---
title: Rocky's Nutrition & Meal System
created: 2026-05-03
updated: 2026-05-03
type: reference
tags: [nutrition, meal-prep, recipes, health]
status: live
version: "1.1"
source: conversation — slow cooker section added May 2026
---

# Rocky's Nutrition & Meal System

A working document covering the daily eating structure, meal-prep approach, recipe rotation, and the Obsidian/Hermes/Cowork automation layer.

---

## Part 1: The Daily Structure

### Schedule

| Time | Meal | Notes |
|------|------|-------|
| 04:30 | Train | Anytime Fitness |
| 05:30ish | Post-training shake | Fast + slow protein, carbs for fuel |
| 06:50 | Tin of sardines | Before starting work |
| 11:00 | Lunch (Monster Mash or rotation) | Meal-prepped Sunday |
| Mid-afternoon (optional) | Bridge snack | Yoghurt, fruit, nuts, or 2nd tin sardines |
| Evening | Dinner | Air fryer protein + carb + veg, or slow cooker meal |
| 2hrs before bed | Pre-bed shake | Casein-focused (milk + milk powder) |

### Rough Daily Macros

- **Protein:** 200-250g
- **Calories:** 2500-3000 (adjust portions for cut/bulk)
- **Protein feedings:** 5 spread across day (optimal for over-40 muscle protein synthesis)

---

## Part 2: The Shakes

### Morning Post-Training Shake (Daily Driver)

Filled to the top of a 900ml NutriBullet.

- 1 cup (~250ml) full-fat milk
- 1 cup (~200g) Greek yoghurt
- 1 scoop (~30g) unflavoured whey protein
- Frozen berries (blueberries + strawberries) — fill to top
- Optional: half a frozen banana (training days, swap out a handful of berries to fit)

**Macros:** ~50-55g protein, 35-45g carbs, 8-12g fat, ~450-550 cal

**Loading order:** liquid first (milk against blade), soft stuff next (yoghurt, whey), frozen on top.

**If out of whey:** 4 raw eggs subs in cleanly. ~24g protein. Texture goes slightly creamier/custardy. Flavour completely masked by berries and banana. Aussie eggs from a fresh carton — salmonella risk in Australia is very low (no salmonella enteritidis in commercial flock). Pasteurised eggs if extra cautious.

### Pre-Bed Shake (2 hours before sleep)

Casein-focused for overnight protein release.

- 1 cup full-fat milk
- 2 heaped tablespoons skim milk powder (cheap, high protein, slow-release casein)
- Handful of berries
- Optional: small drizzle of honey

**Why milk powder over whey here:** milk protein is 80% casein, releases over 4-7 hours through the night. Whey is fast-digesting, wrong tool for sleep.

### The Old-School Strongman Shake (When Going for Mass)

For reference — the full pre-protein-powder era recipe:

- Pint of full-fat milk
- 4-6 raw eggs
- Scoop of milk powder
- Ripe banana (the more spotted, the better)
- 1-2 tbsp blackstrap molasses
- 1 tbsp malt extract
- 1 sachet gelatin powder (Knox-style)
- Optional: peanut butter, brewer's yeast

Use sparingly — it's a serious mass-builder, not a daily.

---

## Part 3: Recipe Rotation

### The Template

**Protein + Grain + Flavour Base = Meal**

Same cooking method, swap any of the three components, completely different meal. Stops boredom without breaking the system.

### Monster Mash (Base Recipe)

Rich Piana's classic. Sunday meal-prep, 5 portions for the week.

