Two dining areas were set up in the spacious home, where tables were decorated in a black and white damask design, contrasted by red roses.

The go-to beverage of Cinco de Mayo is now available in dessert form. Margarita cupcakes are the latest offering from Scottsdale cupcake shop Sprinkles. The tangy little number with key lime-tequila cake capped by key lime frosting and sprinkled with salt is available May 3-5 at the bakery, 4501 N. Scottsdale Road.

With a reputation for being innovative and versatile, Dante Ariola made a name for himself directing commercials for the likes of Coca Cola, Nike and Lexus. What began as a substantial career in graphic design morphed into a myriad of film work, including music videos for bands like Cake and Cypress Hill, and a documentary short about wildlife conservationist Dr. Alan Rabinowitz, entitled “Man & Beast.”

We were married on St. Patrick’s Day at the Foothills Golf Club. The wedding was beautiful, everyone had a wonderful time, the pictures came out great — best wedding a couple could ask for. If it wasn’t for the Ahwatukee community; however, our day would have been a disaster.

You wouldn’t think $3.50 cupcakes would catch on in a recession, but Sprinkles Cupcakes did just that. Opened in 2008 at Scottsdale and Camelback roads, the sweet shop is celebrating its fifth anniversary by giving away something fans of its cupcakes can’t even get in Arizona: Sprinkles brand ice cream.

Mary Mitchell said she started playing bridge with her husband more than 50 years ago.

Food Network’s “Cupcake Wars” hasn’t just motivated viewers to indulge in the sweet treat. The TV show has inspired Mesa culinary instructor Amee Hoge to host a similar cupcake challenge of her own but with a twist — it’s just for kids.

Heartland Payment Systems

I have read so many good books lately I couldn’t decide which one to review. It was a toss up between “The Obituary Writer,” by Ann Hood and “The Secret Keeper,” by Kate Norton (I don’t know about you but any title that contains the word “secret” draws me like a magnet — maybe it was that early Nancy Drew conditioning).

Kaylah Lupoe is a bit shy, has a smile that can break an iceberg let alone the ice, and a nasty streak that disrupts the most cohesive of offenses.

From the moment chocolate was discovered it was considered a valuable, divine and decadent treat. The first chocolate candies were invented in the 1860s by Cadbury, who was also the first to market them in a heart-shaped box for Valentine’s Day that same decade.

Boy, do I feel sorry for smokers these days. Smoking used to be so fashionable and hip in the James Dean and Steve McQueen days.

Deep-fried gator, barbecued turkey legs, monster baked potatoes, funnel cakes and cotton candy. These are just a sampling of menu items at Piggly’s at the Fair, a new restaurant in Mesa.

Tucked away in the heart of San Tan Valley, The Good Life Festival – a multi-event, season-long gathering at Encanterra Country Club – regularly puts a focus on food, wine and music.

“I just poured Gatorade all over my plants.”

Naming herself after the provincial flower of Alberta, Canada, Loca Rosa is a performer with international flair.

Long before Hostess Brands’ plan to shut down made Twinkies the rage, Nancy Peppin found something special about the cream-filled snack cakes.

As January has once again excited us with a new beginning, a fresh start, and a chance to reinvent ourselves for the new year, we decide to pull out our resolutions list. The fact that we feel like the new year means a fresh start, we have the utmost motivation and drive to start knocking out our resolutions and making positive changes that range anywhere from eating healthy, exercising more, spending more quality time with the family, and even work on paying down our debts. Yet for some reason, every year our drive and motivation seems to fizzle usually around March or April.

Marilyn Monroe. The Rolling Stones. And Bond — James Bond. What do they have in common?

A group of students from Arizona State University are getting their feet wet with a new, online learning tool for those looking to self-teach and find resources.

There is no subtle way to say this. This cake screams Christmas.

Pinterest has changed the world of mothering.