Fuzzy Melon. White Gourd. No, these aren’t names of alterna-indie bands. They are actually names for a rare and delicious vegetable, the Winter Melon.

Soi 4 Bangkok Eatery recognizes the awesomeness of the exotic Asian vegetable, and is adding it to their winter menu! Taste the Winter Melon for yourself in the new Pla Rad Kang dish that incorporates the savory, sweeted taste of the fruit or get your Winter Melon Fix by ordering the Winter Melon, Basil and Red Curry. Either way, thai it, you may like it.

Soi 4 Bangkok Eatery was named “Best Thai Restaurant” by the Arizona Republic, so you know they only serve the best stuff. So why wait? Get your winter on with Soi 4 and the winter melon!

SOI 4 | 8787 N. Scottsdale Road, Ste. 104 | Scottsdale, 85253

Little Ralphie would be jealous.

This joyous holiday card from the Scottsdale Gun Club making national news this afternoon for obvious reasons. The ladies are looking quite chipper with their machine guns as they post with a less than jolly looking Santa.

Gawker describes the photos as, “Locked and loaded for a merry Christmas and a very happy new year!”

Certainly these sharp-shooting ladies won’t shoot their eye out this season.

Fruitcake has a bad rap. Often as heavy as your average paperweight and about as tastey, it is the gift that keeps on getting given away during the holidays. We’re thinkin’ this cake sounds good enough to drink eat.

That’s why Seattle baker Kathy Casey came to the rescue with her delicious “Over 21″ Fruit Cakes. These festively spiced cakes are full of Maker’s Mark soaked dried fuits and loads of nuts-one taste is all you’ll need to banish the negative fruit cake stigma and become a full-on fruit cake fanatic for life.

Although Kathy Casey Food Studios is located in Seattle, don’t worry! You can have your cake and eat it too by ordering the one-pound loaves for just $9.95 online. Shipping is available until December 16 or while supplies last.

So order one for yourself or spread some holiday cheer by giving some to others. Just don’t forget your friends at DLT-we’re all for holiday cheer, but mostly just the Maker’s Mark.

Forgive Old Town Scottsdale’s Loco Patron if they skip the cake at their 7th anniversary party this weekend. Instead, dig into their pork tacos, which recently took home the trophy in the Best Pork Taco category at the Arizona Taco Festival.

Loco will be celebrating the two feats on Saturday, December 3 with a Hawaiian luau-themed bash from 3:00 p.m. to close. As much as we love a good birthday cake, we’ll take the tacos and tequila this year.

Loco Patron | 4228 North Scottsdale Road | Scottsdale, AZ 85251 | 480-874-0033

As we first mentioned a couple weeks ago, SanTan Brewing Company and Rico’s American Grill are teaming up to host the Harvest Beer Dinner benefiting The Beer For Brains Foundation Thursday night at 6:30.

The event will begin with an appetizer reception, followed by a four-course dinner paired expertly with SanTan’s seasonal craft beers – including their new featured seasonal, 12 Daze Caramel Spiced Ale. Before each course, Rico’s executive chef Ken Arneson and a representative from SanTan will describe the dish and beer pairing.

The Peoria-based Beer For Brains Foundation raises public awareness about brain cancer, engenders compassion for its victims and helps fund groundbreaking research leading to a cure.

The event is $59 per person, plus tax and gratuity, and requires reservations which can be made by calling Rico’s at 602.997.5850.

Get stuffed last week? We feel your pain. To top it all off, those darned Victoria’s Secret Angels Freaks of Nature strutting their 90 lb frames down the runway last night were enough to make anyone want to head straight to the gym and eat nothing but celery until bathing suit season, but for whatever reason, we just had an overwhelming craving for cheese fries. This is a column for food lovers so here’s a redux of this week’s happenings in our favorite food blogs:

With the holiday season in full swing, making the perfect roast would be a great thing to have in your arsenal when entertaining. For this, we turn to Pen & Fork and the review of the cookbook, All About Roasting. This book contains everything you didn’t think you needed to know about roasting everything from lamb to vegetables and has 4.1 lbs worth of recipes and tips to making the perfect holiday dish. Check out the site to get the step-by-step guide to making Roasted Rack of Lamb with Spiced Honey Glaze or pick up the book by Molly Stevens asap to make the most of it. »READ MORE

