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It is early December here is Arizona, and it feels like its Spring when you step outside. It has been holding in the mid to upper 70’s for the past week and a half, and now they say it may reach 80 degrees this weekend, in December! No complaints here….

It is definitely above average weather we are having. This is the ideal time to enjoy beautiful Arizona home rentals from Arizona Lodging Experts. Arizona Lodging Experts are a Phoenix Rental Property Management company with rental listings in many locations in Arizona, including Anthem, Carefree, Cave Creek, Fountain Hills, Goodyear, Mesa, Paradise Valley, Phoenix and Scottsdale. ALE (for short) excels in offering the best lodging available, with the most knowledgeable staff to assist you. Now is the time to enjoy a relax vacation in sunny Arizona in a furnished Scottsdale rental. With weather like this, the choices will go fast, so call today!

Arizona Lodging Experts
www.arizonalodgingexperts.com
866-785-2350
602-404-2982

The holidays always get me in a festive mood, no matter what the day throws at me. I look forward to Thanksgiving and Christmas every year, like a kid in a candy store. This year is even more special because my wife and I decided to build a homemade manger for our Nativity scene, so baby Jesus has a proper shelter. It was so easy and so much fun to make, and now we have a new homemade manger to showcase every year!

We started by buying a small package of wood shims at Home Depot, and two small wood walls. Then we made our way to the Hobby Lobby close to home and picked up a glue gun and some glue sticks and a bag of moss. Then we headed home and began to construct our manger. I used the wood shims for the roof, the back wall, and for the small corral for the donkey that Mary rode into Jerusalem on. Once the roof was completed, I made a wall for the back and then I glued the 2 side walls to the small back wall. Then, I created the small corral on the side for the burro that Mary rode. After the wall and roof were complete, we then began to glue the moss onto the roof, the back wall and the side walls. At this point, we could have stopped and been very proud of what we had created, but we went a step further. I created a small sign with the word manger in Hebrew, and we added a small North Star that you can see above the manger. My wife was almost in tears because she loves it so much. We felt really good about what we had created, and now we can enjoy it every holiday season for years to come.

It’s December 6th today, and the weather forecast for the next 7 days is mid to high 70’s, which is above normal for this time of year, so if you are looking for rentals in Scottsdale or any Arizona home rentals at all, then contact the experts at Arizona Lodging Experts. They are the premier Phoenix AZ Property Management, company and they offer lodging in many areas around the Valley of the Sun.

Happy Holidays to All!

I found a wonderful gift idea for the holiday, made by a local artist here in Arizona. It is called Refresh GlassFunctional Bottle Art”. The founder, Ray, has taken a green approach combining manufacturing engineering and art to craft a fun product that will make a difference for generations to come. A win-win for everyone. Ray has created an up and coming business by taking old wine bottles, cleaning them, removing the labels, then cutting the bottles into 12oz and 16oz sizes and turning them into art. Ray offers sets of 4 in Amber, Green, Gold, Clear and Antique. The founding story is a good read, so check it out! I think they would make a unique and memorable holiday gift, birthday gift, or any occasion really.

If you are looking for a great Vacation Rentals In Phoenix, with a ton of wonderful activities and events to enjoy, then you will want to contact Arizona Lodging Experts. They have premier properties in many areas in Arizona and they update their website with events and activities constantly, so for rentals in Arizona call the Arizona Lodging Experts today!

The holidays are in full force here in sunny Arizona, and it’s time you made your travel plans before all the good lodging is taken. In addition to the great year round weather we have here, there are a ton of great activities and events to enjoy as well, like the Barrett-Jackson Car Event January 17th-23rd and the Arabian Horse Show February 17th-27th, 2011, just to name a few. If you are looking for the best rentals in Arizona, then look no further. You can contact Spencer, Susan and Shea at Arizona Lodging Experts and reserve a luxury Condo, Home or Townhome in beautiful Arizona. With over 10 year’s experience, Arizona Lodging Experts is the premier Property Management In Phoenix. They offer lodging in Anthem, Carefree, Cave Creek, Fountain Hills, Goodyear, Mesa, Paradise Valley, Phoenix and Scottsdale, and some are pet friendly for all us animal lovers out there who must travel with your favorite pet. Don’t hesitate before it’s too late and call the Arizona Lodging Experts today!

