Crispy Oven-Fried Chicken Tenders Recipe from Master Chef Kirk Leins

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Here is another recipe from Chef Kirk Leins, a recipe near and dear to my kids' hearts...Crispy Oven-Fried Chicken Tenders (or more affectionately referred to as Chicken Nuggets, not to be confused with Chicken McNuggets). While I have not attempted this very simple recipe yet, I will be soon as I'm getting tired of eating the kids' nasty leftover frozen re-constituted chicken mystery nuggets.  Time for something more appetizing!  Get more cooking videos and free recipes at www.NoTimeToCook.com.

CRISPY OVEN-FRIED CHICKEN TENDERS (serves 3 to 4)

1 to 1¼ lbs. chicken tenders
2 egg whites
2 tsp cornstarch
Zest of a whole lemon (and juice from half)
1 C Panko breadcrumbs
2 Tsp dried parsely
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
Extra virgin olive oil

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.

In a shallow dish, add egg whites cornstarch and lemon juice. Whisk well with a fork and set aside.

In another shallow dish, add breadcrumbs, parsley, and lemon zest. Liberally season the mixture with salt and pepper. Mix to combine and set asi

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USDA Issues Public Health Alert for Certain Foster Farms Chicken Products

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On Monday, the U.S. Department of Agriculture's (USDA) Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) issued a public health alert due to concerns that illness caused by strains of Salmonella Heidelberg are associated with raw chicken products produced by Foster Farms at three facilities in California.

At this point in the investigation, FSIS is unable to link the illnesses to a specific product and a specific production period. Raw products from the facilities in question bear one of the establishment numbers inside a USDA mark of inspection or elsewhere on the package:

  • “P6137”
  • “P6137A”
  • “P7632”

The products were mainly distributed to retail outlets in California, Oregon and Washington State.

This public health alert is being issued after an estimated 278 illnesses were recently reported in 18 states, predominantly in California.  The outbreak is continuing. The investigations indicate that consumption of Foster Farms brand chicken and other brand chicken produced at Foster Farms plants are the likely source of this outbreak of Salmonella Heidelberg infections. Illnesses were linked to Foster Farms brand chicken through epidemiologic, laboratory and traceback investigations conducted by local, state, and federal officials. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is partnering with state health departments to monitor the outbreak while FSIS continues its investigation.

The investigation is ongoing and FSIS is prepared to take additional actions or expand the investigation based on new evidence.

FSIS reminds consumers to properly handle raw poultry in a manner to prevent contamination from spreading to other foods and food contact surfaces. 

FSIS further reminds consumers of the critical importance of following package cooking instructions for frozen or fresh chicken products and general food safety guidelines when handling and preparing any raw meat or poultry. In particular, while cooking instructions may give a specific number of minutes of cooking for each side of the product in order to attain 165 °F in

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National Park Service Parks and Websites Closed Due to Government Shutdown

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Yay! Government shutdown ended on Thursday, October 17th. The National Park Service and other Government agencies are now back in business.

This is the screen shown on the National Park Service website as a result of the federal government shutdown. All national parks are closed and NPS websites and Facebook pages are not in operation until the shutdown ends.

The NPS has closed all 401 national parks, including park grounds, visitor centers, hotels, campgrounds and park roads (except for thru ways). All programs are cancelled and permits for special events on park grounds are rescinded.

The shutdown will affect over 20,000 NPS employees, who are furloughed until an appropriation is passed, while 3,000 employees continue to work on essential services, including security, emergency services and firefighting.

For updates, visit the Department of the Interior website at www.doi.gov/shutdown.

Sign at Rancho Sierra Vista/Satwiwa trailhead in Newbury Park.

All You Ever Wanted to Know About Minimum Wage Rates in California and U.S.

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On September 25th, Governor Jerry Brown signed into law AB10, providing for an increase in the California minimum hourly wage from the current $8 per hour established January 1, 2008 to $9 on July 1, 2014 and $10 on January 1, 2016.

