Make the cheese sauce by first adding the butter to a large skillet over medium heat on your Sharp Cooktop. As the butter melts, add in the flour, stirring to create a roux.
Add salt and pepper to the roux, and continue to stir for about a minute until the mixture is bubbling.
Slowly add the milk about 1/2 cup at a time, stirring as the milk warms and begins to bubble. Stir to remove any lumps in the mixture. Continue adding the milk and stirring until all the milk has been added.
Once the milk is smooth, add the cheese, and stir to melt it into the sauce. Add the thyme, and then remove the mixture from heat.
Into a 10-inch round baking dish (a tart pan or pie plate works perfectly for this), add potatoes and onions. Mix the thinly sliced onions into the rounds of potatoes so there is an onion for every few slices of potato. Add them in a round pattern around the outside of the dish. Then, continue to add the rest in an inner circular pattern.
Pour the cheese sauce over the potatoes, and use a fork to work it in between some of the layers of potato and onion, until it’s settled into the dish.
Cover the baking dish with foil, and bake for 1 hour. Remove the foil, reset the oven to Bake/Convection at 350º for 30 minutes, and continue to bake to brown the top.
Notes
*If you don’t have a mandolin, very thinly slice the potatoes and onions using a sharp chef’s knife.
**Save time making this dish by adding the potatoes and onions to a 9×13 inch baking dish, pouring the cheese sauce over the top, and using a fork to coat the vegetables. This dish is delicious, even if you don’t have time for a perfect presentation.
***Gruyere cheese makes a great sub for the cheddar if you’d like a stronger flavored cheese sauce.
Scones can be sweet or savoury, perfect with coffee and tea, and can be served at baby showers, bridal showers, brunch, snack time, bake sales, Mother’s Day, and wherever muffins or coffee are appropriate. (Which is all the time!)
This scone recipe is so easy to make, that you may already have all the ingredients in your pantry.
Ingredients:
2 cups All-Purpose Flour
¼ cup Granulated Sugar
½ teaspoon Salt
1 tablespoon Baking Powder
1 Egg, lightly beaten
¾ cup Milk
½ cup melted unsalted Butter
Directions:
Preheat conventional oven to 400°C (or 375°C on a convection oven).
Combine all dry ingredients in a medium mixing bowl and mix well.
Add egg, milk, and butter. Combine mixture well, and form a dough.
Put in fridge for 10 minutes for dough to firm up.
Line baking tray with parchment paper.
Roll into 12 evenly sized balls, and place onto a baking tray.
Bake for 13-15 mins until lightly golden.
Slight variation:
Add 1 cup of your favourite berries for a wonderful fruit scone.
Top with medium or aged chedder cheese for a nice savoury scone.
What I love about sugar cookies are that they are easy to make, shape, decorate, and enjoyed by most. You can make the dough ahead of time — refrigerate up to 2 days in the refrigerator, or even freeze them (up to 3 months) until you need them. I have even made sugar cookie dough and have them away as a gift along with a set of cookie cutters.
I had tried many sugar cookie recipes in the past, but this recipe from Sally’s Baking Addiction, is truly one of my favourites that I have been using since 2020. The cookies have a soft texture and a delightful flavour. So why not give it a try today?
Go to the link above for additional hints and video tutorial.
Ingredients – Sugar Cookies
2 and 1/4 cups All-Purpose Flour, plus more as needed for rolling and work surface
1/2 teaspoon Baking Powder
1/4 teaspoon Salt
3/4 cup Unsalted Butter, softened to room temperature
3/4 cup Granulated Sugar
1 large Egg, at room temperature
2 teaspoons Pure Vanilla Extract
1/4 or 1/2 teaspoon Almond Extract or Lemon Extract (optional)*
Instructions
Mix dry ingredients together in a separate bowl — Flour, baking powder and salt. Set aside.
In a large mixing bowl, beat the butter and sugar together. You can use a high speed mixer or by hand until mixture is smooth and creamy. Add the egg, vanilla, and flavoured Extract (if using). Combine well.
