My wife and I had a wonderful Easter weekend, which included homemade Fish Tacos and a visit to Scottsdale to dine with our Compadre Spencer. Spencer is the manager at Arizona Lodging Experts, the best property management in Scottsdale, Phoenix and the surrounding area. Spencer offers seasonal rentals in Arizona in premier Arizona Home & Condo rentals, and has for over 12 years now. He is the AZ Expert!

The weekend really started to shape up when my lovely wife Lolis came up with the idea to make homemade Fish Tacos on Saturday, so off we went to the grocery stores to get the ingredients we would need. We decide to go with 2 different types of fish, Tilapia and Cod, and we also decide to make our homemade Cole Slaw, which only seems to get better and better each time we make it.

In addition, Lolis made delicious homemade Chips, Salsa and Guacamole, and a Chipotle Mayonnaise, which wasn’t too spicy “even for a wimp like me”. My wife Lolis and Spencer both swear up and down that the tacos were pretty darn good, and they even told me we MUST add the recipe to our monthly gathering.

On Sunday, we headed off to Scottsdale to help our Compadre Spencer move his Tv stand from his old apartment to his new Pimp Bachelor Pad, then we had lunch at Zipps Bar & Grill on Camelback. It was a really nice weekend from beginning to end, if I do say so myself.

My wife and I went to Arizona Mills this past weekend and enjoyed a day of window shopping and lunch at Johnny Rockets, our favorite burger joint!

As we made our way around the mall, we came upon the Rainforest Café, which is described as a “Wild Place to Shop & Eat”.  We have had lunch at the Rainforest Café twice before and we love the tropical rainforest setting with indigenous creatures all around you, but the best feature in our opinion is the large fish tanks at the entrance and in the dining room. This is a great place to take the kids.

So the next time you are enjoying one of our premier Vacation Rentals in Ph0nix, AZ that you reserved through Arizona Lodging Experts, you can make plans to visit the Rainforest Café and have your own wonderful adventure. If you want to secure your own Scottsdale Arizona vacation, just call the experts at Arizona Lodging Experts at 602-404-2982 and 866-785-2350. They offer premier Arizona home rentals in many areas in the valley of the sun, including Phoenix and Scottsdale.

My wife and I had the pleasure of trying our friend Spencer’s homemade Seafood Spaghetti Sauce this past weekend, and we both agree, it was 100% delicious, not to mention the simple ingredients. It consists of Onions, Garlic, Tomatoes, Fresh Basil, Sea Salt, Cracked Black Pepper, Heavy Cream, Mushrooms and Fresh Parmesan. All ingredients were blended accept for the mushrooms. They were added after blending so they could become soft in the reheating of the now creamy sauce. Trust me when I say “It was a work of art.” It was like watching a great chef in a famous restaurant show you how it’s done by making this amazing dish look about as easy as making a box of Mac and Cheese. Lucky for you, I documented the entire process with photos that can be seen in the following slideshow. Enjoy!

Ingredients:
1 Sweet Yellow Onion
6 Cloves of Garlic
12 Roma Tomatoes
1 Lb of Shrimp
6 Large Scallops
1 Lobster Tail
1 Package of Sliced Mushrooms
Heavy Cream
Fresh Basil
Salt & Pepper

We hope that you might find the time to try one of our many recommended recipes while enjoying a wonderful vacation rental in Arizona provided by Arizona Lodging Experts. Arizona Lodging Experts has been offering premier property management in Scottsdale, Phoenix and the surrounding area for over 12 years now. Contact them for all your rental needs in Arizona.

I love to cook for my beautiful wife Lolis whenever possible, and there are several reasons why. We save money overall by not going out to eat, plus I feel that I can “whip up” a pretty darn good meal when I get the cooking itch! Case in point: This past weekend when I made Spicy Pork Chops with Roasted Garlic Mashed Potatoes, Coleslaw and Sweet Corn. Total cook time took about 2 ½ hours and everything turned out very, very good.

I started by cooking the pork chops, since they need to cook for 1 ½ to 2 hours at 325. This way they can cook slow and easy and come out tender as can be. In our large casserole dish, I added a little extra virgin olive oil and about a ½ inch layer of beef broth, so the chops don’t dry out during cooking. Then I mixed the spices for the pork chops, which included the following ingredients:

Black pepper
White pepper
Kosher salt
Chipotle powder
Chorizo powder
Garlic salt
Season all
Lawry’s season salt
Mrs. Dash lemon pepper
Ground Coriander seed
California chili powder
Cayenne
Paprika
New Mexico Chili Powder

Nothing too heavy, all in moderation and light on all salty spices, so the perfect balance. Cover every pork chops front and back with the great spice mixture and put in the oven for the first hour. Set the timer. Once the timer goes off, you want to take the chops out of the oven for a moment, grab a spoon and “spoon” some of the juice in the pan over the chops to marinade even more, then put back into the oven for another 30 minutes to an hour. Make sure your chops DO NOT dry out. You can add more beef broth if needed. At this point, you would begin the additional sides you intend to pair with your pork chops so everything it finished at the same time. Here are our finished pork chops that cooked for 2 hours at 325 degrees. Doesn’t that look good…?!

