Memorial Day Desserts for Family Gatherings and Parties

Memorial Day is a wonderful time to acknowledge the contributions of the men and women who safeguard our freedoms. Memorial Day is also a great time to get together and spend time with our families and friends. One of the ways we celebrate is by sharing our food experiences, including not only the taste of food but also the look, smell, and presentation of it. Here are two recipes for desserts that have gone over well at our family gatherings:

#1. Red, White, and Blue Trifle
Ingredients:
2 packages of instant white chocolate pudding mix, 1 ounce packages each
2 cups blueberries
2 cups sliced strawberries
4 cups milk
1 can or container of whipped cream

Method:
In mixing bowl, combine the pudding mix and milk and mix well. Then, in a trifle bowl or a 2-quart glass bowl, spread 2 cups of pudding followed by 2 cups of strawberries. Then spread 2 cups of pudding followed by 2 cups of blueberries. Top it off with whipped cream in the outline of a flag with stars and stripes.
Serve immediately or chill. You should be able to get 6 servings, 1 cup each, from the recipe.

Note:
While fresh fruit is preferred, you can also use thawed out frozen fruit. You can also use regular milk or skim milk as well as regular or sugar-free pudding mix. Additionally, while the containers of whipped cream are not as easy to work with as the cans for purposes of creative food art, if you decide to use a container, you can have an artistic member of the family or a friend draw the flag on top of the trifle using strokes made with a paint brush or appropriate kitchen utensil.

#2. Red, White, and Blue Parfait
Ingredients:
1 carton vanilla yogurt, 12-16 ounce size
1 to 3 tablespoons fruit drink powder
1 cup strawberries
1 cup blueberries
1 can or container of whipped cream

Method:
In a bowl, combine the yogurt and drink mix to the taste you prefer. Into 4 parfait or attractive stemmed glasses, layer 1/4 to 1/2 cup yogurt, 2 tablespoons
of the strawberries, 1/4 cup yogurt and 2 tablespoons blueberries. Top each dessert off with 1 tablespoon whipped topping before serving. You should
be able to get 5 servings, 1 cup each, from the recipe.

Note:
You can use a sugar-free fruit drink powder and fresh or thawed out frozen fruit. Fruit drink powder can be a fruit punch, a mixture of fruits, or an individual fruit such as a strawberry or raspberry powder you may prefer.

All ingredients for the above recipes can be found at any of your local supermarkets. Additionally, you may want to extend the red, white, and blue dessert theme to other areas of your Memorial Day gathering or party, including the tablecloth, centerpiece, and other decor. With a little creativity, even the simplest of foods can be presented in interesting and exciting ways.