Mountain Living Magazine - Holiday Edition 2022

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COVER STORY

Adventure locally

Too often, well-intentioned gifts end up in landfills because the recipient doesn’t have the time, space or inclination to make the most out of them, but there is a solution to this problem. Rather than spending your hard earned money of physical things, consider gifting a local experience. Mountain Living Magazine compiled nine ideas for your consideration, so please, turn to page 8 to learn more.

& BODY

of TASTE

ON THE COVER

A holiday tableau with pine needles, berries and dried out orange slices. You can almost smell it.

Photo by Annie Spratt

NORTHERN ARIZONA’S MAGAZINE

EDITOR Matthew Hayden mhayden@azdailysun.com 928.556.2280

PUBLISHER & ADVERTISING DIRECTOR Colleen Brady 928.556.2279

Northern Arizona’s Mountain Living Magazine is published quarterly at 1751 S. Thompson St. | Flagstaff, AZ 86001 ISSN: 1534-3804

SALES CONTRIBUTORS

Zachary Meier Jayne Hayden

Northern Arizona’s Mountain Living Magazine is published by

Copyright ©2019 Northern Arizona’s Mountain Living Magazine. Unsolicited manuscripts, photographs, illustrations and other materials are invited, but will not be returned unless accompanied by a properly addressed envelope bearing su cient postage. Publisher assumes no responsibility for lost materials or the return of unsolicited materials. Publisher assumes no responsibility for any materials, solicited or unsolicited, after six months from date of publication. Cover and entire contents of this publication are fully protected. Reproduction or use without prior written premission from the editor is strictly prohibited. Northern Arizona’s Mountain Living Magazine is not responsible for scheduled event changes. Any views, opinions or suggestions contained within Northern Arizona’s Mountain Living Magazine are not necessarily those of the management or owners.

For as long as I can remember,summer has been my favorite season.

The new year would come around, and I’d wait anxiously for the longer days to melt away the snow and my cold weather blues. April showers brought May flowers, and in June, you’d find me mowing lawns and chilling poolside with a book in my hand Plus, no school Of course, that last part was especially portant to a young man in college and even more so to a younger man in high school, but now that those years are behind me, I find that summers nowadays have a different feel; like a Coke that’s been left out too long same flavor, less fizz.

Even more strange is this genuine anticipation that I have for the latter half of the year. It’s effervescent, and I don’t think I’ve ever experienced that efore. Sure, I love the holidays and the feeling of merriment as a whole, but my contempt for winter weather seemed to outweigh all of that. I suppose coming from the brutal and bitter plains of Montana contributed to those negative feelings, but now, I find myself not caring as much.

Recently, I’ve been trying to diagnose this truly out of character feeling, and all I’ve come up with are theories. Perhaps, it’s the fact that I’m no longer in school, or maybe, it’s because most of my life is work More than likely, it’s a combination of the two; the amalgamation diluting the summer experience to a point where I can say, “Bye! See you next year.”

And I think that’s a good thing Accepting the passage of time in this way gives me room to enjoy the less than extraordinary and routine moments throughout the year; like watching “Scrooge” after work or drinking a hot chocolate with peppermint schnapps or simply watching the snow fall outside the window.

Regardless, I hope all of you are able to make space for yourselves to enjoy the mundane this winter, but no matter what, I hope the memories are lasting.

Happy holidays, folks, and we’ll see you next year for our spring wedding issue.

the best, mhayden@azdailysun com

All the be mhayden 928.556.2280

Favorites

NOV. 25–DEC.18

KRINGLE GOES TO COURT

TheatrikosTheatreCompany|11WCherryAve

To ring in the holiday season this year, Theatrikos Theatre Company will be staging an adaptation of the classic Christmas movie Miracle on 34th Street For those that don’t know, Miracle on 34th Street is about an old man that claims that he is, in fact, the one and only Santa Claus, but after he befriends a young girl and takes a gig as the Macy’s Santa, those who do not believe try to get him committed and take him to court. This admittedly absurd tale is a stone cold Christmas classic and is so much fun for the whole family, so make sure to buy your tickets early Flagstaff’s Christmas plays are always a huge hit Miracle on 34th Street will be playing at the Doris Harper White Playhouse and tickets are on sale now

LIGHT IT UP

HistoricDowntownFlagstaff

Each year, the Greater Flagstaff Chamber of Commerce and Vora Financial come together to present a beautiful display of lights during Flagstaff’s Parade of Lights With almost 100 entries lighting up Historic Downtown Flagstaff, you won’t want to miss out on the fun and festivities that have become a holiday tradition in Flagstaff. The parade starts at Beaver and Elm and weaves from Beaver to Aspen, Aspen to San Francisco and San Francisco back to Elm. The light show begins promptly at 6 p.m. and will end around 8 p m , but make sure to get there early Parking spots fill up quickly

DEC. 10

DEC. 31

LET’S TRY THIS AGAIN Weatherford Hotel | 23NLerouxSt

Last year, the Great Pinecone Drop was canceled due to the rising threat of omicron, but this year, the pinecone is back for real.

More than two decades ago, the event began as a way to ring in the new millennium and honor the Weatherford Hotel’s 100 year anniversary, but since then, it has become a New Year’s Eve tradition that brings together thousands of Flagstaffians to celebrate the old year and welcome the new one. It’s a free event for all those who want to attend, but if you’re interested in a fancier celebration, the Weatherford offers VIP tickets to the show on their balcony and a delicious dinner What more could you want?

