Toi's Thai Anyone?

One of my all-time favorite local restaurants is Toi's Thai.  It is a quaint, tiny, hole-in-the-wall, (I say that in a most fond way) fabulous Thai restaurant.  Toi's is situated on the 400 block of Last Chance Gulch in a very old building.  The 400 block is very interesting.  Some businesses struggle, some businesses thrive.  Toi's definitely thrives.  You never really know what you might find on that block.

Toi is the real deal.  She is one of the most lovely, engaging, fun restaurant owners you will ever have the pleasure of meeting.  She works in the kitchen every night, except when she's off  visiting family in Thailand.  We have been graced with the presence of her sister from Bangkok when she is visiting, as she works side by side with Toi in the kitchen.  Then there is the lovely server, Lynn.  It was a rare occasion that Lynn was not working when we've been there.  I met Lynn probably 10 years ago when she worked at the middle school that my son attended.  She was one of my favorites at the school, and she is one of my favorites at the restaurant.

Toi doesn't have a beer/wine license so you have to bring your own.  I say "have to bring your own," but what I really mean is you "get to bring your own."  I love places like that.  Not sure how that all works, but it works for me.

Last night, in celebration of taking delivery of our new (used) 2007 Toyota Prius earlier in the afternoon, which, by the way, turned out to be a killer deal, and I don't think I am stupid after all, (old post) we decided to head out for dinner.  You need a reservation at Toi's, and we didn't have one.  We started out at the newly constructed Downstairs (downstairs from the Brewhouse) to have a beer and a glass of wine, but quickly decided it was a Toi's kind of a night, if at all possible.  I called to see if, by chance, there might be the possibility of getting in.  Good news:  Someone had just cancelled.  They could get us in at 7:30.  Thirty minutes to go retrieve a bottle of wine and head on down.  If you never ask, you will never receive.

We pulled up, parked, and quickly noticed the gaggle of girls (five) standing out on the sidewalk.  They looked like a fun bunch with lots of bottles of wine.  Just my type but quite a bit younger.  The restaurant is so small that if your party is more than two, you have to wait outside because there just isn't any room -- to even stand -- but well worth the wait in the cold or heat.  They didn't seem to be bothered too much by the wait, and it wasn't cold.

We walked right in, our table was ready, and we were seated at the back of the restaurant.  The perfect spot for "people watching."  Lynn warned us that she needed to tend to the party of five that had been waiting outside for 30 minutes, but would get us wine glasses as quickly as possible.  She seemed a little worried that the natives (gaggle of girls) were getting restless.  We were in no hurry, but we did kind of want our wine glasses right away.  I am not opposed to heading to the kitchen, asking for wine glasses, being self-sufficient, but Lynn was able to grab them quickly and then get on out to take care of the girls.

There were two little round tables in the middle of the restaurant that could have been put together to accommodate the party of five, but we were told the girls were willing to wait for the better, bigger, rectangular table next to the window that would be a more comfortable, far better spot to dine.

One of the great things about Toi's is most people that go there really appreciate the casual, comfortable, spirited nature of Toi, the great food, and the coziness of the place.  It is not at all unusual to strike up conversation with strangers in the restaurant seated next to you.  Most nights Toi will come out of the kitchen and visit with everyone, making sure everyone enjoyed the food, and then welcoming them to come back.  She knows most people when they arrive, but probably knows everybody by the time they leave.

Well, now that I am a photographer (you know what I mean -- in training) I am fascinated by the people I see and want to include them in my life and take pictures of them.  My husband sits back waiting for the perfect time to possibly approach someone asking to take their photo.  Not me.  I get right in there right away and ask to take the photo.  We learned this very important photography rule from our very dear friend, Jay Stock, International Master Photographer.  He says you should always ask to take someone's photo, and then you must send them a copy in the mail as a token of your appreciation.  So I approached the table of five, commented to them on how much fun they looked to be having, talked to them about the value of friendship, as I had just returned from a girls trip, and then told them that I had a true appreciation for, and was entertained by, the number of bottles of wine they showed up with.  This was a fun bunch.  No one ever wants to run out of wine.  You can always take any leftover bottles home, but you cannot always get more.  Be prepared.

