Engine Communications, Author at Engine Communications - Page 9 of 11Engine Communications

This is a guest contribution, by Nate Riggs, principal, strategy consultant, and speaker from Social Business Strategies LLC.

Have you Googled your name recently? What do you find? Was there something in the results you didn’t expect to find or something that surprised you?

Today, the web has become a social marketplace and with it, search engines like Google seem to deliver the first brand impression. The question is, what if anything are you doing to influence the impression being found by people searching for you?

Building Brand YOU

I was jazzed when Bryna asked me to write this post, because in my mind, building and using Brand YOU is more important now than it’s ever been.

It’s no surprise that we are moving back into an era where business is done between human beings. The alternative just wasn’t any fun. But always keep in mind that all of the great tools on the social web is what is empowering us to get back to basics and open the doors to real relationships that create opportunities for business to happen.

I want to share a few steps that I’ve followed when building out my human brand strategy and online presence. Please, take what you can and use it. Modify it and make it better. And most importantly, please teach others whenever and however you can.

Sound fair? Cool. Here we go…

Part I: Know Thyself & Build a Strategy

When I was establishing the foundation of my human brand, I spent some time reviewing what makes me me tick. One of the tools I used was developed by Katherine Cooks Briggs and her daughter, Isabel Briggs Meyers, just after WWII.

Widely respected by most psychology gurus, this assessment tool asks a series of questions designed to classify an individual’s personality into one of 16 different types, using a combination of four pairs of “dichotomies” – introversion and extroversion, sensing and intuition, thinking and feeling, judging and perceiving. You can take the assessment for free here.

Next, take what you’ve learned and try conducting a self SWOT analysis so you can outline your strengths, weaknesses, opportunities & threats. This is an age-old marketing technique looks both internal factors (like personality types) and external factors (like your competitive environment).

Try writing this SWOT out in a personal journal. In fact, get used to writing in it and then make a point to jot down a few lines every day after that. This journal is for you and you only and can be very powerful in terms of your own self-analysis.

When we humans write things down, they become real and we can begin to take ownership over our ideas. Keeping a personal daily record of your activities will help you track your progression as a person and professional.

Here’s one last important thing to write down. My friend and mentor, Artie Isaac, once had me write a list of non-negotiables. These are the things that you simply just cannot, and will not live without. Maybe you can only work a certain number of hours per week due to responsibilities as a sibling or parent. Maybe your non-negotiables have something to do with your finances, or politics or religion.

Whatever they are, recognizing what you won’t sacrifice is sometimes more important than realizing what you will. Once you have that figured out, you can being to see which rules you can bend, which rules you can break, and which rules you need in place to make sure you can play the game at all.

Does this process work for you so far? Have you discovered anything about yourself that you can apply in a brand strategy?

Holiday Entertaining 101 – Part 2

November 20, 2009 Fridays with Kerry

2 comments

To continue what I stared last week ~ Holiday Entertaining 101

Whether you are throwing a big bash or small intimate dinner party, the keys to success are: ORGANIZATION, PLANNING & PRESENTATION. Keeping that in mind, the planning process shouldn’t stress you out, and doesn’t need to come with an expensive price tag. Having fun and enjoying the whole process from start to finish is just as important, otherwise, why bother!

WHAT – Pick a theme (Christmas Cocktail Party, Dinner Party, Skating Party etc.)
WHEN – Choose date and time of party.
WHERE – Is the party inside, outside, at your home, hall etc? Provide address and directions if necessary.
WHO – Guest list! Who do you want to invite to your party? TIP: it’s a good idea to call ahead and speak with the key people on your list just to make sure that they can attend. Once you have their commitment you can seal the date and time, then get invites out (I covered invitations in this post).
HOW – What can you afford to spend? Budget, yes, I know it’s hard, but try to stick to it.

HELPFUL HINTS (I tried to keep it to 10, no such luck, sorry!)