My goal is this. I am hoping that one day, maybe a rental guests who might be staying in a wonderful rental in Arizona provided by Arizona Lodging Experts, the premier property management in Phoenix, AZ, Scottsdale, and many other areas, might see my blog and try one of my meals and give me some feedback. I know my wife Lolis likes my cooking, and so do my sister Acacia, my niece Caitlin and my Papa Rick, but I am dying for some outside feedback, good or bad. That is my wish for 2011.

Spicey Pork Chops

Cooked To Perfection

Pork Chops, Coleslaw, Garlic Mashed Potatoes & Corn

This past Saturday, March 12th, it was 87 degrees here in Phoenix Arizona, so my wife and I decided to visit Desert Ridge Mall. Desert Ridge is less than 10 minutes from our apartment, so getting there was a snap! We decided stop by the Rock Bottom Brewery and have a cold beer before making our way to Fatburger for lunch. It was so nice to sit outside on the patio and enjoy a cold Pilsner beer with my lovely wife Lolis, while watching all the people “out and about” enjoying this amazing warm weather. I imagine all the visitors from out of state that are here enjoying a great rental property in Arizona are happy with this above average weather, especially our Canadian visitors. It has been a cold winter for many people. Many visitors that come to enjoy one of many Arizona home rentals do so because of the weather, so we welcome you with open arms.

After enjoying a few cold beers at Rock Bottom, we did a little window shopping as we past each store on our way to Fatburger. We like Fatburger more than In-N-Out burger, and of course a lot more than McDonalds and Jack in the Box. No comparison. Fatburger has well cook, made to order burgers which have a great flavor and fresh ingredients. I am glad we have a Fatburger so close to home.

If you have plans to enjoy a beautiful Phoenix or Scottsdale rental anytime soon, then contact the experts at Arizona Lodging Experts and they can assist you with your search. ALE “for short” can also help you with restaurant ideas, shopping ideas, you name it! They are the best at what they do and have proven so for over 12 years now. They are one of the only Phoenix Property Management Companies that can boast this.

Fatburger at Deset Ridge Mall

Great Burgers!

My wife and I had lunch with our good friend Spencer at the Thai House Restaurant in Mesa, Arizona, located on the N/E corner of Power & Southern. Spencer and Lolis have had Thai food before, so I was the “Thai Virgin” I guess. I know I can speak for all three of us when I say we have a wonderful meal and we would definitely recommend the Thai House to everyone we know. The portions were very generous, the taste was authentic Thai and the service was very good as well. The Mesa location was rather small with 5-6 tables and a small bar, but well worth the stop. You can have a sweet and savory meal made with coconut milk, or try a spicy meal from level 1 to 5 with some amazing Thai spices, “if you have the guts”.

For dessert, we do recommend that you try the delicious Fried Bananas, which we all found to be unique and tasty treat.

Below is a short video we made, so you could see how delicious everything was.

Thai House YouTube Video

If you find yourself staying in a wonderful rental home in Mesa, Arizona, you might want to try the Thai House during your stay. It will be a wonderful experience for your taste buds. The Thai House has 3 valley locations, so there might even be a Thai House close to you..!

If you need assistance finding lodging from experienced Scottsdale or Phoenix property management, contact Spencer, Susan and Shea at Arizona Lodging Experts at 602-404-2982 and 866-785-2350. They have over 20 years of personal experience combined offering premier Arizona Home Rentals and they are ready to assist you today!

The Arcadia Farms restaurant is nestled into the downtown area of Scottsdale and features a very French provincial feel. The owners name is Carolyn and not only does she have a flair in the kitchen but she has a real eye for detail as well. The interior has a design of an old French country theme done up with seating made out of wrought iron, chinz china and colorful pots and crocks.

Arcadia Farms is a great place for lunch from Monday – Saturday. On Sundays they feature a wonderful brunch with an additional menu if your appetite is on the lighter side. The additional menu features many different sandwiches and tasty salads as well as a complimentary pastry or bread selection. The menu is offered at 11am.

The springtime is a wonderful time to visit Arcadia Farms and have either a mimosa or also a kir royale to sip on while you look over the menu. The drinks with champagne are $6 each. They have a handful of sandwiches offered on the menu like a favorite is the herb roasted chicken n on top of a freshly made baguette roll which has been smothered with goat cheese, artichokes and pesto. The price of this selection is $12. You only have the choice of a couple sides but whichever you choose you will surely be pleased. You have a choice between the raspberry vinaigrette drizzled field greens or potato salad made with red potatoes. Some other favorite sandwiches are the ham with mozzarella and onion chutney atop of a fresh baked baguette for $11 or the Tuna salad sandwich which has been made with scallions, jicama, and pecans and smothered on sunflower wheat bread which is also $11, or if you prefer salad as your entree you cannot go wrong with the strawberry chicken salad for $13, the chicken cobb for $13 or the grilled vegetable salad for $13 as well. If you do not want meat in your meal you would be wise to choose the vegetarian tart that is made with goat cheese, mushrooms, and spinach and is served warm for $13.

