Valley Lifestyles February 2016

V VALLEY LIFEST YLES

MAGAZINE

Custom Communities NEW AMENITIES HAVE MORE FAMILIES CHOOSING THE EAST VALLEY

FEBRUARY 2016 ValleyLifestyles.com

T H E E S S E N T I A L L I F E S T Y L E M A G A Z I N E O F T H E E A S T VA L L E Y

PLUS

HEART HEALTH

from pain

Let us help At Desert Women’s Care, Dr. Richard Demir specializes in helping women cure their chronic pelvic pain. Dr. Demir and his team run a thorough set of tests to find the root cause of the pain, be it gynecologic, urologic, gastrointestinal or even psychiatric.

The team at Desert Women’s Care assesses all possibilities to find the correct diagnosis and implement the most effective treatment plan.

DESERT WOMEN’S CARE

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www.DesertWomensCare.com two convenient locations: 80 N. McClintock Dr, Suite 104 Chandler, 85226 9377 E. Bell Road, Suite 225 Scottsdale, 85260 Dr. Richard Demir

Women’s Hair Loss Why Does it Happen? & What can you do about it?

What used to be a “men’s condition” is now quickly becoming a female epidemic.

It is scary to think that you could randomly wake up one day and begin to see more hair on the pillow case and less on your head. For women losing their hair, it is a serious blow to femininity and the ideal vision of themselves. We are constantly cutting and coloring to make sure our hair looks the best it can. But what if one day the un-thinkable happens… and it falls out and doesn’t grow back?

1

Question: What causes women’s hair loss?

Answer: Female hair loss can be

caused by multiple factors, but the most common cause is an underlying genetic pre-disposition to hair loss known as androgenetic alopecia or female pattern hair loss. Unlike the popular myth that you inherit hair loss from your mother’s father, women can inherit hair loss from either side of the family. This means that women can inherit hair loss from men and vice versa. It is much more common than people know.

There are other factors that can cause hair loss or increase hair loss due to family history. They include stress, lifestyle, diet, thyroid disfunction, fungal infections, scalp parasites, and medications (most common hormone replacement and birth control pills).

2

Question: What do your clinics use to help women with thinning hair?

Answer: Depending on the reason for the loss, the treatment protocol will vary. Usually though for common female pattern hair loss the protocol is relatively similar. We a have a 9 month program that includes twice weekly office visits for cool light laser treatments for the scalp. This stimulates cell regeneration and is already approved to promote thicker hair. Our program also includes topical pharmaceuticals, hormone therapy balancing cream, nutritional supplementation, holistic hair care products, and topical scalp serums.

This is most aggressive treatment that we offer, but it works. When you use everything together the way that our program does, you are bound to get results.

3

Question: What advice would you give a woman who is dealing with this problem?

Answer: Find the source of the problem as quickly as possible and treat that problem. Don’t try to treat it yourself because it wastes time that could be spent growing hair back. I obviously would recommend to call us and then come in for a consultation. Worst case scenario, you can stop the progression of the loss. Best case, we can dramatically reverse your hair loss and regrow hair.

We have had numerous cases where a woman was wearing a wig or extensions when they started the treatment. Then 9 months later they were able to remove their wig permanently or stop getting extensions because their hair had gained so much volume and density.

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Question: Is there hope for women with thinning hair?

How do you control it?

Answer: There certainly is. There are

so many tools that can be used to control female hair loss and reverse it in many cases. Once you have established the reason for the hair loss and it can be treated with a variety of methods. Unfortunately, most general physicians simply don’t have the time or the knowledge to get a full understanding of why a woman is losing her hair. The female patient is then left combing the internet for solutions that rarely leads to any real answer.

5

Call today for your FREE Consultation

Question: How you do know what is causing your hair loss?

Answer: A simple patient history is the easiest way. Many women have blood tests for hormonal issues, thyroid dysfunction, iron levels, and vitamin D deficiency. Unfortunately this rarely produces any other cause other than normal pattern hair loss.

At our clinics we use a video microscope to analyze the condition of the scalp at 50x magnification. At this level we can tell if the client has loss due to stress, diet, infection of the hair follicle, or simple hormonally related hair loss.

6

Question: Is there maintenance required?

Answer: 99% yes. I usually tell people it’s like brushing your teeth. If you don’t brush them and go to the dentist, your teeth will rot and fall out. The same goes for your hair. If you have a genetic hair loss problem, you have two options; oneyou can treat the problem long term, or two- let your hair fall out and go bald. Clearly our clients choose hair.

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480-222-HAIR(4247) www.hairgrowthcenters.com

WILLIAM GAUNITZ, WTS

CEO of Evolution Hair Loss Institute

KELLY NIPPER, WTS Certified Clinical Trichologist

PUBLISHER

Steve T. Strickbine EXECUTIVE EDITOR

Christina Fuoco-Karasinski ASSOCIATE EDITOR

Breanne DeMore ART DIRECTOR

Dara Fowler

CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Julia De Simone, Jasmine Kemper, Michelle Talsma Everson, Tamara Juarez, Julie Lemerond, Steve Carr, Kenneth LaFave ACCOUNT EXECUTIVES Sheree Kamenetsky, Jane Meyer EDITORIAL INQUIRIES christina@timespublications.com PHOTOGRAPHERS Tim Sealy, Sam Nalven DISTRIBUTION SERVICES AZ Integrated Media EDITORIAL/ADVERTISING OFFICES

Valley Lifestyles Magazine 3200 N. Hayden Rd., Suite 210 Scottsdale, AZ 85251 Phone: (480) 348-0343 Comments: christina@timespublications.com www.valleylifestyles.com All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced without written permission from the Times Media Group. Photographs, graphics and artwork are the property of Valley Lifestyles Magazine. © Affluent Publishing LLC.

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FEATURES 28

february

CUSTOMIZED COMFORT

East of the 202 lies a whole new world of housing developments, where homes are designed to fit a range of lifestyle options. It’s a place with great schools, shopping, quiet neighborhoods — and sometimes even green grass.

By Kenneth LaFave

38

HEART HEALTHY

Valentine’s Day 2015 brought Jan Siedler chest pressure and pain. By the time she knew it was a heart attack, it was almost too late. Dr. Suzanne Sorof, whom Siedler credits with saving her life, talks about how heart attack symptoms are different in women than in men.

By Christina Fuoco-Karasinski

44

BRIGHT LIGHTS, SMALL CITY

Dining, museums, live entertainment, blackjack and slot machines. Could this be Las Vegas? Think closer and smaller: Laughlin, Nevada.

By Christina Fuoco-Karasinski

READ

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february DEPARTMENTS 11 UPFRONT | 480 IT’S PERSONAL

When her son was diagnosed with leukemia, Patti Luttrell didn’t think only of him. The registered nurse co-founded the Children’s Cancer Network, a resource for families “from diagnosis through longterm survivorship.”

16 TRENDING THREADS 16 PLAY ME, I’M YOURS

16

18 HAUTE ITEMS: Healthy Heart 20 SLIMMING DOWN 22 A CINDERELLA AFFAIR 24 ‘PARTY’ GIRL 26 DOUBLE UP

51 FOOD & WINE HENHOUSE CAFÉ 55 YOU GOTTA TRY

51

56 TOO EASY! 58 IN SEASON: Lemons 60 RESTAURANT GUIDE

62 10 GREAT DATES 64 LAST WORD

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VALLEY LIFESTYLES MAGAZINE | FEBRUARY 2016

UpFront 480 TRENDS | PEOPLE | CULTURE | STYLE

IT’S PERSONAL PATTI LUTTRELL TURNS SON’S FIGHT WITH CANCER INTO MISSION TO HELP OTHERS

BY JASMINE KEMPER PHOTO BY TIM SEALY

Patti Luttrell is the one of the most kind-hearted people you’ll ever meet. As the co-founder and executive director of the 501(c)(3) nonprofit Children’s Cancer Network, she works to help Arizona families who are battling childhood cancer through fundraisers, programs, support and education.

“We’re there from the moment of diagnosis all the way through long-term survivorship,” Luttrell says.

Childhood cancer is no stranger to the Luttrell family. In 1993 her then-5-year-old son Jeff Luttrell was diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukemia. Jeff has spent 22 years of his life battling cancer.