Add the dry ingredients and mix on low until combined. Please note that dough will be relatively soft. If the dough seems too soft/sticky for rolling, add 1 more tablespoon of flour.
Divide the dough into 2 equal parts. Place each portion onto a lightly floured parchment paper or silicone baking mat. Roll out the dough until about 1/4″ thick. If the dough is sticky, dust with more flour and continue to roll.
When you reach 1/4″ thickness, lightly dust one of the sections. Put parchment paper on top, and place the second rolled out on top. Place on a cookie sheet, cover with plastic wrap, and chill in the refrigerator for at least 1-2 hours (and up to 2 days).
Preheat oven to 350°F (177°C). Take chilled ready-to-cut dough from refrigerator and start cutting into shapes using your favourite cookie cutters. A good trick is to dip your cookie cutter in flour between each cut to avoid dough sticking into the cutter. Re-roll dough scraps to 1/4″ thickness and continue cutting until all dough is consumed.
Arrange cookies on baking sheets about 2 inches apart. Bake for 8-10 minutes (8 for smaller cookies, 10 for larger cookies). Do not overbake. Cookies may not look baked at 11 minutes, but I highly suggest you remove them from the oven before you see any browning on the edges. Allow to cool on baking sheet for about 10 minutes, then transfer onto cooling racks.
Allow to fully cool before decorating with icing or decorative sugar toppings.
Recipe will yield about 18 – 24 cookies depending on cookie cutter size.
Ingredients – Sugar Cookie Icing
2 cups Powdered Sugar
6 teaspoons Water
4 teaspoons Light Corn Syrup
½-1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract, oil-free start with ½ teaspoon and add more to your taste
½-1 teaspoon Almond Extract, oil-free start with ½ teaspoon and add more to your taste
⅛ teaspoon Salt to help balance out the sweetness
Food Colouring
Instructions
Combine all ingredients in a medium-sized mixing bowl. Using a rubber spatula, stir mixture for about 2-3 minutes until a smooth and glossy consistency is achieved.
If you are using multiple colours, divide the icing into their own bowls before adding the colouring.
After adding the food colouring, you will notice the icing will be slightly runny. This is normal. Different climates and humidity levels can affect the consistency of the icing. If too wet, add powdered sugar (1 teaspoon at a time), if too dry, add more water (1/8 teaspoon at a time).
Spoon the icing into piping bags or squeeze bottles. If you do not have either of these, you can also spoon the icing into plastic ziploc bags and snip off a small bit off one corner.
To decorate, first outline each cookie with the icing. Fill the rest of the cookie with the icing, then use a toothpick to help spread the icing and fill in any holes.
Enjoy the cookies immediately OR allow the icing to “harden” overnight (or about 12 hours), uncovered. Do not stack until the sugar cookie icing has hardened. The cookies will stay soft for 4-5 days in an airtight container.
Contribution and Recipe by Kevin Lee, AVP, Office Solutions Sales & Marketing, Sharp Electronics of Canada
To celebrate National Brussels Sprouts Day, I am reposting this blog originally posted on Dec 2020. This dish was inspired while on a business trip that took Kevin and his colleagues to our Sharp Manufacturing Company of America (SMCA) factory in Memphis, Tennessee. After spending much of the day at the plant, the team ended up going to a Memphis restaurant for dinner. This dish was ordered as an appetizer by his colleague Rolland, but was coaxed into trying it. After the first bite, Kevin’s taste-buds were awakened to the flavours of that Brussels sprout dish that he will never soon forget. He loved it so much, that when he came home, he had to recreate this dish! After a few tries, Kevin finally got the flavour and texture he desired (and remembered) … and we are so pleased that he is sharing this dish with all of us.
There are many debates on which way is best to prepare Brussels sprouts. You have the older generation that will attest that over-cooked, boiled Brussels sprouts is how it should be served, this is how I recall it as a child. Because of this childhood trauma, I never touched these lovely little green mini-cabbages again until I was in my thirties.
Up until a couple of days ago, Brussels sprouts were always prepared on a roasting pan, mixed with balsamic vinegar, salt & pepper, and popped into the oven at least a couple times a week as a side dish.
