CantCookStillTry

@Kim Shook I wish. Just a brief interlude from normal life with an AMAZING bakery.

If I must. Maffra Cheddar. Fennel and Chili cured meat (forgot name), fresh baguette. Kid had strawberry jam donut. And bread and meat and cheese.

It's just Spaghetti Bolognaise but I tried the thing where you wash and then roast the mince before using. I was sceptical but I do believe it adds a depth of flavour - not something I would do everytime but with lower quality mince I think it helps.

And for the last shift meals of the swing. For dinner was Asian Style lamb... apparently 🤔 with garlic pizza bread. The last lunch/smoko was made up of pasta salad. A Sambo - Beef, cheese and Tomato I think. And this is apparently a Burrito. He also had fruit every day and said that by the end of it the fruit salad consisted of just two types of melon, not very ripe ones at that. I shall be back here in a week or so. Let me know if you have any questions for our dear eater - or any tips for his food photography 😂 I can't help him there.

My child has returned! He was fed emphatically on the drive home to quiet his chatter so I am to believe. I fed him chicken nuggets when he asked because I have to reinstate myself as best parent ever. He is refusing bed because he is a "Bacon Zombie" but I am not an enabler. Here is the tiniest air frier bacon sandwich ever (bread plate).

I have to ask.. what did you Do/Drop? Assuming oil but wanting to rule out a rogue sausage / pancake attack. 😁. Swift healing. I don't think I'm allowed to wear shoes in the house. Breaks some kind of code.

I'm sad to say the food has not been getting great reviews 😥. Last night for dinner we had a Pork Vindaloo - it was apparently the best yet and actually had spice to it. The potato was a bit crunchy - and not in the good way. Lunch was a coleslaw. A bland vegge quiche. And for Smoko/Breakfast a beef and hot mustard sandwich (Sambo 😂). Tomorrow is the last day of his swing and I may then revisit some of you on the cooking forum!

Sorry for the silence. There was a rebellion in the camp I had to calm 😂. Photos are resuming. Todays lunch. A repeat of the lamb and sweet potato casserole. And a pasta salad with olives and parmesan that ended in the bin. As for portion sizes. You can take as much or as little as you wish. There are desserts available and theres nothing to stop you having for example: curry, veg, chips, salad and a piece of fish - apart from your own sense of moderation I guess. And yes! Pumpkin. The Aussies love pumpkin. When I came here I knew of Butternuts and the giant ones you carve at halloween. Now there's blue ones, japanese ones, turkish ones, golden ones and the usual suspects. And they are allllll gross (to me) 😂. Edit to add: I have just found out the lamb casserole is literally the one from the other day. They freeze the leftovers and put it in the lunch selection section (yey for no waste!). With further info also on portion sizes - apparently my husband is reserved, the rest of his crew turn up with full eskies of boxes and biccies and cereal and sandwiches - and a lot end up in the bin (boo wasteful again).

Night four and grub for day 5. For tea we have a Lamb & Sweet Potato Casserole. I think with cauli, carrot and another thumb roll. Other options were pasta, fish and chips or a lentil curry. He believes that if you can be bothered to wait, you can also ask for a steak to be cooked. The quick serve options are from a Bain Marie you point at. For lunch I convinced him to grab something out of the breakfast section. There is cereal, wraps and fruit available too and they do 'hot food' but alas, dear reader, I am going to need a strong draw card to get him out of bed earlier. I don't think this egg bacon and spinach wrap is gonna help me either. For lunch part 2 a pumpkin feta and sundried tomato salad. And a (Ahem) Parmy. 😂. He got fruit too but if you have seen that 3 times its twice to many (and the very same reason I'm not posting my nightly toast in the dinner thread). I asked for dessert, I cannot yet cajole him in to covert dining hall pictures, but he says the dessert fridge is "Lame". There was Jelly, Custard, 2 flavours of Ice Cream and fruit. Miners or Toddlers? (I asked what the 2 flavours of icecream were exactly but for that sake of my marriage dropped the topic bloody quickly 😂).

Sorry. A parmy here is Parmigiana - the breaded meat topped with sauce and cheese. Not served with pasta though.

I spent a good five minutes trying to work out why his vege curry had a bit of luncheon meat on it. Its a badly lit, not very photogenic bread roll.

Oh and to clarify I'm not being a terrible mother by not cooking, husbands first shift has coincided with my kids annual week at Nannas pub (Middle of Nowhere, towns only service is the pub, population 77 - maybe i'll get him to take me blog photos when he is old enough for a phone!).

