Story and photos by Shannon Fisher Fast and fun creations for Valentine’s Day February is a time to celebrate love! Here are easy ideas for gifts of love. Valentine mice can be made from saved toilet paper rolls. We always have so many rolls we save and try to reuse. Start with an empty roll and you can use paper, felt or foam sheets to decorate your mouse. We used paper and googly eyes. You can draw simple ...

By Christina Fuoco-Karasinski DJ Z-Trip brings color to the world of remixing Playing around the Valley is meaningful to Z-Trip, a New River-raised DJ born Zach Sciacca. Shows like The Cocktail Jam on Saturday, February 16, at The Van Buren in Phoenix recall lugging gear in and out of his vehicle to entertain clubgoers around town. “Arizona shows are super fun,” he says. “It’s cool to see a lot of the peopl ...

Story and photos by Kenneth LaFave El Encanto Dos focuses on flavor, not heat I dreamed the other night of a rambling hacienda, where dozens and dozens of people gathered in celebration. At hardwood tables under high ceilings, celebrants feasted on traditional Sonoran-style Mexican dishes. Then my dream turned to nightmare: There was no place for me. Table after table in sprawling room after room, and not a ...

By Lauren Wise A-Authentic Garage Doors builds solid reputation and plans expansion A garage door is one of those things that tends to reveal its true necessity only when it’s not working properly. Whether broken, damaged by a wayward emergency break – or the illusion that the garage is already open, as has happened to this writer – or squeaks so loudly you put mousetraps in the garage corners, you’re in a ...

By Jan D'Atri This 3-ingredient chocolate cake is flourless, fabulous and perfect for Valentine’s Day! Ingredients - 8 eggs - 16 ounces semi-sweet chocolate chips - 1 cup butter - pinch salt, optional - powdered sugar, whipped cream or fresh berries (for garnish) Instructions 1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. 2. Grease an 8 or 9 inch cake pan, or spring form pan. Select a ba ...

A trio of trips to take around the Grand Canyon State There’s no shortage of special destinations in Arizona. The Grand Canyon, Sedona, Tombstone and Tucson are well-known for their nature, culture and history, but here are three other spots to spend a weekend that are less traveled than the aforementioned but just as rich in recreation, restaurants and more. Bisbee From mining boomtown to Bohemian burg By ...

By Madison Rutherford Shanghai Club serves classic Chinese cuisine in a contemporary setting If “Shanghai Club” sounds familiar, you may be thinking of the premier men’s club for upper-class ex-pats in 19th-Century Shanghai. It was subject to a strict hierarchy and featured a formal dining room, full bar, billiards room, library with sky-high ceilings and hallways bookended by curved, marble staircases. It’ ...

Told by Kuma and written by Lorraine Bossé-Smith Loy Canyon in Sedona I love living on the north end of Phoenix because it gives us easy access to one of the most amazing places on Earth: Sedona. Me and my family are always up for the short drive north to explore red rock country. This outing, we drove to Cottonwood and connected with the 89A from there. That allowed us to bypass all the traffic in Sedona. ...

By Teresa K. Traverse Carefree Farms equine facility builds friendships and community When horse trainer Alice Sarno arrives at Carefree Farms to start her work day, the horses and her clients know they’re in well-trained hands. Sarno has worked with horses for more than 50 years. It’s been her only job. “I seriously think I was born with a horse gene,” Sarno says. “I started riding when I was 9, and I’ve b ...

By Eric Newman Spartan Home Services offers interior and exterior cleaning When David Hartman moved to Anthem from northern Michigan with his fiancée Carmen Jordan, they had one goal: Keep the north Phoenix area beautiful. They aim to do it one property at a time. With children already living in the area, and wishing to find warmer weather, the pair settled in the Valley in July and opened Spartan Home Serv ...