I decided to finally give Kevin’s recipe a try (on the stovetop) with my cast iron skillet this weekend, and SHOCKING to me … but I’m hooked on this entirely new (and faster) preparation method. Charred and crispy on the outside, lightly caramelized and tender on the inside, these Brussels sprouts taste amazingly good, even addictive!
If I haven’t convinced you to try Brussels sprouts yet, then perhaps telling you that they are so good for you, will! They contain vitamins (such as A, B6, C and K) and minerals (like manganese, folate, iron, magnesium and potassium). These vitamins and minerals are good for your immune system, heart and bones. They are also low-calorie, fat-free (when not prepared with added oil), and full of fibre, which is great for keeping your digestive system running smoothly.
So which is better? Oven-roasted or pan-roasted? To be honest, I enjoy them both. I love the fact that you can toss the sprouts in the oven and let it cook while I’m busy preparing other meal items versus standing guard over the stove-top ensuring they don’t burn. I think, the most distinct difference is texture. Oven-roasted Brussels sprouts tend to be tender all the way through the interior, allowing it to truly melt in your mouth. While pan-roasted Brussels sprouts tend to be firmer, cooked more on the outside and slightly tender in the interior. I enjoy them both for different reasons and appreciate the variation. You’ll have to try both methods and see what you think.
So if you’re looking for a new way to enjoy these beautiful little bulbs, you’re going to be happy you’re reading this recipe. We hope you enjoy it!
How to Trim Brussels Sprouts
Before trimming the Brussels sprouts, make sure you wash them in a colander, ensuring all the dirt is removed.
Dry them on a kitchen towel for a bit before cutting.
Use a knife to cut the tough stem, remove any yellow or damaged leaves.
Cut each Brussels sprout in half lengthwise, from tip to trimmed end.
If you come across one of those “monster” sprouts, feel free to quarter it.
Ingredients
All you need to make these Memphis-Inspired Brussels sprouts are olive oil, red wine vinegar, soy sauce, oyster sauce, ground pepper, and soft cheese for the finishing touch.
Brussels sprouts, washed, trimmed and halved (3 cups)
Extra Virgin Olive Oil (2 tablespoons)
Red Wine Vinegar (1 tablespoon)
Soy Sauce (1 tablespoon)
Oyster Sauce or Hoisin Sauce (1 teaspoon)
Freshly ground black pepper (pinch)
Handful of Soft Cheese (Boursin Garlic & Fine Herbs / Feta Cheese / Parmesan / Goat Cheese / or any other crumbly cheese)
Preparation
Prep Time: 10 mins
Cooking Time: 15 mins
Heat the olive oil in a large skillet for approximately 2 minutes over medium heat.
Add the Brussels sprouts and toss to coat. Flip the sprouts so they are facing down (cut-side down) and let sit undisturbed for approx 5-7 minutes, until they develop a dark, caramelized sear (as if you are charring).
Add red wine vinegar, soy sauce and oyster sauce in a 2:2:1 ratio (Kevin suggests applying 1 teaspoon at a time, and apply based on your liking)
Hint: I didn’t have oyster sauce on hand, so I substitute it with Hoisin sauce. It added a sweeter flavour, so I added a bit more red wine vinegar to counter balance the sweetness.
Add the pepper, and stir.
Continue cooking, stirring every few minutes, until the Brussels sprouts are all browned and starting to tenderize in the centre (about 5 to 7 additional minutes).
Transfer to plate and sprinkle with a handful of crumbled soft cheese
Hint: I also sprinkled this dish with a handful of pomegranate seeds for colour and additional nutritional value
Serve immediately!
Hint: This dish can be served as an appetizer and goes really well with a glass of white wine (Pinot Grigio perhaps)
Add Brussels sprouts cut-side down onto a hot oiled pan, let cook undisturbed for about 5-7 minutes (to caramelize)Continue cooking until Brussels sprouts are all brownedTransfer to plate, sprinkle with crumbled cheese. Enjoy!!!
