April 27, 2014 - The Last Supper - Billings, Montana

We went to Monta’s house after the Billings Bridge Tournament where she served the Last Supper in my honor.  This will probably  be the last time that I play in a Billings Bridge Tournament unless I should fly to Billings from Arizona to play bridge with my friends.   Guests:  Jack and Monta Bell…Sharon and Bob Carter...Ken and Marsha Schell…Mary Jo Brown…Vicky Sager and LKPH.  It was wonderful.

She served chicken stuffed with artichokes…garlic mashed potatoes…green beans…and my favorite salad…her spinch salad with poppy seed dressing with strawberries.  The entire meal was delicious.

Marsha Schell baked a lovely chocolate cake..frosted on the sides and the top which was loaded with all different types of fresh berries.  

April 25, 2014 - Goode's Q and Bayou Grill - Billings, Montana

I am spending the weekend in Billings, Montana...playing in a bridge tournament with Monta Bell, Vicky Sager and Mary Jo Brown.  It was a gorgeous morning for a drive to Billings.  I went straight to the bridge room.  Played with Monta Bell in the first session.  We ended up tied for 6/7 N-S Flight A...garnering .38 master points.


During dinner break  Monta had a surprise for me…she, Victoria and I went to the Vegas Motel…the new home of Goode’s Q and Bayou Grill for dinner.  Remember how I have been muttering and moaning about my favorite Great Falls eatery moving to Billings...well here I am. 

We weren’t all that hungry so I had a cup of Seafood Gumbo…and a cup of Clam Chowder.  Monta had a cup of Seafood Gumbo - shrimp, crawfish and bay scallops sautéed with white wine and smothered with a rich seafood stock...served over rice.  Victoria had the Chicken-n-sausage Gumbo…richly flavored broths thickened with a Louisiana staple (roux) and vegetables....served over rice.  We shared an order of Fried Okra…and forks around for dessert - a piece of Pecan Pie. It was so hot we had to ask for a scoop of ice cream...hot as in temperature.   (It was good but not as good as my southern friend Jo Martin bakes.)

Vicky and I played in the evening session.  We were both tired...and we played up and down so when we left we had turned in a 48%...stay tuned.

Goode’s Q and Bayou Grill

The Vegas Hotel
27^th Street and Belknap – Exit 450
Billings, Montana
(406) 259-9434

Hours:

Breakfast:  6:00 a.m. – 11:00 am.
Lunch 11:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m.
Dinner 4:30 p.m. – 9:00 p.m.

April 24, 2014 - Dinner and Theater in Havre, Montana

My lifelong friend Lila Anderson Armstrong and her husband, Stuart from Geraldine, Montana -  met Jo Martin and I at dinner this evening.  We decided to meet at The Guadalajara Restaurant.

I was so stressed after the day at work that I ordered a margarita as soon as I was seated. Lila ordered the Tres Flautas….Stuart ordered a Burrito…both plates served with rice and refried beans.  Jo and I split the Carnitas de Res – thin strips of beef sautéed with onions, tomatoes, and green peppers.  Garnished with guacamole, sour cream and pico de gallo.

Then over to the MSU-Northern Little Theater for the dress rehearsal of Chicago for Family and Friends Night.  Miss Erika Anderson made her debut with the Montana Actors Theater.  She dances beautifully.  What a darling young lady.  And, Lila is correct – where did an Anderson get long, slender legs.

April 23, 2014 - Lemon Cupcakes

I ran across the street from my office today because the secret was out.  Henny Penny's had the great Lemon Cupcakes...not just a lemon cupcake...but a cupcake that tastes like a Lemon Meringue Pie...complete with homemade lemon curd.  This was the first time that I have ever tried the cupcake.  I love it.  It might not overtake the Banana Cream Pie Cupcake..but it is delicious.  If you get a chance, try one.

