Just stick it in the oven!

So have you ever noticed how bad habits can grip you very quickly?

Happens to me all the time!

The latest bad habit to take control at Man Pit is OVEN FOOD! Oven food of any high-caloried description, as long as all I have to do is stick it in and set a timer.

My oven has an angelic glow!

Some back-story first! For the past six years my delightful partner Aschapelle (artist formerly known as Boyfriend than exBoyfriend now Aschapelle) did all the cooking of the evening meals. Now I am living in the city’s most glamorous of bachelor pads, Man Pit, I am having to fend for myself. It ain’t going so well. I hate cooking, I have no skill at it, and I certainly have no flair for it. Colonel Sanders is my all-time favourite chef. That says it all really.

Also, the first time I cooked at Man Pit I embarrassingly set off the fire alarm. It's left me scared to use the fry pan. So much safer to stick things in the oven.  So simple – set the temp, set the timer on the iPhone – dinner is ready! Let me take you through a few of my favourite things, or 80% of my evening meals this past few months…

My personal favourite is the Sargent’s Angus Beef pies – the absolute best $4 you can ever spend.

Second most regular go-to item in my freezer is the Birdseye fish fillets which I have loved for a very, very long time. Especially the herb & garlic.

A recent addition to my scintillating oven repertoire is the mini Chicken Kiev’s, so much joy in such a little bundle.

And the piece–de-resistance is my Party favourite – the Puffy Dogs! Mini frankfurters wrapped in pastry. Delightful!

But after a lovely, lovely dinner with a group of friends this week I’ve learnt the error of my ways. Apparently it is quite easy to cook healthy, easy meals for one – who would’ve thought! Julie McCoy was particularly helpful, she is a genius in many capacities. She gave me two brilliant recipes. One is a simple as mixed salad greens, olive oil, lemon juice, salt and pepper. Even I can’t go wrong with that surely. So I gave it a shot, judge for yourself…

The bowl of fruit is purely decorative.

I even tossed it with my own hands. An absolute first for me!

And yes, I did the steak under the grill cause I am still too scared to use the fry pan. Hey, you don’t become Jamie Oliver overnight. Working myself up to that.

Little Sammy likes to watch me eat steak.

But I’m feeling just a little proud tonight that I’ve at least mastered a salad – it was DELICIOUS! That’s a big step forward for me and huge inroads to Bachelorhood.

This is certainly going to make more room in my freezer for vodka and ice-cream.

Special thank you to my all-time favourite travel agent Julie McCoy for sharing her knowledge of food!