Red, White, and Blue Trifle

Red, White, and Blue Trifle (courtesy Sandra Lee - Food Network)

Ingredients

1 box red velvet cake mix, about 18 ounces (if you can't find red velvet cake use 1 box chocolate cake plus a bottle of red food coloring)
1 (16-ounce) tub whipped topping
2 pints blueberries
1 pint strawberries, tops removed

Directions

Bake the red velvet cake mix according to package directions and allow to cool.

Using a serrated knife cut the red velvet cake into 1 inch square pieces and line the bottom of the trifle bowl with half of the cake squares.

Using a spatula, spread about a 2-inch layer of whipped topping on top of the cake squares.

Layer about 1 1/2 pints of the blueberries on top of whipped topping.

Layer the remaining cake pieces on top of the blueberries forming a second layer of cake.

Using a spatula, spread remaining whipped topping over the cakes pieces.

Decorate the perimeter with the strawberries; placing the strawberries cut side down. Sprinkle the remaining blueberries on top of the trifle inside the strawberry perimeter.

I like making fun holiday desserts, and although I like the Flag Dessert Pizza that I usually make (I'll have to post that recipe sometime...), I wanted to try something new this year. So I did some internet surfing and found this recipe. And I bought a trifle dish so I could make it, which is exciting because now I can make that many-layer jello for Thanksgiving, and I have the right dish for it! Plus imagine all the trifle dessert possibilities.... :) Here are a few pics of the process:

The red velvet cake cut into cubes.

All the ingredients, and basically you just throw it together.

With the final product. I love trifle desserts because the presentation is so awesome. This was easy to make, but the down side is that I wasn't too big on the taste. I don't like blueberries a whole lot, and this thing is loaded with blueberries. Plus the cake wasn't really sweet enough. I think if I make it again I'd do white cake and color it blue, then use strawberries for the red and whipped cream for the white. Plus somehow I might want to add more sugar... But speaking of next year, here are some links to a few ideas I've already found:

http://melissaau.blogspot.com/2009/07/this-has-got-to-be-coolest-4th-of-july.html

http://heyheygoodlookin.blogspot.com/2009/07/star-spangled-fruit-tart.html

This second one is a lot like the Flag Dessert Pizza that I usually make. Love those holiday desserts!

Chocolate Rice Pudding

(finished product with ground up chocolate chips on top)

Chocolate Rice Pudding (recipe from That's My Home website)

2 1/2 C. milk

2 C. cooked rice

1/2 C. sugar

1/4 C. chocolate chips

1 t. vanilla extract

In a large saucepan, mix milk, cooked rice, sugar and chocolate chips. Bring this to a boil over medium heat, stirring constantly. Simmer gently for 20 minutes or until thick and creamy.

Remove from heat and stir in vanilla. Spoon into dishes and serve warm or cold.

Makes 6 servings.

Jack and his comp made rice pudding in Korea on their mission, and since Jack and I like rice pudding so much we finally decided to make some at home. We did this chocolate recipe first, so we'll have to try regular/cinnamon rice pudding soon. This recipe turned out to be pretty good - the rice stood out more than when I've eaten rice pudding at Rice to Riches (NYC) or Pudding on the Rice (Provo), but it was still good.

Stirring and stirring.

Letting it cool in the fridge. Can you tell we like rice pudding? Speaking of, I wish Kozy Shack's rice pudding was better. The Original flavor isn't sweet enough for me (but it's still good), and I wish the cinnamon flavor didn't have raisins in it. Raisins ruin everything! Oh well - I guess I'll just have to become an expert at making homemade rice pudding!

Strawberry Whipped Sensation

Prep Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 6 hours, 20 minutes
Serves: 12


4 cups fresh strawberries, divided
1 can (14 oz.) sweetened condensed milk
1/4 cup lemon juice
1 tub (8 oz) cool whip whipped topping, thawed, divied
8 OREO chocolate sandwich cookies, finely chopped*
1 Tbsp. butter, melted

LINE 9x5 inch loaf pan with foil, with ends of foil extending over sides of pan. Mash 2 cups of the strawberries in large bowl. Add condensed milk, juice, and 2 cups of the whipped topping; mix well. Pour into prepared pan.

MIX chopped cookies and butter. Spoon over whipped topping mixture. Cover with ends of foil and gently press cookie mixture into whipped topping mixture. Freeze 6 hours or until firm.

INVERT dessert onto serving plate when ready to serve; remove pan and foil. Spread remaining whipped topping onto top and sides of dessert. Slice remaining 2 cups strawberries; arrange over dessert. Store leftovers in freezer.

I made this treat a few weeks ago, and it turned out to be pretty tasty. Not as chocolatey as Jack and I usually like, but still good and impressive looking. I doubled the amount of oreos, and I think that makes the strawberry-chocolate proportion better. Here are some pics of the process:

What a yummy combination of foods!

Pushing the crushed oreos into the dessert.



Inverting the frozen treat.




Not quite finished yet...

And voila! I think I'd make this again if I were having people over or bringing a dessert to a get-together. It wasn't very hard, but not my favorite dessert ever.