Graduation...and a Celebration Dinner at Tyler's Kitchen!!!

Yay....I finally graduated from my TAFE Course...

nearly 2 years worth...surgery in between...caring for a daughter with a disability...

looking back I sometimes wonder how I did it all!!!

For the 'big day' Mr Armchair brought me home this gorgeous bunch of flowers...

My dear friend Geo (no blog) sent me this fabric...

and this pattern from Anni Downs ...
Geo has already made this pattern...now it's my turn!!!
Thank you so much dear Geo!!!

Off now to the Graduation...the sign greeting us at the door...

Tourism and Hospitality tables for the Graduates of 2009...

Cara and Lyn with me...Cheers to us!!!
Lyn together with our fellow student Rob run a delightful Bed and Breakfast...
to which we were invited to a meal...more on this another time...

JoJo looking engrossed in my Certificate...

then with yours truly and Mr Armchair...

One of the teachers Debbie insisted I have a pic taken with my family to put on the blog!!!

'The Certificate'

And then unbeknown to me JoJo brought home the balloon from our table!!!
A great night...and even though it was a bit harder than I thought it would be I'm going to miss these classes...

To see some of the cooking from the classes hop on over to my other blog My Dolce Vita

To celebrate the 2 of us...with JoJo at respite care...went out for dinner...
Here we are outside Tyler's Kitchen across from the beach...

On entering there is this fabulous print hanging...

the Restaurant...

A huge blackboard filled by enthusiastic patrons...
Tyler's has a modern European Menu changing daily and has just been written up in delicious magazine!!! Go Tyler!!!

The crustiest bread rolls served with Unsalted Butter...see the little flakes of Sea Salt atop the butter...

Roast Loin of Rabbit...braised leg meat...honey noodle...grilled apricot...pistachio

Grilled Scallops...pea veloute...crisp proscuitto

Pan Fried Atlantic Salmon...local bug cigar...snowpeas...asparagus...black cream...chervil

Pan Roasted Duck Breast...australian lentils...baby turnips...cauliflower puree...jus gras

Almond Mousse...fresh figs...rhubarb...chocolate...strawberry

Selection of Cheeses served with bread...wafers and muscatels...
The one on the left is Brique D'Affinois...
On the right is Brillat Savarin Triple Cream...
followed by St Agur Blue Cheese...
All these cheeses are from France...and they were so creamy and just delicious!!!

All followed by some dark chocolate...

It can't get much better than this!!!

Thank you so much Tyler's Kitchen...

I have thoroughly enjoyed my course and look forward to trying out new recipes here at home...maybe even doing a 'Julie and Julia' and blogging my way through a cook book!!!

Our oven here at home has died...my birthday on the weekend and I was hoping to make a gluten free cake...so I had the idea to ask a local cafe/restaurant here that makes a lot of gluten free food if they could make me one...blow me down they said yes...

and I have ordered a White Chocolate and Fig cake...figs are soaked in Cointreau...

and I am so looking forward to this!!!

A Gift From Vicki...Dzintars, Songs Of Amber

Coming home last week from the Snowy Mountains I was greeted with a very special package from Vicki containing this gorgeous card and...

this CD...Dzintars...meaning Amber
of which Dzintra is the feminine form...
As you may have read in previous posts I have started to use my Latvian name Dzintra...after being known as Ingrid...
The Dzintars choir was founded in 1947 and has become a highly acclaimed professional artistic group. They are skilled professional singers, and include in their repertoire traditional and modern Latvian songs, and folk songs of other nations...
A very, very special CD...Many Thanks dear Vicki for this!!!
I will thoroughly enjoy the music...as my family will I'm sure♥

While here on the Latvian topic I thought I would post up a few more Latvian items of interest to follow on from a previous post...
Here a great book...Latvian Weaving Techniques by Anita Apinis-Herman...
Anita grew up steeped in the traditions of Latvian weaving, with the beat of her Mother's loom a familiar sound from her earliest years...
Taught the basic techniques by her Mother, and keen to master the art of weaving, Anita bought her first four-shaft loom and began weaving in earnest.
While doing the weaving course at the Melbourne College of Textiles, Anita recognized the need to document her Mother's many years of work and record part of her heritage...
(Text from the book)


Examples of weaving from the book...
I just adore this print from the book Riga...capital of Latvia...Celvedis Guide...
Janis Rozentals~A Princess and a Monkey, 1913~
Janis Rozentals~Princese un pertikis, 1913~

Leather bound wallet and note covers with Latvian designs...