Mr. Sutton            
Phoenix, Az

My wife and I wanted to share a local restaurant here in Phoenix that we just discovered this past weekend, with the help of our good friend & Phoenix Property Manager, Spencer, at Arizona Lodging Experts. The place is called Uncle Sam’s, and they actually have 3 locations here in the Valley of the Sun. The one we went to is located on Shea blvd, between the 51 Freeway and 32nd street. On their website at www.unclesamsaz.com they claim to have the only true Cheese Steaks, Hoagies and Grinders “this side of Philadelphia”, and after eating lunch there for the first time on Sunday, I have to agree with them. They have some really good sandwiches and tasty hot wings. My wife had the Mushroom Pepper Cheese Steak and 6 hot wings and I had the All American Hoagie, which has 6 meats and 2 cheeses. We really enjoyed the food very much and we look forward to our next visit. The best part is that Uncle Sam’s is only 15 minutes from our apartment in Phoenix, so we will become regulars in no time at all. So, whether you’re a local in Arizona, or a winter visitor enjoying one of many beautiful Arizona resort condos, we encourage you to stop by Uncle Sam’s and enjoy a great meal with family and friends. Your tummy will be very happy that you did.

“Az Crazies”

My wife and I would like to share our “Spicy Chicken Breast” recipe with everyone, so you can enjoy the amazing flavors and endless dinner possibilities that will come from this one simple recipe. So let’s get right to it!

Here are the ingredients you will need.
(Feeds 2 to 4 people)

4 Large Chicken Breast
Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Stubbs Moppin Sauce (12oz bottle)
Beef Broth
Salt & Pepper (and any other spices you love)

Now, I need to mention that you will be cooking this delicious meal in the oven for one hour and thirty minutes, so give yourself some lead time to make sure dinner is ready when you are ready to eat, okay.

First, you want to turn the oven to 325 degrees. Now let’s go ahead and clean the fat of the chicken breast, if needed, and butterfly any thicker breast into thinner pieces or cut them into two pieces if you want. Medium to small pieces is fine for this meal and they will cook just how we want them to. Now add your salt and pepper (to taste) and any other spices you enjoy. Remember, this is “spicy” chicken, so you may want to add some additional ingredients to make it a little hotter. Here are the spices my wife and I use in our dish which gives it a nice spicy flavor, but its not hot for wimps like me that can’t handle really spicy food.

Lawrey’s (about 6 to 7 shakes)
Garlic Sea Salt (grinder-3 or 4 turns)
Peppercorn (grinder 8 to 10 turns)
Black Pepper (grinder 8 to 10 turns)
Ground White Pepper (large pinch)
Mrs. Dash Southwest Chipotle (6 good shakes)
— next 4 ingredients 1/2 tsp each —
Ground Cayenne
Ground Paprika
Ground Chorizo
Ground New Mexico Chili Pepper

Now before you mix your spices and sprinkle them all over the chicken, put a little olive oil on the chicken so the spices stick like glue. Cover the chicken evenly with the wonderful spices. Next we want to prep our cooking dish. For the amount of chicken you have, you want to use one large pan or two mediums pans. First, add about 1 table spoon of olive oil to the bottom of the pan and 1/2 cup of beef broth. This will ensure the chicken doesn’t stick and stays nice and moist during cooking. Now, put your chicken breast in the pan nice and even (touching each other is fine) and cover generously with 1/2 a bottle of Stubbs moppin sauce. It should look something like this:

Spicy Chicken Breast
Spicy Chicken Breast

Next, put the chicken in the oven (middle rack) and set a time for 1 and 1/2 hours. Now, just sit back, enjoy a cold drink and wait for the magic to happen. For some amazing reason, which I am truly grateful for, the Stubbs sauce breaks down during the cooking process and mixes with the oil and broth to create this amazing spicy oil-juice that you can save and use on other dishes such as “Chef-Shea’s Spicy Chicken Green Chili Cheese Enchiladas”, which I will share with you another time, I promise!

(Sneak Peak)

Spicy Chicken Green Chili Cheese Enchiladas

Spicy Chicken Green Chili Cheese Enchiladas

Once you finally hear the timer go “ding”, it is time to sample some of the best chicken breast you will ever taste!