Dinner, as usual, was great.  A big thank you to Christina and the girls for giving me something to write about.   Bottoms up.

Bad Hair Day? You'll Need a Friend and a Cocktail.

I am only as strong as the cocktails I drink, the hairspray I use and the friends I have.  A famous saying that I see on cards, bags, shirts; basically all over the place.  If you think about it, though, it is right on the money.

Sums it up well, don't you think?

I need a fun beverage that keeps me moving through life.  Probably not need, but desire.  It may be a glass of wine or a fun beer that is completely in the moment.  I typically am not a beer drinker, but when in Mexico, a Sol tastes so much better there.  Some say it is because the bottlers pee in the beer vat.  I would like to think it is because I am far from home, basking in the sun, without a care in the world.  Blackfoot Brewery seasonally brews Kolsch.  When I see that on the beer menu, I am always so excited, but would typically never order that beer in any other restaurant.  A dirty martini in a lovely martini glass with two huge green olives is also a favorite of mine.  I would never drink a martini in a tumbler.  And remember, you can always use those huge olives in a food challenge. (see older post)  Since starting this blog, I have now become a Stella beer queen, drinking my Stella out of a Stella chalice, as that is my namesake, finding myself a more creative writer when I have the Stella beer helping to guide in my selection of every word.  I told a friend that I had recently become fond of Stella beer out of a Stella glass, and he quickly replied,  "I hope you're not a Stella snob."  Is that a new class of people?  I hadn't heard of a Stella snob and don't know one, but I will make sure I do not become one.

I only feel as good about life and its contents as I do about my hair.  I never realized how true that was until last week.  I was leaving that Friday for a girls weekend with six other friends from around the state.  This was our 10 year reunion of meeting up in the same little town, eating, drinking, cooking, shopping, talking and laughing for about 48 hours straight.  Three of the seven will turn 50 this year.  There is always a lot of photo-taking going on, so I needed to be on top of my game.  Not to mention that I am one of those three that is now 50, so I am trying my hardest to not look 50 -- or, God forbid, older.  I asked my hairdresser, the one that has been highlighting my hair for many years, to change it up a little, give me an edgier cut, make my highlights more noticeable.  Mission accomplished.  My highlights were more noticeable but in a really bad way.  I am a natural blond.  I came out of there looking like a natural gray.  Aged 10 years in one hour!  Anyway, the good news is my hair was "fixed" by Wednesday afternoon.  Tuesday and Wednesday, though, I hung my head, probably looked like my best friend had just died, or Prohibition was back on the books.  Hair really does matter.

I love my friends and I really need them!  Life can become very mundane if you let it.  My husband and I have a lot of fun together, but let's face it, man can't live by marriage alone!  Not the girl and not the guy.  My husband needs my girl trips as much as I do.  When I am gone, he can eat all the onions he wants, watch any science fiction  movie he wants, and go take pictures wherever and whenever he wants.  As I like to say, a win/win for everyone.  For me, being with great girlfriends, catching up on life, hearing of the trials and tribulations over the past year, makes me realize that we are all in the same boat, never alone, with plenty of encouragement and support to get back to shore.  I think everyone leaves with a happy heart knowing that this trip will happen again next year, just as sure as the sun will rise; but if some crisis does rear its ugly head in the months to come, there will always be someone to lend a helping hand or help you pick yourself back up.  We are never alone.

As they say:  Friendship is like wetting your pants.  Everyone can see it, but only you can feel the true warmth.

"WHAT CAN I DO TO PUT YOU IN THIS CAR TODAY?"

Famous car salesman quote! 

For the last three weeks, I have been trying to buy a car from a used car salesman.  The car is sitting on a lot 3 1/2 hours from where I live.   The car is a one-owner, 2007 Toyota Prius with 35,600 miles, clean interior, no door dents, white.  "Great car," one would think.  However, it has been on that lot for over 170 days.  "Why," I asked.  "Who knows," replied the salesman.  "Maybe because the price is too high!!!  Ever think of that?"

