~2014~The Ones That Got Away

 Boy 2014 certainly whizzed by in a flash

Welcome 2015 and let's hope it's a peaceful year all round the world especially in light of what has been going on

I thought I would do my annual post on pics that were going to be made into blog posts but  just didn't make it

First pic is of lucerne bales for a small vegetable garden that I thought we would start up

Mr Armchair built the garden 4 storeys high out of railway sleepers

One reason is I'm tall and don't bend so well and the other is our Labrador Mimi who loves to 'garden'

Not long into it and this is what it looked like

And to keep Mr Armchair busy in February I needed a new bookcase and thought this corner was perfect

And it is........only trouble is the books keep 'growing'

In March JoJo was out with her group and she bought Mimi a collar

Only thing is it's for a puppy and Mimi is a big, boofy Labrador 

Such a sweet thought on JoJo's part

At Easter time in April I coloured some eggs in vine leaves and onion skins..........a Latvian tradition

this being the result

The egg can then be polished up with some bacon rind

In May we went to see a Miss Fisher exhibition

Miss Fisher......played by Essie Davis........ is a glamorous Lady Detective and the series is set in the 1920's in Melbourne

Read more about the series here

One of my favourite TV shows

In June I entered a giveaway by Jennifer Chiaverini and won this book The Master Quilter

One of her best I think

It was even autographed for me

To win I had to enter a question asking which character I would most like to meet out of the Elm Creek Series

My answer was Anna (the cook) so that I could cook with her for the patchworkers and then sit down and do some sewing with everybody later

I think there were about 800 entries so not bad

 In July at around 5pm there was a massive storm and I took some quick pics coming home

The colours were just stunning

In August we went out for JoJo's birthday breakfast and this is the view 

In September I bought an apron off my Friend Miss Vicki and decided to wear it whilst sewing as I get a heap of threads all over my clothes.......especially the black ones

In October I got to meet Monica McInerney who recognised my name from comments I had made to her Face book page

Such a lovely lady

 In November one evening I spilled frozen peas all over the floor (not very exciting I know)

but the next night the garlic I had fell down and landed looking like a triangle so I just had to photo it

And of course Mimi came in and cleaned up the peas

She didn't even know they were frozen as she doesn't eat she vacuums lol

Before we knew it it was Christmas again

 JoJo's programme had a Christmas get together and she was so proud that she cut the sausage and spiked it together with a tomato and a toothpick

And oh my goodness was this ever good

A Paleo Chocolate Blueberry Cake

I even made my own Nut Butter (cashews) and Paleo Chocolate

Recipe found at The Merry Maker Sisters

And to cap off New Year's Eve a pic taken off the television of the Fireworks on Sydney Harbour 

Happy 2015 everyone.........let's make it a good one

Love Dzintra

~Birthday, Easter and Special Visitors!~

It's been quite a while since I have blogged

A lot has been happening and slowly things are getting back to normal

(till the next play anyway LOL)

and JoJo also requires time and effort on our part to just simply be and be able to participate in all her activities which leaves me having to juggle things around a bit

Following on from my birthday post Mr Armchair took me to lunch unexpectedly to The River Moruya......a 1 Hat Establishment

I was especially excited to go there as one of the girls I went to TAFE with is working there and her name is Megan

Megan and I got on well at TAFE and now I am friends with her Mum Asta who is new to blogging

The Lunch Menu

For Mr Armchair.....

Pork and Grain Mustard Rillettes, Celeriac Remoulade, Crisp Fried Free Range Egg and Truffle Vinaigrette

My choice

Boullaibaise, Crushed New Potato but missing the Bread due to being gluten free

Pan fried Salmon, Truffled Mashed Potato, Buerre Cafe de Paris and Lobster Veloute

For Dessert the Mr had a Chocolate Brownie and Vanilla Ice Cream

I opted for the Maffra Red Waxed Cheddar with Sweet Mustard Pickles and requested some apple slices or something instead of the biscuits on offer (due to gluten issues)

A very delicious meal.......thank you so much for the surprise dear Hubby!!!

The day after my birthday was Good Friday and I did the Latvian tradition of colouring eggs

This time I chose grape leaves and onion skins

Wrapped them together with string and boil

and voila, gorgeous coloured eggs

They can be shinied up with some bacon fat

JoJo was excited that Easter was here

She just loves all occasions and celebrates with gusto!!!

Breakfast on Easter Sunday

Eggs and Chocolate

Above a pic of Daughter Jacqueline and Bill (DH) and my Brother and Wife Erin 

This was a very special time as my Brother has serious health issues and we just love it when he comes to visit

Jacqueline modelling the Snood that I knitted up and she put together

JoJo and God Father Uncle Charlie

And we had a rather busy week looking after the 2 little Munchkins Ryan and Lidija

I haven't been able to get around and comment on everyone's blog as much as usual lately

Thank you to everyone that pays a visit and also to those who do comment

So very much appreciated by me as I do read every single one!!!

