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Contents
r e u t ea
f
MARCH 2018 || VOL. 4 ISS. 7
10
BETWEEN NEIGHBORS Editor’s note
business 26
D I R E C T O RY
Deer Valley businesses
14
EVENTS
28
SPOTLIGHT
Fun things to do in March
W Collective
16
home
W E AT H E R
Blame it on the rain
18
SCHOOLS
Education news
20
PERSPECTIVE
Verbal agreements
food 38
COOK
Cast-iron potatoes
40
DINE
Limón Tacos & Tequila
FA M I LY
better
34
BEAUTY
33
Time together
42
CRAFTS
Unblemished
36
SUDOKU
Inspired by nature
TOUR
Property envy
34
45
An original puzzle
46
CROSSWORD
An original crossword
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2
8
fresh
Local family grows urban farming business from their homestead
3
6
30
FA R M F R E S H
MARCH 2018
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24 & 25
The annual two-day Anthem Days festival features a business expo, craft vendors, live musical entertainment, a salsa contest, an egg hunt for kids, beer garden, and more. 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Free. Anthem Community Park, 41703 N. Gavilan Peak Pkwy., Anthem, onlineatanthem.com/anthem-days
24 & 25
Head to the Arizona Game and Fish Department’s Outdoor Expo. Featuring hands-on activities, demonstrations, and exhibits on hunting, fishing, recreational shooting, archery, offhighway vehicle and watercraft recreation, conservation and wildlife education, camping, and other outdoor elements, it’s an outdoor lover’s paradise. Sat., 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sun., 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Free. Ben Avery Shooting Facility, 4044 W. Black Canyon Blvd., Phoenix. azgfd.gov/expo
31
Join the North Valley Jewish Community Association for a traditional Passover Seder. Cocktails, a ceremony, and a service will be followed by a buffet dinner. Pricing is inclusive and there will be a cash Bar. Adults, $45; Children 3 to 10, $19.50. RSVP by March 23. Anthem Country Club, 2708 W. Anthem Club Dr., Anthem. For more info, call Fran Kesselman at (623) 322-0957.
We want your news. Send your 85085/ Deer Valley news to
sondra@85085magazine.com.
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DRIP-DROP Draw a picture of a raindrop. It’s probably wrong. Raindrops are not shaped like teardrops. They are shaped more like the top halves of a hamburger bun. PLAY BALL! (OR DON’T) The longest rain delay in the history of Major League Baseball happened in a game between the Chicago White Sox and the Texas Rangers. The delay lasted seven hours, 23 minutes. UNDER MY UMBRELLA The Chinese city of Songxia is home to more than 1,200 umbrella manufacturers and suppliers, employing over 40,000 people in the umbrella industry. They produce 350 million umbrellas each year. DON’T BE SCARED Scared of a rainstorm? You may be suffering from ombrophobia—the fear of the rain.
SHELLEY SAKALA A meteorologist and former weather anchor/reporter at ABC 15 who still enjoys talking about the weather. She’s now a Realtor with HomeSmart Elite and an 85085 resident.
BUNDLE-UP In 1836, Scottish native Charles Macintosh invented a method for combining rubber with fabric, which led to the creation of our modern day raincoats. These days, people in Great Britain refer to the coats as mackintoshes or macs. RAIN DANCE In the 1952 classic film Singin’ in the Rain, Gene Kelly sings, dances, smiles, and splashes his way through the rain-soaked title song. Unbeknownst to the audience, the scene was filmed while the actor was sick with a 103-degree fever. ACID RAIN There are planets and moons that experience rain made not out of water, but of methane, sulfuric acid, and even iron. Ouch. RUN! The faster you run to get out of the rain, the drier you will be (regardless of the additional raindrops you run into). MADE FOR A WOMAN Umbrellas were once considered to be as effeminate as high heels, and were used exclusively by women. Manly-men were expected to tough-it-out in the rain. Men also used to wear high-heeled boots and powdered wigs, so who’s to say what’s manly and what’s not. GIRL YOU KNOW IT’S TRUE Blame it On the Rain was Milli Vanilli’s final single to reach number one before a lip-syncing scandal derailed the pop duo’s career. Gotta blame it on something!
