My Favorite Sweet Breads!

Sweet breads are a tradition in our home. And there's only one way I bake them: with fresh ground whole wheat flour! So of course, I brought my wheat grinder, and whole grain white wheat to Taiwan! However, after arriving on island, I found Taiwan has awesome whole wheat flour, so that made sweet breads an interview treat tradition in the mission:)

PUMPKIN BREAD

2 eggs                                                            ½ tsp. cloves                       

½ cup oil                                                       ½ tsp. nutmeg

1 cup pumpkin                                              ½ tsp. cinnamon

1½ cups sugar                                               ¼ tsp. baking powder

1½ cups flour (I use whole wheat)               ¾ tsp. baking soda

½ cup chocolate chips (optional)                 ¾ tsp. salt

I generally 3 times the recipe because a large can of pumpkin is approximately 3 cups. However, during Halloween I would decorate my front porch with extra large fresh pumpkins, then puree them in my Vitamix after Thanksgiving and freeze the pulp by the quart. This I did my first Halloween in Taiwan, and the pumpkin lasted 18 months! For holiday baking, 4 times the recipe is a lot easier to measure out:

8 eggs                                                            2 tsp. cloves                       

2 cups oil                                                       2 tsp. nutmeg

4 cups pumpkin                                             2 tsp. cinnamon

6 cups sugar                                                  1 tsp. baking powder

6 cups flour (I use whole wheat)                  1 Tbsp. baking soda

2 cups chocolate chips (optional)                 1 Tbsp. salt

Beat eggs. Add oil, pumpkin, sugar and mix well. Add dry ingredients and beat well. Grease pans or muffin tins with cooking spray. Bake in oven preheated to 350F for 50-60 minutes until toothpick inserted in center comes clean. Makes 4 large loaves.

Tips:

• This bread will stay moist for over a week. To freeze, wrap well in plastic wrap; freezes for several weeks.
• If adding chocolate chips, they tend to sink to the bottom and stick to the pan. When removing the bread from the pan, you’ll end up with holes in the bottom of your loaf. Solution: spray sides of baking pans. Line bottom only of pan with parchment or wax paper. Your loaf will remove easily, then peel off the paper to cool!
• Amazing Pumpkin Bars: just bake in a pan! Cool completely and frost with cream cheese frosting!
• Killer Cream Cheese Frosting:

          8oz. (1 cup) cream cheese, softened

          4 oz. (1 stick) butter, softened

          1 lb. (4 cups) powdered sugar

          ½ tsp. vanilla

          Cream butter and cream cheese until light and fluffy. Add powdered sugar. Beat until smooth. 

          This frosting can't dry out because the only liquid is vanilla!

DOUBLE CHOCOLATE CHIP CRANBERRY BREAD

One year I bought a huge Costco bag of fresh cranberries for Thanksgiving dinner and then had tons left over. So when quarterly interviews approached, I hunted for the perfect recipe to use them up. I love the combination of chocolate and tart berries...it was a hit!

1 3/4 cups all purpose flour (I use whole wheat flour!)
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1/3 cup butter
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 cup sugar
1 large egg
1 tsp vanilla extract
3/4 cup milk (I always use powdered when baking)
1 cup whole cranberries, fresh or frozen

1 cup chocolate chips (I usually cut back to 1/2 cup)

Preheat oven to 350F. Lightly grease a 9×5-inch loaf pan. Follow the tip for lining the baking pan with parchment paper under the Pumpkin Bread recipe.

In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt. In a small, microwave-safe bowl, melt the butter. Whisk cocoa powder into the butter while it is warm, making sure to fully dissolve it. Allow butter to cool for several minutes. In a large bowl, whisk together the butter mixture and the sugar. Whisk in the egg and the vanilla extract until smooth. Stir in half of the flour mixture, followed by the milk. Add in the remaining flour mixture and stir until just until all the dry ingredients are combined and no streaks of flour remain. Fold in cranberries and chocolate chips. Pour into prepared loaf pan and spread into an even layer. Bake for 55-60 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Allow to cool in the pan for 5 minutes, then turn the loaf out of the pan and onto a wire rack to cool completely before slicing.

