Happy New Year!

We let our little guy party with his Grandma and took off for the snow on New Years Day and it was just gorgeous.

Arizona is known for their dry, hot ass summers and gorgeous desert, but northern Arizona is a whole other ball game. It’s, to me, reminiscent of where I am from in California, without the 6 hour drive!

Prescott is not only a cool town, but they’re known for their beer as the Prescott Brewing Company is a popular producer. Tasty suds and some fresh snow? What could be better?

Hope everybody has an amazing year. Happy 2015!

Let Them Eat Ribs - Arizona BBQ Festival 2014

*Updated*

One of my favorite events to work is the Arizona BBQ Festival at Salt River Fields in Scottsdale, AZ.

If you’ve peeped at this blog, even once, you’ll know…. I LOVE FOOD.  I love it. So, well, this is right up my alley.

It’s BBQ, there’s a ton of it and it’s a relatively never ending supply. See where I’m headed? The whole event happens to be a shit show, as well. There’s the strangest outfits you’ve ever seen, there’s something called “The Redneck Games” and that guy in a barrel from KNIX. Shit. Show. Tonight, we ended up running outta power (and most of the alcohol) so we ended the night bartending by cell phone light! Never a dull moment…

If you’re in the valley, look it up, grab some tickets and stop by next year! It’s happening on May 2, 2015, but more information is available in the link above!

Spring Training… Until Next Year!

Can’t believe the season is over already!

I hope you were able to make it to a game or make plans for next year. This facility is so worth seeing and catching a game at. You really can’t beat our scenery around the ball park when it comes to Spring Training in AZ.

See you next year! And remember to follow me on Instagram @Peachy_ChiChi to find out where I’m bartending next, or keep an eye on The Good Life!

Go Green… With Absinthe!

You know what I REALLY love?

Greek food.

There’s something about feta that’s just… Magical. Put it on a salad, shit, just lettuce, and… You’re welcome!

Gyro’s, Tzatziki, the lemon sauce on “Greek Fries” is the stuff dreams are made of.

So, when the owner of my favorite Greek spot in town opened up Salut Kitchen & Wine Bar in Tempe, I knew I had to gooooooooo. Like, yesterday… Naturally, when the Boo asked me to hop on the back of his steel horse and ride like the wind for Greek food and Absinthe, I was beyond sold.

Yes, I’m THAT girl, on the back of a Harley, going down the street, taking photos with my phone.

 

Anyway, upon arrival, I saw they had Absinthe on the menu and decided to skip lunch in favor of “The Green Fairy”…

Lucid Absinthe is pretty good stuff, when it comes to Absinthe. They adhere to the traditional 19th century way, using Wormwood to produce an authentic, yet legal product. And, well, truth be told, the ole “Green Fairy” thing is a myth. You won’t hallucinate on this stuff, you’ll throw up before you get enough in you to find out. I’m not a fan of the taste, but the experience is something worth trying a few times and the presentation is pretty cool to boot!

Salut has GREAT deals going on all the time and are perfect for a date or a ladies night. They always have a s’mores and bottle of wine special I’m dying to try. (A whole bottle of wine and table side s’mores. Can’t beat that with a cuddly stick!)

You’re welcome.  

Play Ball!

Ladies and gentlemen… The 2014 Spring Training season at Salt River Fields is now in session!

Managed to catch this fly over as they finished the National Anthem this afternoon! I swear, I never get tired of working here! I love it.

Hope everybody ends up out in the Valley of the Sun at least once to catch one of these games. Our weather is too good to miss, this time of year!

Street Eats Food Festival, Scottsdale, Arizona

Every year, I’m lucky enough to work the Street Eats Food Festival at Salt River Fields in Scottsdale, Arizona.

My DREAM is to own a food truck, so this festival is not only an incredible source of income (that I have to miss next year, because of my wedding. Yes, I’m sad, the food is THAT good. ) so it’s a big deal for me.