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fresh | SCHOOLS
EDUCATION NEWS FROM AROUND TOWN New outdoor classroom celebrates nature at Copper Creek Elementary School.
Educator William Dugan holds his Outstanding Mentor Teacher Award.
Sandra Day O’Connor teacher receives award. Sandra Day O’Connor High School Teacher William Dugan received the Arizona State University's Mary Lou Fulton Teachers College Outstanding Mentor Teacher Award. William has been with the Deer Valley Unified School District for 13 years and currently teaches government and U.S. history classes. Student teacher, Lucas Johnson, nominated William for this award. In his recommendation letter, Lucas wrote, “I could not have asked for a better mentor teacher to learn all the ins and outs of this great profession.” Ruhi Khan from ASU says, “Mr. Dugan’s outstanding ability and willingness to model, coach, and provide feedback to his student teacher shows he is an exceptional example of the quality of teachers we value in the state of Arizona. Mr. Dugan modeled how to build relationships with students to establish a community of learners and increase student engagement.” Congratulations to ASU’s Mary Lou Fulton Teachers College Outstanding Mentor Teacher and Sandra Day O’Connor High School Teacher William Dugan.
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Preschoolers helped cut the ribbon on a new outdoor classroom at Deer Valley Unified School District’s Copper Creek Elementary School. The space has a garden, stage, and benches to promote learning outdoors. Pre-kindergarten Lead Instructor Kelly Simmons coordinated the project. Kelly started with a vision and a sketch of an outdoor classroom where teachers and children could gather for discussions, lessons, story time, and dramatic play. “Children are multi-sensory learners, and the outdoor classroom will allow them to explore and celebrate the surprises found in nature,” says Kelly. She designed, acquired funding and donations, and oversaw construction of the garden beds. Kelly also planted a Palo Verde tree for her class to study. After adding feeders onto the tree, her class is now able to observe hummingbirds up close. The children will connect with nature as they experience lessons. These experiences will help children establish respect for living things and the natural world as they develop a sense of place. “Our outdoor classroom connects the school to the neighborhood and the world at large. While outside in just the last two years, my children have discovered praying mantis, lizards, baby quail, hummingbirds, baby bunnies, many insects, and even watched the life cycle of the lady bug from egg to adult,” says Kelly.
Copper Creek students help cut the ribbon an a new outdoor classroom
Mountain Ridge High School teachers earn prestigious certifications.
Elisabeth Borchers and Alexis LaDuca
Mountain Ridge High School educators Elisabeth Borchers and Alexis LaDuca are now National Board-Certified teachers. Elisabeth Borchers has been with the Deer Valley Unified School District for 16 years. Through her National Board journey, she feels that she has become a stronger teacher who is more strategic about helping her students achieve their academic goals. Alexis LaDuca, also a Mountain Ridge High School teacher, has been with the district for 21 years and is in her 22nd year of teaching. Alexis says that the National Board process was the most challenging yet inspiring journey she has had in her professional career and has experienced immediate positive impacts in her classroom. National Board-certified teachers are invaluable as mentors to their colleagues and for their ability to provide guiding input for curricular decisions. This rigorous, peer-reviewed process ensures that board-certified teachers have proven skills to impact learning and advance student achievement.
MARCH 2018
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fresh | PERSPECTIVE
Verbal/Written Can you enforce a verbal modification or some type of verbal side agreement to a written contract? Local judge Gerald A. Williams discusses.
CAN YOU ENFORCE a verbal modification or some type of verbal side agreement to a written contract? Probably not. A judge most likely will not even allow you to offer evidence concerning any verbal changes to a written contract. The purpose of having a written contract is so that both sides understand the terms to their agreement. Courts will usually conclude that the written contract is the final and best evidence of the contract’s terms. In most cases, it cannot be contradicted and this can cause some real world problems. For example, say that your apartment lease requires your rent to be paid on the first day of each month. However, a friendly assistant in the main office tells you that she understands your unexpected financial problem and tells you that you don’t need to pay your rent until the 10th.
