Author: Philip

Oct 27: McDonald’s Breakfast Wrap; BBQ Brisket

Lunch

We were on the road to the Final Cut Pro X Creative Summit and had to stop at a place with good WiFi to update out website to be congruent with the announcement of an update to Final Cut Pro X, so we stopped at a McDonald’s and had a sausage breakfast wrap. $1.60 each

Much later in the day we had a toasted ham and cheese sandwich at $5.99 each.

‘Lunch’ today cost $7.59

Dinner

Ensconced in our hotel in Cupertino for the conference, we joined a party of conference goers at Armadillo Willies for BBQ.

Dinner tonight cost $16.29 per serve.

Oct 26: Yeros Wrap; Pizza

Lunch

A repeat of yesterday’s lunch

  • The fully cooked sliced gyro/yeros meat is $3.99 per 10oz pack. There are really four serves, so each serve is very slightly cheaper than the chicken, at $1.00 per serve.
  • The flatbread is 50c per serve
  • Hummus is $3.99 per container and we used about 1/6 or 33c per serve
  • We served 1/4 of the tabouli salad or 67c per serve.

Lunch today cost $2.50.

Dinner

Because it was LACPUG night, we had pizza after the meeting.

Each of us contribute $5 per person.

Oct 25: Yeros Wrap; Reuben Casserole

Lunch

A return to the gyro meat wrap, but without cucumber because we didn’t have any!

  • The fully cooked sliced gyro/yeros meat is $3.99 per 10oz pack. There are really four serves, so each serve is very slightly cheaper than the chicken, at $1.00 per serve.
  • The flatbread is 50c per serve
  • Hummus is $3.99 per container and we used about 1/6 or 33c per serve
  • We served 1/4 of the tabouli salad or 67c per serve.

Lunch today cost $2.50.

Dinner

We returned to the delicious Reuben casserole because we still had three serves left.

  • Six slices of rye bread are roughly half the $1.99 loaf, or 17c per serve
  • The pastrami was $4.99 for the pack or 83c per serve
  • Trader Joe’s have a Sauerkraut with Persian Cucumbers which combines two ingredients for $3.99 a jar, or 67c per serve.
  • Packaged, shredded Swiss & Gryere $4.99 or 83c per serve. Although we used the full packet, it was probably closer to three cups than four.
  • A pint of half and half is $1.49 and half was used or 13c per serve.
  • Organic eggs are 50c each or 25c per serve.
  • We skipped the caraway seeds for taste reasons but the mustard adds another 15c per serve.

Dinner tonight was, as always, delicious and cost $3.03 per serve. If you like a Reuben sandwich, you will love this casserole.

Oct 24: In and Out Burger/Quinoa Chowder; Rueben Casserole

Lunch

An unusual Burbank Monday schedule but Foodie Philip was still at In and Out Burger for his Double Double Animal Style. Foodie Greg finished the Quinoa Chowder.

Lunch today cost $4.03 per serve

Dinner

Another meal with the delicious Reuben casserole. We purchased some pastrami from Trader Joes, which works well. The recipe makes six serves

Don’t tell Foodie Greg but this is a savory bread pudding (he’s not a fan of ‘bread pudding’). Let’s pretend it’s a strata!

  • Six slices of rye bread are roughly half the $1.99 loaf, or 17c per serve
  • The pastrami was $4.99 for the pack or 83c per serve
  • Trader Joe’s have a Sauerkraut with Persian Cucumbers which combines two ingredients for $3.99 a jar, or 67c per serve.
  • Packaged, shredded Swiss & Gryere $4.99 or 83c per serve. Although we used the full packet, it was probably closer to three cups than four.
  • A pint of half and half is $1.49 and half was used or 13c per serve.
  • Organic eggs are 50c each or 25c per serve.
  • We skipped the caraway seeds for taste reasons but the mustard adds another 15c per serve.

Dinner tonight was, as always, delicious and cost $3.03 per serve. If you like a Reuben sandwich, you will love this casserole.

Oct 23: Burrito; Quinoa Chowder with Spinach, Feta, and Scallions

Lunch

We were going shopping anyway, so we hopped down to our favorite Mexican place Carnitas Michoacan for a pair of asada burritos.

Lunch cost $5.50 per serve with tax.

Dinner

We decided to revisit a recipe we’d tried and enjoyed over a year ago: Quinoa Chowder with Spinach, Feta, and Scallions. It’s a meat free dish, which balances out the burrito! The recipe makes three serves

  • We purchased about half a pound of quinoa for $3.01 but used the 3/4 left, or 75c per serve
  • Pastured eggs are 50c each
  • The russet potatoes were 80c for the bag, but we used only 1/4 or 7c per serve
  • We put in the full 7oz block of feta, which cost $8.99 or $3.00 per serve
  • The arugula was $2.29 for the pack, but we used 1/3 or 25c per serve
  • Add 30c per serve for spring onions, spices.

This is a rather good soup and one we’ll be repeating for $4.87. You can get cheaper domestic feta, but French feta is definitely superior.

Oct 22: Tuna Melt; Potato and Kale Soup

Lunch

Once again, we decided on a tuna melt on an onion bagel.

  • The can of skipjack tuna in water was $1.49 or 75c per serve
  • The vegan dressing (not mayo!) is $2.29 a jar but we used about 15c worth each serve
  • An onion bagel is 50c
  • Cheese was 55c per serve
  • Add 30c for the spring onion and celery per serve.

