Milk still does a body good, that’s for sure. And now, the California Milk Advisory Board is supporting Southern California schools with up to $2 million in cash books and other prizes.  Kids will enjoy participating in the drive and all parents need to do is continue to buy diary products (full details below).  Or, if you’re like me, you probably will buy a bit more to increase your school’s chance of winning a prize. So what to do with all the extra milk you may have on hand? Make healthier desserts, of course.

The vanilla pudding recipe below is very easy to make in a pinch. We find it plenty sweet with 1/4 cup of sugar, but add more if it’s too your liking. Or, use agave syrup. I would imagine this would be great for gluten free kids (and adults) too.

Table of Contents

Easy Vanilla Pudding

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Ingredients

• 2 1/2 cups of nonfat milk
• 1/4-1/3 cup sugar
• 1/8 tsp salt
• 3 tbsp cornstarch
• 1 tsp vanilla

Instructions

1. Heat 2 cups of nonfat milk, sugar and salt until the mixture starts to bubble at the edges and foam a little bit.
2. Mix cornstarch, 1/2 cup of nonfat milk and vanilla until smooth. Add to mixture above and heat until it starts to boil, while stirring constantly.
3. Reduce heat to low and stir until mixture thickens. It will set completely in the fridge.
4. Divide into 4 ramekins and refrigerate.
5. Place berries or other fruit on top.
6. Tip: Refrigerate in Tupperware or other kid-friendly storage to put in school lunches. The pudding stays in tact at room temperature after being refrigerated.
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8. Tip: Use clever containers, such as muffin cups (shown in main post photo) to eat at home.

Or, make this protein-packed pudding for adults and kids with more sophisticated palates. It is quinoa, but I promise it’s a satisfying dessert. I have been eating a small serving in the late afternoon as a small pick me up.

Quinoa Pudding

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Ingredients

• 3/4 cup quinoa
• 3 1/2 cups nonfat milk
• 1/4 cup brown sugar
• 1/4 cup honey
• 2 eggs
• 1/4 tsp cinnamon

Suggested Toppings

• sliced banana
• walnuts
• dates
• golden raisins
• fresh berries
• any dried fruit of your choice

Instructions

1. Bring quinoa and 2 1/2 cups milk to boil in a saucepan.
2. Once boiling, reduce to simmer and cook for about 12-15 minutes or until tender. Stir occasionally.
3. In a separate bowl, whisk together sugar, honey, eggs, cinnamon and 1 cup of milk.
4. Reduce heat to medium-low and SLOWLY pour in the egg mixture while stirring.
5. Cook until the mixture thickens, about 5-7 minutes. It should stick to the spoon when you lift it up.
6. Cover with plastic wrap (press on to pudding) and refrigerate for several hours.
7. Tip: Cut out the sugar and have it for a quick and easy breakfast in the morning.

Real Seal Appeal! Sweepstakes

Does your child’s elementary school need help with funding? I thought so. This is a great, easy fundraising opportunity for schools, with top prizes being $20,000, $10,000 and $5,000 for three schools each – and 2,595 other schools will be awarded $500. Here is what you need to do:

1. Collect Real California Milk seals from the dairy products that you buy.

2. Turn the seals into the teachers.

3. The teachers will send in the seals to win.

Each seal is a sweepstakes entry. The sweepstakes run from October 1, 2011 to December 31, 2011. To find out more, please visit scholastic.com/sealappeal.

*Participating elementary schools in Imperial, Kern, Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside, San Bernardino, San Diego, San Luis Obispo, Santa Barbara and Ventura counties.

**This post was sponsored by Real California Milk. Recipes are my own.

So what is your favorite recipe to make involving milk?