After you get a notice on the second that your rent has not been paid, you call the office to remind them of your special deal, only to find out that the assistant no longer works there. So when was your rent due? The lease says the first and therefore that is when it was due. Under a legal principle called the parol evidence rule, oral promises made in connection with a written contract can usually only be considered as evidence in court if the terms of the contract are subject to different interpretations. In short, if you want to change the terms of a written contract, then get that amendment in writing.
Are Verbal Contracts Binding?
Have a law topic you’d like Judge Gerald A. Williams to tackle in his monthly column? Let us know what it is at sondra@85085magazine.com.
Verbal contracts occur every day and are enforced by courts if one side does not follow the terms. However, as a matter of public policy, the law has carved out some types of contracts that are considered to be so important that they must be in writing to be enforceable. This concept is known as the statute of frauds. A.R.S. § 44-101. Perhaps the most common type of contract that must be in writing to be enforceable is anything that would take more than one year to complete. For example, a loan of $1,500 with repayment terms of $100 per month would need to be in writing, such as in the form of a promissory note. One of the more interesting historic requirements, that is still the law, is that contracts concerning a marriage must be in writing to be enforceable. A.R.S. § 44-101(3). At least in this country, families formally arranging marriages are rare; however, these general concepts are often applied to a very modern type of premarriage contract. They are known as prenuptial agreements. 20 || 85085MAGAZINE.com || MARCH 2018
JUDGE GERALD A. WILLIAMS The justice of the peace for the North Valley Justice Court. The court’s jurisdiction includes Anthem and Desert Hills.
MARCH 2018
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COMMERCE SECTION
24 ||||85085 85085MAGAZINE. MAGAZINE. com com|| || MARCH MARCH 2018 2018
DEER VALLEY BUSINESS DIRECTORY
For information regarding business directory placement, call (623) 299-4965 Ext. 1 or email sales@85085magazine.com for more details.
AC & Heating
2 AZ PERFECT COMFORT 26 W. Lone Cactus Dr. #400 Phoenix, AZ 85027 (602) 789-3000 azperfectcomfort.com
2 WEST COAST PLUMBING & AIR 23309 N. 17th Dr., #118 Phoenix, AZ 85027 (623) 582-1117 westcoastplumbingandair.com
Archery
2 ARCHERY CLUB 1115 W. Deer Valley Rd., #1 Phoenix, AZ 85027 (623) 266-4647 azarcheryclub.com
Auto License & Title Services
Automotive 2 ALL COUNTY COLLISION 1920 W. Deer Valley Rd. Phoenix, AZ 85027 (623) 582-2787 allcountrycollisioninc.com
2 AMERICAN MOTORSPORTS 21630 N. 9th Ave. #108 Phoenix, AZ 85027 (623) 236-3628 ammo-racing.com
2 ANTHEM AUTOMOTIVE 701 W. Deer Valley Rd. Phoenix, AZ 85027 anthemautomotive.com
Commercial & Residential Glass Repair
2 COYOTE GLASS 1745 W. Deer Valley Rd., #106 Phoenix, AZ 85027 (623) 587-4816 coyoteglassllc.com
Electrical Services
2 HAYDEN ELECTRIC 940 W. Melina Lane Phoenix, AZ 85027 (623) 434-0608 haydenelectricinc.com
Graphic Design
Catering
2 DA VALLEY GRILL 2040 W. Deer Valley Rd. Phoenix, AZ 85087 (602) 904-6356 davalleygrill.com
2 DE GRAFFICS 1515 W. Deer Valley Rd. Phoenix, AZ 85027 (623) 869-6720 degraffics.com
Kitchen & Bath
2 DCR TITLE 701 W. Deer Valley Rd. Phoenix, AZ 850027 (623) 879-0341 dcrtitles.com
26 || 85085MAGAZINE.com || MARCH 2018
2 PORK ON A FORK 1515 W. Deer Valley Rd. Phoenix, AZ 85027 (623) 434-1794 porkonafork.com
2 AVONTI KITCHEN & BATH 941 W. Deer Valley Rd. Phoenix, AZ 85027 (602) 997-7330 avontikitchenandbath.com
Land Surveying & Mapping Services
2 GEOMATICS CONSULTING GROUP 1745 W. Deer Valley Rd., #118 Phoenix, AZ 85087 (623) 580-0921 geomaticsconsultinggroup.com
Marble & Granite
2 ACCENT MARBLE & GRANITE 21609 N. 12th Ave., #800-900 Phoenix, AZ 85027 (623) 582-1501 accentmarblegranite.com
Printing Services
2 GORDON GRAPHICS, INC. 21640 N. 14th Ave. Phoenix, AZ 85027 (623) 582-0099 gg-az.com
2 GRAPHTECH GROUP 1515 W. Deer Valley Rd. #A106 Phoenix, AZ 85027 (623) 581-9333 graphtechgroup.com
Shipping
