In Relief Society today, an Elder's Quorum representative was making an announcement in regards to an upcoming Elder's Quorum Talent Show. It is going to be a semi-potluck, the EQ will be providing chili, but those attending should bring sides and deserts. Notice how the "please bring food" announcement was made in Relief Society yes. Then, from the back, a sister piped in with the standard cry of, "please bring more sides than deserts!" and the EQ representative replied with, "Yes! Sisters, please bring sides... it doesn't have to be anything fancy. Something like funeral potatoes, or green jello with carrots would be just fine." That's where I about lost it.
If you happen to live outside of Utah, or Idaho and haven't seen too much Mormon Cinema (yes, we have our own film genre too...) you're well justified in scratching your head and saying, "Huh? What the heck are funeral potatoes, and who on Earth would be crazy enough to put CARROTS in GREEN JELLO!?" well my friend, let me explain it to you!
Funeral potatoes, are (as the link I've supplied well illustrates) a very easy to prepare dish, that happens to show up at many gatherings in Utah and Idaho. Actually, funeral potatoes tend to show up at many Mormon gatherings, regardless of geographical locations. Although the name denotes the somewhat morbid origins of this quintessential dish, don't be fooled. Funeral potatoes are a veritable Mormon comfort food.
As far as carrots in green (lime) jello are concerned, this is one of those situations where rumors really are true. Growing up between Oregon and North Dakota, many of my non-LDS friends while asking questions about my faith would suddenly turn very serious and somberly ask me, "Is it true that Mormons put VEGETABLES in their jello?" I would calmly reassure them that of course Mormons don't put silly things like carrots in their jello. After all, that's just sick and wrong. Imagine my shock the first time we ate dinner at our new bishop's house, and his wife placed a bowl of green jello with carrots in it at my plate... and had the nerve to call it "Salad" and a "Dessert." I was shocked! But, as the
After I recovered from the pain in my side from trying not to laugh aloud, I smiled to myself. I was apparently the only person in the entire room who didn't see the humor in this situation. So, I'm here, in Mormon-topia, and I'm loving it! Perhaps, at the end of my 2-4 year stay, I will be blonde, speaking with the area's accent, and wearing a tee-shirt under a Spaghetti strap tank top. And more importantly, for the first time in my life, that doesn't scare me one little bit.
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But, if it makes you feel any better, I read in a (Non-LDS, as far as I know, that is) cookbook about stranger things than carrots being put into cirtus-flavored Jell-Os ... like some green vegetables in Lemon Jell-O. I felt dirty just reading it.
But Jennifer's story about the homemade tomato-flavored Jell-O or the lime Jello with the dye-stealing shrimp ... those two dishes take the cake.
And, I know it's insane, but I have yet to eat funeral potatoes. What kind of Mormon am I?? Haven't been to Utah, have yet to eat funeral potatoes, only have two kids ... Geez, I'm a failure, huh?? :P
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(The above is from Bruce. He just HAD to type something. ... I had to do something to distract him [for .0002 seconds] from trying to crawl under the computer desk)
haha this was very funny to read! i recently converted my husband, and in preparing him for a "mormon lifestyle" rented such movies as singles ward (1 and 2!), the rm, home teachers, the best 2 years, ect, and 1 thing that sticks out in his mind is the music. yes, the music. everyday. haha. i took him to his first mormon activity on valentines day this year, it was his first time experiencing the dinners and dancing. we shared a table with the bishop, who obviously hadn't seen any of the mormon films haha. right after dinner tyler started singing the single's ward dance version of "hello, hello! hello, hello! we welcome you tonight (hello!)" and our bishop says, oh that's a primary song! and i'm trying my hardest not to die of laughter because my husband is trying so hard to fit in, and he starts belting out THAT song!
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