Luttrell and her family were lucky when it came to the diagnosis.

She is a registered nurse who worked at Grand Canyon University for nine years; she and her husband had stable jobs, good health insurance and the support from many friends and family.

“I think we had a lot of connections, but we see so many families who don’t. That can make a huge difference in coping

VALLEY LIFESTYLES MAGAZINE | FEBRUARY 2016

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with this rollercoaster that cancer throws you on. We don’t want any family to feel as though they’re alone,” Luttrell says.

In fact, the inspiration for Children’s Cancer Network stemmed from something the Luttrell family witnessed while Jeff was at a Tucson hospital for a bone marrow transplant. The young girl in the room next door had passed away, and her family didn’t have enough funds for gas to get back home to Phoenix.

“When we learned that the family didn’t have enough money to put gas in their car it just didn’t seem fair. They just lost their child [and] they had to worry about things like gas,” Luttrell says.

Her daughter, Jenny, who was 16 at the time, told her mom from that point on they were going to make a difference.

“Our very first funds were actually utilized for gas and food cards because of that initial story,” Luttrell says. “We learned that gas and food are two of the highest needs for Arizona families that are battling cancer.”

The Children’s Cancer Network was a grassroots idea that started in 2004 and now has more than 130 volunteers. The nonprofit organization has given those who want to help a platform to do so.

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TRENDS | PEOPLE | CULTURE | STYLE

Continued from page 12

GRAND CANYON UNIVERSITY’S RUN TO FIGHT CHILDHOOD CANCER. FAMILIES AND VOLUNTEERS JOIN PARTNERS WITH GCU AND PHOENIX CHILDREN’S HOSPITAL TO RUN AND FIGHT CHILDHOOD CANCER.

“People want to make a difference, but most often they don’t know how,” she says.

One of its newest programs is called Honoring Our Peers Everyday (HOPE). This program helps kids return to school by educating their peers about childhood cancer.

“Their friend may look different or act different. They might be more tired or they might be bald. They might look a little different but they are still the same person,” Luttrell says.

One of the events coming up is the Run to Fight Children’s Cancer at GCU on March 12. Started by a man who is a cancer survivor himself, the run was meant to bring awareness and benefits the Children Cancer Network and the Phoenix Children’s Hospital.

“My favorite part is the survivor tent and the survivor’s walk. That is so inspirational, the families and all the kids wear superhero capes because they are cancer-fighting superheroes,” Luttrell says.

The Children’s Cancer Network does an excellent job with providing resources such as clothing, food baskets, admission bags and toys.

In addition, they offer an incredible amount of emotional support. It can sometimes take more than three months to

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VALLEY LIFESTYLES MAGAZINE | FEBRUARY 2016

“INSPIRATIONS” FASHION SHOW

receive counseling. The Children’s Cancer Network saw the need for counseling and recently funded a part-time family therapist position for the Center of Cancer and Blood Disorders, which they hope to turn into full-time within the next year, Luttrell says.

She and Jeff recently met with a family at the Phoenix Children’s Hospital whose 10-year-old was diagnosed a few days earlier and she was humbled by her son’s words for the family.

“At the end we were saying our goodbyes and Jeff stepped forward and he took the mom’s hand and he said, ‘Stay strong, you can do this.’” VLM Children’s Cancer Network, 6150 W. Chandler Boulevard, Suite 1, Chandler, 480.398.1564, childrenscancernetwork.org

"... so inspirational, the families and all the kids wear superhero capes because they are cancerfighting superheroes..."

How to stay happily married.

February is the month of LOVE. It also happens to be the month with the highest number of divorce filings and requests for Orders of Protection.

Something about the promise of Valentine’s Day seems to make it a day many people choose to get married or get divorced. Let’s face it, no one wants their marriage to fail. So what can you do to safeguard your marriage?

I have been a divorce attorney for the last ten years and have spoken to literally thousands of people facing or considering divorce. I’ve also been married for 13 years and my husband and I have four children. As you may imagine, I’m a bit obsessed with staying happily married. I’m not an expert and all I can offer is observations. With that being said, here are the three things that are key to staying happily married.

1. Make a “deal breaker” list. This is the behavior that you cannot live with or tolerate over the long term. These include the obvious like cheating or abuse, but they may also include things like spending large amounts of money without talking to one another first, controlling you through money, belittling you or being non-supportive and critical, or a particular parenting style or strategy that you do not condone. This list will be highly personal to you. You may have not even thought about it. But you should. It’s key to staying happily married.

2. Course-correct early and often. Getting to a place where one or both parties wants a divorce does not happen overnight. Many times, one spouse has been ignoring bad behavior for years. Sometimes, they may never have even told their spouse that his or her behavior is on the “deal breaker” list.

If you don’t communicate with your spouse, and commit to making him better, you are setting both of you up for failure.

3. Spend time together having fun and planning for your future! It’s easy to get into the grind of work, kids, cooking, and cleaning, and fail to make time to have fun with your spouse. This is doing something you both enjoy, not tagging along to Top Golf if you hate golfing. It’s also critical that you plan for the future together. If you aren’t headed in the same direction, staying happily married may be next to impossible.

What do you think? Have I missed something? Many of you have probably been married longer than I have. Let me know what you think. We can connect on Facebook, LinkedIn or for lunch!

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480-649-2905 • 1744 South Val Vista Drive, Suite 205 Mesa, AZ 85204 VALLEY LIFESTYLES MAGAZINE | FEBRUARY 2016

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TRENDS | PEOPLE | CULTURE | STYLE

TRENDING

THREADS

Looking for the latest fashion trend to incorporate into your life? So are we. Ahead you’ll find the hottest clothing, purses or accessories in the East Valley to complete your look.

1.

GREEN CANVAS JACKETS Winter in the East Valley is far superior to the blizzard the East Coast was buried under. However, Arizona’s weather can be a bit temperamental this time of year. Will it be 58 degrees with a freezing breeze or 68 degrees with warm sunshine? The easiest—and cutest—way to deal with this issue is a green canvas jacket. Layering isn’t a new idea but this piece is the perfect weight to make it successful. Here are three of our favorites in varying price points.

2.

3.

1. Canvas Field Jacket, $45 at Old Navy at Shoppes at Gilbert Commons. 2. Canvas Army Jacket, $425 at Barneys New York at Scottsdale Fashion Square. 3. Hinge Fatigue Jacket, $88 at Nordstrom at Chandler Fashion Center

PLAY ME, I’M YOURS

BY CASEY BLAKE

I

PHOTOS BY SLAVEN GUJIC

The dusty piano displaying family photos in your childhood living room is about to get a makeover. In fact, 24 donated pianos from across the Valley are being transformed into playable works of art for a Mesa Arts Center project slated to be unveiled later this month.

Street Pianos Mesa will pop up along the city’s streets for a six-week installation beginning March 1 and staying through April 9.

Mesa will be the first Arizona city to host the international project that was conceived by British artist Luke Jerram in 2008. Jerram created the project as an experiment, as a way to activate urban landscapes and get people talking to one another, through a language often thought to be universal—music. The Street Pianos project was so successful and engaging in its first iteration that it has since been recreated in 50 cities across the globe, including Paris, Hong Kong and Melbourne, and it has been seen by more than 10 million people.

When the pianos are installed in Mesa, you’ll find them in accessible public locations like the local library, on the corner of Main Street in downtown, and at the Oakland A’s ballpark. They’ll all be wearing this simple invitation: Play Me, I’m Yours. Anyone and everyone will be encouraged to take their turn at the pianos, which have been thoughtfully made over by community groups teamed up with accomplished lead artists.

When you stumble upon one of these pianos along the street, will you stop to play? Could you resist? The good news is you won’t have to.

Follow the project and get the latest details at streetpianosmesa.com. VLM 16

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TRENDS | PEOPLE | CULTURE | STYLE

Healthy HEART

Ask any doctor what’s the best prescription to maintaining a healthy heart, and it would include a focus on diet, exercise and mental health—primarily avoiding stress and getting more sleep. Oh, and laughing a lot helps, too!

Here are a few items to get you through any matters of the heart.

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VALLEY LIFESTYLES MAGAZINE | FEBRUARY 2016

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TRENDS | PEOPLE | CULTURE | STYLE

SLIMMING DOWN GILBERT WOMAN LOSES—AND KEEPS OFF—NEARLY 100 POUNDS

BY MICHELLE TALSMA EVERSON

Like many people, Gilbert resident Cynthia Dales admits that she’s “always been heavy.”

