Happy Birthday, America!
You can add some ‘bang’ to your celebration with these easy, festive ideas!
Layered Drinks
These family-friendly drinks are simple to do and add a wow factor to your party. The first example is to simply freeze colorful fruit with water in ice trays to use with cold water or a clear beverage of your choice. The other method is a true layered drink. The trick is that the bottom layer has the highest sugar content of the three, the middle layer has less than the bottom, and the top layer has the least of all. The other trick is to pour the first layer into an empty glass, then add ice to the top. Slowly pour in the second layer, over the ice, then add the third layer at the top. I looked at the labels of various drinks and I chose a cranberry juice with add strawberry daiquiri mix for the bottom layer. (In a half gallon container, I replaced 2 cups of the juice with 2 cups of the mix. This made it higher in sugar and also had a better red color. But as long as the bottom layer has more sugar than the rest, you should be fine.) For the middle layer I chose a lemonade and for the top, a low sugar sports drink. This method can work for many drinks, as long as you pay attention to the sugar content.
Flags
The Flag Cake is a traditional ‘poke’ cake, where liquid jello is slowly poured over a baked cake that’s been poked with the tines of a fork. It makes for a moist cake and a colorful one. You keep the cake in the pan it’s baked in and chill it after the jello is added. Top with whipped cream and decorate with fruit. Keep cake chilled until ready to serve. A family tradition at my house!
Another way to make a flag is with fruit kabobs. I used marshmallows for the white, but bananas could be used as well. Just spritz them with lemon water to keep them from browning.
Fruit Kabobs
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Fun for the kids to put together. I used watermelon, blueberries and strawberries, but with all the wonderful fruits in season, you can come up with many creative ideas.
Stars and Bars
Crispy rice treats are perfect if your celebration is outside and away from refrigeration. These treats won’t melt or wilt in the heat. By layering batches of different colors you can create a fun treat everyone will love.
Strawberry Poppers
Simply take 8 oz. of softened cream cheese and mix with 1/2 cup of powdered sugar and a splash of vanilla. Cut a berry from the tip down, not quite to the bottom, then again at 90 degrees. Or, cut a berry in half, trim the underside slightly so it lies flat, and hollow out the middle. Pipe in the cream cheese mixture and top with a blueberry. So good!
Patriotic Trifle
If you don’t have time to make a Flag Cake, you can easily make one of these! Simply buy an angel food cake and tear it into small pieces. Layer it along with fruit and your favorite vanilla pudding and top with some whipped cream and berries. You can make one large one in a dish or do individual ones as I did here.
