Better Than Sleep?

Last night, I went to bed earlier.  I've had migraine for the past two days which wouldn't not go away with my usual medication.  Lack of sleep most likely - the past week, I was catching up on work till late at night, shutting down usually around 2am... But a good sleep was not to be had.

Around 1:30 am,  my 8-year old son woke me up saying he got severe pain on his right ear and could not sleep.   I let him slid in beside me, asked a few "diagnostic questions" - when did he start having the pain, did he poke his ear with something pointed or sharp, etc.  While gently rubbing the painful ear,  I quickly checked the internet for info on ear pains among kids.  Most probably, ear infection,  nothing serious I hope... he was able to sleep soon after taking paracetamol.  I could not.

This morning,  J remained matamlay, and still had fever.  He wanted me near him always.  I still felt light-headed, but there was a warm feeling inside - I felt special and needed.  It's a feeling much greater than having enough sleep.

Korean Barbecue

Lunch was Korean barbecue. Thin slices of brisket, marinaded and barbecued on a hibachi. Fairly easy to do. And wrapped on lettuce leaves or young cabbage, fairly healthy as well.

Backtracking a bit : we went to District 7, and had lunch in a Korean resto; a few times we've been in the area, I noticed the place was always packed with Koreans. I figured food must be good and authentic. 

The barbecue was lovely.  And it looked quite easy to prepare, can be done at home I thought. I'd like to do it using a Korean-type grill, a dome-shaped metal affair on stove-top.

I was happy to find that type of grill in Lotte Mart in D7.  I bought packed brisket slices as well.  (The prepacked brisket turned out quite fatty, they packed it in such a way that the fat was hidden. Maybe better to buy brisket from Metro and slice it thinly ourselves.)  After googling a simple recipe for bulgogi marinade, I'm all set for our Korean barbecue.  

The marinade was a mixture of light soy sauce, liquid seasoning, sesame oil, rice wine, brown sugar, and some salt & pepper. 30 minutes in the marinade was just enough for the meat to absorb the flavours. Grilling using the hibachi was quite easy; the meat browned fast and the first few slices were almost burnt :)

Stove-top grill - see the small hole on
the side where the fat drains out

The kids really loved it!  M and I loved to eat it dipped in Korean red chili paste.  This dish is definitely a keeper.

Easy Beef Stroganoff

When the kids don't finish their packed lunch, I worry they don't get enough nutrition. I want them to have good food, something easy to gobble up during lunch break, while chatting with their friends. (They play & chat more than eat!)

I found a crockpot beef stroganoff recipe at Cooks.com. It was nutritious, easy-to-prepare, and easy-to-eat. The ingredients are quite simple too!  (I get intimidated with recipes with a long list of ingredients.)

Here's my version :

    1/2 k beef strips (sirloin)
    1 small onion, chopped
    1clove garlic, chopped
    3 tbsp liquid seasoning (I use Knorr or Maggi)
    1 small can Campbell's cream of mushroom soup, 1/4 cup water
    1 small can sliced button mushrooms

Marinade the beef strips in liquid seasoning and pepper for 30 minutes.  Put all ingredients except the mushroom in the crock pot;  rinse the soup can with some water and mix it in to help dilute the sauce. Cook in high for 2 hours, stir every 30 minutes. Add the sliced mushroom and cook in low for another hour.  Serve hot.

The meat's really tender, and the sauce flavorful.  Great with steamed rice or sliced baguette.

Here's the original recipe; sour cream is added before serving.
http://www.cooks.com/rec/view/0,1727,157187-234204,00.html

Is Your Workplace Like This?

I was reading the book "A Colossal Failure of Common Sense" by Larry McDonald.  (It's obvious from the title - the book is about the collapse of  Lehman Brothers. Even without reading the book, anyone could tell uncontrolled greed is the main reason behind the recent financial meltdown. This book is a good read.)

I'm not writing about the global financial crisis.

