Cooking for 1 cheaper than going out?

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M.O.M.,
let's back track a bit:

- what are the usual temperatures inside your truck?
- are you always on the run between customer sites/jobs?
- what are your cooking skills?

probably investing in a cooler bag/box and an insulated bottle (thermos/stanley 1-2 liters) would solve keeping any food warm/cold and make it easier to have hot/warm coffee/tea/soup around lunchtime
 
Originally Posted By: AZjeff
Originally Posted By: eyeofthetiger
When I make spaghetti, it costs a minimum of $10. Pasta is $1, meat is $4, tomato paste is $1, an onion is $1, mushrooms are $2, add $1 for useage of garlic cloves, cheese, herbs and spices.
The best part about cooking my own meals is the food quality.

$10 for how many servings? Next day spaghetti is great.


I agree!! Spaghetti always seems to taste better the next day.
 
What I like to do is fire up the grill and cook some chicken,beef,and a collage of vegetables. I'll use the meats the following couple of weeks to make different dishes. Tacos,burritos,chalupas,a la carte,etc.
 
Originally Posted By: Kestas
I just spent 8 days in misery after eating a dish I ordered at a fancy, kitchy restaurant. The chef was named one of the top ten in Detroit and is reputed to use fresh food.

I never had tummy problems when I made my own meals.


Chipolte's big claim to fame was their fresh ingredients and look at the hundreds (thousands?) of customers that were sickened at their locations around the country..

Never happen to me, yet, but I know several people sickened after eating out at various restaurants.
 
Depends what you cook. My wife and I shop the supermarket specials, stocking up on meats, dividing the purchases into ziplock bags sized for one meal for the two of us in each bag (we are not skimpy on portions and often have leftovers) and storing in the freezer. Onions, tomatoes, potatoes, carrots, scallions and some basic salad fixins are usually the only fresh things we use. (no we don't use fresh herbs or other expensive items). Frozen veggies and ice cream for desert are about the only frozen items we purchase from the store. We use some canned things (pork and beans, chick peas, etc.) We do purchase lamb chops and steak (strip, rib-eye, etc. again only on sale) so it is not all the less expensive pork chops, pork roasts, sausage, hamburger & chicken every night. I also go salt water fishing and get quite a few meals from what I catch.

Many folks go to the store every few days to get whatever comes to mind no matter the cost to eat all fresh stuff.

The results of the way we do things are surprisingly inexpensive to most, but not to us.
 
Originally Posted By: aquariuscsm
Originally Posted By: AZjeff
Originally Posted By: eyeofthetiger
When I make spaghetti, it costs a minimum of $10. Pasta is $1, meat is $4, tomato paste is $1, an onion is $1, mushrooms are $2, add $1 for useage of garlic cloves, cheese, herbs and spices.
The best part about cooking my own meals is the food quality.

$10 for how many servings? Next day spaghetti is great.


I agree!! Spaghetti always seems to taste better the next day.


Weird, I never really like it reheated--I mean, it's food, but it's never as good as freshly cooked. I much prefer "fresh", and usually can't stop myself from sneaking as much as I can.
 
Originally Posted By: AZjeff
So motoroilmadman does his SOP of posting something wacky, generates 4 pages and never responds. When will we learn?

I predict at least 3 other threads before the weekend ends.....
 
Got to be honest, my wife cooks and I do the clean up. If I was alone I would probably eat out a lot or eat baloney sandwiches. Cooking is too much work.
 
Originally Posted By: aquariuscsm
Originally Posted By: AZjeff
Originally Posted By: eyeofthetiger
When I make spaghetti, it costs a minimum of $10. Pasta is $1, meat is $4, tomato paste is $1, an onion is $1, mushrooms are $2, add $1 for useage of garlic cloves, cheese, herbs and spices.
The best part about cooking my own meals is the food quality.

$10 for how many servings? Next day spaghetti is great.


I agree!! Spaghetti always seems to taste better the next day.


Probably cause the noodles absorbed the tomato sauce.
 
Originally Posted By: aquariuscsm
Originally Posted By: AZjeff
Originally Posted By: eyeofthetiger
When I make spaghetti, it costs a minimum of $10. Pasta is $1, meat is $4, tomato paste is $1, an onion is $1, mushrooms are $2, add $1 for useage of garlic cloves, cheese, herbs and spices.
The best part about cooking my own meals is the food quality.

$10 for how many servings? Next day spaghetti is great.


I agree!! Spaghetti always seems to taste better the next day.


How do you find the noodles when reheated ?

Good, aren't they ?...al dente, regardless of how soggy they were last night.

The starches retrograde overnight, and cross link, making them less digestible (you only get about 2/3 the calories from the pasta the next day), and more good food for gut bacteria.

Workmate used to work in an Italian Resteraunt, and said that they pre-cooked all tomorrow's pasta, put it in serving sized containers and refrigerated until tomorrow...then dunked them quickly in hot salty water as the orders came in...perfect pasta every time.
 
Originally Posted By: Shannow
Originally Posted By: aquariuscsm
Originally Posted By: AZjeff
Originally Posted By: eyeofthetiger
When I make spaghetti, it costs a minimum of $10. Pasta is $1, meat is $4, tomato paste is $1, an onion is $1, mushrooms are $2, add $1 for useage of garlic cloves, cheese, herbs and spices.
The best part about cooking my own meals is the food quality.

