Top of the Valley - Deem Hills Recreation Area

Last winter, the City of Phoenix opened a new park in Stetson Valley, a Phoenix subdivision adjacent to our own. I was not impressed - it seemed that all that the park included was several soccer fields and a small children's play area. What a shame that the dozens of acres that the city had set aside for public recreation was left undeveloped. Land that for decades has primarily been used and abused by hunters, target practice shooters, ATV'ers, illegal dumpers, and partiers, all of whom have left a devastating amount of debris and destruction upon what was once pristine Sonoran Desert. I was disappointed - if it were cleaned up a bit, this area in the Deem Hills would be a prime location for some excellent hiking trails.

Later in the year, sometime in the fall, I noticed that there appeared to be a trail parallel to Happy Valley Road cut into the hill behind the Stetson Hills subdivision. My wish must have come true! I went to the Deem Hills Recreation area and now found that the city had indeed built some new trails over the summer. My maiden hike in late November, with my husband and visiting mother, found us plodding happily along several miles of new, well-graded trails.

Since then, my husband and I have found a new favorite in the Ridgeline Trail, which runs off from a trail that circumferences the highest hill, zigzagging its way up to the top, then switchbacks back down to the main trail. The views are amazing. From the ridge, you can see pretty much the entire Valley of the Sun and its surrounding mountain ranges - the Bradshaws, White Tanks, South Mountain, Estrellas, McDowells - even Weaver's Needle in the Superstitions! You can also see glimpses of Lake Pleasant, the reflection of windows on hillside mansions in Carefree, Piestewa Peak, Shaw Butte, the hills of Thunderbird Park, and up-close-and-personal views of Ludden Mountain and Pyramid Peak.

Miles of the CAP canal are seen from here. I can even pick out my own house from the middle of one of the hundreds of subdivisions visible from this point. Hot air balloons make a regular appearance, seeming to almost graze the hill to give their passengers a thrill. We often sit atop the hill close to dusk watching them go by, land in the close by desert, and take off again.

We've now hiked this trail at least a dozen times this winter.  The ~4 mile trail connects to a community trail that flanks Stetson Valley along the canal, all the way to a block away from my house, making a perfect 7 mile hike from my doorstep. I'm thrilled that the City of Phoenix has answered my wish for a trail system so close to home!


Below is a map of the Deem Hills Recreation Area trail system. The trails are still being improved, but are already a favorite among hikers, wanderers, horseback riders, and mountain bikers.

Spicy BBQ Chicken Marinade

If to you the thought of eating low-fat poultry meat is bland and boring, try this out - your taste buds will be in for a treat!

This marinade recipe is based on a Portuguese specialty called “piri-piri” chicken, utilizing ground native piri-piri peppers (originally from Africa but now the pride of Portugal) rather than cayenne or other ground peppers. Not sure if piri-piri is available here in North America in grocery or specialty stores but if you can find it, try it out – it adds a nice flavour.

The marinade is absolutely marvelous for BBQ chicken pieces, but I imagine it would taste equally yummy on other grilled or baked meats or seafood (I've done it with shrimp and it was fantastic! Will have to try it on scallops).

1 cup EVOO
1.5 TBS piri-piri pepper or cayenne pepper or ground chili pequin / Thai chilies
.5 TBS paprika
4-5 cloves minced garlic
2 tsp sea salt
.5 tsp ground oregano
2 tsp lemon juice
.5 tsp ground pepper
.5 tsp sugar
 
Put the above in a tightly sealed jar, shake briskly, and keep in the fridge for a few weeks to meld flavours. Take out every day or two for a couple of hours to un-congeal (is that a word?) the oil, so you can shake and mix the ingredients more.
 
Recipe based on 1 cup of oil should cover 25-30 pieces of chicken. I usually use only 1/4 cup at a time, for 6-8 pieces of chicken. 8 hours is enough to blend the flavors in the jar, but the longer the better. Marinate the chicken or other meat in the fridge at least 8 hours or longer for the most intense flavour.
 

Be sure to remove the extra fat and skin from the chicken pieces before marinating or the grill could flare up and burn the chicken.
 
Grill on medium-high heat for about 45 minutes (based on thick breasts or thighs) or until juices run clear. 

For chicken Tandoori, you may add 1 TBS Turmeric, 1 tsp. gharam marsala, a small amount of red food coloring (optional), and increase the lemon juice to 1 TBS. Turmeric is full of cancer-fighting anti-oxidants.
 
I haven't tried it yet, but might some time add tequila and use lime juice to make tequila-lime chicken; or some bourbon and brown sugar to make bourbon chicken.

You could also try this oven-baked, with the chicken pieces coated with seasoned bread crumbs after dipping in milk, for a “Fried” chicken that would make the Colonel come back to life.

Feel free to modify as you wish.

Bom apetite!

Smile in the Sky

Yesterday around 5:00 pm, as Jason and I were chillaxin' in the pool, we were treated to a rare sight in the hazy Phoenix sky - an upside-down rainbow. Never in my *mumble* years on earth have I seen such a thing.

