Family Plan

Carla Kraft and her family know how to stick to a timetable.

Kraft, her husband, Richard Kraft, five children and two in-laws recently marked the first anniversary of their Hungry Howie’s pizza place on Thompson Boulevard in west Ventura.

Now the Kraft clan is gearing up to open a second establishment, in early April, at the Scandia Shopping Center at Scandia Avenue and Telephone Road in east Ventura.

“We’d like to open five in five years,” Carla Kraft said. “It’s something that we can do as a family. All of my kids, with the exception of my 3-year-old, are involved.”

Plans call for most of the restaurants to be located in Ventura County, with an establishment in Santa Barbara. The opening of the second Ventura restaurant is not only in keeping with the long-range business plan, it also is part of an immediate strategic plan.

“We wanted to be able to canvass the whole town. Now we have one on each end,” Kraft said. “It expands our delivery range.”

The original Hungry Howie’s is at 1504 E. Thompson Blvd.

*

Winemaker Ed Pagor, owner of Rolling Hills Vineyards in Camarillo, is venturing south to expand his business.

In February, Pagor and a work crew began preparing five acres of land in Temecula for the cultivation of cabernet and merlot grapes. And this week, he plans to plant the first vines on the site.

Pagor said the vineyard will begin producing wine in a year or two and the first product should be available in 1999. “We have a very nice, modern trellis design so we hope that we’ll be getting a good quality wine.”

*

Kretschmer Wheat Germ is sponsoring a “Healthy Recipes Made Easy & Delicious” contest, with the grand-prize winner receiving $5,000.

Recipes must contain at least one-half cup of the sponsor’s wheat germ, with no more than a dozen ingredients total (not counting water, salt and pepper). Categories are muffins, biscuits, coffeecakes and other breads; cookies and desserts; and main dishes.

For ground meat or poultry main dishes, the wheat germ is to be used as an extender. It also can be used as a coating for chicken, fish, vegetables or in meatless main dishes.

To enter, send the recipe on an 8 1/2-by-11-inch sheet of paper, along with proof of purchase, to Kretschmer Wheat Germ Recipe Contest, P.O. Box 530, Barrington, IL 60011, or send by e-mail to KWGContest@aol.com. Proof of purchase for e-mail entries is the 10-digit number found beneath the bar code on the wheat-germ jar.

All entries must include name, address, phone number, category entered, name of recipe, number of servings, ingredient list with quantities, and serving directions. Entries must be postmarked by April 1 and received by April 8.

*

China Fresh restaurant in Newbury Park tonight will donate a portion of its proceeds to the Conejo Free Clinic. That’s right, the more you eat, the more generous you are.

The clinic, which this month celebrates its 21st anniversary, also will receive a portion of proceeds collected Monday at Favoritz restaurant at The Oaks mall in Thousand Oaks and at The Alamo restaurant in Newbury Park on March 27.