April 20, 2014 - Easter Dinner at Ma's Loma Cafe - Loma, Montana

Ma’s Loma Café

203 Highway 87 Box 107

Loma, Montana

(406) 739-4400

Greg and Maria Bouchard

Hours:  Daily  7 a.m. – 9 p.m

Jo Martin and I drove to Loma after the Easter morning celebrations at church.  This little town that is located along the Missouri River and the Marias River...known to all of us as Decision Point...where Lewis and Clark camped...and sent expeditions up both rivers to see if they could decided which river to continue on...as they headed to the Pacific Ocean.  They made the correct decision of the Missouri River.

Greg and Maria always put on a fabulous Easter Dinner.  Jo ordered the Prime Rib with a Baked Potato...it was served with aus juice and horseradish sauce....also a Salad Bar.  Jo's cut was huge...and cooked to perfection.  She likes hers medium rare.  The baked potato tasted as if it had just came out of the garden...and it was garnished with butter and sour cream.

I ordered the Lobster Tail with drawn butter...and a baked potato along with the Salad Bar.

Dessert were several choices...we both had a small piece of Flan....it was a tall, firm filling..soaked in the caramel sauce.  I also enjoyed a small slice of Carrot Cake...and Jo ate a small piece of the No Sugar Rhubarb Cake.

Greg and Maria moved to Loma about eight years ago from Mexico.   They still return, especially, in the winter to visit family and friends.  They have one son, Lester who attends Montana State University - Northern in Havre.  Several of Maria's nieces and nephews have work at the cafe from East Los Angeles.  We have come to know them as friends.

They are showing off their special menu.  We love to drive to Loma on Thursday nights for Maria's Mexican Night .  She cooks the best wholesome Mexican food.  Montanans drive from miles around.  I will write more about Mexican Night when we make our first trek later this spring.

Friday nights started out as Sea of Cortez Shrimp Night...but now know as Seafood Night.  Greg is quite the fisherman..and owned an outfitting company in Mexico.  Now the Friday night menu has been expanded to all types of fish such as Walleye and Halibut to name a few...and they still do serve great shrimp dishes.

Saturday night is Steak Night...and we have had some great steaks on Saturday nights...mostly as we are returning from Great Falls.  I am now trained not to even think about dinner in Great Falls.  I drive straight to Loma for dinner.

Their burgers are great.  I must try Wednesday's Homemade Pizza Night.  They also have a large selection of homemade pies.  Actually their entire menu - breakfast, lunch and dinner is quite extensive...and delicious.

April 18, 2014 - Book Club

Book Club this month was at Cathy Jamruszka's house.  I pulled into town from Helena just in time to discuss our book this month - Adam Hochschild To End All Wars.

Our book club consists of:  Jo Martin, Carol Reifschneider, Cathy Jamruszka, Helen Manaras, Raela Hulett,  Pat Feeney, Bonnie Williamson, Margaret Stallkamp and Lynda Patrick-Hayes.

The monthly hostess always serves a dessert...and choice of beverages.

Cathy served a frosted, three tiered angel food cake with strawberries....it was delicious...light and fluffy...just perfect to usher in spring.

And then to celebrate Easter which will arrive this coming Sunday, Cathy served these delightful  Eggs in a Nests....pastel Easter eggs in a chocolate and chow mein noodle nest.

April 16, 2014 - Silver Star Steakhouse - Helena, Montana

After a long day of training all the Montana CFOs met at the Silver Star Steakhouse for dinner...and some finance talk.

I ordered the Slow- Roasted Prime Rib served with garlic mashed potatoes and asparagus spears.  The dessert was so decadent - Three Berry Tiramisu.  And...I don't really care for tiramisu...but this was delicious.

Silver Star Steakhouse

833 Great Northern Blvd.

Helena, Montana 59601

(406) 495-0677

The only other time that I have eaten at this restaurant was I ordered the Black and Blue…8 ounce flat iron,  an exceptionally tender and flavorful cut, blackened, grilled and finished with a bleu cheese compound butter.

