Well, what better way to have a great meal this weekend, than to try Perogies – Tom style. Over the past few years, while I was a student there were a few simple, economical meals I learned to make and love; spaghetti, pizza, and asian noodles became the three base food groups that my diet consisted of. Being a vegetarian, I was forced to think a little outside the box, and had to cook for myself a little more frequently than your typical student. These perogies aren’t your usual meal, and if you’re a fan of spicy food (like buffalo wings) these will quickly become a favorite. disclaimer: this isn’t a guide on how to make perogies from scratch, although if you did that I’m sure this would turn out better – this is simply how to prepare perogies in a way that turns them into the single greatest hedonistic pleasure known to man.

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In the words of my son Ayden, “Pie, I love Pie!”

Now I don’t know how keen he is on key lime pie (his favorite is pumpkin pie made by none other than his Grandpa), but it is one of my favorites. I have to admit that I have never made one from scratch, but this recipe is well worth the try.

Shaun Fillmore, one of my collegues at Engine, made this pie for his wife Holly on her birthday last year, and I remember quite clearly his description of the process and the outcome! Sheer brilliance. Thanks for sharing Fillmore!

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Let the tweeting begin!

From the moment we climbed the stair case at Earl & Angelo’s restaurant in Belleville, the #bvilletweets excitement began. We were greeted by staff and management, and assured that we were free to roam the premises –  anything we needed we could ask for. Drinks were ordered and free appetizers were given as tweeter after tweeter entered into the lounge, filling out name tags with their Twitter handles, and sparking conversation. A great time was had by all, and we can’t wait to do it again soon!

Special thanks to the Winding Violets, who once again came out and documented our revelry on film. Make sure to follow the Winding Violets on Twitter and Facebook. For a complete album of pictures, check out our Facebook Fan Page.

Here’s what our interns had to say about their experience:

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Hey everyone! As you’ve probably noticed, the blog has been quiet lately. When I initially began working at Engine, my primary responsibility was to create our social media presence, and to maintain those accounts. Needless to say, the past eight months have been exciting. Our social media has taken off, and we’ve got clients creating great content all over the web. As a result, my job has grown as well. Lately it seems we’ve been so busy that generating new, exciting blog posts, has been difficult. That’s why I’ve brought in some help.

Let me introduce you to Bryan, our new Online Community Manager.

I was introduced to Bryan via Twitter, and his personal blog. I was impressed from the beginning. His consummate professionalism, creative ideas, and fresh outlook, make him stand out from the online crowd. When I wanted to partner with someone to manage our social media, Bryan was an easy choice.

I hope you enjoy our collaboration.

Bryna

I really appreciate that Bryna, I am incredibly excited about being able to share my ideas on the Engine Communications blog.

If you were to ask me if I would picture myself in this type of role a couple years ago, I would have definitely said no. In fact, the role of Community Manager is a new job that is a reflection of a new era in society in which content is constantly being created and consumed.

From a marketing standpoint, customers are ready to consume. These people are actively searching out information at every step of the buying decision-making process. I think Brian Solis said it best:

“Attention becomes the major currency in content commerce.”

So am I here, fighting for your attention? Sure, I guess you could put it like that. Am I trying to sell you something? Not at all. I was brought on to create content that Engine Communication’s readers would enjoy and hopefully find valuable.

My goal is to be a good reflection of the Engine team’s voice and consistently share our passion for graphic design, marketing, public relations, web development and social media. Bryna and I have been chatting and we have some great posts planned for you. Stay tuned!

Bryan

Four of my favorite foods have made the spring top 10 list, Premium Beef Burgers, sweet potatoes, bacon and Mangos. And guess what, we can have all four in one sitting!

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Isn’t it just awesome, another long weekend has arrived! The sun is shinning, the birds are singing and the anticipation of a weekend filled with chocolate is mounting!

Easter is another splendid excuse for feasting with family and friends, and of course the traditional Easter Egg Hunt – tons of chocolate, hidden in those “oh so hard to find” places. Kids madly running around trying to make sure that they get more than their share. Little do they know, that after all of their hard work, they’re going to have to split their stash up amongst everyone just to keep things fair! I can hear it now, “come on mom, really?”

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