Marina Barrage

Every year on the 2nd day of the lunar new year, our family takes a break from visiting relatives to do something fun with the children. For the past few years we have visited the various musuems or Sentosa. This year we decided to visit the Marina Barrage:


The Marina Barrage is actually a "Reservoir in the city". It serves to add to Singapore's water supply, control flooding and is also a lifestyle destination.


Flooding is controlled by these 9 gates which will automatically open when the water reaches a pre-determined level, and is then discharged into the sea. This bridge also allows us to take a walk across the Bay from Marina.



At the barrage, we also get a fantastic view of the Singapore flyer and the Singapore skyline!

Pineapple Tart recipe

This recipe is specially for Mott.




Ingredients

pineapple jam
100-120 g granulated sugar
1 pineapple

pastry dough
500 g flour, sifted
350 g unsalted butter, cut into smaller cubes and kept chilled
50 g powdered sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking powder
2 egg yolks, lighten beaten
3 tablespoons milk
1 egg, beaten and mixed with some water(for eggwash)

Directions
Pineapple Jam.
Grate the pineapple and keep the juice.
Cook pineapple and juice over medium heat until it is almost dry (but not too dry).
Add sugar and stir continuously over low heat to prevent burning, until it caramelises.
Cool the jam down and keep it in the fridge.


Pastry.
Sift the dry flour into a large bowl. Set aside.
Add in the butter and rub into the flour until it resembless bread crumbs. Add the sugar, baking powder, salt and mix well.
Add the cold milk into the egg yolks and pour egg mixture into the crumbs.
Knead quickly to combine the dough. The dough should be soft and slightly sticky.
Divide the dough into 2 portions, wrap it up using clingwrap and chill for at least ½ hour before use.

Preheat oven to 160C(I use a fan forced oven, about 180C if using gas oven)

Roll dough out to about 0.5cm thick and cut using pineapple tart cutter
Top them with your balls of pineapple jam.
Lightly brush the with eggwash mixture.
Bake for about 15 mins.



Enjoy!!


:)

Run up into the CNY

Yes, it has been a hectic few weeks. With new schedules that arent even fixed yet, and the CNY is barely 5 days away!!

Well, baked my pineapple tarts again this year, and I must say, this time, after tweaking the recipe, I am so pleased with it. I managed to get that "melt-in-your-mouth" pastry that I really love!! Not sure if it is because the kids did not have a hand in it, (I used to blame the hard pastry on the kids man-handling it!) or the change in the recipe. Anyway, I am soooo pleased!

This last week also marked my 2nd Blogoversary, but I had no time to blog on it the day itself. 2 years of blogging, with a few stops in between, and many good friends made. Thanks ladies for being on this blogging journey with me!

Started on a new detox method which was recommended by some "friends". Its called the "oil pooling therapy". Not sure if it works, since I have only been on it for 5 days, but I find that since I started on it, I have been hungrier and thirstier. Will post more on it after I have been on it for at least 2 weeks. If you cant wait to find out about it, try googling it.

Finished most of my CNY shopping already. Only a few more stops at a couple of places today and tomorrow specially for MIL, as she likes everything "fresh".

I also "made" some oranges for Little D to give to her friends for her class CNY party.

Today is also the day of the Singapore Budget. Yes, its earlier than usual, but I guess there is a need for it to be early as everyone wants those "help" measures implemented quickly to jumpstart the economy! What do I hope for? Actually I dont even want to hope, coz have been disappointed these past few years when they have absolutely nothing for SAHMs. So, hopefully they will surprise me with some real goodies this time round.

POTUS

At 12 noon today (US EST), history will be made with the inauguration of Barack Obama as the 44th President of the United States of America. The first African -American to lead the most influential country in the world.

The world, and many Americans are all excited about this day. There will be parades, balls and parties, all graced by stars, and would be viewed live around the world on the television and the internet.

The man has promised change. Change that would affect the lives of many, including you and I even though we may not even live in the US. Would it be change for the better? We do not know. We just have to wait and see. Lets pray that God will guide and lead him to make the right decisions.

