On the seventh day of recipes, my trainer sent to me, a splash of rum in a holiday punch, tasty chicken served with rice, a pan of glazed pecaaaans! A salad dressed with Balsamic, chili cooked in one big pot, apple crisp in seven steps, and the secret to potato latkes! Ingredients Servings: 20 4 oz servings 1/2 cup white sugar 2 cups orange juice 2/3 cup lemon juice 1 (4 ounce) jar maraschino cherries, with juice 1 fluid ounce triple sec liqueur 1 (750 milliliter) bottle light rum 1 orange, sliced into rounds 1 lemon, sliced into rounds 1 (8 ounce) can pineapple chunks 1 liter carbonated water Ice Directions In a punch bowl, combine sugar, orange juice, and lemon juice. Stir until sugar dissolves. Add cherries, triple sec, light rum, orange slices, lemon slices, and pineapple chunks. Refrigerate for 1 to 2 hours to allow flavors to blend. Pour in carbonated water, and add ice just before serving. Steve   [Image via Yummly]   Did you miss a recipe? First day of recipes: Potato Latkes Second day of recipes: Apple Crisp Third day of recipes: Chili Fourth day of recipes: Salad Fifth day of recipes: Glazed Pecans Sixth day of recipes: Holiday Chicken

On the eighth day of recipes, my trainer sent to me, Nonna’s yummy counter cake, a splash of rum in a holiday punch, tasty chicken served with rice, a pan of glazed pecaaaans! A salad dressed with Balsamic, chili cooked in one big pot, apple crisp in seven steps, and the secret to potato latkes! This recipe is called "Nonna’s Counter Cake" because you actually make it on a counter or table, instead of in a bowl. It was fun as a kid making this cake with my Mom, or my Italian Grandma. My kids have a blast making this cake too. Ingredients 2 ½ Cups All Purpose Flour 1 Stick Margarine or Butter 10 Tbsp. Sugar 1 Egg 1 tsp. Baking Powder ½ Cup Milk 12 oz. Jar Preserves (Flavor of your choice) Directions Melt Margarine in small pot over medium-high heat. Or you can melt Margarine in a glass cup or bowl in a microwave oven. (1 minute on High) Pour flour onto counter shaping the pile into a ring leaving about a 6-inch hole in the middle. The hole becomes your mixing bowl. Using a fork, mix the egg, sugar, and baking powder together in the center of the flour ring. Mix in the melted margarine. Add a little milk to the mixture. Push some flour from the ring into the mixture stirring with fork. Repeat steps 5 and 6 until all of the milk and most of the flour have been used. The dough will be solid enough to pick up with your hands. Using your hands, make a ball with the dough, and then separate it into two equal parts. You may want to leave extra flour on the counter to keep the dough from becoming sticky as you work with it. Grease the bottom and sides of a glass 9 x 12 baking dish with margarine. Take one part of the dough and spread it evenly across the bottom of the baking dish. Using about 1/3 of the remaining dough, roll out thin strips to use as borders around the edge of the flat dough already in the dish. Spoon entire jar of preserves on to dough surface in baking dish, and spread evenly. Using the remaining dough, make shapes, letters, or designs. Place the shapes, letters, or designs on top of preserves. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes. Jim   [Image via House and Home]   Did you miss a recipe? First day of recipes: Potato Latkes Second day of recipes: Apple Crisp Third day of recipes: Chili Fourth day of recipes: Salad Fifth day of recipes: Glazed Pecans Sixth day of recipes: Holiday Chicken Seventh day of recipes: Christmas Punch

On the ninth day of recipes, my trainer sent to me, hummus served with olive oil, Nonna’s yummy counter cake, a splash of rum in a holiday punch, tasty chicken served with rice, a pan of glazed pecaaaans! A salad dressed with Balsamic, chili cooked in one big pot, apple crisp in seven steps, and the secret to potato latkes! Ingredients 1 16-ounce can of chickpeas 3 - 5 tablespoons lemon juice (I use 3, but you may prefer more) 1 ½ tablespoons tahini (can usually be found in the peanut butter aisle of the supermarket or in any Middle Eastern supermarket) 2 cloves garlic, crushed ½ teaspoon salt 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil 1/8 - ¼ teaspoon cumin Directions Drain chickpeas and set aside ¼ cup of the liquid. Combine and blend all ingredients except reserved liquid in a blender or food processor.  Add some or all of the reserved liquid and blend until hummus is thoroughly mixed and smooth and you reach the desired consistency (should be like natural peanut butter at room temperature). Add 1/8 teaspoon cumin.  Mix and taste.  Add more, if desired. Serve in a dish.  Drizzle a small amount of olive oil on the top of the hummus, if desired, and serve with pita chips, pita slices, raw carrots or other favorite dipping items. José   [Image via She Knows]   Did you miss a recipe? First day of recipes: Potato Latkes Second day of recipes: Apple Crisp Third day of recipes: Chili Fourth day of recipes: Salad Fifth day of recipes: Glazed Pecans Sixth day of recipes: Holiday Chicken Seventh day of recipes: Christmas Punch Eighth day of recipes: Nonna’s Counter Cake

