Las Noches de Las Luminarias 2009

Las Noches de las Luminarias, the Valley’s premier holiday event, returns for 20 nights of musical entertainment, delicious food and of course, 7,000 hand-lit luminarias. Tickets for Las Noches de las Luminarias are on sale now.

WHAT’S NEW! This year, guests will be able to view Allan Houser: Tradition to Abstraction, aninstallation of the work of Apache master sculptor, Allan Houser as well as take a turn on the Garden’s Holiday Skate rink. Located on Boppart Courtyard, the rink featuressynthetic Hybrid-ice® and skating is included with the Luminarias admission. Skates are provided. The Dickens Carolers and DJs dk.strikler & World Famous Rani “g” will mix it up providing a musical backdrop for the skaters. Ten musical groups perform each night of Luminarias: Mariachi Corazón de Phoenix, BadCactus Brass Band, Anthony Wakeman, Chris Burton Jacome Flamenco Ensemble, Chele, The Swingtips, Will Clipman, The Hey Boyz and the Dickens Carolers along with DJsdk.strikler & World Famous Rani “g”. Luminarias would not be complete without the best of the Valley Handbell Choirs in Webster Auditorium. The new Berlin Agave Yucca Forest, which opens November 21, 2009, will be lit for the first time. Intimate gathering areas will be available throughout the Garden so guests can sit and enjoy a musical performance, a warming fire, a cup of cider or a glass of wine.

Las Noches de las Luminarias culminates on December 30, 2009 so don't miss out.

This is the perfect holiday event to share with family, friends and out-of-town guests. The Garden’s distinctive and world-renowned plant collection provides the ideal setting to enjoy more than 7,000 hand-lit luminarias that line its trails, buildings and courtyards. A sumptuous buffet dinner is available at an additional cost from Fabulous Food Fine Catering and Events and the Garden’s Patio Café will also be open for ala carte items. The Garden’s gift and plant shop will be open each night of Luminarias and is the ideal place to find unique gifts for the holiday season.

Meal tickets are $16.50 for adults and$8.95 for children. Las Noches de las Luminarias is presented by The Arizona Republic, and sponsored inpart by US Airways, Fabulous Food Fine Catering and Events and Phoenix Coca-Cola Bottling Company. SRP EarthWise Energy is the entertainment sponsor. December 3, 4, 5, 6, (Garden Members and their Guests Preview)December 10, 11, 12, 13, (General Public) December 17, 18 19, 20, 21, 22, 23 (General Public)December 26, 27, 28, 29, 30 (General Public) 5:30 p.m. – 9:30 p.m. Desert Botanical Garden 1201 North Galvin Parkway (in Papago Park) Phoenix, AZ 85008

Members: Adults $20

Children: $10 (ages 3-12)

General Public: Adults $25

General Public: Children $12.50 (ages 3-12)

Children 2 and under are admitted free.

Dinner and beverages available at an additional cost.

TO PURCHASE TICKETS: Tickets on sale October 1, 2009

1. Order tickets on-line at http://www.dbg.org/

2. Call 480-481-8188 (9 a.m. – 4 p.m., daily)

3. Visit the Admissions Box Office (8 a.m. – 8 p.m. daily)

For additional information, a full list of entertainment and a detailed menu, call 480-481-8188 or visit http://www.dbg.org/.

A “Phoenix Point of Pride”, the Desert Botanical Garden is one of only a few botanical gardens accredited by the American Association of Museums. It is a privately funded, non-profit organization and depends on revenues from admissions and gift shop sales, as well as contributions from individuals and businesses to fund its programs of environmental education, plant conservation and research.

Active Listings in the Valley

The Story of Cyber Monday!

Cyber Monday is a marketing term that refers to the Monday immediately following Black Friday being the busiest day of the year for retail electronic commerce in the United States. The term was created by the National Retail Federation and announced in conjunction with the deployment of their own website CyberMonday.com designed to serve as a portal for Cyber Monday deals and offers.

Since its inception, critics contend that consumer purchasing habits represent more of a static growth throughout the Christmas and Hiliday season as opposed to one day in which companies "see any (unusual) traffic" on websites. It has been postulated that through mainstream media adoption of the term, combined with retailers hoping to drive more traffic to their sites, that the "Gimmick" of Cyber Monday could become a "Real Trend".