**Ingredients:**
- 1kg ground beef (20% fat / 80/20 mince)
- 2 cups dry rice → cooked in chicken stock
- 2 brown onions, diced
- 2 red capsicums, diced
- 2-3 garlic cloves, minced (optional but recommended)
- Coconut oil (or tallow/olive oil)
- Salt, pepper, smoked paprika
- Optional: handful of frozen spinach at the end, splash of Worcestershire

**Method:**
1. Cook rice in chicken stock (separate pot)
2. Heat coconut oil in large pan, medium heat
3. Onions in first, fry 5-8 min until soft and starting to colour
4. Garlic and capsicum, another 3-4 min
5. Add mince, break up, brown it
6. Add cooked rice, stir through
7. Salt, pepper, paprika to taste
8. Optional: frozen spinach, Worcestershire at end

**Stores:** 4 days fridge, longer frozen. 5-6 portions.

### Lunch Rotation (4-Week Cycle)

Each week = one theme cooked Sunday, 5 portions. By the time it comes back round, you've forgotten you were sick of it.

| Week | Theme | Protein | Grain | Flavour Base |
|------|-------|---------|-------|--------------|
| 1 | Monster Mash | Beef mince | White rice | Salt/pepper/paprika |
| 2 | Mexican Beef | Beef mince | White rice | Cumin, paprika, chilli, lime, black beans |
| 3 | Chicken Curry | Chicken thigh | Basmati rice | Curry paste, coconut milk, frozen veg |
| 4 | Chilli con Carne | Beef mince | White rice | Tinned tomatoes, kidney beans, chilli, cumin |

### Other Lunch Options (Mix In)

- **Bolognese** — beef mince, tomato, garlic, oregano, pasta
- **Beef stir fry** — diced steak, frozen Asian veg, soy/garlic/ginger
- **Lamb tagine** — lamb mince, ras el hanout, tinned tomatoes, chickpeas, couscous
- **Hainanese chicken & rice** — poached chicken thigh, ginger rice, soy/chilli
- **Korean beef bowl** — gochujang, garlic, soy, sesame, rice

### Dinner Template

Air fryer + minimum faff. Get home, throw it in, done.

**Protein options:**
- Salmon fillet (180°C, 8-10 min, skin down)
- Steak
- Chicken thigh
- Pork chop

**Carb options:**
- Sweet potato (cubed, light oil, 200°C, 20 min)
- White potato
- Rice (rice cooker)

**Veg:**
- Bag of frozen veg straight in the air fryer (broccoli, beans, cauliflower)
- Fresh salad if hot evening

### Breakfast Variety (When Not Doing the Shake)

**Overnight Oats** (3-4 jars Sunday night):
- 1/2 cup oats
- 1 cup milk
- 100g Greek yoghurt
- 1 tbsp chia or flaxseed
- 1 tbsp honey
- Berries on top in the morning
- Optional: scoop of whey

**Greek Yoghurt Bowl** (no-cook):
- 250g Greek yoghurt
- Handful of berries
- Drizzle of honey
- Sprinkle of granola or muesli
- Walnuts/almonds

**Eggs and Oats** (old-school):
- Big bowl of porridge made with milk, honey
- 3-4 scrambled or boiled eggs on the side

**Smoothie Bowl:**
- Same shake ingredients, less liquid, eat with a spoon
- Top with granola, nuts, coconut, extra berries

---

## Part 4: Stan Efferding's Drinks (Bridge Drinks)

For mid-afternoon between Monster Mash and dinner, or as a nutrient hit.

### Muscle Shake (OJ + Greek Yoghurt)

- 1 cup orange juice
- 1 cup Greek yoghurt
- Optional: scoop of vanilla whey
- Pinch of salt

Tastes like an orange Creamsicle. Fast carbs + slow protein + potassium + calcium.

### Green Drink (OJ + Spinach)

- 2 cups orange juice
- 1-2 cups frozen spinach
- Blend hard

OJ completely masks the spinach. Massive folate, vitamin K, magnesium hit. Use frozen spinach — blends smoother and cheaper than fresh.