2 AIRPARK PAK-N-SHIP 1855 W. Deer Valley Rd. Phoenix, AZ 85027 Phone: (623) 516-8882 airparkpaknship.com
Solar Energy
2 HARMON SOLAR 945 W. Deer Valley Rd., #100 Phoenix, AZ 850027 (800) 281-3189 harmonsolar.com
Veterinarian 2 INTEGRATIVE VET MED CENTER 615 W. Deer Valley Rd., #114 Phoenix, AZ 85027 (623) 594-2127 integrativevetmedcenter.com
Web & Hosting Services 2 DEER VALLEY DATA 1515 W. Deer Valley Rd. Phoenix, AZ 85027 (623) 434-5294 deervalleydata.com
Welding
2 VERN LEWIS WELDING SUPPLY, INC. 1745 W Deer Valley Rd Phoenix, AZ 85027 (623) 738-0341 vernlewis.com MARCH 2018 || Interested in advertising? Call (623) 299-4965 MARCH Ext. 1 2018 Today! || ||85085 85085MAGAZINE. MAGAZINE. com com|||| 27
business | SPOTLIGHT
Stacy Fischer helps couples navigate everything from the boardroom to the bedroom. By Michelle Talsma Everson
28 || 85085MAGAZINE.com || MARCH 2018
STACY FISCHER is passionate about owning each role in her life. The North Valley resident is a business owner, wife, and mom—and believes that, instead of “balance,” that each role blends into the other. One unique aspect of Stacy’s journey though is that her husband, Aron, is not only her partner in life and parenting, but in business as well. “I’ve been working with my husband in a variety of businesses since 2001,” Stacy shares. “We have a business that provides specialty manufacturing called Formula Prototypes. How we are as business partners, life partners, mom and dad…all of those roles add an extra layer of stress and need for communication.” With an entrepreneurial spirit, and the feeling that she was meant to do “something bigger” with her unique experiences, Stacy started The W Collective, where she provides coaching specifically for women who are in business with their life partners. “The niche of people that I coach is very specific but there are actually a lot of people who are in business with their significant other,” Stacy says. “I work with a lot of creatives, doctors, lawyers… I’d love to work with more people in the Valley because a lot of my clients aren’t local.”
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of Blooming Ranch—beekeeping. “Part of the homesteading thing, in our minds, was acquiring some bees,” says Rob, who was a relative novice at the endeavor. They started by purchasing two colonies of bees for about $150 each. Before long, one of the two colonies failed. Rob, irritated about losing money, responded by diving into bee life. Researching possible causes for the colony’s demise, he quickly learned the ins and outs of caring for bees. He also started participating in the Arizona Backyard Beekeepers group to network and share information. The knowledge he acquired led Rob to start a side business— bee removal. “I’ve caught swarms in trees to cutting up the floors of someone’s shed to remove a colony…,” details Rob. Specializing in bee removal also has an upside, relocation. “I think I have about 10 hives on the property right now and all except that original one are from removals,” says Rob. Depending on the productivity of the bees, each hive produces between three to five gallons of honey, two times a year, which the couple sell. Rob also hosts beginning
beekeeper classes from Blooming Ranch. While Rob has become an expert beekeeper, Laura has become a chicken guru of sorts. “She specializes in the colorful egg layers,” says Rob. “My wife is known for her chickens and her quality. Half of her chickens are more of a rare breed.” Her rare breed and show quality chicks include black copper marans, ameracaunas, isbars, silkies, olive eggers, chicquitas, and super blues, which she also sells as hatching eggs. The eggs produced by Laura’s chickens come in an array of beautiful colors including sage, chocolate brown, blue, and grey—all of which are sold alongside the fresh veggies and honey from the couple’s front porch farm stand every Saturday from 8 a.m. to noon. Just last month, Blooming Ranch hosted Tour de Coops, a self-guided tour showcasing backyard hen houses, sustainable gardening practices, and small family owned farmers in an urban setting. “We just sell our wares from the front porch. We call it a farm stand. We’ll go put our signs out on the street…Throughout
BLOOMING RANCH
bloomingaz.com (602) 413-3331 • 25626 N. 7th Ave., Phoenix.
