Try in 2020: Herb Chicken Mediterranean Pizza

October 23, 2020
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Herb Chicken Mediterranean Pizza

Papa Murphy’s Take ‘N’ Bake Pizza
1318 N. Liberty Lake Road, Liberty Lake

Papa Murphy’s crispy thin crust topped with olive oil, chopped garlic, whole-milk mozzarella, grilled chicken, fresh spinach, sun-dried tomatoes, crumbled feta and zesty herbs. Also available on original or pan crust.

Why you’ll love it

Don’t tell Ed Elliott you’re not supposed to choose favorites. The marketing director for Liberty Lake Papa Murphy’s and five other Inland Northwest franchises has spent the better part of two decades making, baking and sampling every pizza on the Papa Murphy’s menu.

But bump into him leaving the store on a Friday night with a take-home pie? It’s going to be the Herb Chicken Mediterranean.

“Honestly, it’s the healthiest, best-tasting pizza I’ve ever had,” he said. “I’ve been doing this for a long time. I still eat that pizza. I’ve never burned out on it.”

For Elliott, the allure begins with a “very Italian, really simple sauce” consisting of chopped garlic in olive oil. A bit of added Greek influence give the pizza its Mediterranean name.

About the only thing he likes better at Papa Murphy’s than the Herb Chicken Mediterranean is the team he works with every day. From the Liberty Lake crew, to the teams at the other locations, to the local, family ownership, Elliott is proud how every person is truly “part of the family.”

The local franchise is operated by a business founded in Hayden in 1992 by Inland Northwest residents Bill and G’Nell DeLack.

NOTE: A version of this article first appeared in the 2020 Liberty Lake Yearbook.

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Top 3 ways to save energy this summer

March 5, 2020
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When the temperature outside is extreme, the amount of energy required to regulate the temperature inside your home can lead to costly bills.

Avista Chief Efficiency Engineer Tom Lienhard recommends three ways to save energy — and money — this summer. And here’s a bonus: he said these tactics for keeping homes cool in the summer also keep them warm in the winter.

FOCUS ON WINDOWS & DOORS
Proper insulation and air sealing techniques around windows and doors successfully keep the heat outside in the summer and inside during the winter. A good way to find leaks around doors is to have a helper outside the door in the dark with a flashlight and have them run the light around the door. Where you see light you have issues. A one-quarter inch gap at the bottom of a door or an one-eighth inch gap around the whole door is the equivalent of a softball-sized hole. Caulking around doors and windows is best done when the temperature is warm and the surfaces are dry in the late spring, summer or early fall.

DON’T OVERLOOK THE ATTIC
Adequate ventilation in the attic has a significant impact on the temperature of your home. Gable, soffit and roof vents, among other options, can lower the temperature in your attic by about 30 degrees in the summer, according to the Department of Energy. An attic needs a year-round flow of natural air, provided your insulation is R-38 or greater, but make sure your attic soffit vents are not covered with insulation.

CIRCULATE THE AIR
Consider fans. A whole house fan pulls air in through open windows and exhausts hot air through the attic or roof, flushing out the built-up heat and cooling your home in the process. A ceiling fan is the most effective because it creates a wind-chill factor on your skin, making you feel cooler.

NOTE: A version of this article first appeared in the 2019 Liberty Lake Yearbook.

Try in 2020: Southwest Breakfast Burrito

October 9, 2020
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Southwest Breakfast Burrito

Frannie’s Kitchen at Chevron
1109 N. Liberty Lake Road, Liberty Lake

Featuring sausage, eggs, peppers, onions, hashbrowns and cheese, this breakfast burrito is freshly made in Frannie’s Kitchen inside Liberty Lake Chevron. Full-pound burrito option also available.

Why you’ll love it

When you think of food prepared fresh by a trained chef with years of experience, you probably aren’t thinking about gas station fare. Yet that’s exactly what’s offered in the northwest corner of Liberty Lake Chevron through Frannie’s Kitchen.

People walking in for the first time often expect prepackaged items that have been sitting in a food warmer for who-knows-how-long.

“That’s not what this is,” said Fran Stevens, the 10-year Chevron employee and longtime Liberty Lake resident behind Frannie’s Kitchen. “It’s not been sitting there for hours. You always have people who are prejudiced against gas station food, and we just have to fight the stigma.”

For someone with culinary training and experience working in catering and for resorts, Fran might seem overqualified for the job, but she loves the community environment, repeat customers and ability to surprise people with what they can find inside their local convenience store.

“Once they come in, they come back, and they tell their friends,” she said. “I just have to get them in the door.”

After establishing a loyal lunch crowd with gourmet grilled cheese sandwiches served from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., Liberty Lake Chevron expanded this past year to provide breakfast offerings from 7 to 10 a.m. The combination of fresh-made food with grab-and-go convenience was already a hit, and a crowd of breakfast regulars formed quickly.

Owner Don Douglas said credit goes to Fran, who works behind the register for Chevron when she’s not behind the grill a few paces away. Fran makes the burritos and sandwiches to order, usually while visiting with the customer. She uses hearty meats, real cheese and fresh, store-bought ingredients she hand-selects. Customers also love her homemade cookies.

In addition to the Southwest Breakfast Burrito, Fran said morning commuters love grabbing the Three Little Pigs — a ham, bacon and sausage burrito — and the Southern Style, highlighted by sausage and gravy.

Lunch standouts include grilled-to-order specialty sandwiches from the Pulled Pork and Cheddar, to the Italian, to the ever-changing Specialty Sandwich of the Week.

“It’s not what you would expect from a gas station,” Don said of Frannie’s Kitchen. “We don’t know what’s next in her fresh kitchen, but we know it will taste great!”

NOTE: A version of this article first appeared in the 2020 Liberty Lake Yearbook.

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