---

## Part 5: Cut Protocol

When leaning out:

- **Sardine-only week** — 4 tins/day, water, electrolytes (sodium, potassium, magnesium), multivitamin, psyllium husk for fibre
- **Sardines in spring water or olive oil**, not brine (sodium too high)
- **No heavy training** during the cut week — walking and light work only, glycogen will be empty
- **Don't run more than 3-4 times a year** — it's a reset, not a lifestyle
- **Re-introduce slowly** — back to normal eating over 2-3 days

---

## Part 6: Supplements (What Actually Matters)

- **Creatine** 5g daily (joint and brain benefits beyond strength)
- **Vitamin D** 2000-4000 IU (Sydney winters + indoor work)
- **Magnesium glycinate** before bed
- **Fish oil** (only if not eating fatty fish 3+ times/week — sardines and salmon cover this)
- **Whey protein** as convenience, not religion
- **Multivitamin + biotin** during sardine-only weeks (offsets raw egg avidin issue and missing micronutrients)

Skip everything else unless bloodwork shows a need.

---

## Part 7: Sunday Meal Prep System

90 minutes, lunches sorted for the week.

### The Routine

1. **Cook this week's lunch theme** (1kg of one protein + grains + flavour base) → portion into 5 containers
2. **Make 3-4 jars of overnight oats** as breakfast backups
3. **Boil a dozen eggs** for snacks/breakfast add-ons
4. **Cut up snacking veg** (capsicum, carrots, cucumber)
5. **Freeze bananas** if running low (peel, chunk, ziplock)
6. **Prep slow cooker dump bags** for the week's dinners (see Part 8)

### The Principle

You don't need infinite variety. You need enough rotation that no single meal feels like punishment. Most people can eat the same lunch 3-5 days running before fatigue. A 4-week rotation of 4 themes means you eat each one 5 times, then don't see it for 3 weeks.

A small system that runs on rails, not a different meal every day. Same logic as RateRight and training.

---

## Part 8: Slow Cooker Dump Bag System (Dinners)

Lunches are sorted by the Monster Mash rotation. Dinners can be sorted by slow cooker dump bags — same principle, different cooking method. Especially valuable when sharing the house with the two Irish lads (cost split three ways, ~$45-50 each per fortnight).

### The Concept

Sunday: prep everything into freezer bags, freeze flat.
Night before cook day: move bag from freezer to fridge to defrost.
Morning: dump bag into slow cooker, set timer (LOW 6-8 hours), walk out the door.
Evening: walk in to a hot dinner, 5-10 mins of finishing (parsley sauce, microwave rice, etc.).

### Food Safety

**Never put frozen meat straight into the slow cooker.** It sits in the danger zone (5-60°C) too long while thawing. Two safe approaches:

1. **Best:** move bag from freezer to fridge night before. Thaws overnight, ready to dump in the morning.
2. **Backup:** if forgotten, run sealed bag under cold tap water for 10-15 mins to break the ice, then dump in. Some still frozen is okay, fully rock-solid is not.

### Slow Cooker Sizing

For three lads sharing — get a **5-6 litre cooker minimum**. Kmart sells decent 6L slow cookers for $40-50. Bunnings also stocks them.

### Timer Setup

- **Modern slow cookers** have built-in timers — set cook time, auto-switches to "warm" when done.
- **Manual on/off cookers** — pair with a **plug-in timer from Bunnings** (electrical aisle 42, ~$12). Set timer to switch ON when you want cooking to start. Cooker must be the kind that auto-starts when power is applied (most older manual ones do; digital ones with their own buttons won't work).

### Freezer Bags

- **Glad Snap Lock Resealable Freezer Bags, large (27cm x 33cm)** — Coles/Woolies, ~$5-6 for 20.
- **Cheaper at Reject Shop or Kmart** — same quality.
- **Bunnings** stocks them too in the kitchen/storage aisle.

For three lads doing 6 bags per fortnight, two boxes (~40 bags) lasts months. ~$10-12 total.

### The Six-Meal Pack

Six dump bags from one Sunday shop. ~$130-150 total → split three ways = ~$45-50 each per fortnight = ~$6 per dinner per person.