the week, we tell our neighbors they can message us to do during-the week-pickups too,” says Rob. While the vegetables grown at Blooming Ranch aren’t certified organic, “Everything we grow is towards the organic style. We don’t use any fertilizers or pesticides,” he says. Because Blooming Ranch is located on a county island within 85085, they have a lot of flexibility with their property. Rob says, “That’s why we can have the bees and chickens, because we don’t have the city restrictions of Phoenix.” Business has been buzzing and word of mouth has been increasing. The couple plan on expanding by acquiring more hives and growing their business model, which also includes a landscaping business. One thing they won’t be doing soon—moving. “I can literally see the Norterra shopping center from our property. I’ve always been in the North Valley. I like we’re close to the foothills and the hiking. We go boating out at Lake Pleasant…the community is appealing to us. We’ve grown to love the North Valley,” says Rob.
Blooming Ranch’s Farm Stand is open on Saturdays from 8 a.m. to noon. MARCH 2018
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home | FAMILY
DAVID BOWEN Married for over 20 years, David is the father of three girls. He has a local radio program and pastors Standing Stones Community Church and Standing Stones Christian Academy.
Family Time
Pastor David Bowen on the importance of setting aside time with your loved ones. WHEN YOU LOOK at your schedule what do you see? Work? School activities for the kids? Do you see specific time set aside to enjoy being together as a family? I hear families say that it’s too hard because not everyone in the family likes the same activities. I hear families say it’s too difficult to get everyone’s schedule to match up. Does having a specific time set aside for family time take effort? Yes. Is it worth it? Yes! The effort you make today will pay dividends for years to come. Here are some ideas on how to increase time together as a family. Try to make sure you have something planned weekly, quarterly, and yearly. Let’s start with weekly. The easiest weekly activity to plan around is food; everyone enjoys eating. Our family likes to get take out Chinese (each family member can order something so everyone
likes what we get). Once we have the food figured out we will decide on the activity. We like to either watch a recorded TV show (we like America’s Funniest Home Videos) or we play a game. Let me encourage you with this—once you start doing this family time together on a consistent basis, everyone looks forward to it and believe it or not everyone begins to build their schedule around Sunday evenings (or whatever time you pick). Why should families plan to do something special quarterly? This will allow you to raise the bar and deepen the enjoyment and closeness. Getting away from the routine allows for more relaxation and more communication. After you have established some weekly time together, you’ll be surprised how much everyone will look forward to doing something grander every
few months. For example, we may arrange for a two-day trip up north. The kids can play, the adults can window shop, and you can find things to do that you don’t do at home, like bowling. You realize you’re doing things together that you just never found the time to do while at home. With a lighter schedule, the focus changes from being busy, rushed, and stressed out to laughing, joking, and enjoying each other’s company. We like to get a hotel with a pool so no matter what season it is—winter or summer—we know the kids can swim and we can relax in the Jacuzzi. Once you’ve established some weekly family time, and you’ve branched out into a quarterly getaway, now plan something once a year. It’s amazing how many families don’t take a family vacation. We start planning our summer vacation months in advance. During our weekly family time, everyone has input as to what we will do on vacation. The result? Everyone has a place or an activity that they’ll be looking forward to. As the weekly family time becomes more committed, the vacation planning becomes easier. I’ve seen families on the brink of separation, some were dealing with a crisis and others were dealing with major health issues, put this plan into action and reap tremendous rewards. Some families are blended, some families are separated. Whatever your current situation is, let me encourage you to start putting something in place that’s consistent and let it grow from there. The benefits of family time are irreplaceable. MARCH 2018
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home | CRAFTS
Inspired BY N AT U R E
CRAFTY LOCAL MOM SHANNON FISHER TAKES A CUE FROM THE GREAT OUTDOORS FOR THIS MONTH’S CRAFT PROJECTS. By Shannon Fisher Photos by Shannon Fisher Photography
34 || 85085MAGAZINE.com || MARCH 2018
MARCH IS here and we’ve been enjoying the amazing springlike weather! If you’re like me and can’t grow plants of any kind, these crafts are for you. These crafts can go in your garden for all to enjoy.