Makes 1 loaf; serves 12.

BANANA BREAD

With a banana tree in the backyard of the mission home, about twice a year, we'd have a huge bunch of bananas that would ripen all at the same time. what to do? Bake banana bread!

6-8 bananas, ripe, mashed

2 sticks butter, softened                       

4 eggs

2 cups sugar

½ cup milk

2 tsp. vanilla

4 cups flour (whole wheat)

2 tsp. baking soda

½ tsp. salt

1½ - 2 cups chocolate chips (optional)

1 cup nuts (optional)

Beat eggs, butter, sugar, and bananas. Mix in milk and vanilla. Add dry ingredients and beat well. Grease pans or muffin tins with cooking spray. Bake in oven preheated to 350F for 50-60 minutes until toothpick inserted in center comes clean. Makes 4 large loaves.

Again, line pans with wax or parchment paper if adding chocolate chips. For our final round of mission zone conferences, I baked whole wheat banana bread in half sheet pans and frosted with Cream Cheese frosting for our dear, dear missionaries:)

7-2016 Quick Trip to ...

Hey, I'm back in Taiwan and out for a morning run!!! JK, I wish! 

But it was super sweet to run by the Utah Cultural Celebration Center and feel like I was back in paradise!

While President was attending a surgical conference in Chicago to catch up on CME credits, I flew to Salt Lake City to spend some time with my daughter and new granddaughter. Crashed a dinner party that a few missionaries had planned at Sweet Ginger:

 So grateful this sister's family dropped by to meet me!

Then as we were ready to leave, the sister on the far right walked into the restaurant, saw me, and then asked if I was the Taichung mission president's wife. She was a teacher at the MTC and loved to follow all her "students" on my blog after they reached the island. It was so great to meet her! She said she had a surprise coming...more of my returned missionaries!

 Met this returned missionary who served in Australia and was there when one of our sister missionaries was baptized! Not long after her baptism, she came to serve in Taichung and was awesome!

 At IKEA, running into President's first AP and his wife!

 Got to spend an evening with my brother, David, from Orem:

Three years my younger, David served a mission in New York City, Cantonese speaking.

We will be back in two weeks to attend his daughter's wedding!

Look for details of a Taichung Missionary Reunion on August 19 on FaceBook!

Join the FaceBook group Taizhong Missionaries 2013 - 2016 for updates!

Cookie Secrets!

I love cookies, but I did not have time to bake several hundred cookies with each round of zone conferences or interviews. That just wasn't using time wisely (PMG Chapter 8)! Fortunately, Costco's triple variety 24-count cookies came in very handy, especially after stumbling on a great secret! After one round of zone conferences our first year, we miscalculated and ended up with a couple of extra boxes. So I decided to wrap them in the original box and freeze them. A month or two later, I took them out of the freezer and also bought more fresh cookies. When they were served, I noticed that the cookies that had been frozen were so much more moist, soft and chewy than the fresh ones! 

From that day on, rather than try to buy fresh cookies for zone conference, I buy them in advance, wrap them in saran wrap, then store them in the freezer. Even one day in advance is enough!

That being said, I always tried to bake treats for smaller meetings and conferences such as DTM, ZTM, MLC, etc. Here are a few favorite cookie & bar recipes that I often used:

Best Chocolate Chip Cookies Ever

Elder Klayton Erekson

1 cup butter (2 sticks)

1 cup brown sugar

1 cup white sugar 

2 eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla

2 1/2 cups of flour

1 teaspoon baking soda 

1 teaspoon salt

2 cups chocolate chips

Bake 8-9 minutes [I generally bake them a little longer] at 375 degrees. 

