Special Foods

Stuffed Shells
Lana Snoozy, 4-H member from Colton

16 jumbo macaroni shells
12 oz pkg. tofu, mashed
½ lb. Mozzarella cheese, grated
¼ cup parsley
2 Tbsp. onion powder
1 ½ tsp. salt
½ tsp. garlic powder
½ tsp. basil
3 ½ cups tomato sauce
1/3 cup fresh Parmesan cheese

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cook noodles 10 minutes. Mix together the tofu, cheese, parsley, onion powder, salt, garlic powder and basil in a bowl. Pour 2 cups tomato sauce in the bottom of a 9 x 13” pan. Spoon mixture into the shells and put on top of the sauce. Pour the remaining sauce over the shells. Top with the Parmesan cheese. Bake at 350 degrees for 25 to 30 minutes.

Yield: 4 servings

Public Presentation

Biodiesel
Taylor Geppert, Lads & Lassies 4-H Club

Imagine this; you pull up behind a city bus at a traffic light on your way to work. As you wait for the light to change, you recognize the familiar sound of a diesel engine and worry that your vehicle is about to be enveloped in a cloud of black smoke that is belched from the tailpipe of the bus in front of you. You can do nothing but hold your breath and wait for the inevitable. When the bus begins to pull away, you are pleasantly surprised that there is no black cloud of exhaust. Then you breathe. You smell the distinct odor of something cooking, yet there are no restaurants in sight. You realize the odor is coming from the bus ahead of you. How can this be? What happened to the awful diesel fumes? You have just experienced some of the magic of biodiesel fuel!

Hi I’m Taylor Geppert and I’m a 8th year member of the Lads & Lassies 4-H Club. Today my speech is about Biodiesel. I am going to tell you what Biodiesel is, how it is used, why you should use it and how by using Biodiesel can help our environment. My speech relates to 4-h because I can educate members and their parents about the clean burning fuel alternatives and additives available today.
Biodiesel is the fuel of the future! Biodiesel is a fuel derived from vegetable oils or animal fats. Biodiesel can be the pure 100% biodiesel fuel or it can be blended with petrodiesel to form a biodiesel blend. Biodiesel is produced by domestic renewable resources and poses no threat to human life. It is non-toxic, biodegradable, and has super lubricity. It is a clean burning fuel therefore replacing the black smoke of regular petroleum diesel with environmentally friendly emissions. You could even drink it if you were stranded even though it wouldn’t taste the best.

To produce biodiesel, soybean oil has to go through a chemical process called transesterification. During transesterification, glycerin is separated from the oil leaving behind methyl esters (the chemical name for biodiesel) and glycerin (a valuable byproduct used in soaps.) Some animal fats can be used to make biodiesel. But the main source of biodiesel in the United States is soybean oil. Because of this the market is promising to increase soybean production. It is said that for every 1 million gallons demanded from biodiesel the price of a bushel of soybeans is expected to increase by 10 cents.

Biodiesel can be used as a pure fuel or as a fuel additive. Raw vegetable oil, however, is not registered motor oil and doesn’t meet fuel requirements. When biodiesel is blended it is referred to B5, B20 or any blend you wish. The number stands for the amount of biodiesel added to the petroleum diesel, so B20 is a blend of 20% by volume biodiesel and 80% by volume petrodiesel. B5 and B20 are the most common blends of biodiesel.

Biodiesel has shown many environment and health benefits. Biodiesel is the only alternative fuel to pass the clean air act testing.

So are you thinking of using biodiesel next time you’re filling up your diesel tank? Let me give you a few more reasons to use it. Biodiesel is much better for the environment than regular petroleum diesel. It is less toxic than table salt and biodegrades as fast as sugar. Biodiesel is made from renewable resources, such as soybeans. This means that by producing our own fuel with our own resources, it decreases our need for foreign oil. Each gallon contributes to our own economy.

There is no need for different storage or handling procedures, as like diesel, it should be stored in a dark, clean, dry environment. Biodiesel can be used in your current diesel engine without major engine modifications.

Where can Biodiesel be purchased? Biodiesel is available nation wide from petroleum distributors including more then 50 South Dakota locations. It can be made available anywhere in the USA. The more we start making biodiesel available the more demand there will be for it.

Has enough biodiesel been sold to keep producing it? The Department of Energy calls biodiesel the fastest growing alternative fuel in the US. Even though biodiesel is a new fuel, much has been sold. Last year 75 million pure gallons of biodiesel were sold compared to only 25 million gallons in 2004. Biodiesel tripled its use in 1 year! Now that’s saying that the promoters are doing their jobs.

What are people doing to promote biodiesel? Minnesota, a bordering state, is putting biodiesel to the test by requiring that all diesel fuel that is sold in the state must contain at least a 2% biodiesel blend. The USDA has found that an increase of 200 million gallons of soy-based biodiesel would boost cash soybean prices by $5.2 billion dollars by 2010. The National Renewable energy Laboratory estimates that biodiesel could one day replace 380 million gallons of on road diesel fuel that this country uses today.

What a great way to help out our agricultural producers. Farmers are big supporters of the biodiesel industry and farmers have been encouraged to ask their local fuel distributors to carry biodiesel. Biodiesel is a high quality fuel that can be used in farm equipment. A major plus is that it has super lubricity, thus slowing engine wear and tear and decreasing engine maintenance costs.

As I continued driving I wondered how I could help my community and the environment? I know, I will talk to my brother and dad to see if they are using biodiesel on the farm. Maybe I’ll even talk to the school board to have them consider using biodiesel in their bus systems! Biodiesel has endless possibilities that everyone can discover. Biodiesel is the fuel of our future! Good for our air, good for our health, and great for our pocketbooks!

Food & Nutrition exhibit, display or poster

Better Bran Muffins
Michael Sperry, Brown County 4-H member from Bath

1 ¼ cups flour
½ cup soy flour
1 cup bran flake cereal
½ cup brown sugar
1 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
¾ tsp. ground cinnamon
1/8 tsp. ground cloves
2 slightly beaten eggs
1 cup soymilk
¼ cup applesauce

Spray muffin pan with vegetable cooking spray, do not line with paper baking cups. Stir together all dry ingredients. Combine eggs, soymilk and applesauce. Add egg mixture to flour mixture; stir until moistened. Fill muffin cups 2/3 full. Bake in a 400 degree F oven for 15-20 minutes.

Yields: 12 muffins