How to Get a Missionary's Attention--Recipes Included

If you are a parent reading this blog post, using this post will definitely get your returned missionary's attention.

If you are the wife of a former missionary, you can melt his heart and send him down memory lane.  

If you are a returned missionary and just want to recall some special times from the Japan Nagoya  Mission, you might want to go down memory lane by cooking up one or more of the following great recipes that Sister Baird used to feed you, while you were in the Japan Nagoya Mission.  

If you are none of the above, but want some really good eats,  try one or more of the following.  

This recipe is probably Sister Baird's most famous.  New missionaries coming into the mission have even heard about it and have asked for the recipe on their first day.

           

                             
Sister Baird's Famous Syrup

1/2 C. butter

1 C. buttermilk (in Japan I put 1 T. lemon juice in the measuring cup and then add milk, let it sour for about 4 minutes.)

2 T. light Karo syrup

1 tsp. baking soda

1 ½ C. sugar

1 tsp. vanilla (add after you have removed from heat)

Bring to slow boil and stir constantly for 7 minutes.

Remove from heat (add vanilla)

Make this in a deeper pan; the baking soda makes it foam up.

          Sister Baird's Favorite Waffles

2 C. flour (in Japan I have to add a little more)

1 tsp. salt

2 C. milk

1 tsp. baking soda

1 tsp. baking powder

1/4 C. oil (canola or vegetable)

2 eggs –separate, put yolks into batter and whip egg whites and fold into mixed batter.

You can mix together with a hand mixer.

Cook in waffle maker

Or you can enjoy:

                    Sister Baird’s Favorite Pancakes

Dry:

2 C. flour

1 tsp. baking soda

1 tsp. baking powder

½ tsp. salt

Wet:

3 C. buttermilk

2 eggs

2 T. vegetable or canola oil

Mix together (don’t overmix)

Pour out pancakes on hot oiled skillet

This lasagna is to die for!

                                 Nagoya Mission Lasagna

Brown:

1 kilo (2 pounds) of hamburger (approximately)

1 onion chopped

Cottage cheese mixture:

3 cups of cottage cheese (or 3 small Japanese cartons.)  Japanese cottage cheese is really dry so you might want to rinse and dry American cottage cheese.

1 egg

1 T. dried parsley

Other ingredients:

1 Large bottle Prego Spaghetti Sauce (67 oz.)

Mozzarella Cheese (shredded, just over 2 pounds)

Lasagna Noodles (I use the Barilla, LaCollezione, Lasagne all’Uovo  they are no cook and they are GREAT!  Or you can use cooked regular lasagna noodles)

In a 9 x 13 pan put a little Prego sauce on the bottom then layer:

Noodles

Meat Mixture

Cottage Cheese mixture

Mozzarella Cheese

Prego

Repeat—(for the last layer save a little mozzarella cheese for the very top)

Bake at 350 degrees for around 45 minutes to an hour.  Let sit for around 10 minutes before you cut it.  This way it will come out in pretty pieces.

(Things I’ve learned:  don’t use too much meat, do use enough cheese)

  Chicken Enchiladas

1 family size (26 oz.) Cream of Chicken Soup

1 to 1-1/2 C. sour cream

1 can diced green chilies (7 oz.)

½ tsp. garlic salt

2 C. diced chicken breasts (can be more if you like it meaty)

Heat through and thin with a little milk.

Heat 10 flour tortillas

Put mixture in tortillas (not too much)

Sprinkle with Colby Jack cheese

Roll up and place in 9x13 pan

(Prepare pan with Pam spray on bottom, then spread a small amount of the chicken soup mixture with a rubber spatula on bottom, this will stop the tortillas from sticking to the bottom of the pan or drying out.)

When all the tortillas are rolled and in pan, top with remaining mixture and sprinkle more grated cheese on top.

(Be sure to cover all the tortillas with mixture or tortillas will dry out and be hard)

Bake at 350 degrees until hot and bubble—about 20 minutes.  Yummy!

Brownies to die for--even better with a scoop of ice cream:

            Sister Baird’s Brownies

2 cubes butter (melted)

1/2 C. cocoa

2 C. sugar

4 eggs

1½ C. flour

1 tsp. baking powder

Mix together by hand (not mixer) don’t over mix. Put in greased 9 x 13 inch pan. Bake at 350 degrees for around 30-35 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean.

Frosting

3/4 C. softened butter

6 Tablespoons powdered unsweetened cocoa

2 C. powdered sugar (I always use more of this)

1/4 C. milk

Cream butter and cocoa, then add some of the powdered sugar. Mix at low speed adding milk then the rest of the powdered sugar. Beat until creamy (it will be quite thick and a lighter brown). If the icing is too thick to spread add a little more milk. If it’s too thin add a little more powdered sugar.

Spread on cooled brownies.

And finally, 

                              Sister Baird’s Peanut Butter Bars

3/4 C. butter                            3/4 C. peanut butter

1/2 C. sugar                             3/4 tsp baking soda

2 C. brown sugar                     1/4 tsp salt

2 eggs                                      1 ½  C. flour

2 tsp vanilla                             2 C. oats

Additional peanut butter

Chocolate frosting

Using a dough hook, cream butter and sugars.  Add eggs and beat until light and fluffy.  Add vanilla and peanut butter.  Mix dry ingredients and add to creamed mixture.  Spread on large cookie sheet.

Bake at 350 for 15-20 minutes or until very lightly browned.  When cooled spread a thin layer of peanut butter on top.  Frost with chocolate frosting below.

                                                   Frosting

Beat together:

2 T. softened butter                4 T. cocoa

1/4 C. of evaporated milk       3½ C. powdered sugar

1 T. vanilla

                         \

Sister Baird’s Favorite Cinnamon Rolls

Let foam up:

1/2 T. yeast

1 ½ C. warm water

1 tsp. sugar

Add:

4 eggs (beaten)

1/2 C. sugar

2 tsp. salt

1 C. canola or vegetable oil

1 C. evaporated milk

1 C. hot water

7-8 C. flour  (add 1 cup at a time until dough is soft, I like my dough just barely sticky)

Knead for 10 minutes.  Oil bowl lightly with canola or veg. oil.   Put the dough in and flip it so both sides are slightly oiled.  Cover bowl with plastic wrap and lid and put in warm place to rise, approximately 1 to 1 ½ hours.

Punch dough down, let it rest for 5 minutes.  Divide dough in half.  Roll out on floured counter with floured rolling pin into rectangular shape. 

Spread with cinnamon/sugar, butter mixture:

3/4 C. softened butter (really soft but not melted)

1 C. sugar

1/8 C. cinnamon

Rollup.  Cut into 1 to 1 ½ inch rolls.  Place on greased cookie sheet and cover with sprayed (PAM) plastic wrap (don’t pull it tight just lay it over).

Rise again for 15-20 minutes

Bake at 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes (they will be barely browned)

Icing:

1/4 C. softened butter

About ½ bag of powdered sugar

Thin with the left over evaporated milk

(I like my frosting quite thin, not thick.  I frost the rolls about 4 or 5 minutes after they come out of the oven so some of the frosting melts down in.)