Vacations to Hawaii are my favorite.  About two weeks or so before leaving for any one of the islands–you can’t go wrong with any of them–I take out my suitcase from the closet, open it flat and lay it out.  I don’t pack–that would be crazy–instead, every time I come home from a really bad day at work, I go to my closet and toss in an article of clothing into the suitcase to remind me that I am mere weeks away from paradise and more importantly, away from the purgatory penance that work sometimes feels like.

There have been times when I am fully packed for vacation with the suitcase piled high with clothes, it’s that therapeutic.

This year, I got outvoted and we are going instead to Disney World.  I voted Oahu.  So because I lost, I requested that Pru make my favorite island lunch, the loco moco–a crazy unhealthy concoction of burger patty topped with an over easy egg and brown gravy, all over rice.

Shortcut pro tip: use Campbell’s Golden Mushroom canned soup for your gravy and thin it with water to your desired consistency.

1. Fry a sunny side up egg.
2. Lay fried egg atop a bowl of steamed rice.
3. For burger patty: season with Lipton Onion Soup Mix and pan fry.  We used pre-formed patties.  Don’t judge.  Sometimes, short cuts are the only way to go.
4. Place fried burger patty on top of egg and steamed rice.
5. Enjoy your food coma and thank me for the shortcuts.
6. Shut your eyes tight and dream of your island vacation and eating that loco moco while watching the gorgeous sunset  along the Waikiki beach coastline.