Weeknight Cook

04/09/2026

04/09/2026

A huge thanks to everyone who has got behind our fundraising for the RFDS as part of the Oceans to Outback 87km's in October.
A special thanks to Rodger and Kath from Creativec Cuisine who have also jumped on board to dollar match the first $1000 raised.
What that means is that we have actually now raised over $3000!!
Lets keep going for such an invaluable cause!!!

11/08/2026

❤️ 87 km. One big WHY.
This October, I’m taking on the Oceans to Outback challenge — running 87 km to raise $1,000 for the Royal Flying Doctor Service (RFDS). ✈️
And this one is personal.
When I started my career as an Occupational Therapist in Mount Isa in 1998/99, I saw first-hand the incredible difference the RFDS makes to people living in rural and remote Australia.
More recently, my niece Tildy completed a placement with the RFDS. Hearing her talk about the people she met, the work she was involved in and the difference the RFDS makes reminded me all over again why this organisation is so special. ❤️
Having grown up in south-west Queensland, supporting rural and regional Australia is also at the heart of Weeknight Cook.
So I’m incredibly proud that Weeknight Cook will match every donation dollar-for-dollar, up to $1,000! 🙌
That means:
💰 Your $20 becomes $40
💰 Your $50 becomes $100
🎯 Reach $1,000 and we’ll turn it into $2,000 for the RFDS!
So, this October, I’ll be putting one foot in front of the other — 87 km, one kilometre at a time — to support an organisation that means so much to rural and remote Australia.
❤️ Please donate if you can, or simply share this post.
Let’s get behind our rural and remote communities and keep the Flying Doctor flying! ✈️❤️
👉 https://www.oceanstooutback.org.au/fundraisers/jillytyler
And a huge thank you to Tildy for letting me share some of her beautiful RFDS photos. ❤️

20/07/2026

Bees, Butterflies & Besties 🐝🦋💛
This weekend was filled with so many of the things I love.
On Saturday afternoon, I caught up with one of my oldest and dearest friends from Brisbane in Toowoomba. We were so busy chatting and laughing that we completely forgot to take a photo—but sometimes that's the sign of the very best catch-ups.
Before heading to Toowoomba, I couldn't resist stopping by the hives in the canola. Once I'm behind the lens, I become completely immersed in the moment... right up until I got stung on the head! 🐝😅
Did that stop me? Not a chance! Sunday morning, with a messy house, friends arriving for lunch and an afternoon of painting, I headed straight back to the bees—this time wearing a hat! From there it was into the garden to pick fresh flowers and photograph the beautiful butterflies dancing amongst the blooms. 🦋🌸
Thankfully, Kelvin and the boys came to the rescue, helping me get the house cleaned and ready before everyone arrived.
A huge thank you to Weeknight Cook for making lunch completely effortless. Their Chicken Saltimbocca with creamy mashed potato and steamed beans meant there was absolutely no prep beforehand, giving me the freedom to spend more time with my bees and butterflies. And the best part? There was no mountain of dishes afterwards either! A quick stack of the dishwasher and we were straight back out to the creative space to continue painting and enjoying a wonderfully relaxed afternoon together.
Weekends like this are good for the soul—time with treasured friends, moments in nature, a little creativity, delicious food without the fuss, and memories made along the way. 💛

12/07/2026

It looked like the perfect holiday... but the reality? It was a little chaotic!
Between driving back to Brisbane every day for soccer commitments, juggling work, trying to keep on top of life (and yes... sneaking in a couple of seafood lunches with Nicko 🦐😉), I came home yesterday feeling completely exhausted... and then guilty for feeling that way.
To top it all off, Kel and I had been so caught up in everything that we BOTH forgot today was our wedding anniversary! 🤦‍♀️❤️
But after spending the morning working on the farm with the boys, Kel drove into town, picked up lunch, came home with beautiful flowers and my favourite ch*****ne. I felt incredibly spoilt.
And you know what? It got me thinking...
Today has been one of my favourite days in a long time. Not because we were somewhere fancy or on holiday, but because we slowed down.
We laughed over lunch on the pool deck. We made homemade pizzas tonight (Tyler's favourite 🍕). We played pickleball, shot hoops, sat around the fire pit, and simply enjoyed being together.
It reminded me that life isn't really about chasing the next big thing.
It's about the moments.
The everyday moments.
The imperfect moments.
The moments around the dinner table.
That's exactly why I created Weeknight Cook. Not to make life perfect, but to make those busy weeknights just a little easier, so there's more time for the people who matter most.
Because years from now, we probably won't remember how clean the house was or how busy the week felt...
We'll remember the pizzas, the laughter, the fire pit conversations, and the people we shared them with. ❤️
Here's to making more moments. xx

