Utah - "The Beehive State"

Utah is a state in the western United States. Utah is bordered by Colorado to the east, Wyoming to the northeast, Idaho to the north, Arizona to the south, and Nevada to the west. It also touches a corner of New Mexico in the southeast.

Approximately 62% of Utahns are reported to be members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints or LDS (Mormons), which greatly influences Utah culture and daily life. The world headquarters of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church) is located in Utah's state capital, Salt Lake City. When Brigham Young led the persecuted American sect of Mormons into the deserts of Utah in 1847, he found refuge in a land that no one else wanted. The determined Mormons, however, made the desert bloom through their hard work and skill. The descendent of these original settlers still make up a majority of Utah's residents. Utah is the most religiously homogeneous state in the United States, the only state with a Mormon majority, and the only state with a majority population belonging to a single church.

The nickname of Beehive that is associated with Utah is related to Mormons. Deseret, in The Book of Mormon is actually the land of milk and honey.  Early Mormon settlers have been described as having carried "swarms of bees" with them. This nickname commemorates the industry of the people of Utah. The beehive was adopted, in 1847, as an official emblem and represents the qualities of industry, perseverance, thrift, stability, and self-reliance, all virtues respected by the region's settlers. The beehive is the centerpiece of the Utah State Flag and the Utah State Seal.


The state is a center of transportation, education, information technology and research, government services, mining, and a major tourist destination for outdoor recreation. Utah has the highest literacy rate in the nation.

Utah has its own way of dishing up a meal. Some traditions date back to the American Indians, pioneers and farmers who make up American history. Others are simply culinary anomalies that have developed over time thanks to the need to feed large families on a budget. Funeral potatoes (also known as Mormon funeral potatoes) are a traditional potato hot dish, or casserole, that originated in Utah among Utah' Mormon community. People called this dish funeral potatoes because the casserole is commonly served as a side dish during traditional after-funeral dinners. The dish usually consists of hash browns or cubed potatoes, cheese (cheddar or Parmesan), onions, cream soup (chicken, mushroom, or celery) or a cream sauce, sour cream, and is topped with butter and corn flakes or crushed potato chips. This dish can be found in Windsor, Phoenix, AZ, though this restaurant slightly changed the name of this dish to give it a happy and more inviting to try it. At Windsor, they call this dish Jo's Church Potatoes AKA Funeral Potatoes.

"EMOTIONAL SUPPORT STARTS HERE" This was a sign hanging at Windsor Bar! :-)

Funeral Potatoes aka Church Potatoes

Patron having EMOTIONAL SUPPORT after having Funeral Potatoes!

Delicious hamburgers served with Funeral aka Church potatoes

More Emotional Support!



Lots of EMOTIONAL SUPPORT on the table!

GREAT PLACE! Thanks Windsor for all the EMOTIONAL SUPPORT you offered us!

Wisconsin - "The Badger State"

Wisconsin is a U.S. state located in the north-central United States, in the Midwest and Great Lakes regions. It is bordered by Minnesota to the west, Iowa to the southwest, Illinois to the south, Lake Michigan to the east, Michigan to the northeast, and Lake Superior to the north.  The state capital is Madison, and its largest city is Milwaukee. The state is divided into 72 counties.

Wisconsin is known as "America's Dairyland" because it is one of the nation's leading dairy producers, particularly famous for cheese. Wisconsin produces about a quarter of America's cheese, leading the nation in cheese production. It is second in milk production, after California. Wisconsin is second in butter production, producing about one-quarter of the nation's butter. The state ranks the first nationally in the production of corn for silage, cranberries, ginseng, and snap beans for processing. It grows over half the national crop of cranberries and 97% of the nation's ginseng. Wisconsin is also a leading producer of oats, potatoes, carrots, tart cherries, maple syrup, and sweet corn for processing.

A large part of the state's manufacturing sector includes commercial food processing, including well-known brands such as Oscar Mayer, Tombstone frozen pizza, Johnsonville brats, and Usinger's sausage. Kraft Foods alone employs over 5,000 people in the state. Milwaukee is a major producer of beer and was formerly headquarters for Miller Brewing Company — the nation's second-largest brewer – until it merged with Coors Brewing Company. Formerly, Schlitz, Blatz, and Pabst were cornerstone breweries in Milwaukee.




Say "Cheeeeesee"!

The "America's Dairyland," Wisconsin is the home to numerous frozen custard stands, particularly around Milwaukee and along the Lake Michigan corridor, as well as many cheese makers, ranging from artisans who hand-craft their product from the milk of their own dairy herds to large factories. Cheese curds are common as a snack when they are fresh or fried as an appetizer.