NOV. 12–JAN. 21

MENDING

THE FABRIC CoconinoCenterfor theArts|2300N FortValleyRd Coconino Center for the Arts and Creative Flagstaff are no strangers to elevating art with a purpose, but in their upcoming exhibit “25 Million Stitches: One Stitch, One Refugee”, they are taking it up a notch. The project amasses 25 million stitches portraying the number of refugees displaced from their homelands across the world on 14 foot long muslin embroidered flags filling 4,000 square feet of exhibition space at CCA The project was launched by artist Jennifer Kim Sohn as a global, participatory art project to address the vast crisis of worldwide displacement. This is a major exhibition with a robust schedule of humanities programming, including chorale performances, youth workshops and academic presentations Don’t miss out on your chance to see this impactful peace of art.

of the season from the area ’ s abundant offerings in art and entertainment.

Give the gift of local experiences this holiday season

THE MOUNTAIN LIVING STAFF

ADVENTURElocally

Imagine, if you will, a packed closet. It’s filled with ugly sweaters, un opened holiday cookies and a variety of other seasonal paraphernalia that, due to lack of time, space and incli nation, never got used. As the pile grows and dust accumulates, you avert your eyes in hopes that it will all just disappear. This is nobody’s fault. Most of those gifts were given with good intentions, but despite those intentions, they’re still there, waiting to be regifted or sent to the landfill.

Too often, gifts that were thoughtful eventually become clutter as priorities shift and life gets hectic. But, surpris ingly, there is a solution to this holiday mess, and no, it’s not cleaning out that packed closet – though that’s probably a good way to start. Instead, it’s giving the gift of experiences; more specifically, local

BRYAN DAVID GRIFFITH

“Watershed” Exhibition at Coconino Center for the Arts.

GABRIEL GRANILLO

Jayne Lee (right) and Paul Moore (left) of Human Nature Dance Theatre rehearse for their performance of “River of Stars” at the Coconino Center for the Arts in 2019.

experiences.

Flagstaff has no shortage of activities and adventures for all ages and seasons It’s a town that keeps giving, and today, we’re going to make a couple gift suggestions that will offer your recipient both the memories andthesatisfactionofsupportinglocalbusi nesses.Now,this list is far from comprehen sive, but we hope it helps you get started as you begin shopping for your loved ones.

ARTS

Coconino Center for the Arts

Art buffs are tough to shop for. Coffee ta ble picture books are fun to flip through,but they don’t have that tangibility that makes art so powerful.And most pieces of physical art are valuable enough to break nearly any one’s bank,but if you want to offer someone the opportunity to engage with and enjoy art in person,then consider purchasing a mem bership to the Coconino Center for the Arts (CCA).

Tucked away in the pines off of Fort Val ley Road, CCA is one of northern Arizona’s premier destinations for lovers of all things art, but despite its high brow reputation, the center offers its visitors affordable prices at all times of the year

Their Individual Member package costs only $60 for the whole year or only $5 per month, and with it, the member receives:

„ Free admission to Coconino Center for the Arts galleries

„ Invitation to members only receptions and events, members only pricing to Cre ative Flagstaff events, concerts and work shops, including the Viola Awards

„ Other, secret perks announced in members-only communications

If you’d like to membership to the w family, consider t Household pack age which is $100 or only $8.34 per month. The ben efits from the Individual mem bership s t i l l

apply and of fer: Two adults and children in the same house hold free admission other discounts 1,100 institu tions and museums in North America through the North American

Reciprocal Museum Association.

If you’d like to learn more about CCA’s membership options visit their website at ccaflagstaff.org.

Flagstaff Symphony Orchestra

Accessing music nowadays is easy, but as streaming music becomes the norm the value of physical music skyrockets. That means record players, vinyls and of course, livemusic.But,theunfortunaterealityoflive

A look at part of the installation for NightVisions at the Coconino Center for the Arts. Courtesy photo.

GABRIEL GRANILLO

Flagstaff Symphony Orchestra conductor Charles Latshaw (center) conducts a performance with Daniela Liebman on piano, Sept 27, 2019

JAKE BACON, ARIZONA DAILY SUN Rylee Kellar dances the role of the Snow Queen during a dress rehearsal of “The Nutcracker” in 2021 with the Flagstaff Symphony Orchestra and Northern Arizona University’s Community Music and Dance Academy

music is that your favorite artists cannot be at your beck and call, which makes gifting concert tickets a challenge; however, there is a way for you to give your loved ones the op portunity to listen to the works of the great est composers and musicians of all time. All you need is a subscription to the Flagstaff Symphony Orchestra (FSO).

For 72 years, FSO has enriched the Flag staff community with their beautiful and en gaging performances, and a subscription is the most cost-effective and convenient way to experience all of the symphony concerts

that excite you and your loved ones.

As a subscriber you get to choose three, four or five concerts that are all 15% off. Along with that, you will receive:

„ 15% off add-on tickets for extra con certs outside of your package including The Nutcracker Ballet

„ Free and easy ticket exchanges

„ Free lost ticket replacement

„ Exclusive invitations to special events, open rehearsals and more

„ If you’re a renewing subscriber, you can keep your seats from last year

If you’d like to learn more about the con cert packages and FSO symphonies visit their website at flagstaffsymphony.org.

Museum of Northern Arizona

There are few activities that are as reward ing as taking a trip to a museum. They are treasure troves filled with opportunities to learn more about history, different cultures, science, art and a bevy of other subjects that are bound to pique the interest of even the most staunch skeptic, but if you have a loved one who is interested in understanding the Colorado Plateau as a landmark of natural and cultural heritage, then a membership to the Museum of Northern Arizona (MNA) may be the best gift to give.

