american flag Archives - For the Love of Food

Patriotic Fruit Trays – 3 Ways!

Nicole Hood — Sat, 27 May 2017 13:00:00 +0000

Check out these three easy to make red, white, and blue fruit trays.

Perfect for summertime BBQs and picnics and for Memorial Day and July 4th celebrations!

Check out my newest video featuring the making of all three Patriotic Fruit Trays.

Happy Memorial Day Weekend, friends!
May your Memorial Day be reflective of those who have made it possible.

Patriotic Fruit Trays- 3 Ways!

Ingredients

#1 Star Fruit Tray

strawberries stems removed
blueberries
mini marshmallows
angel food cake cubed

#2 Berry Kabobs

raspberries
blackberries
mini marshmallows

#3 Flag Fruit Platter

seedless watermelon cubed
yogurt covered pretzels
blueberries

Instructions

#1 Star Fruit Tray

Place a large star cookie cutter in the center of a round platter.
Fill with mini marshmallows then arrange pound cake, strawberries, blueberries in a circle from outside in.
Remove the cookie cutter in the center then serve.

#2 Berry Kabobs

Thread raspberries, mini marshmallows, and blackberries on small skewers, piercing the center of the fruit to secure.
Arrange on a tray and serve.

#3 Flag Fruit Platter

Start with a rectangular shaped tray.
Fill a small bowl with blueberries and place in the upper left corner.
Add a horizontal row of cubed watermelon, then yogurt pretzels, then watermelon, and yogurt pretzels again.
Serve and enjoy!

#1 Star Fruit Tray

Place a large star cookie cutter in the center of a round platter. Fill with mini marshmallows then arrange pound cake, strawberries, blueberries in a circle from outside in. Remove the cookie cutter in the center before serving.

We brought this platter to a Memorial Day picnic at my husband’s work. It is such a pretty presentation and everyone, especially the kids, loved it!

#2 Berry Kabobs

Thread raspberries, mini marshmallows, and blackberries on small skewers, piercing the center of the fruit to secure. Arrange on a tray and serve.

I cut wooden skewers in half to make these cute kabobs.

You could also use larger fruit {strawberries, bananas} and keep them full size.

#3 Flag Fruit Platter

Start with a rectangular shaped tray.

Fill a small bowl with blueberries and place in the upper left corner.

Add a horizontal row of cubed watermelon, then yogurt pretzels, then watermelon, and yogurt pretzels again. Serve and enjoy!

I made this for dinner and my girls thought it was fantastic!

It’s always fun thinking of clever ways to serve them fruits and veggies!

Remember those who have sacrificed this Memorial Day!

The post Patriotic Fruit Trays – 3 Ways! appeared first on For the Love of Food.

Patriotic American Flag Potato Salad

Nicole Hood — Fri, 11 Sep 2015 14:38:00 +0000

I originally saw this Stars and Stripes Potato Salad on BuzzFeed and loved the idea! I wasn’t crazy about their ranch dressing mixed potatoes though so I came up with my own tasty potato salad mixture. I still topped it with bacon, chips, and sour cream to make a flag design just like the video on BuzzFeed. The end result was creamy, crunchy and pretty darn good! Patriotic American Flag Potato Salad is a great side dish to serve anytime but especially during the summer holidays like Independence Day, Memorial Day, and today, Patriot Day.

Let us take a minute and remember those we lost on 9/11/01. We will never forget!

Patriotic American Flag Potato Salad

Ingredients

6 lbs Yukon gold potatoes peeled and cut into one inch cubes
6 slices bacon cooked {in the oven so they stay flat}
10 slices bacon cooked and crumbled
6 tbsp green onion diced
1 cup sour cream
6 tbsp mayo {I like Duke's}
1 1/2 cup mixed blend cheese {or Cheddar} shredded
salt/pepper to taste
1/2 cup blue corn tortilla chips crumbled

Instructions

Place diced potatoes in a large pot of water and cover with water.
Bring to a boil over medium high heat.
Cook for about 8-10 minutes, until fork tender.
Drain the potatoes and let cool.
In a small bowl mix together 3/4 cup sour cream, mayo, and salt and pepper.
In a large bowl, add the potatoes, crumbled bacon, shredded cheese, and green onions.
Add the dressing and toss to coat.
Pour into a 9X13 baking dish or a large rectangular platter.
Lay 6 slices of bacon {I cook in the oven so they stay flat and don't shrink} in rows on top of the potatoes to make flag "stripes".
Sprinkle the blue corn tortilla chips in the upper left corner.
Add remaining sour cream to a baggie, cut off the corner, and squeeze sour cream out to make rows of dots all over the chips.
Serve and dig in!

Peel all the potatoes. You should have about 12.

Cut the potatoes into cubes, about 1 inch or so each.

Place diced potatoes in a large pot of water and cover with water.

Bring to a boil over medium high heat.

Cook for about 8-10 minutes, until fork tender.

Drain the potatoes and let cool.

In a small bowl mix together 3/4 cup sour cream, mayo, and salt and pepper.

In a large bowl, add the potatoes, crumbled bacon,

shredded cheese, and green onions.

Add the dressing and toss to coat.

Pour into a 9X13 baking dish or a large rectangular platter.

Lay 6 slice of bacon in rows on top of the potatoes to make flag “stripes”.