We’ve heard some grumblings from a very reliable source, um…actually just Facebook, that someone is trying to block the new Z Tejas from its impending Phoenix location at 16th Street  & Bethany Home. Here’s what a concerned, local Z’ Tejas margarita lover posted late last night:

To all my friends that live in the neighborhood of 16th and Bethany.. Z Tejas will go in front of the City of Phoenix zoning administrator this Thursday December 1st at a public hearing. A tenant within the same shopping center is attempting to block the Z’Tejas and has gone door to door trying to obtain signatures in opposition. Public comment will be heard at this hearing so we need as many emails in support of Z’Tejas as possible. If you would, please write a brief email stating your support for the project to Edward.Keyser@phoenix.gov. Your email needs to get to the City by 12 noon tomorrow (Wednesday / TODAY).

What have you heard? Are you opposed to  Z’Tejas opening their 5th Arizona location with a rare, full build-out at 16th Street and Bethany? The place is set to have 290 seats with an outdoor patio, opening July 2012, near The Vig Uptown, Luci’s Healthy Marketplace, North and more.

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Get ready for a flurry of freebies because Scoop Factory’s annual Scoopstakes is back, December 5 – December 16, presented this year by Biltmore Fashion Park! What’s a Scoopstakes, you ask? It’s our way of saying “thank you” to our subscribers for being so darned awesome. But wait, what’s a Scoop Factory? It’s our FREE daily magazine that delivers the latest in local dining, style, design news, as well as insider tips and exclusive events. You can’t win if you don’t Scoop, so sign up today here!

For 10 full days from Monday, December 5 – Friday, December 16, we’ll be giving away AMAZING prize packages to top local restaurants, boutiques, salons, resorts and more. Want your chance to win? Simply sign up for our FREE email publication at www.scoopfactory.com, and we’ll deliver daily Scoops of how to win right to your email inbox. Prize packs and conditions of entry will vary in each Scoop, but one thing is for sure, if you don’t Scoop you can’t win. And if your friends are signed up, they can’t win and share with you! Here’s a sneak peek at the goodies we’re throwin’ your way, but shhhh … you didn’t hear it from us! »READ MORE

This holiday, it’s not what you get. It’s how you’re Gifted. Whether you’re shopping for the boys or for your grown up princess, we’ve got a fabulous round up of ideas for the gifted (or yourself). Check out our special “The Gifted 2011 Guide” below.

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Pink In PANTONE Barbie Doll, $49.95, barbiecollector.com; Hermés Crazy Calèche Bracelet, $2,375, usa.hermes.com; Christian Louboutin Book, $150, us.christianlouboutin.com

BTTF DeLorean DMC-12 V4.0 Custom LEGO Model, $49.99, ichibantoys.com; Michael Kors Ceramic Bel-Air Chronograph Watch, $495, michaelkors.com; Tom Burr Table Tennis Table, $45,000, neimanmarcus.com

Circle Playhouse, $1,299, modern-playhouse.com; 12 Soaps-A-Sudsing, $38, lather.com; Museum of Robots Flying Saucer Bowl Set in Aluminum, $281.39, allmodern.com

Butter London Nail Color Set, The Fash Pack, $36, butterlondon.com Tiffany Grace diamond tiara with princess-cut and round brilliant diamonds in platinum $80,000, tiffany.com; Tom Ford Lipstick Violet Fatale, $48, shop.nordstrom.com; Alexander McQueen Knuckle-Clasp Snakeskin Box Clutch, $2,195.00, bergdorfgoodman.com

Julia Baker Confections 18 piece window box, $44, juliabakerconfections.com; Prada Candy Eau de Parfum Spray, $108.00, saksfifthavenue.com; iP4 Portable FM Stereo Boombox for iPhone/iPod, $199.99, ihomeaudio.com

Ted Baker Crawlin Printed Boxer Short, $28, tedbaker-london.com; Fornasetti Pistole Candle, $165, barneys.com; Lytro Camera, $500, uncrate.com; Blacktop 360 Party Hub Grill-Fryer, $249.99, blacktop360.com

Healing Anthropology Gift Set for Body $62.50, healinganthropology.com; Tuscan EVOO & Balsamic Gift Box, $25.19, queencreekolivemill.com; TOMS for the whole family, toms.com

Image via caranddriver.com

We’ve never been totally sold on the Nissan Juke as we see them driving along Valley streets. The SUV crossover from Nissan seems harmless enough, but it’s never motivated us to look over our shoulder for a second glimpse, and its 188-horsepower engine doesn’t exactly get the heart racing.

