Cup Cakes For Ryan...and A Farmers Market!!!

G'day...we are all back now from Ryan's Birthday Week as it turned out...however, before we left I made some Gluten Free Chocolate Cup Cakes in Thomas The Tank Engine Cups...the cakes themselves had a block of Lindt 70% chocolate in them...topped with chocolate icing and...of course, sprinkles for the little fella... Started off with my good ol' bowl...35 years old now!!!
All together for him with one of his favourite beverages...milk!!!

Then on Saturday morning early...and they didn't think I could do it...up early to head off for the Farmers' Market in Canberra...WOW, fabulous food...including fresh from our local area...Clyde River Oysters...and much to our surprise and delight...entertainment!!!

Beautiful flowers greet us on our arrival...I bought the dark pink gerberas (the one in front of the orange bunch) for my Daughter...

One of my favourite vegetables...beetroot...for Borscht the famous soup, beetroot dip, roasted beetroot, grated beetroot...

Walking along...we came upon 'Diamond' playing her Celtic Harp...and singing with her wonderful bell like voice...I have asked her for a bit of information about herself and she has kindly given me the following...
I learnt to play a bit in Scotland. It was something I wanted to do ever since I was born. A harp was too hard for my parents to get for me in the days when I was young. I had to wait till I was going through a divorce to start and do the thing that I have always loved. It is the other side to the coin, as I also play the Great Scottish Warpipe. I have the Bodhron( Irish drum) in my stables as well. I like to sing mostly folk songs and ballads with a little something interesting about them. I sing with a belle canto style, and make no apology for it. I can usually hit rather high notes and sustain; a lot of men singers have tears in their eyes! My classroom is busking and this has taught me stage craft. I enjoy performing greatly. I have also played with other musicans, in various bands, mostly playing celtic music- sometimes other ethnicities as well.
I am in the Canberra Burns Club Pipe Band and have enjoyed many years of piping with them. Costumes are another essential that goes with my performance. I also rather like making costumes; and do it for other people as well. The madder the better. I like historical costumes and am a member of the Ancient Arts fellowship ( a Dark Ages group) where costumes are very much my historical bent (with emphasis on embroidery).
Thank You Diamond!!!

And look Micki...Irish Ballads!!!

And on the way out...Matt James who plays Didgeridoo, Percussion, Kora (African Harp), Acoustic Guitar, Flutes...and does vocals also...all combined in a cross-section of many musical styles to take you on an inner journey...Just Wonderful!!!

Matt hails from Queensland...

A close-up of Matt playing the Didgeridoo...so awesome...

This just about sums up our time on the weekend enjoying Birthday No 3 for our Darling Grandson...

Children are an affirmation of life itself. They simply have shown me how much fun it is to simply enjoy nature; the sea even when the water is freezing, the stars which twinkle and hint at life beyound ourselves, the earth which squishes and squelches in my hands, these are things I enjoy again...Susan Bourke...Australian Writer

HAPPY BIRTHDAY RYAN!!!

Happy Birthday Baby!!!

Just on three years ago now...when I found out my Darling Daughter was expecting her first baby I went out and bought this oh sooo cute little Angel Baby to commemorate this very exciting and special occasion...

Tomorrow is little Ryan's 3rd birthday and he is sooo excited...going to the Zoo, helping Mum make a cake...our Jo-Jo is equally looking forward to seeing him on the weekend as we all are...Whoever would've thought what a whole New World there is to becoming a Grandparent!!! Today I have found a few little very special quotes:

~ Perfect Love sometimes does not come until the first Granchild ~Welsh Proverb~

~It's such a grand thing to be the Mother of a Mother - that's why the World calls her Grandmother ~Author Unknown~

~Grandma always made you feel she had been waiting to see just you all day and now the day was complete ~Marcy DeMaree~

~Nobody can do for little Children what Grandparents do. Grandparents sort of sprinkle Stardust over the lives of little Children ~Alex Haley~

~One of the most powerful handclasps is that of a new Grandchild around the finger of a Grandfather ~Joy Hargrove~

~What is it about Grandparents that is so lovely? I'd like to say that Grandparents are God's Gift to Children. And if they can but see, hear and feel what these people have to give, they can mature at a fast rate ~Bill Cosby~

HAPPY BIRTHDAY DARLING BOY!!!

Update on Table Runner. Paris...Noordwijkerhout and the Tasmanian Devil!!!

Wow...what do all these have in common!!! All within days of each other recently I did a little more of my Bareroots Cozy Table Runner... One of my favourite blocks...'sheltering'

This runner is designed so that people sitting either side of the table can see stitching right side up...a clever idea I thought!!! This is one side...see the centre heart facing you...
...and now the other way!!!

This one will be 'cozy'...


and 'happy'...Like this runner is named...it is just a cozy one, perfect for the upcoming Winter.
And through the mail a postcard from my Dear Friend Georgina (no blog) who recently went to Paris along with some friends of hers to watch their Daughter dance at the Moulin Rogue!!! If you click Paris it will take you to an interactive site on the web...
Thank you Georgina!!!

And within days of Paris comes another postcard...this time from my Dear Blogging Friend Simone This card comes from Noordwijkerhout a town and Municipality in the Western Netherlands in the Province of South Holland. The town is the centre of the bulb growing region of the Netherlands, famed for its Tulips.
Thank you Sweet Simone!!!