The extra weight she carried around was a factor in several health conditions, she says, including degenerative disc disease, high blood pressure, pre-diabetes and more.

In fact, when she was pregnant with her daughter, who is now a teenager, she developed gestational diabetes. In late 2014, Dales decided though to do something about the extra pounds—a decision that has resulted in nearly triple-digit weight loss.

Inspired by her husband, who had full gastric bypass surgery, Dales, a business manager for a local church, investigated her options at the Bridges Center for Surgical Weight Management at St. Luke’s Medical Center. In September 2014, she underwent a vertical sleeve gastrectomy.

According to ObesityHelp.com, the procedure “generates weight loss by restricting the amount of food (and therefore calories) that can be eaten by removing 85 percent or more of the stomach without bypassing the intestines or causing any gastrointestinal malabsorption.” The operation is labeled as “purely restrictive” and is often an alternative to the Lap-Band procedure.

“The gastric sleeve surgery is a major surgery and a big deal,” Dales says. “But I would do it again in a heartbeat.”

Dales says that she opted for the surgery because she wanted a way to lose the weight and keep it off for good. The process leading up to the procedure involved navigating insurance requirements and other paperwork; preparing through classes (the Bridges Center offers related courses); and going on a liquid program before surgery took place.

“The recovery period for the surgery was a few weeks, and there’s a learning curve of getting used to liquids and the vitamin regiment,” she says. “By October [2014] I was back in the gym.”

Once she was back in the gym, Dales says that a “switch flipped” in her mind. “I thought, ‘Wow, I can start doing things,’” she says.

She began kickboxing and participating in marathons. She began to see food as a fuel, she explained, and now focuses on smaller meals

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VALLEY LIFESTYLES MAGAZINE | FEBRUARY 2016

and good proteins. As of December, a little more than a year after surgery, Dales had lost nearly 100 pounds and is strictly now in maintenance mode (maintaining the weight loss but not losing any more).

“By December 2014, so a few months after surgery, I no longer needed my blood pressure medications,” she explains. “My doctor was recently excited to tell me that I no longer had any health risks and didn’t need to lose any more weight.”

Today, Dales remains active by running marathons that give back to charity as a way to pay her good health forward.

Because of her active lifestyle, she says, she consumes more calories than a typical bariatric patient but is still successfully keeping the weight off. She noted that she’s lost 65 inches total, from head to toe.

“Cynthia’s bariatric surgery helped her to not only achieve her weight loss goals but also to set some new goals for the person she wanted to be,” says Dr. Daniel T. Fang, a bariatric surgeon for the Bridges Center for Surgical Weight Management at St. Luke’s Medical Center.

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“We provided her with a comprehensive program to help her achieve healthy, long-term weight loss. She now has lower blood pressure and is leading a truly healthy lifestyle. We couldn't be more proud to watch her progress, first-hand, and see her confidence flourish.”

“Weight loss surgery is not an ‘easy way out,’” Dales adds. “I like to share my story to let others know that there is hope, and sometimes, surgery can be an extra tool to achieve their weight loss and health goals.”

Dales says that the surgery, and her hard work at living a healthy lifestyle afterward, has changed her life dramatically for the better.

“The surgery gave me a mental shift; I could do this, I could lose the weight, this was the real thing,” she says. “There is hope out there, you can reach your goals. Now, I’m trying to pay it forward, because regaining my health has been a true gift.” VLM

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VALLEY LIFESTYLES MAGAZINE | FEBRUARY 2016

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TRENDS | PEOPLE | CULTURE | STYLE

A CINDERELLA

Affair

PROM PROGRAM GIVES EVERYONE A SPECIAL FEELING

BY STEVE CARR

The magic of Cinderella never fades.

Even today, 319 years after Charles Perrault added the pumpkin, fairy godmother and glass slipper to Giambattista Basile’s first written version of the story Walt Disney made famous, the Fairy Godmother’s admonition rings clear: “Nonsense child. If you’d lost all your faith, I couldn’t be here. And here I am.”

And she remains, not with a wand and a bibbidi-bobbidi-boo, but with many smiles, helping hands and thousands of free ball gowns that have come to mean the annual Cinderella Affair is at hand. Now in its 14th year, the East Valley Women’s League’s (EVWL) Cinderella Affair offers free gowns, shoes and accessories for high school juniors and seniors to choose from.

“The biggest part of the Cinderella Affair is making the girls feel special,” says East Valley Women’s League President Christina McNamara. “It’s more than a dress and an outfit for one night. It’s to be there, help them find the perfect dress, give them hugs and tell them how pretty they look.”

This year’s Cinderella Affair takes place on three Saturdays— March 26, April 2 and April 9 from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. each day—at the Cinderella Affair Boutique, 411 N. McKemy Avenue in Chandler, in a space donated by EVWL member Traci Estenson and her husband.

High school girls statewide are invited. IDs are required.

“I chose a dress that was short, black and kind of ruffly,” recalls Raychelle Shumway, who first visited the Cinderella Affair Boutique in 2013 for her junior prom and came back last year to volunteer as a college freshman with her best friend, Becca Weinstock, both of Mesa.

“The dress was really cool and it made me feel so beautiful to put it on.”

Shumway and Weinstock are among more than 9,000 high schoolers who have selected from the thousands of donated dresses since 2002.

“I went with Raychelle in 2014 because she had been the previous year,” Weinstock says. “I loved it. There’s such a large quantity and they’re divided into different rooms by size to make it easy. You just go and have fun without a price tag and all the dresses are gorgeous.”

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VALLEY LIFESTYLES MAGAZINE | FEBRUARY 2016

the Cinderella Affair experience is an affair of the heart for the young ladies as well.

“They’re women you want to be when you grow up,” Shumway says. “They’re so happy, full of energy and so kind.

They’re helpful to every single girl coming though the door and so selfless with their time to do this for girls to be able to get dresses for formal dances.”

Even waiting in line to get into the boutique is pleasant because “the women are there with baskets of cookies and smiles. They’re always so sweet.” Weinstock says, adding that volunteering only deepened the connection. “We were just freshman in college when we volunteered and were the youngest ones there. But they were so welcoming to us. We’re basically the same age as the girls we were helping. You can feel the sense of community within all of them.”

Tara Stainton, who founded EVWL with her sister, Tracy Worischeck, in 2001, continues volunteering at the Cinderella Affair that started as a high school project for a member, Gloria Fox, and her daughter, Megan, “to make a difference in our community.”

“I don’t know that I ever thought it would be as amazing as it is,” Stainton says.

With 56 active members, the East Valley Women’s League has quietly gone about the business of giving back, looking only to make other lives better.

FAR RIGHT: Becca Weinstock, dressed in her Cinderella Affair gown, and her date head off for prom.

RIGHT: Girls from around the Valley line up for the chance to get beautiful prom dresses.

BOTTOM: Two teens prepare to try on dresses at the annual Cinderella Affair event.

“Our members present a project and we all decide how to spend the money we raise” through two annual events, a signature gala, this year themed “Keys for a Cause” on Feb. 19 at Villa Siena in Gilbert, and the SEEDS for Autism Holiday Trunk Show in December.

The newest project is Kids in Transition with members loading quality school-sized hygiene products into knapsacks for delivery to “young people in transitional care, but not a foster home or group home,” McNamara says. “These kids end up spending the night at an office decorated to look somewhat homey. Lots of these kids come in with nothing. When we met with a youth advisory board created for their voices to be heard and asked what they needed most, they wanted things like deodorant, but good deodorant—hygiene products that we take for granted but for them it’s about dignity.”

There’s also Packing for Success (backpacks for students), Homebound Women (gifts and friendship for women in the East Valley) and support for Chemo Companions and the Children’s Cancer Network. EVWL members have also awarded more than $200,000 in scholarships to students attending ASU, Maricopa Community Colleges and in the Tempe Union High School District.

