10 Skills of the Competent Parent

There are 10 competencies that predict good parenting outcomes, asserts researcher Robert Epstein in Scientific American Mind (November 2010). These 10, listed in order from most to least important, predict a strong parent-child bond and children's happiness, health, and success:


1. Love and affection. "You support and accept the child, are physically affectionate, and spend quality one-on-one time together."

2. Stress management. "You take steps to reduce stress for yourself and your child, practice relaxation techniques, and promote positive interpretations of events."

3. Relationship skills. "You maintain a healthy relationship with your spouse, significant other, or co-parent and model effective relationship skills with others."

4. Autonomy and independence. "You treat your child with respect and encourage him or her to become self-sufficient and self-reliant."

5. Education and learning. "You promote and model learning and provide educational opportunities for your child."

6. Life skills. "You provide for your child, have a steady income, and plan for the future."

7. Behavior management. "You make extensive use of positive reinforcement and punish only when other methods of managing behavior have failed."

8. Health. "You model a healthy lifestyle and good habits, such as regular exercise and proper nutrition."

9. Religion. "You support spiritual or religious development and participate in spiritual or religious activities."

10. Safety. "You take precautions to protect your child and maintain awareness of the child's activities and friends."

Florida-February 2012

Just a couple shots from our recent trip to Florida. 

SPicy Pork Chops w/Pineapple Fried Rice

I stole this recipe from The Pioneer Woman.  If you want to get it straight from her site here's the link  http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/2012/03/pork-chops-with-pineapple-fried-rice/.  It's really good, there were a decent amount of leftovers and I had the rice the next day with the sauce from the pork chops. 

Ingredients

• 1/2 whole Pineapple, Cut Into Spears And Skewered
• 2 cups White Or Brown Rice, Cooked
• 6 whole Pork Chops
• 1 Tablespoon Butter
• 1 Tablespoon Peanut Oil Or Canola Oil
• 1 whole Large Onion, Sliced
• 6 Tablespoons Soy Sauce (more To Taste, Or If More Liquid Is Needed)
• 1 Tablespoon Rice Wine Vinegar
• 2 Tablespoons Honey
• 1 Tablespoon Sriracha, Or Other Hot Sauce
• Salt To Taste
• 3 cloves Minced Garlic
• 2 whole Eggs
• 1 jar (small) Drained Pimentos
• 1-1/2 cup Frozen Peas
• 2 Tablespoons Soy Sauce (additional)

Preparation Instructions

Cook rice according to package instructions. Set aside.
Grill or saute pineapple spears until they have good marks/color on the outside. Slice, then set aside.
(Note: soak wooden skewers in water for a few hours first.)
Heat butter and oil over medium high heat, then add the pork chops to the pan. Saute on both sides until they have nice color.
Throw in the sliced onions and work them into the crevices between the chops. Shake the pan and move the onions around and let them cook for a good couple of minutes.
When the onions are starting to soften, add soy sauce, rice wine vinegar, honey, and hot sauce. Shake the pan, stir it around, and let it cook and bubble up for a good couple of minutes until the pork chops are completely cooked and the sauce is thicker. Remove the pork chops to a bowl, then let the sauce bubble up and cook for another 30 to 45 seconds. Pour it over the pork chops. Set aside.
Add a small amount of oil to the same pan (without cleaning it) and return it to the stovetop over medium-high heat. Add garlic and stir it around, then crack in the eggs and immediately stir them to scramble them a bit. Add peas, pimentos, and a couple of tablespoons (additional) soy sauce. Add cooked rice and stir it around to cook for a couple of minutes.
To serve, pile rice on a plate, then top with a pork chops and onions from the sauce. Drizzle a little bit of sauce over the top.

Carne Asada Tacos

I have a handful of new recipes to review. 

When we were in Florida recently we ate at House of Blues.  Twice actually, it was that good.  One fo the items we ordered both times were the street tacos.  They were fantastic, this is as close a recipe as I could find.  Only additional item I need to learn to make is the tomatillo salsa that they had.

Ingredients

Skirt Steak
1/3 cup vinegar
1/2 cup soy sauce
4 cloves garlic minced
2 limes juiced
1/2 cup olive oil
1 teaspoon each: salt, peper, garlic powder, chili powder, oregano, cumin & paprika

Mix everything together, cover the steak and marinate at least 24 hours.  Grill, cut into thin strips, and serve with cojita cheese and fresh pico.  It's awesome.