Enjoy Sunday

Love Dzintra xo

Happy Easter...Priecigas Lieldienas

This pic was taken last Easter...eggs coloured using onion skins...

Latvians tend to colour eggs every year...
one method my Mother/Mamin and Grandmother/Vecmamin used was to wrap an egg with coloured cloth...(old clothes and rags were perfect) with thread and then boil...
When cold 'grease' with bacon fat...

I have found a blog written by an American Latvian living in France and Liene describes a bit about colouring the eggs with onion skin...

On Easter Sunday morning we would have 'egg fights'...
choose a partner...position your egg in your hand and then each 'taps' one end of their egg until someones shatters...then turn over and to the other side...the one with unbroken sides wins!!!

Mr Armchair's was different......his family would have turns in tapping the other one's eggs...we weren't that polite ha ha!!!

Our Lord has written the promise of the resurrection, not in books alone, but in every leaf in spring-time.
~Martin Luther~

and I couldn't resist this one...

All I really need is love, but a little chocolate now and then doesn't hurt!
~Lucy Van Pelt in Peanuts by Charles M. Schulz~


Wishing all my blogging friends and  families a very Happy and Safe Easter...


Dzintra xoxo

OPAM March 2010...and a new project!!!

My third OPAM (One Project A Month) for 2010!!!

What a great way to achieve a finished project every month...thank you to Peg for organizing this!!!

These Tilda fabrics received from Simone...
(I decided to use a variegated thread in shades of pink)

along with this stitchery...now complete!!!

Along the way Simone sent 2 more fabrics that just had to be included...
you can see them at the left hand side...cupcakes with hints of gold in them!!!

Attaching fabrics around the stitchery...and the layout...

here is the back all stitched together...

and completed...
A perfect Recipe Journal for desserts and cakes...
Thank You so much Simone for organizing this stitchery for 'us' to do...
and I'm looking forward to our next project!!!

Meanwhile...I bought this Hatched and Patched pattern a little while ago...
and I'm going to use it to make a little bag for a birthday gift for someone's special birthday gift...

I have chosen these fabrics...

Not sure whether to use the variegated thread for the stitchery...

or individual colours...
Guess I'll have to go and stare at it a bit longer!!!

Meanwhile...wishing everybody a safe, happy and Blessed Easter...Dzintra

Easter 2009...and a Country Market!!!

Here we are...Easter all over for another year. What a lovely family/catch up time we have had...To start the Break...free range eggs dyed with onion skin to enjoy on Easter Sunday morning...of course with the obligatory chocolate ones as well...

Good Friday traditional fish dinner...bream and a lemon potato salad...

Purchased this little kit after visting our local Country Markets...had some fab shots from there too...greeted by camels...one of the most biggest trees in width that I have ever seen but unfortunately the computer wasn't co-operating in the downloading of these from my phone...I have spent hours trying to figure it out but to no avail. Will post them up when I finally figure it all out...

From the markets...a lovely lady had a patchwork stall full of lovely little bags, table runners, quilts...she must've sewn for weeks for this. The markets had record stall holders...125 in all...the biggest for 25 years!!! I purchased a little arm chair caddy...

and a cute little stitchery bag to put threads, supplies in...whatever for the current project!!!

A few years ago now...I read this book ~A Fortunate Life~ by A.B. Facey...

One of the best books I have ever read...

A.B. Facey was born in 1894 and grew up on the Kalgoorlie Goldfields (Western Australia)...he went droving in the North-West at 14, hammered almost every spike on one rail of the Merredin to Wickepin Railway Line at 18...travelled around Australia in a Boxing Troupe at 19...He was in the Eleventh Battalion at the Gallipoli Landing....

A Fortunate Life is a personal account of great poignancy, humour and humanity...This book I'm sure would be a classic in Australian writing...

~The remarkable life of an ordinary Australian~

Couldn't resist the hand made soaps...makes the linen cupboard smell divine...

Sat under the vines and had morning tea...

and caught up with Natima...whom I met about 6 years ago. At that time we were both country gals...now she is a city gal...and I'm a coastal gal!!! Hope we can do this again soon Nat!!!

Came across a horse and buggy. Perfect weather for this Easter 2009. I hope you all enjoyed your Break as well.

And I couldn't resist this...here is a pic of Lyle in my Cookery Class. He just reminds me so much of our Curtis Stone...currently in America...and I'm not the first one to point this out to him.

And the real Curtis...photo from Australian Delicious magazine.

I'm on a break now from my classes for 2 weeks...still cooking at the TAFE Restaurant and have started My Dolce Vita to post up all the meals that we are making there...

Have a lovely week everyone...Dzintra♥