I added a handful of blue corn tortilla chips to a baggie and crushed with my hands.

Sprinkle the blue corn tortilla chips in the upper left corner.

Add remaining sour cream to a baggie, cut off the corner,

and squeeze sour cream out to make rows of dots all over the chips.

Serve and enjoy this delicious patriotic potato salad!

The post Patriotic American Flag Potato Salad appeared first on For the Love of Food.

Deployment Homecoming and American Flag Fruit Filled Cake with Whipped Frosting

Nicole Hood — Mon, 28 Apr 2014 04:35:00 +0000

This light and airy angel food cake is covered in homemade whipped frosting and layered with fresh fruit in an American Flag design. We served it at my husband’s homecoming but it is great for parties and holidays too!

Guess who’s home from deployment?!

Last week my husband came home to Ft Polk from Afghanistan with his EOD unit. We were so excited to have him home (a couple months early too!) and the day of the homecoming all Ava could day was “Daddy” about 5 million times!

Our deployment countdown finally said: “00”. The day is here!

Flag Cake ready: CHECK!

(Recipe below)

Welcome home gift basket of Ashton’s favorite things: CHECK!

Signs for the ceremony: CHECK!

Car cleaned and decorated: CHECK!

Banner hung outside: CHECK!

Awesome quality and design and FREE for military from Build A Sign

My princess in her adorable welcome home outfit (Thanks Margo!) with her sign: CHECK!

I think we’re ready to go get Daddy!!

The sign outside the EOD shop where the ceremony was held.

Ava and I patiently waiting for the bus to arrive.

She could not stay still (what’s new!). She just wanted to see her Daddy!

Our guys were escorted home by these motorcyclists and they stayed for the whole ceremony.

There’s Ashton getting off the bus and getting in formation!!

Welcome Home 705th EOD!

Thanks to Clearly Precious Photography and Christal Gavin Photography for the group shots.

Finally in each other’s arms!

Daddy brought Ava a toy and after a minute of being unsure….

she ran right into his arms too!

The Hood Family: together again!

Pictures from Sara Clance Photography

The ceremony was surprisingly short and sweet and then we grabbed his bags and we were

home a few minutes later. Dylan was beside himself to see his Dad again too!

Time to relax and enjoy being together as a family again and eat some cake!

American Flag Fruit Filled Cake

Ingredients

For the Flag Cake :

Box of angel food cake mix or premade 9X13 angel food cake
4-5 oz/half a container of Philadelphia strawberry cream cheese spread at room temp
1/3 cup or approx 40 blueberries
1 cup or approx 15 large strawberries stemmed and sliced thin

Whipped Frosting:

8 oz Philadelphia cream cheese softened and cubed
1/2 cup sugar
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 tsp almond extract
2 cups heavy whipping cream

Instructions

Place a mixing bowl and beaters/mixer into the freezer so they will be icy cold for the whipped frosting.
Bake cake according to box instructions in a 9X13 pan.
Let cool completely then flip upside down onto a tray or baking sheet.
Using a large serrated knife, slice through the middle of the cake width wise and separate the layers.
Spread the strawberry cream cheese spread onto the bottom of the split layer and smooth onto the whole layer.
Replace the layer so the strawberry spread is in the middle of the cake.
Take the bowl and beaters out of the freezer and add cream cheese and sugar to the bowl.
Mix on medium until smooth then slowly add the heavy cream. Beat on high until fluffy.
Add vanilla and almond extract and beat on low until blended.
Frost onto cake (you will have some left over) covering the top and sides.
To decorate: in the top left corner add 6-7 rows of blueberries about 6 across, these are the stars of the flag.
Now add horizontal rows of sliced strawberries, lying flat on their sides slightly on top of one another. You should have about 4 rows.
Chill until ready to serve then slice into squares and enjoy!

I chose to use a boxed angel food cake mix, which only requires the addition of water.

Bake in a 9X13 pan and place a baking sheet underneath in case of overflow. Bake according to box instructions which should be around 30-35 minutes.

Cool in the pan, then flip over onto a baking sheet.

Slice in half width wise with a serrated knife, forming two layers.

I use room temp strawberry cream cheese spread so it is smooth and easy to spread.

Spread strawberry cream cheese all over the bottom inside layer.

Add the top layer back on. Now time to frost the cake.

These few ingredients make a fluffy whipped frosting that is perfect for this angel food cake!

Cube up softened cream cheese.

Using a cold bowl and beaters (I put mine in the freezer for 30 minutes) mix

together cream cheese and sugar until smooth.

Add heavy cream slowly to the bowl.

Beat on high until fluffy. Add vanilla and almond extract and mix until combined.

Fresh and delicious Driscoll’s strawberries are beautiful on this cake.

Using about 1 cup or 15 strawberries, stem and thinly slice each berry.

Add about 1/2 of whipped frosting to the top of the cake and spread over the top and sides.

Smooth frosting over the entire cake and then decorate with fruit.

Add blueberries to the top left corner in 6-7 rows of about 6 berries.

These are the flag stars.

Now add sliced strawberries in four rows slightly overlapping each other.

These are the stripes.

A beautiful American Flag Cake to serve my military man!

Pretty and delicious too!

Ava had a piece too and loved it just as much as her Daddy.

Our family is complete again.

Welcome home Ashton!

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