Lists, you can never have enough of them. Guest lists, Menu Lists, Drink Lists, shopping lists. (I just love crossing items off my list–it makes me feel like I have actually accomplished something!)
Always pick recipes that are tried, tested & true. Not a good idea to use your holiday guests as guinea pigs. Confidence in your menu choices is a must!
Shop early – this will allow you to take advantage of supermarket sales and spread the cost out over time.
Set a gorgeous table or buffet and include a unique centerpiece. You don’t have to limit yourself to flowers, see what treasures you have around the house (what about the pine cones that have fallen on your front lawn, or a glass vase filled with simple shinny red Christmas balls).
Candles and lots of them. Candlelight is the kindest light of all ~ warm, cozy and inviting.
Plan to have a variety of nonalcoholic drinks on hand. Always buy more than you think you’ll need.
Lots of Ice, you can never have too much, and buy the day of the party.
Your porch or garage makes an awesome fridge.
Make sure that your bar is set up before guests arrive, music play list has been selected and music is playing when your first guests arrive.
Hosts are dressed & ready prior to guests arriving! Give yourself enough time to get ready ~ have a cocktail to ease those pre-party jitters, relax and have a fabulous time, as I’m sure everyone else will!

Next week, setting up the Perfect Bar…

In the meantime, get started with this easy party recipe.

Easy & Elegant Holiday Hors D’oeuvres

Cranberry-Glazed Cocktail Meatballs

~ One of my old favorites from Food & Drink, Holiday 2004

Olive oil for brushing meatballs and baking tray

3/4 lb ground pork

1/2 cup chopped Italian parsley

2 cloves garlic, minced

One 1″ slice French bread, crusts removed, soaked in water and squeezed dry

1/2 tsp 5-spice powder

1 large egg, beaten

Salt & freshly ground pepper

Cranberry Glaze

1/2 tsp olive oil

1 clove garlic, minced

1 tsp chili paste (cut in half if not keen on spice)

1/4 tsp sesame oil

3/4 cup canned jellied cranberry sauce

4 tsp soy sauce

1 tsp honey

1 tsp oyster sauce

1. Preheat oven to 400 and brush a baking sheet with oil.

2. In bowl combine pork, parsley, garlic, soaked bread, 5-spice powder, egg and salt & pepper. Mash together with hands and mix well. With wet hands roll mixture into 24 balls, about 1″ each. Place balls on baking sheet and brush with oil. Bake meatballs 15 mins, flip them over. Turn on broiler and continue cooking for 5 to 10 minutes or until crispy and done.

3. Cranberry Glaze – heat olive oil in small saucepan over medium-low heat. Add garlic and cook for about 5 min or until softened but not browned. Whisk in chili paste, sesame oil, cranberry sauce, soy sauce, honey and oyster sauce. Simmer 2 – 3 min.

4. Remove meatballs from oven and transfer to a large bowl. Pour glaze over meatballs and toss to coat. Skewer balls on a cocktail pick or toothpick and place on a platter. Serve warm.

You can make the meatballs ahead of time and freeze, then all you have to do is make the glaze, heat meatballs and serve.

Happy Friday,
Kerry

Greetings from New Zealand

November 13, 2009 Fridays with Kerry

1 comment

As promised, we have collaborated with a brilliant team of food bloggers from across the globe; I hope that you are as excited as I am, I consider this to be a true honor ~ Thanks Our Kitchen!

Emma, from Our Kitchen writes:

The 5 of us here at Our Kitchen would like to extend a warm springtime hello from New Zealand to all the readers of Friday’s with Kerry. We are very excited to have the chance to collaborate with the team at Engine Communications and we hope that you enjoy the recipes that we will contribute over the next month. Have a fantastic festive season!

Dunedin Team

Sara and Emma

The team at Our Kitchen is made up of a group of passionate foodies (Sara, Lauren, Adam, Susie and Emma) here at Fisher & Paykel who are excited to share their stories, experiences and skills. Team members have varying backgrounds and interests in food resulting in a blog and a collection of recipes, which appeal to a wider audience, from chefs to the home cook and everyone in between.

