Patriotic Theme Page 2 - Red, White and Blue Food

 Updated May 2013

 STAR SHAPED FRUIT

 Have some 'Patriotic fun' with your fruit! Pull out the star-shaped cookie cutters and serve the shapes mixed in a fruit bowl...on a platter...or on long tooth picks or skewers!

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 STAR-SPANGLED STRAWBERRIES

 Select some large, firm strawberries. Wash and pat dry. Dip one side of each strawberry in either melted semi-sweet dipping chocolate or vanilla-flavored almond bark. (If using melted chocolate chips, add 1 teaspoon of shortening to thin.) Immediately roll coated side of the strawberry in chopped nuts, coconut, or red, white, and blue candy sprinkles. Place on wax paper until chocolate is set. Eat as a snack or place on the top of ice cream, cakes, etc.

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RED, WHITE, AND BLUE PRETZEL RODS

Ingredients:
1 bag of pretzel rods
1 bag of Nestle's white chocolate morsels, melted
Sprinkles (red, white and blue) or star decorations

 
Directions:
Melt the white chocolate morsels according to the package directions. While chocolate is hot, dip the pretzel rods halfway into the melted chocolate. Sprinkle the star decorations or the red, white and/or blue sprinkles onto the chocolate on each pretzel rod before the chocolate cools. Place coated pretzel rod on waxed paper or in a cup (decorated side up) to dry and cool.

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RED-WHITE VEGGIES WITH BLUE DIP

    • Cauliflower
   • Cherry tomatoes
   • Red radishes
   • Red peppers
   • Ranch dressing
   • Blue food coloring

Prepare the veggies and place around a plate. Pour about 1/2 cup ranch dressing into a dish and combine with about 10 drops of blue food coloring - mix well. Chill and serve! Prepare the veggies and place around a plate alternating colors. Pour about 1/2 cup ranch dressing into a dish and combine with about 10 drops of blue food coloring - mix well. Chill and serve! 

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RED-WHITE-& BLUE TWINKIE DESSERT

   • 4 cups sliced fresh strawberries –and blueberries to sprinkle
   • 1 (18.75 ounce) can ready-to-use strawberry glaze
   • 8 Twinkies
   • 1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened
   • 1 (14 ounce) can sweetened condensed milk
   • 1 (12 ounce) container frozen whipped topping, thawed

Directions:
1. Combine strawberries and glaze in a small bowl.
2. Slice Twinkies in half lengthwise, and place in a single layer over the bottom of a 9 x 13 inch dish.
3. In a mixing bowl, beat cream cheese and condensed milk until smooth. Fold in whipped topping, and spread mixture over Twinkies. Spoon berries over cream cheese mixture. Sprinkle blueberries in with strawberries...Cover and chill 30 minutes or more. Refrigerate leftovers.

Note: People that have made this suggest making it in a trifle bowl or double decker the Twinkies. They have said that '8 Twinkies' is not enough---12 to 20 Twinkies (depending on container) would be better---and that the cream topping would NOT have to change in proportion. All really liked it!

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RED-WHITE-AND-BLUE- BERRIES

1 pint fresh strawberries
1 pint fresh blueberries
1 pint fresh blackberries
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 pint heavy whipping cream

Slice strawberries and combine in a bowl with blue and/or blackberries. Sprinkle berries with two teaspoons sugar. Whip cream until soft peaks form and sweeten with remaining sugar. Serve berries in small cups with generous spoonfuls of fresh whipped cream.
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RED, WHITE, AND BLUE POUNDCAKE

Take a store bought pound cake (such as Sara Lee) and slice it long wise into three slabs. Cover the first slab with sliced strawberries (drain first). Add the second slab and cover with blueberries (drained). Top with the remaining slab and frost with either cream cheese frosting or whipped topping. If using cream cheese frosting, refrigerate. If using whipped topping, freeze. Serve immediately (allow the frozen version to thaw).