My dessert was the crème brulee…it was delicious…smooth and a sweet tasting custard with a torched crust.

Appetizers – from the bar menu…Hot Wings and these steak Spring Rolls…I liked the spring rolls the best…the wings were just too hot….and I ordered the mild. 

April 15, 2014 - The Windbag Saloon and Grill - Helena, Montana

Several of us employees at the Bullhook Community Health Center, Inc. are in Helena for the Annual Meeting of the Montana Primary Care Association...and attending training sessions.


The group includes Lynne Nash, Cindy Smith, Kathy Shrauger, Brandi Baker and I.  Tonight we chose the Windbag Saloon and Grill for dinner.

Windbag Saloon and Grill

19 South Main Street

Helena, Montana

(406) 443-9669

Cindy ordered the Coconut Battered Shrimp – six large shrimp battered and rolled in coconut served with wasabi lime sauce.

Lynne ordered the Filet Mignon – 8 ounce filet grilled and topped with their own basil chardonnay sauce atop fresh bacon bits.

Brandi and Kathy ordered the King Salmon – 8 ounce filet of king salmon, charbroiled and served with basil chardonnay sauce.

I ordered Mushroom Peppercorn Filet – 8 oz. Beef Tenderloin filet with sautéed mushrooms, peppercorns and feta cheese crumble.

Wine – Kathy and I ordered the Big Dorothy’s Whorehouse Red (CA) – a  blend of Petite Sirah, Malbec and Petit Verdot with blackberry, plum and licorice and hints of vanilla, smoke.

Cindy, Lynne and Brandi ordered the Fat Monk (Pinot Noir)  CA – exhibited complex flavors of cherry, raspberry and strawberry with hints of nutmeg and allspice.

"Oh" the waiter says, "3 monks and 2 whores."   Read the history below to understand some of the names on the menu.

The building has had many diverse occupants over the years.  There are stores of a burlesque hall which eventually became a moving picture theatre and later a bowling alley.  Numerous drinking establishments are also report to have entertained their patrons within these walls.  This building is probably most well known for its famous madams and red lights.  Dorothy Baker, and before her, Ida Levi, ran one of the cleanest, most respected bordellos in all of Montana.  Up until 1973, when Big Dorothy was finally closed down, this building was traditionally a focal point of Helena’s night life.

The Windbag Saloon and Grill was established in 1978.  Mary Jo Brown remembers the night they closed down Big Dorothy’s.

April 13. 2014 - Wild Rice and Mushroom Soup

I went to town today to do all my errands.  One of those errands was to stop at Ann Bulman's house.  She invited me to have a bowl of her homemade Wild Rice and Mushroom Soup with her.  This is the first time that I have tried a bowl of this soup.  It was delicious.

It is a hearty soup...loaded with potatoes, mushrooms, bacon, and cheese.  And, yes, I am going to post her recipe on this site today.  There are some good cooks in Havre.  She could probably be persuaded to make some for you...for a fee.

Wild Rice and Mushroom Soup

From the kitchen of Ann Bulman

2 cups of cooked wild rice (the rice takes approximately 45 minutes to cook)

            I get it at 2-J’s in Great Falls in bulk – it’s hard to find in Havre.  If you can’t get it, use the Zanara’s (sp?) long grain and wild rice – it in a chicken seasoning, but that’s okay.  Just cook that up and add at the end.)

In a large Dutch Oven:

2 cans Cream of Potato Soup

2 or 3 I ounces-cans of mushrooms

2 cups water

1 jar of Old English Cheddar Cheese

Cook until cheese has melted.

Add:

2 cups milk or Half and Half (I’ve used Soy Milk before and it’s just as good.)

Cooked Wild Rice

Fried bacon and onion

Stir – careful not to scorch the milk.

This is her recipe as she gave it to me.  I love collecting these recipes with all of the personal comments, etc. 

April 12th is National Grilled Cheese Sandwich Day

My favorite is right here in Havre at The Grateful Bread.  Grilled cheese has always been a comfort food for me...and then add Cream of Tomato Soup...and I am one happy girl.