$10 for how many servings? Next day spaghetti is great.


I agree!! Spaghetti always seems to taste better the next day.


How do you find the noodles when reheated ?

Good, aren't they ?...al dente, regardless of how soggy they were last night.

The starches retrograde overnight, and cross link, making them less digestible (you only get about 2/3 the calories from the pasta the next day), and more good food for gut bacteria.

Workmate used to work in an Italian Resteraunt, and said that they pre-cooked all tomorrow's pasta, put it in serving sized containers and refrigerated until tomorrow...then dunked them quickly in hot salty water as the orders came in...perfect pasta every time.


I think next day noodles have a much better texture,more "rigid". And the sauce and spices' flavors seem to intensify. I'd actually like to make a spaghetti dinner the night before I eat it. I also make my own sauce from scratch. I can't stand store bought sauces. I prefer a "soupy" sweet sauce,I don't like anything chunky. I always use sugar,cinnamon,and lots of garlic in mine.
 
Originally Posted By: SeaJay
Depends what you cook. My wife and I shop the supermarket specials, stocking up on meats, dividing the purchases into ziplock bags sized for one meal for the two of us in each bag (we are not skimpy on portions and often have leftovers) and storing in the freezer. Onions, tomatoes, potatoes, carrots, scallions and some basic salad fixins are usually the only fresh things we use. (no we don't use fresh herbs or other expensive items). Frozen veggies and ice cream for desert are about the only frozen items we purchase from the store. We use some canned things (pork and beans, chick peas, etc.) We do purchase lamb chops and steak (strip, rib-eye, etc. again only on sale) so it is not all the less expensive pork chops, pork roasts, sausage, hamburger & chicken every night. I also go salt water fishing and get quite a few meals from what I catch.

Many folks go to the store every few days to get whatever comes to mind no matter the cost to eat all fresh stuff.

The results of the way we do things are surprisingly inexpensive to most, but not to us.




Exactly.
If salmon is on special this week, it'll be one of our meals over the next few days.
Chicken is always cheap and a roast chicken is always good. Roast pork is also always a good pick as is beef pot roast. All of these meals will yield leftovers which can then be used for casseroles, tacos or frittatas.
We have some e-coupons from Krogier for lamb chops and Cornish hens, so guess what we'll be having for a couple of dinners over the next few days?
There are so many things you can make that are both good and inexpensive.
Cooking is no great hardship either, and it fills the house with pleasant aromas that help to take the chill off these short winter days.
 
How do you spend $12 to $15 on a home cooked meal??? Do you eat beef tenderloin everday???

You can eat healthy, tasty, easy cooked home meals from the grocery store for under $5 all day long if you learn how to cook and shop. Buy meat when it's on sale and freeze it. Cook larger tasty meals in a crockpot and you'll have plenty of leftovers that can be re-engineered. You can do quick meat/veggy stirfrys on busy weeknights with a variety of sauces etc.
 
Originally Posted By: aquariuscsm
What I like to do is fire up the grill and cook some chicken,beef,and a collage of vegetables. I'll use the meats the following couple of weeks to make different dishes. Tacos,burritos,chalupas,a la carte,etc.



Here here! Any leftover meat I cook usually finds it's way into a tortilla for some kind of burrito. Leftover spaghetti always turns into baked stuffed spaghetti with melted cheese etc. Pot of chili goes into chili cheese baked potatoes etc.

You have to get creative to eat good but cheap.
 
Originally Posted By: Drew99GT
You have to get creative to eat good but cheap.


Exactly! That's what makes it so much fun
cheers3.gif
 
I was inclined to eat a prodigious amount of fresh fruit when I was single. So, my overall diet wasn't so bad.

Still, I've trended towards homemade. It's not so time consuming with a little thought.

One of those Instant Pot table top pressure cookers is a boon, and now they make them in small sizes. I've found a couple of bread recipes that freeze easily. With minimal advance planning that's doable too.

Have a "City Picker" subirrigated planter parked by a sunny door. Greens for four small salads a week for nothing more than a daily watering. Plus, no e.coli.

Someone gave me an Aerogarden hydroponic setup for a gift. Too small for tomatoes, but it has $10 worth of Parsley and dill growing in it at all times for a glass of water every other day and a change out of the water every month and a half.
 
I was inclined to eat a prodigious amount of fresh fruit when I was single. So, my overall diet wasn't so bad.

Still, I've trended towards homemade. It's not so time consuming with a little thought.

One of those Instant Pot table top pressure cookers is a boon, and now they make them in small sizes. I've found a couple of bread recipes that freeze easily. With minimal advance planning and a stand mixerthat's doable too.

Have a "City Picker" subirrigated planter parked by a sunny door. Greens for four small salads a week for nothing more than a daily watering. Plus, no e.coli.

Someone gave me an Aerogarden hydroponic setup for a gift. Too small for tomatoes, but it has $10 worth of Parsley and dill growing in it at all times for a glass of water every other day and a change out of the water every month and a half.
 
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