Mulled Red Wine (yields 6-7 glasses)

by Susie

Mulled Red Wine

1 bottle 750ml of medium quality shiraz or merlot
3 cinnamon quills
10 cloves
5 star anise
2 slices of fresh ginger root
10 dried pomegranate seeds (optional)
1/2 – 3/4 cup brown sugar
1 cup water
2 oranges

Method

1. Add the wine and all other ingredients to a medium-sized saucepan.

2. Carefully peel half of one of the oranges. Try as much as you can to avoid the pith as this will create a very bitter flavour. Juice both oranges and add this along with the peel into the wine mixture.

3. Gently bring the pot up to heat just below a simmer on medium-high setting on your cooktop, then reduce back so as to only gently warm the wine. Warm for 20-30 min to let the spices infuse.

4. Remove from heat, strain and serve. Alternatively, strain and store so you can heat it later and drink at your leisure.

Thanks so much for sharing Emma, we can’t wait to give this one a try! Looking forward to next week’s recipe.

The original post on the Our Kitchen Blog is here.

‘Tis the Season

November 6, 2009 Fridays with Kerry / Uncategorized

Comments Off

Example invitation designed on MyPunchbowl.

With Hallowe’en behind us, it’s now time to focus our energy on the next big event.Yes, you’ve got it, Christmas!

It’s hard to believe that our local Santa Clause parade is right around the corner. That signifies to me that it is officially time to start thinking about decorating, buying that special gift for everyone on your list (I’m definitely not one of those early shoppers), and yes, one of my most favorite things, party planning and holiday entertaining.

One of the most important tips I can give for planning a holiday party, is to plan ahead. Party schedules during the month of December are usually pretty hectic, making it crucial to get that invite out early enough, especially if you want your party to be a success. I have to admit, I’m a big fan of getting a hard copy invite sent in the mail, but if you’re in a pinch, online invites are the way to go.

My fan list starting with my favorite:

More creative control is a total bonus with MyPunchbowl. You can pick from multiple fonts, change colors and shadings, add images, and play with placement of the text. You also have the option to add the event to your online calendar, iCal, Outlook, Google or Yahoo calendars. Neat!

If social media is your thing then you can post your event on Facebook, Twitter or your blog. Doesn’t get much easier than this does it?

If you’re in a panic to get that invite out ASAP, then Evite is quick and easy to use. Paperless Post has an elegant, more formal style of invites to choose from, also fairly easy to create and send, slightly confusing when checking out the details.

Next step ~ menu planning, including cocktails and beverages – stay tuned for next Friday’s post.

On another note, Bryna has been talking about collaboration, and over the next few weeks we will be teaming up with foodies from all over (even as far as Auckland, New Zealand), to plan a festive holiday feast.

The lovely, talented, Holly Fillmore.

Today I thought that I would share a recipe from Holly (Fillmore’s wife and baker/blogger extraordinaire). These cookies, accompanied by a thermos filled with hot coco and a warm blanket, will make you sing to the tune of Jingle Bells while eagerly anticipating Santa’s arrival at the parade!

Holly writes:

One way we celebrate Christmas in our home is by baking cookies and other delicious goodies. Many of these tasty treats are only made and enjoyed at this special time of year (it seems more of a treat that way). I usually try to make each family member’s favorite treat, and then a few more on top of that. I start baking early and store what I can in the freezer (I try to keep it a secret until December or else it all disappears).

The Sparkling Ginger Cookie is a real crowd pleaser. I can’t count how many times I have had others rave about this actually very simple and super easy cookie!

: Ginger Sparklers (photoography by Holly)

Ginger Sparklers

3/4 cup butter or margarine, softened
1 cup white sugar
1 egg
1/2 cup molasses
1 cup whole wheat flour
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 tsp baking soda
1 1/2 tsp ginger
1 1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp salt
White sugar, for rolling

In a large sized bowl, cream margarine and first amount of sugar well. Beat in egg. Mix in molasses. In another bowl mix together dry ingredients; flour, baking soda, ginger, cinnamon and salt. Add to creamed mixture. Mix well. Shape into 1inch balls and roll in sugar. Bake at 350 for approx 8 minutes. *For a chewy cookie, remove from oven a little early, the longer they cook the crispier they will be.

