4/16/2009 retrospective:

A bit over a year ago – Hoboken411 certainly had a little extra time on his hands.

Still a delicious pizza, though!

hoboken-hoboken411-homemade-pizza.jpgLast year – many of you may remember this wacky “$10 a day” food challenge I imposed upon myself (for site content – and a New Year’s resolution). I wanted to see if I could survive an entire month only spending $310 for all my food and drink. I survived the challenge – but failed with the documentation on 411 towards the end because keeping track of my every morsel of food was exhausting! It was hard enough running the site back then – and the detailed analysis of every meal (photography, cost, calories) – just took the wind out of me.

But I somehow ran into this old post (which was the first day of the 2008 challenge) – and thought it would be of interest to some of the newer readers – especially with the “economic crisis” many of us might be in.

If can can crack the code on how to handle the enormous amount of data I process each day (read: get better organized and become more responsible) – I may rejuvenate this series once again. Baby steps.

SEE THE WHOLE RECIPE AND COST AFTER THE JUMP…

1/2/2008:

As you read earlier, I’ve decided to try living off an average of $10 per day in Hoboken for the entire month of January.

Below is my 1/1/2008 experience. Was easier than I thought, and hope I can continue for the next 30 days! My first day of the new year consisted of a Hoboken411 homemade pizza, some free lasagna, water, one vegetable, and I cheated on a cup of coffee (I was trying to limit my caffeine/artificial sweetener intake.)

See the cost, and my great 411 recipe for an excellent personal pizza after the jump!

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Day number 1 results

Meal #1:

I was a bit tired, hungover and foggy. Woke up late, and was in the lunch mood. See the Hoboken411 special pizza I had right away, and how it’s done.

Ingredients required:

  • Kontos “Pocketless Pitas” – $1.99 per 5-pack ($0.40 per pita) – available at local bodegas
  • Trader Joe’s Italian Sausage pasta sauce – $2.99 per jar (about $0.30 per serving)
  • Trader Joe’s Quattro Formaggio cheese blend – $4.69 per bag (about $0.47 per pizza)
  • Spices – you probably already have at home.

Total cost: $1.17

This pizza is simple to make, and a super treat for your tongue. I like these pies better than any other pizza in Hoboken. Here’s how you do it.

Pick up a pack of these pocketless pitas. They’re awesome. The don’t sell anything like it at TJ’s, and I haven’t checked the local supermarkets, but they sell them at my local bodega.

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Next, apply about three tablespoons of the Italian Sausage sauce. It’s a tad on the sweet side, but has exceptional flavor, and tastes very “ripe.”

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Evenly apply about 1.2oz of the Quattro Formaggio chesse on the pita. Season as necessary (I added a few sprinkles of oregano leaves I already had.)

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Bake at about 8-10 minutes at 400 degrees, and presto! A super delicious pizza! See nutrition facts below.

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Nutrition Facts

Total Calories: 350
Fat: 13g
Carbohydrates: 45
Protein: 15g
Sodium: 1040mg (a little high, but worth it!)

Meal #2

I was treated to a nice portion of homemade vegetable lasagna. The cost? Free. The real cost? Two hours of my time and some soreness for helping a great friend move some heavy objects. I was awarded for my genius moving techniques.

Cost: $0.00

Meal #3:

Wasn’t really hungry, but wanted something refreshing. What did I do? I had one of the Trader Joe’s organic cucumbers I had in my fridge (no pic.)

Cost: $1.65

Beverage expense:

Ugh. I was out walking Oscar.. and needed a pick-me-up. So I cheated a bit and went to Dunkin Donuts on 7th and Wash. I ordered an XL Hazelnut coffee, skim plus two Sweet-N-Low’s. Normal cost? $2.30. My cost? $1.06. I used a 99 cent coupon I had from one of those mailers.

I’m well on my way to achieving my $10/day goal with an excellent showing on the first day of the year. See running totals below.

Day #1:
Food: $2.82
Drink: $1.06
Total spent: $3.88

January
Monthly total: $3.88
Budget left: $306.12

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