Fairy Gardens Fairy gardens are cute and easy to make. To create this magical craft, we bought a planter at the dollar store and little statues to put inside. We used pine bedding for ours since we used fake plants, but you can fill up the planter with soil if you want to use real plants. If using real plants, place them in the soil before moving on to the next step. Next, on top of the soil or bedding, add some small stones or rocks. We covered the surface with a thin layer of stones. We then added the mushroom house, fake moss rocks, and other trinkets to the garden. This is a fun way to create a mini garden for fairies, leprechauns, or whatever else your kids can imagine to enjoy this sweet little space.
Wire Sculptures Wire sculptures are a great way to dress up a garden space. We used green floral wire since it was easy to bend with our hands. Again, we found this at the dollar store, but any craft store should carry it. My daughter decided on a simple four-leaf clover and we used it in an outside area for decoration. You can shape the wire to any design your want. I hope you enjoy your wire sculpture!
Hanging Air Plants SHANNON FISHER A local wife, mom of two girls, and owner of Shannon Fisher Photography. She taught high school and elementary art before opening her photography business. In her spare time, she is an active volunteer in the community as a Girl Scout leader, school PTSA vice president, and with other organizations in the Valley.
Hanging air plants are very popular right now and we lucked out finding a hanging terrarium holder at the dollar store. We used pebbles at the bottom and fake plants again, but to use a real plant, it’s not too complicated to take care of. Choose an air plant from a nursery like a succulent. Soak the plant in water to make sure it is thoroughly watered. Place the plant in the terrarium. Add pebbles, rocks, or décor of your choice around the plant. Spray the plants with water two to three times a week and soak in the water bath again every couple of weeks. Hang your lovely air garden in a spot of your choice for all to see. MARCH 2018
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home | TOUR
Property Envy CAVE CREEK MUSEUM’S HOME AND GARDEN TOUR FEATURES FOUR UNIQUE RESIDENCES.
WIND HORSE RANCH B&B AND EQUESTRIAN RESORT This newly opened bed and breakfast on Continental Drive has been a dream of owner Louise Hoffacker for many years. She has created a peaceful retreat where guests can stay, practice yoga, bring their horses, or rent horses to ride the local trails. The classic territorial main house is decorated with art and furniture collected from all over the world. Also on the property is an underground bunker built of buried railroad cars. This space is currently being remodeled as a recreation, meeting, and game room.
MONACHINO HOME This territorial home sits on a secluded lot overlooking a huge wash. The interior has classic southwestern finishes. Traditionally decorated, the home features many unique pieces, authentic prints, and paintings, blended to give a feeling of comfort and peace. The home includes four individual, uniquely named courtyards. One of these delightful courtyards will house this year’s Kitchen and Garden Boutique, which is always a favorite home tour event.
THE ANNUAL Cave Creek Museum Home Tour features four special homes to tour and enjoy on Sun., March 11, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. This year’s self-guided tour will include the Wind Horse Ranch B&B and Equestrian Resort, the Coffee-O’Malley Home and Art Studio, the Monachino Home, and the Davidson Home.
COFFEE-O’MALLEY HOME & ART STUDIO One of the early homes built on the west side of Black Mountain, the Coffee-O’Malley home includes many of the home’s original features, magnificent views, and many of artist Elaine Coffee’s original paintings. A separate artist studio, designed in keeping with the architecture of the home, was constructed to bridge a wash that meanders through the property. The studio has magnificent views and more of Elaine Coffee’s art.
DAVIDSON HOME A contemporary territorial, the former owner renovated and expanded a small territorial into a larger, architecturally unique home. Patio additions with contemporary rooflines give the traditional Santa Fe style home a unique, almost Frank Lloyd Wright, feel. Throughout the home you will see a great deal of fine art, authentic early movie posters, theater related collectables, such as a mirror purchased by Debbie Reynolds at an MGM prop auction, as well as many other film related memorabilia.
