Summer Trifle - For July 4th

Ingredients:
1 Angel Food Cake
1 large container of Cool Whip
1 quart of blueberries
1 quart of strawberries
1 can of sweetened condensed milk
1 eight-ounce package of cream cheese

Directions:

• Cut Angel Food Cake into bite-sized pieces and spread a layer in the bottom of a large glass bowl.

• Wash and slice strawberries into bite-sized pieces.

• Wash and drain blueberries.

• Add a layer of berries atop the cake pieces.

• Mix cream cheese and sweetened condensed milk.  Pour a coating of this mixture atop cake and berries.
• Spread on a scant layer of whipped topping.
• Top with two more rounds of cake, berries, milk/cheese mixture, and topping layers.
• Spread generous layer of whipped topping as last layer.
• Garnish with berries.
• Cover with plastic wrap and chill till ready to serve.

For the July 4th garnish, I cut recipe cards in half lengthwise and folded them in half.  Then, set the cards on edge with folds to outside forming a star shape.  I placed the blueberries outside the cards and strawberries inside the cards.  Then, removed the cards just before serving.

Low Calorie Strawberry Pie

Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups cold water
2 Tablespoons cornstarch
3 cups fresh, sliced strawberries
1 large package sugar-free strawberry gelatin
1 graham-cracker pie crust

Directions:

• Mix water and cornstarch in small saucepan.
• Cook over medium heat till bubbly and thickened.
• Add gelatin and stir till cooled.
• Fold in strawberries.
• Pour into pie crust and chill.

This is a delicious treat and is much like Shoney's famous strawberry pie.

Strawberry Pie

Delicious and low calorie!

Ingredients:
1 graham cracker pie crust
1 1/2 cups cold water
2 Tablespoons cornstarch
2 cups fresh strawberries, sliced
1 large package strawberry sugar-free Jello

• Blend water and cornstarch in a small saucepan over medium heat.
• Stir till bubbly.
• Add strawberry Jello and continue to stir till cool.
• Pour over sliced strawberries and stir to coat them well.
• Pour strawberry filling mix into pie crust.
• Chill till set.
• Serve with a dollop of whipped topping.

If you are counting Weight Watcher points, this entire pie is about 30 points!

Pumpkin Pecan Pound Cake

1 yellow cake mix
1 box vanilla pudding mix
3/4 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup water
3 eggs
1 can pumpkin
1 cup chopped pecans

• Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
• Mix cake mix and vanilla pudding mix together in a large mixing bowl.
• Add vegetable oil, water, and eggs and mix well.
• Mix in pumpkin. 
• Fold in pecans.
• Spray bundt pan and pour mixture into pan.
• Bake 45 minutes.

This tastes like a sweet bread.  You could top with a dollup of whipped cream cheese.  I got this recipe from a teacher-friend, Amanda Lemmons.  She makes it with bananas instead of pumpkin.  She says she has also used a chocolate cake mix with the bananas to make chocolate-banana cake.  I have added pureed strawberries before and glazed witha powdered sugar glaze.  I have also replaced the pumpkin with apples and glazed with a caramel glaze before.  It is a versatile recipe and a baked cake freezes well!

Fall Treat!