FUDGY BROWNIES

Ingredients

1 cup 8oz/240g unsalted butter, melted and cooled

2 tablespoons (30ml) vegetable oil

1 1/4 cups (9oz/260g) white sugar

1 cup (7oz/200g) packed light brown sugar

4 (2oz/57g each) large eggs, at room temperature

1 tablespoon (15ml) pure vanilla extract

3/4 teaspoon salt

1 cup (3.5oz/130g) all purpose flour

1 cup (3.5oz/100g) good quality, unsweetened cocoa powder

7 oz (200g) roughly chopped chocolate or large chocolate chips

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 175°C | 350°F.
   Lightly grease an 8×12-inch baking pan* with cooking oil spray. Line with parchment paper (or baking paper); set aside.
2. Combine melted butter, oil and sugars together in a medium-sized bowl. Whisk well to combine.
3. Add the eggs and vanilla; beat until lighter in colour (another minute).
4. Sift in flour, cocoa powder and salt. Gently fold the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients until JUST combined (do NOT over beat as doing so well affect the texture of your brownies).
5. Fold in 3/4 of the chocolate pieces.
6. Pour batter into prepared pan, smoothing the top out evenly, and top with remaining chocolate pieces.
7. Bake for 25-30 minutes for just under-done brownies (fudgier texture) or until the centre of the brownies no longer jiggles and is JUST set to the touch.
   OR 35-40 minutes if you like your brownies well set and firm.

NOTE: Brownies will continue baking and set in the hot pan out of the oven. If testing with a toothpick, the toothpick should come out dirty for fudge-textured brownies.

After 15-20 minutes, carefully remove them out of the pan and allow to cool to room temperature before slicing into 16 brownies. They set while they cool.

(From JT)

CNY Greetings

Wishing you a blessed and prosperous Chinese New Year!

A nice Chinese new year blessings in Proverbs:

🍊心想事成 Ps 37:4 God will grant us the desires of our heart

㊗万事如意 Rom 8:28 In all things God works together for the good of those who love Him

🍀岁岁平安 Phil 4:7 The peace of God will guard our hearts and minds in Christ

🍊事业有成 Jer 29:11 God knows the plans for us to prosper us and give us a future and a hope

👣步步高升 Eph 2:6 God has raised us up with Christ and seated us with Him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus

💖金玉满堂 Prov 15:6 The house of the righteous is filled with treasure

🍊红运当头 Deut 28:13 God has made us the head and not the tail (as a result of Jesus’ shed blood)

㊗笑口常开 Ps 105:43 God brings His people out with rejoicing, and His chosen ones with shouts of joy.

Life is a tapestry

https://michaelhyatt.com/how-your-life-is-like-a-tapestry/

Life is But a Weaving

My life is but a weaving
Between my God and me.
I cannot choose the colors
He weaveth steadily.
Oft’ times He weaveth sorrow;
And I in foolish pride
Forget He sees the upper
And I the underside.
Not ‘til the loom is silent
And the shuttles cease to fly
Will God unroll the canvas
And reveal the reason why.
The dark threads are as needful
In the weaver’s skillful hand
As the threads of gold and silver
In the pattern He has planned
He knows, He loves, He cares;
Nothing this truth can dim.
He gives the very best to those
Who leave the choice to Him.

Grant Colfax Tullar (quoted by Corrie Ten Boom)

Source: The Backside of Tapestry

Mango Pudding

(A)
40g Gelatine powder
100ml Water
100g Sugar

(B)
300ml Fresh Topping cream
200ml Full cream milk
500ml Mango puree (from Phoon Huat)
Mix (B) together in a large cup and set aside

(C)
100g Crushed ice or ice cubes

1-2 pcs Fresh Mango – cut cubes (optional)

Adapted from Ancoco’s recipe

Methods:

• Pour (A) in a large pot. Using hand whisk, stir till liquid bubbles and sugar dissolved, off heat to cool.
• Pour (B) mango mixture to (A), stir and pass through a sift to prevent lumps from gelatine.
• Add in (C), stir with hand whisk till ice melts.
• Pour mango liquid into cups or molds and add in fresh mango cubes.
• Put in refrigerator to set.

#mango pudding

Home revisited

Happy Birthday President Trump

Photo: Paper art by LULO Paper Studio taken at Orchard Library.

We are going to see more of President Trump. He’s coming again in November at the invitation of Our President Halimah for a state visit. 

At this rate, friendship may bloom between our nations. The last time a US President visited was President George W Bush. President Obama came when we hosted APEC but rushed out, not accepting a state visit. We didnt take it personally.

At lunch today, our leaders celebrated President Trump’s birthday ahead of time!

Happy Birthday President Trump and we wish you a fruitful and abundant meeting tomorrow with President Kim at Capella Hotel.

