"Traveling" Through the 50 States Dinners ~ Missouri

I'm taking a little break from our Disney trip to share another family adventure we are taking . . . so to speak.  Remember our Summer Bucket List and our Dinners Around the World?  We decided that as much as we enjoyed doing this, it was time to mix it up a little. So instead of countries, we are going to be "traveling" through all 50 states through dinners inspired by the foods of the state we are "visiting".  In addition to the meal, we would also share fun facts & information about the state.  (A little learning experience disguised by delicious foods is never a bad thing, right!?!)

Our first stop is Missouri  . . .which among other things, is known for its BBQ.  I searched online to find the best recipes that showcased the flavors of this state.  The results were delicious!

Our main dish was the spicy yet spectacular Kansas City Pulled Pork Sandwiches (recipe from Savory Sweet Life) with side dishes of Kansas City Smokehouse Beans (recipe from Food.com) & Smoke Stack Cheesy Corn Bake (also from Food.com).

Honey deemed it one of the best meals he'd had in a long time!  (He LOVES anything that has that extra kick to it.)   The kids thought the sandwich was good, but a little too spicy for them.  (An extra glass of milk was drank by each to finish it off.)  Having said that, I should mention that we realize that some of the meals may be a little outside the comfort zone of the kids, so we established that they had to at least TRY a few bites before giving us the "Eww, gross!" face.  :)  

We finished off with the divine dessert, Kansas City Dirt Cake (recipe from Lil' Luna).  There was no coaxing anyone to try this one, that's for sure!  YUM YUM!!

We also learn lots of Fun Facts about Missouri:  State Capital - Jefferson City,  State Flower - White Hawthorn,  State Nickname - "Show Me State", it was the 24th state to be admitted into the Union, etc.  Honey has a deep love of history, so he would throw in a few history questions here and there tailored to the kid's age level.  My favorite one of night was, "What is the first name of the US President that the capital, Jefferson City, was named after?"  Miss B jumped up and down, "I know, I know!  It's BOB!!"  (LOL!!!)  After we all had a good chuckle over her very enthusiastic answer, L said "Close, but um no.  It's Thomas."  Honey's History-lovin' heart couldn't have been more proud!

One state down, 49 more to go.....next stop Pennsylvania!