Tickets are available at cavecreekmuseum.org or at the museum. Ticket prices are $40 to $45. The Cave Creek Museum is located at 6140 E. Skyline Dr., Cave Creek. Tickets will not be available at the tour homes.
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food | HOME COOKING
CAST-IRON POTATOES
Mama J serves up a breakfast dish full of flavor. STEP AWAY FROM feeding your family traditional morning fare, serve salted cast-iron potatoes roasted in the oven and breakfast will be complete. Smooth, delicious, and tender on the inside, they go with anything, especially scrambled eggs. Your family will love these quick and easy breakfast potatoes. They’re full of big, robust flavor. You can serve these potatoes with warm butter and sour cream or add chives for an additional kick. These cast-iron potatoes are a sure fire way to make the breakfast table a requisite morning destination.
PA I R I N G S U G G E S T I O N S Use single serve cast-iron pans or single serve cutting boards to serve each guest. Serve with Mama J's cast-iron scrambled eggs. Get the recipe here: http://community.today.com/foodclub/recipe/mama-gs-perfect-scrambled-egg-secrets Char roast flour tortillas over an open flame gas-top. Place grape tomatoes into a heated cast-iron pan with 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Sprinkle with kosher salt. Roast 15 minutes or before tomatoes collapse.
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LEANN JORDAN Leann Jordan (formerly Grunwald) is a local children’s culinary instructor, food writer, and the face behind What’s Cooking?...with Mama J.
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food | DINE
Limón Tacos & Tequila Neighborhood Mexican restaurant focuses on customization. BY ANDREW LEACH PHOTOS BY ANDREW LEACH IN NORTH PHOENIX, adjacent to the new Fry’s Food megastore, sits Limón Tacos & Tequila. Focusing on fresh ingredients, Limón’s menu allows you to customize your meal before you sit down to enjoy the ambiance, which includes a large outdoor patio area with foosball, cornhole, and a giant Connect Four. There are seven different items to decide on for your base of the meal and then nine proteins to add onto whichever base you pick. The fun continues from there, because there are numerous add-on items to help personalize your meal, including a variety of vegetables and sauces. I recommend looking at the menu online before your visit to get an idea of some of the items you’re interested in prior to getting into the order line. Although the line moved quickly during my visit, I noticed those behind me got a bit impatient if someone took too much time thinking about what to order during their turn. We ordered the street tacos with chile lime shrimp ($8.49) first. You have your choice of corn, flour, or jicama sliced rounds for the taco shells. For this order we went with soft corn street taco tortillas. We decided to top each one with cotija cheese and fresh pico de gallo. The shrimp has nice flavor that the pico accentuates. The cheese rounds out the taste. The tacos are easy to hold with one hand, something to keep in mind when adding on toppings. Also sampled, the street tacos with beef barbacoa ($8.99). For these, we went with flour tortillas for the street taco shell. We
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topped them off with shredded cheddar jack cheese and mango salsa. The beef barbacoa has a sweet flavor that’s accentuated by the mango salsa. What we didn’t know, until after ordering, is that you can mix and match the tacos shells as well as proteins. If I understand correctly, you pay the price for the most expensive of the proteins, but you can mix and match proteins and all toppings are no additional charge. The nachos with pork carnitas with roasted white poblano queso ($8.49)— guacamole an additional $1.99—were next on our list. The nachos are a great value, as you’re able to build the dish with many more toppings than say the tacos. We added roasted corn, brown rice with cilantro, pinto beans, diced tomatoes, and sour cream. Since it’s all on top of corn tortilla chips, it’s easy to scoop up all the toppings. The white poblano queso offers a nice creamy layer with just a touch of heat. If you like your food with more spice, I recommend adding the smoky chile de arbol to kick up the heat index. The carne asada burrito ($8.99) also made the cut. We opted for the burrito with diced carne asada, quinoa rice, black beans, shredded cheddar jack cheese, cotija cheese, and sour cream. All the flavors mixed perfectly together in the flour tortilla. Limón Tacos & Tequila also serves quesadillas and salad greens as a base to build your meal. Meanwhile, if you’re looking to keep to a more vegetarian eating expe-
rience, you can order the fajita style vegetables ($6.99) as a protein option. Additionally, Limón has daily specials. One of them is a Friday Fish Fry, which includes French fries and jicama slaw for $9.99. They also have a robust daily happy hour from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. with $2 off all cocktails, beer, and wine, $4 Three Amigos margaritas, and beers starting at $2.50.