Cheers & Happy Holiday Planning!

Kerry

Ghosts & Goblins Go Green!

October 30, 2009 Fridays with Kerry

Comments Off

Why didn’t the skeleton cross the road?

He didn’t have the guts.

I just love Hallowe’en; the decorations, the smell of roasted pumpkin seeds, gooey mushy pumpkin guts, the doorbell ringing followed by the chorus of “trick or treat,” and of course the pillowcase that is overflowing with yummy treats and treasures!

So what’s the buzz this year? I would have to say it’s all the talk about ‘Green Hallowe’en.’

Green Hallowe’en is a non-profit, grassroots community initiative to create healthier and more earth-friendly holidays, starting with Hallowe’en.

Canadians spend over $1.5 billion on candy, costumes and decorations each year for Halloween. Most of these products will be used once and then thrown away.

I’m all for a greener Hallowe’en–lets just make sure that we don’t take all of the fun out of it!

Here are my top 5 tips on how you can start to contribute to a “Greener Halloween.”

(We might be a bit late for this year, but let’s keep it in mind for next.)

Once you have carved your pumpkin, keep the seeds for roasting and don’t forget about the flesh (can be used in soups, pies, breads and casseroles). Compost the remainder of the pumpkin that isn’t used, same goes for the carved pumpkin after Halloween. (You can also compost leftover candy as long as you take it out of the wrappers.)
Have kids use pillowcases–just like the good ole’ days–not the store bought plastic bags (pillow cases hold more anyways!).
Instead of buying new Halloween costumes, try to use what you currently have at home. Go through your closets and drawers to see what you have, you’ll be surprised what your imagination can come up with, or host a costume exchange, or rent a costume.
Purchase organic or fair trade treats, or buy locally produced treats from local merchants. Buying locally supports your economy, and also reduces fuel consumption and pollution associated with transporting products. In Belleville we’re lucky to have the best chocolate around, Donini Chocolate . You could also hand out non-food items (just make sure that they are fun, like seed packets).
When decorating, try to reuse last year’s decorations. Ask yourself, do I really need to buy new or more, or you can try to make your own. If hosting a party, avoid disposables like napkins, plates, cups, tablecloths etc.

If hosting a Green Hallowe’en dinner party, this soup is so full of flavors it just might wake the dead. Make sure that you buy two cans of coconut milk so that you can use one to make some creepy cocktails for before or after dinner!

Pumpkin and Coconut Curry Cream Soup

2 Tbsp butter
1 cup finely chopped onion
1 large clove garlic pressed
1 – 540 ml can pure pumpkin (not pumpkin pie filling), about 2 cups
2 cups chicken stock
1 can coconut milk (or 1-cup, just don’t use low fat version, not as much flavor)
1 tsp grated fresh ginger
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp turmeric
1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
2 tsp curry powder or curry paste
Salt for seasoning
Freshly ground pepper to taste
Pinch of cayenne to taste

Melt butter in a large pot over medium heat. Cook onion and garlic 5 minutes, until softened. Add curry powder, cumin, turmeric, cinnamon, cayenne, ginger, and pepper, toast the spices, stirring constantly for 1 min. or until fragrant.

Add broth and pumpkin puree, mix well and bring to a simmer. Simmer 10-15 min. Add coconut milk and heat through, without letting it come to a boil. Season soup with salt and pepper. Serve in hollowed out mini pumpkins and garnish top with pumpkin or sunflower seeds.

Pina Ghoulada (Martha Stewart)

Serves 10 to 12

FOR THE “BLOOD”

3 tablespoons corn syrup
1/4 tsp red food colouring

FOR THE DRINK

20 ounces pineapple juice
1 can (15 ounces) cream of coconut
1/2-cup heavy cream
1 cup orange juice
10 ounces good quality rum

Directions

Pour the corn syrup in a shallow bowl. Dip a toothpick into the food coloring, and stir a very small amount into the syrup to combine. Hold a glass by the stem, dip rim into the syrup mixture, and turn glass, coating entire rim. Turn the glass upright, allowing mixture to drip down sides. Dip the remaining glasses. Set aside.
Whisk together drink ingredients. Place 2 1/2 cups ice in a blender, and add 1-cup drink mixture. Blend until smooth; add more pineapple juice if mixture is too thick. Repeat with remaining ice and mixture. Carefully pour into prepared glasses; serve.