Look mining has come on quite a lot in modern times - the hours are long and the work is hard, but honestly, it's where many rural Aussie boys aim to be. A mine mechanic for example will earn double what a mechanic in a rural workshop would. You trade a poor home life for well, money I guess. His hut is his room, its a semi permanant, prefab, removable thing with a single bed, table, a tv a shower and toilet and a fridge. To be honest its a lot better than I thought. The rest of my husbands crew are amazed its his first "camp" despite being a veteran in his field - he has always picked DIDO (drive in drive out) work before when the kid was smaller. Tonights tea was a Thai curry with veg. Other options were a parmy or some kind of casserole. Tomorrows lunch will be the habitual fruit. And chopped salad. And, I quote "some kind of Pizza looking thing". Any guesses? I will answer the Pizza? Question tomorrow after lunch. Progress people, he took the lids off for me! But he also said " Ain't Happening " when I asked for Breakfast 🙄 😂.

The food hasn't really impressed him yet but its early days. The styrofoam is again a result of early days - he's been taking his evening meal back to his hut - hasn't taken to eating in the common area yet. Unfortunately I dont think all those plastics would be being reused. But I hope at least recycled. The noodle salad didnt get a good review but the fruit was good 🙂. I will ask for some mine pictures if they are allowed.

Yikes. I don't know where to start. But all will be revealed 😁. The mine in question is a Coal mine, which he has just gone back to after working Gold - hence the pick axe joke... I also tease him about plungers, TNT and coyotes/road runners but he assures me its much more modern 😁. I will get to see him every couple of weeks. I will try and make him investigate breakfast for our enjoyment but as they leave camp at 0430 don't hold your breath! Yes the veges were good. Thats why he chose that option. The meatloaf sadly couldn't be saved despite being drowned in gravy. The second night was called Vindaloo but he said it was more a casserole and didn't have any spice to it. I will get back to more later. Thank you for your interest 🙂.

Dinner Day 2 and lunch for day 3. "Vindaloo" Lunch. Noodle Salad. Coleslawish. Fruit. Beef? I will get him to work on his photos. Baby steps. He dosen't understand my obsession 😂.

Day one. Dinner One. Lunch for Day 2. Meat Loaf and Veges. The best looking out of lasagne, stew and curry options. Lunch is prepacked salad and chicken and fruit.

Mining. It's controversial. Food and eating is not. My husband has recently taken a position that means he spends half the year in and being fed by, a Mine Camp. As I won't be cooking much as I'm home alone, and as this place is my main source of social interaction, I have decided to force the man to take me pictures of his meals 😂. Enjoy... or not... (they are so far iffy). And contribute if you would like... I'm lonely 😂.

I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry. There is chunky steak under there. I'm sorry.

More Tik Tok wraps in my house tonight. Featuring Salsa, Sautèd capsicum & onion, Rib fillet, Lettuce & Cheese. Pressed

We went to the pub for lunch, all ordered via app so didn't think to ask questions. My Son ordered the "Dino Pizza" - turns out Dinos are pineapple flavour and thats a no for him. Yes my cheap ass took that dino home picked off the offending fruit, added cheese and bacon and reheated that sucker in a cast iron for his tea. 😂🤷‍♀️ To further my frugality, I also doggy bagged the mexican schnitzel my hub couldn't eat. I've just sliced it up, added cheese, left over bacon & salsa and made him a toastie for tea. Even used the same plate. Winning with the laziness tonight!

So I tried the Viral TikTok Wrap thing (which I know is probably just a common mexican way of folding a Tortilla). But I have to say my husband was very impressed and has requested all future wraps to be made like this for even ingredient distribution. Snip half way, fold in quarters etc.

Getting ready for Christmas Day so made the boys my Patented 40 Min "Picky Chicky" (here's a chicken, I have provided food, stand over it and pick it apart like animals until you're done, leave me alone) to free myself some time. Enter the suprise early incoming of the mother in law in t-minus 30 minutes 🤦‍♀️. Picky Chicky became a socially acceptable actual meal -Rogan Josh. The small boy was devastated 😂.

Thanks for the article! I bet not one Aussie I know gets the four and twenty reference! I just woke my husband up to inform him of this fact. He was Ama... not amused... but I'm sure he'll appreciate it tomorrow. (In case this is taken as sarcasm, I'm honestly tickled). Here's a pie I had for lunch by accident today. I went to the bakery for a salad roll but there were so many people I couldn't stand to wait for my fussy arse order to be made. I asked for a steak pie but it was mince so pretty meh - good pastry though as always. Again referencing the article, the town closest to where I live has a population of approx 2200 people - and 3 pie shops. No fast food. The Aussies like Pie.

Master 7 requested Curry, Rice and Papadum for dinner - and I shortcutted the cr×p out of it - shamelessly. I had a jar sauce I picked up from a newly opened indian grocer in the nearest city, so I had a semi feeling of authenticity - but then I pondered the supposed origins of Tikka Masala and lost it... however this sauce was not tomatoey or creamy or luminous red so who knows 🤷‍♀️. Microwave Rice (Yes I'll get my coat) and I did at least fry the Pappadum discs myself... and brown the chicken. Big Lord and Small Master appeased.