California Division of Labor Standards Enforcement provides the following history of minimum wage rates going back to 1916, when it was 16 cents per hour:

In California, there is an exception for "learners,"who may be paid not less than 85% of the minimum wage during their first 160 hours in a job where they have no previous similar or related experience. So if you are a learner, technically you can be paid as little as $6.80 at the current $8 minimum wage level for your first four weeks of full-time employment.

And if you are a sheepherder in California, and I know most California sheepherders are CVG fans, you have your own minimum monthly salary of $1,422.52 that was set in 2008.

The current $7.25 per hour Federal minimum wage was set on July 24, 2009. There are currently 19 states with minimum wages higher than the Federal minimum wage.  California is currently tied with Massachusetts as the 7th highest minimum wage state in the country.

The top three minimum wage paying states as of 2013 are Washington ($9.19), Oregon ($8.95) and Vermont ($8.60). These states all peg their annual rate increases to inflation, which to me is kind of a no brainer. Only 10 states do so.

There are currently four states, Georgia ($5.15), Wyoming ($5.15), Minnesota ($5.25) and Arkansas ($6.25), with minimum wages lower than the Federal minimum. However, the higher of the state or Federal rate applies...unless you work at a business with under $500,000 in annual revenue that is not involved in interstate commerce.

The City of San Francisco has the highest minimum wage rate in the country, at $10.55 per hour, fully 15% higher than in the state of Washington. And San Francisco increases its minimum wage rate for inflation each year. The city of Santa Fe, New Mexico, is on SF's heels with its "Living Wage" rate of $10.51 that was established March 1, 2013 and is also adjusted for inflation each year.

I think that's probably about all you could ever want to know at this point about minimum wages. If your goal is to find a job in and around Ventura County that earns MORE than minimum wage, then perhaps you should check out the Local Jobs section of CVG and review these resume submission tips.

26.2 Training Tips for Your First Marathon!

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NOW is the time to start training for a fall or spring marathon!  There are hundreds to choose from at MarathonGuide.com.

I've run a few marathons myself. 26 of them at last count. So I have about 26.2 thoughts and opinions to impart on training for your first marathon:

1. Don't Procrastinate! The first thing you need to do is get out there and start running. Talking about it is fine, but start making it happen! Today!

2. Start Slow and Go Steady: Don't try to prove something by running 10 miles your first time out. You'll injure yourself! Unless you're already a runner with solid base mileage, start out easy, maybe 10 to 15 miles in 3 to 4 runs per week. Increase weekly mileage no more than 10%.

3. Pick a Marathon Now and Set Your Goals: Always helps to establish a goal to train for. Sign up for a marathon 6 months out now (don't wait) and you'll have the end goal in mind. You'll need the motivation as you train through the warm summer months or colder winter months

4. Buy Decent Shoes and Change Them Often: Running is a very inexpensive in terms of equipment. So don't go cheap on the shoes. Change them often...the lesser of every 300 miles or 3 months. Your limbs and tendons will thank you for that.

5. Ramp up the Mileage: To run your first full marathon, plan to peak your weekly mileage at 30 to 35 miles per week. But once again, get there gradually, not all at once.

6. Rest as Needed: For those of us past the motivation hurdle to train, the next biggest marathon training issue is fending off injuries. Don't be fearful of taking days off when needed. Rest benefits you as much as training.

7. Train With Others: The best thing to motivate one to wake up at 5 a.m. on a Sunday morning for a 20 miler is knowing you'll be letting someone else down.  Click here for some local Ventura County running groups.

8. Share Your Goals: Tell your friends and family about your marathon commitment and your training. You'll need the support system and they'll keep you motivated.