Riddle me, tickle me

Recently Little D has been asking me all kinds of funny questions for which I always do not have the right answers. Why? She has been making up her own riddles, and my answers are never the ones she has in mind.

Why did the elephant go to the bathroom?
To pee??
No Mum, To see where the bath sleeps!

I tried asking her some of the more common riddles to show her that I was also into riddles: Why did the chicken cross the road? To get to the other side. But when she heard my answer, she went: "Lame!" Guess she wasnt impressed.

What's a 4 year-old doing using a word such as "Lame!" on her Mum? Am I so out of touch with the "in-crowd"? I really dont think so. But apparently I am. And it sure makes me feel lousy.

Not sure where this riddle thing came from, coz I havent heard my older kids asking each other any riddles recently, and I dont think its from school. But it sure has got her creative juices flowing. One of my favourite of her riddles is this:

Why did the apple sit on the chair?
Because it wanted to be a chapel!!

So if you have any super good riddles that would impress a 4 year old, please share with me (with answers too please!), or she would think I am really "Lame!"

Where is Love?

Yes! Where is it??

There are just so many things happening around that makes me wonder if Love has gone on holiday somewhere?? or just disappeared like the dodo bird!

There is just so much bloodshed, hatred, jealousy and greed all around. Why cant everyone just be happy with what they have, who they are and live and let live?

Even among "so-called" friends - why they cant just be happy for you just because your child has a certain capability or has done well? In front, they put up a false front, behind your back they gossip, pass snide remarks, etc. Little do they know that the world is so small that it always gets back to the ears of those whom it is not intended for.

Fighting amongst siblings ... we have seen so many cases of it. Brothers bringing each other to court to fight over their inheritances. Even in my family, my kids are fighting with each other over who got to play longer on the computer, who had the bigger piece of candy, and who shaped more cookies!! Why cant they be happy that they got to play on the computer, that they got to make cookies and they got to eat that candy!! Sometimes it makes me wonder if I should have given them those priviledges in the 1st place ... if not, then there would have been no fighting, right? (Actually, I dont think so . .. they would probably find something else to fight about!)

I have told my children many a times that they there is already too much fighting in the world, and the last thing we need is for it to happen at home. But do they listen? NO! But I guess, this is part of growing up! And many have told me that it is this fighting that sometimes bring them closer together. Boy! I really cant wait!

Let me share with you this verse taken from the bible: John 13:34-35
A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another. By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.

and from 1 Corinthians 13

Love is patient; love is kind
and envies no one.
Love is never boastful, nor conceited, nor rude;
never selfish, not quick to take offense.
There is nothing love cannot face;
there is no limit to its faith,
its hope, and endurance.
In a word, there are three things
that last forever: faith, hope, and love;
but the greatest of them all is love.

--

We cant have everything in the world. Life is basically "NOT FAIR". So we just have to learn to be happy with what we have been given. Count your blessings. Being jealous and bitchy is not going to change anything. So please, just show a little LOVE. It will go a long way, and make it a bit more pleasant for those around us!

;)

Help!!

Greedy me usually looks forward to dinner. Never mind if it is home cooked, bought or in a restaurant ... as long as the food is good.

This friday, hubby and I have been invited to dinner by a customer of ours. (We run a little business from home). Initially I agreed with hubby to go, but I have since changed my mind. Unusual for me to not look forward to dinner!

Why? Our host faxed across the guest list some time last week, and there is not going to be any familiar faces at the dinner ... in fact I dont even know the host nor his wife, hubby knows them better. Also, hubby probably regrets telling me that everyone one on that dinner guest list (apart from ourselves) can be googled!!

Seems like some big hip high society dinner, even tho it will be a home-cooked meal!! Since I left the corporate world some 9 years ago, I have not rubbed shoulders with people like this, and this lowly housewife who now only knows where to get the best and freshest market produce is likely to feel terribly out of place. What am I going to wear, and what am I going to talk to them about?? I have no clue!! I am going to feel so terribly out of place!

It's too late to back out since we RSVP'd last week. So, how?? Any tips on what I should do? or any thing that can help me look invisible? Maybe some super contagious germs that I can catch that would save me from the dinner!! HELP!!