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!!!

TAFE...4 November 2009...and being a GRADUAND!!!

Finally...after 2 years at TAFE (Technical and Further Education) I have completed my Cookery Course...and am ready to Graduate this week...WOW!!!

Whoever would've thought this...

I started this course not long after we had moved here...had surgery and re-cuperation for 3 months in between...caring for a Daughter with a disability...

and I have done it!!!

I had started blogging this course here on this blog but 12 months ago started up a new blog...My Dolce Vita to record my progress, recipes and other foody related stuff...

I thought it fitting to show the meal we prepared at the end of last year...

So for the last time on Queen of the Armchair...

Chef's board with menu and allocated meals for students...

Asparagus, Cherry Tomatoes, Black Olives and Basil ready for roasting...

Onion Rings...they looked good!!!

Ocean Trout Gravalax preparation...

Gravlax is a Scandinavian dish consisting of raw salmon, cured in salt, sugar, and dill. Gravlax is usually served as an appetizer, sliced thinly and accompanied by hovmästarsås (also known as gravlaxsås), a dill and mustard sauce, either on bread of some kind, or with boiled potatoes. For a recipe for Gravalax...go over here
For more information on Gravalax go over here...

Brandy Snaps ready for filling...

Whole Sole with Herb Crust ready for grilling...

Roasted Asparagus with Cherry Tomatoes, Black Olives and Basil...

Pan seared Scallops with Crispy Bacon and Sage, Puy Lentils and Green Salad...

Ocean Trout Gravalax served on a Green Salad...

Sorbet between courses...

Beef Curry and Rice...

Pan Fried Veal with a Garlic and Sage Jus with Potato Roesti and Green Beans...

Whole Sole with Herb Crust served with Roasted Cherry Tomatoes and Sourdough...

Eve's Pudding out of the ovens...

and ready for service...

Chocolate Pots with Orange and Polenta Biscuits...

Brandy Snaps filled with Raspberry Mousse.

Petit Fours.

I have thoroughly enjoyed this course and look forward to catching up with the gang on Graduation Night...

Now, perhaps I should go and sort some of those boxes out!!!

Bon Appetit...Dzintra

A Christmas Wish BOM...followed by a Pudding!!!

At the start of this year I thought I would do my first ever Blog BOM (Block of the Month) with Gail Pan...

some fabrics I already had...and a few new fat quarters...

All cut up into neat 128, 2 and 1/2 inch squares...and pinned together in lots of 10...

This was a mystery BOM...suggesting the use of red fabric one month...green the next...along with green/yellow/red/white thread...

I used a different fabric each month...except one fabric was used twice...

squares and fabric all ready...

4 rows of 16 squares...

12 rows of 4 squares...

laying it all out...

I hope to have the quilt top ready soon...not sure if I'll get the quilting done though!!!

I have thoroughly enjoyed this project...the individual blocks were quick to accomplish!!!

I hope to hand quilt this one as per Gail's instructions...basically going around the blocks and diagonally across the smaller ones...

And I'll post it up when complete...perhaps I'll aim for Christmas in July LOL!!!

Thank You Gail for this delightful pattern!!!

A few weeks ago I posted this pic from one of my TAFE classes...

Steamed Golden Syrup Pudding with Anglaise Sauce...

Clarity has requested a copy of this recipe and I have posted it on my Food Blog...

My Dolce Vita...I have slightly altered it and made a gluten free version...and I'm in 'pudding heaven'...not being able to remember the last time I had a regular pudding!!!

If you get a chance...hop on over to Clarity's Wonderland...Clarity's use of words is just dreamy at times...

And here's a pudding of a different nature...a free pattern by Joy Patch...

one of the many talented Designers over at Gum Tree Designers

so hop on over and grab a copy!!!

Enjoy your pudding...be it stitched or from the kitchen...Dzintra