FOURTH OF JULY NO-BAKE CHEESECAKE

 

FOURTH OF JULY NO-BAKE CHEESECAKE

The older a person gets the more they become aware of how much they act and sound like their parents.  Often the things that drove us crazy about our mother or father, or embarrassed us as a teenager until we’d say, “I’m never going to do that,” comes back to haunt us in our adulthood when we find ourselves doing and saying the very thing we were positive we’d never do. I’ve discovered as a grandmother that the mannerism and habits we have inherited bring fond memories to cherish. One of my dad’s Dutch sayings when something went wrong or he got exasperated at something was- with a shake of his head, “If that isn’t the berries.”  Without realizing it (only to be brought to my attention by my one of the family members in amusement) I’ve found myself saying, “If that isn’t the berries,” myself.  Life has a way of bringing things in a full circle.  Hopefully one of these days my grand-kids will continue to carry on our Dutch family’s sayings.

This year for the 4^th of July celebration, I made a special dessert I discovered while going through my pile of recipes to try and tweaked that was an instant hit with my family.  The month of July is always hot and humid and the last thing one wants to do is spend hours in the kitchen baking and cooking.  My luscious Fourth of July No-bake Cheesecake is a perfect dessert for summer with its light, cool, creamy, and fruity texture.  The colorful red, white, and blue Fourth of July No-bake Cheesecake will add the finale to your festivities all summer long. You can mix match fresh fruit to the Fourth of July No-bake Cheesecake. And finally, what cook can resist a no-fail dessert that only takes around fifteen minutes to prepare?

 FOURTH OF JULY NO-BAKE CHEESECAKE

12 graham crackers crumbled (about 2 c)

4 pkg cream cheese

1 c sugar

1 (8 oz) cool whip

1 c fresh strawberries sliced

1 c blueberries

Put the crumbled graham crackers in the bottom of a 9 x 13 baking dish. Mix together the cream cheese, sugar, and cool whip until smooth. Fold in the strawberries and blueberries leaving a few for garnishing.  Pour over the graham cracker layer and chill for 4-6 hours until firm. Serves sixteen.

Tip:  Here is an excellent recipe for fruit toppings to use in multiple desserts. 2 c of fresh fruit, (blueberries, raspberries, etc.) ½ c sugar, 2 tb cornstarch, and 1 c water. Bring to a boil the sugar, cornstarch, and water. Add the fruit and cook until thickened and