My Favorite Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe

Christine Van Wagenen
September 2014 Asia Area Mission Presidents Seminar

One year when we arrived in our hotel room in Hong Kong for the semi-annual Mission Presidents' Seminar, we found a delightful box of homemade cookies waiting for us. They were heavenly! Sister Van Wagenen, serving a senior mission with her husband in the China Hong Kong mission, shared her recipe with us:

1 cup butter                                                      3 rounded cups flour

1/3 cup shortening (Crisco)                          1 teaspoon salt

1 cup granulated sugar                                  1 teaspoon baking soda

1 cup brown sugar                                          1½ - 2 cups chocolate chips

2 eggs                                                                1½ cups chopped pecans

2 teaspoons vanilla

In a large mixing bowl,

·      Cream together the butter and shortening,

·      Add in the sugars and beat well until light and fluffy

·      Beat in the eggs and vanilla.

In a separate bowl,

·      Stir the flour, salt and soda together 

·      Now incorporate the flour mixture into the butter/sugar mixture. 

·      Fold in the chocolate and pecans.

·      Using a cookie scoop, place cookie dough on parchment lined baking sheets

·      Bake at 375 degrees for about 10-12 minutes.  Adjust temperature and baking time as needed.

NOTE:  Dough may also be scooped and placed on unlined baking sheets, placed in freezer until frozen.  Place frozen unbaked cookies in an airtight container to be baked in the future.  For best results, use within 3 weeks.

Ultimate Magic Cookie Bars

Sallys Baking Addiction

This is my best cookie recipe find during our three years in Taiwan! Mind you that graham crackers are not to be found in Taiwan, I always had my family members bring me some when they came to visit! Butterscotch chips are also unavailable in Taiwan, but no worries, I just left them out! They were still heavenly:)

Soft-baked graham cracker cookie bars with butterscotch, coconut, chocolate, and pecans. An ultimate version of the classic magic bar/hello dolly bar.

CRUST

1/2 cup (115g) unsalted butter, room temperature

3/4 cup (150g) packed light brown sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 large egg

1 cup (125g) all-purpose flour (careful not to overmeasure)

1 cup (100g) graham cracker crumbs (9 graham crackers)

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 cup (175g) butterscotch chips

LAYERS

1 cup (180g) semi-sweet chocolate chips 

3/4 cup (50-60g) shredded sweetened coconut

1/2 cup (70g) chopped pecans

8 ounces sweetened condensed milk

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350F degrees. Line a 8x8 baking pan with aluminum foil, leaving enough overhang on the sides. Set aside.

In a large bowl using handheld or stand mixer, cream the butter and brown sugar together on medium speed. Beat for about 2 minutes until smooth and combined. Add the vanilla extract and egg, beating until combined. Scrape the sides of the bowl down as needed. Set aside.

Toss the flour, graham cracker crumbs, and baking powder together until combined. With the mixer running on low, slowly add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients. Mix until combined, then mix in the butterscotch chips. Press graham cracker dough into the

prepared baking pan and bake for 5 minutes. Remove from the oven and layer with chocolate chips, coconut, and pecans. Drizzle sweetened condensed milk evenly on top. Sprinkle a couple more butterscotch chips on top (optional).

Bake the bars until set, about 25-30 minutes. Loosely cover the pan with aluminum foil halfway through baking to prevent browning (I baked the bars until they were thoroughly golden brown on top). Rotate the pan a couple times during the bake time as well. Allow to cool thoroughly at room temperature. 

Lift foil lining from pan and cut the bars into squares. Bars stay fresh at room temperature for up to 1 week. Bars may be frozen for up to 3 months.

Cake Mix Cookies

These cookies are moist, chewy, and can be made with your favorite variety of cake mix! Can be made plain or add your favorite mix-in. Try chocolate w/chocolate chips, chocolate w/dried cherries, lemon w/dried cranberries, etc.

1 box cake mix

2 eggs

1/2 cup oil

Mix together above ingredients (I use the flat paddle attachment on my Kitchenaid). Add optional nuts, dried fruit, chocolate chips, etc. Dough should be dry enough to handle. If not, may refrigerate or add additional cake mix. Roll dough into 1" balls. Dip in powdered or granulated sugar (optional). Place 2" apart on baking pan lined with a Silpat (silicone) baking sheet. Bake about 8-10 minutes in oven preheated to 350F.

