My visit to Cave Creek Arizona was wonderful and came at the perfect time. I hate January in Salt Lake. Its dark and gloomy all the time and freezing cold. I always get a mild case of the blues without the Sun. So off the Arizona we went. Jana, Annette and I were perfect travel companions. We left the Valley at 4am and arrived in Cavecreek at around 3pm. The moment we turned onto the Carefree Highway I felt just a bit more carefree. My step mom Sheri was an incredible hostess. She has set the bar high and I only hope one day that I can come close to making my guests feel so loved, taken care of, and out right SPOILED. Their home is stunningly tidy. Each us got our very own fresh towels every day. She slaved in the kitchen before we got there just to welcome us with homemade cookies and bread.
I opted for a quick shower to wash the travel off me and then headed out to the patio in a tank top and shorts. Wow did the sun feel amazing. We spent a couple hours out there soaking up the rays, having some drinks, and catching up with each other. My dad said I looked like a "Viking Warrior Princess." Up until that moment I had been satisfied with the results of all my exercising. But suddenly my dads intended compliment left me wondering if I looked like China from woman's wrestling. My dad must have read the concern on my face because he quickly changed it to, "you look like a warrior princess?" That wasn't much better. He reassured me that I "look great, fit, strong...a princess" I could live with that.
Sheri treated us to sloppy joes on homemade butter buns. OMG were they good. I had no idea what a difference homemade rolls could make. They were chewy on the out side and soft on the inside. It was such a comforting and relaxing evening.
I helped Sheri make Pineapple/orange rolls. It was fun working together and the results were oh so delicious. The only sad thing about it was that I took my Tiffany and Co. ring off to play with the dough and it went M.I.A. It is upsetting to lose something I treasure, but it also is a good reminder that it is just a thing.
We all had a blast shopping. I love Trader Joes. I picked up some yummy chocolate and organic sparkling wine. The mall we went to was to die for. Tiffany and Co, Crate and Barrel, Macy's, and Lush were just a few of my favorites.
We got back to Casa de Peeples well after the sun went down, but that didn't stop us from a Peeples Putting tournament. There were several pics with little "orbs" floating around us on the putting green so we decided that this was a highly important golf match with past generations in attendance. Dad won of course! He may have had an edge, it being his own personal putting green and all.
We had great drinks, Sheri fed us yet another amazing meal, and I fell asleep, cuddles up on the couch listening to my dad tell stories from the past. I thought it was a dream when he changed subjects to remark on how he may have finally been sold on my dark hair, that it was a stunning combination with my blue eyes, how cute I was while I slept, and what a great person I was. But Annette told me the next morning about the sweet things he had to say about me, so it wasn't a dream after all.
Our final day in AZ was EPIC. We all got up early, had coffee, and took turns getting ready while Sheri made us breakfast. We looked for my ring but it was no where to be found.
And then it was off to the races. Have I mentioned that I love horse racing? Well I do. It is so much fun.
Dad and I, aka the Dynamic Duo, were not doing very well. After 6 races, we hadn't won anything. But all of that changed with a little horse named "Dinner with Dan." Since my dads sisters always call him Dan, Jana insisted that Dad vote on that horse. The horse didn't look like much and his numbers weren't great but at the insistence of Jana, dad went for it. We turned a measly $10 bet into $1600 bucks!!!!!!! Woooohooo! When that number popped up we both started screaming and jumping. It was awesome. We decided that since we bet on a horse named "dinner with Dan" and had a big, expensive dinner planned later that night, we would treat Janabanana and Annette. Winning was a blast.
Later that night we were all treated, courtesy of our new favorite horse, to a the dinner of a lifetime. Never before have I experienced anything like dinner at Binkleys in Cavecreek, AZ. It was so far beyond my expectations because I didn't know a meal and wine could be so perfectly paired, creative, and flavorful.
We each ordered a 5 course meal with wine pairing but it really was more like a 20 course meal.
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| Dad and Jana Taking a little mid meal nap ;-) |
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| Annette and I enjoying the ambiance. |
Here were my 5 selections:
Co
ld Appetizer
Slow Cooked Lamb Loin
quinoa tabbouleh, red onion marmalade, sea beans, bread stick, balsamic, chili oil.
Warm Appetizer
Black Truffle Whipped Potatoes
wild mushroom, perigord black truffles, baby leeks, truffle Jus.
Meat
Pork
loin, maple glazed belly, empanada, sweet potatoe, snow pea, asian pear.
Cheese
Crow's Dairy Chevre from Arizona, Epoisses from France, and Roccola
served with fruitcake, crimson gold apple, spiced walnuts, and crostini. Dessert
Peanut Butter Tres Leche
brown sugar banana butter, caramel corn, chocolate caramel sauce.
We were also served gifts from the chefs:
Honey wheat bread, a sherry duck reduction, inverted quiche, mini sloppy joe, a pear bomb, liquid nitrogen fruit dots, mini strawberry suffle with banana pure, and L.E.D. light mango consume.
I also got to try some of Dads Foie Gras and Janas Carrot Cake Custard with real candied carrots and carrot ice cream.
It has been over a week since this meal and I still cant stop thinking about it. Every little thing was perfectly thought out and complimentary. The flavors were so sophisticated and satisfying. It has changed my expectations forever.
From the moment I turned onto the Carefree Highway, just a few miles from my Dad and Sheri's home, my stress level dropped down from an 8 to about a 2. I really needed the laughs, comfort, love, and fun. I cant wait to go visit again, fingers crossed that Binkleys is a part of that visit.