Spicy Chichen Breast 325 degrees - 1 1/2 hours

Spicy Chichen Breast 325 degrees - 1 1/2 hours

You can serve them any way you want to, maybe with a side of veggies and mashed potatoes and a side salad, or maximize your dish and make some tasty spicy tacos or spicy chicken cheese enchiladas. The chicken is fork tender now and full of great flavor. We hope you enjoy it as much as we do, and don’t forget to save the juices in the pan for later use.

Happy Eats Everyone!

And to all of our visitors that are renting our Vacation Rentals in Phoenix Arizona or any of the premier Homes, Townhomes or Condos from Arizona Lodging Experts, we hope you too can enjoy some wonderful home cooked meals and margaritas during your stay “thanks to great blogs like these”!

If they called Tombstone, Arizona, ”The town too tough to die”, then what would you call Jerome, Arizona? Maybe “The town too smart to quit”? I think that fits for now, especially since Jerome has suffered 2 seperate fires, one in 1894 and 1899, and rebuilt each time to become the historic town it is today. Jerome Arizona is simply a wonderful place to visit on a day trip with family and friends, or maybe you want to stay longer, if you have more time available in your schedule. There is so much to explore in this old mining town, and a lot of history to absorb, so pace yourself.

(P.S. Please forgive the old photos. We will get news ones soon, I promise)

Jerome, Historic Mining Camp Est. 1876

Jerome, Historic Mining Camp Est. 1876

House on the way to Jerome

Old House near Jerome

Jerome seems to have everything a person could want or need. You have several local bars that you can visit like the Spirit Room and the Jerome Brewery. Here is the Spirit Room, and again, forgive the crappy picture, but I wanted you to see what it looks like. Oh, buy the way, if you do stop by the Spirit Room and happen to find a charming old man playing the washboard with the band, then that would most likely be my father, Rick. He is fun to watch when he plays!

The Spirit Room

The Spirit Room

I wasn’t able to find a photo of the Jerome Brewery, which is all the more reason to go soon and take some new pictures, right? I agree! In the meantime, here are a few other my wife and I have taken in the past. We hope you enjoy them.

Old Truck in Mountain Wall

Old Truck in Mountain Wall

Jerome Winery

Jerome Winery

Local Artist Shop

Local Artist Shop

Stairs by my Papas home

Stairs by my Papas home

If you decide to eat something during your trip to Jerome, you have made the right decision. There are some local eateries that will delight you in many, many ways, with delicious homemade meals and home brews or regular spirits, which are available with every meal. Sodas for the children please, and for the designated drivers! You don’t want to drink and drive on these windy hills folks. When it is time to feed your hunger, you can stop by the Flat Iron Cafe and have a cup of coffee and a nice hot breakfast. Or swing by the Palace-Haunted Hamburger and have the delicious hamburgers they are so famous for. Our personal favorite is the Jerome Brewery where they serve a artichoke bruschetta and a 3 cheese pizza that are just unbelievable. Just talking about it made me hungry right now.

I would recommend that you take a scenic drive to Jerome the next chance you get, and really see for yourselves how much fun it is to walk around the streets of this old mining town and visit all the shops and local eateries. You will want to come back again and again, I promise.

Don’t forget to contact Spencer and Scott at Arizona Lodging Experts to reserve a beautiful home, townhome or condo and enjoy some of this amazing weather we have here at the Vacation Rentals in Phoenix AZ and all the local attractions like Jerome. It is just a short hour and a half drive from Phoenix to Jerome.

Toll free 877-276-5745
Local in Phoenix 480-429-3844

During our visit to Tlaquepaque in January, my wife and I found this cool little statue called “The Kiss”, created by Kim Kori.

"The Kiss"

"The Kiss"

The Kiss by Kim Kori

The Kiss by Kim Kori

It would seem that this little kissing frog has become a dry “wishing well” for many tourist, as you can see by the coins that lay in his hand and at his feet. My wife loves everything frog-related, so finding this statue during our visit was a nice surprise. Once we returned to Phoenix, we took a digital photo of our new froggy pal and we had it printed and framed for our apartment. My wife just loves it!

“This just goes to show that you can never tell when you with encounter something fun and memorable that will stay with you forever”.

Shea & Lolis
Phx, Az

Monday, February 15th, 2010
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13835 N Tatum Boulevard Suite 9-230, Phoenix, AZ 85260,Phone No. (480) 429-3844
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