Lunch was $2.25 per serve and delicious.

The final two serves of Pioneer Woman’s Sausage, Potato and Kale soup from October 17.

  • 1lb Prather Ranch ground pork was $8.79 or $1.47 a serve
  • Chicken broth $1.99 or 33c per serve
  • Kale cost $2.49 for the bunch or 42c per serve
  • Half a pint of whipping cream was $1.99 or 33c per serve
  • The milk was $1.69, or 28c per serve
  • Potatoes $1.79 or 30c per serve
  • Add 10c per serve for herbs and seasonings
  • Six par baked rustic rolls were $3.29 or 55c per serve.

Tonight’s dinner cost $3.78 per serve. It’s an excellent soup and well worth the effort.

Oct 21: Chicken Wrap; Pork Belly Cob Salad

Lunch

The Yero pack being finished we got some precooked and sliced chicken breast.

  • The flatbread is 50c per serve
  • The shredded chicken is $5.49 for the pack, or $1.38 per serve
  • Chickpea Balela salad is $2.69 or 68c per serve
  • Hummus is $3.99 per container and we used about 1/6 or 33c per serve

Lunch today cost $2.89 per serve.

Dinner

Foodie Greg had an idea for a modified Cob Salad: swap out bacon and chicken for Trader Joe’s Cooked Pork Belly, that we reheated by smoking!

  • Blue cheese crumbles are $3.49 for the pack and we used about 1/3 or 58c per serve.
  • You can tell by the deep gold yolk that these are pastured eggs: 50c each -one per serve – but worth it for the taste.
  • Avocados are 65c per serve.
  • Trader Joe’s fully cooked pork belly is $6.49 for the pack or $3.25 per serve.
  • The organic baby plum tomatoes were $2.79 for the pack but we used half, or 70c per serve.
  • Add 10c for the greens.

Tonight’s Cobb Salad cost $5.78 per serve. The smoked pork belly was delicious, but probably a little out of balance with the total meal. We think it would be better to serve less of the pork, and have some chicken as well to balance the meal. But the smoked pork belly was delicious!

Oct 20: Country Deli; Top Sirloin with Arugula, Beets and Blue Cheese Salad

Lunch

As we had to drive down to Lowes to buy a new stake to keep our Peruvian Pepper Tree vertical in our high wind conditions, so we stopped at The Country Deli for lunch. Foodie Philip had his regular marinated skit steak (with three eggs and home fries) while Foodie Greg had a breakfast burrito.

The average was $21.52 per serve with tax and tip.

Dinner

Aged Top Sirloin from our Prather Ranch meat delivery, draped over a bed of arugula, roast beets and blue cheese crumbles made an excellent steak salad.

  • 12 oz of steak was $11.29 or $5.65 per serve
  • Blue cheese crumbles are $3.49 for the pack but we used about 1/4 or 44c per serve
  • The arugula was $2.29 for the pack, but we used 1/3 or 38c per serve
  • The baby peeled beets were $1.99, and we used 80% or the pack or 80c per serve
  • Add 15c for the horseradish and other dressing ingredients.

The steak was perfectly cooked for the cut, and the combination worked exceptionally well for just $7.42 per serve.

Oct 19: Chicken Wrap; Sausage, Potato and Kale Soup

Lunch

The Yero pack being finished we got some precooked and sliced chicken breast.

  • The flatbread is 50c per serve
  • The shredded chicken is $5.49 for the pack, or $1.38 per serve
  • Chickpea Balela salad is $2.69 or 68c per serve
  • We used the last of the roast butternut squash hummus from Saturday’s pop-up meal.

Lunch today cost $2.56 per serve.

Dinner

Since it makes six serves, we generally get three meals from a batch of  Pioneer Woman’s Sausage, Potato and Kale soup. Tonight is the second.

  • 1lb Prather Ranch ground pork was $8.79 or $1.47 a serve
  • Chicken broth $1.99 or 33c per serve
  • Kale cost $2.49 for the bunch or 42c per serve
  • Half a pint of whipping cream was $1.99 or 33c per serve
  • The milk was $1.69, or 28c per serve
  • Potatoes $1.79 or 30c per serve
  • Add 10c per serve for herbs and seasonings
  • Six par baked rustic rolls were $3.29 or 55c per serve.

Tonight’s dinner cost $3.78 per serve. It’s an excellent soup and well worth the effort.

Oct 18: Yeros Wrap; Choucroute Garnie with Bratwurst

Lunch

A repeat of the wrap with the roast butternut squash hummus from Saturday night and no cucumber.

  • The fully cooked sliced gyro/yeros meat is $3.99 per 10oz pack, or $1.00 per serve.
  • The flatbread is 50c per serve
  • We used the roast butternut squash hummus from Saturday night’s Pop-up
  • We served 1/4 of the tabouli salad or 67c per serve.

Lunch today cost $2.17.

Dinner

In a day of repeats, tonight we repeated the Choucroute Garnie with Bratwurst from two nights ago. Tonight we used three of the remaining serves leaving one in the refrigerator for later.

  • The bratwurst are $3.49 for the pack, or $1.75 per serve
  • The sauerkraut is $2.99 a pack or 75c per serve
  • The carrots were 50c or 13c per serve
  • Potatoes add 53c per serve
  • The onion, garlic, bay leaf and juniper berries add another 26c per serve
  • White wine adds another 54c per serve.

Dinner tonight was tasty, warming and filling for just $3.96 per serve. It looked the same as two nights ago!