Making paper bag popcorn in the microwave is one of the easiest ways I know to make popcorn with less cleanup, and creating a healthier version compared to store-bought microwave popcorn.
Here’s what you will need:
Popcorn kernels
A brown paper lunch bag
Directions:
Step 1: Pour ¼ or ½ cup of popcorn kernels into the bag.
When I make popcorn for myself, I use about 1/4 cup of kernels, it’s the perfect amount for a snack-size serving. Use 1/3 cup if you want to share with another person or use ½ cup to completely fill the bag with popped popcorn.
Step 2: Close the bag
Fold the top of the bag twice to prevent the kernels from spilling out.
Step 3: Listen to the popcorn pop
Microwave on high heat for 2 – 3 minutes or until you can’t hear any more kernels popping. Depending on the type of kernels you use and your microwave’s power, timing will vary.
When the microwave stops, let bag sit for about a minute. Remove popped popcorn and place in a bowl. If there are any uncooked kernels, keep inside the paper bag, refold the top of the bag, and microwave for an additional minute.
Step 4: Add any flavouring you wish
My favourite is still the traditional buttered-flavour popcorn. Take a stick of butter (I use salted butter to avoid adding further salt) and melt in the microwave for a minute. Pour melted butter over the popcorn, toss to mix, and enjoy!
Want to break up the monotony of the boring winter days? Are your kids climbing the walls with boredom on these dreary winter days? Family day is a great excuse for families to spend time together. There are plenty of fun and fabulous activities around the Greater Toronto Area to do with your family and friends this Family Day weekend:
Head to Mississauga Celebration Square to Enjoy Family Day Festivities (Presented by TD)
Enjoy winter festivities by heading over to the Mississauga Celebration Square, where there are several fun winter activities awaiting you. Test your skating skills or satisfy your cravings with the large variety of delicacies available here on the food trucks. If the weather gets a bit chilly you can warm up in the comfortable seating of the heated lounge. You can also capture these fulfilling moments with the family photo stations tributing to the upcoming Summer Games and Ontario Parasports. You can also enjoy short films played on the big screen throughout the day.
Winter Glow
This amazing winter festival exhibits ice sculptures, illuminated structures, snow carvings and life-size snow globes. Plus, enjoy live performances and amaze your kids with music synchronized light show. The Winter Glow festival is held at Black Creek Pioneer Village until February 27 (Open only on select days). They are, however, open on Family Day, so be sure to visit with your family and enjoy your day. Please visit https://winterglow.ca/index.html for more details, and to purchase tickets.
Enjoy the Outdoors
If you are feeling more in the zone for outdoor activities, strap on your backpack and fill it up with your favourite snacks. You can head out to the pretty parks in the GTA, to explore some beautiful winter sceneries. Visit https://www.mississauga.ca/parks, to find parks near you and get exploring
Kids Corner Live
Join in with your kids on the virtual fun ride. This free activity is accessible online. The interactive schedule will keep your children busy learning about the Canadian Parliament. The schedule consists of learning sessions, debates, and a lot of fun games. Please visit https://www.ola.org/en/visit-learn/find-your-tour/kids-corner-live to learn more and be sure to register to reserve your spot.
Enjoy Family Day at Royal Ontario Museum
The Royal Ontario Museum (ROM) has an extended weekend schedule until February 21st, so make the most of it and plan your family day trip. Enjoy the majestic views and experiences the ROM offers, including learning about ancient lifestyles, variety of art forms, current and prehistoric wildlife, and everyone’s favourite – Dinosaurs! There are multiple free fun activities throughout the museum, so all you need to do is purchase an entrance pass to avail a full day of enjoyment and excitement. Some residents in Ontario can even avail the new distance discount. For more information about the ROM family day weekend and to purchase tickets, please visit https://www.rom.on.ca/en/family-day-weekend-2022.
This post is focused on activities in the Greater Toronto Area. Please be sure to check your local city/community website for a guide to local family day events and activities in your area.
There is more to a successful business meeting than simply turning up on time and sitting around a table. Here, Dr Nigel Oseland, Environmental Psychologist, Workplace Unlimited looks at the simple ways businesses of all sizes can make meetings more of a success.