Most organizations today are looking for ways to be more efficient with their training budgets. In particular, they are trying to reduce the costs associated with instructor-led training. One way to reduce travel costs, time away from the job, and time spent in training is to convert instructor-led courses (ILT) to web-based/e-learning courses. The cost-savings can be very tempting; however, for this conversion to be successful a number of things need to be done. A client recently said to me, "We just converted a bad ILT course to an online course, and do you know what we got? A bad online course!" To avoid this scenario, I recommend the following four-step process: The first part of the conversion process is to establish an e-learning strategy. Some organizations build online courses that are not a part of an overall strategy and the course fails miserably. Assess your organization’s current state. Take a close look at your technical infrastructure, your employee’s capabilities around technology, and your organizational culture; will the organization embrace e-learning? Then the reality check—budget! You may find that the dollars available are not enough to build what you would like. Once you have assessed your current state, determine the future state. Compile an inventory of all the courses your organization offers. From the inventory, decide which courses will make good candidates for conversion to the web. The courses you identify for conversion need to be aligned to organizational objectives. These courses must also be already producing positive results before conversion. If a course is considered a candidate, you will need to decide what type of e-learning the course will be: self-directed, a tutorial, or virtual class. Now that you have a plan of what you want your future e-learning to look like, you now need to determine the costs and benefits. A careful cost-benefit analysis will uncover whether the benefits of putting courses online outweigh the costs of building the e-learning courses. Keep in mind that there are more benefits to e-learning than just saving money; online tutorials provide consistency of instruction and anytime, anywhere learning for employees. The last part is to write the strategic plan itself. Outline the current state, future state, and cost-benefit analysis. Also include a risk analysis and implementation plan. The key to success in e-learning is to have a strategy. A solid e-learning strategy will ensure that the instructor-led courses that you are considering for conversion to web-based courses are the right ones. Remember—what do you get when you convert a bad instructor-led course to the web? A bad online course! To learn more about creating your own e-learning strategy, be sure to check out Langevin’s How to Create an e-Learning Strategy self-study kit! Steve

On the tenth day of recipes, my trainer sent to me, boiled custard in a glass, hummus served with olive oil, Nonna’s yummy counter cake, a splash of rum in a holiday punch, tasty chicken served with rice, a pan of glazed pecaaaans! A salad dressed with Balsamic, chili cooked in one big pot, apple crisp in seven steps, and the secret to potato latkes! Ingredients: 6 eggs 1 quart whole milk 2/3 cup of sugar 1 tbsp Vanilla Directions: Heat milk until you cannot tolerate a drop on your wrist. Separate egg yolks from whites, discard egg whites.  Blend yolks and sugar.  Add this mixture slowly to the heated milk.  Reduce temperature. Continue stirring until mixture thickens to where it coats the spoon.  (If this mixture cooks too much, it curdles, and you will need to begin again.) Remove from heat.  Let cool slightly.  Add Vanilla. Optional:  strain the mixture. Serve chilled in a glass. This recipe is close to what restaurants consider ‘Crème Anglaise’ but it’s much better. Melissa   [Image via Charm of the Carolines]   Did you miss a recipe? First day of recipes: Potato Latkes Second day of recipes: Apple Crisp Third day of recipes: Chili Fourth day of recipes: Salad Fifth day of recipes: Glazed Pecans Sixth day of recipes: Holiday Chicken Seventh day of recipes: Christmas Punch Eighth day of recipes: Nonna’s Counter Cake Ninth day of recipes: Holiday Hummus

