July 4th Desserts Good for All Summer

July 4th is commonly celebrated with picnics, hot dogs, potato salad, cole slaw, barbecue chicken and hamburgers, watermelon and finished off with fireworks. That's if you live in an area where fireworks are allowed. I grew up in Texas, and fireworks were a part of this holiday celebration.

I celebrated this July 4th in a new way. My husband and I went with our friends who were running in a 5K. When we arrived at the park where the 5K event was taking place, I decided I wanted to walk the 5K. The runners ran ahead, and the walker walked behind the runners. Now I've added a 5K walk to my list of July 4th ways to celebrate.

After the 5K, breakfast, grocery shopping, preparing desserts for a friend get-together, my husband and I packed our ice, ice cream freezer, and all the dessert fixings in the car and headed to our friends' house for the holiday feast. Our desserts were the best ever. Homemade vanilla ice cream and a red, white, and blue trifle.

Homemade Vanilla Ice Cream

• 1 can sweetened condensed milk
• 1 pint heavy whipping cream
• 1 qt. Half and Half
• 2% Milk (to top off the freezer container to 2/3's full)
• Vanilla flavor
• 1/2 half carton Eggbeaters or off-brand
• 1 large bag ice
• 1 carton Rock Salt or Kosher Salt

It's best to blend all the ingredients except the 2% milk in a blender until thickened. I blended with a whisk then filled the ice cream freezer container with the mixture. The ice cream freezer instructions say to fill to 2/3 full. Use the 2% milk to fill it to 2/3's. Follow your ice cream freezer instructions for the ice and salt. 

Some of my recipes in my cookbooks add one or two cups sugar to homemade ice cream recipes. However, I didn't add any sugar, and everyone loved the ice cream. 

Red, White, and Blue Trifle

• Fresh Strawberries, 1 carton
• Fresh Blueberries, 1 carton
• White sponge, angel food, or butter cake
• Vanilla Pudding, 2 large boxes
• Whipped Topping, 2 cartons

Cook pudding on medium heat, stirring constantly. When done, pour into glass container and let cool then put in frig. When pudding is cool, stir in the whipped topping. Save some whipped topping for dollops to place on the very top of the trifles. Slice strawberries and cut the cake in small pieces. Serve the dessert in clear wine glasses or jars, and layer the ingredients starting with the pudding, then the cake pieces, strawberries, blueberries. Layer again then place the dollop of pudding or whipped topping on top with a strawberry slice and/or blueberry. They are beautiful - and DELICIOUS!