Cheese curds in cuisine, or cooking, are the solid parts of soured milk either eaten alone or used in various regional dishes. Cheese curds when they are fresh are sometimes referred to as "squeaky cheese". Cheese curds start off with fresh milk. The milk is pasteurized, much like in the process of creating cheese.  During this process, rennet is added to clot the milk. Rennet is a complex of enzymes produced in the stomachs of ruminant mammals.  After the milk has been pasteurized, the result is a mixture of whey and the early stages of the curd. This mixture is then cooked. Next, it is pressed to release the whey from the curd, thus creating the final product of cheese curd.

Cheese curds are so very Wisconsin, with a mild flavor, rubbery texture, however to fully capture the soul of Wisconsin, those little dairy nuggets must be breaded or battered and deep fried, then served with ranch or marinara or both for dipping. They are Wisconsin's answer to the mozzarella sticks and if one wants to eat fried cheese curds in Arizona, Casey Jones Grill is the place to do it.

Casey Jones Grill  has been in  neighborhood in the North Phoenix, AZ Since 1993. Their vision has always been to bring a great food, good times, and family fun. With a home town taste of Arizona and a little flair of the Midwest, they have been know as the Home of the Green Bay Packers in AZ.  The Green Bay Packers are a professional American football team based in Green Bay, Wisconsin, that competes in the National Football League (NFL). They have been Super Bowl champions a few times. The owner of the Casey Jones Grill are one Native from Arizona & the other a Die Hard Packer Fan from Wisconsin! The restaurant is a homey hangout spot for Green Bay Packers fans with global pub grub & many TVs showing football while enjoying those cheese curds.

Casey Jones - Cheese head Quarters



Cheese Curds on the menu



Cheese Curds with Marinara sauce and Ranch for dipping





Look at this Monorail! The restaurant was full of Monorails.



More Monorail

Crossed Monorails!

Look at this!

More Yummy food!



Tasty Cheese Steaks made with Wisconsin Cheese!



Games

Nice Pool Tables!



Ohio - "The Buckeye State"

Ohio is a state in the Midwestern United States. The state's capital and largest city is Columbus. The state takes its name from the Ohio River. The name originated from the Iroquois word ohi-yo’, meaning "great river" or "large creek". The Iroquois, who prefer to be known as the Haudenosaunee are a historically powerful and important northeast Native American confederacy.
Ohio is historically known as the "Buckeye State", relating to the Ohio buckeye tree. In 1953, the Ohio legislature designated the Aesculus glabra or the Ohio Buckeye as Ohio's official state tree. The tree is called the buckeye tree because its nuts resemble the shape and color of a deer's eye.
Though Ohio is right in the middle of the US Corn Belt, this state is known for far more exciting foods than just corn. Strong German and Polish heritage has left its mark on the Ohioan cuisine, with the likes of kielbasa and sauerkraut working its way into some unexpected dishes. Kielbasa is a traditional Polish sausage made from pork, beef, or veal In Ohio, it is usually served with sauerkraut and often on a sandwich of rye bread with mustard, sauerkraut, mustard, and pickles.
Cincinnati-style chili is a another signature dish in state of Ohio. This is a Greek-inspired dish which unlike chili con carne, is almost never eaten by itself and is instead served over spaghetti and topped with shredded cheese. It is also sometimes served over hotdogs.
After a good amount of time searching and reading the menus of restaurants in Phoenix and vicinity, I soon found there is no restaurant in the state that offers any of the authentic dishes of Ohio. As a matter of fact, I learned if one opens a restaurant and wants to be an absolute fail, serve Cincinnati chili! The demographic in AZ are not interested in taste of a sweet chili which comes from cinnamon over pasta. However, AZ has another surprise for those who want to experience something unique from OH. The surprise would be the Buckeye Candy.
The Buckeye Candy or Buckeyes, almost exclusively found in Ohio is made from a peanut butter mixture which is then partially dipped in chocolate. The candy is made to look like the nut of the Buckeye tree, which is indigenous to Ohio and is also the source of the state’s nickname “The Buckeye State”. This candy can be found at Sweeties Candy, a Cleveland-based family business that has a retail store in Chandler, AZ. This store offers aisles and aisles of cool, unique and tasty candies which makes one feel like a little kid in a candy store!

Ohio Buckeye Candy

Buckeye Candies



More Buckeye Candies



Look at that big fake Jelly Belly!

Five lbs of Hershey Chocolate
 (Eatable Chocolate)

Aisles of Candies

International Section

More International Delights

Giant PEZ

Salt Water Taffy section

A smiley face I made with Buckeye Candies and Honey
(A Kid in a Candy Store's face)