But it all comes back to the Cinderella Affair to really keep the magic alive. For more information, visit www.cinderellaaffair.org or www.evwl.org. VLM

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TRENDS | PEOPLE | CULTURE | STYLE

‘PARTY’ GIRL GILBERT’S LINDSEY STIRLING PENS MEMOIR ABOUT FAME AND MENTAL ILLNESS

BY TAMARA JUAREZ

Infectious electronic beats, carefree dancing and a violin. It’s not the usual recipe for success, but for Lindsey Stirling, it was enough to propel her onto the global spotlight.

Since her online debut in 2007, the dubstep violinist from Gilbert has enjoyed two chart-topping albums, sold-out tours worldwide and numerous musical awards. With more than 7 million subscribers and 1 billion views on her YouTube channel, Stirling’s unprecedented success can only be described as a tour-deforce as she prepares to record her third album and celebrates the release of her first book, “The Only Pirate at the Party.”

Through the book, the 29-year-old musician, named one of Forbes magazine’s 30 Under 30 in Music, shares stories of her unconventional rise to fame, quirky adolescence and struggles as a young artist with mental illness. “‘The Only Pirate at the Party’ is the story of how I turned into the person I am.” says Stirling. “It has everything from very humorous and fun childhood stories to deeper things, such as how I learned I had an eating disorder, and how I overcame anorexia and depression” Despite her tremendous achievements, Stirling credits most of her strength to past struggles and an unyielding desire to become a better person. By sharing her experiences, Stirling hopes to encourage readers to never lose hope.

“My road to success has been filled with a lot of failures along the way and a lot of disappointments,” she explains “But the most successful people are the ones that persevere and keep going through the failures, so I’m hoping that someone who wants to chase their dream will have the courage to do so and realize that there will be a lot of ups and down, and that it’s just part of the process.”

After being rejected by countless music reps and on national television during 2010’s “America’s Got Talent,” Stirling launched her career using social media, which many claimed would end in another failure. Fortunately, with the infinite support of friends, family and countless fans, Stirling was able to reach her goals.

Over the years, Stirling says, she has come to realize that one of her biggest challenges and triumphs has been learning to accept

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" It’s not like I try to stand out and be different all the time, but sometimes you just realize that you are different and that it’s OK to be different."

who she is, and embracing what makes her special.

“I don’t mean to be different,” Stirling says. “It’s not like I try to stand out and be different all the time, but sometimes you just realize that you are different and that it’s OK to be different.

“That’s what I want people to take away from that story and many other stories from my book: You can embrace what makes you different and it doesn’t have to make you feel alone, it doesn’t have to make you feel like an outcast. Differences can be wonderful. They can be celebrated. And I actually owned a huge part of my success to my differences rather than them being a huge setback.” VLM

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TRENDS | PEOPLE | CULTURE | STYLE

DOUBLE UP! GRAB A BUDDY AND GET FIT

BY JULIE LEMEROND

Whether we are out running on a trail, lifting weights, or in the gym on an elliptical, most of us are usually working out alone. This month, in honor of Valentine’s Day, let’s find ways to partner up our workouts. (Soulmate not necessarily required; any fun friend will do!)

Get in the water

Take a weekend day and make exercise an event. At most lakes and rivers in the area, various sports equipment is available to rent by the hour or the day. Renting a pedal boat and cruising around Tempe Town Lake is a great way to bond with each other while toning your thighs. Or maybe a kayak is more your style, letting your upper body do all the work while you glide through the water with your workout buddy nearby.

Like to bike?

Hit the pavement or the mountain trail together. We are blessed to live in an area that is outdoor-workout-friendly, so grab your partner and find a trail. The Valley boasts hundreds of user-friendly trails, and so many of them, while right in the heart of the city, feel as though you are out in the middle of nature at the same time. How fortunate we are...and also being able to get outside in the middle of February is a treat that most in this country can’t enjoy!

Take a hike

“The mountains are calling, and I must go,” stated a wise John Muir about a century ago. Grab your workout buddy and put feet to earth for a day. Our sunny Valley’s big backyard boasts hundreds of opportunities to get out into nature nearby, and trails can range from simple and paved to boulder-scrambling. Hint: whether taking an easy-breezy hike or finding the steepest trail possible, both are perfect to do with a companion.

Acro yoga

Nestled somewhere between gentle yoga and Cirque du Soleil, are the acro yoga fanatics. Make sure to find a safe class or group to join before trying the tricks on your own, but acro yoga is a fun way to partner up and play!

Partner up!

When basic crunches and sit-ups get boring, try a few core exercises with a friend. Here are a few fun ones to try with a medicine ball: Lay on the ground, knees bent, feet on the floor, facing toward each other. One of you holds the ball to your chest, and as you both come up, pass the ball off to the other. Continue repeating for 12 reps. Now turn and sit with your backs toward each other. One of you still holding the ball, twist toward each other (one turning left, the other turning right), and hand off the ball and switch sides. Continue letting the ball circle you for 12 repetitions.

Hello, obliques! VLM

FIND JULIE: on the web at julielemerond.com

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VALLEY LIFESTYLES MAGAZINE | FEBRUARY 2016

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NEW DEVELOPMENTS BOOST HOUSING MARKET IN EAST VALLEY

BY KENNETH LAFAVE

IN THE EAST VALLEY, THINGS ARE STARTING TO DEVELOP.

LEFT: Dennis Pyper and his wife Donna moved into a three-bedroom home in the Mulberry Neighborhood.

New housing communities in East Mesa and Gilbert, designed to attract a mix of families, young couples and retirees, have begun to pop up like the spring wildflowers on the slopes of the Superstition Mountains.

What’s the appeal of living east of Loop 202?

“Less traffic and fewer people, but two malls nearby,” says Dennis Pyper (pronounced “piper”), who last fall moved with his wife Donna into a three-bedroom home in the Mulberry Neighborhood, a Blandford Homes development at Signal Butte and Guadalupe roads.

“And there’s a lot of diverse activities here,” adds Donna Pyper.

“The pool, the fitness center—the community center presents different classes; yoga is starting up soon.”

Donna, retired from the pharmaceuticals industry, says her youthful interest in painting was rekindled by a class at the Mulberry community center, which she has since followed up with oil painting classes at Mesa Arts Center, a short drive from home.

Mulberry has sold 170 homes since its opening last March.

“We sold 34 homes the first day,” recalls Ernie Haycraft, one of the sales staff at Mulberry. “People camped out for five days to get one of the first 34 lots.”

With Donna retired and Dennis semi-retired—he consults as a CPA on a part-time basis—the area was a fairly obvious choice, compared to the frenzy of the central corridor or the densely populated West Valley. But young families also find far-east living amenable, with highly rated schools and friendly neighborhoods among the selling points.

“Great schools, new shopping centers and restaurants, and abundant recreational activities are just a few reasons why the East Valley is extremely popular among new home buyers,” says Ken Peterson, vice president of sales and marketing for Shea Homes.

Shea opened Ambition at Eastmark, north of Ray Road between Ellsworth and Signal Butte roads, in January.

Peterson adds a component that’s easy to take for granted, but rare in the increasingly built-up greater Phoenix area: nature.

“Arizona’s natural beauty really shines in this area, with the Superstition Mountains offering not only great views, but also ample hiking and mountain biking trails. Nearby lakes are perfect spots for enjoying water sports,” Peterson says.

ARIZONA’S NATURAL BEAUTY REALLY SHINES IN THIS AREA, WITH THE SUPERSTITION MOUNTAINS OFFERING NOT ONLY GREAT VIEWS, BUT ALSO AMPLE HIKING AND MOUNTAIN BIKING TRAILS.

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MULBERRY’S MOST UNUSUAL FEATURE ... YOU NOTICE THE YOUNG TREES THAT LINE ALL THE STREETS, AND THE GROUND AROUND THEM IS ... GREEN

Planned communities in the past have had a reputation for sameness and even sterility. “They’re all made out of ticky-tacky, and they all look the same” went the song parody, “Little Boxes.”

But as developers have recognized the demands of varied tastes and the needs that vary from demographic to demographic they have offered more individualization in floor plans, exteriors and interior modifications. Ambition’s four plans—which range from a threebedroom, two-bath, 1,723-square-foot home, to 2,869 square feet that include between four and six bedrooms and 3.5 baths—admit of customization depending on the buyer’s personal interests. Shea calls the modifications “outdoor-centric,” “entertainment-centric” and “kitchen-centric.”