For example, take a look at this grilled cheese from The Grilled Cheese Truck.

This is the “Grilled Mac n’ Rib” it’s been featured on the Food Channel and it’s amazing. It’s worth the wait, because, believe me, there is one. It can be an hour long if you don’t get there in time.

It’s a standard grilled cheese, but the outside is coated with a butter-mayo mixture that has a higher smoke point that just butter, so the sandwich cooks through before it burns on the outside. #fatkidlife Then, on the inside, is American cheese, a slice, yes, slice of mac n’ cheese and a portion of their slow cooked, pork ribs. It’s $7.25 on the street and various prices at a festival, but I don’t care what you have to pay, TASTE this bad boy. It’s amazing.

There is a ton of other good food at the festival, but the Grilled Cheese Truck is by far my favorite.

This was my view tonight from the VIP tent. I can’t believe I had a minute to breathe and take the photo on the right. It was SO busy it was insane!

If you are in the area, in the January-February time of year, look for the festival and make a point to stop by! I’m always tending bar, somewhere!

Yum!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Tonight, after work, walking to the car, the view was insane. There must have been a wedding on Camelback because there were paper lanterns being let off into the sky and actually landing all over the fields. It was gorgeous, but it’s so dry that I’m surprised they weren’t aware of where the lanterns would land! Anyway, it made for a gorgeous photo to end the night!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Spring Training 2014 @ Salt River Fields

The schedule for this coming season is up!

Make sure you get your tickets and come on out to see me at a game, grab a cold one and enjoy our beautiful Arizona spring weather.

Follow me on Instagram @Peachy_ChiChi to find out where I’m bartending at that day!

Photo is from Salt River Fields website.

Beers, Brats and Bicycles! Oh, my!

Being an ASU girl, I love Mill Avenue. It’s an ever-revolving door of food, bars, clubs, shops and people. After my brother moved out here when I was young, I’d come spend the summer with him and he’d take me out to walk around Mill, have ice cream and people watch.

As I got older, it became the party spot, easy bars to get into on a fake ID and again, lots of people. Now, I’m too old to go party down there, it’s FAR from my “scene” anymore, but I still love the ever changing face of Mill.

My favorite new addition would have to be the The Handlebar. They’re an adorable little spot with a GREAT patio that I absolutely love, but haven’t taken pictures of yet, so mosey on over to their website for that! They offer a little bit Hipster vibe with a industrial décor and vintage feel over-all. The patio is full of big shady trees and big wooden tables, perfect to get a bunch of friends together on a gorgeous day. The staff is always beyond friendly, it’s one of my favorite things about the place. Every time we’re in, they let us sample beers, answer questions and offer up little interesting tid-bits about your

Whenever we get the chance, we take a little putt on over there!

My favorite thing to get there is the grilled cheese. It’s cheddar on Ciabatta that’s been brushed with a sundried tomato pesto. It’s delish. Wash it down with a tall Yella Pils and you’re set!

BON APPETIT!

P.S.,

Aren’t we an adorable couple of biker babes?

New Ink!

I started a new sleeve with the incredibly talented Manny Lopez in Phoenix, AZ and I have literally never been so happy with ink in my life!

To tell you the truth, when I got my first sleeve, I wanted to sand it off my arm. I spent a lot of time crying about how it turned out. I had a drawing I emailed my artist, I know tattooists aren’t apt to copying and pasting someone elses work, but I figured he’d keep it the sameish and we’d all be happy. I mean, I drew it myself. It was going on MY body. I couldn’t get my hands on the original drawing my dad did of my mom, with peacock feathers for hair, it was beautiful. I started pulling pictures off the internet and drew one myself. It took a lot of time and I loved it.

The tattoo I ended up with looks nothing like what I wanted. I’ve had it fixed and worked on, but it’s just, NOT something I’m happy with. I’m almost embarrassed. I know that sounds horrible, but it was something that meant a lot to me and it doesn’t make me 100% happy.