Enjoy and Happy Haunting!

The Mully Children’s Family Women of Hope Evening & Mixer

October 27, 2009 Public Relations

Comments Off

We here at Engine have had the privilege of helping our friends at the Mully Children’s Family with some of the promotional elements for their 2009 North American Safari Tour. If you don’t know what the Mully Children’s Family (MCF) is, let us fill you in.

Charles Mulli, the founder of MCF, was abandonded by his family at six years of age and left to beg on the streets of Kenya. Through perseverance, passion and ingenuity, Charles became a self-made millionaire–overcoming obstacles of social class, race, and extreme poverty. Charles had seen his dreams become reality. But then fate intervened, and his life was changed forever.

In 1986, a group of street children stole Charles’ Mercedes during a business trip to Nairobi. His anger quickly turned to compassion as he realized that he was once one of them. He knew he had to do something.

Charles and his wife, Esther, gave up everything they’d accomplished–sold his homes, cars, and businesses–and used the money to open the Mully Children’s Family, a Christian humanitarian organization committed to transforming the lives of orphaned, abandoned and abused children in Kenya.

Since its opening in 1989, MCF has seen over 7,000 orphaned and abandonded children rehabilitated, educated, and rescued from AIDS, poverty, disease, and isolation.

Using his business savvy and experience, Charles has extended MCF’s work to include an agricultural program, medical centre, and environmental sustainability initiatives that provide income for the home and employ half of the surrounding community.

MCF also supports 40 projects around the world—offering guidance to other NGO’s and communities in the areas of child rescue and rehabilitation, sustainable development, agriculture, and HIV/AIDS education; and has helped shape Kenya’s policies and laws on children’s rights and protection.

As I write this, former stree youth, now under the care of the Mully Children’s Family are making their way across Canada on their North American Safari Tour. The two-month tour kicked off mid-October in Ontario, and is moving across the country through Winnipeg, Calgary, Grande Prairie, Kelowna and Vancouver until mid-December. The youth will perform at schools, churches and events across the country, presenting a dynamic show of traditional African singing, dancing, drumming, acrobatics, and karate demonstrations from their championship team.

A complete list of tour dates is available on the Mully Children’s Family Charitable Foundation (MCFCF) website: www.mcfcf.ca.

The MCF tour will arrive in the Quinte area the week of November 2-6th. These events are a must see!

On Tuesday, November 3, Engine Communications is partnering with MCF and local speaker, author and blogger, Sheila Wray Gregoire, to host the Women of Hope event.

This evening is geared toward local business women, but any woman of any age will walk away from this event feeling inspired. No more will the word, ‘Africa,’ conjure images of poverty and despair. As you hear Esther and Mueni Mulli share their visions for their contintent, country, and it’s women, your heart will break but your spirit is sure to soar.

Specificallly, the discussion will focus on the future of education and micro-business opportunities in Kenya and rural Africa, for its women. Testimonials from local women who have visited MCF will also be heard. This is a learning and networking opportunity for anyone interested in social justice, business, and international development.

Whether you’re a mother, a daughter, an entrepreneur or student, you’ll be inspired by the stories of women, just like you, doing great things to change the world. You’ll also have the chance to buy some unique Christmas gifts to support the Mully’s efforts in Kenya.

There is no cost for admission, but donations to the Mully Children’s Family will be accepted.

If you would like to attend this event, please RSVP to our Facebook event page, or email Bryna Jones [email protected] or Sheila Wray Gregoire [email protected]. You can also call Bryna at Engine Communications: 613-771-0090.

Guests are welcome to bring friends, and seats will be available at the door (just in case you’re not sure you can commit). No one will be left out of this special mixer.

