How to Make the Perfect Ham for the Holidays

One of my favorite traditions when it comes to Christmas is the Christmas dinner ham.  Growing up in my family always involved the roasting of a ham but unlike now a days this process took my mother a few days. 

Anyone now can go into a supermarket and purchase a gammon (a ham is technically a whole leg which has been cured.  A gammon is a piece which has been cut from a cured leg) but it takes some real dedication to make a ham from scratch.  Below are a few pointers on how you can make a traditional ham for you and your loved ones.  Trust me your family will thank you for it. 

If you aren’t sure you must cure!

Sure you can bypass this important step and go pick up your ready cured and smoked ham, but what’s the fun in that?  Brining your own pork gives you total control over what your ham will taste like.  Typical brining consists of salt ,sugar, water and spices.  My personal favorite is salt, brown sugar, garlic cloves,  orange peels and cloves.  Now if you insist on having a pink ham you may consider using prague powder.  Prague powder which is also referred to as curing salt or pink curing salt give hams that distinctive pink color we have all come to love.

Lets get Cooking!

If you decided to go the non traditional route and buy a Gammom please be aware hat a gammon is cured but not cooked.  So you will need to either poach or bake this puppy.  Make sure to follow the instructions that came with the Gammon.

When cooking a ham there are a few options some like to poach.  Some chefs recommend poaching over roasting in order to infuse more flavors into your ham.  My personal favorite is roasting my ham which is set over a pan of stock and vegetables.  Poaching your ham or roasting in with some liquid in the bottom base will help keep your ham from drying out too much.

Glaze it up!

Not having a glazed ham is like having an unfrosted cake.  It’s just unheard of.  To really pull off this holiday dinner you need to properly glaze that succulent piece of pork in the oven.  The trick to a good glaze is a proper balance.  You can use, citrus, mustard, sweet marmalades but whatever you do you need to have that balance.  My favorite glaze involves a sweet, sour and savory mixture.  A little bit of mustard powder, orange juice and brown sugar makes for an incredible glaze.  

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3 Reasons Why you shouldn't outsource your Virtual Assistant

When someone considers hiring a Virtual Assistant more often than not the first question to pop into their head is should I get someone who is from the states or should I go with the cheaper option and hire someone abroad.  While both solutions can work for you depending on what your needs are there is something to be said about someone who is from the same culture as you. 

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Below are the top 3 reasons why you should consider hiring locally instead of abroad.

Communication

The key to any successful business is proper communication.  There have been many horror stories of people being hired from India who end up costing clients more than they bargained for.  Sure you’ll be able to find someone who charges you 5 dollars an hour in India or the Philippines but how much will it really cost you in the end? 

Miscommunication can lead to below average work being delivered.  If you in turn are delivering that work to your own clients you may want to consider using someone abroad.  The fall in quality may have your client base diminishing. 

Miscommunication also leads to things having to be done more than once.  A project that would normally take 1 hour can take 3 hours with a person that is not on the same wave length as you.

 Availability

When you need something as soon as possible you want to make sure you have someone local or at the very least someone who is at the most 3 hour difference from you.  People tend to forget that hiring people from the other side of the world throws off your scheduling when it comes to tasks.  Sometimes things come up by surprise its good to have someone that is available during the same hours you are for quick fixes.

Being Held Accountable

Face it, someone that is thousands of miles away is less likely to put the care into your work because of the simple fact that they are nowhere near you.  What can you possibly do if they don’t follow your non disclosure agreement? Nothing, that’s what.   With a local Virtual Assistant you will be able to hold people accountable for their actions. 

If you’re serious about hiring a Virtual Assitant to help you with your private business matters contact the experts at VA Personnel.  VA Personnel has been helping small business owners reach all of their business goals.  For more information on their following services contact them today.

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Where Would I be without my Virtual Assistant?

There was a time in my life where I was perfectly capable of functioning without a Virtual Personal Assistant.  Those days are long gone! 

Don’t get me wrong, I’m not complaining about the countless hours of work.  If anything this is a direct result of the success me and my business has had in the last few years, which brings me to the topic of finding the right Virtual Assistant Services for you and your company. 

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My company has seen substantial growth in the last two years partly due to the fact that we have implemented a new strategy in which we are using Virtual Assistant Services.  You may be thinking that finding a Virtual Assistant Company is a cinch; you couldn’t be farther from the truth. 

Finding a reputable and affordable Virtual Assistant Company can be quite the task.  Yes there are thousands upon thousands of freelance virtual administrative assistants but most of them hail from countries where English is not the native tongue. 

If you’re based in the United States do you really want to have to deal with miscommunication?  The key to any successful business is communication.  Miscommunication can lead to your business not being properly represented. 

