Tag: culture

Armenian Stuffed Zucchini

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“Is this a monthly thing or something?” my workers asked me as I shared my casual plans for an Armenian dinner with friends.

Yes, yes they are. For about 6 months, my roommates from my time studying abroad have committed to planning the next month’s plans while we’re together. It makes managing crazy schedules and multiple priorities, well, manageable.

If you’re late to the party, catch up on the first three “cultural dinners” that preceded this one.

Come Thursday, I was given a few options for my contribution to our Armenian dinner, but my scrappiness prevailed, and the zucchini’s I needed to use up because the new focus.

Turns out, Armenian Stuffed Zucchini is a thing…

INGREDIENTS (yields 6 stuffed zucchinis, good for 4 people as a side)

-3 Zucchinis, the wider the better
-1 can chickpeas
-1/2 cup kalamata olives
-1/2 cup crumbled feta
-1 medium onion
-1 small can tomato paste
-1 tomato

unnamed (5)

PREPARATION (15-20 minutes)

  1. Cut zucchinis in half and core each half, not puncturing all the way through so it can hold the stuffing.
  2. Chop onion and sautée with zucchini “insides.”
  3. Pour chickpeas, feta, and olives into seperate bowl and mash to a stirrable mixture
  4. Once onions and zucchini insides begin to brown, add in tomato paste and bring to simmer
  5. Take off heat, and stir into the mashed chickpea mixture
  6. Chop tomato and set aside for final topping
I use a cocktail muddler for mashing…no shame

COOKING (40 minutes)

  1. Preheat oven to 350
  2. Stuff zucchinis with filling to the brim, you should have some stuffing leftover
  3. Place leftover stuffing at base of narrow pan- I needed the zucchini to be close together to help keep everybody standing and fillings in tact
  4. Bake at 350 for 40 minutes, vary if zucchini is preferred crunchier/more well done
  5. Add chopped tomatoes to the final dish, and serve!

I promised myself my “pan picture” would turn out better than one’s I saw online, but I’m not sure it’s possible. Now it’s your turn to try!

If you need help convincing to host an Armenian dinner, please see below…

 

Boereg Prep
Cheese, parsley, eggs, wrapped in pastry puff
Taboulleh
Vegetarian lavash or armenian pizza for me, and egg noodles

My Why

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“I don’t know why anyone does what they do,” I confessed to my coworkers, “I know why you’re good at your jobs, but I don’t know how you ended up in them or why you’re passionate about them. So here’s my why.”

Hosting a marketing lunch & learn for my coworkers, I realized what drives every element of my life—passion—has yet to be communicated to the majority of the people in the room, despite the small size of our group.

H&C 2014 - CopyI explained that I was originally drawn to Work Effects for the apples and discussion of “health” I saw on the website. It turned out this referred to organizational health (aka not being a toxic workplace) and with time that has caught my interest as well. 40 hours a week (and often more) is a lot of time to spend in one place, and I take pride in contributing to those 40+ hours being healthier and happier.

The presentation was designed to give people an idea of what I do, but that couldn’t be explained without why I do it-

Screen Shot 2015-03-05 at 10.45.10 PM1. Brands tell stories: There is so much more that goes into why you buy one brand over the other, which brands you follow on social media, and how you think of an organization. I love interpreting, creating, and telling these stories. Whether that’s through writing, images, or events, stories draw me to content creation.

2. Create the best version of oneself: This is where my worlds cross. Out of the office, I am dedicated to helping others nurture the best version of themselves through health and fitness. I get to do this in a very different way with brand management, and make strategic choices to create a brand’s story.

3. Plan to execution: There’s something extra rewarding about being involved in each step of a process. Expertise is proud in when needed, but I love playing an active role in the strategy, creation, fine-tuning, and execution of an idea.
Webinar 1 Promotion

4. Give attention where it is deserved: I think marketers have the unique opportunity to decide what and who is in the limelight. For example, Work Effects was recently asked to speak at an Organizational Development Network event. There was many other similar organizations being considered, but they were most interested in our approach to culture and wanted to reward that quality of work.

There is so much about our daily lives that is unique to who we are. Even if the activity, role, or organization is the same, how each person got to the present moment is a different journey. I believe in sharing these stories, which sometimes calling for going a bit off script and blurring lines of our personal and professional lives. I don’t want my coworkers (or anyone for that matter) to understand my role, I want them to understand me.

So, tell your story. What is your why?