Taiwan Taichung Mission Home Recipes: Departing Missionaries' Last Supper!

As promised, here is a collection of recipes that I've used during our mission!

Departing Missionaries' Last Supper Menu

Carver's Salad

Out of This World Crescent Rolls

Teriyaki Salmon

Grilled Pork Tenderloin

Baked Potatoes

Fresh Vegetable

CARVER'S SALAD

One of the favorites that all the missionaries looked forward to every time we had a zone conference lunch or a meal at the mission home was a green salad:) I got this recipe at a ward Christmas potluck. The Carver Salad was so good that one brother walked around the cultural hall with the empty bowl asking who had brought it. I'm glad he did, because we all got the recipe and I've made it hundreds of times! I call it my "food storage" salad dressing because all the ingredients come out of my year's supply!

DRESSING:

Mix together:

3 Tbsp. apple cider vinegar (Taiwan has the best apple vinegar!)

3 Tbsp. honey

Heat until honey melts; cool. Then whisk in:
1 Tbsp. Dijon mustard
6 Tbsp. (3/8 cup) salad dressing (I use Miracle Whip)
1 Tbsp. finely minced onion
1-1/2 Tbsp. fresh parsley, minced (I use 2 tsp. dried parsley flakes)
pinch of salt

Gradually whisk in:
3/4 cup oil (I use Canola)

SALAD:
1 head Romaine, cleaned and chopped
1 head red leaf lettuce, cleaned and chopped

1 pkg. baby spinach, 

1 cup blanched almond slivers, toasted

1 cup dried cranberries

3-4 golden delicious apples, chopped

OUT OF THIS WORLD CRESCENT ROLLS

When I had time, I would bake fresh crescent rolls. I also used this recipe to make cinnamon rolls when I had a missionary who was lactose intolerant:) President's cousin's wife used to make these wonderful rolls and after she gave me the recipe, I realized that I had cut it out of the LA times a decade earlier but never tried baking them!

In a bread machine, add (in the order below):

1-1/4 cup water, warmed in a microwave oven for one minute
2 tsp. salt
3 eggs
4-1/2 cups flour (I prefer unbleached)
1/2 cup shortening (this I had many family members over the three years bring over to Taiwan)
1/2 cup sugar
5 tsp. instant yeast

In order to get a moist dough that otherwise would be too sticky to knead by hand, I use a bread machine to mix all my bread dough. I start the dough cycle, then carefully watch the dough for the first 15-20 minutes. I scrape the sides often and make sure the dough is sufficiently moist. If it appears dry, I add more water. If it appears too wet, I add more flour. The dough should be barely moist to the touch (stick to your finger) while during the mixing stage. After the machine is done kneading, it will produce a very elastic dough that you can handle without being too moist.

Prepare a covered plastic container by spraying the inside with non-stick cooking spray. After the dough is done with the first knead, I remove the dough and place it inside the prepared container, and then either turn over or spray the top of the dough so that it is lightly coated with oil. Cover and let rise in refrigerator overnight or for about 4-8 hours.

Divide dough into 3 parts. Roll each part into a circle. Spread with softened butter. Using a pizza cutter, cut each circle into half and each half into fifths for 10 pie shaped pieces. This seems odd but I have found that doing created triangles not to narrow as well as not too long. Roll from wide end into crescents. Place point side down on a baking sheet lined with a Silpat silicone baking sheet. Silpats do not need to be greased and your rolls will never burn! Let rise until double.

Bake 12-15 minutes in a oven preheated to 400F. Watch carefully! When golden brown, remove and baste with softened butter.

TERIYAKI SALMON

You know how frustrating it is when you find the perfect brand of whatever at Costco, and then the next time you go there they have discontinued stocking it? That is what happened to this fabulous teriyaki marinade I found at the Taichung Costco:( It was full of ginger and sesame seeds, and was also gluten free. The new brand they carried was thicker but smooth glaze. What to do? I looked at the Ginger-Garlic Paste left over from the Indian Aloo Gobi recipe that I did not enjoy. A lightbulb went on!

