Go Cha Cha Cha with this Char Siew Recipe

One very important criteria of being a Penguin Daddy is to cook delicious food that your kids love.  Mine loves to eat Char Siew.  The following is a recipe that must remember by hard.

Hunger hits. You are in the hawker centre facing all these food stalls, what should you have for lunch? Decisions… decisions. There are Hokkien mee, chicken rice, wanton mee and roasted meat. The latter two are always in our preference list, and are considered “no brainers” for the chinese palate, as they come with one of our favourite eats – char siew, or as some spell char siu, cha su or cha siu. Apparently, we are not the only ones with such an affinity, char siew is also listed as number 28 on the “World’s 50 Most Delicious Foods” readers’ poll compiled by CNNGo in 2011.

Char siew is usually served with some kind of carbs or starch to soak up the yummy juices, such as rice, noodles or as a filling inside fluffy steamed buns. The good news is that slab of roasty, juicy, sweet and savoury roast pork is quite easy to make at home!

Of Cantonese origin, this barbecue pork dish can be made with myriad of cuts. Pork loin or butt is for the more health conscious amongst us as these will yield a leaner result. The belly will of course be fattier, but much tastier too, as fat equals flavour. Our personal favourite, however, is the pork collar or neck. This cut is well marbled, so that the finished char siew is juicy but not overly fatty yet satisfyingly meaty.

Here’s a recipe to make char siew at home. Two kilograms of pork neck may sound like a lot of meat, but trust us, it’s not. Plus, the leftovers are great for fried rice, pizza topping, sandwich or even as a beer snack.

Serve the char siew with your choice of carb and enjoy with the char siew sauce.

Char Siew

Ingredients:

2kg Pork neck (cut into long strips)

1 thumb of Ginger (peeled and puréed)

10 cloves Garlic (finely minced)

Char siew marinade/sauce:

5 tbsp Soy sauce

5 tbsp Hoisin sauce

1 tbsp Five spice powder

8 tbsp Honey

4 tbsp Shaoxing wine

1 tsp White pepper powder

Methods:

1) Heat up all the char siew marinade sauce ingredients in a pan and bring to a boil over low fire till combined. When it becomes slightly thickened and sticky, it’s ready. Remove from the heat and let cool.

2) Mix in the garlic and ginger.

3) Marinate the pork neck strips with this sauce for at least one night.

4) When ready to cook, heat the oven to 200˚C.

Pork collar is well-marbled, has enough fat and satisfyingly meaty.

5) Remove the meat from the marinade and shake off of excess sauce. Put the strips in a foil-lined pan (for easier clean up later), leaving a bit of space around each piece so that the meat roasts as opposed to steaming it.

6) Cook the char siew for about 30 minutes, turning the meat over halfway through.

Brush some honey for sweeter and glossier finish.

7) Meanwhile bring the leftover marinade to a boil for about 5 minute. Brush this sauce onto the pork while grilling (every 5-10mins) until the char siew gets nice and charred. Optional: you can brush the meat with a bit of honey the last 5 minutes of cooking for extra sweetness and gloss.

8) Slice the char siew into bite-size pieces, drizzle the remaining char siew sauce over and serve immediately with the carb of your choice. Just add slices of cool cucumber. Makan time!

Slice and serve!
Ref:  http://sg.entertainment.yahoo.com/news/cha-cha-cha-char-siew-recipe-052246777.html

Dr. Pepper Pork

Dr. Pepper Pulled Pork in the Slow Cooker

2 1/2-3 lb pork butt (also known as a pork shoulder)
24 oz. (2 cans) Dr. Pepper
1 medium onion, cut in quarters and then again in half
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 1/2 teaspoons dry ground mustard
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
Salt and black pepper to taste
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
3 tablespoons Worcestershire Sauce
Barbecue Sauce of choice

Place the chopped onions in the bottom of the slow cooker. Place the pork butt on top of the onions and add the garlic, ground mustard, cayenne pepper, salt, pepper, apple cider vinegar and Worcestershire sauce. Pour the Dr. Pepper on top and cook on high for 4-5 hours (or on low for 8 hours).

Very carefully, because the pork will be hot, remove the meat from the slow cooker and place on a large cutting board. Using two forks, shred the pork by pulling away from each other. The meat should be very tender by this point. Place the shredded pork back into the slow cooker and continue to cook for an additional hour.

Drain the remaining juices and toss the meat and onion mixture in the barbecue sauce of choice. I don't have an exact amount listed-just add a bit at a time until you get to your desired sauciness!

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Are you teaching your children the 7 traits needed for success?

All parents want their children to become successful.

It’s no wonder that many parents send their children for all sorts of enrichment and tuition classes, as well as other kinds of extracurricular activities.

All this in the hope that their children will become smarter, more creative, and (eventually) moresuccessful.

But are these parents doing the right thing? What traits actually contribute toward long-term success?

The 7 traits that lead to success

According to psychologist Christopher Peterson, there are seven main traits that lead to life satisfaction and success:

• Grit
• Self-control
• Zest
• Social intelligence
• Gratitude
• Optimism
• Curiosity

Interesting list, don’t you think?

Are you an overbearing parent?

Through my work, I’ve interacted with thousands of people, mostly students, young adults and parents.

I’ve worked with lazy students and hardworking students; weak-willed students and determined students; distracted students and focused students; pessimistic students and optimistic students.

I’m fascinated by what causes children to turn out so differently.

Genetics, the physical environment and the child’s family background all play a part. But there’s no doubt that parents are extremely influential in a child’s development.

I notice that, in general, the children who have the greatest number of personal issues to deal with also tend to have parents who are unreasonable, overbearing and annoying.

There’s a clear correlation here.

How to set an example for your children in the 7 areas

Children might think that their parents are “uncool” or old-fashioned, but they still look up to their parents as role models.