No, our eyes weren't playing tricks on us, and we hadn't had four-too-many frosty beverages. Apparently, this was an optical phenomenon that happens when atmospheric pressure, the angle of the sun, and the ice crystals in cirrus clouds have a party.

According to Wikipedia.com (from where I copied this photo), "It is rarely noticed because it occurs so far overhead, but in fact is relatively common. Cirrus clouds which cause a sun dog can cause a circumzenithal arc when they reach the zenith, if the Sun is low in the sky."

True, I probably wouldn't have noticed the arc, had I not been wearing polarized sunglasses. It wasn't nearly as bright, colorful, or perfect when they were taken off. The Technicolor arch faded in and out for about an hour, sometimes showing only two colors, sometimes more brilliant than a regular rainbow.

Yet another spectacular masterpiece by the world's greatest artist, Mother Nature!

Dry Heat

A phrase heard often in Phoenix is "But it's a dry heat". Dry heat or not, that's little consolation for those of us who inhabit the desert city. Today it's going to be around 112F degrees (~ 45C). Tomorrow it is going to be a degree or two hotter. If you can't imagine what that kind of heat is like, picture this:


You know that blast of hot air when you open the oven door, that's what it feels like when you open the door of your air conditioned home to go outside.

You will walk all the way across a parking lot in order to get the space with the tiniest bit of shade to park under.

You conserve your body temperature by walking very slowly.

You keep oven mitts in the car so you can touch the steering wheel.

Hot water comes out of both taps, no matter how long you let it run.

You have to drink water constantly to maintain hydration. If you see someone in public without water, you know they are either a tourist or an idiot.

Many people leave their garage doors open a foot to let the hot air escape.

The cute puppy in the right margin of this blog refuses to walk on the sidewalk and demands to be carried.

The temperature gauge on the BBQ reads 180 before it's been lit.

Ice cream for breakfast sounds like a good idea.

You can brew sun tea in the shade.

Never mind frying eggs on the sidewalk - you can grill hamburgers and roast marshmallows over the hood of your car.

Your summer electricity bill surpasses your mortgage payment due to A/C use.

You take two (or three) showers a day. And go through 21 pairs of undies a week.

The weatherman talks about a refreshing break coming when it is going to "cool down" to 105.

You jump in the pool to cool off, but it's more like a warm bath.


But it's a dry heat. We live with it. The heat is long forgotten when winter comes and we have the most lovely weather imaginable! In fact, I'm imagining it right now.

Tofu Lasagna

I love lasagna - it's one of my favorite foods - but traditional versions tend to cause some grief around the mid-line, if ya know what I mean. Ground beef, heaping piles of Parmesan and ricotta cheese, eggs, etc. are full of artery-clogging saturated fat. I recently made a more healthy version - with tofu. Tofu is a highly nutritious, protein-rich food that is made from the curds of soybean milk. It doesn't have much flavor of its own, but when the water is squeezed out of it, it readily takes on flavors of anything it is cooked with. This recipe uses tofu to replace the ground beef in typical lasagna.

Before you say "YUCK!", try it - you might like it! Here's how it's made:

Ingredients:

9 uncooked lasagna noodles

1 12oz block of extra-firm tofu, thawed from frozen, drained well

2-3 19oz cans of Italian style Diced Tomatoes (I used  fire roasted with garlic, and only used 2 cans. When I make this again I'll use 3)

1/2 medium onion, diced 

4 cloves garlic, minced

1 Tbs. lemon juice

1 Tbs. dried basil leaves

1 tsp. ground oregano

1/2-1 tsp. crushed dried chilis

1/2 tsp. pepper

1/4 tsp. ground nutmeg or allspice

1 large bottle of your favorite red wine

6oz frozen chopped spinach, drained well

2 egg whites, beaten

1/4 cup fat-free grated Parmesan cheese topping

2 cups low-fat part-skim mozzarella cheese

(feel free to use fresh ingredients if you have them!)

Here's what the Italians do - soak the noodles in hot water in the same pan you'll use for the lasagna. You'll have no need to boil them!

Squeeze as much water as you can from the tofu. With very clean hands (or use plastic gloves) crumble the tofu to a ground beef-like consistency, squeezing as much water out as you can. This will keep the sauce from being runny.

 Sauté the onion & garlic in a small amount of olive oil (not too hot!) until almost translucent, then add the crumbled tofu. Sauté a few more minutes, then add the spices, lemon juice, 1/4 cup red wine, tomatoes, and tofu. Simmer for about 10 minutes or longer, letting the flavors combine.

Beat the egg whites into a small bowl, and mix in the drained spinach and Parmesan cheese. Pour yourself a glass of wine and take in the aroma of the sauce as you sip it.

Spray the bottom of a 9x13" pan with olive oil or cooking spray, then line with 3 softened, expanded noodles. Evenly spread the spinach/egg mixture over them. Add a 2nd layer of noodles.

Spread 1/2 of the tofu/sauce mixture over the noodles. Sprinkle with one cup of mozzarella.