Mulberry takes customization about as far as it can go, with 16 floors plans from 1,700 to 4,300 square feet, and exterior color schemes that defy the image of the monochrome typical development.

“Instead of six shades of tan, we offer 31 color schemes—in shades of white, brown, yellow, green,” says Haycraft. Combined with the fact that Mulberry’s homes are sited on multiple elevations, the effect is that “it looks like you bought a lot and built your own house.”

Mulberry’s most unusual feature takes a while to sink in.

When you arrive, you wonder what’s different. Only after a while do you notice the young trees that line all the streets, and the ground around them is...green. Mulberry (where, ironically, none of the trees are mulberries) eschews the “desert look” for a more Midwestern look. Association rules dictate that yards must be covered in real or artificial grass.

The growth of the far East Valley was sparked by the decommissioning of Williams Air Force Base in the year 2000, says land owner Jeff Cooley. Cooley is the namesake of Cooley Station—900 acres in the Gateway area between Recker and Williams Field roads, and Power Road and the railroad tracks.

When the Town of Gilbert obtained the former Air Force land, it hired planners to do what they do—come up with a plan.

“What they came up with was a 60-acre village center along Williams Field Road from Recker to Power,” Cooley says.

The village is still in the planning stages, but Fulton Homes has anticipated the need for housing—in a big way.

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PROMOTING A “TRUE COMMUNITY SPIRIT” ... THROUGH AMENITIES SUCH AS AN EVENT PAVILION, PLAYGROUNDS AND BASKETBALL COURTS

LEFT:Tree lined boulevards lead you to the centrally located Club at Mulberry Park, no more than a 5 minute walk from anywhere within the community. Offering a large aquatic pool, fitness studio, tennis, pickelball, basketball, party terrace, large indoor club room with kitchen, playgrounds and huge event lawns.

ABOVE: Desert Contemporary Architectural Style is just one of the options at Shea Homes’ newest community, Ambition at Eastmark. Pictured here is the 3581 Desire Plan; This Shea Homes 3583 Hope Plan at Ambition at Eastmark features Early Spanish Architectural Style.

VALLEY LIFESTYLES MAGAZINE | FEBRUARY 2016

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“Fulton has built about 180 units on 23 acres in the area, but there’s most of 96 acres that it’s set to close on March 31. If they do close on that, there should be between 1,400 and 1,500 new units in the next five years,” Cooley says.

That number of homes will be demanded, Cooley says he believes, by the presence of the Williams Field Road village center, which he envisions as “the equal of downtown Tempe” for variety and sophistication of shops and restaurants.

Development of the far East Valley has been slow, partly because infrastructure was at first lacking. It took four years after the Williams Air Force Base decommissioning to get the land zoned and to start to work laying necessary improvements. Work was halted for a time after the 2008 financial crash, and has only recently picked up in earnest.

Now, however, it is as if floodgates have opened. The quiet environment, convenient access to freeways for travel to other parts of the Valley and the nearby presence of stores and eateries are key, but another factor pulling people to the area is a hard-todefine “sense of community.” Peterson talks of promoting a “true community spirit” at Ambition through amenities such as an event pavilion, playgrounds and basketball courts. Mulberry retains an activities director for its residents. More than 300 people showed up for the development’s first Christmas party last year.

The Valley east of the 202 isn’t exactly pioneer territory. A five-minute drive from Mulberry puts one in the middle of a commercial complex that features those dichotomous twin symbols of contemporary life, side-by-side: In-N-Out Burger and L.A. Fitness.

And yet, a bit of a rural feel clings to the area, at least for now. When the Pypers walk their dogs, Indie and Maple, they stop by a fenced-in area to visit a neighborhood donkey and feed it some carrots.

But history shows that new communities don’t usually have a long time to enjoy connections to the land. Famed architect Frank Lloyd Wright once said that anyone looking to build a house should choose a site “10 miles” from the edge of the city, even if it lacks infrastructure. He followed his own advice when he bought the land for Taliesin West, which in the 1950s had no water and no power. Taliesin West is now smack in the middle of a bustling urban community.

If the builders of the next East Valley homes were to follow Wright’s advice, they would find themselves at the doorstep of Apache Junction and on the way to Gold Canyon.

There used to be a belief that the I-10 between Phoenix and Tucson would someday be filled with city. Now it seems the urban corridor may lead somewhere other than the Old Pueblo.

Who’s ready for a Phoenix-to-Globe metro area? VLM

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Heart Healthy AFTER ILLNESS, JAN SIEDLER CHERISHES EVERY DAY

BY CHRISTINA FUOCO-KARASINSKI

JAN SIEDLER HAD AN ORDINARY VALENTINE’S DAY

in 2015, until she felt a severe pressure in her chest.

"It felt like a weight on my chest,” she says. “I felt it the evening of the 14th, late. It was very scary.”

She didn’t care to head to the emergency room in the middle of the night, so the Mesa resident tried her best to sleep, to no avail.

“I should have gone to the emergency room,” she recalls. “I waited until the morning and my

husband took me to one of the clinics. The doctor said it was no big deal, but I probably should have it checked out at the hospital.”

She was having a heart attack.

Siedler ended up traveling to Banner Heart Hospital via ambulance. When she arrived at the facility, she was immediately rolled into the operating room where Dr. Suzanne Sorof inserted a stent to open a blockage.

“She went in and opened it,” Siedler says.

“She basically saved my life.”

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Leading cause of death

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, heart disease is the leading cause of death for women in the United States. The most recent statistics—from 2009—state heart disease killed 292,188 women.

The organization also reports that 64 percent of women who die unexpectedly of coronary heart disease had no previous symptoms.

Women have the same risk factors as men for having a heart attack—smoking, sedentary lifestyle, diabetes, high cholesterol and family history.

“You have to know what your family is bringing to the table,” says Sorof, an interventional cardiologist with Cardiovascular Associates of Mesa.

When it comes to symptoms, however, a woman will feel differently than a man.

“If a woman’s having a heart attack, she will have chest pain, sure,” Sorof says. “Sometimes—a good proportion of the time—she’ll have a shortness of breath and feel really fatigued.”

Arm, shoulder and back pain is common as well.

“Our disease is much more diffused,” Sorof explains. “We have smaller blockages because our vessels are much smaller than a man’s. There’s a different distribution.”

To avoid a heart attack, there are the usual tips: eat healthy, start an exercise regimen after checking with a doctor, etc. But, Sorof says, the key is to “know your numbers.”

“Have a checkup every year,” she says. “Know your sugar. Make sure you’re not diabetic. Symptoms of

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diabetes are thirst and blurred vision. Have your glucose checked. If you’re borderline diabetic, make sure that hasn’t changed.”

Women older than 50, like Siedler, should have stress tests.

“I have patients who are very, very thin,” Sorof says. “They can be vegans but their cholesterol can be very high.”

She sometimes chalks that up to the familial history. Children of obese parents should see a pediatric cardiologist at a young age because they are at risk of having diabetes.

Sorof knows her stuff. As an interventional cardiologist, Sorof runs the gamut of care, from checking blood pressure to fixing a blockage.

“We have extra training to learn how to fix things,” she says.

Most of the patients she sees in her practice are women because females prefer to see female doctors.

“I have a lot of male patients,” she says. “But I take care of a lot of female patients. I take care of patients during pregnancy and after pregnancy.

Some patients get sick while they’re pregnant. I do a little of everything.”

Women

... heart disease killed 292,188

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heart back

Rehabilitation is used to bring your

Exercise is key

Now retired from the City of Mesa where she worked as a signal system supervisor timing the municipality’s traffic lights, Siedler started exercising regularly after she went through cardiac rehabilitation.

“Rehabilitation is used to bring your heart back, hopefully, to functioning a little stronger and it’s through Banner Heart Hospital,” says Siedler, who is married with five children.

“There you will go through monitored exercise and start to build up slowly. It was very helpful.

The education classes were helpful, too.”

She admits that she was a little worried that her heart function wouldn’t fully return and she would be limited in what she could do. She watches her 3-year-old, 18-month-old and 16-month-old grandchildren. The courses gave her a better understanding of how the heart functions.

“It was a broader base than just my problem,” she says of the subject matter. “It was just interesting to me to better understand the heart.

It helps me appreciate how the body works a little better.”

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The most important lesson she learned?