Limón Tacos & Tequila limontacos.com (623) 466-7500 2750 W. Dove Valley Rd., Phoenix
ANDREW LEACH A local Realtor who loves dining out. Arizona's been the home of this New Jersey native for over 20 years.
better | BEAUTY
Unblemished
Check out these in-office acne treatment options. By Elizabeth Hausman
ACNE IS THE most frequent skin condition in the United States and affects up to 50 million Americans annually with the cost of treatment exceeding $3 billion. It’s estimated that 95 percent of all Americans will experience acne at some point in their lives. Acne is triggered by many factors including heredity, genetics, hormones, stress, food allergies, high sugar diets, medications, and menstruation. Blackheads, whiteheads, pustules, papules, pimples, zits, whatever you call it, acne is frustrating and can be difficult to resolve on your own. There are many treatments available with both in-office and home care options that will produce optimal results. Since acne treatments can vary based on the individual patient, types of acne and underlying conditions, meeting face to face with a qualified skincare specialist is the best approach to developing a customized treatment plan. Some in-office clinical treatments that may be recommended include:
LASER & LIGHT THERAPIES IPL/Photofacial: IPL Photofacial therapy is an effective treatment option for many clients with mild to moderate acne. IPL treatments destroy
the most common acne causing bacteria, Propionibacterium acnes. In addition to destroying acne causing bacteria, the heat generated from IPL directly targets overactive sebaceous glands that cause outbreaks. Due to the bacteria killing properties of IPL/photofacial treatments, this therapy will not just treat current breakouts, but will also prevent future ones from occurring. It’s also important to note that IPL has received FDA clearance for the treatment of acne. Blue Light Therapy: A completely painless treatment regime, blue light therapy has no down time and no side effects. The treatment is performed by having the patient lay under special high intensity blue lights that activate bacteria fighting agents in their skin, called porphyrins. Stimulation of these porphyrins starts a chemical reaction, which produces peroxide that kills these acne-causing bacteria that create inflamed blemishes. Typical treatment protocols consist of eight to 10 treatments performed over a four-week period. Chemical Peels: Chemical peels can be used to help control acne and smooth the appearance of acne scars. The strength and type of the peel will depend on the patient’s skin condition.
ELIZABETH HAUSMAN, RN, CLT Elizabeth is a medical aesthetic specialist.
Chemical peels use a special solution to exfoliate the skin’s top layer and to stimulate cellular turnover. The benefits of a chemical peel for acne include removal of blackheads, unclogging and reduction of pores, fighting acne causing bacteria, drying out of active pustules, reduction of oil, calming of inflammation, and active exfoliation of skin cells. Most chemical peels require about three to five days of downtime during the active “peeling or shedding” phase and should be timed appropriately around a patient’s social schedule. A great mid-level peel for acne is the Vitalize Peel by SkinMedica. The Vitalize Peel uses a combination of salicylic acid, resorcinol, and lactic acid and is safe for most skin types. Ideal results are achieved with a series of peels spaced out every three to four weeks.
HYDRAFACIAL & MICRODERMABRASION HydraFacial: HydraFacial is a hydra-dermabrasion procedure that combines cleansing, exfoliation, extraction, hydration, and antioxidant protection simultaneously, resulting in clearer skin with no discomfort or down time. HydraFacial uses special vortex technology to unclog pores, extract blackheads and infuse a proprietary formula called GlySal that is a mixture of glycolic and salicylic acids that delivers the benefits of a peel without any post-peel downtime.
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I’m an Ad
I’m also a salesperson in print. I talk to about, oh, 30,000 prospective customers every month. How many prospective customers do you talk to in a month?
Know what happens when you don’t advertise?
Nothing.
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A TABLE FOR TWO? Phind it
MARCH 2018
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