Time difference can also be a hiccup you didn’t bargain for.  An 8 hour (or worst 12 hour) time difference can really throw scheduling out of whack.  Not being able to communicate with your virtual personal assistant in real time can put a stop on production. 

When choosing a company that provides Virtual Assistant Services try not to fall into the “Cheap Service” trap.  Also keep in mind that a freelancer is more likely to not have all the skills needed by your company. 

Your best bet is to trust a company like VA Personnel.  At any given time VA Personnel can have a Web Designer, Wed Developer, Content Writer and Project Manager working on your projects. For more information on VA Personnel and their following services, contact them today.

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Tips for Improving Reading Comprehension

Reading comprehension is the ability to understand and remember what you have read. It is a skill that is important in all aspects of academics and it’s importance transfers to everyday life for most adults.

Students with weak reading comprehension often find reading to be frustrating and time consuming; they may spend extra time going back to the material because they aren’t sure what they just read and they may score poorly on homework or assessments. Often, parents turn to academic tutoring NYC to help their student learn strategies that will improve reading comprehension and thereby improving overall academics.

Several strategies have proven effective in raising reading comprehension levels. For many students, extra training and practice using effective strategies is all that is needed to get them on the road to academic success.

Pre-reading

Before reading new material, ask your student what she already knows about the subject. Have a discussion and make notes or draw pictures of everything the student can recall. Scan the material and look for clues. Read the table of content, look at the glossary, notice illustrations, and make predictions. These connections will help the student to remember what the reading material is about.

Vocabulary

Introduce new vocabulary words and their meanings before reading the material. This allows the reading process to flow more smoothly and fluent reading enhances reading comprehension.

Summarize and Question

Stop frequently to summarize and discuss what you have read so far. Answer questions to review the main ideas and details of the material.Take time to make new connections with the pre-reading discussions, drawings, or predictions you did. You may choose to take some brief notes to remember main ideas.

Visualize

Make a mental picture of what you have read so far. Take a few moments to sketch or draw things you remember and imagine what might come next in the reading. Sequential drawings can be a helpful way to visually retell the story. Some students may benefit from acting out the story as they visualize it.

Use inference

When appropriate, have your student practice using inference. Reading between the lines can be challenging for some students but it is an important step in reading comprehension.

Finding an effective reading tutor NYC is easy with Big Apple Tutoring, Manhattan’s premier private school tutors NYC. The tutor will work with your student to practice the most effective strategies to improve reading comprehension and improve academic success.

If you are a parent homeschooling in Manhattan or surrounding areas, Big Apple Tutoring’s homeschool division, Exclusive Education can assist you in all aspects of homeschooling. Contact us to inquire about tutoring rates NYC.

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Top 5 Technology Trends for 2015

As we move deeper and deeper into the 21^st century we have noticed that the day will come when our lives will be fully controlled by technology.  Heck, we’re pretty much already there.  With this in mind we thought it would be cool to look into what the year 2015 has in hold for us.  Granted some of the tech we are showing for 2015 has been around from a few years back but it seems as if 2015 will have them interacting more with our lives. 

Companies like Cyber Technologies with their New York City Home Automation, New York City Systems Integration, Westchester Alarm Systems and Westchester Security Alarms services are benefiting greatly from this advance in technology.  In 2015 we can count on the following to be more involved in our daily lives:

Computer Power: 

The power of a full blown computer is at our fingertips.  Tablets, smart phones and laptops have made sure of that.  We are now starting to see the rise of wearables such as smart watches and smart wrist bands.  All these devices will make for a world where you will never have to be unwired. 

The Internet of Things (Iot):  

Yes we have heard this buzzword being used quite frequently in 2014 but the truth is this has become more than just a fad, it has become a reality.  Companies are pouring millions into the development of devices that will work with each other and connect to the internet. 

I can print anything: 

3d printing is here to stay!  Many companies are competing at the moment to develop the cheapest most efficient 3d printer.  Experts predict that it’s market will grow over the next 3 years.  The biggest growth will be seen in industrial, biomedical and consumer applications. 

The Cloud will only get bigger and better:

The cloud will just keep growing and becoming more sophisticated as time goes on.  This is in direct relation to the growth of more powerful computers.  With the creation of larger files, newer apps and better programs the cloud will have to be ready to store all this new information.

Security will be on the rise:

Technology can be a double edge sword at times. Yes tech can make our lives easier but they can also make it easier for would be thieves to access our email accounts, bank accounts, personal information etc.  that is why we will be seeing the rise of security technology in the upcoming years.  Security has always been and will continue being a priority when it comes to the internet. 

Companies like Cyber Technologies have been leading the way in keeping up with the future.  Be it their  New York City Home Automation, New York CitySystems Integration, Westchester Alarm Systems and Westchester Security Alarms services, Cyber Technologies will continue bringing ease to their clients homes and businesses.  For more information on how Cyber Technologies can help you contact them today.  

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