In addition to the downtown Scottsdale location, (if you happen to be out looking for property management in Scottsdale, Az.) there is also a location in the Desert Botanical Gardens, The Phoenix Art Museum, and also The Heard Museum. All of these locations offer similar menus and pricing. The company also owns a bakery in downtown Phoenix called City Bakery where you can purchase many delicious homemade pastries, and a couple sandwiches decorate their menu. This is a great stop while on the art walk or during your museum tours.

Watch a vide here: Arcadia Farms

Locations:

Arcadia Farms Cafe

7015 E. First Ave., Scottsdale, AZ 85251 (480) 941-5665

Arcadia Farms @ Desert Botanical Garden

1201 N. Galvin Parkway., Phoenix, AZ 85008 (480) 481-8106

Arcadia Farms @ Phoenix Art Museum

1625 E. Central Ave., Phoenix, AZ 85004 (602) 257-2191

Arcadia Farms @The Heard Museum

2301 N Central Ave., Phoenix, AZ 85004 (602) 251-0204

City Bakery at The Bentley Projects

215 E. Grant St., Phoenix, AZ 85004 (602) 253- 7200

We would like to remind all of our winter visitors that there are a ton of great activities and events to enjoy in town during your stay in a relaxing home rental in Arizona. Many people visit Arizona year-round due to the great weather, and many of these activities go hand in hand. You can enjoy the Insight Bowl and Fiesta Bowl, Barrett Jackson and the Arabian Horse Show, concerts and plays and so much more! They predict a warm winter for us, so we recommend you come and take full advantage of it. To begin, you need to contact the experts at Arizona Lodging Experts and find yourself a great property to rent. ALE (for short) offers Phoenix Arizona property management, rentals in Scottsdale, Phoenix, Goodyear, Anthem, Cave Creek, Fountain Hills, Mesa, Paradise Valley and Carefree. They excel in customer service and attention to detail to ensure you find a great property to rent. Call the experts today at 602-404-2982 and 866-785-2350.

It’s my favorite time of year. According to the Farmers Almanac Arizona is posed to have a warm winter for 2011. With a multitude of upcoming outdoor events this is a good thing. My two favorite events are Barrett-Jackson Car Auction and Russo and Steele Car Auction. Not everyone thinks to rent a vacation home when they come out for these events, or maybe your only planning on staying for 1-2 days in which case a vacation home wouldn’t be a good fit. However if you are planning your family vacation around these two auctions and you plan on being in town for more then a week or two a Scottsdale Vacation Home would help make your stay in our town a relaxing and fun one. In  Scottsdale Arizona vacation rentals you have the option of cooking your own meals, or grilling out on your patio or even being able to pack lighter knowing you have access to your own private washer and dryer are all a plus. Whether you’re looking for an ultra high-end luxury vacation home or something a little more modest, we have everything from 1-bedroom condos to larger furnished townhomes that can sleep up to eight. Arizona Lodging Experts has it all.

Some people that are new to vacation homes or even just people that are new clients often ask, “How do I know if it’s safe to book with your company”

Arizona Lodging Experts is a fully licensed Real Estate Brokerage. We operate a trust account in accordance with Arizona Real Estate Law. We are also registered with the Arizona Department Of Real Estate, Scottsdale Chamber of Commerce and Visitors Bureau and have been in the Property Management Business for over 10 years. In that period of time we have earned the trust of hundreds of vacationing families and have many clients that come back year after year. We look forward to having you as our customers and hopefully you will make Barrett-Jackson and Arizona Lodging Experts your annual family tradition for years to come.

I woke up to an unusual site today when I step out onto my patio early this morning. We had fog as thick as “pea soup” in Phoenix, which is very odd for the Valley of the Sun.

I bet visitors who are in town enjoying a winter rental in Arizona were a little surprised to see fog on the ground, and I bet they most likely booked their lodging through Arizona Lodging Experts, the premier Scottsdale property management with over 10 years experience in helping people to find great rentals in Arizona.

It was exciting to see the foggy conditions, because it’s so rare for Arizona, but it was also difficult to drive in the fog without feeling a little unsafe, you know what I mean. It all worked out well as the fog lifted at about 9am to reveal the clouds over the surrounding mountains, including Camelback and Mummy Mountain.

We are being told to be prepared for a warm winter, so we are expecting more visitors to make their way to Arizona, and we welcome them gladly. If anyone is looking for lodging in Arizona, all you have to do is contact Arizona Lodging Experts at 602-404-2982 and 866-785-2350. They will do their very best to find you a great rental from one of their Arizona home rentals, condos or townhomes. Call the experts today!