And then from Australia's very own Island State...Tasmania...Hi-5 from a Tasmanian Devil...this little fella is now an endangered species...learn more about them here
Tasmania has some of the best...and dramatic, pristine scenery in Australia...No wonder it's known as the Holiday Isle...and certainly worth a trip to if you are ever Down Under!!!
Thank you Peter and Carol!!!
And after all that tripping around...a Chocolate Mousse for you all from the College Restaurant this week...
Enjoy...and have a great Weekend!!!

Playing Head Chef...It's All Over!!!

Wow...it's all over now, playing Head Chef at the College Restaurant...and how I thoroughly enjoyed this experience...seeing it from another angle...It all ran very smoothly...lots of compliments...the menu worked well...There were even people who came in last week and enjoyed the experience so much they were booked in for our night. Plenty of attentive Front-of-House staff learning aspects of waitering...setting tables...appropriate cutlery and glasses...and of course the Apprentice Chefs. I am in a class with the Apprentices...along with other members from our last year's Commercial Cookery class...and we are not likely to go ahead and be Chefs due to the hours involved...5000...even though we are doing the same course... Amuse Bouche...smoked salmon on Melba Toast, sitting upon Banana Leaves...
Our College Kitchen...

SOLD OUT...the most popular Entree
Chilled Blue Swimmer Crab Open Ravioli...
not really a pasta but a Gow Gee Chinese Pastry

SOLD OUT...the most popular Main Meal...
Sirloin Steak served with Gratin Potato, Buttered Beans and Grilled Tomato

SOLD OUT...the most popular Dessert

Cherry Clafoutis...a rustic batter-based dessert from France...

Citrus Salad with Baby Spinach...

Tangy Lime and Orange along Mint, Basil and Baby Spinach

atop with Roasted pine nuts...one of my favourites!!!

Peperonata and Goat's Cheese Tart...

Ever popular Apple Crumble with Anglaise Sauce.

The night went really well...I would like to thank all my wonderful Blogging Friends for all your encouragement and good wishes for our very special evening!!! Three Cheers and Bubbly all round...perfect for this glorious Sunday!!!

And just to finish off...nothing to do with anything really except that the top Frangipani is one of my very favourite flowers...the scent is just awesome and summery...and a bougainvillea, another perfect summer flower...I love the 3 little white stamens within (I think they're stamens...me not being a big gardener but really appreciating flowers)...Happened on these last week...

Have a lovey Sunday my Friends...

The Call Of The Sea...

Yesterday I put together the menu for our Playing Chef tomorrow at Tafe, organized the work stations with their jobs, work flows...thinking today will be clear and I won't stress myself out thinking too much about it all. Received a phone call to say that we have a diabetic coming in for dinner...and someone who doesn't eat capsicum or chilli. Now I think a gluten intolerant person would be so easy for me do deal with...being in the same boat myself...so before getting into it all...I heard the call of the Sea. A little post this afternoon and some of the photos I took just walking along...playing with the waves at the shore. It never ceases to amaze me how different the ocean looks every time...so....here is a little of what I saw, and what caught my eye...

These sandals have been here for a few days now...

Just beyond the foreground...almost a pool in a ring...

On the way back...the perfect beach car...a Volkswagen Combi...a reminder of the 1970's...

And to finish off...a beaut little book...Anne Morrow Lindbergh's "Gift From The Sea"...50th Anniversary Edition...purchased just before our Sea Change nearly two years ago now. The Sea is good for my soul...felt re-energized after my little walk...now back into it all for tomorrow.

The waves echo behind me. Patience~Faith~Openness~ is what the Sea has to teach. Simplicity~Solitude~Intermittency ...Anne Morrow Lindbergh.

Beautiful words and so very fitting...

Well And Truly Out Of The Armchair!!!

This week certainly saw this Armchair Queen well and truly out of the Armchair since surgery (perhaps I should change my blog name?)...full swing back into my Cookery Course at TAFE (Technical and Further Education)...driving along the road this is one of the many picturesque scenes along the way... The Moruya River...
Entrance to the College...

Last night our student class cooked for the TAFE Restaurant ~The Mantle~ pictured above
We each have a turn being Head Chef...designing the Menu
Allocating Staff for each course...
Preparing Work Flow sheets...
Supervizing preparation of the meals...
Wow...and it is my turn next week along with another team member ~ Jenny~

Pictured here is the fair dinkum Head Chef, our Teacher ~Simon Brazill~
along with Silvana...one of my fellow students...

Potatoes in preparation for Lemon Potato Salad to be served with...

Roasted Fillet of Blue-eyed cod and Olive Tapenade...

One of the most popular dishes...

Glazed Duck Breast served with Herb Risotto Cake

rocket, apple and walnut salad...

Petit Four ~Glazed grapes with Strawberry~served along with tea & coffee...

Oops...photos out of order...Yoghurt Panna-cotta with Rose scented Plums...

In keeping with the food theme, one of my favourite magazines ~South Coast Style~ feautured a town not too far away from me...including The Vineyard Kitchen at Cupitt Wines...of which (co-incidentally) Simon is the Chef!!!

'Slowing down to savour great food with friends and family is a philosophy that Rosie (Cupitt) heartily embraces and promotes through Slow Food Shoalhaven'

Always a food and wine lover, Rosie's appreciation reached new heights while in Europe during the 1990's. Rosie was blown away by the passion of the French people for their food and wine...This is something Rosie was keen to replicate in the Restaurant, and she wanted people to recognize her passion about food and was determined to give them a wonderful experience!!!

mmm....reading this article, I think I can feel a trip up to the Winery and Restaurant...and to try some of Simon's cooking!!!