My favorite is The Triple Cheese Panini - provolone, swiss and cedar cheese, sweet bell peppers, Bermuda onions, and special sweet mustard seed blend, grilled with a light spread of garlic, butter herb sauce.  I love the taste of this grilled cheese. 


Happy Grilled Cheese Day!  Write and tell me about your favorite grilled cheese sandwich.

April 11, 2013 - Friday Night Dinner at Rod's Drive In

Jo and I were both tired last night...so we called Rod's Drive In and ordered one of our favorite dinners that we always share.  We ordered the Chicken Strip Dinner - four huge pieces of white chicken - your choice of fried, tots, curly fires or for an extra $1onion rings - we chose the fries...with the great fry sauce....and some ranch dressing for the chicken strips....plus cole slaw


I know when you go to Rod's that you want an Ugly Burger....one time order the Chicken Strip Dinner.  You will never regret it.

April 9, 2014 - Lenten Soup Supper at the First Presbyterian Church

As I explained last week I go the Presbyterian Church for their Lenten Soup Supper.  This week was the last one before the festivities of Easter begin.  The Presbyterian Ladies can really cook.  Each week we have a choice of three soups.


The choices this week were  - Lentil Soup - Clam Chowder  - Lasgne Soup.  I started with one of my favorite soups - Lentil Soup - made by Margaret Miller.  The lentils came from the Miller farm in Saskatchewan, Canada.  It was cooked in a light broth..loaded with tiny pieces of carrots....yum!


Then I tried a half bowl of Karen McIntosh's Lasgne Soup - this was a hearty soup loaded with fusilli, ground beef in a thick broth and small pieces of vegetables...it was delicious.


And of course I had to have a few bites of Pauline Petersen's Clam Chowder....her clam chowder has always been one of my favorites...loaded with small pieces of potatoes and large pieces of clams....served in a thick creamy white broth...I can still taste the butter.


I chose the homemade breadsticks with butter each  I put more soup in my bowl.

April 8, 2014 - Lunch at the Grateful Bread in Havre, Montana

I ate lunch with my longest lifetime friend, Lila Anderson Armstrong.  We attended St. Jude's Grade School together...graduated from Havre Central High School together and were college roommates.  We have been friends for 60 years.  Lila was a secondary English teacher at Geraldine High School in Montana...where she met and married Stuart Armstrong.  They have two adult children....and three grandsons.


This was the first time that Lila had ever eaten at The Grateful Bread....located in the basement of the Atrium in downtown Havre.   The bakery is owned by Rick and Sheila Neuwerth.  Rick is the bread baker.   This is a life long passion of his ever since helping his mother in his youth bake bread at the family home.


I encouraged Lila to try my favorite:  The Chicken Salad Sandwich, Sheila Style.  We ended up sharing a sandwich - chicken, pecans, grapes and celery in a spiced mayonnaise base, served on 7-grain bread with leaf lettuce, fresh cucumbers and Bermuda onions….topped with crispy bacon.  (I must note that you may choose any type of bread that has been baked that day for your sandwich. )


 We each had a bowl of  homemade Kielbasa Soup…and of course followed by Scotcheroos for dessert.


What a fun and delicious lunch!

April 6, 2014 - Breakfast at Nona's Coffee House

I met Linda Hoover and Larry Saskai at Nona's Coffee House for breakfast this morning.  I ordered the Puff Baby Pancake.  It was most unique.  The pancake batter was sweet…so one didn’t need any syrup.  It was round and about and 1 1/ 2 thick…topped with strawberries and whipped cream.

When ordering the Puff Baby Pancake allow lots of time because this delicious little cake takes 20 minutes to cook.  It's worth the wait.  Only $5.95

Linda Hoover chose the Belgian Waffle…and Larry Sasaki ordered the Norm….eggs, ham, hashbrowns and toast.

