Red White and Blue Oatmeal Cookies

Patriotic always.  I love being an American.  My Grandparents came from other countries to this great land seeking the American dream.  They embraced the culture of America, but not forgetting their own. These cookies are a blend of patriotic colored dried fruits. Blended together to make a delicously tasty cookie.

Red White and Blue Oatmeal Cookies

1 cup dried cranberries
1/2 cup dried coconut flakes
1/2 cup dried wild blueberries
3 eggs with the white thingies removed
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup softened butter
1 cup light brown sugar
1 cup vanilla bean sugar
2 1/2 cups unbleached flour
1 tsp sea salt
1 tsp cinnamon
2 tsp baking soda
2 cups oatmeal

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Beat the 3 eggs until well blended.  Add the dried fruit, vanilla and stir.  Set the egg and dried fruit aside.  Allow the fruit to soak in the egg mixture for about an hour. In another bowl cream together the butter and sugars.  Add the other dry ingredients together and mix well. Dough will be very dry. Add the dried fruit egg mixture and mix together.  The dough will still be on the dry side.  Add the oatmeal until well combined. Form balls of dough using a teaspoon.  Place dough balls on parchment lined cookie sheet. Bake for 10-12 minutes until the edges are set.

God Bless America

Memorial Day Weekend is not just a three day weekend. I think often times, people look forward to long weekends because it's an extra day off. In turn, they forget why mail isn't delivered or banks are closed and might even think of that as an inconvenience.

In Elementary School, every morning after the Pledge of Allegiance, our teacher would let a fellow student pick a Patriotic song to sing in the morning. I have never forgotten this chorus and I think of it often.

And I'm proud to be an American ...where at least I know I'm free.
And I won't forget the men who died...who gave that right to me.
And I'd gladly stand up; next to you...and defend her still today.
‘Cause there ain't no doubt I love this land...God bless the USA!Chorus from

God Bless the USA by Lee Greenwood.

Men and Women serve our great Country. They make personal sacrifices to serve and protect America's Freedom. Some even make the ultimate sacrifice. This Memorial Day weekend take time and reflect. Whether you agree with the current wars being fought overseas, Respect and Remember what these brave Men and Women have done for our Country.

Red, White and Blue Chocolate Chip Cookies

1 cup butter room temp
3/4 cup firm packed brown sugar
1/2 cup white sugar
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 tsp almond extract
2 1/4 to 2 1/2 cups unbleached flour
1 packet Maple and Brown sugar Oatmeal
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup white chocolate chips
1/2 cup dried cranberries
1/2 cup dried blueberries

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. In a mixing bowl combine butter and sugars. Mix well until fluffy. Add the egg and mix. Add extracts and mix again. In a seperate bowl combine dry ingredients (not chips or dried fruit) and stir. Add 1/2 cup of the dry ingredients at a time and mix after each addition. Do this until all dry ingredients are used up. Fold in the chips and dried fruit.

On a cookie sheet using a tablespoon drop rounds of dough approxiamaately 2 inches apart. Bake for 10-12 minutes or until edges are set. When done, remove from oven and transfer from baking sheet to a cooling rack. Eat one when it is still warm.

Red, White and Blue Dessert

Patriotic. Yes! Appropriate for Memorial Day, Fourth of July, any day you feel PROUD to be an American! I love those pre-made graham cracker crusts. Can you tell? I also love cool whip and fresh fruit. My Gramma John used to make this really yummy creamy raspberry shortbread frozen dessert. I could not find the recipe but this concoction I made today reminded me of it. It was so quick and easy to make. I didn't even mess up the kitchen much. (:

Red, White and Blue Dessert

One pre-made graham cracker crust
8 oz 1/3 less fat Cream Cheese
1 8 oz tub Extra Creamy cool-whip
1/4 cup sugar
5-6 large strawberries cleaned and quartered (save 5 quarters for decoration)
15-20 blueberries (12 extra for decoration)
15-20 rasberries (8 extra for decoration)

In a mixing bowl, whip cream cheese until fluffy. Add sugar and mix. With a spatula scoop 2/3 of the Cool-Whip out of the container and mix until all three white ingredients are incorporated. Set the remaining 1/3 of the cool whip aside.

Add strawberries, blueberries and raspberries to white mixture. With the spatula, carefully mix berries into creamy mixture. Spoon Red, White and Blue mix into the pre-made pie crust.

Take a small zip loc bag. Cut a corner off the bag. Take an icing tip and fix it to your zip loc bag. Put remaining 1/3 of the Cool whip into bag and pipe the Cool whip around the side of dessert. Alternate the decorative berries... a blueberry and then rasberry around and fix it into the Cool whip. In the center of the dessert, take 5 of the strawberries and form a star. Take the remaining 4 blueberries and place them in the center of the star. Cover and place dessert in the freezer.

Pull from freezer 15 minutes prior to serving time. Cut slices and wait for the rave reviews. This dessert passed with flying colors from my Dad and my little sister said it did remind her of Gramma John's. Mission accomplished.