Scoop Factory says The Stockyards is bringing the classic Rock Springs Cafe pies to the Valley for Thanksgiving:

For nearly 90 years, Rock Springs Café has been a welcoming watering hole for travelers along Old Black Canyon Road (now the I-17 highway). Perched atop a rocky plateau some 45 miles north of the Valley, Rock Springs started as a general store for gold miners seeking their fortune in the nearby Bradshaw Mountains. Today, however, Rock Springs Café is known throughout the West for its awesome house-made pies, ranging from traditional favs such as banana cream and rhubarb crumb, to more exotic offerings such as Jack Daniels pecan and Tennessee lemon. No wonder why this kitschy roadside stand sells some 50,000 pies every holiday season. 

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Want to eat Thanksgiving dinner at home, minus the cooking and clean-up? Let some of the Valley’s top chef’s do the work and order a whole Turkey Day feast to-go including the 20 pound bird and pie, pies and pies! Would you rather be entertained than be the one entertaining house guests this holiday? Check out a lengthy list of places offering five-course meals or feasts ready for take-out after the jump including the Heard Museum’s Thanksgiving Day Edible Galleries!

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If you were thinking about heading to Yuma over the holiday (anyone?, Bueller?) you might want to skip that swim in the canal. That’s because Arizona Game and Fish officials just discovered a second shark swimming in the city’s main irrigation canal. Yes, two sharks.

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Sky Harbor Off to Good Start on Busy Travel Day [KTAR]

TSA Opt Out Day: Thanksgiving Travelers Quiet So Far [ABC]

Korean Island Residents Describe Terror [WSJ]

Make love not war. Or at least plan on some serious cuddle time with this awesome new line of furnishings made from marine mines. You know, those scary floating explosives that sank all those boats in the history classes you slept through. Rescued from an old Soviet military facility in the Gulf of Finland, these Cold War relics have now been transformed into everything from armchairs and decorative art, to this badassery fireplace. Explosives not included.

[Marine Mine]

Pill Shows Promise in Preventing HIV Infection [WSJ]

Ugly Betty Actor Kills Mother With Samurai Sword [People]

Million Dollar Foreclosures in Arizona [AZ Family]

Instead of slaving over a hot stove this Thanksgiving, why not make reservations at one of the Valley’s top resorts? Some are offering full stay, eat and play getaway packages, but most will be at least serving up a complete Thanksgiving dinner complete with complimentary clean up. Enjoy the traditional feast without the prep or mess! Bear with us, a lengthy roundup of resort offerings after the jump!

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Scoop Factory says forget the Butterball Hotline, because chef Justin Beckett is ready and willing to tackle your most pressing poultry problems:

Are you feeling a little kitchen-phobic at the thought of cooking the big bird this Thanksgiving? Or have you been burned (literally) by a relative’s secret recipe that left you gnawing on a bone dry hunk of overcooked poultry? Then have we got the perfect solution for you. Yes, famed local chef, Justin Beckett will be available all-day this Thanksgiving to help resolve any turkey ‘tastrophes.

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Phoenix Woman Killed After Cashing Lottery Ticket [AZ Central]

Threats of Retaliation After N. Korean Strike on S. Korea [CNN]

Miracle of Birth Captured on Google Street View [Gizmodo]

Famed Valley chef/restaurateur, Aaron May, has worked inside the restaurant industry since he was 15 years old. However, it wasn’t until he discovered the joys of a certain sun-bleached, small-plate-loving culinary scene located thousands of miles from home, that May discovered his muse.

Yes, chef May first fell in love with Spanish-style cuisine 10 years ago while living on the French side of the France/Spain border. A recent graduate of Scottsdale Community College‘s culinary program, May’s favorite pastime was traveling to nearby Barcelona, where the rich culture heritage extends way beyond just the city’s magnificó arts and architecture, and has influenced the entire nation’s cuisine, food and drink.

Returning to Arizona with a recipe book brimming with traditional Spanish staples, May’s Sol y Sombra restaurant helped make tapas the trendiest thing in the Scottsdale dining scene. And although that restaurant succumbed to the DC Ranch curse, May’s gone on to open six more über-successful dining spaces, including a woodsy burger joint and the Valley’s hottest classic cocktail lounge.

Recently, DLT caught up with this outsized personality for a little one-on-one about his newest brainchild, Vitamin T, scheduled to open up inside Downtown Phoenix’s new CityScape…last week. Due to a few construction code problems however, the fresh ingredients will have to wait a little longer to be turned into delicious Vitamin T.

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We hope you didn’t blink, because the highly anticipated, coveted and somewhat controversial Lanvin for H&M has come and gone from Scottsdale Fashion Square. As the first Arizona store to carry a collaboration line, everyone (us included) was freaking out with excitement. But it seems not all of the collection ended up in Valley closets, and local fashionistas are pissed.

More exclusive details on where it all went after the jump.

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Step inside the kitchen of the famed Four Seasons Scottsdale with Stacey Smith, our special guest reviewer and winner of Scoop Factory‘s Food Critic for a Day contest.

