Goodbye

Hello. I have been doing this blog for 7 years and 2 months. I decided in the last week that it is time to cull this little task I was taking up once a week. 

I trust I have been able to encourage you in some way to live with a joy that others can see in you and want to know more.


all the best, loving life ... Dot 

Random

For some reason today I could not find the photos I have taken over the last couple of days on my computer. They have not synced as they usually do, so I am finding photos I have taken since last week and randomly writing a blog.


I had prepared hubby's breakfast one morning and as it had been sitting for a few minutes, the coulis leaked streams over the yoghurt. It was quite a bit of art.

I completed this pram blanket. It is soft and in a beautiful array of navy, blue and white.

I have crocheted these baby hats too.

Moss, on the ground.

Yummy meal of crispy fried tofu with mushroom sauce. We will have to have this again.

One night we had a lovely sunset. For Winter this is not the norm, but we do get to enjoy one now and then.  

Until next time, I hope and trust things go well for you and yours.

... Dot :-)

I'm Grateful for ...

I certainly hope I am grateful more than not at all. Yesterday afternoon I opened my freezer to put some fresh herbs away and found a puddle in the bottom of it. Of course, I was all over the place in a matter of minutes emptying it out and relocating to the fridge and D2's freezer. 

We worked out that the freezer had been just not quite latched and it had been slowly defrosting for a few days. Because all the fruit was soft, today I have made a huge batch of Coulis, making a fruit crumble for dessert tonight and also a cheesecake. So today I am baking and cooking up meat with vegies etc. What fun!!!

I am grateful I have the day to do this as there are not appointments to get to. It will certainly make some options for choice at mealtime over the next few days for the 3 of us. 

I am grateful for the sky and what my Heavenly Father places there each time I take the time to look up. I am loving the sunsets and also yesterday morning when I ventured out the moon was there to greet me. 

I jumped when I opened the slide on the skylight recently. Not everyday a leaf is there. Goodness knows what I might find one day. 

I am so grateful that God provided hubby with a good job that he loves although he gets very busy sometimes. He takes time out to come home for lunch and that gives him a good break to play cards with me and catch up.

I love my retail presence at the local craft shop. This gives me a personal outlet for my hobby and pocket money. 

What are you grateful for? Hubby and I try to think of 3 things at the end of the day if we remember to ask each other. It is a good practice.

Look forward to chatting next week ... Dot :-)

My Fave Hobby

My favourite hobby at the top of my list would have to be crochet. It is very portable, quick and easy to do, can't drop a stitch easy as you can still find your way around it. Of course, I like to challenge myself with new stitches and projects. I commenced this baby blanket last week and it is coming along quite nicely. I am currently working on the border and so it is not far from finished.

My Cardi is coming along well enough. I pick it up once a week and do a few more rows. 

I seem to be always knitting up beanies and I have 2 colours to follow up after this one as they have sold out. 

This is a very portable project. Once I have them rolled into balls with the help of hubby's arms, I can whip up a few of these up over the weekend. This yummy soft merino yarn is crocheted into cowls. 


So that's my favourite hobby which I get to work with each day.

Until next time, enjoy your hobby ... Dot 

Colour

Hello!! I picked up some lovely red strawberries from our local supermarket and used them over the weekend on pancakes. They were full of flavour and when combined with marscapone cream hit the mark well.

I am officially half way through my Temperature blanket and this is what it looks like. It has a bit of colour and is certainly going to be interesting in a few months time. 

I made myself a poncho last week. It took me a couple of days to make and I have worn it. Kept me nice and warm on a cold day.

Hubby and I went for stroll one evening and it was the most beautiful night. There was so much colour in the sky, we were amazed.

We have had the shortest day of the year and so the days are slowly drawing out longer. I noticed that dawn is happening a little earlier but sunset is still the same time. 

Hope you can find some colour in your world. It cheers the soul and makes the day great.

Bye for now, Dot 

Around here

Welcome! This last week we have had 2-3 mornings in the minus temperatures and with a layer of frost covering most things. While walking here, cars were going past with white roofs. It was chilly which makes the legs move faster. :-)

The old fence which surrounds one side of our garden was finally removed.

The huge rose bush was cut off and a new fence put up. It looks so much neater. I am looking forward to Spring so I can get it tidied up with new plantings in place. One day at a time.

Our yard overflowed with cars for a few days with hardly a space spare because ....