#### Bag 1: Chicken Curry

- 1kg chicken thigh fillets, diced
- 1 onion, sliced
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- Thumb of ginger, grated
- 1 jar Patak's tikka masala paste (375g)
- 1 tsp salt

**Add fresh on the day:** 1 tin coconut milk

**Cook:** LOW 6-8 hours. Serve with microwave rice.

#### Bag 2: Irish Stew

- 1kg lamb neck chops, bone-in (or forequarter chops)
- 3 onions, sliced thick
- 4 carrots, chunked
- 1 leek, sliced
- 2 sprigs fresh thyme
- 2 bay leaves
- 1.5 tsp salt, 1 tsp pepper

**Add fresh on the day:** 6-8 potatoes (peeled, quartered, layered on top), 750ml water/stock

**Cook:** LOW 8 hours. Serve with chopped parsley, soda bread on the side.

**Notes:** Bone-in is essential — that's where flavour comes from. No tomato, no wine, no Worcestershire. Just lamb, spuds, onions, water. Pearl barley is acceptable, half cup at start.

#### Bag 3: Bacon and Cabbage

- 1kg Irish boiling bacon (McLoughlin's at Coles, or The Irish Butcher Sydney)
- 1 onion, quartered
- 1 bay leaf
- 6-8 black peppercorns

**Add fresh on the day:** 6-8 potatoes (peeled, quartered), ½ head cabbage shredded (added in last 45 mins, or with everything in the morning lazy-style), water to cover

**Cook:** LOW 6-7 hours. Cabbage in last 45 mins on HIGH if home, else just dump it all in together. Serve with parsley sauce.

**Sources for boiling bacon:**
- Coles: McLoughlin Butchers Irish Boiling Bacon (~900g-1.2kg)
- The Irish Butcher: theirishbutcher.com.au — Sydney-based, free metro delivery over $150
- Irish Grub: irishgrub.com

#### Bag 4: Coq au Vin (French Chicken Stew)

- 1kg chicken thighs (bone-in, skin-on best)
- 200g streaky bacon or speck, chopped
- 2 onions, sliced
- 250g mushrooms, halved
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 tbsp tomato paste
- 2 sprigs fresh thyme
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 tsp salt, 1 tsp pepper

**Add fresh on the day:** 1.5 cups red wine (~350ml), 1 cup chicken stock (250ml)

**Cook:** LOW 6-7 hours. Serve with crusty bread or mash.

#### Bag 5: Beef and Guinness Stew

- 1kg beef chuck, diced (toss in 2 tbsp flour before bagging — thickens gravy)
- 2 onions, sliced
- 3 carrots, chunked
- 250g mushrooms, halved
- 3 cloves garlic
- 2 tbsp tomato paste
- 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
- 2 sprigs thyme, 1 bay leaf
- 1.5 tsp salt, 1 tsp pepper

**Add fresh on the day:** 1 can Guinness (440ml), 250ml beef stock

**Cook:** LOW 8 hours. Serve over mash (boil and mash spuds in 15 mins when home).

#### Bag 6: Beef Chilli

**Brown the mince first** — fry 750g beef mince in pan with oil, break up, cook till no pink. Cool fully before bagging.

- 750g browned mince (cooled)
- 1 onion, diced
- 1 capsicum, diced
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 tins diced tomatoes
- 1 tin kidney beans, drained
- 1 tin black beans, drained
- 2 tbsp tomato paste
- 1 tbsp chilli powder
- 1 tbsp ground cumin
- 1 tsp smoked paprika
- 1 tsp salt, 1 tsp brown sugar

**Cook:** LOW 6-8 hours. Serve with rice, cheese, sour cream.

### Parsley Sauce (for Irish Stew and Bacon and Cabbage)

5 minutes when home:
- 50g butter melted in saucepan
- 2 tbsp plain flour, whisk in, cook 1 min
- Slowly whisk in 500ml milk
- Stir till thickens (~5 mins)
- Big handful chopped parsley, salt, pepper

