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Volcano National Park, Hawai’i
If you are traveling to Hawaii, you are obviously in for a long trip. It’s a good thing they haven’t built the bridge yet as it seems it might be a long drive. Also, it’s not closer to Japan than California – in case that needed to be cleared up. If you are going to commit to making the long commute, the best thing you can do is give yourself plenty of time to visit every island. Each island has its own feel, and each one is totally unique from all the others. Really, you can spend an entire vacation on each island if you wanted but then you are…
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Grilled Buffalo Chicken Pizza – Yum!
Trying To Get This One In Before We Shut The Grill Down For Winter For The Dough: Use Our Grilled Pizza Dough Recipe Pizza Ingredients: 2 Cups Shredded Cooked Chicken 4 Ounces Cream Cheese (Room Temperature) 1 Teaspoon Ranch Seasoning Mix 1 Cup Buffalo Sauce – We Like Frank’s 16 Ounces Shredded Mozzarella 1/4 Cup Blue Cheese Crumbles 2 Tablespoon Chopped Green Onions Ranch Dressing or Blue Cheese (For Dipping) 2 Tablespoons Fresh Cilantro Chopped (Optional) Instructions: Preheat the grill to medium-high heat about 10 minutes prior to placing the pizza doughs on. In a large bowl, toss the shredded chicken with the Buffalo sauce. Microwave the cream cheese until very soft and melty. Stir the ranch seasoning into the cream cheese…
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From Scratch Vegetarian Empanadas
Inspired by our time in San Juan, Puerto Rico Sometimes you have something so good when you’re on vacation, you think to yourself, “I would travel all the way back here just to get another plate of this recipe.” It was like that with the empanadas we had in Puerto Rico. If you have the resources- go there and order yourself some legit empanadas from pretty much any restaurant in San Juan. If you are on a little bit more of a budget, here is a recipe that we have tried, re-worked, tried again, and tinkered with until it was just right. Nothing beats the real thing, but this recipe…
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Homemade Kettle Chips With Dill Dip
Inspired by our time in Boise, ID Spending time in Boise, ID, you get to know a few things about potatoes. For instance, did you know the reason that Idaho potatoes taste differently is moisture content. The Russet Burbank potato grown in Idaho has a high solid, low moisture content. Idaho’s soil, climate, and controlled irrigation guarantee that the potatoes grown in Idaho will have a dry, fluffy texture—the premium properties for an excellent baked potato, crispy French fries or hash browns, or fluffy mashed potatoes. For this recipe, we recommend using 4 True Idaho Potatoes. You want the potatoes to be sliced wafer-thin. Once all four potatoes are sliced,…
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It’s Epic Mickey Pretzel Time
Inspired By Our Time At Disney World Orlando, FL We love a good pretzel. For those of you who have been with us since our days in Boise Idaho and our very first Loft & Learn blog, you may even remember our first attempt at baking huge carnival type pretzels. We loved them then and after trying the delicious offering at Walt Disney World in Florida we had to recreate the magic again for ourselves in the Loft Kitchen! While we had a bit of trouble artistically recreating Mickey’s face and ears, we opted for the standard pretzel design. But it’s still a delightful treat Ingredients 1 1/2 cups warm…
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Crispy Baked Honey BBQ Huli Wing Dings
Inspired By Our Time At Marriott Lakeshore Reserve – Orlando, FL Looking for a quick fix guaranteed to please the appetizer or last minute main dish option? Look no further than this delectable and easy to prepare Finger Lickin’ Good Offering. We tasted a version of this gem while visiting the spectacular Marriott Lakeshore Reserve in Orlando a Mariott Bonvoy experience. Upon returning home we immediately had to recreate it and put our own Loft Kitchen spin on it adding a Hawaiian flare. Ingredients: 4 tablespoon soy sauce 2 tablespoons honey 1 tablespoon hot mustard ½ teaspoon paprika 1 teaspoon salt ½ cup green onion 1 tablespoon onion powder Canola…
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4 Absolute Must Do’s In Honolulu Hawaii
Living on the Big Island of Hawaii, there are times when you get a fever. Unfortunately, with this kind of fever, there is not enough cowbell in the world to help you. “Island Fever,” is real, and when it strikes, it can strike bad. Sometimes you just need to get off the island and do something different. Now depending on how bad you have it, sometimes the quickest and easiest thing to do is hop a flight to Oahu and immerse yourself in a totally separate Hawaiian experience. Each Island is truly its own, and all have their own unique feel and atmosphere. There is so much to do and…
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Improve Your Mood With Super Foods!
Healthy Tips from The Loft Kitchen Did you know that eating certain types of foods, can actually help boost your mood? Feeling lethargic throughout the day, or do you need something to help you get going Midway through the day? There have been several recent studies published showing that by eating certain foods you can dramatically increase not only your waistline, but your mood and attitude as well! According to Healthline, just by adding certain foods into your daily routine you can automatically increase your chances for a brighter outlook and better outcome for your day. Too often we reach for certain foods for comfort, or snacks on items thinking…
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Hooray For Parfait!
“You know what ELSE everybody likes? Parfaits! Have you ever met a person, you say, “Let’s get some parfait,” they say, “Hell no, I don’t like no parfait.”? Parfaits are delicious!” Donkey, 2001 A classic line from the classic movie Shrek. We took him very seriously and enjoy our parfaits a great deal here in the Loft Kitchen. It is a regular brunch staple! Parfaits are not only delicious, but they also contain amazing fruits, berries, and yogurts that help improve your spirits. Yup, parfaits cover your mind, body, and soul. Who knew a parfait could be so transformative…..well, Donkey may have. Here is a wonderful Parfait recipe that will…
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Spicy Tuna Pepper Wrap Time!
Tuna is an amazing way to get some Omega 3s into your family diet. It’s yummy and when prepared as an alternative to a lunch meat sandwich, is a welcomed treat. Quick Tip When Having Tuna: Drain your canned tuna and then place in the refrigerator overnight. Taking out the tuna about 20 minutes before preparing takes away the chill, but gives the tuna a fresh taste that pops. Here is a great pepper tuna wrap recipe that everyone enjoys as a great lunchtime meal. It’s quick and simple, which is how we like our recipes here. Ingredients: Solid White Tuna In Water Garlic Powder To Taste 1 Teaspoon Turmeric…
Holiday Rising