05/07/2026

May and June... honestly, why do I convince myself every year that this time will be different? 🤦‍♀️😂
EOFY ✔️
Planting ✔️
Boys' school and extracurricular activities ✔️
My own projects ✔️
Weeknight Cook events ✔️
Every year I think, "We've been doing this for nearly 20 years... we've got this!"
Then the last week of June rolls around and... I fall in a heap. Every. Single. Year. 😅
BUT... this year I surprised myself.
In amongst all the usual craziness, I somehow agreed to cater for 50+ people on Friday. Now, Weeknight Cook is all about making entertaining easy... but 50 people still feels like a LOT when you're standing in the kitchen wondering if you've cooked enough rice! 😂
Luckily our Hoisin & Garlic Pork with Rodger's amazing Warm Asian Slaw, our Lamb Souvlaki with (you guessed it!) Rodger's sensational Mediterranean Veges, and our Green Thai Chicken with rice were a huge hit... even if lunch made a slightly fashionable late entrance! 😉
The real heroes though? My three boys. ❤️ They jumped in, worked hard, kept me (mostly!) calm, and made me one very proud Mum and grateful wife. I honestly couldn't have done it without them.
Yesterday we finally made it to the beach for what is a very well-earned holiday (especially for the boys!).
Last night we shared dinner with the infamous Chef Rodger and his beautiful wife Kath, who, as it turns out, is a pretty incredible cook herself! Today's lunch involved so much laughing that none of us remembered to take a single photo... so you'll just have to enjoy this gorgeous view instead. 🌊☀️
For the next few days you'll find me recharging by the ocean, pretending I won't do exactly the same thing all over again next May and June! 😂

02/07/2026

Yesterday we had the absolute privilege of being invited to the Dalby Wholelife Pharmacy and Healthfoods Market Day
I am a huge believer in supporting those that have supported you... and Dalby Wholelife have supported us from Day 1... so being there was a no brainer!!
My dilemma.. I am incredibly socially shy and awkward, so things like this bring on a whole heap of anxiety!!
But yesterday turned our really special, thanks to my teenage boys Nick & Jack, who were right by my side!! (And yes... apologies for the unironed aprons... an oversight in my nervous preparation!)
We had fun serving up Meatball Subs with our new and delicious sauce and Nachos made on our fantastic BBQ Pulled Beef!!
A huge thanks to the amazing team WholeLife Pharmacy & Healthfoods Dalby for inviting us and a huge congratulations on a fantastic Market Day. It was wonderful to be a part of it.
BUT.. a huge thanks to Nick & Jack, and of course Kelvin who is such a great support!! Your constant encouragement gives me the courage to step outside my comfort zone and keep moving forward!!

26/06/2026

Sometimes the best ideas aren't part of the plan... 💛
A few weeks ago, we had what we now call our Post-it Note moment.
Thanks to a little miscommunication with our factory, our tried-and-tested Weeknight Cook Napoli sauce wasn't on the production schedule in time for our Meatball Sub Fundraiser. 🤦‍♀️
So, like many small businesses and start-ups, we did what we do best—we pivoted. Rather than putting unnecessary pressure on our incredible production team, we switched to an alternative sauce that could be made in time.
Well... something unexpected happened.
The feedback was incredible.
From fundraiser customers to my own teenage sons (who don't hand out compliments easily! 😂), we kept hearing the same thing:
"The usual sauce is great... but the sauce on the subs this time was INSANE!"
As a customer-driven brand, we're always listening, always learning and always looking for ways to make our meals even better.
So... we're excited to announce that we're officially trialling our NEW Italian sauce! 🍅✨
And what better place to launch it than with our wonderful friends at WholeLife Pharmacy & Health Foods during their Market Day on Wednesday, 1 July.
We're so grateful for our partnership with WholeLife Pharmacy & Health Foods and for the incredible support we've received from the Dalby community since day one. ❤️
📍 Dalby locals, come down, sample our new sauce and let us know what you think. We can't wait to hear your feedback—because sometimes the best ideas come from the most unexpected moments.