Spring Party a Success!

53 guests attended our annual Spring Party, which is a celebration for all the hard work and money raised for AHS by League members. Hosted by Joan Galloway (in photo) at her lovely home, the party featured a delicious Mexican fiesta menu. Table centerpieces showcased large margarita glasses filled with limes and sunflowers. Margaritas were a highlight of the beverages offered, and delicious cakes with whipped creme and a variety of sauces were served for dessert.

Reported by Tobe Daum and Nancy Evans.

4th Grade Tour of Museum

The AHS Museum was closed to the public today but not to the 4th graders from Lookout Mt school. Studying Arizona history was not boring for them this morning. Dee Steen took a group through the Transportation Exhibit. It is a hands on, climb in the old wagon or sit on a saddle and watch a movie type of exhibit. Lots of noise and laughter coming from the students. Dale Frankel began her tour with the importance of water to the desert. The children were very interested in all of it.

EuroDream Kitchen

Marlyse Brock and I met with the owners of this fabulous kitchen idea store on Friday. Johan Bolle and his charming wife are from Holland and know all about those wonderful European kitchens. We got a brief tour and saw the fascinating new steam/convection ovens that are so-o-o much better to bake those authentic artisan breads or to "refresh" left over pizza. The Scottsdale store now sells Tastes & Treasures A Storytelling Cookbook of Historic Arizona so stop in www.EuroDreamKitchens.com and dream about your new kitchen design when you purchase a cookbook.

Dr Welsh writes for Front Doors

Our museum director wears many hats and his latest is in the most current issue of Front Doors. Read his interesting article about early Phoenix on page 29. FrontDoors.biz

Raul Castro to speak Saturday, April 18 at History Brunch Series at Museum

This should be an interesting and informative event. Contact the AHS Museum Megan Gately to RSVP 480-929-0292. mgately@azhs.gov

Former Arizona Governor, US Ambassador, and Pima County Superior Court Judge Raul H. Castro and Dr. Jack August will speak about their book, Adversity is My Angel: The Life and Career of Raul H. Castro (Ft. Worth: Texas Christian University Press) and answer questions at the Arizona Historical Society in Tempe (April 18, 2009).


Dr. August said of the last brunch series, “I spoke about Evan Mecham at one of these brunches and it was a blast. Some of the leading figures from the impeachment era were there and added a lot to that event. Please know that Governor Castro is an active 93 year old and has a driver's license! These brunches are entirely different than the traditional/stuffy academic talks that many of us try to avoid. These two talks should be great fun and you will not regret listening to and meeting Governor Castro.” -Jack

Jack L. August, Jr., Ph.D.
Executive Director
Barry Goldwater Center for the Southwest and Visiting Scholar in Legal Histor

FUSE: Refugee Photographic Exhibit

Just found out this exhibit will open Saturday, June 20 to coincide with World Refugee Day. Hope to see you there.

Luscious Lemon Loaf pg198

Ruth Ann Hogan did a great job with this bread and it did not last long on the buffet table. 'Tis the season for lemons and the cookbook has some great ways to use them. This would be a lovely Easter treat.

1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter
2 eggs
1/2 cup milk
1/4 cup grated lemon zest
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
1 cup walnuts, chopped
1 tsp lemon extract
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease or line a 5 X 8 " loaf pan with baking parchment paper. Sift the flour (who does this anymore??), baking powder, and salt together. Combine the sugar, butter and eggs in a mixing bowl. Beat using a mixer fitted with a paddle attachment until light and fluffy, scraping the bowl occasionally. Add the flour mixture alternately with the milk, mixing well after each addition. Stir in the lemon zest, lemon juice, walnuts and flavoring.
Spoon the batter into the prepared pan and bake for 55-60 minutes or until the loaf tests done. Cool in the pan for 5 minutes. Remove to a wire rack to cool completely.
Note: you may drizzle with a mixture of 1/4 cup confectioners' sugar, 1 tsp half and half and 1 tsp lemon juice. Makes 1 loaf.

