New sign for AZ Heritage Center

Looking good with new signage for the Arizona Historical Society Museum at 1300 N. College Ave, Tempe, AZ 85281.

Oven baked bone-in chicken breast

Oven Baked Crispy Garlic Bone-in Skin-on (Split) Chicken Breast

Tasty and easy. You get a 5 rating with less than 10 minutes of work (5 minutes if you're quick). It's got garlic. It's got spice. It's got crunch. And almost no work.

Ingredients:
3 (scale to what you need) bone-in skin-on chicken breast (AKA split chicken breast)
1 tsp garlic powder
½ tsp celery salt
½ tsp onion powder
½ tsp Kosher salt
¼ tsp black pepper
½ tsp cayenne pepper
1 tsp Dual action baking powder

Directions:
Preheat oven to 425 convection.
Trim the chicken of any trim-able fat and remove the rib area and discard.
Cut the chicken into chunks. The normal size ones in half and the super humungous ones into thirds.

Prepare a baking pan with aluminum foil, a baking rack and spray with PAM.
Combine spices and then sprinkle and rub on all surfaces.
Place on rack with larger pieces in the corners. And thinner edges to center.
Bake until internal temp of 165. About 35 minutes depending on your oven and thickness of the chicken.

Thanks to 101cookingfortwo.com for recipe.

Lemon Lush

Lemons are falling off the trees in Phoenix. Perfect timing for this yummy dessert.

Lemon Lush

Ingredients:
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup butter, softened
½ cup finely chopped pecans
¼ cup sugar
2 (8-ounce) packages cream cheese, softened
1 cup sugar
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
2 (3.4-ounce) packages instant lemon pudding mix
3½ cups milk
1 (16-ounce) container whipped topping, thawed


Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
In a medium bowl, stir together flour, softened butter, pecans, and ¼ cup sugar until evenly mixed. Press into the bottom of a 9X13-inch pan. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, or until golden brown. Let cool.
Using an electric mixer, beat cream cheese, sugar, and lemon juice until smooth. Spread on top of the cooled shortbread crust.
In a medium bowl, whisk together pudding mix and milk until it thickens some, about 3 to 5 minutes. Pour on top of cream cheese layer. Refrigerate until set, about 1 hour is good.
Spread whipped topping over top. Cut into squares. Serves: 12

Notes
If you want pretty slices, you must partially freeze the lemon lush. It will defrost fairly quickly.

Thanks to spicysouthernkitchen.com for recipe.

Summer Programs for Kids at AZ Heritage Center at Papago Park

Arizona Rocks!  Natural History series
 June and July - Tuesdays and Saturdays
10:00 a.m. - Noon
Amazing Arizona Kids! Summer Program Series

We’ve packed the summer with fun (and educational) activities for
kids ages 6 –12.  Check www.arizonahistoricalsociety.org for full details.

Four different series:
June 18 Arizona Rocks!
June 25 Mining Madness!
July 9 Volcanoes!
July 16 Fossils!

More Summer Programs
Storytime

Storytelling from a series of books by Albert Quihuis, followed by related hands-on activities. Snacks provided.

June 7 – Sofia’s Awesome Tamale Day                 

June 14 – Search for the Lost Art of Making Tortillas                                                                        

June 21 – Isabela’s Treasure                                   

June 28 – Sofia’s Summer Adventure

Arizona Desert  

Learn about life in the desert. Related hands-on activities. Snacks provided.

July 12 – Whew, It’s Hot! Keeping Cool in the Desert

July 19 – Let’s Grow! Agriculture in the Desert

July 23 – Drip-Drop: Saving Water

Art History

Learn about the history of these arts in Phoenix, and make your own art! Snacks provided.

July 26 – Mosaics                  

July 30 – Puppets                 

July 30 – Yarn Art

No reservations needed!
All events are free. Hands-on project and snack included. No drop offs, please.

1300 N College Ave, Tempe, AZ 85281
480-929-0292
www.arizonahistoricalsociety.org

Peter McDonald speaks to Historical League tour group

Thanks to Nancy Evans for arranging a surprise visit with Navajo Code Talker Peter McDonald during our bus tour at Navajo National Monument. Peter was very entertaining, telling many stories of his experiences during WWII. As did many of his fellow Code Talkers, he enrolled at a young age. He was 15.

Susie Brinegar with Peter McDonald

He referred to "boot camp was a breeze" since he had lived his youth in the outdoors, sleeping under the stars, walking everywhere.  Of the 420 who served as Code Talkers, there are only 17 remaining.

Journey into Canyon de Chelly

Half of us journeyed into Canyon de Chelly inside the warm cabs of enclosed trucks. The other half rode in an open air truck with plenty of fresh air. Water often flows in the road/river bed, making the trip slow going at times but definitely exciting. Thank goodness for 4 wheel drive as it was deep in places. The knowledgeable guides were very passionate about their history. Oscar, our driver, grew up in this canyon. From a family of five, he told of climbing up a series of ladders (some rope ladders) to get to the top and catch the school bus.



Desert varnish is the name for the markings along the canyon walls. It is made from the rain mixing with manganese and iron oxide.

Canyon de Chelly trip

Traveling into Canyon de Chelly with our guide, David, we saw so many ruins of past civilizations. It was a cold morning in the open air truck and we bundled up, including wrapping blankets around us. Rain in the distance looked ominous but you can tell from our smiles that it was well worth the trip.

Nothing like hot cocoa, a roaring fire and shopping for jewelry and pots at the far reaches of the Canyon. We even had entertainment with singing and music from Oscar, one of our guides.