TED: The Energy Detective

Gene and Diane DeJoannis of Manchester, Conn., thought they had cut their electricity use to the bone. But to double-check, Gene, 66, a semi-retired engineer, installed a home-energy monitor that continuously displays the home's electricity usage in kilowatt-hours (kWh). In the following year, the couple cut their electricity use by an additional one-third and their annual bill by 15% (from $715 to $606), despite a 15% increase in their electric rate. Home-energy monitors come in several models, but Gene made a good choice by purchasing a TED ($120; www.theenergydetective.com). The TED sits on the couple's kitchen counter, plugged into a nearby outlet. It receives data through the home's wiring from a processor installed in the circuit-breaker box. The processor is clipped to the main lines bringing power into the house. (The company says a "tech-savvy" homeowner or electrician can install it in 10 to 15 minutes.) Initially, the DeJoannises aimed to lower their electricity use by finding more things to unplug around the house (such as the unused boom box with a digital readout in their daughter's former bedroom). Quickly, though, the TED helped them garner other savings. They realized, for example, that they didn't need the kitchen lights turned on while they watched TV in an adjacent room. Gene likens the TED to the miles-per-gallon display in his Toyota Prius, which "tells you how you're doing all the time and changes your driving habits."A forthcoming model (the TED 5000) will also optionally monitor power generation from solar or other sources, and produce a net reading. Gene keeps his own spreadsheet of energy usage, but TED users can buy optional software called Footprints ($50) to log and graph their data.

Reprinted with permission.

All Contents © 2009 The Kiplinger Washington Editors. www.kiplinger.com

Black Friday Ads for 2009

Black Friday is just around the corner. Gear up for shopping by visiting http://bfads.net for daily updates on great door busters and deals at tons of stores including: Costco, Best Buy, Walmart, Target, JCPenny, Toys R Us, Babies R Us, Home Depot, Radio Shack, and more!!

Elegance, technology and energy efficiency at its best

1265 E Artemis Trail, San Tan Valley, AZ 85140 View Map

Elegance, technology and energy efficiency at its best is described by one word, Encanterra. This products stands alone in the entire Valley of the Sun from the greens of the gold course to the fabulous $40 million club house and Shea Certified Green. This specific plan located in a private cul-de-sac is very spacious and allows you to enjoy indoor and outdoor living from the front courtyard to the rear patio, includes a full guest Casida, large open great room, and details that are beyond your wildest imagination.

Details

Asking Price:

$395,471

MLS:

4294983

Sq. Feet:

2164

Lot Size:

6970

Bedrooms:

2

Bathrooms:

2

# of Floors:

1

HOA/Maintenance Fees:

120

Garage Size:

2

Subdivision:

Encanterra

Year Built:

2009

Contact Info

Laurel Nielson

Real Estate Consultant

Cell 480-229-5861


Email | Website

All information is deemed reliable but is not guaranteed.

Cornbread and Sausage Stuffing

Ingredients
1 pound sweet Italian turkey sausage (about 4 links), casings removed
2 cups finely chopped onion
1 1/2 cups finely chopped celery
1/4 teaspoon salt
Freshly ground pepper to taste
2 pounds prepared cornbread, cut into 3/4-inch cubes (about 12 cups)
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
1 tablespoon chopped fresh sage
1 1/2-3 cups reduced-sodium chicken broth

Directions
Preheat oven to 325°F. Coat a 9-by-13-inch baking dish with cooking spray.
Cook sausage in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat, stirring and breaking up with a wooden spoon, until browned, about 10 minutes. Add onion and celery; cover, reduce heat and cook, stirring occasionally, until tender, about 10 minutes. Transfer the mixture to a large bowl. Season with salt and pepper. Add cornbread, parsley and sage.
Bring broth to a simmer in a small saucepan. Pour 1 cup over the stuffing mixture and toss gently (the cornbread will break into smaller pieces). Add as much of the remaining broth as needed, 1/2 cup at a time, until the stuffing feels moist but not wet. Spoon the stuffing into the prepared pan and cover with foil.

Bake the stuffing until thoroughly heated, about 25 minutes. Serve warm.