“I think the thing that was important to note is that, through the whole thing, I couldn’t believe it was really a heart attack,” she says. “I was shocked when they took me by ambulance to the hospital and I went right in and had a procedure done. It was scary because it was unexpected and, as it was going on, I didn’t realize how bad off I was.” VLM

“Our disease is much more diffused, we have smaller blockages because our vessels are much smaller than a man’s.

There’s a different distribution.”

— Dr. Suzanne Sorof

VALLEY LIFESTYLES MAGAZINE | NOVEMBER VALLEY LIFESTYLES MAGAZINE | FEBRUARY2015 2016

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6 hour drive

OUR DESTINATION VACATION, NO MORE THAN 6 HOURS FROM THE VALLEY

Bright

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VALLEY LIFESTYLES MAGAZINE | FEBRUARY 2016

Lights,

SMALL CITY LAUGHLIN OVERWHELMS WITH MORE THAN GAMBLING

BY CHRISTINA FUOCO-KARASINSKI

VALLEY LIFESTYLES MAGAZINE | FEBRUARY 2016

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6 hour drive

Whenever I thought of Laughlin, the first thing that popped in my head was “gambling.” I’m not much of a gambler, so I was a little hesitant to travel over the Arizona border into the city that sits on the Colorado River.

Boy was I wrong.

As the bright lights of Laughlin came into view on a Friday after a three-and-a-half-hour trip, we were geared up and ready to explore.

Our tour guide from the convention and visitors bureau kept us busy from day to night. After checking into our room at the Golden Nugget and having a meal at Café Aquarius in the Aquarius resort, we strolled over to the docks for a 90-minute narrated scenic boat cruise. It was the perfect introduction to Laughlin. We cruised up and down the Colorado River, checking out the skyline. It was a little chilly, but we sipped hot cocoa and bundled up. The brisk weather was a nice respite from Arizona, but the best was yet to come.

We easily defrosted during dinner at Guy Fieri’s El Burro Borracho at Harrah’s Laughlin. The dishes at the Mexican restaurant have a kick to them, so look out. But we went for the ideal antidote—strong margaritas.

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A little haggard, we ate nonetheless. This time we had breakfast at the Pioneer Hotel and Gambling Hall’s Bumbleberry Flats, which serves, let’s say, generous meals— and killer bumbleberry jam, a combination of every berry imaginable. (It even has beer taps at some tables!) Then we headed out on a 45-minute drive back over the bridge to Oatman. Now, if you’ve never been to Oatman, you’re seriously missing out. It’s a former mining town off Route 66, complete with shootouts—and wild burros begging for food and attention up and down the main drag. The key to mixing and mingling with the burros is not to feed the

... we strolled over to the docks for a 90-minute narrated scenic boat cruise. It was the perfect introduction to Laughlin.

VALLEY LIFESTYLES MAGAZINE | FEBRUARY 2016

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6 hour drive

... visiting Riverside Resort to see the movie theaters, bowling center, Kids Castle and classic car museum, were well worth the trip alone.

babies, which are marked. And be sure to follow this directive, or the townies will come down on you.

We made brief stops in Bullhead City and Laughlin Ranch, before visiting Riverside Resort to see the movie theaters, bowling center, Kids Castle and classic car museum, which was well worth the trip alone.

While we were in Laughlin, we had to do what the locals do—see a show. Our choice? “The Price is Right Live,” a traveling show that hit the E Center in the Edgewater Hotel this particular night. None of us were chosen to play, but we were totally into rooting for contestants facing Cliff Hangers and Plinko, the latter of which was won by a young man on dialysis.

The Showcase Showdown didn’t yield a winner, unfortunately.

The whirlwind trip wrapped up with a Sunday brunch at Windows on the River Buffet. We toasted our tour guide with mimosas and hit the road back to the Valley thoroughly impressed. VLM VALLEY LIFESTYLES MAGAZINE | FEBRUARY 2016

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HEARTY AND

Sophisticated BREAKFAST IS A FEAST AT GILBERT’S HENHOUSE CAFÉ

BY KENNETH LAFAVE PHOTOS BY TIM SEALY

ABOVE: Mom’s Homemade Pancakes are a favorite at the Henhouse Café, especially when accompanied by the maple syrup made in-house.

They say breakfast is the most important meal of the day. Chances are, after eating breakfast at Gilbert’s Henhouse Café, it will also be the most delicious meal of the day.

“Food is a passion for me,” says Maureen “Mo” Grebe, who owns Henhouse, a breakfast-and-lunch restaurant, with her husband, Brett Grebe.

Those are easy words to say, but the food at Henhouse proves them true. If there’s any doubt, try Mo’s Texas Eggs Benedict ($9.29)—with cornbread instead of English muffin, carnitas-style pork in lieu of Canadian bacon, and Hollandaise spiked with smoky Hatch chiles—or the strawberry cheesecake-stuffed French toast ($8.29). Of course, just to be sure, stick around for lunch and try the chicken-fried chicken ($8.99) or one of Henhouse’s halfpound burgers ($7.99 to $8.99).

“I’ve always been good at cooking, and with five kids, I had to be creative,” Mo Grebe says.

That creativity has become her trademark.

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food&wine

FOOD SPOTLIGHT

OPPOSITE: Henhouse Café features many different takes on Eggs Benedict. Pictured is the Texas Eggs Benedict, with carnitas instead of Canadian bacon, and Hollandaise flecked with Hatch chiles.

LEFT: The strawberry cheesecake-stuffed French toast is one of chef Mo Grebe’s recent inspirations.

MIDDLE: Brett and Mo Grebe opened the first Henhouse Café in 2010. Now they own two locations, both in Gilbert.

BOTTOM: The Santa Fe omelet, filled with cheese and sausage, is topped with guacamole and tortilla strips.

“I have to contain myself and keep from coming up with too many dishes.

If I didn’t, we’d have a five-page menu,” she says.

As it stands, Henhouse’s three-page menu is a stunner. Combining familiar, hearty fare with a sophistication born of Mo’s love for French cooking, it offers such unexpected contrasts as a biscuits-andgravy breakfast where the gravy is flecked with chorizo (with two eggs and potatoes, $7.99), and a lemon-blueberry pancake topped with mascarpone, the Italian dessert cheese ($5.49).

Henhouse’s menu presents only two problems. One is that the portions are big enough to share. And the other is that Mo is ready to come up with something new as soon as the meals on the menu are exhausted.

“She’ll wake up at 3 a.m. and say, ‘Honey, I’ve got another idea for a special,’” says Brett of his wife’s creative urges.

“Then she’ll stay up researching ingredients until the restaurant opens.”

The quality of ingredients is just as important to Mo as her highly original recipes. She bakes her own cornbread, grinds her own sausage, cooks Henhouse’s distinctive green chile sauce, and prepares the restaurant’s maple syrup every morning by boiling maple sugar in an enormous coffee urn.

She buys only organic coffee beans, and the orange juice is squeezed daily from fruit grown locally.

That fresh, warm maple syrup tastes amazing on one of the menu’s most astonishing creations: Mom’s Homemade Pancakes ($8.49). It’s a short stack, just two pancakes. But each one is 15 inches in diameter. Bring a friend—or three.

“My job is to run the floor, shake hands and pour coffee,” Brett says. And there are a lot of hands to shake. Henhouse Café opens at 6:30 a.m. daily and by 6:40, Brett says, as many as four tables or booths are already occupied. On a recent Tuesday morning visit, eight of the restaurant’s 14 tables and all seven of its booths were occupied by hungry patrons.

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food&wine

ABOVE: The Crunchy French Toast features Hawaiian bread dipped in vanilla bean custard batter, coated with crunchy cereal, topped with whipped cream and a cherry.

Though Mo worked in restaurants as a teenager, and her brother had worked as a sous chef for a French restaurant, neither she nor Brett had ever run or owned a restaurant as of seven years ago. Just how did he, a former professional athlete with a minor league pitching career, and she, a onetime employee of the Environmental Protection Agency with a master’s degree in environmental science, get into the business of feeding Gilbert the best breakfast it’s ever had?

It started with a round of golf.

“I played at Arizona Golf Resort with a group called The Wild Bunch,” Brett recalls. One of the group was selling his sports bar when Brett, recently retired from baseball, offered to take it over rather than see it shut down. Originally called The Old Bench Warmers, the 5,000-square-foot facility was redubbed Mo’s on the Green when Mo started serving breakfast there on Saturday and Sunday mornings.