I had asked previous artists about getting a bird cage tattoo. Not just any cage, but a Tunisian cage my grandmother brought back from Africa. It hung in our house while I grew up and it hangs in mine now and my son is obsessed with it, just like I was when I was a kid. Both artists I spoke with said it couldn’t be done. There was too much detail, it’s a white cage, so coloring and highlighting would be difficult, blah, blah, blah…

Then, then there was Manny.

He likes a challenge and when I told him what the other artists said, he told me he’d do it. He’d get the whole sleeve I wanted, exactly how I wanted it. So we began…

I made a collage of the inspiration I sent him:

 

The cage is the bottom right picture, the rest are details, birds, feathers, crucifix, that are going to be incorporated into it.

Here’s what I ended up with:

 

 

This was the stencil he used.

 

He used a single needle, which was amazingly painful. I can’t WAIT to finish the rest of the sleeve with that bad bitch… Yeezus.

 

It’s going to be full color and a 3/4 sleeve, when it’s finished.

Red, swollen and bloody, here’s the first photos of it. I know it settles over time, so I’ll post some more when it’s changed and healed.

I loooooove it. I just want to finish it, but I looooooove it.

Go check out Manny’s page Art by Manny 2.0 and like it. Your feed will be more beautifully inked, because of it.

He also decked me out with some tee’s for Inkorporated, his new line he started up. Best believe I’ll be blowing up #inkorporated, on a social network, near you.

Stay tuned for more ink coming mid November and find Manny on IG @tattoomanny and #tattoomanny

MUAH!

Tim McGraw!!

Have I mentioned my job doesn’t suck? Seriously? Have I?

Fucking TIM MCGRAW!

I don’t know about you, but I love me some Tim. From having a BBQ stain on my white tees shirt, to being an Indian outlaw or a Southern girl to having your last dollar or not letting anybody, EVER take the girl. I love, love,  love me some Tim McGraw.

Naturally, when I got the email that I was working the show, I reacted like somebody emailed me that I won tickets.

Nay, better!

I get to WATCH the show AND I get paid. What the HELL could be better?

Nothing. Nothing at aaaalllll.

Last night was incredible. I’m sick, sick as a dog I say and near my death bed, but I pried myself away to pour – over pour – Jack for the lovely concert goers and listen to Tim’s greatest hits, um, LIVE.

I got a great location, we weren’t swamped, which translated to less than stellar sales, but we had some regulars and great tippers so it went well. I usually work alone, don’t need no Robin, BUT my boss thought I was going to need the help and gave me a side kick. Which wasn’t bad, because I wasn’t lonely and I had someone to sing with, but had she not been there, I’d have stacked two car payments for my new baby.

It all evened out though, because I had time to walk away for a few songs here and there and actually enjoy the HELL out of this show.

He sounds, amazing. Just like on the radio. He played everything you’d want him to play, the crowd loved it, I loved it… I can’t complain!

I only managed to get two photos, one from either side of the back of the stage, but what can ya do? It’s a mile around that concourse, I didn’t have time or energy to hustle my booty around for a better view. Plus any fan of cowboys will agree, the shows better from the back side.

Enjoy my pics of tiny Tim. Some of the other Instagrammers got some GOLD. Go look…

I wish I had gotten a pic with the guys in the white tee shirts that had, “BBQ stain” written on them. It’s not often people get creative for country, much less, boys, but it was great.

Until next time…

Kid Rock & Harley Davidson

Last Wednesday, Kid Rock came through town on his Rebel Soul Tour…

One of the promotional companies I work for, PUSH, hired us to represent Harley Davidson at their display, at the show.

Harley and Kid teamed up for the Rebel Soul tour, offering concert specific merch, showcasing the phrase that Kid coined for the venture, “I can’t hear you over the rumble of my freedom.” and offering prizes like getting on stage with Kid at each show as well as winning a bike at the last date of the show.