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 RED, WHITE & BLUE ICE CREAM

Allow vanilla ice cream to thaw somewhat--- remove ice-cream from the carton and mix in fresh strawberries and blueberries.
Optional additions: chopped nuts, mini chocolate chips, etc. when all is combined- refreeze. (You’ll need a larger container that the original ice-cream container ) Serve in cones or disposal paper cups 

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FLAG CAKE

Ingredients:
1 (18.25 ounce) package yellow cake mix
1 (8 ounce) container frozen whipped topping, thawed
1 pint blueberries, rinsed and drained
2 pints fresh strawberries, rinsed and sliced
Directions:
1. Prepare cake according to package directions and bake in a 9x13 inch pan. Cool completely.
2. Frost cake with whipped topping. Place blueberries in a square in the corner, and arrange sliced strawberries as stripes to make an American flag. Chill until serving.
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RED, WHITE AND BLUE JELL-O

Ingredients
2 packages 3 ounces black cherry flavored gelatin
1 can blueberry pie filling
1 package 3 ounces lemon flavored gelatin
1 package 8 ounces cream cheese,
1 package 8 ounces whipped topping
2 packages 3 ounces strawberry flavored gelatin
2 cups frozen strawberries
Container: 3 quart baking dish
Prep Time: 2 hours
Servings: 24
Directions:

• Prepare black cherry flavored gelatin using 2 cups of boiling water and 1 cup of cold. Add blueberry pie filling and stir until filling is mixed in thoroughly. Pour into the baking dish and place in the refrigerator. Allow to chill until firm.
• Prepare lemon flavored gelatin using 1 cup of boiling water. Beat cream cheese slightly and then add the lemon gelatin mixture. Beat gelatin and cream cheese until smooth. Set aside and allow to cool to room temperature. Once the cream cheese mixture has cooled, fold in the whipped topping until mixed thoroughly. Pour this mixture over the firmly set bottom layer. Return to the refrigerator.
• Prepare the strawberry flavored gelatin using 2 cups of boiling water and 1 cup of cold. Add the frozen strawberries and stir to mix thoroughly. Cool this mixture until room temperature and then pour over the middle cream cheese layer. The cream cheese layer should have been chilled long enough to become firm.
• Return the 3 layers to the refrigerator and chill until top layer is firm.
• Cut into squares to serve. Top with a little whipped topping and a couple of blueberries, if desired.
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RED-WHITE AND BLUE STRAWBERRIES

........Select 12 good quality strawberries and slice each strawberry in half. The green leaves can be kept on the berry or removed, if desired.
........Use a melon ball scoop to remove the center of each half slice of the strawberry and fill each scooped half slice of strawberry with approximately 1 teaspoon of yogurt, or any white filling desired, such as a fruit dip, custard, pudding, or whipped topping. Top the yogurt with a blueberry and serve, or chill to be served when ready.
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RED, WHITE, AND BLUE DUMP CAKE

Ingredients
1 can cherry pie filling
1 cup fresh blueberries
1 package white cake mix
2 sticks margarine, melted
1 cup chopped nuts

Directions
Lightly grease a 13x9-inch baking pan. Pour in the cherry pie filling. Top with the blueberries. Sprinkle the dry cake mix over the fruit, then drizzle the melted margarine over the top. Finish with the nuts. Bake at 325 degrees F for 45 minutes-or until done. 
Serve alone, with whipped topping, or with vanilla ice cream 

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MISCELLANEOUS RED/WHITE/BLUE FOOD IDEAS...

 
• Make red, white and blue fruit skewers or arrange a fruit tray. Serve with white dip-or add food coloring to dip.

• Snack on red, white, and blue potato chips and tortilla chips. Serve them with sour cream and salsa.

• Cut red and white cheeses into chunks. Place toothpicks into cheese chunks for easy serving.

• Make skewers of red meats, such as pepperoni and sausage, with white cheeses.

• Arrange white crackers on a tray. Add red or blue food coloring to sour cream or other dips.

• Make red and blue ice cubes by adding food coloring to ice cube trays. Drop blueberries, cranberries or rasberries into ice-cube trays of plain water.

• Serve "red pop", red punch, smoothies or red and blue Kool-Aid. For adults-serve red and white wines.

• Bake a batch of white sugar cookies...Frost and decorate with patriotic frosting and red, white, and blue toppings. Sprinkle red, white, and blue sugar on top just prior to baking.
 
• Divide cookie dough into three parts. Add red food coloring to one, blue food coloring to another, and leave the third part white.

•Top a cupcakes, white cake or ice cream cake with strawberries and blueberries...also see above 'Flag Cake'.
 