The Finish Line!

October 23, 2009 Fridays with Kerry

1 comment

100 Mile eating can be really amazing with a little extra effort in the kitchen.

Well, here we are, day five of our 100 Mile Diet Challenge, and boy am I ever craving a hot cup of coffee on this cold damp morning! Five days of hot apple cider is getting a bit much, and quite frankly, I’m not to fond of the herbal tea that I bought – YUCK!

On the up side, I feel that I have eaten pretty well this week–all local and quite yummy! Last week I didn’t include a recipe so I thought that I better step up to the plate this week. This is a recipe that I prepared during the challenge, and shared with my colleagues at Engine.

Roasted Chicken with a Butter & White Wine Sauce

2 Chicken breasts ~ skin on (if you want flavor that’s where a lot of it comes from)
1 Small onion ~ quartered, then quartered again
4 Cloves of garlic peeled and cut in half
1 Portobello mushroom, sliced (Wellington Mushroom Farm)
1 slice of bacon chopped
1/2 tsp of dried French Thyme (Vicki’s Veggies)
1/4 cup of white wine (from one of our many local wineries in the County)
1/4 cup of homemade chicken stock
2 tbsp of butter (Stirling Creamery)

Happy eating!

Heat oven to 375, place chicken in baking dish or stoneware, put cut veggies, garlic and bacon around chicken, sprinkle everything with the thyme, mix wine and stock together and pour around chicken. Bake for about 40 min., put a tbsp of butter on each piece of chicken and broil for the last 5 – 10 min., the butter will melt over the chicken, helping it to brown and then mix with the wine and stock sauce. Once beautifully browned, remove from oven and serve with hot buttery wine sauce. Garnish with fresh parsley.

Serve with a Chardonnay from Black Prince Winery where yesterday, we took part in a grape crushing challenge (which Shaun won), and a wine tasting. Thanks to the folks at Black Prince for their hospitality and fun!

Hint: if not taking part in the 100 Mile Diet Challenge, I would use sea salt and fresh black pepper to season the chicken as well. This is truly the hardest part for me, I am a salt freak and it REALLY does enhance flavor!

Enjoy!

A special thanks to the crew at Cogeco for a great week! Mike, Anne–you made us think local, get engaged and you helped us have fun doing it. We really appreciate all your hard work. Thanks to Chris at the Milford Bistro–you’ll be getting a visit from the whole team soon, but this time we’ll let you cook. We also appreciate the warmth and hospitality of Kerry and Rod at Black Prince Winery. We had so much fun with you! It’s been a great week. Hope you enjoyed it as well!

Grape-covered hands post-challenge at Black Prince Winery, Picton, Ontario.

The Engine Team (L-R Kerry, Kathy, Fillmore, Shaun and Kathy).

The Engine Team (L-R Kerry, Bryna, Fillmore, Shaun and Kathy).

Weekend Road Trip

October 19, 2009 Television

Comments Off

Kerry on her road trip to the County

Well, we’re off. Day one of our 100 Mile Diet Challenge has officially begun! So far the most popular question of the day has been, “What did you have this morning instead of coffee?” Day one and everyone is already very concerned about how the lack of coffee is going to affect them. Me, I just had some water on my drive in, certainly not the same as a nice hot cup of coffee, but I think that I’ll survive! Kathy on the other hand, just said that her caffeine withdrawal headache as already started – oh no, poor Kathy!

I started my shopping this weekend, with one of my first stops in Wellington, Aman’s Abattoir. I was lucky enough to catch Ted Aman, the owner (shop’s closed on Saturdays unless he is kicking around and can let you in). He opened the shop and let me go through his freezer to make my picks. He highly recommended that I try the smoked pork chops– a local favorite. I also picked up a large steak, bacon and some all beef wieners (same ones that Budda Dog uses). No worries about this shop being 100% local, the farmers walk their livestock in the back door; he slaughters and butchers them, then freezes the meat. The pork chops are on my menu for tonight, I’ll get back to you tomorrow with the verdict.