Well, needless to say, I did not want to drive 3 1/2 hours to look at it for that price.  That is 7 hours of driving, 30 minutes of having to stop and go to the bathroom, 1 hour for lunch or dinner.  8 1/2 hours!  Dreadful.

Joel (I will use his real name since I have never even met him) and I have become pretty good phone and email friends.  I have an image of what I think he should look like based on his knowledge, lack of knowledge, candor, lack of candor, and used car salesman quotes.  I am sure his perceived image of me is not particularly flattering, either, based on the fact that I am pretty direct, don't pull any punches, don't know this guy so am not afraid to say anything, and have flat out told him his price is too high, I won't pay a penny over the NADA price (which he originally suggested I go research, as they used nothing but NADA guide, not Edmund's, which is what I always use) and I will not buy the car by the end of the month.  Obviously, if they've been looking at this car sitting on their lot for over 170 days, a few more surely won't matter.  My take on this:  I am in the driver's seat.  I will buy it when I feel like driving to Billings.  And if it sells before I get there, fine, the sale was not meant to be!

Every car buying experience should be over the phone with total strangers!  It got me the price I wanted, a million questions answered, factory recalls researched and taken care of, and, saving the best for last, the car is being trucked to my house for free!

You may wonder how really stupid I am for buying a car "sight unseen."  Well, I did get a whole bunch of pictures, which was better than nothing.  I also called the Toyota dealership (not the Lincoln dealership where the car has been sitting) that was performing the recall work yesterday and asked them whether they thought that car was super great, asked if they would describe the car the way Joel did, asked what condition the engine and everything looked to be in, and finally asked whether they would buy that car if they were me.  They said it was a super great car and liked my price that I negotiated.  With no dog in the fight, I figured they would have no reason to represent it as anything more than it really was.  In fact, if anything, they might want to try to sell me a new one if they could convince me this was a bad looking lemon.

Joel and I are still sparring over an extended warranty.  I think that might be a good idea for the right price. The right price, however, is not what the dealership is trying to extort out of me.  So my last call to Joel was to tell him," I will take the car, no extended warranty because the price is ridiculously high, and I will go find a warranty myself, if I feel the need."  Which, you guessed it, then led to, "Well, what if we match the extended warranty price you found?"  "Really?  Why not quote me that price in the first place?"  The simple answer is because that is not the way used car salesmen think or behave.  They think, and hope, that most people coming in to buy a car have only half a brain. Which I also felt compelled at an earlier point to tell Joel, "I'm not stupid."  He spent 15 minutes telling me he knew I wasn't stupid and didn't mean to imply that I was.  He maybe didn't think it, but he certainly hoped it.  Talk about a lot of wasted time on the phone over the last three weeks.

Long story short, I just got off the phone with the finance guy who pushes these overpriced extended warranties at the dealership, and I will NOT be purchasing an extended warranty from them.  Time to move on.

I am quite excited to have the car delivered tomorrow, maybe even a little nervous.  I will report back and let you know if I was also a little stupid.

Caveat Emptor!  Let the buyer beware.

If you're lucky enough to be Irish....you're lucky enough!

In case you weren't paying attention, St. Patrick's Day fell on a Saturday this year.  Yeah!  Way more fun.  I have never been much of a corned beef and cabbage gal, but this year decided it was time to step out.  Helena has a great little Irish community, and we knew they would be out in full force.  Rumor has it that Helena also has a great little parade, so why not go and see what that is all about?  Also, I had a photo assignment, so why not go take pictures of the parade and fun to follow?

It was a rainy, warm day -- or so it looked out the window of the house.  It was definitely raining but not so warm.  Most of the people at the parade seemed to have assumed what I did, it looked warm, so why take a coat?  Wrong.

