
• The tomato has already been accounted for.

Two good sandwiches for $1.96 per serve.

Dinner

Being ‘meatless Monday’ we grilled eggplant steaks and served with peanut satay sauce along with a radicchio version of Nigella Lawson’s ‘Vietnamese’ salad.

• The eggplant was $1.49, or 75c per serve, but we have one steak left with sauce for an upcoming lunch
• The radicchio was $1.05 and we used the other half, or 26c per serve
• Add 10c for carrot
• The peanut butter was $1.99 and we used about 1/2,  or 25c a serve
• Other seasonings in the satay sauce add 35c per serve
• Add 50c for marinade ingredients.

Tonight we did steaks instead of cubes and we feel it worked better. Definitely a favorite meal when the eggplant is cooked to custardy perfection. Really good for $2.21 per serve.

Another full month at home, other than a day trip to San Diego.

The averages for this month:

• Lunch prepared at home $2.31 ($2.17 in February)
• Lunch eaten or purchased outside the home: $9.18 ($3.87)
• Dinner eaten at home: $5.42 ($5.95)
• Dinner eaten out: $14.55 ($10.00).

Our lunches at home average in a fairly narrow band and this month is only a few cents per serve up from last month. Lunches prepared outside the home are back to our typical range.

We ate take out or dine in evening meals a little more this month, partly because of the San Diego trip, plans changing at the last minute and our regular meal with a fellow developer.

Our most expensive at home meal was a bone in heritage breed pork chop (again) at $13.23.

This month, lunches at home cost 25% of the cost of eating food prepared outside the home, while dinners at home also cost 37% the average of dinner out this month.

Had we purchased every lunch and prepared none it would have cost us $284.58 per person in January. We actually spent $39.29 for lunches at home plus $110.12 for lunches purchased or eaten out:  $149.41 in total.

Had we purchased every evening meal out and prepared none at home, it would have cost us $451.05 per person. We actually spent $146.22 for dinners at home and $58.19 for dinners out: $204.41  in total.

This month’s savings from preparing most of our food at home is $381.81 and we had a2 lot more control over what we eat.

Over the month we prepared 20 different recipes for evening meals.

Lunch

Back to toasted sandwiches and we shared two favorites: Lemon Pepper, capers and Swiss cheese on one, and one with sliced Turkey Breast, sun dried tomato spread and Swiss.

• Sprouted rye bread is 32c per serve
• The tuna pouch was $1.99 or $1.00 per serve
• Swiss slices are 12 for $3.99 or 34c per serve
• Add 40c for butter, and sun dried tomato spread.

An acceptable meal for $2.06 per serve.

Dinner

After a hot day cold chicken and salad was a good choice. The chicken was the remainder of our supermarket BBQ chicken and the salad of mung bean sprouts was inspired by Nigella Lawson’s Vietnamese Salad.

• The chicken is $1.75 per serve
• Mung bean sprouts were $1.49 but we used only half, or 38c per serve
• Carrot adds 10c per serve
• Add 30c for salad dressing ingredients.

A fine meal for $2.13 per serve.

Lunch

After trying some pre-prepared Chinese food from Wholefoods that was a little disappointing, we tried some frozen from Trader Joe’s. Apart from a suggested cooking time half what was really required, these were pretty good.

• Chicken Shu Mai were $2.95 or $1.48 per serve
• Pork Bao were $3.49 or $1.75 per serve.

These were pretty tasty for $3.23 per serve.

Dinner

Since we get cubed beef in our meat box, we’re always looking for new ways to use it. Tonight we decided on Chinese Stir-Fry with Three Vegetables.

• The beef was $8.84, or $4.42 per serve
• Bok Choy was 97c or 49c per serve
• Sliced Crimini mushrooms were $2.49 or $1.25 per serve
• Add 20c for onion, garlic and ginger
• Add 50c for marinade ingredients.

This was a pretty good stir fry for $6.86 per serve.