Leanne has added Bacon Wrapped Cinnamon twists…and Bacon Wrapped Maple Bars.

It is good to have another place for breakfast in Havre on a Sunday morning after church.

Homemade Pies - Amish Cream Pie

I have to tell you that homemade pies are my passion.  I have been known to drive miles and miles out of my way to try a piece of homemade pie.  My friends and I used to do a Pie tour of Glacier National Park.  I will have to write out the tour in one of my future blogs.


The city of Cut Bank, Montana lies about 123 miles west of Havre...along US Highway 2.


This is the home of one of my favorite pies - Amish Cream Pie.


I originally found the

C & L Country Café

112 N. Central
Cut Bank, Montana 
406 -  873-5335


but when we stopped on September 19, 2013 there was no more C & L Country Café.  The café is not located on Main Street and is known as the Big Sky Café.  The good news is that they still serve the Amish Cream Pie...and it is as delicious as always.


The texture of this pie has an almost custard quality...but  a smoother...more decadent  pie filling... lots of cream, butter, cinnamon ...with a crust that is so light and flakey it melts in your mouth so you know that is loaded with butter or lard also.  It always comes topped with a dollop of freshly whipped cream.


When this pie is baked it doesn't last long.  We always call ahead and either order a whole pie...or asked them to bake a pie.  Then have them reserve so many pieces of pie and tell them an approximate time that we will be passing through Cut Bank.


I have also had good breakfasts at this restaurant as well as very good and inexpensive lunch specials.

April 2, 2014 - Lenten Soup Supper

Every Wednesday evening during Lent I attend the Lenten Soup Suppers at the First Presbyterian Church.  The Presbyterian ladies can really cook and bake.  Yes...we go for the Lenten season study but let me tell you the soup is delicious.


Tonight it was a choice of - Potato and Ham - Chicken Enchilada - Chicken and Wild Rice.


My first bowl was the Chicken Enchilada soup. It was a very hearty soup loaded with beans, large chunks of chicken, tomatoes, onions, and peppers.  There was a hot kick at the end of every spoonful.  And yes, there was shredded cheese in a side bowl.  I topped off my bowl of soup with some cheese.


There is always an assortment of cornbread, biscuits, slices of bread or buns to eat with the soup.  I love cornbread so I chose a slice of cornbread slathered with butter.


My second bowl was the Potato and Ham soup.  This soup consisted of a thin broth with small cubes of potatoes and very small pieces of ham.  The broth was creamy and contained small piece of carrots and celery.  Very tasty.  This time I took a homemade biscuit to eat with the soup.


As always the discussion was led by Pastor John Bruington.  He is the leader of my weekly Bible Study.  So during this Lenten season we have read and are discussing Bill O'Reilly's Killing Jesus.


The is a historical account of the death of Christ.  Ancient History is my degree area.  This is the first time in my life that I have put the death of Christ together with my knowledge of ancient Rome.  Very interesting.


I always knew about the cruelty of the Romans when they controlled most of the known world.  But I had never put that together with the gruesome death of Jesus Christ.


Makes one wonder doesn't it...do I go to these weekly dinners for the good soup or the good discussion.

March 31, 2014 - Dinner at The Guadalajara Restaurant

March 31, 2014 was a good day for me at work.  I stopped at Jo Martin's house after work and we decided to celebrate by having dinner at The Guadalajara Restaurant in Havre.

The Guadalajara Restaurant

335 1^st Street Suite 104
Havre, Montana 59501
(406) 265-1852

Cash and credit cards only – no checks.

We split a Arroz con Camarones  -  Prawns sautéed in a mild sauce with onions and mushrooms…served over a bed of rice with melted cheese, garnished with onions and tomatoes.

This particular dish is not served with beans.  But it is served with 6-7 large shrimp....the rice is kept moist with the arroz sauce...and it spills over with vegetables...especially slice green peppers.  The whole dish has a real tomato taste to it.

Their portions are so huge that we are able to split a meal...and walk away satisfied.