Transplants to Utah...our little chat corner (shop, move)

[easternerDC]

One of my neighbors is going to give me her recipe for funeral potatoes - I had to have an extra serving. I don't care how bad they are for me, they were just so darn good!

Next week she is going to make peanut butter bars for us!!

[weasy]

Could someone explain what funeral potatoes are?

[michelleleigh]

It will be 2 yrs in December for us, I like Utah, people are friendly for the most part and the area is beautiful. The only thing that threw mee for a loop was how perfect all the woman look out here. Just makes you want to take better care of yourself I guess.

[faststeel]

I am new to this forum, and found this great thread. We have lived here since last November at the Point of the Mountain, and can't wait to move back east! It was a rough winter to say the least.

As a minority, I have encountered quite a bit of racism in Utah county. And in general, the people have been so unfriendly and rude. We are not Mormon, and I am sure this contributes to the problem, but I think we have been actually shunned by the neighbors (they will pretend not to see us when we wave, or they disappear into their garage when we come outside, then come back out when we are back inside!). So the people are our biggest complaint. Is it my imagination or does the concept of common courtesy not exist in Utah? Service in restaurants is so bad, we are actually shocked when we get a friendly server. I wonder how much of this is because Mormons are so cheap and don't tip well? Also, the concept of appointments doesn't seem to exist here, as time appears to be fluid. I would estimate that 80% of the time, when you make an appointment for someone to come to your house (for repairs, service, etc), they don't show. And when you can finally track them down, they don't even apologize for making you take a day off to meet them (maybe they assume that all households have a wife that stays home all day scrapbooking).

Second, we hate the drivers here...I don't think any explanation is needed.

Third, the food here is pretty terrible (the food scene is dominated by chain and family restaurants which, as previously discussed, are overun with half-dressed little waifs with strong lungs).

That having been said, we will miss being able to reserve a seat at the movie theater.

[Aerorick]

I'm afraid I'm a bit of a constitutionalist. So I sometimes have a hard time with the way things have been done in Utah for so long. On the channel 13 news this morning the banner was running at the bottom of the screen. It had a brief about the possible change in the required membership rule for the bars in the state. The first sentence told of the recomendation the State Alcohol Board was going to send to the state legislature to abolish the requirement. The second sentence told how governor Huntsman had confired with the LDS church authority about it and the third sentence told of how the church was going to wait to see the text of the proposal before it passed judgement.
I'm sorry, but that just drives me NUT's. It's like Utah is immune to having to comply with the second amendment.
Other than that, it's just fine.

[kaytidid]

I, too, was wondering why the Governor had to confer with the LDS church regarding the bars. It is a STATE run entity, is it not?? The alchohol board, not the church....the church running the state is what gets me. Grrrrr.....one of those pet peeves that I will choose to deal with because I do love Utah.

faststeel-lack of courtesty is becoming increasingly common no matter where you live. Customer service lacks all over. It is the generation that is running the show now. The 16-19 year olds or so (not all mind you...I am generalizing) that tend to be working in those jobs really have a poor attitude towards their work. I ask my friends and family how it is where they live (and I have friends and family all over the country) and they complain about the same things. I am afraid that I don't agree that those problems are Utah indigenous.
I am sorry you have had a bad experience with your neighbors. I am not LDS and have nothing but positive encounters with my neighbors.

[coolcats]

Originally Posted by weasy

Could someone explain what funeral potatoes are?

A cheesy potato dish. Often served at the luncheon following a funeral, thus the name.

[coolcats]

Originally Posted by faststeel

I wonder how much of this is because Mormons are so cheap and don't tip well?

Stereotype alert. How do you know this?

[kaytidid]

Originally Posted by weasy

Could someone explain what funeral potatoes are?

They are REALLY good. I will have to see if I can scare up the recipe somewhere and post it.

[Chickrae]

Originally Posted by weasy

Could someone explain what funeral potatoes are?

Funeral potatoes are basiclly a sour cream and cheese potato dish. They are called funeral potatoes because after mormon funerals there is usually a luncheon at the church and usually someoneone makes that and brings it, so I think that is how they got their name. I have heard them called sour cream potatoes, cheesy pototoes, yummy potato casserole. It's nothing new really just called a different name. Of course I never had it till I moved to Utah either.

Here is my favorite receipe but there are many variations to it.

2 pks frozen hash browns (diced)
1 small onion diced
1/2 green pepper diced
1 pint non-fat sour cream
2 1/2 cups shredded colby/jack cheese
1 1/2 tsp garlic powder
1 cup sliced mushrooms / fresh are better than canned (optional)
1 can cream of mushroom soup
2 cans cream of chicken soup
1 1/2 c diced ham/sausage or turkey ham (optional)
1 tsp lemon pepper
1 small can diced green chilies
1 stick of margarine

In a large bowl mix seasonings and cheese with hash browns and set aside. Saute onions/peppers/mushrooms. Melt margarine, add soup, sour cream, chiles and heat thoroughly, add onion mixture. Combine soup mixture with potatoes and put in two 9 x 13 pans. Top with crushed potato chps and bake at 350 for 1 hr. If you defrost the pototoes first you can heat it up in the microwave for about 15 minutes and it will be done.

You can use shredded hash brown potatoes too but I think they get to mushy after cooking.
This makes alot, I am sure you could reduce it. Not sure if you wanted the receipe but here it is.

Another favorite in Utah is Fruit Pizza and tator tot casserole