
                         Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: WEDNESDAY, April 12, 1995                   TAG: 9504120027
SECTION: EXTRA                    PAGE: 3   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: ALMENA HUGHES FOOD EDITOR
DATELINE:                                 LENGTH: Medium

HAM IT UP FOR EASTER

When it comes to Easter expectations, ham is right up there with eggs and the bunny. Among its many pluses, ham is so easy to prepare that even inexperienced cooks can create elegant meals, and a 3-ounce serving of the extra-lean variety has only about 116 calories and 4.1 grams of fat.

Most hams are precooked, so they only need to be reheated to an internal temperature of 140,F for serving; uncooked hams require an internal temperature of 160,F or about 30 minutes cooking time per pound.

The Pork Information Bureau suggests allowing four or five servings per pound from a boneless ham; two or three servings per pound from a bone-in ham. But you'll probably want to allow a little extra for leftovers - and we're not just talking sandwiches!

Leftover ham can be refrigerated and enjoyed for up to five days, and it fits in fine at any meal. A different cheese, such as smoked Gouda or Gruyere, or a different bread, such as pita or focaccia, can lend new identity to the long-standing standard sandwich. Real men -women and children, too - will eat ham quiche. Try ham in golden puff pastry shells with mushrooms, onions and cream sauce, or add it to a stir fry or pasta salad. Even the ham bone does double duty as a broth for homemade soup.

To further delight Easter-dinner diners, serve a delightful bunny cake - fun and easy to make. But don't forget those who can't have refined sugars, especially children who naturally will want to be a part of all the eggcitement. LifeScan, the leading manufacturer of blood glucose meters for people with diabetes, suggests the following tips:

Instead of filling baskets with candy, substitute some treats that children enjoy just as much, such as Easter stickers, small stuffed animals, pocket-sized games, a videotape, coloring books, crayons, an Easter story book, sugar-free lollipops and chewing gum, a children's magazine or comic book.

Help a child bake and decorate sugarless cookies in Easter shapes to be shared with friends and classmates. This may help him or her to not feel left out, and it will help friends become more aware that there are sugarless foods that taste good.

Fill plastic Easter eggs with small trinkets, such as play jewelry, small toys, coins or sugarless candies. Hide the eggs all through the house or backyard and let the children hunt for as many as they can find on Easter morning.

Recipes for:

HERBED APPLE RAISIN STUFFED HAM

SAVORY HAM AND CHEESE CASSEROLE

HIPPITY HOP BUNNY CAKE

by CNB