SATURDAY DECEMBER 3, 2011

Thanks for checking out the Fusion rundown for this week. As you may have noticed, we are not on the air. We finished our season of shows last weekend. We will be returning on the 3rd of March with our 4th season of the show. Check back next week for fresh updates. We will leave our stories from our final show of the season up for one more week.

Evergreen Air Gift Drive

When we think of the holidays we think about spending time with family and friends. Tight budgets during this economy can put a damper on the he joy of the season. One way that you can help is by giving to the Holiday Magic Toy and Gift Drive. The Evergreen Aviation and Space Museum is one of the sponsors of this great event and we were joined by Executive Director, Larry Wood to learn more. The museum has become such a great destination for Willamette Valley families that they decided to support those families by getting behind this gift drive. The museum is hosting a lot of events for families during the month of December including a reading of the Polar Express on the 3rd, where you can see the movie in your PJ’s. You can also see Santa arrive by helicopter if you are there on the right day. This past year they also added the new indoor water park with lots going on there as well. If you bring an unwrapped gift to the museum or water park you will get a 15% discount on your admission! If you forget your gift, you can buy one at the gift store in the museum for an additional 10% off. Make a point to help families in the area and create memories with your own family by bringing a gift to the museum during December!

Crispy Chicken Tenders with Spicy Creole Mustard

If there is one thing we enjoy during the holidays it’s a wonderful meal. This week we picked up a great recipe that everyone in the family will enjoy, crispy chicken tenders with spicy Creole mustard. Anne Theis joined us from Salem Hospital in the Community Health Education Center to share one of her family favorites with us. Anne is a great cook and has self-published a cookbook to share with family and friends. She found this recipe on-line about 20 years ago but did some major changes to make it more flavorful. This is a 2 part recipe. You will be preparing the chicken strips and frying them and also creating a sauce for dipping. The first step is to clean and cut your chicken into strips then set up a 3 step process for breading the chicken. We have a dry pan with flour, onion powder, garlic powder and pepper. Then we have an egg and milk wash for the second step and finally the most interesting stage. The 3rd step is a coating that is made from Captain Crunch cereal and Corn Flakes. You start by dipping the chicken strips in the flour mixture, then into the egg/milk bath and finally into the coating mixture. Then you fry them in healthier canola oil at 325 degrees for about 3 and ½ minutes.

We also made the spicy Creole mustard dipping sauce while the chicken was cooking. This sauce has everything and the kitchen sink. It contains green onions, garlic, red pepper, celery, onion, mayonnaise, mustard, red wine vinegar, water, cider vinegar, hot horseradish, Tabasco, Worcestershire and hot mustard. All these went into a food processor and were blended together. You don’t want to make it too creamy, leave little chunks for texture.

It was incredibly delicious and we can see why it is so popular in the Theis household. If you would like to try the recipe, check out the link here! The Community Health Education Center is a great resource for the Salem community. You can stop in and learn about healthy living and even take classes at a minimal cost that will teach you how to exercise and cook healthier.

Parr Gifts for Men

What guy would not like a new tool? To get an idea for what to get the guy in your life for the upcoming holiday we stopped by Parr Lumber (866-214-7277) to chat with Amber. The basics are always a good place to start. Tape measures, utility knives, gloves and hammers are must haves for guys and if your guy has all these you may want to check out a new tool belt for him. There is nothing more frustrating than having to run back and forth looking for tools. A belt will keep everything at his fingertips. You may also want to stuff his stocking with a new pair of safety glasses. These should be in everyone’s tool belt! You only have 2 eyes, you need to protect them. Now let’s talk about power tools. We looked at the latest in rechargeable power tools. The Makita line of battery powered tools contain an interchangeable lithium battery and come in a full assortment of tools including drills, lights, saws and sanders, just to name a few. Each tool even has a belt clip so you can carry them with you on the job. Another tool that you may consider is a compressor and nailing gun for those big jobs. This one could frame a house if needed. You can also look at corded tools like a new Skil saw. You can also pick up a first aid kit for the ‘handy craft challenged’. For the leisure guy, who isn’t into chores you can pick up a Duck or Beaver sweatshirt for the casual weekend. One final thing for Dad... a grill! Parr carries a full line of Traeger Grills and all the accessories for barbequing. They even have the spices and sauces you need to make everything taste wonderful. For more gift ideas for the handyman in your life stop by your local Parr location!

Portland Luggage Tips

The holidays mean travel for a lot of people and an easy and safe trip can help make your holiday more enjoyable. We stopped by Portland Luggage (503-226-3255) and talked with Abel to get some tips for making your trip go smoothly. There are a couple of things to think about when traveling. The first one is getting through the airport. You will want to consolidate your documents so you are not searching for things in the airport. A travel wallet or boarding pouch is a great thing to have to make things easier. These can hang around your neck and are designed to hold all your travel documents and papers. You won’t be fumbling at security with one of these. If you are concerned about theft you can get even more personal with a money belt. This pouch secures around your waist and is hidden under your clothing. The other thing to think about when going through security is liquids. The rule is 3-1-1. 3 ounces or less per container, in one quart sized see-through bag and one per passenger. You can carry as many 3 ounce containers as you want, but they have to all fit inside the one quart bag. Portland Luggage even has specialty bottles to help you carry all the personal products you need for your trip.

Before you get to security you will have to pack and Abel gave us some ideas for being efficient when doing that. When packing your suitcase think about a packing system. This can be a system that you come up with on your own to keep everything compact, but there are packing systems on the market that will help you save space and keep your clothes looking good. The system that we saw had enough clothing for a week and it all fit into a carry-on bag with room to spare. And don’t forget any converters or adapters that you may need for anything you plug in. Finally we looked at some of the newer types of suitcases on the market. These are hard-sided bags that are made from a new poly-carbonate and are made to take a beating during your travels. If you would like to see a great selection of bags and other travel items, or just to get some tips to make your travel experience more enjoyable, stop by any location of Portland Luggage. For more information on TSA and other travel rules and requirements check out the TSA website at www.tsa.gov.

Neil Kelly Basements

One way to add more space to your home without changing the structure of your home is to remodel your basement. Jack Heinrich from Neil Kelly (866-691-2719) talked with us about how easy it can be and the common mistakes made by do-it-yourselfers. When you are redoing a basement you are bound by the same rules and conditions as any home improvement project. You are actually building a house within a house. Permitting is a must and can be a major pitfall if you don’t know what you are doing. It can also create problems down the road if you are looking to resell your home. That being said it can be the least expensive option if you are looking to create more space. Neil Kelly will also work with a home owner to keep costs down by letting them do some of the work, but still making sure it is up to code! And there are no limits when you are building. Anything you can do in a home you can do in a basement including adding a kitchen, bathroom, and bedroom or entertainment area. The best part is that, for most remodel jobs, you can still make use of your entire home without too much disruption! If you are thinking of remodeling your basement or doing any type of building project, you can get all the help you need from the experts at Neil Kelly!

 
 

Website design and content ©2009-2011 Gustin Creative Group.  Please send website inquiries to gustingroup@comcast.net
This page last modified
January 09, 2012.