Be it virtual or in-person, if meetings are unproductive, do we really need them? There is a large amount of evidence and advice in management books about why we meet, which can be summarized as: to share knowledge, to make important decisions, to come up with ideas, to deal with personal matters and to socialize.
These are all crucial activities for a group of people. So, the short answer is yes, we need meetings, we just need to get better at them. We need to prepare for them more thoughtfully. There are five deceptively simple steps to take when setting up a meeting which will lead to a much better outcome:
1. Share Information in Advance
Always share an agenda. When Sharp asked people for the reasons for bad meetings, a third said it was because no information was shared beforehand. How do people know if they should be in the meeting if they don’t know what it’s about? Without an agenda people can find themselves in a meeting for an hour thinking ‘why am I here, I don’t need to be here.’ That’s when they disengage.
2. Limit the Invitations
Many meetings become unproductive because there are too many people invited, or the right people aren’t invited. This becomes even more problematic when it’s a virtual meeting and it’s harder to follow who has joined and who is speaking. Limit the attendees to those who are essential to move a project forward.
Sometimes people are invited to meetings out of courtesy, not necessity. If you are tempted to invite someone purely because of their seniority, instead ask if they would prefer to see the minutes afterwards to review. Then it’s up to them. Some people feel they can’t decline a meeting invitation, even when they suspect the meeting will be a waste of their time. Be a responsible meeting attendee as well as a responsible organizer. If you’re not sure you need to be there, ask for the agenda.
3. Avoid Back-to-Back Meetings
Consider whether you need to start on the hour, and if people will have used the room before you. In organizations that have back-to-back meetings in the same room, the first ten minutes of each meeting will always be wasted because they are spent in a changeover. Avoid this by starting at 15 minutes past the hour.
Often, if you are using Audio Visual or IT equipment, there can be a delay in set up. If you know that you might have delays with IT, make the first 10 minutes of the meeting networking time for the participants while you get organized.
4. Go Shorter
There is a lot of research – for example from Tony Schwartz and the Energy Project – that we can only maintain peak performance for 90 minutes. In Sharp’s survey, most people said they couldn’t concentrate for more than 45 minutes. If you need to have a longer meeting organize a variety of activities and meeting leaders and build in breaks for people to digest what has been said. No-one wants to be in one of those two-hour meetings whereby the end of it we’ve forgotten what was said at the start.
5. Collaborative meetings
As businesses begin adapting to the “New Normal”, it is now the right time to explore and invest in the technology makeover. Create the perfect meeting environment with the exciting range of collaboration display from Sharp. The above five steps are only the start of the conversation. Explore our extensive range of Sharp Collaborative Displays, and then Get In Touch to arrange a demonstration.
There’s a reason this baked feta pasta is an internet sensation! My twist on the very popular dish from Finland, with a salty baked feta, sweet cherry tomatoes, fresh garlic, asparagus and parsley are tossed with al dente rotini pasta to create this easy, creamy, yet delicious dish!
Baked Feta Pasta is the latest trend to go viral all over the internet and you can find tons of videos and pictures on TikTok, Twitter and on your Instagram feed.
This recipe has 8 ingredients — a block of feta cheese, EVOO (extra virgin olive oil), cherry or grape tomatoes, fresh garlic, asparagus, and a short pasta of your choice — and of course, salt and pepper to taste.
Tomatoes – cherry or grape tomatoes work great.
Asparagus – I added it as a veggie to the dish but you can omit if desired. I think next time, I will also add some fresh spinach.
Olive oil – extra virgin olive oil has the best flavour, and I encourage you not to skimp on it.
Salt and pepper – a little goes a long way since the cheese is naturally salty.
Feta cheese – block-style feta is best and will give you the creamiest consistency (but the crumbly kind works too). Greek Feta cheese is slightly creamier and stronger flavour, but Canadian Feta made from cow’s milk also works great — this is the kind my picky son prefers.