Founded in 1928 and located at the base of the San Francisco Peaks, MNA hosts a wide variety of collections, exhibits, educational programs, publications and research projects that foreground the connections between the people of the Colorado Plateau and the natural world through time. It’s an undeni able achievement in the world of museum studies, and surprisingly, it doesn’t cost that much to be a member.

Their entry-level package costs just $70 for the year, but with it, members get:

„ Free admission to both permanent and special exhibitions

„ A subscription to MNA’s annual mem ber publication, Museum Notes

„ A digital subscription to our monthly MNA e-news

„ 10% discount on selected items at the gift shop

„ Special member pricing for most MNA events, including the Heritage Festival

„ Invitation to members-only exhibition openings and events

There are more membership options that include more benefits as you go up in price, but regardless of the total cost, your gift will be talked about and enjoyed for years to come. If you’d like to learn more about MNA, visit their website at musnaz.org.

OUTDOORS

The Arboretum at Flagstaff

What exactly are arboretums? They’re not forests; they’re not parks; they’re not even nurseries. Rather, they act as a sort of outdoor museum of trees, shrubs and other foliage and serve people that find themselves drawn to the lives of planted creatures. One might think that arboretums might not be a worthwhile investment, but if you have a loved one that is interested in the ecology of life on the Colorado Plateau then a member

Navajo artist Baje Whitethorne Sr. works on one of his paintings. The Museum of Northern Arizona is hosting a year-long retrospective exhibit of Whitethorne’s work. Courtesy photo.

PAUL GARCIA

ship at The Arboretum at Flagstaff – affec tionately known as The Arb – may make a great gift.

With every membership offered, individ uals and families receive:

„ Free garden admission including ad mission to more than 330 gardens nation wide through the American Horticultural Society Reciprocal Admissions Program

„ A subscription to their monthly mem bership newsletter

„ Free Better Homes and Gardens maga

zine subscription

„ Early admission to their annual plant sale and early summer camp registration

„ 10% discount on purchases in their gift shop

„ Discounted admission to wildflower walks and bird walks

„ Exclusive member discounts on concert and event tickets, plant sales and summer camps

„ Discounts on native plants at

Warner’s Nursery

„ Subscription to monthly volunteer newsletter.

„ Two guest passes

Prices range from $45 to $500 per year, so if you’d like to learn more about The Arb and their many options, visit their website at thearb.org.

Arizona Snowbowl

When you think of Arizona or the south west as a whole, the scorching desert heat and saguaro cacti come to mind, but as

RACHEL GIBBONS , ARIZONA DAILY SUN

Heather Craig shreds through the trees at Arizona Snowbowl after the resort received over a foot of snow.

BEN SHANAHAN , ARIZONA DAILY SUN

The Flagstaff Arboretum’s Butterfly Garden is home to multiple butterfly species, and is open for viewing to patrons of the Arboretum.

anybody who lives in Flagstaff knows,not all of Arizona plays host to that kind of weather. In fact, Flagstaff is home to what we and most others think is the best skiing expe rience in the state at the Arizona Snowbowl.

Snowbowl as it is often referred to is known well in this region for its good snow, long runs and a wide variety of terrain,mak

ing it the perfect gift for any loved one who loves the outdoors and likes to cool down every once in a while.

They have six pass options that you can gift, and some of them are even free!

„ POWER PASS Unlimited access to Snowbowl and eight other Power Pass mountains. Prices vary based on age.

„ 12 DAY POWER PASS 12 restricted days to use between Snowbowl or Purgatory and unlimited access to seven other Power Pass mountains Prices vary based on age

„ 4 DAY POWER PASS 4 restricted days to use between Snowbowl, Purgatory, Brian Head, Spider Mountain and restricted ac cess to Nordic Valley and Willamette Pass. Unlimited access to Sipapu, Pajarito and Hesperus Prices vary based on age

„ MY WEEKDAY PASS Weekday access to Arizona Snowbowl. Your choice of one to five weekdays to ski the entire season Prices vary based on how many days you ski.

„ FREE POWER KIDS PASS Unlimited access for children 12 and younger to Snow bowl and eight other Power Pass mountains for free. No strings attached, no purchase necessary.

„ FREE SUPER SENIOR PASS Unlim ited access for those 75+ to Snowbowl and eight other Power Pass mountains for free.

Visit Snowbowl’s website to learn more about these passes at snowbowl ski

Flag Extreme

Flagstaff is a place that is filled with ad venture Everywhere you go, there are op portunities to do something exciting,but for some people, the experience of the natural world doesn’t give them what they need Sometimes, these folks need an experience

Flag Extreme offers guests the chance to participate in a variety of adrenaline pumping courses. Courtesy of Flag Extreme.

They also offer younger folks the chance to participate in their more kid friendly courses.

Photo courtesy of Flag Extreme

with a little juice, so consider giving them a gift certificate to Flag Extreme.

Flag Extreme offers visitors the chance to run and zip through the trees as a part of their exciting adventure course challenges at all times of the year. Some of their options are:

„ Adventure Course—$58 per guest + taxes and fees

„ Adventure Zip Lines—$58 per guest + taxes and fees

„ Kid’s Course (Ages 7-11)—$29 per guest + taxes and fees

Flag Extreme also offers discounts for active military, college students and senior citizens, so if you’d like to learn more about their gift certificate options, visit their web site at flagstaffextreme.com.