One Atlantic salmon fillet
Teriyaki marinade/sauce/glaze (any kind, any brand)
Ginger-Garlic Paste (the secret ingredient)
Toasted sesame seeds
Fresh cilantro, ends trimmed off, chopped

Ginger-Garlic Paste:
1/2 cup peeled garlic
1/2 cup fresh ginger, all rough outer peel and layer pared off
1/4 cup salad oil
Blend above 3 ingredients in blender until smooth. Stores in sealed glass jar for months!

Rinse salmon fillet and pat dry with paper towels. Place in baking dish (metal or glass). Spread top with Ginger-Garlic Paste. Pour Teriyaki marinade/sauce/glaze over top of salmon, and enough to cover the bottom of the baking dish. Lift salmon to allow sauce to soak into the bottom of the fillet. Cover with plastic wrap and marinate in refrigerator 1-2 hours. Tips: be generous with the marinade, as it is great over rice!

Preheat oven to 325F. Remove plastic wrap. Spoon marinade over salmon to moisten. Sprinkle with toasted sesame seeds. Cover with foil and bake for 40-60 minutes (depending on how thick your salmon is, until pink). Now here is the trick. I like a thicker sauce with the baked salmon. So if you used a thin marinade, you'll want to bake the salmon uncovered (remove foil) longer (maybe last 20 minutes) to thicken the marinade. If you used a thick glaze, you'll want to bake the salmon covered longer so that the glaze doesn't burn. Whatever the case, about 10 minutes before the salmon is done, remove the foil, sprinkle with chopped cilantro, and return to oven. Do not leave the cilantro on the salmon in the oven for more than 20 minutes (or it will turn an ugly brown).

Serve with Basmati or Jasmine rice:)

GRILLED PORK TENDERLOINS

In the U.S., generally speaking, beef is least expensive, followed by chicken, and then pork. However, in Taiwan, pork is least expensive, followed by chicken and then beef! So I decided to go with grilled pork, and used my beef tri-tip marinade on the tenderloins. President is the one who grills the tenderloins to perfection! But the real secret is the Grill Mats. I ordered these amazing mats online after my mother told me she ordered them for my brother as a gift. These mats cut down the grilling time by about half, keeps the meat juicy as it’s almost self-basting, lets flavor and charring come through, avoids burning even with sweet sauces, and best of all, cleanup is a cinch and your grill stays spotless!

So here’s the marinade...

In a pan just large enough for your meat (not to small or large), mix:

1 part robust Italian salad dressing (any brand, bottled or from a mix)

3-4 parts soy sauce (I use Kikkoman All-purpose, not low-sodium)

Trim pork tenderloin or tri-tip. Turn meat in marinade until thoroughly coated. Sprinkle top generously with granulated garlic. Turn meat over. Sprinkle again. Cover with plastic wrap. Marinate for 2 hours or more before grilling. Turn at least once. Note that the granulated garlic will soak up much of the marinade to coat the meat, so be sure there is plenty of liquid.

7-2016 - We Love Returned Missionary Visits!

July 21-24

Nate Erickson came down with his buddies for a surfing trip:)

 There's the tri-tip now that we're back in the U.S.!

July 19-20

Young Limpanasripheng and his sweet friend Gracie! 

We were blessed they were able to squeeze in a visit in between their trips to Texas and Thailand!

Cantaloupe Bisque for dessert:)

7-12-16 The Best Birthday in Eighteen Years!

Tuesday, on my birthday, I received the most wonderful birthday greeting from my three-year-old daughter Courtney, through a beautiful sister named Sarah.

On Monday, I went to the store to buy some groceries, and stopped next door at my favorite nail salon to make an appointment for a pedicure. My manicurist told me I could come by Tuesday at 3:45pm. Perfect, a birthday gift to myself:)

That afternoon, as my manicurist started working on my toes, I noticed a client with pretty long blonde hair, maybe 20 years my younger, take a seat in the waiting area by my chair while her nails dried. I talked to my manicurist about Taiwan and being gone for three years. After she finished, she set up a place for me to sit as well, a couple of chairs down from this pretty blonde. I started to read Jesus the Christ, I was on the last chapter.