Pasta – short pasta (like penne, rigatoni, fusilli, or farfalle) is easier to mix in. I used rotini pasta in my dish.
Parsley – use a generous 1/4 cup or substitute with fresh chopped basil.
Garlic – Add half while baking and the rest as soon as it comes out of the oven.
Baked Feta pasta is a brilliant way to create a creamy pasta sauce. You basically bake a block of feta in a 9″ x 13″ casserole dish together with tomatoes, garlic, EVOO, and a little salt and pepper. When the tomatoes burst and cheese starts melting, you mash the cheese into a creamy pasta sauce, add your pasta, mix together, and you have the perfect pasta dish that can be served as a main dish or an accompaniment to a meal.
My spin on this baked feta pasta is the added asparagus as I wanted to introduce a vegetable into the dish and make it as a main meal without a meat protein in it … and it’s also the only vegetable my son doesn’t mind eating.
Origin of Feta Pasta
The Baked Feta pasta craze was started in 2019 by Tiiu Piret and Liemessa, two bloggers from Finland. Liemessa’s recipe was then adapted in the U.S. which went viral on TikTok and has became a major trend.
The best thing about this baked feta pasta dish is unlike heavy cream-based sauces which can separate, this recipe retains it’s creamy texture. Add a bit of filtered water (or pasta cooking water if you have any left), before reheating in the microwave or stove-top.
How to Make Baked Feta Pasta
This recipe is so easy. You mix everything in one dish! The veggies and cheese sauce bake together in the oven while your pasta boils on the stove, then you combine them together and you have an incredible Baked Feta Pasta dish.
Prepare veggies – in a 9″ x 13″ casserole dish, combine tomatoes, asparagus, 1/3 cup olive oil, half of your minced garlic (two cloves), salt, and pepper. Toss to coat the veggies, then create a space in the centre.
Add Feta cheese – place the block of feta cheese in the centre and drizzle on top with 1 Tbsp EVOO and some black pepper. Bake at 375˚F for 30 minutes in your Sharp 24” SuperSteam+™ Superheated Steam and Convection Built-In Wall Oven, until tomatoes start to rupture. If you are using a conventional oven, you will bake at 400˚F for 30 minutes.
Cook pasta – while the baked feta is cooking in the oven, start cooking your pasta in a pot of salted water until al dente according to package instructions. Very important: Reserve 1/2 cup hot pasta water.
Add garlic and herbs – remove the baked feta dish from the oven, and add finely chopped parsley and remaining minced garlic. Use the back of a spoon to mash the cheese, and mix with the oil and juices released from the tomatoes.
Add pasta – drain the pasta (no need to rinse the pasta) and add it to the hot cheesy sauce. Mix until all the pasta is coated with the creamy feta sauce. To add an additional creamy texture, pour some of the reserved pasta water, in small amounts, until the desired creaminess is achieved.
Serve this dish a s a main course or as an accompaniment to a meal. Add proteins to the dish, like chicken tenders or shrimp (add during prep and it will cook with the rest of the dish in the oven) or add any veggies you like (such as sweet bell peppers, spinach, rapini, or broccolini). This recipe is so versatile and easy to make, that you can whip it up easily for dinner during the busy work week. Serve this dish with a simple salad, and your family will think that you’ve spent hours in the kitchen making it!
Ingredients
3 cups cherry or grape tomatoes
1-1/2 cup asparagus (ends trimmed and cut into bite-size pieces)
1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil plus 1 Tbsp to drizzle over cheese
Add 1/3 cup olive oil, tomatoes, asparagus, 2 minced garlic cloves, 1/2 tsp black pepper, and 1/4 tsp salt to a 9″ x 13″ casserole dish.
Toss to combine. Create a space in the centre and place your block of feta in the pan. Drizzle the top with 1 Tbsp olive oil and another sprinkle of black pepper. Bake for 30 minutes (on top rack, or middle tray in a conventional oven) until tomatoes start to rupture.
While the baked feta is cooking in the oven, bring a pot of salted water to a boil and add pasta. Cook pasta according to package instructions, stirring a few times to keep the pasta from sticking. Drain pasta (reserving some cooking water if you decide to add it later).