PERSONAL CARE

Flagstaff Athletic Club

As the year begins to wind down, it’s easy to start thinking about the next one, and if you’re anything like us, making sure that it tops the year before is always a priority. Now, every person has different resolutions, but a fairly common reflex is to want to improve yourself in every way; mentally, emotionally and of course, physically, making a member ship to the Flagstaff Athletic Club (FAC) a perfect gift for just about anybody.

FAC has locations on both the east and west side of town, and they offer a whole range of membership opportunities includ ing:

„ Access to both FAC East and FAC West locations

„ Top of the line equipment in their cardio and weight rooms

„ Many different types of group fitness classes per week

„ Complimentary fitness assessments and equipment orientations with their fit ness professionals

„ Saunas, steam rooms and jacuzzis in the men’s and women’s locker rooms

„ Tanning, kids club, swim lessons, tow els, three swimming pools and more

They have a variety of membership cate gories, so if you’re curious about their op tions check out their website at flagstaffath leticclub.com.

Massage Envy

Massages are an unbeatable experience. If you’ve had a good one, you know what we’re talking about, but if you haven’t, whether it be due to nervousness or skepticism, we highly encourage you to give it a try or at least, gift one to someone you love. You’ll both thank us.

We recommend considering Massage Envy, which offers both comfortable and thorough massages, stretches and facials to anyone that walks through the door. They even have a membership that includes:

„ Monthly wellness sessions which ac crue if you don’t use them

„ Discounted member rates on specific treatments

„ Access to over 1,000 Massage Envy

franchised locations nationwide

And, if you decide to get a membership for yourself, you can participate in their refera-friend program and earn free sessions. If you would like to learn more about their membership program and prices, visit their website at massageenvy.com.

New Roots

We know we already offered a fitness rec ommendation a little earlier with FAC, but sometimes people are looking for a little more guidance as they begin their journey to being their better self. So, if a less corpo ratized, results-driven community is more of what you or your loved ones are looking for, then New Roots Fitness Company is the place for you.

At New Roots, helping people is the mis sion, and luckily, they have a lot of mem bership options that are tailored to fit each individual’s fitness goals. These are:

„ 24/7 Open Gym—$75 a month

„ Strength and Conditioning Classes— Starting at $140 a month

„ GPP+ (General Physical Preparedness Plus)—$165 a month

„ Customized & Online Coaching—Prices vary

The cost may seem a bit pricey at first, but the value that you receive as you invest more of your time and energy into the com munity makes it all worth it. If you would like to learn more about New Roots and their options, visit their website at newrootsfitco. com.

HANNAH ROSE GRAY PHOTOGRAPHY

HANNAH ROSE GRAY PHOTOGRAPHY

TOA HEFTIBA

Spice of life

an

flavor

as main players in the culinary world (fresh is best).

CHRISTINE MAXA

There’s good reason why the holidays are epitomized in song as “the most wonderful time of the year.” When you experience some of the season’s main sources of merriment — food and love ones — you can’t help but feel wonderful. Both, research has found, trigger the release of dopamine, the feel-good chemistry.

Chefs have a saying: You can tell when there’s love in the food. Besides food being an important cultural means to show love, just the sight of your favorite foods can release a wave of dopamine. The right amount of dopamine makes you feel happy, motivated, alert and focused.

Beyond Kitchen

The classic seasonings used during the holidays not only impart special flavors, but they likely have a hand in prompting dopamine rushes. The ones featured in this article — parsley, sage, rosemary and thyme — were lifted from the medieval ballad “Scarborough Fair.” They’ve kept their place centuries since

During the years the Scarborough Fair took place, Middle Agers used these herbs to impart flavors to mask o -kilter tastes from putrefying food. The herbs’ antimicrobial action helped preserve the freshest food longer and allay tummy problems. And they all had, unbeknownst to the folks of the time, a hand in triggering the flow of dopamine. So naturally, along with the era’s culinary and medicinal uses, these herbs held sway over life in general: Parsley for protection, sage for longevity, rosemary for remembrance and thyme for courage. Each one, in the medieval mind, could conjure a happy life.

An Unlikely Hero

Admittedly, parsley makes a most unlikely herbal hero. Though used most often as an expendable garnish, parsley holds a place of honor in the best of kitchens. It sure did during ancient times. The Greeks used it as a garnish but thought it too sacred to eat, and Romans considered it hangover cure. Parsley is neither. But if you pay attention to the taste, you can understand how it adds just the right nuance as a mild but vibrant bitter, which means it gets the digestive juices flowing. And it does facilitate the release of dopamine.

Believe it or not, parsley comes with some impressive research. According to the National Institutes of Health, parsley’s phenolic compounds, flavonoids and coumarins give the green sprig antioxidant, hepatoprotec-

tive, brain protective, antidiabetic, analgesic, spasmolytic, immunosuppressant, antiplatelet, gastroprotective, cytoprotective, laxative, estrogenic, diuretic, hypotensive, antibacterial and antifungal properties.

The flavonoids alone, most particularly myricetin of which parsley contains the most in the plant world per 100 grams, can help prevent cancer. Parsley may yet live up to its folk reputation as a protector.

Your Brain On Rosemary and Sage

Of the four featured herbs, rosemary has the most assertive flavor. The Mediterranean mint, known for its classic pine-like taste, usually appears in the best of chefs’ gardens. It’s a natural to stu in a fowl’s cavity (use more than what you think you’ll need, advises Chef François de Mélogue, early mentor of Arizona’s Iron Chef Beau MacMillan), and often appears in stu ng recipes. Chef Michael Long (of now-closed Posto) liked to throw a sprig in tomato sauces.