Good news!  We were standing on the street corner next to Riley's Irish Pub.  The 10-minute parade went off without a hitch, fun people and floats wending their way through downtown Helena.  When the last old car rounded the corner ... my brilliant idea!  A mad dash for an empty stool in the pub.  (My husband takes exception to this and thinks it was HIS idea - not so.)  I think we were the first through the door.  What fun, no matter who came up with the idea.  The beer was green and flowing.  The food menu was strictly Irish food.  I actually think the pub would be better served to can the rest of the menu and stick to something that seems appropriate for an Irish pub; good Irish food.  Sadly, it is not always so good.  Maybe because they have a million non-Irish things on the menu in an attempt to make everyone in the world happy, which, as we all know, will never happen in a million years.  It is an Irish pub, for God's sake; what do people expect?  But anyway, on Saturday, March 17, 2012, St. Patrick's Day, the food was great!  We had walleye fish & chips and cream of reuben soup.  Both were fantastic.  I had never had that soup before.  I would definitely order it again.  Cheers to a great day!

If you're lucky enough to be Irish.......you're lucky enough!

Why didn't you wear a coat?

Dance as if no one were watching,
Sing as if no one were listening,
And live every day as if it were your last.

Call 911

Do you ever find yourself watching episode after episode of Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives?  I do.  More often than I care to admit.  Well, it paid off this time.  This was loads of fun to make and really great!  I strongly encourage you to have your fire extinguisher close by.  Also, your house will smell like hickory for quite a while.  Make sure you really like that smell!  Next time I would do the fire and first 15 minutes on the BBQ.  The neighbor came over to make sure we were all right.  He could smell hickory from across the street!

The Glass Onion's Oven Smoked Pork Loin Po'Boy

Brine:

water to cover meat

thyme

bay leaf

red pepper flakes
garlic

fennel seed

sugar

salt

peppercorns

heat to allow flavors to come together  

cool down
place pork in brine for a max of 2 days

place hickory chips on foil lined bottom of roasting pan 

place on burner

turn burner on high (from bottom) (with gas stove, we used medium)

set hickory chips on fire - get them burning

once burning, place another layer of foil on top of chips (to put fire out)

place rack in pan on foil

remove pork from brine and place on rack - fat side up

cover roasting pan with foil and let sit for 15 minutes

then put in a 400 degree oven for 20-25 minutes

remove from oven
rest for 5 minutes
slice thin


Assemble:
focaccia bread (or whatever you like)
sliced pork
mustard sauce (brown mustard, mayo, horseradish)
havarti cheese
tomato
lettuce
pickle

This was the smokiest flavored meat ever!  We loved it.  Bon Appetit.

Say Cheese!

A year ago, my husband and I went to Africa.  What an amazing trip.  How can you go to Africa without a camera?  My husband researched and picked a smaller camera that he thought I should buy.  He selected a Canon Power Shot SX30IS.  What a great little camera.  My sister started goofing around with it, thought it was kind of fun, so her husband bought her one.

Problem:  We don't know much about photography, much less how to even use the camera.

Problem solved:  Weekly lessons taught by my husband, a photo assignment to follow, assignment pictures downloaded and shared in dropbox for all to see.  Well, not all; just the three of us.  That was actually a bonus lesson, learning how to use dropbox.  Everything in our family is a competition, so why not compete and challenge each other to becoming a better historian of life through the use of a camera?

A self-taught, incredibly passionate photographer, my husband is always reading, learning and perfecting some new technique.  He has taken some truly amazing photos.  He has gobs of camera gear and obsesses over the  perfect camera bag.  By the way, there is no such thing as the perfect camera bag. I have resigned myself to having a house filled with camera bags.  My husband would argue it is shoes.

So far we have learned about shutter speed, aperture, and ISO.  We have frozen motion, blurred the background, captured a sharp landscape, turned bright window lighting into a white background, and this week will be blurring to imply movement with a slow shutter speed.  Listen to me!

We have been particularly impressed with ourselves for what we have been able to do, and it has been fun.  Nothing but a win/win.  We are becoming better photographers, and my husband has someone to share his passion with.

The end of March, our "photo class" will be meeting up for a weekend at the cabin.  We will have an opportunity to review and discuss our successes and failures with the assignments.  More importantly, we will have the opportunity to make some great food, drink some great wine (good won't do for this trip), ski, and capture it all on camera!  By the way, this particular camera also has great video capability.

"Which of my photographs is my favorite?  The one I'm going to take tomorrow."  - Imogen Cunningham