•Make red, white, and blue Jell-O Jigglers. Use star-shaped cookie cutters to cut them out.

•Make single-colored batches of Jell-O using blue raspberry, cherry, strawberry, strawberry banana, strawberry kiwi, etc.
Layer the colors by allowing the bottom layer to settle before adding another color.

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 A 'QUICK LIST' OF RED, WHITE, AND BLUE FOODS...

• RED FOODS 
Cranberry juice, jello (cherry, strawberry, etc.), cherries, watermelon, strawberries, red rasberries, red apples, tomatoes, tomato sauce, red velvet cake, homemade or purchased salsa for chips, pepperoni and salami

• WHITE FOODS
Peeled apples and bananas (sprinkle apples and bananas with lemon juice to prevent browning, coconut, lychees, peeled pears. Button mushrooms, cauliflower, great northern beans, rice, white asparagus, white icicle radishes, white onions, white potatoes, white potato salad, white sweet corn, coleslaw
Cottage cheese, cream, cream cheese, milk, plain yogurt, vanilla yogurt, sour cream, vanilla ice cream, white cheese (swiss, mozzerella, etc.).
Marshmallows, mayonnaise, pasta, tofu, tortillas, white bread, popcorn

• BLUE FOODS
Blueberries, Blue jello, Blue Kool-Aid, blue corn chips, blue cornbread, blue jelly beans, blue M&Ms, blue gummie candy, blue corn tortillas, curacao (for adult drinks) blue rice (boiled with blue food coloring)

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FOOD FUN... RED, WHITE AND BLUE TASTE TEST!

Put out all sorts of food and spices in a series of small dishes.

• Blindfold the kids (and maybe even adults) and have them guess what each food is.
• Ideas for tasting include salt, ketchup, blueberries, strawberries, mayonnaise, sponge cake, strawberry jam, pepper jack cheese, beets, tomatoes, bananas, cherries, etc.

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BEVERAGES

Smoothie Recipes are all from the Smoothies, Shakes, and Coolers Page. Visit it for general directions and many more ideas!

RED, WHITE AND BLUE SMOOTHIE

(1 serving)
1/2 large frozen banana chunked
2 fresh, large strawberry sliced
1/4 cup blueberries
1/2 cup milk
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 tbsp vanilla yogurt
2 ice cubes

Place the banana pieces, strawberries, blueberries, milk, vanilla extract, yogurt, and ice cubes in a blender. Blend until smooth.

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BLUEBERRY SMOOTHIES...

EASY FRESH BERRY SHAKE
1 cup milk
½ banana, sliced
¼ cup fresh berries
Combine all ingredients in a blender and mix well. Makes 4 to 6 small servings.
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LOTS OF BERRIES SMOOTHIE
1/2 cup frozen strawberries
1/2 cup frozen blueberries
1/2 cup frozen raspberries
1/2 cup apple juice
1/2 teaspoon lemon juice
1/2 cup nonfat frozen yogurt
1/2 cup ice
Directions:
Combine all ingredients in blender; mix until smooth and frothy.
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RASBERRY/STRAWBERRY/MIXED BERRY SMOOTHIES

TRIPLE RASBERRY SMOOTHIE #1 
1 cup frozen concentrated raspberry juice
1 cup frozen raspberries
1 cup vanilla yogurt
1 cup cold water
1 teaspoon raspberry jam
3 ice cubes
Directions:
Combine ingredients in blender and blend until smooth. Pour into glasses and serve immediately with drinking straws. 

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TRIPLE RASBERRY SMOOTHIE #2 
1 cup orange juice
1 cup raspberry yogurt
1 cup vanilla frozen yogurt
1/2 frozen banana (chunks)
1 1/2 cup frozen raspberries
Place all ingredients into a blender in the order listed. Blend at a low setting for the first minute, then the high setting until smooth.
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COCONUT-STRAWBERRY FIZZ
This is cool and creamy, but light---with strawberries, coconut milk and a nice soda fizz.
Ingredients:
1/2 cup coconut milk
4 cups frozen strawberries
3 Tbsp sugar
1 cup club soda
Combine all ingredients in blender and process until smooth. Pour into two tall glasses.

Back to page 1 for Art, Carfts, Games, Science Fun and More! All with a Red-White and Blue twist!

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