4TH of JULY TIP

*Decorate dishes of strawberry or blueberry ice cream with candy stars, star-shaped sugar cookies or red and blue sprinkles.

STRAWBERRY PATCH FROST

*Fourth of July Collection-PREP/TOTAL TIME: 5 min 2 TB strawberry jam 1 tsp water 3 scoops strawberry ice cream 1/2 cup sliced fresh strawberries 1/4 cup heavy whipping cream or half-and-half cream 1 cup chilled strawberry or raspberry sparkling water Whipped cream Colored Sprinkles *In a tall glass, combine strawberry jam and water. Add ice cream, strawberries and cream. Top with sparkling water. Garnish with whipped cream and sprinkles. Serve immediately. YIELD: 1 serving. (Source: Taste of Home and kaboom wallpaper)

4TH of JULY TIP

*Turn your favorite strawberry shortcake into a red, white and blue dessert by adding blueberries and whipped cream.

Berry Splash Smoothies

*Fourth of July Collection-PREP/TOTAL TIME: 10 min. 1/4 cup fat-free milk 1 cup (8 oz) cherry yogurt 2 cups frozen unsweetened mixed berries 1/4 cup fresh blueberries, divided Sugar,optional 3 TB vanilla yogurt *In a blender,combine the milk, cherry yogurt, mixed berries, half of the blueberries and sugar if desired; cover and process until smooth. Stir if necessary. Pour smoothies into chilled glassed. Spoon vanilla yogurt over the top; sprinkle with the remaining blueberries. YIELD: 3 servings.(Source: Taste of Home & kaboom wallpaper)

4TH of JULY TIP

*Enhance a bowl of fruit punch with strawberries and blueberries. Or, freeze the berries in ice cubes and add the cubes to the punch.

FIRECRACKER CUPCAKES

*Fourth of July Collection-Perfect for this celebration.PREP /TOTAL TIME: 30 minutes. 5 red pull-and-peel licorice 6 drops red food coloring 1 cup flaked coconut,divided 4 drops blue food coloring 1 carton (12 oz) frozen whipped topping thawed 24 cupcakes Assorted red and blue sprinkles,optional *Cut each licorice twist into five pieces, pull apart one of each to make firecracker fuses. Set aside. *In a resealable plastic bag, combine 1/4 water and red food coloring, add 1/2 cup coconut. Seal the bag and shake to tint the coconut. In another bag, combine 1/4 teaspoon water and blue food coloring, add the remaining coconut. Seal bag and shake to tint. *Spread whipped topping over cupcakes, decorate with coconut or sprinkles as desired. Insert firecracker fuses into tops. Refrigerate until serving.Yield: 2 dozen.(Source: Taste of Home and photo also)

Berry Cheese Torte

*Fourth of July Collection-PREP: 40 minutes and chilling time. 1 cup crushed gingersnap cookies ( about 20 cookies) 3/4 cup crushed vanilla wafers (about 25 wafers) 1/4 cup finely chopped walnuts 1/3 cup butter,melted 1 envelope unflavored gelatin 1-1/4 cups white grape juice 1 package (8 oz) cream cheese, softened 1/4 cup sugar 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 2-1/2 cups fresh blueberries 1-1/2 cups sliced fresh strawberries *For the crust, combine the gingersnap cookie crumbs, vanilla wafer crumbs, walnuts and butter; press onto the bottom and 1-1/2 inches up the sides of a greased 9-inch springform pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 8-10 minutes or until set. Cool on a wire rack. *In a small saucepan, sprinkle gelatin over grape juice; let stand for 1 minute. Heat over low heat, stirring until gelatin is completely dissolved. Cover and refrigerate until partially set, about 45 minutes.*Meanwhile, in a large bowl, beat the cream cheese, sugar and vanilla until smooth. Spread mixture over the cooled crust. *Place the berries in a large bowl. Gently stir in the gelatin mixture. Spoon over the cream cheese layer. Refrigerate for 2 hours before serving. Carefully run a knife around edge of pan to loosen. Remove sides of pan.Yield:12 servings.(Source: Taste of Home and Photo also)