Add another layer of noodles, sauce, and cheese. Pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees. (175c) Pour yourself another glass of wine.  Tune your satellite radio to the Frank Sinatra station.

Cook the lasagna, uncovered, for 30 minutes, or until cheese is bubbly and just starting to brown. Finish off the bottle of wine and open another.

After cooking, let stand for 10 minutes. Get help cutting it into 8 servings and serve with red wine.

buon appetito!

The Canadian Snowbird in Arizona

A rusting mini-van with foreign license plates sits stopped in a Phoenix home-improvement store parking lot. Inside is an elderly man who is chatting through the van's open window with several men wearing work clothes, who are standing in a small group in the lot.

Along comes a police officer who breaks up the conversation to question the van's driver. "Sir, may I see your license please".

"Sure," says the grey-haired man, who digs the requested card out of his wallet.

"Sir, this is not an Arizona-issued document. I also see that you have plates that also are not Arizona issue. Can you explain."

The man replies "I'm from British Columbia".


"Where in Mexico is that?"


"It's actually in Western Canada."

"Then why were you speaking Spanish?" The officer asks, becoming less polite.

"To communicate better with these young men. I spend a lot of time in Mexico, in fact, I've been granted Permanent Residency there, so have picked up the language."

The officer peaks through the window into the back of the vehicle, where there is a pile of floor tile and grout. "I see you have been purchasing home improvement supplies. Are you planning on exporting them to Canada or Mexico?"

"Neither. Last Fall I bought a condo here in Phoenix, where my daughter lives. I'm doing some fix-ups. I live here in the winter."

"You LIVE here? Sir, I have reason to suspect you are here illegally. You were speaking Spanish, and attempting to pick up day-laborers who you should suspect are also here illegally, which is also a crime. Not to mention your outfit is strange for Arizona - nobody here wears short pants and a T-shirt when it is 40 degrees. I am required by the articles of SB 1070 for these reasons to determine your legal status."

The old man raises his eyebrows and replies "Well here's my Canadian passport, and my Mexican ID, if that helps, but I was just asking for directions..."

"Sir, Arizona law SB 1070 makes it illegal for you to be in Arizona without immigration papers. Without federal-issued documentation, and a lack of Arizona Driver License, I am required to take you to jail until your status becomes determined by a federal authority. You will be required to pay for the jail time until such time, plus a minimum $500 fine. This vehicle will be confiscated, and impounded as evidence. You will be deported if it is found you do not have legal status."

"But I'm a TOURIST!"

"Sir, you claimed you live here, and have not produced a travel Visa which you would have if you are really a tourist."

"Actually, Canadians are exempt from having Visas, officer!" The old man states.

"Sir, don't make me add 'resisting' arrest to your charges. SB 1070 does not make special provisions for Canadians. We are to treat all immigrant aliens equally, not based on race or country of origin. Step out of the vehicle, please."

________________________


The above story is a (admittedly a bad) work of fiction, but it is a scenario that really could happen based on the way the controversial Arizona SB 1070 is written. I really hope that the provisions of the law that were stricken out by Judge Bolton are not placed back on the November appeal. I fear for my father (the very real snowbird with the mini-van) and all other tourists from out-of-state, and also for all legal immigrants, especially if they "look or act like an illegal alien."

We need immigration reform and badly. But SB 1070 is not the answer. I beg all Arizonans and visitors to Arizona to plead with Governor Jan Brewer to not appeal the provisions that were struck down as being unconstitutional. We do not need Arizona to be a "police state". I hate being political in a blog, but this is a very important issue which is close to my heart. Arizona is financially broke and doesn't need to lose any more much-needed tourist dollars! 

Arizona immigration law SB 1070 - Judge blocks some sections

This legal immigrant will get off the soap-box now. Please take a look at the cute puppy on the right of the page, and have a great day!

D.I.E.T results

Jason and I recently went on an experimental carbohydrate-restricted, high protein diet for a week (see last 2 blogs). As someone who is fascinated with the science of nutrition, the results didn't really surprise me.

After just the first day, both of us felt like we had swallowed a billiard ball whole, and that feeling lasted throughout the week. Jason complained daily about his disruptive bowel movements (thank me for not elaborating). Although we found it not-too-difficult to come up with satisfying meals, it did seem redundant to eat so many meat products (turkey, turkey-bacon, turkey-kielbasa, and ham - we do not like eating beef, in fact we usually don't eat red meat at all) and the same sides of cabbage, green salad, or broccoli. We also missed our high-fibre bread & cereal. I originally thought we may adhere to this diet for 2 weeks, but we weren't feeling very good, and knowing that restricting carbohydrates may be tough on the liver and other internal organs, we quit after one week.

So was it worth it? I lost .45% of my body weight and Jason lost .48%. He attributes his weight loss to exercising more that week, and mine could very well be normal fluctuation. In fact, in the few days since we resumed eating our usual low-fat, low-meat diet, I've lost another .8 pounds! So no, I'd say the diet was not beneficial in any way, and as predicted, I wouldn't recommend a long-term low-carbohydrate diet to anybody.

So much for the miracle diet. We're happy to be back to our usual way of eating!