r« *.Microwave 4 § Magic" Carol Stark qgyney^aapcg^fly^aapQi This week’s column will begin with healthy snacks for kids. With a farm background, recipes with that “dairy goodness” are recipes I like to use. Unlike grownups, kids can eat anytime and almost any place. What we need to do is teach the children to make snacks that are actually good for a child and not just filled with calories. Mak ing snacks that have pick-me-up power is what we need today. Convenient dairy snacks definite ly fit into this criteria. Pick-Em-Up Pudding Shapes 3 envelopes unflavored gelatin 1/i cups cold milk 1 package (3 V%) regular (not in stant) pudding - any flavor. Soften gelatin in one cup milk by warming milk in microwave for one minute. Then cook and stir over medium heat until mixture comes to a full boil. Pour into 9-inch square pan. Chill several hours. Cut with cookie cutters or into squares. Store in refrigerator. Makes 25 squares. Double Chocolate Bread Pudding With Vanilla Custard Sauce 2 cups chocolate milk 1 cup or 6 oz. semi-sweet chocolate pieces 2 Tbsp. butter ' 2 egg yolks 1 h Cl By: 2 egg whites, stiffly beaten 6 cups day-old French bread cubes Combinemilk, chocolate pieces and butter ih two-quart bowl. Mi crowave on HIGH 4 to 5 minutes or until milk is steamy but not boiling. Stir tkntil chocolate and butter are melted. Beat egg yolks and add sugar. Blend small amount of milk mixture into egg mixture; gradually add to milk mixture, mixing well. Fold in egg whites. Stir in bread cubes; let stand one hour. Pour into well buttered two-quart casserole. Bake at 325 for one hour to one hour and IS minutes or until the pudding is set Serve with vanilla custard sauce. Vanilla Custard Sauce 2 cups milk 1 tsp. vanilla 4 egg yolks 'A cup sugar Combine milk and vanilla in one quart bowl. Microwave on HIGH 4 to 5 minutes or until steamy but not boiling. Beat egg yolks and sugar. Blend small amount of milk into egg mixture; gradually add to milk, mixing well. Microwave on HIGH 114 minutes; stir. Continue microwav ing 114 minutes to 2 minutes or until thickened, stirring every 30 perature. Makes 8 servings. Microwaving Cake Mixes Prepare 1 (2-layer size( package of cake mix with pudding in the mix. Pour batter into baking dish es. Microwave at (MEDIUM LOW) for 6 minutes each layer. Then at full power (HIGH) for 3 to 6 minutes each layer. For regular layer cakes. Line bottoms of 2 (8-inch) round bak ing dishes with waxed paper rounds cut to fit. Divide batter evenly between dishes. Micro wave one dish at a, time. Give a dish a quarter turn after micro wave time at MEDIUM LOW and halfway through the microwave time at HIGH. For cupcakes: Spoon 2 table spoons batter into paper bake cups in custard cups or cupcake micro wave pans. Microwave no more than 6 at a dme. After microwaving all cakes: When done a skewer inserted in center of cake will come out clean. There may be a few moist spots on - top of cake even when cake is done. Run a knife around edge of layer cake to loosen from dish. Immediately invert on heatproof surface covered with waxed pa per. Remove layer cake dish at once and peel off waxed paper. Remove cupcakes from custard cups or microwave pans and cool on wire rack. Cool cakes com pletely before frosting or glazing. Tips For Cakes When done, a layer cake should spring back when touched in cen ter. For more reliable results be sure to use a national brand cake mix made for conventional ovens. There are also special microwave cake mixes available. Follow package directions for these mix es. Cakes, such as angel, sponge and chiffon, that rely heavily on ;s for leaveni; do not work in the microwave oven. Because cakes do not brown in the micro wave, choose a dark cake such as chocolate or spice to glaze. Micro wave cakes have a fluffier texture and rise higher than conventional ly baked cakes. Layer Cake 2 round 8-inch baking dishes 6 minutes each layer at low heat 3 to 6 minutes each layer at high Cupcakes V* cup batter - 8 minutes at low heat and 30 seconds at high. 'A cup batter - 5 minutes at low heat and 15 seconds at high. Mix In the Dish Yellow Cake V/* cups all purpose flour % cup sugar 2 tsp. baking powder '/> tsp. salt '/* cup vegetable oil 1 egg 2 tsp. vanilla extract Vi cup milk Baking Dish - round 8-inch dish What Can You Do With 4Y 2 Acres? How much land do you think it takes to produce the food and clo thing you need? In America, an average 4'A acres is farmed for every man, woman, and child. That’s about the size of four foot ball fields. Put all these acres together and what do you get? The things each one of us uses or eats every year: 616 pounds paper 306.2 pounds dairy products 193.2 pounds vegetables (except potatoes) 153.6 pounds red meat 149.2 pounds flour and cereal products Lancaster Farming, Saturday, January 18, 1992*815 Time at 30 percent or Medium Low - 6 minutes Time at High - 3'A minutes In a round 8-inch dish, combine flour, sugar, baking powder and salt; mix well. Make a well in cen ter of dry ingredients. Add in or der: oil, egg and vanilla to well. ' Stir with a fork until all ingredi ents are moistened. Gradually add milk, stirring slowly to blend, then mixing with a fork until batter is smooth and well mixed. Microwave, uncovered at 30 percent (MEDIUM LOW) for 6 minutes. Give dish a quarter turn. Microwave at full power (HIGH) for 3'A minutes, giving dish a quarter turn once. When done, top of cake will be slightly moist and spring back when touched in cen ter. A wooden pick inserted in center of cake should come out clean. Cool on wire rack. Frost, if desired. A 146.6 pounds sugar and sweeteners 138.8 pounds fruit and juice 85.8 pounds potatoes (including sweet) 67.5 pounds turkey and chicken 56.5 pounds fats and oils 33 pounds eggs 24.9 pounds melon 15.5 pounds fish 14.2 pounds cotton 11.9 pounds coffee, tea, cocoa .5 pounds wool That’s a whopping 2,013.4 pounds for each of us each year...and it’s all thanks to Agriculture!