With July 4th coming-you might be looking for something different to serve or bring to your myriad of family get-togethers, pot-lucks or block parties, the following are colorful, pretty darn healthy and quite delicious!

But keep the healthy part a secret, no sense letting the usual naysayers in your crowd know the truth that they are eating something good for their bodies and their souls.

One of my favorites:  

Red, White and Blue Trifle It's as beautiful as it is tasty.

First, get your biggest and prettiest glass bowl with nice deep sides (4-5 inches should do it).  If it has some red or blue tints in it-all the better.

Ingredients:

1 store bough angel food cake, sliced in ½-1" slices (cut off the brown parts!)
1 C strawberries, hulled and sliced
2 C blueberries
1 C raspberries
(if you prefer and don't mind the pitting job, use cherries)
1-2 tubs of light whipped topping

Now simply start with a layer of cake in the bottom of the bowl.  Toss all the berries together (gently) in a separate bowl.  If they're not particularly sweet, dust with some sugar.  Spread a layer of berries and then a layer of topping, repeat the process until the last layer is cake and then finish with the topping.  Chill for about an hour.  Decorate with some tiny flags.  Serve pudding style with a nice large spoon.

If you've gat a crowd of coffee fanatics who would like a dunking cookie-try these colorful and tasty biscotti:

Fourth of July Dunkers

Ingredients:

In a large bowl of a mixer:

4 C AP flour
2 C sugar
1-1/2 tsp powder

In a separate bowl:
6 beaten eggs
1 tbsp almond extract

In a third bowl:
1 C each-dried cranberries, blueberries and strawberries and toasted almond slivers

Pre-heat your oven to 350 and have racks on the top and middle areas.  Grease 2 large cookie sheets liberally.

Add the egg mixture to the flour/sugar combination.  Stir in mixer just until moist.  Add the dried fruits and nuts.  Mix again until batter is uniform.  Divide the batter with a wooden spoon, placing ½ on each prepared sheet.  With damp hands, shape into a 3×12x1 inch loaf.  Place in oven for 15-20 minutes.  Switch pans half way through.  Loaves should be firm and just beginning to turn golden.  Remove from oven (Leave it on!).  Carefully remove loaves and put on tea towels.  With a serrated knife, cut into ½" slices and place, cur side up, back onto pans.  Bake for another 20 minutes.  Remove and cool on racks.

Now these are colorful and tasty as is, but if you really want to "gild the lily", melt some white chocolate and tint with blue or red food coloring and dip one end of each biscotti.

And there you have it-two colorful Fourth of July desserts!