A few minutes later, with a friendly smile, the pretty blonde handed me her iPhone, open to her Notes. I took it and read:

Hi, my name is Sarah. 

I have something a bit unusual to tell you.

Hope it's okay. I'll just tap it out here.

I met your daughter Courtney in the park around March. 

She just popped in. 

She asked me to tell the missionaries to go tell her parents about HER (I meet the missionaries in the park). She told me her parents would be VERY happy to see the missionaries. That they love missionaries. 

Which made me think that they may have been Mormons....

She wanted you to know she was absolutely fine. 

Wanting to do as she asked, I looked at the memorial plaque and tree...figured it had been a long time and her family would no longer be around. 

And well I actually felt too awkward to tell the missionaries.

She hung around with me for probably over a month or more. 

She is very happy. I can tell you she has the type of personality where she gets very excited. Like when she had something to show me. She would want me to hurry up. Like "look now."

Later...about a month after meeting her...out of the blue someone [at church] told me about her and your family.

After that she wanted "tall flowers" and a shell. 

I'm not sure of the significance of the shell. 

That's about everything.

Hope it's okay that I'm telling you.

I’m sure you can imagine the range of emotions and the tears that welled up as I looked into the eyes of this sensitive woman, whom I had never seen before, whose name was Sarah. It was apparent to me that Sarah had a very special gift. I asked Sarah if she was a member of our church, and she said she started attending our ward about a year ago. As Sarah said in her note, one day around April, she met a friend of mine who randomly started to talk about losing loved ones. She mentioned our family. Then Sarah  came to know about Courtney's family.

I sat in awe that the Lord, in His tender mercy, would send this smiling blonde angel to me on my birthday. But how did Sarah know I was Courtney's mother? As she waited for her nails to dry, she heard me mention Taiwan. She saw I was reading Jesus the Christ. She started to tap out her note to me. She must have felt a strong prompting to share her experience. I marveled that she had the courage to give it to a perfect stranger. I know Courtney must have been very happy.

Here is a picture that Sarah took on May 23 of the flowers she planted:

Later that evening on my birthday, I went by the memorial...

 and found the shells Sarah had added, as Courtney had requested:

Sarah didn't know the significance of the shell, but I did.

I had just unpacked this very special shell a few days ago:

 In 2010, a dear sweet friend of mine had placed some flowers on the memorial, adorned with this special shell. Of all the infinite different kinds of seashells in the ocean, does it surprise you that Sarah chose the very same white ridged shells?

 My new friend Sarah:

Throughout our mission these past three years, I have had the privilege to bear my testimony of the Savior’s eternal Plan of Salvation. There is no doubt in my mind that Courtney’s spirit is alive in paradise, well, and watching over me and my loved ones. And I am so grateful for a loving Heavenly Father who pours His tender mercies upon His earthly children to strengthen us in this life and give us hope and peace for the next life.

7-10-16 Homecoming Sacrament Meeting at Las Posas Chapel

When the bishopric counselor saw that we had about two dozen missionaries in attendance, 

he invited them up to sing the mission song for the congregation:)

Does this scene look familiar, like a hundred times prior to lunch during zone conference?!

 Afterwards, a round of Happy Birthday for Sister Chao and yours truly:

Back to the home for some BBQ Chopped Salad:

 So great to see even more missionaries today!

 Celebrating two birthdays today with my favorite Bread Basket Bakery cake!

 On the flight back to the U.S., I enjoyed the last of the amazing baklava made by this missionary's amazing mother! She sent me two pans. One I shared with the office and the other I kept in the freezer. I delighted in it until the last day of my mission:)

 This darling sister had a mission call to Houston. Wonder why she'll not be reporting?!

 One of our happiest missionaries every day of his mission!

 Recently married!!!

 More recently married!

 Coming home to our newest grandchild is the best! Four generations in one photo op:)