Along with rosemary’s signature taste comes a huge amount of anti-inflammatory and antioxidant activity from luteolin, carnosic acid, ca eic acid and rosmarinic acid. These help protect your cells from damage and your body from inflammation, big time. And then there’s that dopamine e ect.

Over the centuries, European cultures associated rosemary with the memory. Research backs this up. The mere smell of rosemary can improve memory and cognitive performance. The enabler for these brain boosts is a major

Sprinkle these herbs and spices on your holiday meals to add flavor and nutrients

ANJA JUNGHANS

Thyme adds

engaging

to a variety of foods from veggies (particularly root vegetables) to legumes to meats — even cranberry sauce.

chemical component in rosemary that travels via the nose and lungs into the bloodstream and crosses the blood-brain barrier. The ter pene, by the way, also wafts from eucalyptus, bay, wormwood and sage (another mint fam ily member).

Sage’s strong suits match that of its cousin rosemary’s with its affinity for the brain and neurological issues. Its scientific name, Salvia officinalis, means “to heal” in Latin; and it’s been used for digestion, bronchial issues and the circulation (mints get things moving).

The fuzzy hairs on the sage leaves contain a treasure trove of powerful chemistry that mirrors rosemary’s. As you gently brown those downy sage leaves in butter before add ing them to your stuffing or gnocchi, you’re not only helping your guests digest all that rich food but adding antioxidants that can enhance their head and brain health, improve their memory, delay their cognitive decline and, according to NIH research, increase do pamine levels.

Approachable and Reproachable

One of the most significant antimicrobi als in the kitchen is another Mediterranean denizen, thyme. Thymus vulgaris has an

interesting etymology. Thy mus, in Greek, means “the soul,” vulgaris is Latin for “common.” The Greeks were said to burn sage in spiritual ceremonies, and the Romans tossed it on the floor to repel critters.

These days thyme makes for a wholly approachable culinary ingre dient that marries well with more foods than the other featured herbs. Thyme adds an engaging flavor to a variety of foods from veggies (particularly root vegetables) to le gumes to meats — even cranberry sauce.

Thyme’s main constituents, thymol and carvacrol, impart highly respectable anti septic, antioxidant and anti-inflammatory actions that can protect the liver, boost dopa mine and assuage all kinds of microbials. This makes thyme a reproach to lowlife microbes that like to lurk in food; thyme’s antibacterial action can knock out Listeria monocytogenes and Escherichia coli.

Like the other three herbs, thyme also acts as an antispasmotic. This can allay tummy tantrums and even help relax blood vessels

— most im portant during the holiday’s heavy-duty digestion episodes when your heart can use all the help it can get. Bonus points: The carminative action of these herbs might even prevent having to loosen a button or two after that holiday meal. As for helping you conjure up a happy life, it’s probably best you keep them in the kitchen with the culinary fare when you use these herbs.

PINTANDO LA LUZ

Parsley is often considered an expendable garnish, but its use in the best of kitchens and its nutrient-dense composition makes it an unlikely hero.

PHOTOS BY GAIL G. COLLINS

Pie Guy Charles Lewis preps apple, coconut and lemon pies

GAIL G. COLLINS

Life is full of contradictions, but much less flush with splendid pies. Take the refrain “as Amer ican as apple pie;” it belies the pastry’s primitive, roaming roots. The Egyptians began pie craft, but it was the Romans, who penned the first recipe for ryecrusted goat cheese and honey pie.

Originally, pies were savory, often made of fowl with legs hanging over the edge for use as handles. By the 14th century, “pye” was a popular word in Europe.

Fruit tarts or pies eventually made the pages of cookbooks in England in the 1500s as Queen Elizabeth I happily tucked into an in augural cherry pie. The English settlers then imported pie to America, but notably, these early crusts served merely as vessels. Made in rectangular forms, they were known as “coffyns”—divulging their desiccated func tion over flavor.

As the American Revolution cut ties with Britain, a more perfect union of states was formed alongside the desire for a more per fect crust.

Any pie worth its filling is fashioned within an alliance of a tender and flaky shell. Deli cate, yet strong, the crust restrains the good ness, yet yields to the fork. Hands down to day, the most popular pie is apple, so coming full circle, perhaps, the phrase rings true: As American as apple pie.

In 2019, more than 50 million Americans bought frozen pie crusts, and more than 40 million opted for the refrigerated product. The legacy of handcrafted pies is seriously at risk.

Without crust, we have compote or cus tard, but not pie. Charles Lewis learned such truths making pies at Marie Callender’s while attending culinary school in Las Vegas. In 1999, his trademark pies revived Dot’s Diner in Bisbee. After a move to Tehachapi, Cali fornia, Lewis opened TehachaPIE, but locals simply called him Pie Guy. Always cutting edge, Lewis delivered those Cali pies on a skateboard, but authorities informed him it was illegal. A shame—it certainly was fan tastic, just as pie is fantastic. Arriving in Flagstaff, Lewis merged his moniker with pie-making to form a craft business.

Pointing to a rack of hand-pressed crusts, Lewis says, “You won’t find this anywhere

Lewis delivering pies for TehachaPIE in California

MATTERS of TASTE

Charles Lewis produces holiday and peach pies

else—pies are dying hard. Manufactured in commercial settings with too little lard, they sell for $9.”

