TUCSON, AZ Arizona National Golf and Simple Recipes...PERFECT!

GOLF

Arizona National Vista
2009
iphone photo

Yesterday we golfed at Arizona National Golf Club. There were six of us playing together. The women and men formed two threesomes. Two couples had Wildcat Trail Golf Rewards Cards so they used those for their rounds. We booked our rounds through Golf Now and paid $50 each. When we called to ask if we could play with our friends, even though we had not booked together, the golf pro was very accommodating.

The more we play golf in the area, the more we have come to realize that golfing can be very affordable. (It has taken us several years to learn the ropes.) If we take advantage of websites like GolfNow.com or EZlinks we can play for less than half the regular rack price. Wildcat Cards give you several rounds for free when you earn the points necessary. We could also purchase a residents card and use our resort address if we liked. This would allow us to belong to men/woman's clubs at any of the municipal courses. We could keep a local handicap and pay for less for club events.

NOTE:

My friend had a hole-in-one at Arizona National yesterday. That was just an added bonus. I really don't know if that is guaranteed but I am hoping I will be next!








RECIPES

I have decided that all recipes should have "Simple" in the titles. When we travel to the desert to live for many months we do not have all the gadgets, ingredients or even the stove we have at home. Here in east Tucson we are quite a distance from a grocery store so simple is the key word here.

I made some scones for a coffee gathering the other morning. They were absolutely sensational. When I typed "easy sour creme scones" in the google search, here is what I found:

SIMPLE SCONES

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/3 cup sugar
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 8 tablespoons unsalted butter, frozen
• 1/2 cup raisins (or dried currants)
• 1/2 cup sour cream
• 1 large egg

1. Adjust oven rack to lower-middle position and preheat oven to 400 degrees.
2. In a medium bowl, mix flour, 1/3 cup sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Grate butter into flour mixture on the large holes of a box grater; use your fingers to work in butter (mixture should resemble coarse meal), then stir in raisins.
3. In a small bowl, whisk sour cream and egg until smooth.
4. Using a fork, stir sour cream mixture into flour mixture until large dough clumps form. Use your hands to press the dough against the bowl into a ball. (The dough will be sticky in places, and there may not seem to be enough liquid at first, but as you press, the dough will come together.)
5. Place on a lightly floured surface and pat into a 7- to 8-inch circle about 3/4-inch thick. Sprinkle with remaining 1 tsp. of sugar. Use a sharp knife to cut into 8 triangles; place on a cookie sheet (preferably lined with parchment paper), about 1 inch apart. Bake until golden, about 15 to 17 minutes. Cool for 5 minutes and serve warm or at room temperature.

I have decided that Allrecipes.com will be my go to recipe box!

I love my Senior Life Style

Living with Nature in Tucson

Living here in the desert of Arizona in the winter has allowed us to witness the wonders of nature up close and personal . We have a cactus across the street from that is home to two or three Cactus Wren nests A hummingbirds feed in front of our window and reprimands us when the sugar water has been sipped into nothingness. We live in harmony with bees and lizards...even an occasional rattlesnakes finds it's way into our park. Javelin's live in the wash about 25 yards from our front door and have managed to get lost in our neighborhood even in the middle of the day. One of the neighbors feeds Road Runners when they come and peer in her sliding glass door. We all respect each other's right to be here and for the most part nothing bad happens.

Yesterday when we were playing golf at the Fred Inke Municipal Golf Course on the east side of Tucson, we had the privilege of seeing a Bobcat run across the road in front of us. As I approached my tee box I looked to the left and saw this beautiful feline resting in the shade. Even when I came close it did not move. The golf course is it's home and golfers sight this particular creature often. I am told that one a Bobcat couple raised their kits in the park for several summers. Once it made an abandoned triple wide it's home and another time it went to live near to our pool. It is such a miracle for us all.

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Tucson, Arizona's...The Pines Golf Club a golf course.

We played golf yesterday at a course located in Marana, Arizona (just northwest of Tucson). The Pines Golf Club was built on the site of an older golf course. It has been revamped to snuggle among the rocks and waters of an old gravel pit site. The natural part of the landscape has stayed unchanged remaining in it's natural state inside the quarry. But on the rim surrounding it, the well maintained golf course is manicure beautifully. Before many years beautiful homes will surround the greens and fairways. ( You can catch a glimpse of the first home on the rim over looking the quarry in the upper right hand of the picture.)

My husband located our tee time on EZ Links where he "bid" on the price. We paid about $35 for our rounds of golf. We had a wonderful game of golf, saw rabbits, Road Runners, and Quail while the temperature hovered around 75 degrees. AND we were back in the RV park in time to watch the rest of the Arizona/Philadelphia football game. It was a golfers perfect day.

Arizona is the land of the Road Runner. Yes, Wiley Coyote is alive and well. He is a carnivorous little beast and will eat anything that has blood I am sure. People here feed them hamburger. The one you see here was staring at me, looking hungry. But he/she already had a lizard in the beek!

Later that evening that evening we went to Frank/Fransiscos Restuarant where we ate Mexican food and I snapped pictures. (The restaurant's claim to fame is that two restaurants share the same building. I think they serve the hot dogs for lunch! I don't recommend the place but I did get some good pictures.) All in all, a delightful Tucson day!

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