On the eleventh day of recipes, my trainer sent to me, Biscotti made with chocolate, boiled custard in a glass, hummus served with olive oil, Nonna’s yummy counter cake, a splash of rum in a holiday punch, tasty chicken served with rice, a pan of glazed pecaaaans! A salad dressed with Balsamic, chili cooked in one big pot, apple crisp in seven steps, and the secret to potato latkes! Ingredients: 4 ounces semisweet chocolate, chopped 1/2 cup butter (one stick) 1 cup sugar 3 large eggs 2 tablespoons crème de cacao 2 3/4 cups flour 1/3 cup Dutch-process cocoa 1/4 teaspoon salt 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder 1 cup semisweet chocolate chips Directions: Preheat oven to 350 F. In a microwave-safe bowl, cook 4 ounces of chocolate on High (100 percent power) for 2 minutes, or until melted.  Remove and allow to cool. Place butter and sugar in a large bowl of an electric mixer.  Cream on high speed until mixed well.  Add eggs 1 at a time, mixing after each addition. Add melted chocolate and crème de cacao, mixing until smooth. In a separate bowl, sift together flour, cocoa, salt and baking powder.  Add to chocolate, mixing until dry ingredients are incorporated.  Dough will be stiff.  Add chocolate chips and fold in. Turn dough onto floured work surface.  Form into a large loaf. Cut loaf into two lengthwise, forming each half into a 2-inch-by-10-inch log. Transfer logs to parchment-lined baking sheet and reshape as necessary.  Bake for 30 minutes, or until center is firm to touch. Remove to cool on wire racks.  When logs (now about 3 inches wide by 12 inches long) are cool, cut slices about 3/4-inch thick, slightly on the bias.  Place slices on parchment-lined, baking sheet (you can use the same one).  Bake for 10 minutes.  Flip the slices over and bake for an additional 10 minutes. Makes about 30 cookies. Martha   [Image via Abigail's Hotel]   Did you miss a recipe? First day of recipes: Potato Latkes Second day of recipes: Apple Crisp Third day of recipes: Chili Fourth day of recipes: Salad Fifth day of recipes: Glazed Pecans Sixth day of recipes: Holiday Chicken Seventh day of recipes: Christmas Punch Eighth day of recipes: Nonna’s Counter Cake Ninth day of recipes: Holiday Hummus Tenth day of recipes: Boiled Custard

On the twelfth day of recipes, my trainer sent to me, a special treat from Langevin, Biscotti made with chocolate, boiled custard in a glass, hummus served with olive oil, Nonna’s yummy counter cake, a splash of rum in a holiday punch, tasty chicken served with rice, a pan of glazed pecaaaans! A salad dressed with Balsamic, chili cooked in one big pot, apple crisp in seven steps, and the secret to potato latkes! And the final recipe in our 12 Days Of Holiday Recipes comes from Langevin CEO, Mr. Ralph Langevin himself! It’s the Recipe for Successful Learning! C’mon, you didn’t really think we’d steer away from training completely, did you?! Ralph   Did you miss a recipe? First day of recipes: Potato Latkes Second day of recipes: Apple Crisp Third day of recipes: Chili Fourth day of recipes: Salad Fifth day of recipes: Glazed Pecans Sixth day of recipes: Holiday Chicken Seventh day of recipes: Christmas Punch Eighth day of recipes: Counter Cake Ninth day of recipes: Holiday Hummus Tenth day of recipes: Boiled Custard Eleventh day of recipes: Chocolate Biscotti