As a parent, you have a direct impact on your children’s future.

As such, I’ve come up with some questions for you to ask yourself, which will help you to think about how you can model each of the seven traits for your children more effectively.

The good news is that if you’re able to model these traits, it also means that you’re setting yourself up for enduring success too!

1. Grit

• Do you give up easily?
• Do you start things but not finish them?
• Do you encourage your children for putting in a good effort, or do you only focus on the result?

2. Self-control

• Are you disciplined when it comes to your eating habits?
• Do you exercise regularly?
• Are you addicted to your smartphone or tablet?
• Are you living proof of the benefits of self-control?

3. Zest

• Are you excited about life?
• Are you passionate about your job and your hobbies?
• Do you actively seek out new experiences?

4. Social intelligence

• Are you a good listener?
• Do you continually put yourself in other people’s shoes?
• Do you cut people off as they are talking?
• Do you play with your phone when you’re talking to other people?

5. Gratitude

• Do you regularly tell your children about things you’re thankful for?
• Do you consciously think of at least one thing you’re grateful for every day?
• Are you a chronic complainer?

6. Optimism

• Do you plan events that you can look forward to every week?
• Do you intentionally look for the good in other people?
• Do you see problems as obstacles or as challenging opportunities?

7. Curiosity

• Do you make it a point to learn something new every day?
• Do you tell your children about something cool you recently discovered?
• Do you emphasize genuine learning over academic performance?

In closing…

If you’re a parent (or a leader in any capacity), I hope you’ll keep this quote in mind: “We teach what we know; we reproduce what we are.”

If you want your children to be successful, it all starts with you. I’m sure you’re up to the challenge!

Daniel Wong is a learning and personal development expert, as well as a certified youth counselor. A sought-after speaker and coach, he is also the best-selling author of "The Happy Student: 5 Steps to Academic Fulfillment and Success". He offers programmes to help students become both happy and successful and to help parents to connect more effectively with their children. He writes regularly at www.daniel-wong.com. Download his FREE e-book, "The Unhappiness Manifesto: Do You Make These 150 Mistakes In The Pursuit Of Happiness?", here.

Ref:  http://sg.news.yahoo.com/blogs/singaporescene/teaching-children-7-traits-needed-success-081012327.html

10 ways to deal with teenagers more effectively

Teen years can be among the most trying. (Yahoo! photo)

Maybe you’re a parent, teacher or youth worker who finds it frustrating to deal with teenagers.
Teenagers have so much energy and enthusiasm, but they also tend to be rebellious and hard to manage.
My work involves speaking to and mentoring teenagers on a regular basis. It’s a privilege to have already worked with thousands of them!
I enjoy interacting with teenagers, but they can definitely be a handful sometimes.
Based on the experiences I’ve had, here are 10 tips for dealing with teenagers more effectively:

1. Set clear boundaries
Once you’ve set these boundaries, stick to them. For example, if you decide that your 13-year-old son is only allowed to play computer games after he has completed his homework, be firm in enforcing this rule.

2. Show interest in their hobbies
Even if their hobbies are things that you don’t have any interest in at all (maybe it’s something like web design or rock music), make the effort to understand why they like it so much. Try out the activity for yourself!
Teenagers want to know that you care about them for who they are as individuals, not just for how well they perform in school.

3. Remind them that you care for them
This message doesn’t usually get communicated when you discipline or reprimand a teenager. Remind him or her that it’s because of your love and concern that you need to set boundaries and expectations.

4. Apologize if necessary
You’re not perfect, and neither am I. Teenagers are very aware of this, so when you commit a mistake, take the first step in making amends.
Teenagers greatly appreciate this, and they will learn from your example of honesty and humility.

5. Don’t bail them out
For instance, if your daughter forgets to bring her textbook to school, don’t bail her out. Let her deal with the consequences, so that she’ll learn to take complete responsibility for her own life.

6. Allow them to make their own choices
Teenagers still need guidance and support when making decisions, but it’s important to give them as much freedom as possible.
When it comes to decisions like what subjects to take in school or what extracurricular activities to participate in, parents should give them advice, but shouldn’t force them to make any one particular choice.

7. Stay calm
Handling teenagers can sometimes be confusing or frustrating. Nonetheless, it’s crucial that you muster all of your willpower to remain calm.
If you find that you’ve lost your temper—or if the teenager you’re talking to has already lost his or her temper—then take a break and discuss the issue later on when both of you have calmed down.
It’s almost impossible to reach a common understanding when either party is extremely angry.

8. Don’t claim to understand exactly what they are going through
Even though you’ve been a teenager before, times have changed. You don’t know exactly what it’s like to be a teenager today.
Whenever you claim to understand completely what they are experiencing, you make them feel misunderstood.
Instead, invite them to explain how they feel and ask them how you could be of better support to them.

9. Treat them with respect
No matter how upset you feel, don’t resort to calling him or her “useless” or a “failure” or a “spoiled brat”. Doing so is sure to cause strain in the relationship.

10. Don’t nag
Many parents I’ve spoken to feel as if nagging is their main weapon when it comes to dealing with teenagers.
Instead of nagging them, set clear expectations and explain the consequences if these expectations are not met.
For example, you might tell your teenaged son that he’s expected to keep to his curfew time, and that if he misses his curfew more than once in a month, that his allowance will be cut by 15% the following month for each subsequent time that he misses his curfew.

In closing…
Teenagers have abundant potential, which needs to be nurtured with wisdom and love.
I hope these 10 tips will help you to develop in today’s teenagers the world-changers and history-makers of tomorrow!

Ref:  http://sg.news.yahoo.com/blogs/singaporescene/10-ways-deal-teenagers-more-effectively-004745201.html