Wine and Dine Weekend

This weekend edition is jam-packed with fun times and good food, so strap on your seat belt and hold on tight!

Jay and I were planning to play some golf last week, but the rain delayed it until Friday after work, which proved to be the best time to play golf. No one on the course, great weather, and half price green fees! You pay for 18 holes and fit in as many as you can before the sun sets. We were able to shoot 15 holes. As the sun set, the jack rabbits began to take over the course. Crazy stuff, apparently they are used to balls flying by them because they didn't hop away when my ball rolled by. We kept seeing signs warning us of poisonous snakes and how they are protective of their homes. That was almost too much for me. But Jay, the Eagle Scout he is, reminded me that they don't really attack unless they feel attacked themselves. I will never be okay with those creatures. We managed to avoid the water, sand, and animal traps and shot some not so consistent golf. Oh well, it was good hubby and wife time, we saw a beautiful sunset and it allowed us to plan the rest of our weekend, which we were both really excited about! Well it's more appropriate for me to say I was excited, and Jay was thrilled for what the weekend had in store...

After golf, we decided we needed to experience Mexican food in southern Arizona. We tried out La Casita in Sierra Vista and were pleasantly surprised. Jay had a dynamite margarita and I had a lovely Sangria to start, both tasty tonics. We moved on to our table passing the full crowd, so we figured so far we had chosen the right restaurant. However, we all know the salsa is the first true sign if you are in the right place. The waitress approached, placed a bowl of chips and salsa down on the table, then asked if we would like the hot salsa as well. We said, oh YES! The mild salsa was very flavorful, a little chunkier than we prefer, but very good. The hot salsa was less flavorful, a little hotter than medium and just okay. Cut to us asking for another bowl of the original salsa to put on all over our meal.

Mariachis serenaded the restaurant and it really took us both back to the Mexican market in San Antonio. We were a little nostalgic for a short while but then our food arrived and we came back to reality. I ordered my staple, a tostada with beans and guacamole and a chicken enchilada. They both were delicious. The enchilada was served with a red sauce and was far from dry. Jay ordered the carnitas plate which is basically a fajitas plate with pork instead. His was awesome!! The pork was so moist and tender not to mention had really great flavor. The tortillas were perfect, except that they only served 3 to Jay with his plate; none for me :(. Needless to say, I had to drive home because Jay hurt himself over eating, AND we still brought home leftovers. So far we like Mexican food in southern Arizona. (We'll be researching more and will bring you the results as they digest)

Saturday was predicted to be a big day, especially for Jay. All he had been talking about for the past two weeks was In and Out Burger. He learned about this west coast burger joint a long time ago, and everything anyone ever said about it was that it was life changing or the best burger joint ever. So when Jay discovered there was several locations in Tucson, it moved to the top of his To Do List. However, at the top of the 'Household To Do List' was a trip to the grocery store to fill our barren kitchen. If any of you have yet to learn this about me and Jay, grocery shopping is, in the words of one of Jay's instructors, a significant emotional experience for us. Love is not quite right, it's more of a passion for walking the aisles, feeling the fruits and veggies, and singing/dancing to the always upbeat music playing.

After an hour or two of filling our cart with our upcoming week's recipe necessities, we headed to the house to prepare for our drive to Tucson. The dogs were prepped for a long afternoon nap and we were prepped with empty tummies. We ran a couple of errands before we made it to In and Out just to make sure we were famished enough to really enjoy 'the best fast food burgers in the world'. We finally made it to the burger joint around 3 p.m. thinking it would be less crowded. I mean who wants to take on a hugely popular restaurant on a Saturday around noon in a college town. But to our surprise the restaurant parking lot was packed and the drive thru line was wrapped around the building...at 3 P.M.! The restaurant was so crowded you had to stalk people for their table. I actually asked someone if they were about to leave before they even got up. I mean, it was everyone for themselves. We waited for about 15-20 minutes, or as Jay would refer, a lifetime.

We made sure we had rehearsed our ordering lingo since there are no menus and you've got to have the inside information to know your ordering options. They only offer a hamburger, cheese burger, or a double double (double meat, double cheese) with all the standard toppings at the register. However, they have secret ordering options for which we opted. We both got ours animal style (mustard flavored patty, lettuce, tomatoes, pickles, grilled onions, and their special sauce), and of course Jay doubled up. I don't think I have really built up the anticipation he was feeling, so I felt the need to capture it in a picture. I don't think I really need to describe him, the picture sells it.

After we downed our burgers and fries, I thought I caught a lasting glimpse of hunger in Jay's eyes. I looked at him, and said, "You're not done, are you?". He smiled a huge mischievous smile. You'll see him again at the counter anxiously awaiting his second ride, this time with a chocolate shake! So in the end...In and Out Burger definitely 'Quality You Can Taste'!

Sunday was another feast-ive day, but this time we started early at the Sierra Vista Diner...I know what you are thinking...we are so gluttonous, but really we just love to try new places to eat! We do it well and have fun at the different eateries. Such a cute place screamed our attention. Our breakfasts were perfect, not too big but with good variety. They filled us up just long enough until dinner when we feasted at home on Asian surf and turf. Grilled tuna and chicken wings with a soy ginger glaze, grilled pineapple and mango, and edamame fried rice. We felt like we were at a restaurant again it was so good!

Aug 2009

We're hoping to tempt some visitors to come see us and let us cook for them....huh huh any takers???