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Burger King Introduces SATISFRIES™ Reduced Fat, Reduced Calorie French Fries

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Image courtesy of Burger KingYesterday, Burger King introduced a new french fry called SATISFRIES™ that have "40% less fat and 30% fewer calories than the leading French fries." Although I'm not a big fast food consumer, this caught my attention!

What do they consider "the leading French fry?" That would be McDonald's. I found that to be slightly odd that they are using the competition as the reference point rather than their own fries. But that's ok. I'll go with it.

Burger King claims that 70 grams of SATISFRIES™ has 6.3 grams of fat as compared to 11.2 grams of fat in 70 grams of McDonald's fries. Similarly, there are 150.5 calories in 70 grams of SATISFRIES™ as compared to 226.8 calories in 70 grams of McDonald's fries.

How do they do it make a French fry with less fat? According to Burger King,"Just like most French fry recipes, SATISFRIES™ are made with thinly battered real whole potatoes. The difference is that the SATISFRIES™ recipe ensures that the French fries absorb less oil – only enough to keep each great tasting crinkle crispy on the outside and fluffy on the inside." Basically a new batter that keeps more oil from saturating inside the fry. Interesting concept.

Burger King is asking folks to post their own S pictures on Instagram, some of which are shown at www.bk.com/en/us/satisfries.html.

How do SATISFRIES™ compare to Burger King's own French fries? A small order of SATISFRIES™ is 270 calories, 70 calories, or about 20% less calories than in its standard fries. A small order of SATISFRIES™ has 11 grams of fat as compared to 15 grams in its standard fries, or about 27% less fat.

So let's see how this adds up. If God forbid you normally eat one small order of Burger King French fries each week, with the exception of say Christmas week and Thankgiving week, and decide to switch to the new SATISFRIES™, over the course of a year you would eat 3,500 less calories. According to www.howmanycaloriesinapound.com, there are 3,500 calories in one pound. So switching to SATISFRIES™ equals 1 less pound of body weight in a year. If you're looking to lose weight, perhaps a better approach would be to swap out your fries for the apple slices that Burger King offers up.

Visit www.bk.com for more information.

New LEGO Store is Now Open at the Westfield Topanga Mall in Canoga Park

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Please, don't tell my kids that there's a new LEGO Store at the Westfield Topanga Mall in Canoga Park! I've lost track but I believe my house contains a college education's worth of LEGOs!

Yes, for several weeks now, the newest and now closest LEGO Store to Ventura County has been open. It is located on the first floor of the Topanga Mall near Target and across from the Baby Gap store. Store hours are 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday to Saturday and 11 a.m. to 7 p.m on Sunday. Call 818.884.8597 or visit stores.lego.com/en-us/stores/us/topanga for more information. The mall is located at 6800 Topanga Canyon Road.

Previously, the closest LEGO Store to us here in the Conejo Valley / Greater Ventura County area was at the Glendale Galleria. My kids have an insatiable appetite for LEGO sets and nearly every room in the house shows signs of LEGOS.

Roughly 1% of the LEGOs in my house.

But wait...you can celebrate the grand opening of the LEGO Store at Westfield Topanga on September 27-29, 2013 with a huge LEGO Master Build event!

Join in and help a real LEGO® Master Builder construct an 8-foot tall model of Yoda™ completely out of LEGO bricks! You'll receive a free Certificate of Achievement for participating! This event will take place on Friday, the 27th from 11am-7pm, Saturday from 10am-6pm and Sunday from 11am-7pm.

Be one of the first 300 people each day to make a qualifying purchase at the LEGO Store and you will receive one of the following giveaways:

  • Friday, September 27: Free Collectible LEGO T-Shirt with a $50 Purchase!*
  • Saturday, September 28: Free Limited-Edition LEGO Store Set with a $75 Purchase!
  • Sunday, September 29: Free Exclusive LEGO Minifigure Set with a $50 Purchase!

Offers valid while supplies last only. *T-shirts are available in child sizes only.

Interesting and Amazing Facts and Tidbits About LEGO® Blocks