“Breakfast got to be pretty popular, and then one day Mo tells me, ‘Honey, I kinda did something. I took the suite next door.’”

The suite, formerly a dentist’s office, became the first Henhouse Café. That was in 2010. In 2012, the couple moved their business to the present location at 3244 E. Guadalupe Rd. Last fall, the Grebes opened a second

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location at 3133 S. Lindsay Rd., also in Gilbert but just enough to the west to accommodate the clientele that Brett noticed was coming from as far away as Ahwatukee.

The Grebes believe in giving back to the community by offering discounts to all military, police and fire department personnel. Missionaries of the Church of Latter-day Saints eat for free. And when Highland High School Band needed a pancake breakfast fundraiser, Mo and Brett Grebe sponsored it at the Henhouse.

What’s the secret to the Henhouse Café’s success?

“The meals that hit the tables here are the same meals she feeds her kids and me,” Brett says. VLM

HENHOUSE CAFÉ: 3244 E. Guadalupe Rd. Gilbert 85234 (480) 219-7379 3133 S. Lindsay Rd. Gilbert 85295 (480) 899-4214

YOU Gotta

Try:

PRICKLY PEAR CHEESECAKE

BY BREANNE DEMORE

Tim and Joan O’Connor worked in catering, restaurants and hotels for years until they both realized exactly what they wanted to do. Nearly 20 years ago, they opened Honey Moon Sweets Bakery & Dessert Bar in Tempe where they mainly sold wholesale treats to hotels and restaurants.

Then, about seven years ago, they opened up their retail dessert bar to customers looking to walk in and see what they have.

Guests are welcome to check out whatever overflow of their wholesale orders they have in the cases or can order their favorites ahead of time to ensure they will be there. The bakery recommends that guests call ahead to see if their favorites are still available or to ask that their desired desserts be put aside until they can get in to the store later that day.

One such scrumptious sweet is their prickly pear cheesecake. Honey Moon came up with the dessert when their properties were asking for

Southwest-inspired desserts and it has quickly become a mainstay. The delicacy is made with a shortbread cookie crust and a New York Cheesecake base infused with prickly pear juice. Honey Moon then pours a perfectly tart prickly pear glaze over the cake and tops it with whipped cream.

Tart yet sweet and creamy, this cheesecake is perfectly balanced and hits all the right notes. VLM

SHARE THE PRICKLY PEAR: HONEY MOON SWEETS BAKERY & DESSERT BAR 606 W. Southern Ave., Tempe (480) 517-9520 honeymoonsweets.com

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EASY RECIPE

Too Easy!

Brownie in a Mug This treat is the perfect recipe when craving some chocolate goodness. In just a few minutes, a warm brownie will be ready to eat!

WHAT YOU’LL NEED:

• ¼ c. flour • ¼ c. sugar • 2 tbsp. cocoa, natural and unsweetened • pinch of salt • small pinch of cinnamon • ¼ c. water • 2 tbsp. canola oil • 1 to 2 drops vanilla extract

DIRECTIONS: 1. Combine flour, sugar, cocoa, salt and cinnamon in a microwave safe mug. Stir with a fork or spoon to remove any clumps.

2. Add oil, water and vanilla to the mixture. Stir until there are no clumps.

3. Cook on high in a 1000-watt microwave for about 1 minute and 40 seconds.

4. Let cool slightly and serve warm with ice cream. *Recipe courtesy of simplyrecipes.com

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SUPER SIMPLE RECIPES FOR BUSY-BUT-HUNGRY FAMILIES

VALLEY LIFESTYLES MAGAZINE | FEBRUARY 2016

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food&wine

IN SEASON LEMONS

LEMONS

BY BREANNE DEMORE

This time of year, the trees in the Valley are sagging with the weight of lemons, oranges, grapefruits and limes. Citrus loves our desert winters and although we love that citrus right back, sometimes it is difficult to come up with new and inventive ways to prevent all that fruit from going to waste.

Although the history of lemons is unknown, they are thought to have first grown in northeast India, northern Burma or China. You can thank ancient Romans for bringing the fruit to Europe in the first century AD. For many centuries, lemons have been used in a wide variety of foods, drinks and medicines. Used widely for cocktails and baked goods, lemon juice can also be used as a short-term preservative for foods that tend to oxidize and turn brown, such as apples and avocados.

Lemons aren’t just for eating though. They have a wide variety of uses in the home and in beauty. A very simple body scrub can be made from lemon juice, sugar, olive oil and honey. The juice is used in many DIY home cleaners and a halved lemon itself can be used as a scrubber for several surfaces. VLM

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Green Beans with Lemon and Garlic INGREDIENTS:

2 pounds green beans, ends trimmed • 1 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil • 3 tbsp. butter • 2 large garlic cloves, minced • 1 tsp. red pepper flakes • 1 tbsp. lemon zest • Salt and freshly ground black pepper DIRECTIONS:

1. Blanch green beans in a large stock pot of well salted boiling water until bright green in color and tender crisp, roughly 2 minutes. Drain and shock in a bowl of ice water to stop from cooking. 2. Heat a large heavy skillet over medium heat. Add the oil and the butter Add the garlic and red pepper flakes and sauté until fragrant, about 30 seconds.

3. Add the beans and continue to sauté until coated in the butter and heated through, about 5 minutes. Add lemon zest and season with salt and pepper. *Recipe courtesy foodnetwork.com

< Lemon-Cucumber

Cocktail INGREDIENTS:

3 10-oz. bottles of club soda • 1 c. gin • ¼ c. lemon juice • 12 thin slices lemon • 12 thin slices cucumber • 12 sprigs fresh mint, for garnish DIRECTIONS:

1. In a large pitcher, combine the club soda, gin and lemon juice. 2.

Place a lemon slice and a cucumber slice in each of 12 glasses. Add 1 cup crushed ice to each glass. 3. Pour the gin mixture into the glasses and garnish each with a mint sprig. *Recipe courtesy foodnetwork.com VALLEY LIFESTYLES MAGAZINE | FEBRUARY 2016

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RESTAURANT GUIDE

SOCAL FISH TACO COMPANY, the coastal California-inspired food café, has given Gilbert’s Heritage District a surf vibe. From the East Valley family which established Mesa’s Seafood Market three decades ago, SoCal Fish Taco Company is a beachcomber’s take on today’s gastropub, serving premium microbrews and quick, zesty, affordable food in unfussy under-roof and under-the-stars patio settings. Fish tacos, wraps, fresh salads, crab cakes, large shrimp, raw oysters and chowder in a bread bowl: This is food you buy on the beach or from taco stands near the beach in El Segundo, Marina del Rey, Manhattan Beach and Coronado Island. This is food that brings thoughts of the waves, billowing blue sky and feet-in-the-sand summer memories.

219. N. Gilbert Rd., Gilbert (480) 80-SOCAL (76225) www.socalfishtacos.com Mon-Sat: 11am-9pm, Closed Sundays

CALLING ALL BREAKFAST LOVERS! If you haven’t been to the Henhouse Cafe you are truly missing out. You’ll feel right at home with the friendly atmosphere and shabby chic decor. Our food is purchased locally from farm to table, We even make our own sausage in house. It’s high quality comfort food that will delight your taste buds The menu is bursting with egg items from the griddle to chicken and waffles. The homemade sausage and homemade green chile sauce is so delicious!! We don’t think you can go wrong with anything on the Henhouse Cafe menu.

3133 S. Lindsay Rd., Gilbert (480) 899-4214 3244 E Guadalupe Rd., Gilbert (480) 219-7379. www.henhouse-cafe.com Mon-Sun: 6:30am-2:00pm

THE LIVING ROOM WINE CAFÉ AND LOUNGE has been drawing crowds since their openings in Chandler’s Downtown Ocotillo, and in Scottsdale at Market Street at DC Ranch. The locally owned group is expanding into Tucson and set to open their innovative wine concept in beautiful La Encantada shopping center, mid-October. The Living Room is all about hospitality and staying true to their mantra of love, laugh and lounge. All ages are welcome. The Living Room is truly the modern day version of the Irish Pub and neighborhood uncrushed hangout; Its a chill lounge. Delicious sharable food, 25 wines and sangrias by the glass, a handpicked list of wines by the bottle, beers and spirits. Fall weekend brunch. Sit in soft seating areas or on one of the cozy patios.