I never imagined my afternoon would be interrupted by my husband saying: “Get ready to cook. You have less than an hour to get to the Four Seasons.” Turns out, he’d surprised me with an impromptu chef du jour, or working tour of North Scottsdale’s Four Season’s Talavera restaurant. Shortly I would join Bakery Chef Lance for a tasting/lesson on Valrhona chocolates; decadent and fabulous! Next, Executive Sous Chef Jesse Hansen, and a wonderful staff of kind chefs, took me by the hand and provided the experience of a lifetime! After the evening service began, I was joined in the dining room by my husband who was eager to learn which dishes I had helped prepare. Together we ate our way through the menu, plate by scrumptious plate.

Of course, this entire adventure was prompted by an email from Scoop Factory announcing I’d won an invitation to an exclusive chef tasting, including a chance to become Food Critic for a Day, and to blog for Desert Living Today.

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Phoenix Population Steady at No. 5 in Nation [Phx Biz Journal]

Photos: The Garbage Crisis in Naples, Italy [National Post]

Hundreds Die in Stampede on Cambodian Island [NY Times]

Fun and whimsical, the Button Bench by JELLIO is perfect for your Candy Land room Katy Perry shrine. With foam “dots” that squish upon seating, this is a comfortable tribute to the classic candy. If only it were edible…

Valley Man Blows Almost 5 Times Legal Limit After Crashing Into Pole [AZ Family] 

Gawker.com Sued for Posting Palin book Excerpts [Reuters]

Michael Douglas; Looking Good On The Road To Recovery [Radar]

Phoenix’s new BonTerra Farm Market promised to brings the best of Europe and New York to Valley foodies, but Scoop Factory wants to know, will it put down roots?

As we count down the hours ’til Thanksgiving (aka the foodiest day of the year), we’ve got food on the mind even more than usual. Today, however, we’re not thinking about Tom Turkey or Sally Stuffing. No, we’re obsessing over bodegas and Batali. Never heard of either? Well, grab your passport and your insatiable appetite because we’re going on a quick jaunt to Eataly.

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Calling all trendsetters, shopaholics and fashionistas. Tory Burch and Fashion Group International-Arizona are hosting their annual Spring Fashion Fever 2011 Trend Report event Thursday, December 2 and (score!) they are inviting all of you to attend. Even better, if you purchase your tix by the end of TODAY online here you can save $5 off the $40 ticket price for non-FGI members. Students are $10, and FGI member tix are $25.

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Young Boy Falls To Death At Staples Center [CNN]

Doctor Sues Restaurant For Letting Him Eat Whole Artichoke [Eater]

Phoenix McDonald’s Owner Gears Up To Host Free Thanksgiving Breakfast [AZ Central]

Well, it’s the third Monday of the month. Which means it’s time to talk money (and the joys of being a male cocktail waitress) with CEO and blogger, Nathan J. Reis. This month: The Customer is Always Right Truth is Perception

“The customer is always right….? Whoever said that obviously has not talked to a customer before….” – Nathan J Reis 2006

The customer is always right. I speak about this topic frequently. This is honestly my most valuable lesson learned not just in business, but in life. Once I figured out what that statement really meant, I realized I had figured out the key to business, friendship, and relationships. Where we all generally fail is in the difficult task of determining who the customer is …

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ADOT: Work On I-10 Done Ahead Of Schedule [CBS 5]

Don’t Friend Your Debt Collector on Facebook [Gawker]

NY-to-Moscow Jet Returns Safely After Engine Fails [Yahoo]

As chosen by you, here are the most popular stories OF ALL TIME (aka last week). Just in case you missed it.

Alright we admit it, our weekly food blog updates have been a little sporadic lately. But not to fret, we won’t let you miss a thing! Here’s a redux of this week’s happenings on our favorite food blogs. »READ MORE

As chosen by you, here are the most popular stories OF ALL TIME (aka last week). Just in case you missed it.

New restaurants are opening their doors all over the Valley. Three opened up this week,and DLT has the scoop you’re craving after the jump! »READ MORE

As chosen by you, here are the most popular stories OF ALL TIME (aka last week). Just in case you missed it.

It’s no secret that here at DLT, we have a big-time sweet tooth. So naturally, we’re always wondering, is there a faster, more convenient (and cooler) way to get our sugar fix? Well, meet Coca-Cola’s new “fountain of the future,” a high-tech machine that uses a touchscreen interface to dispense 106 different drinks, including sodas, sparkling waters and sports drinks. Even better, this standalone dispenser also doles out a bevy of exclusive products, such as Orange Coke, Peach Sprite or Hi-C Raspberry, that aren’t available anywhere else. Named the Coca-Cola Freestyle, it’s making it’s Valley debut tomorrow inside a popular Chinese food chain. »READ MORE

Simple and beautiful, Warpaint’s ‘Undertow’ video is a cinematographic dream. Purely hypnotizing, watch and lust after gorgeous meadows, sunsets, white houses and being in my Undertow.

As chosen by you, here are the most popular stories OF ALL TIME (aka last week). Just in case you missed it.

Screw wine and cheese, this might be the greatest food and drink combo of all time. Premium liqueurs and marshmallows. Our mouths are already watering. Deets on which Phoenix restaurant is offering the mash up after the jump! »READ MORE