At about 30 minutes, the tomatoes should start to release their juices (crinkly roasted skin is the indicator). Remove from the oven and immediately stir in remaining minced garlic and parsley. Toss to combine.
Using the back of a large spoon to press the cheese into the olive oil and stir until cheese is well incorporated in the dish.
Stir in drained cooked pasta. Add reserved pasta water for a creamier texture, if desired. Serve warm.
Important: Be careful with those tomatoes (the juicy centres will be very hot if you eat them right away).
Remote working does wonders for productivity. It saves you the time and money you’d have spent commuting to the office and gives you extra time to spend with family or catch up on that series you’ve been binging. But while home or remote working can be a wonderful thing, here are 8 things no one tells you:
1. Self-management can be hard
Ensuring you keep on track can be difficult when it’s all down to you. What you don’t want to happen is be unproductive all morning, have your lunch, and then realize you’ve not started that report your manager wants by 2pm. When you’re working from home, time management can be challenging because you don’t have your regular routine or hours to guide you.
The same goes for your development. When you’re in the office, you can overhear useful tips or learn things on the job. You can’t do that as easily when you’re working remotely, so your development is largely in your own hands.
What can you do?
Self-discipline. First make sure your workspace is clear, after all a clear space helps with a clear mind, which leads to great work!
Get into a routine. Get yourself up at a certain time, have regular mealtimes and times for exercise too.
Prioritize work by writing a list and order them with deadlines.
Take charge of your own learning. Identify where your skills may need development and read around it, try online courses or reach out to a colleague who can walk you through it remotely via video conferencing platforms such as Teams, Skype, or Zoom.
2. Distractions and interruptions
Though there are distractions in an office environment, there can be many, many more at home. Noisy neighbours? Children? Housemates? People in and around your home can cause distractions, or worse, interrupt what you’re doing – or even walk in during those all-important video calls!
Working at 100% efficiency can be difficult at home, and there’s some unwritten rule that if you work at home, you should take more than your fair share of the chores, simply because you’re there all the time.
What can you do?
Have a designated workspace and have low-volume music on in the background. This can also help with your productivity!
Make it clear to your family (diplomatically of course) that you do still have to do work when you’re at home, so maybe they can help you out with the chores.
Co-create some family / household rules that work for everyone.
3. Loneliness
If you live alone, you can have the opposite problem to point 2, so this one comes with a warning. When you work remotely and have no distractions, you can go days without seeing other human beings. Introverts may rejoice (at the beginning), but extroverts could feel lonely right away. When you don’t speak to anyone else, you can feel isolated, alone and stuck in your own head.
What can you do?
Ensure regular contact with colleagues, friends, and family.
The beauty of our modern world is that we have the technology available to see each other face-to-face, even when we’re apart. Group video calls, video conferencing software, it no longer matters whether we’re worlds apart, two hours apart, or indeed hiding from a global pandemic.
Go for walks and runs, just being outside and seeing other smiling faces
can help. Being around nature also has a calming effect, so a walk in the woods or down a nature trail is ideal.
Make your work environment greener. Studies show that people feel less lonely when they’re surrounded by plants, jungle up!
4. Tech and network issues
The dreaded internet outage. A nightmare for any remote worker. When you work at home, being away from an office with an on-site IT department that can quickly fix any issues and minimise downtime is not only frustrating, but also bad for business. Loss of internet can lead to interruptions to shared servers or file sharing drives, disconnect you from emails, and stop your mid-project. Not good. Even worse is when it’s your laptop or computer that breaks and you can’t do anything.
What can you do?
Have a backup plan. A second device like a tablet or laptop could be extremely handy in desperate times.
If your life depends on it and you need the internet immediately, hotspot from your phone. Life saved.
5. Miscommunication
Working remotely can also lead to miscommunication. Interactions are much more straight forward when you can see the person, you can read their body language, and decisions can be made on the fly. Emails and messaging platforms can cause people to misunderstand instructions, or even misinterpret a ‘tone’ in a communication. Unable to overhear conversations about projects in the office, remote workers can also find themselves kept out the loop, which can massively affect morale.