Pie Guy’s Pies are hand-crafted, cus tom-ordered confections of fruit, cream or custard, selling for $13 to $15. Fruit fill ings range from apple, apricot (in season), blueberry, peach, rhubarb and cherry to classic mixtures, like strawberry-rhubarb, plus novel blends of blackberry-raspberry, called Bisbeeberry, or Chuckberry’s black berry-blueberry. Cream pies include: ba nana, chocolate, coconut, German choco late, lemon cream or meringue and peanut butter chocolate. Specialty pies headline custard, pumpkin and pecan. Gluten- or sugar-free and vegan options are available.

Pies are available for order a day or two in advance, but a selection of favorites are on offer at outlets around town, like con venience stores, and five businesses, such as Miz Zip’s, and of course, the Farmers Market. Look for the Pie Guy’s Pies ban

ner—Pie that takes the cake made in Flag staff.

Lewis’ homestead shop is kitted out with three ovens, rolling carts, refrigerators, walk-in freezer, professional mixer, dough presser, multiple workspaces and a sink. Activities are staged from peeling peaches to weighing pecans to custom-blending pumpkin mix. It’s the happy, busy place of a man, whose positive outlook consis tently lands him on his feet.

“All I knew was the restaurant business,” Lewis says, listing jobs waiting tables out of high school, bartending, and then, be ing thrust to the back of the house to make pies, where a business idea smacked him in the face. Lewis is a creative sort, who doesn’t copy franchise recipes, but bor rows heavily on expertise gained.

Making a good crust should be “as sim ple as pie,” blending water, salt, flour and shortening. The ratios, temperatures and handling, however, make the difference.

Lewis uses 75-percent shortening for fruit pies and 60-percent for pecan, custard and pumpkin to prevent leakage. More flour and less fat create a mealy crust, yet commercial scale pressing equipment supports only lower volume ratios. Pie Guy presses each glossy crust by hand.

“Flagstaff is a beautiful retail market,” Lewis says. His devotion is evident in his honor system for drive-by pick-ups, PIEWGN license plate and processes.

Do you know what makes a pie crust rise? Steam causes it to burst in the oven. When mixing dough, dissolve salt into the water first; don’t measure it into the flour. Lewis believes such pie-making practices are on the line—underappreciated.

Pie is an American standard. Did you know there is an American Pie Council? Surely, with their support and our Pie Guy, quality isn’t “pie in the sky,” but our hope and thanksgiving this holiday season is for splendid pie.

JOHN VANKAT

It is time to select wines for Thanksgiving, and below are ones that pair well with traditional turkey dinner. The red wines include Pinot Noir, which is an exceptional choice, and Zinfandel, which fittingly is an American grape. Among the top white wines for Thanksgiving are Pinot Gris/Grigio and Riesling, but keep reading to learn my longtime favorite.

$10s

Lagaria 2020 Pinot Grigio “delle Venezie, Italy” ($13): Expressive on the palate with full body, strong fruit, pleasing crispness and appealing complexity for its price.

Waterbrook 2021 Pinot Gris “Columbia Valley” ($14): Enjoy complexity plus very good balance, personality and length.

Angeline 2021 Rosé of Pinot Noir “California” ($15): Attractive medium-deep red color foretells impressive strength, a touch of sweetness, notable layering of flavors and a long finish.

Fess Parker 2021 Riesling “Santa Barbara County” ($15): Beautiful to the eye and featuring vigor, fruit and complexity on nose and palate, along with a hint of sweetness, all persisting through an extended finish.

Spellbound 2019 Pinot Noir “California” ($15): There is attractive intensity and dimensionality on the nose, while highlights on the palate include strong fruit, good crispness, low to medium tannins and pleasing length.

King Estate 2021 Pinot Gris “Willamette Valley” ($19): Forward and complex on the nose and appealing to the palate with strength, full body, engaging personality, beautiful fruit, fine balance and prolonged finish.

Other Notable Buys: A to Z 2021 Pinot Gris “Oregon” ($16); A to Z 2021 Riesling “Oregon” ($16); Raeburn 2021 Rosé of Pinot Noir “Russian River Valley” ($17); Villa Maria 2020 Pinot Noir “Marlborough, New Zealand” ($19)

$20s

St. Francis 2019 Zinfandel “Old Vines, Sonoma County” ($22): This pleasingly priced Zin has an engaging nose, but is most appealing on the palate with its strength, body, balance, complexity, integration and length.

Ferrari-Carano 2021 Pinot Grigio “Sonoma County” ($24): Yellow-gold hue foretells an impressive wine with strength and complexity on both nose and palate, plus very attractive integration, refinement, personality and finish.

Dry Creek Vineyard 2020 Zinfandel “Heritage Vines, Sonoma County” ($27): Color depth and tones catch the eye, and there’s also pleasing power, fruit and layering on the nose. Moreover, it features strength, full body, appealing balance, medium tannins, fruit, personality and length on the palate.

Other fine choices:

Quivira 2019 Zinfandel “Dry Creek Valley” ($28); Chalk Hill 2019 Pinot Noir “Sonoma Coast” ($29).

$30s—40s

Wrath 2019 Pinot Noir “Swan/828, Monterey” ($35): Enjoy its purple hue paired with power and complexity on the nose, but savor its impact on your palate with beautiful fruit, full body, fine balance, excellent dimensionality, appealing integration and extended finish.

Trimbach 2018 Gewurztraminer “Alsace, France” ($36): This long-time personal favorite pairs exceptionally well with turkey and traditional side dishes, as it is wonderfully textured and flavored. Deep, yellow-gold color foretells its strength, fruit and complexity. Finishes with lingering length that prolongs the pleasure.