### Master Shopping List (Six Bags)

**Meat:**
- 1kg chicken thigh fillets (curry)
- 1kg chicken thighs bone-in (coq au vin)
- 1kg lamb neck/forequarter chops
- 1kg Irish boiling bacon
- 1kg beef chuck, diced
- 750g beef mince
- 200g streaky bacon/speck

**Veg/Fresh:**
- 9 brown onions
- 3 leeks
- 2 heads garlic
- Thumb ginger
- 6 carrots
- 1 red capsicum
- 250g mushrooms
- ½ white/savoy cabbage
- 12-15 medium potatoes (fresh on day, not in bags)
- Fresh thyme, parsley
- Bay leaves

**Tins/Jars/Liquids:**
- 1 jar Patak's tikka masala paste
- 2 tins coconut milk
- 3 tins diced tomatoes
- 1 tin kidney beans, 1 tin black beans
- 1 tube tomato paste
- 1 can Guinness
- 1 bottle cheap red wine ($8 shiraz)
- 1L beef stock, 500ml chicken stock
- Worcestershire sauce, olive oil

**Pantry (probably have):** salt, pepper, chilli powder, cumin, smoked paprika, brown sugar, plain flour

**Serving:** microwave rice (5-pack), bread rolls, butter, milk

### Why Potatoes Stay Out of the Bags

Raw potatoes go grey/black when frozen and turn grainy when cooked. Always peel and chop fresh in the morning. Takes 3 minutes while the kettle boils.

### Sunday Prep Routine for Slow Cooker Bags (1 hour)

1. Lay out 6 large freezer-grade zip-lock bags. Label each with: name, cook setting (LOW 6/7/8 hrs), what to add fresh on the day.
2. Chop all onions in one go. Then garlic. Then carrots. Save board-washing time.
3. Brown the mince for chilli. Cool fully while doing other prep.
4. Pack the bags — meat + veg + spices/aromatics. Liquids never go in (day-of additions).
5. Squeeze air out of each bag (a straw helps). Less air = less freezer burn, faster thaw.
6. Lay flat on a tray, freeze overnight. Next day, stack like books.

### Shared House Logistics

If running this with the two Irish housemates:

- **Whiteboard on the kitchen wall** ($10 Kmart) — track which bag is defrosting, who's on the next prep, etc.
- **Group chat reminder** night before: "Move tomorrow's bag to the fridge"
- **Idiot-proof labelling** on bags: "BEEF CHILLI — LOW 8 hours — press LOW button, set timer 8:00, press START"
- **Laminated cheat sheet** on fridge with cooker buttons explained
- **Rotate prep duty monthly** — each lad does one Sunday, the other two pay their share. Or one lad cooks all the time and the other two pay a premium.

### Risk: Mooching Housemates

Watch for the following warning signs in the first month:

- "Sorry mate, forgot to defrost it" (every week)
- "I had a few of your portions, I'll pay you back" (never does)
- "I don't really like curry" (after agreeing the menu)
- Empty containers in the sink, "I'll wash up later" energy

If any of these become a pattern, it's not a meal share — it's being a mug. Pull back to cooking for yourself only.

### Set the Rules Day One

Have the conversation upfront, before any cooking happens:

> "Right lads, here's the deal. I'll do Sunday prep, you each chuck in $45 a fortnight, you do your own dishes, you grab your own bag in the morning, and we eat well. If it works, we rotate cooking duty after a month. If it doesn't, I'll just cook for myself."

Sets the tone, no surprises later.

### Backup: Easy Meals for Lads Who Can't Cook

Three failsafes if they're starting from zero:

- **Spaghetti bolognese** — brown mince, jar of Dolmio, pasta. 20 mins.
- **Stir fry** — Coles diced chicken, frozen stir-fry veg, jar of stir-fry sauce, microwave rice. 10 mins.
- **Sausages and mash** — Aldi snags, frozen mash, frozen peas, Bisto gravy.