The last show, in Milwaukee, coincides with Harley Davidsons 110th Anniversary where somebody will win a factory customized Harley and other prizes, including being on stage with Kid through his show in Milwaukee.

It was the first of it’s kind, having co-branded merchandise… Kid also made a point to lower ticket, beer, food and merch prices which he called, “$20, best night ever!” (also the unofficial name of the tour.)

At the show, Harley set up a display with a few of their brand new bikes along with the Jumpstart Experience which allowed riders to sit on the bike, start it and “ride” without actually going anywhere!

I love Kid Rock and Harley Davidson, we have a 99 Softail that I’m waiting to shoot with so this event was fun… And it never hurts to get paid.

Now for the weather to cool down so I can get my ass to more events like this!

SUPER Market

Scottsdale has little to offer when it comes to affordable food shopping, besides Food City. (I mean affordable to folks who “make their own” food thus buy in bulk.) We have a Smart and Final, which is great for the basics, but I want mooooore…

I’m a fan of the “Mexican Market”, but again, Food City just doesn’t always DO it for me. Great example came from my search for churros for my pool side fiesta I’m planning… (Yes, it’s a link to Churro’s Wiki, because apparently, not everybody knows what a “churro” is, BUT THEY SHOULD. Consider yourself enlightened, and you’re welcome.)

Anyhoo, I walked into Food City, asking, “How much are churro’s if I want a couple dozen?” To which the girl behind the counter replied, “Cheerio's?” Um, no. Just no. You can’t have a deli full of South of the Border delights and respond to my question like that. BYE!

So, I got on the Google-nets and started doing my research…

I found the Pros Ranch Market website and the clouds parted, angels sang… Okay, pretty much just the grito sounded, but that was enough for me. We were in the car and off after Boo took one look!

Check it out…

This place is huge.

 

They’re all listed online with different names for different locations, this one is Juan.

 

Just check it out and see which one is near you…

 

Chances are, if you live in my area around Scottsdale, there isn’t one NEAR you, BUT with things like ground beef at a dollar a pound, you can’t really complain. Just do your shopping in bulk and make less trips!

 

This is the first stop, straight inside the front door. Of course, we were stopping to ask for churros, but um, I forgot what I was saying… Do you SEE this fresh baked deliciousness? Of COURSE they had churros, by the dozen, and they were delicious.

I’m sorry, were you not sold already?

 

THEY HAVE A TORTILLARIA. Yep, I’m white girl excited.

 

They make their own chips and tortillas there, they’re average priced, but I didn’t pick any up, because I was looking for bulk chips and at 1.79/lb, that wasn’t the ticket.

 

However, I’ll be trying the tortillas, for SURE.

 

 

Next stop, the veggie, isle, isles, courtyard… They had, a plethora of choice, literally, I couldn’t make it to all the nooks and crannies of this place. They had more, than everything, and, I’m speechless, really. And no sale, just .79cents for a WHOLE POUND of tomatillos? Food City can’t beat that, WalMart can’t beat that, Smart and Final can’t beat that.

 

Did I mention veggies?

 

Beautiful, bountiful, colorful, healthy, plentiful veggies, waiting to be taken home and loved!

 

Peppers I’ve never heard of or seen…

 

Since I was making salsa for our party too, I got to pick up a ton of freshness and cook it up into GALLONS of delicious salsa.

 

More on that later…

 

 

Say hello to my little friend…

I had to check out their meat specials, hence the shout out for the dollar a pound ground beef earlier…

Well, this is where that comes from. Ew.

I had to share this little gem, it’s about as “Mexican Market” as it gets.

So. Much. Meat.

 

 

Well, that wraps up the Tour De Ranch Market.

I really do suggest checking this place out, it’s worth the drive if you’re a serious cook and it’s WELL worth the drive if you’re a seriously adventurous cook!

We even caught a beautiful sunset behind Tovrea Castle on the way home… Monsoon season is the best.

Enjoy.