Inman Family 2021 Rosé of Pinot Noir “Endless Crush, Russian River Valley” ($40): Enjoy highly attractive pink hue and a strong nose that surpasses other rosés. But it is most appealing on the palate with its full-ish body, fruit and balance. Plus there is superb layering, integration, refinement, personality and finish.

Penner-Ash 2019 Riesling “Old Vine, Hyland Vineyard, McMinnville” ($40): Pleasing in all dimensions but outstanding on the palate with impressive strength, body, fruit and personality, as well as excellent complexity and refinement. Moreover, its long-lingering length provides a memorable finish.

Elyse 2019 Zinfandel “Old Vines, California” ($45): Expresses beauty across the board beginning with its deep, purple-tinged

color and followed by a forward, layered nose. But it peaks on the palate with power, thick body, strong fruit, wonderful balance, attractive personality and prolonged length.

$50s+

Frank Family 2021 Rosé of Pinot Noir “Leslie, Reserve, Carneros” ($50): Impressively strong and multidimensional on the nose, especially for a rosé. And also exceptional on the palate with full body, forward but excellently balanced fruit and a personality featuring complexity, integration, refinement and lingering length.

Gary Farrell 2018 Zinfandel “Grist Vineyard, Dry Creek Valley” ($50; direct shipping): Begin with enjoying the outstanding purple hue and powerful nose. Plus the palate features refined strength, full to heavy body, captivating fruit, medium tannins, appealing personality and prolonged finish.

Bricoleur 2019 Pinot Noir “Russian River Valley” ($52; direct shipping): Engaging fruit pairs with excellent complexity. Strong on the palate yet refined with beautiful fruit, honed balance, medium-soft tannins, pleasing body, forward personality and long finish.

Wildflower (by Bob Cabral) 2018 Riesling “Sonoma Coast” ($60; direct shipping): This special Riesling exceeds many others in price, but is wonderful on the palate with strength, fruit and complexity along with impressive integration and refinement. Plus its highly attractive personality extends for great length.

Troubadour (by Bob Cabral) 2017 Pinot Noir “Russian River Valley” ($125; direct shipping): Excellent on the nose and amazing on the palate. I loved the fruit, power and complexity coupled with its heavy body, exceptional balance, appealing personality and much more. Plus, its stunningly beautiful finish extends for remarkable length.

Recommended wines can be ordered from local wine stores unless indicated otherwise. Prices may di er. John can be reached at azpinewine@yahoo.com.

Family 2021 Rose of Pinot Noir Elyse

In theoffice

Bring holiday cheer to work

Holiday decorating doesn’t have to be limited to your home. Given how many hours people spend at work, it makes sense to decorate one’s work space with seasonal cheer.

Be respectful of the diverse cultures of your co-workers when you are decorating your cubicle. Consider adding elements of different winter holidays or staying away from anything that would fall outside the realm of professionalism.

GET INSPIRED

People love to share their creative achieve ments on social media. If you’re looking for

inspiration, turn to Pinterest, Instagram or even TikTok for a treasure trove of images people have created to show off how they have decorated their work spaces. You’ll find everything from light displays to card board winter houses to garland and electric candles. In many cases, you can message the creator and ask for advice on how to repli cate it.

Another source of inspiration is pictures from office decorating contests.

TREE TRIMMING

Decorating a holiday tree can be an all-of fice team building activity. Each person can bring in or make an ornament. At a large or ganization, each department can have their own tree and its members decide what their theme is going to be.

LIGHT DISPLAYS

One easy way to brighten up your work space is to bring in strands of holiday lights and festoon them around your cubicle or office.

It can be as simple as a string of white lights or a more elaborate display of multiple lights that flash or outline holiday shapes.

HOLIDAY THEMES

Teambuilding.com offers some holiday inspiration by suggesting several decorat ing themes to get people in the spirit. They include:

„ Gingerbread village.

„ Toy factory.

„ Sweets and treats.

„ Nutcracker suite.

„ 12 Days of Christmas.

„ Christmas movie scenes.

„ Cozy cabins.

SUPPLIES

You don’t want to break your holiday bud get purchasing decorations for the office.

Sometimes the simplest of supplies can have a cheerful effect — lights, garland, wrapping paper, ribbons, balloons or candy canes.

It’s also a great time to go green and use re cycled items. Arnolds Office Furniture sug gests combining paper cups with garland or saving old paper towel tubes to wrap with red and white ribbons or decorate with Sharpies to create candy canes. They shared how one person took larger-sized cardboard tubes that were being thrown out and transformed her cubicle into a holiday log cabin.

Another example involved using brown wrapping paper or cardboard to create a gingerbread house.

Maybe you don’t have time or the cre ative urge to do a lot of holiday decorating? If so, you can add a dash of seasonal cheer by picking a screensaver with a roaring fire or a winter wonderland scene.

NORTHFOLK

DEVONNA MCLAUGHLIN

CEO ofHousing Solutions of Northern Arizona

Devonna McLaughlin is the CEO of Housing Solutions of Northern Arizona. The work of her nonprofit has helped build opportunities for sustainable and affordable housing in Flagstaff and the surrounding ar eas since 1990, and fortunately, we had the chance to speak to her about this project

Could you tell us a little bit about yourself? What inspired you to make a career out of creating affordable housing solutions?

