The semiSerious Foodies

Lunch

According to their website Boomerang make “Australian Style” pies, but none of the variant stocked near us sound at all Aussie! Still, we tried their Chicken Pot Pie, which actually has a pastry crust, not a pot, but were not impressed.

The Chicken Pot Pies are $3.49 each (on special). The pastry is lacking butter and has a texture more of a cracker than a pie crust. Overall, these are very disappointing.

Dinner

Time for Shredded Lamb with a Strawberry Balsamic Salad!

• The Lamb Shank was $9.91 or $4.96 per serve
• The Strawberries were $2.50 and we used ⅔ or 83c per serve
• The Persian Cucumber was 59c, or 30c per serve
• Add 30c for Balsamic Vinegar.

The Shredded Lamb was, as always, unctuous and flavorsome. The Strawberry Cucumber Salad was a perfect balance as the acid from the Balsamic countered the fat from the Lamb. A great meal for $6.39 per serve.

We had expected to be away for about four nights this month, due to some home renovation, but circumstances changed and we only spent one night away in San Diego with a friend. Our evening meals at home were about 20% more expensive, due to our tendency toward nature raised proteins. Last month was mostly above average, but we had some really inexpensive meals to balance it out, but not this month.

The averages for this month:

• Lunch prepared at home $2.43 ($2.15 in January)
• Lunch eaten or purchased outside the home: $11.36 ($8.79)
• Dinner eaten at home: $6.55 ($5.52)
• Dinner eaten out: $10.00 ($10.00).

Our lunches at home average in a fairly narrow band and this month’s average is up a little from from last month.

We ate ten of 64 meals that were prepared outside the home (all but one lunch).

Our most expensive meal for the month was lunch at The Country Deli at $23.29 per serve.

This month, lunches at home cost 21% of the cost of eating lunches prepared outside the home. Using last month’s dinners out as a reference, dinners at home cost 33% of those prepared outside the home.

Had we purchased every lunch and prepared none it would have cost us $329.44 per person in January. We actually spent $46.10 for lunches at home plus $102.20 for lunches purchased or eaten out:  $148.30 in total.

Had we purchased every evening meal out and prepared none at home, it would have cost us $290.00 per person. We actually spent $170.23 for dinners at home and $10.00 for dinners out, or $18.23 in total.

This month’s savings from preparing most of our food at home is $290.91 and we had a lot more control over what we eat.

Over the month we prepared 23 different recipes for evening meals.

Lunch

I’m not sure if we used going to Home Depot or Lowes just because they’re near the New York Chicken and Gyro, but is a pattern, and once again we had a Lamb Gyro for $8.17 per serve with tax and tip.

Dinner

We returned to the Hot and Sour Beef Salad but the weather wasn’t conducive to grilling outdoors, so we sous vidé the Flat Iron steak then seared it briefly in our high tech wok, which gets a great crust. We then marinated and served on a bed of Greens and Mint.

• The 8oz is $4.05 per serve
• The Salad Greens mix was $1.99 but we shared half, or 50c per serve
• Limes were 49c for two but we shared one, or 13c per serve
• The Mint was 25c per serve
• Sugar Snap peas were $3.49 but we used ¼ or 44c per serve
• Instead of a Chili we used some Sambal Ulec, which adds 20c per serve.

We really enjoyed this salad. The slight heat in the dressing lifted both steak and salad to another level. An excellent meal for $5.13 per serve.

Lunch

For lunch we had Sushi from nearby Whole Foods for $9.99 per serve.

Dinner

Being Fishy Friday we returned to the Smoked Trout Cobb Salad, which is a favorite.

• The Smoked Rainbow Trout is $7.49 per pack, or $3.75 per serve
• The Burrata was $4.99 or $2.50 per serve
• Pastured Eggs are 51c per serve
• Organic Spinach was $1.99 and we used about ¼ or 25c per serve
• An Avocado was $2.00 and we shared one, or $1.00 per serve
• The Grape tomatoes cost $2.49 or 63c per serve
• Add 40c for Olive Oil and Balsamic Glaze.

The vacuum sealed Trout was better than the canned we’ve used previously. Overall, this is a great salad for $9.04 per serve.

Lunch

We went simple and easy today by filling a sandwich with Trader Joe’s Curry Chicken Salad, and another with their Egg Salad (plus some added sprouts).

• Dave’s Killer Bread is 77c per serve
• The Curry Chicken Salad is $4.49 for 11.5 oz, and we shared three, or 86c per serve
• The Egg Salad is $3.69 and we used about ¼, or 46c per serve.

A couple of okay sandwiches for $2.09 per serve.

Dinner

The warmer weather made it an easy decision to grill some Lamb Loin Chops and pair them with a Roasted Eggplant, Pomegranate and Yoghurt Feta.

• The Lamb Loin chops were $13.90, or $6.95 per serve
• The Eggplant was $1.39 or 70c per serve
• Greek Feta was $6.49 and we used half, or $1.63 per serve.
• Pomegranate Seeds were $4.49 and we used about half, or $1.13 per serve
• Add 30c for dressing ingredients.

An excellent meal for $10.71 per serve.

Lunch

We made it to San Diego in time for a working lunch at Luna Grill for $14.23 per serve with tax and tip.

Dinner

We were staying with a friend and business colleague who hosted with Pulled Pork, Sweet Potato and Broccoli Rabe, which the Foodies really enjoyed.

Lunch

Today we cooked up half a pack of Trader Joe’s Roasted Potatoes with Peppers and Onions, and topped with beaten eggs and cooked as a Frittata.

• The Roasted Potatoes with Peppers and Onions is $2.99 for the pack, but we used half, or 75c per serve
• Pastured Eggs are 51c each or $1.02 per serve.

We ate two quarters each, it was that good, for $1.77 per serve.

Dinner

Tonight we had a repeat of our Sous Vidé Pork Chops with Apple Endive Salad.

• The Pork Chops were $13.34 or $6.67 per serve
• Pink Lady Apple was 79c or 40c per serve
• The Belgian Endive is $2.69 or $1.35 per serve
• Add 40c for Coffee Rub, Apple Cider Vinegar and Oil.

The Coffee Rub was a great addition, with the subtle coffee flavor in every bite. They were cooked to perfection and the Apple Endive Salad was a perfect balance. A very good meal for $8.82 per serve.

Lunch

I’m not sure if we used going to Home Depot or Lowes just because they’re near the New York Chicken and Gyro, but is a pattern, and once again we had a Lamb Gyro for $8.17 per serve with tax and tip.

Dinner

While technically we can’t call it Boeuf Bourguignon (Beef Stew with Red Wine, Mushrooms and Bacon)but it 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 $1.00 or 25c per serve
• A onion was 50c or 13c per serve
• The wine is $1.50 for 1.5 cups or 38c per serve
• Add 50c per serve for seasoning, gelatin, garlic and oils
• The farro was $1.79 for the pack, but we shared ⅓ or 10c per serve.

We really enjoyed this. The gelatin substitutes for slow cooked connective tissue for an unctuous mouth feel, and the slow cook released a lot of flavor. The farro balanced the meat dish perfectly for $4.48 per serve.