If they can do those three, they're functional. If not, you're a meal service.

---

## Part 9: The Obsidian + Hermes + Cowork Automation Layer

The vision: Obsidian holds recipes and meal plans → Hermes (Rivet agent) reads the plan and aggregates a shopping list → Cowork drives Coles/Woolies Click & Collect → Sunday morning collect.

### Phase 1: Obsidian Structure (Build First)

```
HQ-Vault/
└── 20_Personal/
    └── Nutrition/
        ├── Recipes/
        │   ├── monster-mash.md
        │   ├── mexican-beef.md
        │   ├── chicken-curry.md
        │   ├── chilli-con-carne.md
        │   ├── bolognese.md
        │   ├── overnight-oats.md
        │   ├── morning-shake.md
        │   ├── pre-bed-shake.md
        │   ├── air-fryer-dinner.md
        │   ├── slow-cooker-irish-stew.md
        │   ├── slow-cooker-bacon-cabbage.md
        │   ├── slow-cooker-coq-au-vin.md
        │   ├── slow-cooker-guinness-stew.md
        │   └── slow-cooker-beef-chilli.md
        ├── Meal-Plans/
        │   ├── week-template.md
        │   └── current-week.md
        └── Shopping/
            ├── pantry-staples.md
            └── this-weeks-list.md
```

### Recipe File Format (Frontmatter + Markdown)

Consistent format makes it parseable for the aggregation step later.

```markdown
---
name: Monster Mash
portions: 5
meal_type: lunch
rotation_week: 1
prep_time_min: 30
cook_time_min: 30
ingredients:
  - item: ground beef
    quantity: 1
    unit: kg
    notes: "20% fat / 80/20 mince"
  - item: white rice
    quantity: 2
    unit: cups
    notes: "dry, cook in chicken stock"
  - item: brown onion
    quantity: 2
    unit: piece
  - item: red capsicum
    quantity: 2
    unit: piece
  - item: garlic
    quantity: 3
    unit: clove
  - item: coconut oil
    quantity: 2
    unit: tbsp
    pantry: true
  - item: chicken stock
    quantity: 4
    unit: cups
    pantry: true
  - item: smoked paprika
    quantity: 1
    unit: tsp
    pantry: true
---

# Monster Mash

Rich Piana's classic.

## Method

1. Cook rice in chicken stock...
[etc]
```

The `pantry: true` flag means "I always have this, don't put it on the shopping list."

### Slow Cooker Recipe Format Extension

For dump-bag recipes, add two fields to support the freezer/defrost workflow:

```markdown
---
name: Beef and Guinness Stew
portions: 4
meal_type: dinner
cook_method: slow_cooker
cook_setting: LOW
cook_hours: 8
freezer_bag: true
defrost_required: true
add_fresh_on_day:
  - item: Guinness
    quantity: 440
    unit: ml
  - item: beef stock
    quantity: 250
    unit: ml
ingredients:
  ...
---
```

This lets the Hermes agent generate both:
1. A Sunday shopping list (all ingredients including day-of)
2. A morning checklist ("today is Beef and Guinness day — your bag should be defrosting in the fridge — add Guinness and beef stock when you dump in cooker")

### Weekly Meal Plan Format

```markdown
---
week_starting: 2026-05-04
breakfast: morning-shake
lunch: monster-mash
dinner_options:
  - air-fryer-salmon
  - air-fryer-steak
  - air-fryer-chicken
  - slow-cooker-irish-stew
  - slow-cooker-coq-au-vin
  - slow-cooker-guinness-stew
pre_bed: pre-bed-shake
portions_needed:
  lunch: 5
  breakfast_oats: 3
  slow_cooker_dinners: 6
---

# Week Plan: Starting 4 May 2026

Notes for the week, training schedule, anything else relevant.
```

