Engine Communications

Ghosts & Goblins Go Green!

October 30, 2009 Fridays with Kerry

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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!

Transparency

October 29, 2009 Public Relations

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More days than not, I (Bryna) marvel at how much I have to learn about business (and let’s face it, life generally). Being at the beginning of one’s career is a strange place; all at once full of so much potential and uncertainty. After five years of post-secondary, I’ve got about all the education I can handle right now, but the experience is a different beast altogether.

I certainly am not one to pretend I know everything. In fact, I think one strength any ‘under 30’ professional can have is the knowledge of their limitations, and the bravery to be transparent and ask questions when need arises. I think it’s this honesty that builds trust.

Building trust is a theme that’s been running through my mind, and many social media circles lately. The financial crisis of late has prompted a renewed questioning (or at least more public discussion) of old hierarchies and systems of governance, both financial and political. The idea of corporations being lumbering dinosaurs isn’t new, but I believe the urgency at which we address that issue is.

Fundamentally it’s a people issue–not an ‘organizational’ one. Corporations, non-profits, whatever systems we function in, are all created, and lived out, by the people in them. The recession has stirred a very heated pot to a tipping point. It’s no longer enough to give lip service to corporate responsibility; people must actively participate in it.

By corporate responsibility I mean more than the textbook definition of an organization giving money to charity, or going ‘green,’ or participating in a cause du jour. Responsibility encompasses that, but it also goes deeper; it stems from an internal awareness of who we are, and a willingness to admit when we’ve dropped the ball. As individuals, looking inward can be a scary thing. Magnify that by 1,000 or so people, and it’s easy to understand why big business often turns a blind eye.

Rona Maynard

Today I had the privilege of taking part in the Women in Business lunch, hosted by the Belleville Intelligencer. Being a female ‘under 30 pro’ I was taken aback by the transparency of the message given by all participants, and most notably by Rona Maynard, the luncheon’s keynote speaker: Be honest, we all mess up.

Be honest, we all mess up. If only more businesses understood that it’s ok to re-evaluate, and back up the train when they realize they’re going in the wrong direction. This is responsibility: It starts with individuals recognizing their limitations, and it becomes truth in an organization when the members of that community foster a culture of honesty and trust.

What this will look like in the future is becoming more clear to some, and less desirable to others. I will adress some of these models in a later post, but right now I want to leave you with this:

The woman who was honoured with the distinction of Business Woman of the Year, Mary Rushlow, built her career over 35 years. I can’t imagine that in that time she never struggled with any challenges. Rona Maynard, former editor of Chatelaine magazine, had her share of failures (her words) too. What separates a crisis from a screw-up is the ability to recognize you’re wrong, and beat your pride down enough to switch gears.

If I can get this at the beginning of my career, my failures will become opportunities. If organizations can get this, their failures will become opportunities. We all have so much to learn.

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

October 27, 2009 Public Relations

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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.

Bringing back Pee-wee

October 26, 2009 Public Relations

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Pee-wee Herman is making a comeback, folks.

That’s right, you know who I’m talking about!

There’s something to be said for a character that after almost 20 years off the public radar, can come back into the mainstream with as much brand recognition as they day he left.

What a character he was! Both in costume, and in real life, Paul Reubens–the man behind the gray suit, slicked hair and red bow tie–has caused a stir. His breakthrough performance as Pee-wee, the strange, incomparable yet endearing, Peter-Pan, started as a comedy routine that quickly morphed into more: A movie (Pee-wee’s Big Adventure), a network television show (Pee-wee’s Playhouse), another movie (Big Top Pee-wee) and a multi-million dollar franchise.

Taking concepts from earlier educational children’s programming (think Rocky & Bullwinkle, The Mickey Mouse Club, and Captain Kangaroo) Reubens created a world where these ideas were amplified to epic, larger-than-life proportions. (Remember the elaborate way he made toast in his Big Adventure?) Pee-wee became a cultural phenomena, that somehow broached age barriers, allowing parents and children to identify, enjoy, and wonder at the chaos that was Pee-wee.

Part of the reason for this universality was that Pee-wee wasn’t afraid to take on taboo subject matter in a way that was so innocent, that it wasn’t overtly radical. Themes of race, inequality and loneliness were groundbreaking for children’s television at the time, and Pee-wee discussed them freely. Maybe his child-like, harmless, asexuality was part of the reason he could do it when others couldn’t. Until he wasn’t child-like, harmless or asexual anymore.

