Month: May 2018

May 9: Pork Roll; Lemon Chicken Orzo Soup

Lunch

At lunch the Foodies were apart with their respective families.  Foodie Philip was treated to a “Pork Roll” from a local Vietnamese bakery. It turns out this was an Australianization of a Bahn Mi!

With ham and roast pork instead of the bbq Pork we’re used to, but most of the other ingredients, including the patë, were the same, perhaps a little less chili. Overall it was a good sandwich, but closer to a ham salad Roll.

Our parents paid for our respective meals.

Dinner

Foodie Greg’s mother had given us some lemons so we made Lemon Chicken Orzo Soup.

  • The half roasted chicken was $7.50 or $1.88 per serve
  • The pasta was $1.75 or 44c per serve
  • Carrot was 40c or 10c per serve
  • The stock was $3.00, or 75c per serve
  • Add 15c for onion, celery and seasonings.

While it turned more to a risotto texture, it was very tasty for Au$3.32 (US$2.42) per serve.

May 8: Chicken Schnitzel Caesar Wrap; Chicken Breast with Asparagus and Cherry Tomatoes

Lunch

Another lakeside lunch and today the Foodies sampled the very trendy chicken schnitzel wrap. Of many variations offered we chose the Caesar salad version.

The serving size is huge with two 6 oz (at least) schnitzels, a generous serve of bacon and salad, with a quite decent Caesar dressing.

Niether of the Foodies could finish the $12.00 (US$9.00) serve.

Dinner

By dinner the Foodies had traveled to Sydney to have dinner with some very dear and long term friends, who were kind enough to cook for us.

We enjoyed Jamie Oliver’s Poached Chicken Breast with Asparagus and  Jerry Tomatoes, served with lemon garlic kale and both sweet and regular baked pot oats slices.

A tasty and enjoyable meal with good company.

May 7: Doner Kebab; Curried Cauliflower Soup

Lunch

At lunch time the Foodies where down near Lake Macquarie (NSW Australia) and collected a rather generously proportioned Doner Kebab. Also known as Yeros this local shop makes a rathe good version for (Au) $8,50 (US$6.12) per serve.

Dinner

At the evening meal the Foodies were treated to Curried  Cauliflower Soup made by Foodie Philip’s mother.

May 6: Beef & Mushroom Pie/Quiche; Pork Sirloin with Waldorf Salad

Lunch

For lunch we went out with Foodie Phillip’s mother and some of her friends at a local coffee shop where Philip had a Beef and Mushroom pie, while Foodie Greg had a Spinach and Feta Quiche.

Our meal was paid for by mom.

Dinner

We found some pasture raised pork sirloin, with skin, at the supermarket and we’re going to pair it with an Apple and Endive salad, but the lack of available endive saw it become a Waldorf salad instead.

(Prices in Australian dollars, with a conversion at the end)

  • The pork sirloin was $16.95 or $5.65 per serve
  • A pack of celery was $3.00 and we used ⅔, or 67c per serve
  • Pecan nuts (walnuts not available) were $4.41 or $1.47 per serve
  • Two Modi apples were $1.87 or 62c per serve
  • Add 30c for mayonnaise per serve.

The pork turned out perfectly, except we were unable to get the crisp “crackling” skin beloved by Australians. Otherwise a good meal for Au $8.71. (US $6.55)

May 5: Airline Breakfast; Fillet Steak with Avocado, Tomato Salad

Breakfast

The Airline served a competent breakfast of a cheese omelette, with a sprinkling of home fries and a small chicken sausage link. There was strawberry yoghurt and a muffin as well.

Again a competent meal that, with a slice of toast in the middle of the day, kept us going until dinner.

Dinner

We were invited to dinner with Foodie Philip’s brother and his family. We were served some perfectly grilled fillet steak with an avocado, tomato tossed salad. A big step up from Airline food and much appreciated, particularly as it cost us nothing.

May 4: The Country Deli; Airline Dinner

Lunch

The Foodies had a business lunch at The Country Deli, where Foodie Philip had his usual marinated skirt steak, while Foodie Greg had a Pastrami on rye. The other party paid for lunch.

Dinner

A very, very late dinner as – actually after midnight so technically not Friday – on an aircraft heading for Australia. We had a small beef stew with overcooked broccoli and a sprinkling of home fries, and a dinner roll. Competent but uninspired food, included in the air fare.

May 3: Smoked Trout, Labné & Garlic Dip; Southwest Beans and Sausage with Rice

Lunch

For variety in our toasted sandwiches, today we combined the Trader Joe’s smoked trout with Labné and Garlic spread on alternate sides.

