Nov 3: Egg Salad & Sprout Roll; Rib Eye Steak with Oz Style “Cobb Salad”

Lunch

Because we like it, we had the egg salad and sprouts in a panini roll again..

  • 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 nanoshoots cost $2.50 and we shared about ¼ or 31c per serve.

We enjoyed this roll a lot for $1.86 per serve.

Dinner

With a new month’s meat box available, and the last night of daylight saving where we can grill in the light, we decided on a rib eye steak with an Oz style interpretation of a Cobb salad, that is replicating the Australian-style hamburger.

  • At 10 oz the rib eye is a little smaller than previously (12 oz) but $8.10 per serve
  • A pastured egg is 50c
  • The cheddar with caramelized onion was $5.48, and we used about 1/3 or 91c per serve
  • Black Forest uncured bacon was $5.49 and we used half, or $1.38 per serve
  • Beets in vinaigrette were $1.69 and we used 1/3, or 28c per serve
  • The grape tomatoes are $2.00 and we used about half, or 50c per serve
  • Add 30c for spinach and a drizzle of balsamic reduction.

The rib eye was perfectly cooked and worked well in the salad. The highlight was the beets, but overall a great meal for $11.97 per serve

Nov 2: Sweet & Spicy Tuna, Chicken Breast & Swiss; Radicchio Salad with Green Olives, Parmesan and Smoked Trout

Lunch

Another shared tuna pouch with Swiss, along with sliced chicken breast and Swiss.

  • The tuna was $1.00 per serve
  • Sprouted Rye bread is 32c per serve
  • Swiss slices are 12 for $3.99 or 34c per serve
  • Sliced peppered chicken breast is $7.99 for 8 oz and we shared 2 oz or $1.00 per serve
  • Add 50c for butter, garlic spread and capers.

A pretty standard lunch for us for $3.16 per serve.

Dinner

A new recipe for us: Radicchio Salad with Green Olives & Parmesan. The recipe calls for sardines, but we chose to drape canned smoked trout instead.

  • The smoked trout is $3.49 per can/serve
  • The radicchio was $3.27 or $1.63 per serve
  • The jar of green olives is $4.49 and we used about half, or $1.13 per serve
  • Shaved parmesan comes in a $5.49 pack, and we used 1/4 or 46c per serve,
  • Add 30c for the Balsamic reduction.

An interesting – and tasty -salad, as long as you like the bitterness of the radicchio, which was somewhat offset by the balsamic, for $7.01 per serve.

 

Nov 1: Sweet & Spicy Tuna with Swiss & Capers; Lamb Loin Chop with Grilled Asparagus and Yellow Curry Chopped Salad

Lunch

Foodie Philip was late home so he had a Sweet and Spicy Tuna with Swiss and Capers toasted for lunch.

  • The tuna was $2.00 per serve
  • Sprouted Rye bread is 32c per serve
  • Swiss slices are 12 for $3.99 or 34c per serve
  • Add 50c for butter, garlic spread and capers.

A good, quick sandwich for $3.16 per serve.

Dinner

Thursday night is grill night and what better than to start by grilling some great, thick* asparagus and some lamb loin chops. We served with the remaining Yellow Curry chopped salad.

*Despite popular misconception thick asparagus is more tender than thin.

  • The lamb was $12.87 or $6.44 per serve
  • The asparagus was $1.64 and we served 80% or 66c per serve
  • The Yellow Curry chopped salad is $1.00 per serve.

A good meal as we really enjoy lamb loin chops, for $8.10 per serve.

October 2018: Summary & Observations

While we spent most of the month at home, we took a side trip to the Colorado Film School to show off some of our software, and took a couple of days in Keystone while we were in Colorado.

We had a lot of good food this month, but the best of what we had, we prepared at home. We ate out for almost all the Colorado trip, without the food being particularly outstanding, even the quite expensive Snake River Saloon. The best meal was BBQ at Jim & Nick’s.

The averages for this month:

  • Lunch prepared at home $2.25 ($2.62 in September)
  • Lunch eaten or purchased outside the home: $10.70 ($12.99)
  • Dinner eaten at home: $5.76 ($5.08)
  • Dinner eaten out: $221.99 ($22.39).

Our lunches at home average in a fairly narrow band and this month is only a few cents per serve down from last month. Lunches prepared outside the home are also lower.

Our most expensive meal was at the Snake River Saloon at $40.90 per serve, for what was good, but not outstanding meals.

Our most expensive at home meal was the dry aged rib eye with endive and roquamole at $11.14 per serve. This month’s meals at home are right on our long term averages.

Lunches at home cost 21% of the cost of eating food prepared outside the home, while dinners at home cost 23% the average of dinner out this month.

Had we purchased every lunch and prepared none it would have cost us $331.70 per person in October. We actually spent $40.45 for lunches at home plus $139.14 for lunches purchased or eaten out:  $179.59 in total.

Had we purchased every evening meal out and prepared none at home, it would have cost us $681.69 per person. We actually spent $138.59 for dinners at home and $87.94 for dinners out: $226.53  in total.

We saved $607.27 by preparing and eating most meals at home, plus we have better control over what we eat.

Over the month we prepared 18 different recipes for evening meals.

Oct 31: Bone Broth with Brisket Roll; Caramelized Pork Bowl with Butter Rice and Cucumber

Lunch

After a breakfast hosted by our local land developer we had a simplified lunch of bone broth with a par baked roll that had a little of the brisket in it.

  • The brisket is about $1.00 per serve
  • The roll is 63c
  • The bone broth was $2.99 or $1.50 per serve.