Pee-wee may have reached the ‘big top,’ but Paul Reubens took quite a fall. Although Pee-wee’s Playhouse had been off the air for over a year, it was still on CBS in reruns when Reubens was arrested for indecent exposure at an adult movie theatre in 1991. Major PR ensued with CBS, Toys R Us, and Disney-MGM pulling Pee-wee from shelves and airwaves. Despite best attempts to quell backlash, all the good that Pee-wee had done was very quickly erased by Reubens’ lack of judgment. A second arrest, which Reubens was later cleared of, on child pornography charges, was the nail in the coffin of the Pee-wee Herman brand. The innocent, man-child was no more.

But fast forward 19 years, and things have changed.

Reubens, now a 52 year old man, is back with a new Pee-wee Herman stage show and a screenplay. I have to admit that when I first heard this, I laughed (and not in the nice, supportive way). But there’s something about this comeback that has really stuck with me. It might simply be nostalgia, but that in itself can be a powerful thing. Is it powerful enough to bank a brand on?

Reading his recent interviews, what struck me is that Reubens gets that he’s messed up. He knows he’s not an easy sell. He’s honest about his indiscretions–admits the ones that are his, and adamantly denies those that he’s already been cleared of. We talk so much about building trust in brands in the social media and online worlds. What’s ironic is that I’m reading Trust Agents by Chris Brogan and Julien Smith while I’m thinking about whether I’d trust the Pee-wee brand again. For some strange reason, I do. I do trust Pee-wee!

Reubens is putting himself on the line in terms of professional transparency. (I’m not so naive as to believe he’s letting it all out, but that’s ok. I don’t want to know everything anyway.) Whether it’s in confessing that he’s obessive-compulsive, or being a little bit proud of the implications of the Pee-wee phenomena, Paul Reubens comes across as a real person–not a product of Hollywood publicists. And I like that.

It’s actually got me rooting for ‘Pee-wee’s Big Comeback.’ And I think it’s a good lesson in PR and branding: Building trust after a crisis is hard, but it’s possible. It might take 20 years, but if the repentence (so-to-speak) is real, it might just be crazy enough to work. Tequila!

The Finish Line!

October 23, 2009 Fridays with Kerry

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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).

Building Community

October 22, 2009 Uncategorized

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Shaun & Kathy dishing up some great local food at our staff potluck.

Over the past couple weeks, you’ve seen the team at Engine blog a lot about food. All this talk of food (although seemingly unrelated to marketing and design) has been to serve a purpose: We’ve embarked on a week long 100 Mile Diet Challenge, and we wanted to let you know why and what we’ll be doing. We’ve had a blast thus far, and we still have two days to go.

But all of this talk of food has gotten me hungry… and left me thinking about community. Let me explain.

Historically, food has been a communal affair. For centuries people shared the responsibility of hunting for, and gathering food. Our society (at one point) was completely agrarian. We needed each other’s food to survive.

This survival strategy morphed over time into a highly social affair. People have always developed relationships over food. It’s our common bond. Food has inspired philopsphers to theorize, and poet’s to write. It has been used as a weapon of war, and of peace. As Ghandi said,

God comes to the hungry in the form of food.

Let’s just say food is important. It’s important to us at Engine, and it should be important to your business as well.

One of the biggest benefits stemming from our participation in the 100 Mile Diet has been in team building. We have a fantastic group at Engine, and work life is really great. But I’m a relatively new addition to the team, and in a lot of workplaces, changes in staffing can be a big adjustment.

The whole team (with Fillmore snapping pics).

When I saw the 100 Mile Challenge offer on the Prince Edward County Facebook Fan Page, I wasn’t thinking ‘relationships.’ I was thinking ‘delicious.’ But a few days in, I’ve already noticed changes in our group dynamics. We’ve always gotten along; we’ve always talked and interacted. But now we’re taking community building to the next level.

I don’t think your group, team or co-workers have to connect over food. It can be anything–sports, volunteering, whatever–the sky’s the limit. But employee relations should be interactive, engaging, and inclusive. Studies have shown time and again, that creativity and productivity are not proportional to hours chained behind a desk. In fact, I think there might be an inverse reaction. It’s important for all of us to stop and say, “How am I building community in my workplace.”

The online world is a-buzz with the term ‘community,’ and rightly so. It’s vital to that realm because social media is so dependent on relationships. But what field isn’t? Are we taking our notions of community past the SM world, and into our workplaces?

Seth Godin states in his book, The Dip, (and I’m paraphrasing) that if we don’t want to be the best at something, why bother doing it. I agree. So what’s stopping our organizations from taking internal relations to the next level as well.

Feeling tired at work? Bored? Engage those around you. Make things happen. Step up to the plate as a leader, and start building community. It’s as easy as bringing in a plate of cookies…or a whole camera crew.

Local artisan cheeses were on the menu.

We didn't leave many leftovers...

Sausage, stir-fry, and mashed potatoes...Yum!

Fillmore's baked apples (he made whipped cream too).

Weekend Road Trip

October 19, 2009 Television

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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

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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