More photos here:
https://www.straitstimes.com/multimedia/photos/in-pictures-pm-lee-has-bilateral-meeting-working-lunch-with-donald-trump

https://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/us-president-donald-trump-heads-to-istana-for-meeting-with-prime-minister-lee-hsien-loong

https://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/asia/president-trump-accepts-invitation-state-visit-to-singapore-10419660

Dining With Kim Jong Un

A Russian-made cargo plane, believed to be carrying food items, vehicles, authorised weapons and other supplies for Mr Kim was reported by the Strauts Times to have arrived, with refrigerator trucks destined for St Regis.

Crab beehoon?
Roti Prata?
Michelin star chicken and dim sum?

Initially I thought that the North Koreans were really careful about the food security. Until I realised it was likely that Singapore could not provide the quality he is used to.

Exercepts of interview with his dad’s former chef, it seems caviar, champagne and sushi are on President Kim’s daily menu.

The North Korean may have suzed up that President Trump had more in common with President Kim than any other past US Presidents, or leaders of the free world. What do you make of this historic event?

https://www.cheatsheet.com/culture/dining-with-the-dictator-these-are-some-of-kim-jong-uns-favorite-foods.html/?a=viewall

Busy Day at the F1 Pit Centre

Multi-purpose F1 Pit Centre is the venue for the International Media Centre for the Trump-Kim Meeting.

Journalists are expected to register here.

The area is decked with huge TV screens and lounges.

Despite the reception awaiting the journalists, unlikely any of them will have the time to enjoy as they are probably busy filing reports.

2,500 journalists are coming. Some, in fact, have flown in, without their media pass, but have not been turned away.

Do you think journalists are J or P (MBTI)? I think more P, enjoy the adrenaline rush of the next exciting news but not plan for their security pass. Singapore may not be the best place for them. But seriously how do journalists get past the US/ New York immigration?

Hope you will visit again for the F1 event in September, now that you have checked out the F1 pit.

Our PM has said Singapore will spend US$20 million for this peace effort. Do you think it is worth it?

(President Trump did not get a good reception at the G7 Summit in Canada. Do catch the briefing on TV by President Trump and PM Trudeau. Will he get a good reception in Singapore? With Kim? President Trump will just turn up and make his demands. Looks like how well the meeting will go, will depend on President Kim. Singapore has not left any stones unturned. )

https://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/singapore/hosting-trump-kim-summit-will-give-singapore-publicity-to-cost-s-10415386

Gardens by the Bay Begonia display

Sprucing up ahead of the Trump-Kim Summit, the team at Gardens by the Bay.

34 views of the Supertrees.

Cool and comfortable. Cloud forest.

Lego display of Rafflesia.

At the Flower Dome.

Begonia display

Update: President Kim Jong Un visited the Gardens indeed on 11 June 2018. Excellent choice.

Its so hot today. Best place to chill is at the Gardens by the Bay!

The annual membership card @$34 is at 50% discount. Includes free 2hr parking. Get one for your family and for your domestic helper!

Apply online.
http://m.gardensbythebay.com.sg/en/join-us/friends-of-the-gardens/membership-plans.html

Whats a little inconvenience – if it puts an end to North/ South Korea conflict?

Road blocks from 10-14 Jun 2018 – I am affected!  Which means we are going to just huddle in front of the TV during the week and watch the news and avoid the traffic jam.

If it puts an end to the North and South Korean conflict, whats a little inconvenience. Think of the families divided by the war who have not seen each other. ( Businesses may suffer as tourists avoid Sentosa. Its temporary. The journalists will be gone by 14 Jun.)

So party now like there is no tomorrow.

Thank God that while Singapore is small, we are not tiny as Yogi Berra will say.

Where to go to avoid the road blocks:
Stay at home
East Coast park
Hort Park
Raffles Place
Marina Bay Financial Centre
Gardens by the Bay
Jurong – Bird Park, River Safari, Zoo, Night Safari (looks like they are not going there)
Chinatown
Balestier/ Whampoa road
Geylang for durians
Orchard road – take the MRT, dont drive (but avoid Scotts Road)

Affected roads and with road blocks/checks are:

Near Sentosa:

1)    Harbourfront Pl
2)    Harbourfront Ave
3)    Telok Blangah Rd (encompassing the Seah Im Carpark, Seah Im Food Centre, Marang road Carpark)
4)    Marang Road
5)    West Coast Highway

Town:
(Looks like they are at Shangrila Hotel)
6)    Grange Rd
7)    Chatsworth Rd
8)    Chatsworth Ave
9)    Tanglin Rd
10) Ridley Pk
11) Loewen Rd
12) Harding Rd
13) Minden Rd
14) Cluny Rd
15)  Evans Rd
16)  Bukit Timah Rd
17)  Scotts Rd
18)  Paterson Rd
19)  Paterson Hill

Sentosa Island:
1)    Siloso Beach View
2)    Beach View
3)    Siloso Road
4)    Garden Ave
5)    Sentosa Gateway
6)    Entrance of Sentosa Gateway
7)    Sentosa Gateway
8)    Gateway Ave
9)    Artillery Ave
10) Allanbrooke Rd
11) Tanjong Beach Walk
12) Palawan Beach beach front

more info:
http://www.police.gov.sg/news-and-publications/media-releases/20180606_others_Declaration_of_the_summit