But what happens when you mix the beastly Nissan GT-R with the modest Juke? You get the Juke-R and its 485-horsepower, twin-turbocharged 3.8-liter V-6 engine and all-wheel-drive system. Now that’s a ride we can excited for.

The Juke-R is still in the concept stage but we’re hoping Nissan gets it into production at some point. We just hope the standard-issue Jukes don’t get jealous when their brawny cousin comes to town.

We love this modernist version of the airstream for the pampered pooch. The Italian designed ceramic “luxury caravan” by Marco Morosini is a contemporary chic space for your pint sized yipper to chillax in. The chic clothesline shown the picture unfortunately isn’t included. To order, click here.

The holidays are a special time of year for giving, holiday cheer and togetherness. But of course, with all the “togetherness” of family and out of town guests at your house, a new home for the holidays may be on your Christmas list.

The new showroom of WestHill Designs, a Tui Lifestyle Authorized Dealer, can make your new home for the holidays simple with their turn-key furniture and design packages delivered to your door before Santa slides down the chimney this year. In just 2-3 weeks, a 22 piece set from their pre-designed room collections will arrive to outfit an entire room, down to the mattress in bedroom ensembles. WestHill offers 12 furniture collections starting at $13,775 with packages that include Frette Sheets, artwork, porcelain accessories, china and additional accessories and design services to further personalize your rooms. Clients of the Tui Lifestyle furniture have included Francis Ford Coppola and Jennifer Lopez, and if it’s good enough to outfit Jenny’s block, we think it’s worth checking out.

WestHill Design Showroom | 15330 N. Hayden Rd. Suite 105 | Scottsdale, AZ 85260 | 480.339.5944

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Don’t break your back moving grandma’s hand-me-down sofa from place to place in your living room, visualize your room full of furniture from the palm of your hand with the SnapShop app for iPhone and iPad.  You can shop from your favorite brands, use your fingers to literally place that new couch or sofa in a photo from your album and share room ideas with friends. Check the video below of the ingenious way to pose as an interior designer.

The Green Schoolhouse Series will break ground on the first of 18 environmentally friendly and LEED Platinum-certified for Title 1, low-income public schools built entirely by community volunteers Thursday, December 1 at 9:00 a.m. Roadrunner Elementary School in Phoenix will be the first of its kind in the Valley adding the new 6,000 square foot state-of-the-art schoolhouse named “Safari”, with select campuses in Phoenix to follow in its carbon-reducing footsteps in 2012 including Orangewood Middle School and the Green Phoenix Learning Center on the Rio Salado Community College Campus.

Not only is the facility going green, but Blue Cross Blue Shield of Arizona (BCBSAZ) is partnering with the school to offer a healthy living curriculum and sustainable green gardens on each campus, making the campus an unique opportunity for students to live a healthier lifestyle. BCBSAZ employee volunteers will take a hands-on approach, caring for the vegetable gardens at each Green Schoolhouse campus which will serve as a student-parent healthy-lifestyle learning center. Arizona ranks 25th in the nation for childhood obesity, and nearly 29 percent of low-income children ages two to five in Arizona are either overweight or obese. »READ MORE

Deck the halls with the Phoenix Symphony at its “Holiday Pops” Sing Along concert with Resident Conductor Joseph Young, featuring holiday classics such as ”Santa Baby,” “Deck the Halls,” “All I Want for Christmas,” “O Holy Night” and many more of your favorite Christmas classics.

Holiday Pops will take place at Symphony Hall, December 2-4. Tickets start at $11 and can be purchased by calling the Phoenix Symphony Box Office at 602-495-1999 or by visiting clicking here. 

Friday, December 2, showtime 8:00 p.m.

Saturday, December 3, showtime 8:00 p.m.

Sunday, December 4, showtime 2:00 p.m.

Don’t call your realtor just yet. The newest Valley neighborhood is just for the looking. No touching, no buying and certainly no licking.