On Sunday I took a beautiful fall drive with my neighbor Tammy, we toured the County and made many stops, listed below were my favorite stops!

The Marshmallow Room Bakery – Bloomfield

The smell when you first walk through the door was reminiscent of walking into Grandma’s house right after she just finished her Christmas baking. This place is a must, they purchase their ingredients from sustainable sources and they try to source as much local, pesticide free, raw product as possible. They preserve as much local produce as they can and sell a line of in house made jams, chutneys and jellies. Tomorrow at our potluck we will be sampling their grainy beer mustard and 4 day shallot confiture with the all beef wieners from Aman’s ~ I’m getting hungry just thinking about it.

Vicki’s Veggies – Milford

This was like a little piece of heaven. We pulled up to a farmhouse with chickens mulling about, there was a small storefront and veggie stand close to the road. We walked into the store, the lights came on and we were in awe at how lovely it was, the smell of fresh veggies and herbs permeated the air–all I can say is GOOSEBUMPS! You’ll have to check it out for yourself, make sure you bring cash. The roadside stand is open daily during daylight hours.

Pat’s Jam’s – Milford

Jams are $4 to $7, in this quaint little jam cupboard store. I picked up a few, which we will also be sampling this week, we’ll keep you posted.

Creasy’s Apple Dabble Farm – Waupoos, 3091 County Road #8

Goosebumps once again! I opened the fridge door to get some apple cider and was hit with the strongest, freshest, most beautiful aroma of fresh apples that I have ever smelled. There I was, just standing there with the fridge door open, breathing in, breathing out, it was just intoxicating.

Black River Cheese Company – Milford

This was our last stop, and not a new one for me. I have made many a purchase at Black River Cheese, and yesterday was no exception. Again, we will sample a few of their cheeses tomorrow at our potluck – can hardly wait, is it Tuesday yet?

What an awesome road trip, I look forward to many more in the hunt for local food!

Cheers,

Kerry

Geared Up or Stressed Out?

October 16, 2009 Fridays with Kerry

Comments Off

Our 100 Mile Diet is right around the corner and I’m trying to gear up, but that stress factor is starting to rear it’s ugly head– and we haven’t even started yet! This is going to involve some serious planning and research–good thing I don’t live in the Yukon. Yikes! We are so fortunate that we live in an area that has an abundance of fresh produce, dairy and meat products, all in our backyard, figuratively speaking.

Isn't this the most gorgeous butter you've ever seen?!

I consider myself someone who tries to do my part and shop locally for the food that graces my table… honest. I buy cheese from our many cheese factories, I ONLY buy butter from the Stirling Creamery (even though I sometimes have to pay more for it). Their butter is ranked as one of the top 30 butters in the world. WOW!

I stop almost daily at Campbell’s Orchards roadside stand to pick up my veggies for the evening (best carrots in town), and of course a few apples. Sometimes I’m down three before I even make it home–they get gobbled up by the kids on the car ride. I buy lavender cooking products from Prince Edward County Lavender (lavender salt & sugar & Herbs de Provence), mushrooms from the Wellington Mushroom Farm, Maple Syrup from Fosterholm Farms and lets not forget, ice cream from Slickers.

Here’s the kicker, my daily stop at Gilmores Meat Shop & Deli – now this is where it gets tricky. I’m buying from a local butcher, but where does he get his meat from? Oh no, now I have to source meat and poultry from a local farm, this brings a new meaning to this ‘local’ business. Now it’s not stress but withdrawl rearing it’s ugly head! Not only do I buy my meat there, I buy their homemade bread and buns, cookies, squares, pies… must I go on? I’m sure that they are locally made, with local flour and butter and eggs, aren’t they?

Now this wouldn’t be a post by me if I didn’t make a slight mention about wine or beer, of which I also shop locally. I’ve toured and tasted at the many wineries, always taking home a bottle or two or three. I have yet to tour a local brewery, maybe that excursion should go on my wish list for our challenge?