... there was a load of gravel delivered, spread and rolled and rolled again. Wonder is they are going to seal it with hot mix?

My sister has been sewing some new slippers for her shop at The Arty Duck. She even went to the trouble of marking the left and right preference. 

I have made some new cowls which have baby alpaca and silk included. They are so soft to the skin and luxurious.

The skies at sunset have been a spectacular colour.  Praise God!


Have a great week and enjoy each day where you are ... Dot

Chocolate

Welcome back to a new week. We are still getting a bit of rain but at the same time plenty of sunshine. So today the clothes are outside on the line and will be aired inside overnight. This morning the temperature was a low 1 degree. Oh dear, and you could feel it. 

One of the jobs on my list this week after returning from the weekend away, was to get my small stool out to enable me to stick my head right in the cupboards. Things move about slightly in travel and it is always good to get them tidy again and at the same time see what you can remove to use or discard. I have a pile sitting on the sideboard that needs using. In the mix was some chocolate. We have not used chocolate for a while and so I found some recipes up and started to bake with it. 

First off the list was Raspberry Chocolate Brownie. I had some for breakfast with coffee. Delicious. The base has cocoa powder in it along with melted dark chocolate.

I still need to make Chocolate Bliss balls and Strawberry Choc chip muffins. I chop chocolate bars up for the bits in the muffins. Perfect, and works out cheaper. 

You can only have so much cake on the go at once so when the brownie is about to run out I will bake the next goody.

I made this using chocolate recently. You divide a punnet of raspberries in a glass, top with double cream and melted chocolate. Mmmmm.  Nice to finish dinner with.

I have been venturing outside most evenings and taking a pic of the sunset. Sometimes I miss it. I nearly have to set a reminder. Gosh!!! But I have got a few shots and sent them to my family. This Saturday is the shortest day and so the days will gradually get longer. 


All the best to you and yours ... Dot 

Long Weekend

Last weekend was the last long one until November for us. So we made the most of it and drove off late Friday afternoon.

The next morning sunrise was at 7.36am but there was too much cloud.

We did some shopping and settled for the next 2 days by the sea.

Cold coffee and crochet!!

And plenty of Lemon Yoghurt cake to enjoy.

On my afternoon wander about. 

Sunset ....

It was such a great weekend with magnificent weather.

Made a new recipe. Beef & Broccoli Stir fry with mint. Thanks Jules from Stonesoup for your new ebook. 

Weekend makes.

Long trains went by and one even came through at 4.30am during the night.

Back home again I went for a late afternoon walk.

I made a salad for dinner and D2 made a Savoury Cheesecake from Jules ebook. It was delicious. 

And now we have a week of rain, rain and more rain. Winter is really here and so while dodging the drips we get about when and where we can. 

Life's good ... Dot :-)

HERBS

Herbs are very handy to have growing in your garden and when you find the garden holds a glut, pick them and pop in zip lock bags in your freezer. I don't yet have a rosemary bush growing in our garden (a plant is currently on the window sill with a wonderful display of roots to go) but this rosemary came from the freezer when I made up a batch of Pumpkin & Haloumi muffins. We love to have rosemary handy too to pop on lamb to roast. Mmm!

In my garden I have yummy spring onions which when picking you collect the leaves only and they keep producing more.

Oregano in abundance. These herbs add flavour to soups, casseroles and plain eggs become a treat combined with cheese and herbs.

Time for some thyme. You need only to pick the stems, rub in your hands and you get the first release of fragrance before adding to your cooking.

Recently I have been making batches of soup. As soon as one is finished another is on the go. Soup is so easy to make and lends itself to filling you up when combined with a roll or just cake and coffee now that the weather is cooling off. 

Soup allows you to be creative. It can simply be made with 5 ingredients or much more. If you start with diced onion, carrot, garlic and ginger with a blob of butter in a saucepan. Get that simmering and pop the lid on to sweat while your prepare your other vegetables. Check your fridge and see what there is to use. The secret is in the seasoning. Chicken or beef stock for example along with salt, pepper, curry, herbs. Vegetables that combine well are pumpkin, sweet potato, cauliflower, broccoli etc. When cooked blend with hand blender or mash well and add cream when serving up. Delicious every time.

Along our main street the flower beds have new plants in them. Very pretty.

Hope my blog this week inspired you to plant some herbs or even make soup.

Bye for now ... Dot :-)