Leather book-cover...

and open with book inside along with a built in bookmark.


Bookmarks...Smiltene is an area in Latvia...and the front one brought back to me from Latvia by my Sister...


and Dzintars/Amber...comes in a few colours, here in a lovely warm rusty colour.

Dzintars/Amber is considered very special among Latvians, worn in necklaces, bracelets, and rings. As a symbol of national identity, it stands for beauty, openness, and freedom (text from above CD booklet)...

Hope you have enjoyed a few more snippets on Latvia...and now it's off to put on that CD and make some Boeuf Bourguignon ...Cheers, Dzintra♥

Sea Fever!!!

In these days where one blurs into the other...blissful salty blue days...my mind keeps going over the same poem...so I thought, out of my head and post about this fabulous poem which was taught back in my school days and has never really left me...Sea Fever by John Masefild~1878-1967~English Poet Laureate 1930-1967~

To many...simply known as the Poet who wrote about the sea...also known as a Novelist, Dramatist and Journalist. John Masefield's literary career was rich and varied...he is again being recognized for his wide range encompassing ballads, nature poetry, and mythological narrative and for his attempt to make poetry a popular art...So here is Sea Fever...

I must down to the seas again, to the lonely sea and the sky,

And all I ask is a tall ship and a star to steer her by,

And the wheel's kick and the wind's song and the white sail's shaking,

And a grey mist on the sea's face, and a grey dawn breaking.

I must down to the seas again, for the call of the running tide

Is a wild call and a clear call that may not be denied:

And all I ask is a windy day with the white clouds flying,

And the flung spray and the blown spume, and the sea-gulls crying.

I must down to the seas again, to the vagrant gypsy life,

To the gull's way and the whale's way where the wind's like a whetted knife;

And all I ask is a merry yarn from a laughing fellow-rover

And quiet sleep and a sweet dream when the long trick's over.

Above 2 shots taken at Constitution Dock, Hobart ~Tasmania~

Couldn't resist the Pirate Print...part of a limited edition by Chris Collingwood ~Blackbeard the Terrible otherwise known as Edward Teach, Thatch or Drummond c.1718~

Conjures up all sorts of images I think!!!

Happened by the Print at The Swingin Anchor Cafe at Stanley ~Tasmania~ with a very decorative window including this lovely boat with awesome sails!!!

Seagulls having a rest on our beach...now it's off to the sea again for me later on today...and to enjoy another salty blue day...sea temperature 22c!!!

I've been succumbed to Yule, Vettriano ... and White

Okay, after reading about other bloggers getting into it, and starting to talk about ... and decorating for the coming Festive Season ... I also had to partake ... and hung up this little wall quilt made by my old Quilting Group ... And then, just in time for the Season ... out comes the bottlebrush ... a good old Aussie native plant ... here is a close up of it (and you can see how it received it's name) ...

It just looks so majestic, standing tall and proud ...

... Being further succumbed ... by Jack Vettriano who has emerged from a career in the Scottish coalfields to become one of Scotland's best known contemporary painters. He has received no formal tuition ... has exhibitions in Edinburgh, London, Johannesburg and Hong Kong and is represented by Portland Gallery, London.

If only this one could talk ...

'Elegy for a Dead Admiral' (1998)

'Back Where You Belong' (2000)

'The Singing Butler' (1998)

... and the final one, the all white look, that is so popular now ... of course ... with a touch of the coast . I do so enjoy looking at these joyful things in a new way, especially at the start of summer nearly upon us, the white just looks soooo refreshing, the Vettriano's are simply stunning and the bottlebrush has made perfect timing for it all. Hoping you also enjoy the start of your new Season ... till next time ...