The bone broth needed seasoning, but not a bad lunch for $3.13 per serve.

Dinner

Dinner was a complete repeat of last night, except the bean sprouts went one day past their use by, and died! We substituted cucumber for a fresh bite.

The meal is $3.67 per serve and quite enjoyable.

Oct 30: Popeye’s Fried Chicken & Yellow Curry Chopped Salad; Vietnamese Caramelized Pork Bowls with Butter Rice and Sprouts

Lunch

Since we still had fried chicken we reheated it and paired it with s Yellow Curry Chopped Salad, which was pretty good.

  • An 11 piece pack is $14.99 and we had two pieces each, or $2.73 per serve
  • The salad kit was $3.99 but it makes four serves, or $1.00 per serve.

Lunch today was better than with beans and rice for $3.73 per serve.

Dinner

One of our favorite ways to use ground pork is Vietnamese Caramelized Pork Bowls, tonight with mung bean sprout and grated carrot and butter rice.

  • The ground pork was $8.35 and we’ll get four serves from that, or $2.09 per serve
  • Add 40c for ginger, onion, garlic and chili, etc
  • Bean sprouts were $1.49 but we used only 2/3 or 50c per serve
  • Add 10c for grated carrot
  • Add 33c for brown rice
  • Add 25c for butter.

The butter rice was a little bland, which paired perfectly with the intensely flavored (and slightly salty) caramelized pork mix. A little crisp freshness from the sprouts and carrot and it was a well balanced meal for $3.67 per serve.

Oct 29: Popeye’s Fried Chicken; Grilled Eggplant with Satay Sauce and Vietnamese Salad

Lunch

As Foodie Philip was getting a gas bottle filled nearby, a trip to Popeye’s was convenient.

  • An 11 piece pack is $14.99 and we had two pieces each, or $2.73 per serve
  • Large red beans and rice is $3.99 or $2.00 per serve.

We always enjoy this meal for $4.73 per serve.

Dinner

The Foodies are trying to keep to a meatless Monday schedule, at least with the evening meal, and tonight we went with  grilled eggplant and satay sauce that had been so successful last time we had it. We served with a Vietnamese style salad inspired by Nigella Lawson

  • Two eggplants were $1.29 or 65c per serve
  • The peanut butter was $1.99 and we used about 1/4,  or 25c a serve
  • Other seasonings in the satay sauce add 35c per serve
  • Add 50c for marinade ingredients
  • Bean sprouts were $1.49 but we used 2/3 or 25c per serve
  • Carrot adds 10c per serve
  • Mint came from our garden.

Excellent again, as always. We are tending to prefer this version over the alternate with sirloin steak. It’s very tasty and impressive for $2.10 per serve.

Oct 28: Egg & Sprout Roll; Brisket with Cider and Butternut Squash

Lunch

Because we like it, we had the egg salad and sprouts in a panini roll again..

  • 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 nanoshoots cost $2.50 and we shared about ¼ or 31c per serve.

We enjoyed this roll a lot for $1.86 per serve.

Dinner

Since we received a brisket in our Keller Crafted meat box, we had to find a recipe to cook it! Foodie Greg found Brisket With Cider and Butternut Squash. It’s a very slow cook, and we found the recipe a little sweet so Foodie Greg added a generous amount of apple cider vinegar to counter the sweetness.

  • The brisket was $4.96 per serve
  • The apple cider was $2.99 or 75c per serve
  • Butternut squash – cubed – was $3.99 or $1.00 per serve
  • Jumbo red onion was $1.49 or 38c per serve
  • Red wine adds $1.00 or 25c per serve
  • Add 65c for seasonings.

A really good brisket that we both really enjoyed for $7.99 per serve.

Oct 27: Bahn Mi; Pinto Bean and Chorizo Sausage Stew with Chicken Leg

Lunch

Since we were nearby we decided on a Bahn Mi for lunch at $8.75 per serve.

Dinner

We finished the remaining Pinto Bean and Chorizo Sausage Stew (that had bene in the freezer while we were away) and topped it with a roast chicken leg from our Jon’s chicken.

  • The chicken leg is $1.75 per serve
  • The Pino Bean and Chorizo stew is $2.10 per serve.

A quick and easy meal for $3.85 that hit the spot.

Oct 26: Tuna & Swiss, Pastrami, Sauerkraut & Swiss; Coconut Fish Curry

Lunch

Toasted sandwiches are our go to lunch and today we had a Sweet & Spicy Tuna pouch with Swiss and a Pastrami Sauerkraut and Swiss. We split and shared both sandwiches

  • The tuna was $2.00 or $1.00 per serve
  • Sprouted Rye bread is 32c per serve
  • Swiss slices are 12 for $3.99 or 34c per serve
  • The pastrami was $11.99 for 16 oz and we used 2 oz or 75c per serve
  • The Bubbies (natural) Sauerkraut is expensive at $6.99 or 22c per serve, but it is a very superior sauerkraut without the bad odor of most sauerkraut
  • Add 50c for butter, garlic spread and capers.

Two good half sandwiches for $3.13 per serve.

Dinner

“Fishy Friday” is upon us and tonight we had Coconut Fish Curry with frozen cod.

  • Cod is $11.99 for 7 pieces or $1.71 per serve
  • Two onions were  28c or 14c per serve
  • The tomato cost $1.02 or 51c per serve
  • Coconut milk was $1.69 or 85c per serve
  • Add 75c for other seasonings
  • The brown rice vermicelli is $2.39 per pack, and we used half, or 60c per serve.

Foodie Philip really enjoyed this curry but Foodie Greg was less enthusiastic. Still a good meal for $4.56 per serve.