Role Play. Ever notice how those two words can send a chill through an entire training room? "Yuck!" "Do we have to?" "This is silly." "I’ve done this before…why do I need to do this again?" Learners more often than not shy away from participating in role play activities and, to be honest, I would, too, based on some of the role plays I endured years ago when I was in the corporate world. But the truth is, role plays are an extremely powerful tool in your bag of instructional techniques—so long as they’re properly designed. With that in mind, I’d like to share four tricks that can help you design role plays that everyone will like! One of the most common reasons adult learners don’t like role playing is because too often the exercise is set up so that the two or three learners playing the scenario are the only people engaged in the role play; everyone else is in the audience. Adult learners don’t like audiences, as it is still true that many people are quite uncomfortable speaking or acting in front of a crowd. The way to avoid this is to design the role play activity so that triads (or small groups) are formed where everyone has a role to play and nobody really gets an audience. When everyone is engaged in the activity, there are less distractions and the group is easier to manage. Another common complaint that training facilitators often face is that one or two learners feel that they are simply "too grown up" to role play, or they feel the activity just isn’t "their style." While we never want to force anyone to participate in any given activity, everyone must be engaged in the application part of the session, as it is a key element of learning. Anyone who is reluctant to role play can float around from triad to triad as a process observer with a performance checklist, annotating the various applications of the behaviors previously modeled by the instructor. While these individuals walk around and make notes of their observations, they are also learning without being pushed into a learning pattern that may conflict with their style. They can later get involved in providing feedback, after the activity. One of the biggest culprits for role playing’s bad reputation is the "script format." When learners are handed a script to read, the participation often turns from realistic to comedic. The entire idea of the role play method is to present the learner with a realistic situation that provides the opportunity to practice how to incorporate desired best practices from the workplace into their own style of communication. But how do we accomplish this? Each role play character should be given an information sheet designed to be read only by the learner playing that part. Each player, therefore, receives information about their character’s position, perspective, preferences, previous history with the company and with other characters, values they are driven by, etc. This information allows the learner to be realistic in his/her portrayal of the character. But if you want to know what most Langevin clients tell me is their number one trick to having great role plays, I’ll tell you—it’s this: DON’T call it a role play. Yep. Name it something else: skill practice, skill assessment, real-life scenario—call it whatever you want…but don’t call it a role play! I know, it may sound silly, but if people have been programmed to have an adverse reaction to the words "role play," just call it something else. I’d like to hear some of the ways in which you design your role plays in order to make them a more attractive application method for your learners. Share with our readers what spins and twists you’ve come up with to spice up learner enthusiasm and participation during role plays. I look forward to hearing from you. José

Here’s a bonus recipe that’s a great way to use up any leftover turkey and stay warm during these winter months! Ingredients: 12 ounces lean ground turkey 1 tablespoon canola oil 2 onions, chopped 4 cloves garlic, minced 2 tablespoons chili powder 1 tablespoon dried oregano 1 tablespoon ground cumin 2 green bell peppers, chopped 2 cups diced eggplant 1 can (28 ounces) diced tomatoes ½ cup tomato paste Can (15 ½ ounces) red kidney beans, rinsed and drained Directions: Brown the beef in a large saucepan over medium-high heat then transfer it to a plate. In the same saucepan, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the onions, garlic, chili powder, oregano, and cumin and cook, stirring, until the onion is softened, about 5 minutes. Add the green peppers and eggplant and cook until the eggplant in lightly golden, about 10 minutes. Add the tomatoes, tomato paste, and browned beef and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and add the kidney beans. Let the chili simmer until the eggplant is very tender, about 1 hour. Linda [Image via yummly] Did you miss a recipe?

Making a connection with your learners is of utmost importance as a trainer. Even if you’ve mastered your content and you’re comfortable speaking in front of people, if there’s a lack of connection with the group, it can make for a long, un-engaging training session. Here are four instructional techniques I’ve learned throughout the years to build rapport and connect with my participants. Arrive early and stay late. I arrive to my training room/facility at least thirty to sixty minutes early to allow for any-last minute changes to the set-up and to get in the zone. It also allows me to greet and welcome the learners as they arrive. At the end of the day, I stay until the last participant has left, so I can answer any remaining questions and so it’s not perceived that I’m only there for the paycheck. The training day is about the learners, so I remain available until the day truly concludes. I share my extended hours during "housekeeping" at the beginning of the workshop. Be complimentary. Whenever I see or hear something I like, I call it out! Maybe the participant has a great pair of shoes, eye-catching jewelry, or a cool techie gadget. Maybe they simply say something brilliant. I just make sure it’s genuine; people can spot a fake a mile away! Use people’s names. This one is a no-brainer (and a proven stroke to the ego). I do my best to learn people’s names (use name tents or badges) and use them in one-on-one conversations as well as large group discussions. If there is a point that I think would be especially relevant for a learner, I say, "John, based on your situation, this might be a good process for you." It also shows that I’m listening and attentive to their needs, examples, and questions. Be social. I give out my business card at the end of each workshop and collect those of my participants. I also ask to connect with them through our Langevin Alumni Group on LinkedIn. It’s always great to be able to continue the conversation after the training, and social media makes it easy to do. Finally, I try to have lunch with my participants at least once during a multi-day workshop. This gives us a chance to get to know each other (beyond all things training) and I find I enjoy it as much as they do! In my experience, the techniques described above send a message to my participants that says, "I recognize you as an individual and am reaching out to connect." What other instructional techniques do you use to connect with your participants in an instructor-led classroom setting? Our readers want to know! Melissa