4th of July Trifle

I have always wanted to make holiday-based recipes, but sometimes have failed. But I knew I couldn't go wrong with a simple trifle recipe that didn't involve any cooking at all!

So I decided to try a recipe from Taste of Home called Trifle - it didn't have very many ingredients. And I decided to change them up a bit too based on what I had, that being strawberries, blueberries, cool whip, and angel food cake. This is what my Red, White, and Blue Trifle looked like.

I was only making enough for my intermediate family: my mama, my dad, my brother, his girlfriend, and me. So I didn't want to make too much. And then I made individual ones for PJ and I the next day.

I didn't use the cream cheese, sugar, whipping cream, vanilla or almond extract. So basically it sounds like I didn't make the recipe at all LOL! But I figured I could save myself a step by using cool whip instead of heavy whipping cream. I also added angel food cake.

So I first added some of the angel food cake, cut up in squares. Rinse your fruit of course. Then I added the cool whip, then the diced strawberries, and blueberries, then another layer of angel food cake, then cool whip, then strawberries sliced in half to make the stripes of the flag shape. Line them up to make the stripes. Then arrange the blueberries in the left corner of the flag. If you are making this recipe for more people, then you can add more layers. I was making it for a small crowd so I knew I didn't need alot of layers. It's simple and yummy!

Here is the original recipe....



Red, White and Blue Dessert (from the Taste of Home website)

 ***18 servings***

• 2 packages (8 ounces each) cream cheese, softened  
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/2 teaspoon almond extract
• 2 cups heavy whipping cream, whipped
• 2 quarts strawberries, halved, divided
• 2 quarts blueberries, divided           

• In a large bowl, beat cream cheese, sugar and extracts until fluffy. Fold in whipped cream. Place a third of the mixture in a 4-qt. bowl. Reserve 20 strawberry halves and 1/2 cup blueberries for garnish.
• Layer half of the remaining strawberries and blueberries over cream mixture. Top with another third of the cream mixture and the remaining berries. Spread the remaining cream mixture on top. Use the reserved strawberries and blueberries to make a "flag" on top. Yield: 18 servings.

Nutrition Facts: 1 serving (1 cup) equals 168 calories, 10 g fat (6 g saturated fat), 32 mg cholesterol, 44 mg sodium, 20 g carbohydrate, 3 g fiber, 2 g protein.