Flag Day

On June 14th our nation celebrates the day the Continental Congress passed a resolution which established the Stars and Stripes as our nation's flag: June 14, 1777.  They did not specify the arrangement of the stars, or even the number of points the stars should have.  For many years there were various arrangements until 1912 when the arrangement of 48 five-pointed stars was set.

American Flag Dishes

Jello
Prepare a 6 ounce package of red Jello according to package directions and pour in a 9 x 13-inch pan.  Chill until firm.  Prepare a 6 ounce package of blue Jello according to package directions, let cool to room temperature and pour over the top of the red jello.  Chill until firm. Top with Whipped Topping (like Cool Whip) and then decorated with blueberries in the upper left corner, and rows of halved strawberries in stripes.

Cake
Bake a white or lemon cake according to package directions in a 9 x 13-inch pan. Frost with vanilla (white) icing.  Decorate with blueberries in the upper left corner, and rows of halved strawberries in stripes.

Giant Cookie
Make a batch of sugar cookie dough from a favorite recipe.  Roll or press into a rectangle and bake on a cookie sheet for about 15 minutes, until lightly brown on the bottom.  Make cream cheese icing: Mix together 8 oz cream cheese, 1/2 cup powdered sugar and 1 teaspoon vanilla.  Spread over cooled cookie.  Decorate with blueberries in the upper left corner, and rows of halved strawberries & sliced bananas in stripes.  A glaze brushed over the top will keep the bananas from turning brown from exposure to the air.  Bring 1 cup orange juice, 1/4 cup lemon juice, 3/4 cup water and 4 Tablespoons corn starch to a boil over medium heat.  Cook until thick, then cool  a bit before brushing or pouring over fruit.  Cut into squares to serve.

Taco Salad
Prepare 1 pound of ground beef with a package of taco seasoning according to package directions.  In a 9 x 13-inch pan layer 1. about 6 cups corn chips (Fritos or crushed tortilla chips), 2. Ground beef mixture, 3. Four or five cups shredded lettuce,  4.  Decorate top with sliced black olives in the upper left corner for 'stars', and stripes of halved cherry tomatoes alternating with stripes of shredded cheddar cheese.  Serve with Taco Ranch or Southwest Ranch dressing and Salsa or Picante Sauce.