I went to NAU for my undergrad and masters degrees and wound up, while I was working on my masters, volunteering for AmeriCorps which is a domestic peace corps So, I did a year-long term with the Red Cross and really enjoyed the impact of that work and wanted to be able to stay in Flagstaff afterwards and was lucky enough to get hired by Housing Solutions at that time to be their development director. So, I kind of fell into affordable housing, oh, about 18 years ago, and realized since, of course, the impact that safe, decent and affordable housing has for families, kiddos, everybody really and that if we don’t invest in this then folks are significantly harmed. So, we need to make sure we’re doing that

Why was Housing Solutions of Northern Arizona founded?

The organization was founded in 1990 and was founded through the grassroots efforts of local folks who were concerned about the lack of affordable housing and the need for affordable housing for our work force. So, my predecessor, Helen Hudgens Ferrell was one of the founders and the first executive director, and she worked as the county recorder prior to becoming the exec utive director here. So, she would see these valuations come through as people would

buy houses. She knew folks that worked for and with her that they weren’t buying those houses It was expensive, so in working together with a realtor and a contractor and other folks within the housing industry to kind of get together and figure out solutions to help address our workers housing needs.

Do you believe that organizations like yours are needed now more than ever? If so, why?

I do think that we need to have a focused and thoughtful investment in affordable housing or workforce housing; housing in general, right? Housing Solutions was founded 32 years ago and unfortunately, we haven’t solved the problem More and more folks are facing affordable housing challenges today than they probably were back then as housing costs have contin ued to climb beyond the reach of what, you know, working families in Flagstaff can af ford, so how do we address those concerns in a thoughtful way?

One of the nice things is that nonprofits can kind of do what governments can’t. We need our government partners and we need our private sector partners,but we can bring resources from both sides together to try and get both sides over the finish line. We can leverage funding, we can leverage volunteers, we can leverage community

support to try and get housing units cre ated, programs designed, investments, awareness, all of those things, so I do think having nonprofit organizations like Housing Solutions in our community is critical.

What can average, everyday folks

do to help this cause?

There’s lots of things folks can do I would say becoming informed on the issue would be step number one. Trying to understand what are some of the causes of our lack of affordable housing? Who needs affordable housing? Showing up at council meetings when housing or development is being discussed or development is being talked about in support of affordable housing programs and unit creation. A lot of times when there’s a zoning consideration or something about development, even when it’s about affordable housing,there are folks in the neighborhood who will say, “No. I don’t want this here It’ll increase traffic,”or “block my view.”So,we do need folks in the community to say,“Yes.We do need afford able housing. We need workforce housing. This is the right place for it.” As much as we love our open space, we need to make sure that we have housing for folks in our com munity because that’s what our community is, is people. So that’s one thing.

Another thing folks can do is if you’re an Arizona state tax payer you can make a do nation to qualified charitable organizations, and you get that back in a dollar-for-dollar tax credit on your state taxes.So,if it’s $400 for an individual or $800 for a couple filing jointly,there are housing organizations that qualify for that tax credit. Housing Solu tions is one,Flagstaff Shelter Services is an other, Habitat, so folks can certainly direct their tax dollars to stay in Flagstaff and get that money back.So,that is a huge way folks can invest directly into affordable housing.

What do you enjoy doing in your minimal spare time?

I chase after my kids and drive them to places. It’s not a very graceful answer. I have a 10-year-old and a 12 year-old, and we’re always running after them They play hockey here in Flagstaff, so we’re going to tournaments and practices, and then when I’m not doing that,I’m trying to catch up on TV shows or read a book.

Devonna McLaughlin of Housing Solutions of Northern Arizona

Neuropathy or Poor Circulation? Diagnosing the Difference

What are the signs of PAD?

Ask yourself these questions:

• Do your legs and/or feet ever feel numb or burn?

• Do your legs hurt, get tired, or cramp when you walk?

• Does standing relieve nighttime cramps in your legs or feet?

• Do you have leg or foot sores that are slow to heal?

• Do you think or have been told you have neuropathy?

If you answered “yes,” you may have PAD and should talk to a doctor at CiC about your symptoms.

If leg numbness or bur ning is keeping you from doing the things you love, ask one of the specialists at CiC about peripheral artery disease (PAD).

Peripheral neuropathy is a condition that involves damage to the nerves in your feet Symptoms include muscle cramping, diffic ulty walking, burning, tingling, numbness, and pain. In many cases, it ’ s caused by diabetes, but poor circ ulation can also cause these symptoms or make them worse

Poor circ ulation or PAD (peripheral artery disease) is caused by the buildup of fatty material inside the Dr Diana Perry arteries, limiting the amount of blood that passes through them. “If an artery is blocked, oxygen and nutrients can’t get to your nerves and muscles, so they cry out for help,” explains Dr Diana Perry, of CiC Foot &

Ankle “Cramping, burning, numbness, or sores that won’t heal are telltale signs ”

The good news is specialists are able to treat PAD with a minimally invasive procedure in an office setting Using xray imaging, Dr Joel R ainwater, an interventional radiologist at Comprehensive Integrated Care, is able to go into the bloodstream through a tiny nick in the skin to see if there is any plaque buildup

“We’re able to see if there is a blockage and then remove it with special instruments,” explains Dr R ainwater “Once the plaque is removed, blood

flow improves ” Patients are home within hours and back to everyday activities with almost no downtime

If you are suffering from neuropathy or poor circ ulation, make an appointment to see a doctor Or, if you ’ re not from medication or treatment, a second opinion may be helpful to determine the cause of the tingling, cramping, pain, or numbness in your feet

Dr. Perry and Dr. Rainwater can be reached at 9287197400.

Dr Diana Perry

Dr. Joel Rainwater