Berry Fruit Salad with Mint Sugar pg 118

Terrie Sanford made this delicious fruit dish for our monthly Historical League meeting. It was so refreshing with the minty taste lingering in my mouth.
1/2 cup loosely packed fresh mint
6 tablespoons sugar
3 cups sliced strawberries
3 cups blackberries
3 cups blueberries
Pulse the mint and sugar in a food processor until finely ground. Sprinkle over the strawberries, blackberries and blueberries in a large bowl and toss gently to combine. Let stand for 5 minutes before serving.
Terrie commented it was easy to make but can be very expensive if the berries are not in season.

Kudos to April Riggins and Mary Pearce for the lovely Easter display on the buffet table. Note the tatting on the recipe card that Mary made. Love to see a lost art still in use.

FUSE: Refugee Photographic Exhibit opens April 16

We had our usual Historical League meeting today and Dr Welsh gave us a a special sneak preview into this exhibit. Eliza Gregory has an amazing eye when it comes to photography - Great insight into the lives of refugees. Their background can be heard if you use your cell phone and dial the number. It's a great way to have "sight and sound".

Newswire/ -- FUSE: Portraits of Refugee Households in
Metropolitan Phoenix opens at the Arizona Historical Society Museum at Papago
Park on April 16.  This "sight and sound" exhibit runs through July 19.  It
features 30 large photographic portraits by Eliza Gregory of refugee families
from Liberia, Hungary, Bosnia, Burundi, Burma, Sudan, Congo and Somalia.  Many
photographs are accompanied by an audio "portrait" where refugee families
describe their lives and experiences.  The audio portraits were produced by
Rose Love Chou.

Metropolitan Phoenix is a major refugee resettlement area. Approximately
44,000 refugees have come to Phoenix since 1980 and the city's refugee
population grows by more than 2,000 new arrivals each year.  "This is an
important exhibition for us and for Arizona because it shows how the world has
changed.  Arizona has always been a place for people to come and find new
lives.  Today, people are coming from Africa, Southeast Asia, Central Europe.
At the Arizona Historical Society Museum, it is our purpose to document and
discuss recent history that affects us all," said Peter Welsh, Executive
Director, Arizona Historical Society Museum at Papago Park.

The exhibit is produced in association with COAR, Community Outreach and
Advocacy for Refugees, a program that works with resettled refugees to help
them rebuild their lives.  The program was founded in 2002 by Sambo Dul, who
was a Cambodian refugee and an undergraduate at Arizona State University. "I
was five years old when my family made the 8,000 mile journey from the refugee
camp on the Thai-Cambodian border to Phoenix, Arizona. Upon arrival, we
struggled to adjust to a new life in a strange land," said Dul who is
currently a law student at New York University.

FUSE will be on exhibit at the Museum through July 19, 2009.  "This project is
born of a curiosity about people," said photographer Eliza Gregory.  "I wanted
to meet resettled refugees in Phoenix; and learn about who they are, where
they come from, and what life is like for them now."

The Arizona Historical Society Museum at Papago Park is located at 1300 N.
College Avenue, Tempe. It is open Tuesday - Saturday, 10 a.m. - 4 p.m. and
Sunday from 12 p.m. - 4 p.m. This exhibit has been made possible, in part, by
the Historical League, Inc. and the Central Chapter of the Arizona Historical
Society.

Tour of Phoenix Children's Museum

Wish I had grand children to take to this place. What fun. I wanted to climb with the kids, plant flowers, slide, chase the air machine scarves and ride the tricycle/segway. The Historical League had a tour in March with guide Kathie Hughes sharing so much information and history. The museum started with an idea from two Phoenix families vacationing. "Why doesn't Phoenix have a Children's Museum like San Diego?" The historic Monroe school was available and so it began...All the exhibits are educational and thoroughly researched for the appropriate age levels. Open since June 2008, 250,000 guests have gone through it.
The noodle forest (9,000 pool noodles) is mine and Jeannie Fletcher's favorite (and also most of the children) although the grocery store is a close second. Betsy Davis holds a plastic carrot that was so real she commented, "looks like the carrot from the bottom of the crisper drawer."
Delores Tomasek is removing the heart and liver from Mr Stuffy as she learns about anatomy.
Marlyse Brock, Betsy Davis, Nancy Evans and Janie Burke enjoy the giggle box covered with Jackson Pollack artwork in the dining area. It was a fun filled, informative tour and one I would love to take again...just need that grandchild.