### Pantry Staples File

```markdown
# Pantry Staples (Always In Stock)

- Coconut oil
- Olive oil
- Chicken stock cubes/liquid
- Beef stock
- Smoked paprika, cumin, garlic powder, oregano, chilli powder
- Salt, pepper
- Honey
- Brown sugar
- Soy sauce
- Worcestershire sauce
- Curry paste (red Thai, generic Indian)
- Patak's tikka masala paste
- White rice (5kg bag)
- Plain flour
- Oats (1kg bag)
- Frozen spinach
- Frozen berries
- Whey protein
- Skim milk powder
- Tinned sardines (case)
- Tinned tomatoes
- Tinned beans (kidney, black)
- Tomato paste tube
- Bay leaves, dried thyme
- Freezer bags (Glad large)
```

### Phase 2: Hermes (Rivet Agent) Aggregation Logic

The agent's job:

1. Read `current-week.md` from Obsidian vault
2. Pull the recipe files referenced in the plan
3. Multiply ingredients by `portions_needed`
4. Combine all ingredients into one list
5. Subtract anything tagged `pantry: true`
6. Deduplicate and sum same ingredients (e.g., 2 onions from Monster Mash + 1 onion from Curry = 3 onions)
7. Output to `this-weeks-list.md` as a clean markdown shopping list, organised by supermarket section (produce, meat, dairy, frozen, dry goods)
8. Generate a separate `morning-checklist.md` for slow cooker recipes — what to defrost, what to add fresh

**Pseudocode for the agent:**

```
plan = read("current-week.md")
recipes = []
for recipe_name in plan.recipes_used:
    recipes.append(read(f"Recipes/{recipe_name}.md"))

shopping_list = {}
for recipe in recipes:
    multiplier = plan.portions_needed[recipe.meal_type] / recipe.portions
    for ingredient in recipe.ingredients:
        if ingredient.pantry: continue
        key = (ingredient.item, ingredient.unit)
        shopping_list[key] = shopping_list.get(key, 0) + (ingredient.quantity * multiplier)

write("this-weeks-list.md", format_by_section(shopping_list))
```

### Phase 3: Cowork Ordering (Optional, Build Last)

Cowork drives Coles or Woolworths Click & Collect.

**Why Cowork (not Claude Code or scrapers):**
- Runs on actual desktop with real browser, real logged-in session
- Indistinguishable from manual use to the supermarket
- No Cloudflare/anti-bot detection issues
- Works for any site that doesn't have an API

**Cowork instruction template:**

```
1. Open Coles website (already logged in)
2. Read shopping list from /path/to/this-weeks-list.md
3. For each item:
   a. Search the item name
   b. Pick the most cost-effective match (or specify preferred brand)
   c. Add the required quantity to cart
   d. Wait 3-7 seconds (random delay) between items
4. When list is complete, navigate to Click & Collect checkout
5. Select the user's usual store
6. Stop at payment screen — do NOT auto-pay
7. Notify the user that the cart is ready for review and payment
```

**Honest assessment:** Phase 3 is the smallest time-saver of the three. Coles Click & Collect with a saved cart already takes 5 minutes manually. Build it only if the time savings compound (e.g., later running it for the McElligott labour company camp supplies, ordering site PPE, etc.).

### Build Order Recommendation

1. **Weekend 1:** Set up Obsidian folder structure, write 8-10 recipes in the standard format. Stop here. This alone removes 90% of cognitive load.
2. **Weekend 2:** Build the Hermes aggregation agent. Test with one week's plan, validate the output.
3. **Weekend 3 (only if useful):** Cowork ordering layer. Skip if Phase 1+2 already covers it.

Don't build all three at once. Same lesson as the 8-agent VPS reset.

---

## Part 10: The Gumtree / Cowork Scraping Layer (Separate Project)

Different problem, same tool — Cowork can scrape Gumtree where Claude Code couldn't.