First, some background info. The author and a friend started a website, offering information about convertible bonds. Loads of hardwork researching and offering information about the bonds offered in the market, as well as their evaluation of those bonds - which ones are worth buying and which are crap - made their website popular. Morgan Stanley bought them off, and the 2 friends became dotcom multi-millionaires.

Moving to MS, they felt the huge difference between how things work and get done in their start-up company and in an organization like MS.

In Chapter 3 of his book, the author said :

"The whole ethos of a major company is different. There’s people forever trying to cover their own asses, people who have somehow carved an entire career out of making small but telling criticisms of other people’s work. That’s because in a big corporation, the guy who spots a screw-up is somehow cleverer and more valuable than the guy who wrote the forty-page marketing plan in the first place."

Nice!  So eloquently put, don't you think?

Have you worked with people like that?  Made you feel like you want to smack them in the face hahaha

My three common-sensical take-aways :

1.  The colossal failure of common sense is if the head of any company allow such culture to permeate, much less flourish in the organization. My view - that will only happen if the head is like that himself. The leader sets the tone, pace, values in the organization. The buck stops with him/her.

2. Learn to be thick-skinned. One cannot avoid presenting to smart people (and smart-a__s).  Gotta learn to deal with them -- if the tough question is from the smart ones, they're adding value.  Don't be on the defensive. If from the smart-a_s, maybe say "that's a good question, what do you think we should do?".  

3.  Focus on doing excellent work, in adding value. Be sincere, no matter if everyone else isn't. (I think I've experienced that!)  Be a role model and contribute to creating a culture that builds values.

Family Meals Matter - A Lot!

During a visit to my parents

Our family holds fast to our tradition of eating meals together.

Growing up in the province, we always have dinner together. Same with Sunday lunches. Everyone was expected to be home by dinner time. I don't recall much about what we talked about during meal times - local politics maybe, even what's latest about the neighbors :)

Studies show that having regular family dinner helps children get better nutrition, also better grades. Plus it reduces the likelihood of them smoking, getting into drugs, having eating disorders, getting into trouble. I read this first years ago as a feature article in a Sunday newspaper. Google "benefits of family dinner"  and lots of websites (like the 2 below) will pop out.

http://www.mealsmatter.org/Articles-And-Resources/Healthy-Living-Articles/Family-Meals.aspx

http://children.webmd.com/guide/family-dinners-are-important

We didn't have to read articles like these to know. When we started our family, my husband and I didn't even have to discuss it - we instinctively knew that family meals was the natural thing to do. Sharing our daily lives is an essential part of being a family, not just sharing last names and living under one roof.

The kids set the table. They like having their own
identifiable cup or glass to drink from :)

I look forward to dinnertime. We get to share how our day was. The other night, we talked about the boys' visit to a vegetarian restaurant, a class field trip - we asked what did they eat, how did it taste, did they try something new...When eating together, we get to notice also when someone is unusually quiet, or has a bad cough, or has long, dirty fingernails that need trimming :)  Big or small, these concerns need our attention and early intervention... During weekends, they help prepare the food, set the table and do the dishes...We believe the talks and the tasks contribute to character-building, to shaping their views about life, about the world.

I've read an article on how family dinners are good for parents, too. Not just for the kids.
http://www.slate.com/articles/life/family/2008/07/the_macandcheese_effect.html

Great findings but does it take research to know that? The family is a unit, a whole - one part gets problematic, the rest gets affected. And vice-versa. Don't parents feel happy and fulfilled when their kids are doing well in school, behaving properly and growing up responsibly? I do. I believe most parents do. It's a no-brainer, in my view.

As a working mom over the past 20 years, I know I have missed countless opportunities to network and build professional relationships - over dinner or even weekends;  I go when necessary but not that active :)I don't have regrets. My kids are doing well in school, they are thoughtful and caring, helpful at home. Call me simple but this for me is happiness.