What can you do?
Communicate (virtually) face-to-face and avoid email where you can.
Record your meetings so that everyone has something to refer to later.
Keep your communications clear and concise, try to avoid the waffle.
6. Bad health habits
The fridge is right there, the cupboard is fully stocked, when you’re at home it’s much easier to slip into bad eating habits. Conversely, without developing a routine you can forget meals (never!), forget to exercise and not go outside for that all-important vitamin D.
What can you do?
Get into a routine. Have a regular time for exercise, maybe before work to start your day with a rush of feel-good hormones!
Practice healthy eating habits. Instead of reaching for chocolate or crisps (though this is perfectly fine in moderation!) grab some fruit.
Have regular breaks, clear your head, go for a walk.
7. It can be hard to switch off When you’re in the office, it’s easy to differentiate between home and work. Work ends (for most) when you leave the office and you can focus on your personal life, whether that be family and friends or health and wellbeing. Remote workers can struggle with the ‘always at work’ feeling, as they’re forever in their place of work, and the home-work balance can start to blend as the lines blur.
What can you do?
Make sure you have a designated place to work, whether it’s a room or a quiet corner or space you can leave behind when you’ve done your allotted hours.
Be conscious of giving yourself time off – have regular breaks. A routine would help.
8. Impact on company culture
Lastly, working remotely can have a real negative impact on company culture, but only if you let it! You don’t get to experience the micro interactions with colleagues that build friendships and lay the foundations for an immersive company culture.
What can you do?
Use video communication tools! Keep the culture alive.
Hold online competitions and quizzes, engage with your colleagues.
Internal communications can help, having a virtual presence can make you feel part of the wider organization.
Stay social, by interacting with colleagues on social media such as LinkedIn, Twitter, and Facebook.
This gluten-free coconut custard tart recipe is the perfect combination of coconut macaroons and custard in a bite-size treat. A great Passover and Easter dessert!
This is a traditional Portuguese recipe that I inherited from my mother-in-law. What I love about this Pastéis de Coco recipe is the ingredients are readily available in the supermarket and it’s the easiest dessert to whip up. The coconut adds a nice dimension to the custard and also helps create a beautiful golden brown topping. The end product is a delightful but delicious little pastry, great to bring to parties or to enjoy with your afternoon coffee or tea.
These tarts are a perfect spring time dessert. There is no flour used in this recipe so it’s perfectly okay to serve this dessert during Passover. Be aware, as they bake, the batter puffs up and separates into a crispy toasted coconut topping with a sweet smooth custard underneath. As they cool, the centre collapses slightly creating a nest. How fun would it be to add a dollop of jam or chocolate eggs in the centre for the Easter holiday?
I totally love this dessert as the tops are golden brown and the inside is a soft, custardy goodness that will delight your taste buds.
These dessert tarts are best consumed within a day or two. To be honest, when ever I make these, they don’t last the day. However if you happen to have any left over, make sure you refrigerate them in a seal-tight container for up to 3 days.
I personally like serving these coconut custard tarts a bit warm, so put them in the oven for about 7 minutes at 350°F prior to serving.
Using the regular muffin liners, this recipe will yield approximately 10 – 11 tarts.
If you are baking in a regular convection oven, preheat to 325°F or conventional oven, preheat to 350°F. Adjust the oven rack to the middle position.
Line a 12-cup muffin tin with 10 – 12 paper cupcake liners and, if desired, coat the liners with the nonstick vegetable or coconut spray oil.
In a medium size bowl, beat the eggs with a whisk. Add the condensed milk, milk, shredded coconut, and melted butter, whisking well after each addition.
Ladle the custard into the paper cups, filling each 1/4 inch from the top. Make sure to stir the custard frequently to keep the coconut evenly distributed.
You’ll be able to fill 10 to 11 liners.
Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, until the coconut is nicely toasted. Cool completely in the muffin tin before removing.
Decorate with additional shredded coconut or a dollop of jam, if so desired.