### Why Claude Code Couldn't Do It

- Anti-bot detection (Cloudflare, Playwright fingerprints, datacenter IPs from VPS)
- Gumtree ToS forbids scraping — Claude Code refuses on policy
- No persistent login session

### Why Cowork Can

- Runs on real desktop, real browser, real session
- Real home IP, real cookies, real fingerprint
- Already logged in — no automation triggering login flow
- Behaviour can be paced to look human

### Workflow

1. **You** — open browser, navigate to Gumtree, log in, go to relevant jobs/listings page
2. **Hand off to Cowork** — instruction: "for each listing on this page, open it, extract title/location/contact info/posted date, save to a file in Obsidian, then back and next"
3. **Pace like a human** — 5-10s delays between actions, occasional scrolling, 50-100 listings per session max
4. **Output to Obsidian** — Cowork writes results to `10_RateRight/Worker-Acquisition/Gumtree/[date].md` for review

### Cowork Instruction Template (Gumtree)

```
PRECONDITIONS:
- User has manually logged into Gumtree
- User is on the Sydney construction jobs page
- User has handed control to Cowork

INSTRUCTIONS:
1. For each visible listing (max 50):
   a. Click into the listing
   b. Extract:
      - Title
      - Location (suburb)
      - Posted date
      - Contact name (if visible)
      - Phone number (if visible)
      - Listing URL
   c. Append to HQ-Vault/10_RateRight/Worker-Acquisition/Gumtree/YYYY-MM-DD.md
   d. Press browser back to return to listings
   e. Wait 5-10 seconds (random)
2. Scroll down to load more listings, wait 3 seconds
3. Repeat until 50 listings collected OR captcha detected
4. If captcha: stop immediately, notify user
5. When done: summarise what was collected, end session
```

### Risk Notes

- **Account risk:** behavioural detection (impossibly fast browsing) can still flag you. Pace it. Don't run for hours.
- **Legal risk:** low for personal use at low volumes. Higher if data is used commercially or republished.
- **Use case fit:** for RateRight worker recruitment (find → contact individually), this is no different to manually browsing, just faster. Low risk, high value.

---

## Part 11: Quick Reference Card

### Daily Checklist

- [ ] 04:30 train
- [ ] Morning shake post-training
- [ ] Tin of sardines pre-work
- [ ] Lunch (Monster Mash or rotation)
- [ ] Dinner (air fryer OR slow cooker)
- [ ] Pre-bed shake 2hrs before sleep
- [ ] 2L+ water through the day
- [ ] Creatine, vitamin D, magnesium

### Sunday Prep Checklist

- [ ] Cook this week's lunch theme (5 portions)
- [ ] Make 3-4 overnight oats jars
- [ ] Boil dozen eggs
- [ ] Cut snacking veg
- [ ] Freeze bananas if low
- [ ] Pack 6 slow cooker dump bags, freeze flat
- [ ] Update this-weeks-list.md
- [ ] Run Hermes aggregation
- [ ] Cowork order OR drive to shop manually

### Night-Before Checklist (Slow Cooker Day)

- [ ] Move tomorrow's bag from freezer to fridge
- [ ] Check the recipe — anything to add fresh on the day?
- [ ] Set out potatoes if needed
- [ ] Group chat: remind housemates if shared

### Morning Checklist (Slow Cooker Day, 5 mins)

- [ ] Dump bag contents into slow cooker
- [ ] Add day-of items (liquids, potatoes if applicable)
- [ ] Set LOW for the right number of hours
- [ ] Press START
- [ ] Walk out the door

### What I Stop Doing

- Tracking calories or macros (eyeball only)
- Buying flavoured whey (unflavoured is fine in shakes)
- Mixing keto with high-carb (sardine diet is keto, shakes are not — pick a lane per week)
- Trying to run "infinite variety" — small rotation on rails is the answer
- Bulletproof coffee (no point if breakfast has carbs)
- Cooking dinner from scratch every weeknight (slow cooker dump bags solve this)

---

*Document version: 1.1*
*Built from conversation, April 2026 — slow cooker section added May 2026*