Our Usual Breakfast

Serendipity. This is more of a post of life builds to where you are.

2 years ago, I occasionally grilled burgers. I could follow a recipe, but cooking was hardly a priority and absolutely not a part of my life.

A year ago, I committed to my wife that I would start the three a day; 7 days a week duties as cook for our household.

8 months ago I started blogging as a lark.

I found you all (fellow food bloggers), and realized there was more to cooking than just following a recipe and grilling burgers (while swilling a beer). While I certainly do not waste money, living on a budget was never really a concern.

I read you all daily, I study what works, what doesn't and I feel like I learned a lot.

6 weeks ago, I stumbled across a post on "Julia Child Omelets". Same ingredients, but such a different style and taste... I was hooked. Now, I had read 10,000 posts before I saw the omelet post, but this happened at a time I needed to see it. It was before we got the go ahead for the move, but it hit me at just the right time, and I was able to add a skill (cooking Julia's omelets is not the same as cooking my old version... Does take a little skill)

One onion... lasted all week ... $1
Two Green Peppers... lasted all week ... $1
1/4 pound of chorizo sausage... lasted all week ... $2.50
18 eggs... lasted all week ... $4
2 sticks of butter... lasted all week ... $2
6 Beautiful Tomatoes...lasted all week ...$3
1/2 pound of coffee... lasted all week ...$5

Total cost for 5 days worth of breakfast... $18.50

Sure, it was repetitive, but I have a budget of $200. But, 1/3rd of our meals for less than 10% of the budget leaves money to splurge on.

We are living in town during the week, on weekends we are moving to a resort beach area. Whatever food we do not eat gets tossed in the trash or given away. Until we get a permanent location, and I can freeze and store long term... I have to use it up or lose it. But these omelets do taste special.

Well, the skills I "stumbled" upon during the last 8 months are serving me well.

Thanks guys




Very much, being a foodie on the island is about living on a budget, making your ingredients last and stretching to the best meal possible...

Serendipity (and you guys) brought me here. Wish I could give you all a rum punch

I went shopping at the "BIG" Grocery store

For the time being, we are staying near downtown Charlotte Amalie. It is the capital, but the shopping is geared more for the tourists that arrive on the cruise ships than for the locals... Prices are MUCH higher the closer you get to the ships.

The Pueblo is more of a locals grocery store.

This is the front of the Gourmet Gallery. This is the location for a taste of home for the tourists. Just about any stateside food is available here, but prices are easily double and often more for anything you want. An example would be CORN MEAL which I needed for a bread recipe I will be posting in a few days. I paid $4.25 for a 12 ounce bag.

OK, the rest of the post will be prices at Pueblo that had everything else I needed. I mentioned that rum is cheaper than orange juice... Well, here you are, $8.49 for a gallon of OJ. the Rum was $7.49 for a liter.

Some things just strike me as funny... This is a bottle of "MANLY" cooking wine.

Cassava... No idea, but they had a lot of it. Anyone have suggestions, let me know.

Malanga... Same thing, no idea???

These are directed at the sailors (lots of private yachts close by). Single servings of 6 spices you can combine for a single meal. Everything is humid, so spices are difficult to store. I guess smaller is better.

Sadly, I did not take a photo of an oddity, but... Corn (healthy and vegetables), $2.29

Next to it was a bag of Doritos... Snack food, empty calories, $3.49 (about the same as the states). What a world, what a world.

But, armed with my single bag of groceries (we are without a car for the time being, so I make a daily walk to the store to get a daily supply), I was ready to cook for the day. This does not deserve too much of a post, as I have already done a couple of posts on Julia Child Omelets, but this is Jackie's first breakfast right before she went to work for the first day...

A little chopped Chorizo sausage, diced onions, diced green pepper and some cut up sweet cherry tomatoes.

1 tablespoon butter, a clove of diced garlic, browned in teh butter, get the butter HOT, pour in 2 eggs, a little water, count to 20 slowly, add the mixings...

Start shaking Ala Julia and get it to roll up... serve with some sliced tomatoes.

And Bon Appetite