Julia's July 4th Trifle

This is an easy, festive dessert -- a perfect end to any holiday picnic. It's a great dessert to make with the kids and is best when freshly prepared with the freshest ingredients.

Ingredients:

1 homemade or store-bought angel food cake
2 boxes instant pudding
2 cups milk
2 cups whipping cream
1 1/2 cups sugar, divided
1 cup water
1 pint fresh blueberries
1 pint fresh strawberries
fresh mint leaves, for garnish

Begin by cutting the cake into 1 inch cubes. Set aside. In small saucepan, combine one cup sugar and one cup water for simple syrup. Boil, stirring until all sugar has dissolved. Boil 2 minutes longer. Turn off heat and allow to cool for 5 minutes. Pour over fresh, washed blueberries and allow to steep while you prepare the other layers. In large mixing bowl, mix instant pudding, cold milk, and whipping cream. Whisk until soft set and chill. Wash strawberries and remove stems. Drain thoroughly and slice, tossing with remaining 1/2 cup sugar. Chill.

When you are ready to serve, layer ingredients in a glass trifle bowl. Layer in this order: 1/3 cake cubes, 1/2 blueberry mixture (I use a slotted spoon with this. Add as much liquid as you like.), 1/3 pudding, 1/3 cake cubes, 1/2 strawberry slices, 1/3 pudding, 1/3 cake cubes, 1/3 pudding. Arrange remaining blueberries and strawberries in a sunflower pattern on top of the final pudding layer. Blueberries in the middle and strawberry slices in a fan around the edge. Garnish with fresh mint, if desired. Serve immediately.

Enjoy!

Grandma's Strawberry Pretzel Jello

This dessert is such a treat. You would never imagine that these ingredients would combine to make something so wonderful. One of us always makes this dish for our family get-togethers in summertime. It's a great alternative to cake or pie for a picnic or potluck.

Ingredients:

For the crust,
2 cups crushed pretzels
3/4 cup butter or margarine, melted
4 tbs. sugar

For the cheese filling,
8 oz. cream cheese, softened
1 cup sugar
1 pint whipping cream, whipped

For the strawberry layer,
16 oz. strawberry jello
1 3/4 cups boiling water
10 oz. frozen strawberries
6 fresh strawberries, for garnish

Mix crushed pretzels, butter, and 4 tbs. sugar. Pat into 9x13 pan. Bake at 400 degrees for 8 minutes. Cool completely.

Cream together cream cheese and remaining cup of sugar. Fold in whipped cream. Spread over pretzel crust. Chill.

Mix jello and hot water. Stir in frozen strawberries and continue stirring until gelatin is soft-set, about 8 minutes. Pour evenly over cream cheese layer and refrigerate until firm.

Just before serving, garnish with slices of fresh strawberries. Serves 12-15 people.

Enjoy!

Quick Strawberry Preserves

This is the time of year to pick strawberries. And if you're like my family, no matter how many you eat, there are always tons left. This is a great way to preserve that flavor, so you can enjoy berries for weeks and months to come.

Ingredients:

20 oz. fresh or frozen strawberries
1 tbs. lemon juice
2 tbs. powdered fruit pectin
2 cups sugar

In a medium saucepan, cook fruit and lemon juice, covered, over high heat for 2 minutes. Stir in pectin and heat to a rolling boil, stirring constantly. Boil and stir 1 minute. Add sugar and boil again. Whatever you do, keep stirring! Let the mixture stay at a full boil for one minute. Take your saucepan off the heat and start skimming off the foam. (Tastes yummy on toast!) Pour into airtight containers. Preserves will keep in the fridge for up to 2 months, in the freezer for a year.

Enjoy!