Fourth of July Flag Cake

• 3/4 cup butter
• 1 2/3 cups sugar
• 3 eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 c all-purpose flour
• 2/3 c cocoa
• 1 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 1/3 cups water

Vanilla Buttercream Frosting

• 3 cups powdered sugar
• 1/3 cup butter or margarine, softened
• 2 tablespoons milk
• 1 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Topping

• 1/2 pint blueberries
• 1 quart small, evenly sized strawberries

1. Preheat oven to 350 F; grease and flour a 13x9x2-inch baking pan.
2. In large bowl, combine butter, sugar, eggs and vanilla; beat on high speed for about 3 minutes.
3. Stir together flour, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder and salt; add alternately with water to butter mixture. Mix just until combined (don't overmix).
4. Pour into the prepared baking pan.
5. Bake for about 30 minutes or until wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean.
6. Cool for about 15 minutes, then remove from pan. Cool completely on wire rack. Place cake on cardboard that's been covered with foil.
7. Frost cake with the Vanilla Buttercream Frosting.
8. Arrange blueberries in upper left corner of cake, covering about 1/4 of the cake.
9. Arrange strawberries in rows to create the red stripes.

Vanilla Buttercream Frosting:

1. In large bowl, combine powdered sugar and butter.
2. Add milk and vanilla; beat to spreading consistency.

Cherry or Blueberry Topped Ice Box Cake

• 20 Whole graham crackers
• 2 cups Cold milk
• 1 package vanilla or chocolate instant pudding/pie filling
• 1 3/4 cups thawed nondairy whipped topping
• 2 cans (21 oz each) cherry or blueberry pie filling

1. Line 13x9-inch pan with some of the graham crackers, breaking crackers if necessary.
2. Pour cold milk into bowl. Add pudding mix. With electric mixer at low speed, beat until well blended, 1 to 2 minutes. Let stand 5 minutes, then blend in nondairy whipped topping.
3. Spread half of the pudding mixture over crackers.
4. Add another layer of crackers.
5. Top with remaining pudding mixture and remaining crackers.
6. Spread pie filling over crackers. Chill cake for about 3 hours before serving.

Red, White 'n' Blue Cookies

• 1 cup butter, sweet; softened
• 3 ounces cream cheese; softened
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 2 cups flour
• 36 small blueberries
• 36 small strawberries, ripe; hulled halved

1. Preheat oven to 350 F.
2. In a mixing bowl, beat the butter with the cream cheese until well blended. Beat in the sugar and vanilla, then stir in the flour until well mixed.
3. Using a 1/2 tablespoon measure, shape the mixture into small balls and place 2 inches apart on ungreased cookie sheets.
4. Make a small dent in the top of each cookie and carefully place a blueberry and a strawberry half, cut side down, in each indentation.
5. Bake cookies for 12 to 18 minutes or until very lightly browned. Cool on racks.

All-American Dessert

• 1 large berry blue jello
• 1 large red jello, any flavor
• 4 cups water; boiling
• 2 cups water; cold
• 8 ounces cool whip; thawed
• 4 cups angel food cake, cubed
• 2 cups strawberries; sliced
• 1/2 cup blueberries

1. Dissolve berry blue jello in 2 cups of boing water. In a separate bowl, dissolve the cherry jello. Stir 1 cup of cold water into each bowl. Pour into separate 9x13-inch pans.
2. Refrigerate at least 3 hours until firm. Cut into 1/2-inch cubes.
3. Place blue jello cubes in bottom of clear glass trifle bowl. Top with one-third of the cool whip. Add cake cubes, then sliced strawberries. Top with another one-third of the cool whip. Add the red jello cubes and then the remaining cool whip.
4. Sprinkle blueberries over top.

Red, White & Blueberry Banana Parfaits

• 2 ripe bananas
• 1 cup blueberries
• 1 cup sliced strawberries
• whipped cream

1. Peel and slice bananas thinly in a single layer on a sheet of aluminum foil; cover and put in the freezer just until frozen.
2. Arrange the banana slices between a layer of blueberries and strawberries in a tulip sundae bowl.
3. Add whipped cream on top to taste.