The sweet ‘hood we’re talking about is the largest gingerbread village in the Valley, debuting this week at the JW Marriott Desert Ridge Resort. The 40-foot x 25-foot edible village in the grand lobby of the property models a Dr. Seuss Who-ville fantasy town with Oreo cookie streets, ornate Who-ville candy cars, a Santa Shop, moving carousals, an abundance of mascarpone and pastillage for whimsical Who-ville characters with candy canes, lollipops, and holiday lights amongst numerous hand-crafted gingerbread houses. »READ MORE

Wendy’s Hot ‘N Juicy Tour of America is stopping in Phoenix at CityScape Wednesday, November 30th to hand out over 1,500 free Hot ‘N Juicy Cheeseburgers with Frosty from 11:00 a.m. to 5:00 pm. Burger tasters will also have a chance to win prizes and participate in interactive games. Wow – Wendy’s been getting around with this freebies since September when we told you about the opening of their modern eatery in Phoenix. Keep the freebies coming!

CityScape | 1 East Washington Street | Phoenix, AZ 85004

Image via Wendy’s

But it’s awesome to watch. Damien Walters, gymnast-extraordinaire, shows off his physically genius moves in this 2 minute clip. The vid is psyching us up for our post-Turkey workouts this week.

Have you been naughty or nice this year?

Don’t worry, no one’s telling Santa. Whether you’ve been an angel or entertaining your devilish side, Stuart Weitzman and Swarovski Elements have something for you!

Enter the “Naughty or Nice” Holiday Twitter contest to win a naughty “Brillag” crystal evening sand or good girl “Cinderella” crystalized pump.

Two lucky winners will receive these perfect holiday shoes and rock them all season long. How to win after the jump: »READ MORE

On the clock today, the most colorful chef in the Valley Chef Eddie Matney, fresh from cooking up more than 1,000 pounds of turkey for Thanksgiving, is giving us his tips on how the food lover dropped 40 pounds in a bit of a surprising way and how the upcoming 2012 “Cruise with Eddie” came about. Details on how you can cruise with the colorful Chef and more after the jump:

So you know how this works, we fire off questions and you fire back. Looks like your ready…

Downtown Glendale is aglow now through January with their yearly light festival “Glendale Glitters” featuring 1.5 million lights on 16 blocks of historic Glendale and weekend activities for the entire family. Mark your calendars for the following weekends:

- Spirit of Giving Weekend, December 2 & 3, 6:00 p.m.- 10:00 p.m.

- Winter Wonderland Weekend, December 9 & 10, 6:00 p.m.- 10:00 p.m.

- Jingle Bell Rockin’ Nights, December 16 & 17, 6:00 p.m.- 10:00 p.m.

- Glitter & Glow Block Party, January 14, 4:00 p.m. – 10:00 p.m.

Image via Phoenix.org

Concept albums are great, but concept videos to accompany them just take great to a whole new level. With The Roots’ new album entitled Undun coming out next Tuesday, December 6th, we felt compelled to share the latest video from the retelling of Redford Stevens’ life. This is “Sleep,” but you can watch the rest of the video series at theroots.com or on youtube here.

If you just finished off the last bit of pumpkin pie for breakfast this morning, it maybe time to burn off the butter-filled Thanksgiving weekend and do it Dailey

The Dailey Method with locations in Scottsdale and Phoenix is a system of strengthening and stretching all the major muscle groups in the body. Mixing ballet barre moves, core conditioning, stretching and orthopedic exercises, The Daily Method’s controlled movements are focused, effective and safe. Each exercise is followed by a series of stretches to develop sculpted muscles. The entire body is constantly working throughout the one-hour class, and doing The Dailey daily will transform your posture and body. »READ MORE

If you’ve still got some cash left after the weekend shopping bonanza and you missed out on a few deals, you’re in luck with today’s Cyber Monday deals online. Check out this video by Fox 10 and where to get the best deals today. And check out CyberMonday2011.com for list of online retailer deals.

Best Cyber Monday Deals to be Found on Smartphone: MyFoxPHOENIX.com

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

DJ Manifesto is mixing at The Mint in Scottsdale tonight. We caught up with the mix master on how his career picked him and what he likes best about bringing the music to the people. Check him out tonight at The Mint’s Pre-Thanksgiving Party from 9:00 p.m. – 2:00 a.m. 

DLT: When did you become a DJ?

DJ Manifesto: I was 11 years old when I bought myself my first set of turntables (vinyl) and a rotary mixer. Then making a makeshift studio in my walking closet and spending hours after school teaching myself how to spin.

More from DJ Manifesto, after the jump:

2. What prompted your DJ career?

Well it’s a long story. I used to be into extreme skating and my local YMCA would take weekly summer trips to the skate park out of town. »READ MORE