38 DECEMBER 2017 ArcAd A News By Nick Smith Gianna Zizzo had a very long Christmas list last December. Her requests for Santa Claus included a wide variety of toys and she was counting down the days until the presents would arrive. Her mother Lillian thought this might be a good moment to help teach Gianna about the giving part of the holiday season. “We spent some time talking about how she has so much,” Lillian said. “I asked her, ‘Wouldn’t it be a nice thing if we could get some presents for kids who don’t have as much?’” Lillian had interacted with Phoenix Children’s Hospital in the past and remembered that it organizes a toy drive each December. She helped explain to Gianna how much toys would mean to children who are spending the holidays in a hospital and the two of them decided to make it their special Christmas project. “We went out and got some toys, and she was very excited when we bought them,” Lillian said. “When we went in to drop them off, Gianna even wanted to fill out her own paper. It was very nice and I thought that was the end of it.” A few months later, a letter from the Phoenix Children’s Hospital arrived at the Zizzo home. It was addressed personally to Gianna, and thanked her for her contribution during the Toy Drive. “She was just amazed that they had written her a letter saying thank you,” Lillian said. That letter immediately sparked something in Gianna. Her first reaction was to buy more presents, which Lillian explained might be a bit premature, with the holidays still 10 months away. So the 8-year-old Hopi third grader decided to find other ways to give back while she waited for Christmastime. Lemons are, of course, plentiful in the neighborhood during the spring, so Gianna and her mom built a lemonade stand and began to sell fresh lemonade periodically throughout the spring, along with her friend Morgan, a second grader at Hopi. Gianna was able to raise $179 and used the money to purchase toys based on the list from the Phoenix Children’s Hospital website. She also donated her hair to Wigs for Kids and helped to prepare Thanksgiving meals for the Salvation Army and local homeless respite shelters. “We’ve really tried to instill caring in her, but this is the first thing she’s really made her own,” said Lillian. “I’m just happy she’s excited about giving back to others.” The 2017 Phoenix Children’s Hospital Toy Drive is taking place from December 9 through December 24. Unwrapped new toys and gift cards are welcomed and every child admitted to the hospital over the holiday will receive a toy. For more: phoenixchildrens.org. Hopi third grader embraces the spirit of giving PHOENIX CHILDREN’S HOSPITAL TOY DRIVE 12/9 - 12/24 ORDER YOUR TAMALES FOR THE HOLIDAYS $30 PER DOZEN WE ALSO HAVE FULL CATERING SERVICE, OR BOOK YOUR PRIVATE HOLIDAY PARTY ON ONE OF OUR PATIOS CALL 602-300-7133 602-956-0178 | 4144 E. Indian School Rd. HAPPY HOLIDAYS FROM THE TEEPEE FAMILY CLOSE 5:00 PM XMAS EVE | CLOSED XMAS DAY | OPEN NEW YEARS Join Us for One of Two Open Houses Highlighting Our Preschool - 5th Grade Programs! Register Online: www.staphxschool.org/RSVP or Call: (602) 954-9088 Parents Enjoy a Presentation, Tour and Q&A Session. Childcare Available with Storytime, Snacks & Crafts. Check-In Begins at 8:45AM / Program Begins at 9:00AM 4510 N 24th Street, Phoenix, AZ 85016 www.staphxschool.org We Warmly Welcome You Gingerbread Open House December 5th Hot Cocoa Open House February 23rd

39 DECEMBER 2017 Arc A d A News By Michelle Donati-Grayman If you’ve ever accepted an invitation to a holiday meal and ask what you can bring, “some kind of dessert” is probably the response you’ve received. Rather than making a last-minute run to the grocery store this year, consider planning ahead and pre-ordering one of these locally made desserts promising to be the talk of the dessert table. n n n Earl Grey and Caramel Apple Ice Cream Pie Creamistry (4325 E. Indian School Road, Phoenix) recently added two ice cream pies to its seasonal menu. The Earl Grey pie is made with Earl Grey tea ice cream, garnished with whipped cream and chocolate curls, then dusted with dark cocoa powder. The caramel apple pie is made with apple ice cream and cinnamon apple compote under a flaky pie crust. It is topped with caramel and crunchy streusel. The single-serving creations are $7.45 each. n n n Green Chili Apple Pie Pie Snob (3630 E. Indian School Road, Phoenix) offers more than a dozen made- from-scratch pies. Its menu ranges from traditional pumpkin to a green chili apple pie, which combines granny smith apples with hatch green chilies topped with cinnamon crumble made with jalapeño honey butter. Apple crumb and chocolate cream are the bakery’s best-selling pies. Prices range from $24-$40 per pie. n n n Lime Prickly Pear Cactus Brulee The Marketplace, located at The Shops at The Phoenician (6000 E. Camelback Road, Scottsdale) features more than 20 single-serve confections. This includes eight varieties of éclairs, six different macarons, and several other delectable options, including a white chocolate mint blackberry bar and a lime prickly pear cactus brulee. Desserts are $3-$4 each. n n n Fig and Pecan Pie Chef Justin Beckett’s award-winning fig and pecan pie is available at Beckett’s Table (3717 E. Indian School Road, Phoenix) and Southern Rail (300 W. Camelback Road, Phoenix) for $28. For an added flavor bonus, serve the pie alongside a pint of Beckett’s house-made citrus zest cream cheese ice cream for $8. Macarons Essence Bakery (3830 E. Indian School Road, Phoenix) Eugenia Theodosopoulos and her famous macarons are popular all year, but the holidays are great for grabbing a variety of her creations. Small treats are available in a package of 8 for $8.95 and a box of 24 is $26.95. Since nearly everything at Essence is made fresh daily, a 24-hour advance notice might be a good idea. Gluten-Free Desserts Galore Jewel’s Bakery and Café (4041 E. Thomas Road, Phoenix) offers a number of gluten-free holiday baked goods that promise to taste better than their gluten-laden counterparts. This includes pumpkin pie, chocolate pumpkin bundt cake and ginger spice cheesecake. Many items can be made vegan. Gluten-free corn bread mix, frozen pie shells, flax dinner rolls and stuffing cubes are also available. Pies are $25, bundt cakes are $35 and cheesecakes are $50. Dazzling Desserts: Six places to pre-order your holiday sweets (left) Chef Beckett’s award-winning fig and pecan pie is best served alongside the chef’s house-made citrus zest cream cheese ice cream. (right) Located at The Shops at The Phoenician, The Marketplace features more than 20 single-serve confections. NOR_ArcadiaNews_Dec2017_7.75x6.indd 2 11/8/17 2:31 PM