  • The smoked trout is $3.49 per can and we shared one, or $1.75 per serve
  • Two slices of bread are 32c per serve
  • Add 35c for labné and garlic spread/dip.

Lunch today was surprisingly good for $2.42 per serve.

Dinner

Feeding a large table tonight we decided on Southwest Beans and Sausage with brown rice.

  • The Chicken Andouille Sausage is the most expensive component at $7.98 for two packs or $1.14 per serve
  • Bell pepper: $1.13 or 16c per serve
  • Onion: 10c per serve
  • Fire roasted diced tomato (canned): $1.69 a can or 48c per serve
  • The pinto beans are 99c a can or 28c a serve
  • For the herbs, 15c a serve
  • And the rice: 33c a serve

Dinner tonight cost $2.64 a serve. It’s a very tasty, warming stew with a little heat from the andouille.

May 2: Pseudo Rueben, Smoked Turkey Breast with tomato & Swiss; Turmeric-Coconut with Pork

Lunch

Today we had mixed sandwiches because we are using up what we have ahead of a trip to Australia. Today we had another of the pseudo Rueben sandwiches, and one with smoked turkey breast, Swiss cheese and semi-dried tomatoes. Both were pretty good.

  • Two slices of bread are 32c per serve
  • Add 17c for Wildbrine Madras Curry and Cauliflower Sauerkraut salad
  • The corned beef was $6.92 for 17 oz,  and we used about 2oz a serve, or 41c per serve
  • Swiss slices are 12 for $3.99 or 17c per serve
  • The turkey breast is $5.99 for 8 oz and we shared 2 oz or 75c per serve
  • Tomatoes were $2.79 before dehydrating, or 35c per serve
  • Add 30c for mayo and cocktail sauce.

Today’s sandwiches were both good for $2.47 per serve.

Dinner

Tonight’s dinner made three very generous serves of the Turmeric Coconut Curry with Pork. We substituted bok choy for the cabbage because we have it (and it tastes better).

  • The pork came from our Prather Ranch meat delivery – 1 lb of ground pork cost $8.31 or $$2.77 per serve
  • Add 45c for onion, ginger and turmeric’
  • Coconut milk was $1.89 or 63c per serve
  • Bok Choy was $1.29 and we used half, or 22c per serve
  • Almond flakes were $2.49 but we used only 1/5 or 17c per serve
  • Brown rice is 33c per serve.

Dinner tonight could have had a little more heat but the coconut flavor was good. The bok choy provided a nice textural alternative to the pork and rice. A decent meal for $4.57 per serve.

May 1: Meat Pies; Ginger Miso Broth with Chicken Wontons

Lunch

Sudden cool weather led us to Trader Joe’s meat pies. Foodie Philip had a Steak and Stout pie, while Foodie Greg had the Chicken Balti! They hit the spot in the cold for $3.25 per serve.

Dinner

As well as being tasty, tonight’s meal had to pair with sparkling white wine (a.k.a. champagne) because we were celebrating the release of a new app in our day job. We decided on Ginger Miso Broth and Vegetable Gyoza, but in typical Trader Joe’s fashion the Gyoza are not available, so we chose a Chicken and Cilantro Wonton instead.

  • The Wontons were $2.99 or $1.50 per serve
  • The Ginger Miso Broth is $1.99 or $1.00 per serve.

Despite both of us being “cilantro sensitive” it was in good balance in the wontons and, overall, it was a good, quick meal for $2.50 per serve.

April 2018 Summary and Observations

April is NAB month, so we spent a few days in Las Vegas, upping our “out of home” meal expense.

The averages for this month:

  • Lunch prepared at home $1.62 ($2.20 in March)
  • Lunch eaten or purchased outside the home: $8.36 ($5.95)
  • Dinner eaten at home: $6.63 ($5.81)
  • Dinner eaten out: $18.35  ($15.20)

This month lunch prepared at home was the only category that dropped, with the others increased slightly, probably due to the travel and more eating away from home.

Our most expensive meal was the night at Yard House Las Vegas at around $22.23 per serve. Our most expensive at home meal was the Pork Chop with Apple Endive Salad at $12.68.

Lunches at home cost 22% of the cost of eating food prepared outside the home, while dinners at home cost 37% the average of dinner out this month.

Had we purchased every lunch and prepared none it would have cost us $250.80 per person in April. We actually spent $32.39 for lunches at home plus $84.28 for lunches purchased or eaten out:  $116.67 in total.

Had we purchased every evening meal out and prepared none at home, it would have cost us $550.50. We actually spent $150.01 for dinners at home and $91.75 for dinners out: $241.76 in total.

We saved $442.87 by preparing and eating most meals at home, plus we have better control over what we eat.

Over the month we prepared 19 different recipes for evening meals.