Open daily at 11 am 2475 W. Queen Creek Rd., Chandler (480) 855-2848. www.livingroomwinebar.com

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ROCK LOBSTER IS THE SUSHI ROOM reinvented. Promising fun, energy and the authentic creativity of Teppanyaki. Rock Lobster has 25 menu items and all of The Sushi Room favorites. A huge Sake line-up, Asian beers and spirits add to any occasion.

The Teppanyaki room is perfect for special events and celebrations. This is Downtown Ocotillo’s place to party, an exciting night out and affordable for families. Happy hour daily. Reservations are suggested for the Teppanyaki tables.

2475 W. Queen Creek Rd., Chandler (480) 821-9000. www.rocklobsterrocks.com

AN UPSCALE CASUAL RESTAURANT bringing authentic Creole Cajun Cuisines to the east valley. Featuring made-from-scratch dishes straight from the chef’s grandmothers’ kitchen in Louisiana. Offering many staples such as Gumbo, Étouffée, Po Boy’s and red beans and rice made with homemade Andouille sausage. Not to mention the hearty Bayou Bucket full of fresh crawfish and shrimp all flown in from Louisiana’s Gulf Coast and full of flavor.

Celebrating Fat Tuesday and Mardi Gras starting 2/9/15 5070 S. Gilbert Road #400, Chandler (480) 895-1655 www.creolecajunbistro.com Tuesday-Saturday 11am - 10pm Sunday 11am - 7pm Closed Mondays

CHoP CHANDLER is Chandler’s first locally owned steakhouse and grill. Featuring steak, seafood and the new burger bar menu.

Simply prepared seasonal fish and nightly specials are cooked to perfection on the seven-foot mesquite hardwood grill. Salads, fresh vegetables, desserts, vegetarian and lighter fare options also grace the menu. The energetic social atmosphere is amplified around the U-shaped bar. The intimate interior is filled with amber lighting, wood finishes and plush chocolate leather booths.

Enjoy an extensive wine list, beers and spirits.

Happy hour 4 to 6 pm. ChoP’s private dining area will accommodate parties of 50, is equipped and perfect for business meetings.

Open daily at 4 pm 2625 W. Queen Creek Rd., Chandler (480) 821-0009. www.chopchandler.com

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datebook

GREAT DATES

Waste Management Phoenix Open THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 4 THROUGH SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 7

The annual PGA Tour is back in the Valley for another round of golf and record-breaking crowds. More than 560,000 fans attend the thrilling event annually. First-time visitors shouldn’t miss the infamous 16th hole. Tournament Players Club, 17020 N. Hayden Rd., Scottsdale, wmphoenixopen.com

Phoenix Chinese Week’s Cultural and Cuisine Festival FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 12 THROUGH SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 14

In celebration of the Chinese New Year on February 8, Phoenix is hosting a three-day festival downtown. Visitors can observe classic Chinese performances, purchase arts and crafts and taste authentic dishes. For younger ones there is a Children’s Pavilion that provides hands-on activities and crafts. Margaret T. Hance Park, 1202 N. Third St., Phoenix, phoenixchineseweek.orgm

Waterfront Fine Art and Wine Festival FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 12 THROUGH SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 14

The fifth annual festival boasts numerous artists and musicians at this sophisticated event. Stroll along the waterfront sampling wine and gazing at stunning art. This year, the featured artist is Meg Harper. Inspired by nature, she paints animals with abstract colors and creates whimsical masterpieces. Downtown Scottsdale, 7135 E. Camelback Rd., Scottsdale, thunderbirdartists.com/waterfront

Sinatra Sings Sinatra THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 4

Frank Sinatra Jr. collaborates with the Phoenix Symphony to create a spectacular tribute to his iconic father at the Mesa Arts Center. The multimedia concert features videos, stories, photos and his dad’s music. Mesa Arts Center, One E. Main St., Mesa, (480) 644-6500, mesaartscenter.com

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Scottsdale Arabian Horse Show THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 11 THROUGH SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 21

More than 2,400 Arabian horses from around the world compete annually in this prestigious show. Along with horse competitions, there will also be over 300 vendor booths, seminars and gala parties. WestWorld of Scottsdale, 16601 N. Pima Rd., Scottsdale, scottsdaleshow.com

Cirque de la Symphonie FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 19 THROUGH SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 20

Cirque de la Symphonie joins forces with the Phoenix Symphony at the Mesa Arts Center to perform a breathtaking show. The famous show includes jugglers, contortionists and aerialists among its repertoire of performers. Music such as selections from “Candide” and “Carmen” will be played by the Phoenix Symphony in harmony with the death-defying stunts. Mesa Arts Center, One E. Main St., Mesa, (480) 644-6500, mesaartscenter.com

Barrel and Board THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 25

Corks and Cactus

Spend a night sampling craft beer from brewing companies such as SanTan Brewing Co., Arizona Distilling Co. and Dry Fly Distillery. Paired with the beer are whiskey samples and unlimited cheese. After sampling various beers, attendees vote on their favorite one. Every ticket comes with a souvenir tasting mug as well. The MonOrchid, 214 E. Roosevelt St., Phoenix, (602) 253-0339, scottsdalefest.org/barrel-board

SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 20 THROUGH SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 21

Mingle with representatives from a variety of wineries at the Desert Botanical Garden to sip and discuss wine. Each day, patrons can sample more than 40 different types of wines while viewing cooking demonstrations and live entertainment. Wines will also be available for purchase at $35 or less. Desert Botanical Garden, 1201 N. Galvin Pkwy., Phoenix, (480) 941-1225, dbg.org

PHX Vegan Food Festival SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 27

Top vegan vendors and restaurants from around the Valley partner with artists and musicians to create the ultimate vegan experience.

Throughout the day, chefs display demonstrations of vegan-friendly recipes. Along with a children’s area, there are also two stages with musicians who will perform. Phoenix Theatre and Phoenix Art Museum Campus, 100 E. McDowell Rd., Phoenix, davissonentertainment.com

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last word

FINAL THOUGHTS

‘LOVE WITH NO REGRETS’

BY BREANNE DEMORE

A year ago this month, tragedy struck my family. I won’t go into detail to spare those close to the situation, but two lives were lost suddenly and countless lives were affected.

I’m not sure I will ever forget going over to my parents’ house after work that day and seeing my mom standing in the kitchen with so many emotions running across her face. When she told me, I felt like something actually hit me in the stomach. I grabbed my chest to make sure I was still breathing.

It was one of those events that makes you want to grab every single person you love, put them in a room with you and lock the door.

It has now been a full year and although I have been able to carry on with my life, I still find myself thinking about this every day and wanting desperately to find a way to prevent anything like it from ever happening again.

There is a song on the radio right now called “Like I’m Gonna Lose You” by John Legend and Meghan Trainor. Having it on in the background in the car will lead you to believe it’s a just sweet love song, but upon a closer listen, it exemplifies everything that I’ve taken away from this event in the past year.

“In the blink of an eye/ Just a whisper of smoke/ You could lose everything/ The truth is you never know/ So I’ll kiss you

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longer baby/ Any chance that I get/ I’ll make the most of the minutes/ And love with no regrets.”

It’s nearly impossible to constantly live like there is no tomorrow. We all have work to go to every day, bills to pay and errands to run. If we were truly living our lives to the fullest we would all be skiing in the Alps, surfing in Australia or hiking to Machu Picchu right now, but that is just not practical.

It is very hard to find the extraordinary in the mundane of our everyday lives, but I truly believe that we should all make an effort to do so. Getting particularly excited about grabbing lunch with your friend at work, sending your best friend a text telling them you’re thinking about them or even telling your husband that he looks good in that color are all small ways that we can enrich our lives—and the lives of those around us—just a bit more.

Although I know that I can’t actually lock everyone I love in a room with me and protect them from pain, I can do something.

I try to remain more present when I’m with others, hug for just a second longer, make sure that my loved ones know that I love them and scratch behind my dog’s ears for just a little bit longer. I don’t want to live my life constantly in fear, but I do want to make sure that I “love with no regrets.” VLM