This may be because I grew up in Port Augusta in the 80s, where the most exotic cuisine available was lemon chicken from the now-closed King Po Chinese Restaurant and Takeaway.

I'm not much of a creative cook and most of my staple dishes are traditional old-school country meals you might find in the Wirrabara Primary School Cookbook. I will unapologetically serve up casseroles, meat and three veg, roasts and tuna mornae alongside the multi-cultural offerings of the new millenium like laksa and curries.

Lots of blogs turn out amazing healthy recipes which I will happily pin to Pinterest and then forget about unless it promises the use of only one pan or mug, in the case of the amazing microwave brownie.

I think this cooking apathy comes from a pathological loathing of doing the dishes. I hate it. HAAAAATE it. And after finally moving into a house that has a dishwasher (cue angelic choir every time I open it), it is still a hard mindset to move away from. No longer do I have to be utensil retentive. However I will use the nasty cheap saucepans rather than the good Tefal ones because they can go in the dishwasher!

So, anyway, my top tips for spaghetti bolognese:

Use pork mince. Seriously. Even if you're not into pork (like me), use pork mince. You will never look back. We switched a few years ago and the change in flavour was amazing. Also, it's better for you.

Use a pre-made jar if you want but only as a base. Add extra cans of tomatoes, onion, fresh or minced garlic, herbs, salt and pepper, chilli flakes if you like. Add a splash of red wine. Not heaps, just a splash. Give it a good chance to simmer and boil down into flavourtown.

Use whatever pasta you want. Seriously. Nobody is judging. Bows, alphagetti, spirals, penne, fettucini . . . I like angel hair because it cooks quickly or the vegeroni spirals. Align yourself to a particular brand or get whatever's on special. Personally, I buy San Remo because they're South Australian, but that's me.

Serve, eat, freeze the rest.


Simples!

Where do you stand on spaghetti?

Recently they were on another special - possibly 40% off this time - and with access unimpeded, I decided to try a couple of the flavours that had caught my side eye; Coffee Choc Crunch and Caramel Popcorn. 

They look pretty similar in-bowl, but the coffee one is on the spoon

I prepared my bowl with a taste of each. Just a little sumpin' sumpin' because, you know, healthy 2015 etc. 

The first flavour I scooped up with my shiny new dessert spoon (received as part of an eight-person cutlery canteen for Christmas from my parents) and delicately shovelled into my gob was the caramel popcorn. Sweet and rich with pieces of actual popcorn in it which I was excited about. However, what do you think happens to yummy crunchy popcorn when it's mixed in with liquid and chilled? Yep, you end up chewing on stuff that is the consistency of small bits of tasty cardboard. 

The Coffee Choc Crunch also had a good quality taste, nice coffee flavour and creamy texture but again, the promised "crunch" failed to deliver.  More chewy morsels, more vague and misplaced disappointment. 

In summary, both ice cream flavours are totally pleasant to eat but are trying too hard and could have done without the added gimmicky extras. Although I enjoyed them and will continue to do so until the (quickly-reached) end of the tubs, it's not a product I would continue to buy at full price. My husband agreed with my point about consistency and texture but since he'll eat anything that doesn't have fresh coriander in it, he wasn't bothered.

This is not a sponsored post. I bought the icecream out of the grocery budget!