Well, I think that I have finally figured it out! This is your classic Ultimate Food Road Trip! Fun, I love road trips. It’s time to hop in the car, take a drive through our beautiful countryside and see what our 100 miles have to offer – want to join me?

We’d love some help here, if you have any tips on local food stops and locations, great finds etc. send us an email, we can use all the help we can get. In the meantime, check out the Harvestin’ the County‘s Locally Grown Map. What an awesome tool!

Cheers,

Kerry

Friday’s with Kerry (on Monday): A Day at the Country Fair

October 12, 2009 Fridays with Kerry

Comments Off

This Friday’s with Kerry is specially delivered to you on a Monday because it’s the Canadian Thanksgiving weekend! Hope you have a great holiday.

Last weekend was the Annual Ameliasburgh Fair which basically takes place in my backyard–only a 5 minute walk down the road. We started off Sunday morning with breakfast in the old Tea Room/Museum–yummy and so much food!! They call it the “around the table,” as you get a little bit of everything.

We were joined by our good friends and neighbours. Their adorable 18 month old son joined us, and he was more interested in the dog sitting rather impatiently outside the door, or the horses and chickens that you could hear in the distance, than his breakfast. Go figure!

After we enjoyed our breakfast, chatting lazily amongst ourselves and the many locals whom we knew, we headed out to see what this small town fair had to offer. Now, keep in mind, this certainly isn’t the kind of fair where you have to worry about losing your lunch on the tilt-a-whirl, but the kind of fair where you will see the most beautiful vegetables, flowers, canning, baked goods, art and photography–all grown, produced, taken or created by your very own neighbours and friends. Right, now I remember what a true fair is all about!

They have categories for everything and everyone, young and old. How did we forget about these time honoured traditions? Tammy, my neighbour and good friend, entered two zucchinis that she grew in her very first vegetable garden, and won 2nd prize. She was thrilled and we were so proud of her! She came to realize this summer that the rewards you reap from planting your own garden are so much more than just the tasty harvest, but the overall feeling of pride and accomplishment. She also entered some pictures that she had taken in the photography category, winning a ribbon or two in that category as well. Congrats to you Tammy!

Tammy's prize-winning zucchinis

Walking home from the fair I felt nothing short of inspired, I want to do the same next year, I want to be a part of that time honoured tradition and get involved; maybe even help out with the organization of the event? We have already started to discuss the shared garden that we will work together next spring. ‘Go big or go home’ is the theme I think.

With every year that passes, the gardens will grow, as will the kids and the traditions ~ hopefully the fair won’t grow too big, we’re not interested in the tilt-a-whirl, just some old fashioned fun!

Don't these look amazing?!
Skewered Fall Vegetables

Kissed with lime butter then caramelized on the grill, colourful vegetables brighten up any plate.

Servings: 4 ~ looks like Tammy will have enough Zucchini to feed 40 not just 4!

4 cobs of corn, husked
3 zucchini
1 each sweet green, orange and red pepper
1 tbsp (15 mL) vegetable oil
Coriander lime Butter:
2 tbsp (25 mL) butter, melted
1 tbsp (15 mL) minced fresh coriander
1 tbsp (15 mL) lime juice
1/4 tsp (1 mL) each salt and pepper

In saucepan of boiling water, cook corn until tender but firm, about 5 minutes; drain and let cool. Cut into 1-inch pieces. Meanwhile, cut zucchini into 3/4-inch thick rounds. Seed, core and cut green, orange and red peppers into 2-inch squares. Alternately thread vegetables onto metal or soaked wooden skewers. (Make-ahead: Cover and refrigerate for up to 24 hours.)

Brush skewers with oil. Place on greased grill over medium-high heat; close lid and grill, turning often, for 10 minutes.

Coriander Lime Butter: Meanwhile, whisk together butter, coriander, lime juice, salt and pepper; brush over skewers. Grill until vegetables are tender and lightly grill marked, about 2 minutes.

Source ~ Canadian Living Magazine: September 2006; Get Grilling: Summer 2007

Holiday Entertaining 101 – Part 2

Greetings from New Zealand

Mulled Red Wine (yields 6-7 glasses)