WINNER! Chef Luigi/VG BLOGGA!

Chef Luigi here but thissa really the blogga of the ValleyGirl. I hand over the microphone to her.

I love Phoenix. I miss St. Louis. Life is life and you EMBRACE IT!

Red White Blue....do you see it? I LOVE THIS PHOTO!

My girlfriend stopped me and said why are you here taking pictures? I laughed and just said I love the blooms. Jacaranda, Bougainvillea, White Oleander with the backdrop of South Mountain. I took this picture and I am in love with my state and my country. (see you Friday Teresa!)

Took this with my (dumb) camera. It's a point and shoot. Hard to go wrong in a beautiful city and state.

LOVE THIS! (crying...Lady Sparkle...I need a tissue!) And now THE WINNER!





Ok, still ValleyGirl here. This recipe really truly brought me to tears. BECAUSE all I could think of was my mom's Bridge Club and my Gigi's Canasta Club! The sights, the smells the memories....
and the mold....

Yes a JELLO mold, my mom's .... I pulled out my moms Jello mold today and I cried...Really I cried...Im happy, I so miss my Mom....thinking of her more today than Mother's day. (Jello and Tissue brand...Plugging you here!)

Um.ok. Next photo much better....

This is DINNER! Yes much better, BLT's

Chef Luigi you are OVERZEALOUS!

Sally needs wine....no doubt!

Looks kinda cute?

RETRO FUN! ValleyGirl SO HAPPY!

SOIFUA! You WIN! 2 YEAR MEMBERSHIP!

Spinach Salad Ring totally took me back to an emotional level. I cried! Mom. I so love you I so miss you! Wish I still played Bridge with you! Gigi, same! Thanks Soifua! Contact Elizabeth at ElizabethM@allrecipes.com

(not taste approved yet..)

Bridge anyone???

A little Mother's Day dinner in Scottsdale with Chef Luigi

So my Phoenix Phriends decide to take me to the dinner up in the Scottsdale. ValleyGirl, she hassa the friend who owns restaurant there. He from St. Louis like-a the ValleyGirl. He move to Phoenix and open a St. Louis style restaurant. ValleyGirl, she love-a the food. Make her wanna go home sometimes.

So we drive down the I-10. ValleyGirl take-a the photo of the Camelback Mountain. Can you see it? I love thissa photo because there issa a plane in the photo ready to land. Can you see it?

Another view of the Camelback Mountain.


Thissa is the Tovrea Castle . ValleyGirl she never been inna the castle but she sazza that it has beautiful cactus gardens.

We drive towards Papago Park. Thissa are some really pretty rock formations.

Papago Park has many hiking trails.

Another shot of Camelback Mountain. ValleyGirl say the Camel issa resting.

Ahhhh! We reach Frashers! I amma very hungry.

See the Kokpelli in the Arch?

The order pizza for appetizer! This issa St. Louis style pizza. Mr. Frasher, he recreate the Imo's Pizza of St. Louis. We arra so happy to find thissa pizza here in Phoenix.

ValleyGirl aska her daughter to take our photo. I think her daughter needa few lessons. Or maybe she no like-a her momma! Ah ha ha! Chef Luigi tell joke!

ValleyGirl say thissa issa the "Meal of Champions!" A glassa of Sonoma Cutrer with a burger, yumma!

Ciao for now!

Chef Luigi

Cinco de Mayo in Phoenix, AZ

So I am here in Valley of the Sun with my new friends. This is Missy, she looka a little scared. The kitties are just getting use to me. Thissa make me feel better. ValleyGirl wannna show you what nice things she has received from the AllRecipe Friends.

Nice, no?

So for the Cinco de Mayo the ValleyGirl she make-a me a Mangorita. This taste-a very good. She tell me to sit out by the pool and just relax after my long day of travel. It is getting very warm here in the Phoenix, AZ.

I think it would be good to jump in the pool. Maybe I go for the swim with the ValleyGirl later. She tell me she only like water when it reach 85. She kind of a sissy I think.

So I sitta by the pool and she calla me inside to make the
meal. She say she is going to make-a the soup again.

ValleyGirl say this soup issa the best potato soup she has ever tried. I think she may be right.
So we cook together.

She adda the carrots because she say she love-a the carrots. It does add a nice color to the soup.

And so we sit and we eat......and then.......

Chef Luigi rest up in his new Phoenix home.

ValleyGirl issa going to take me on a hike tomorrow. I thinka she going to make me her favorite Italian dish ever tonight. She say it comma from St. Louis restaurant. I go to sleep now and I see you soon.... Buona Giornata!

Ciao! Chef Luigi