Powdered milk idea lacks fans

The days of stretching the family budget with a shot of powdered milk may be over.

Readers remembered — oh, how they remembered — mixing dry milk to make the staple last. Some raised families of five and six on powdered milk. One even tricked her siblings into thinking it was the real thing by mixing powdered milk and serving it in a saved milk carton.

But everyone who wrote in was reminiscing. No one said they’d resort to mixing it up if milk prices hit $4 a gallon this summer as predicted. (Maybe people are just charging groceries on their credit card.) Two people said it might make more sense to drop soda pop from the family grocery list to save money.

Oh well. Just in case you find yourself in need of an emergency ration of dry milk here are some of the tips we received:

• Mix the powdered milk with warm water so it dissolves well.

• Serve it ice cold. Many suggested refrigerating it overnight before serving.

• Add a teaspoon or two of vanilla.

• Combine one gallon of powdered milk with one gallon of “real” milk.

• Make it fun. One clever mother made “green milk” by mixing some green food coloring and vanilla flavoring into the reconstituted milk.

Lentil favorites

Gather up your recipes for that famous legume — it’s time to enter your favorites in the National Lentil Festival Cook-off.

The theme for this year’s cook-off is “Festive Family Favorites,” recipes the whole family can enjoy. The categories include main dishes, breads, salads, desserts, soups, side dishes, snacks and food prepared by youth under 14. The top six recipes will be tasted and judged by people who attend the National Lentil Festival in Pullman on Aug. 20 and 21.

Recipes will be judged on creativity, originality, ease of preparation, accuracy of directions, appearance and taste. It must be an original recipe that includes at least 1/2 cup raw lentils or 1 cup cooked lentils.

Lentil tacos, lentil spaghetti sauce, Greek lentil salad and lentil ice cream are a few of the past festival favorites. A booklet of some of the best lentil recipes will be released this fall.

Entries must be postmarked by July 12. Official rules and entry forms are available at the National Lentil Festival Web site at www.lentilfest.com. Or, for more information on the cook-off, the festival or the recipe booklet, please call Michelle Poesy at (800) 365-6948 or (509) 334-3565.