Messy American Trifle

 Given that it's practically Memorial Day, I wanted to start with a light recipe that always reminds me of childhood summers. This is a dish my mom used to make while I was growing up. I believe the original recipe is an English classic, but my mom would often make a lighter version for 4th of July parties. As you'll see, its colors are quite patriotic. This dish is one of my go-tos when I want a sweet dessert that's quick and fairly healthy. Normally, I'd save this for July, but the feedback I received after serving it recently made it worthy of a post now!

Ingredients:

Angel food cake (store-bought or homemade)

1/2 pt. Blueberries

1 pt. Strawberries

1 8 oz tub of Cool Whip (Lite)

That's it! Fewer ingredients = less complication. 

Before starting, make sure to thaw the Cool Whip in the fridge. You'll want the texture to be creamy and easy to spread. 

Next, you'll want to cut up the angel food cake into cubes. These cubes will eventually soak up the Cool Whip, so it's your call as to how big or small you'd like them. I usually cut them into 1/2" cubes. 

Place the cubes in a large bowl or serving platter. Slice up your strawberries (or any other berries you like) and add those to the bowl along with your other berries. Finally, add in the thawed Cool Whip. 

Mix with the berries and cake, and that's it! You're done! 

If you prefer something a bit fancier, then you can layer your berries, cake, and Cool Whip. I like the messy mashed together approach, because then you get a little bit of everything in one bite. 

You can serve this trifle right away or let it cool in the fridge for a few hours. Either way will taste delicious, but I think the flavors blend together better after some chill time in the fridge.

Bring on the summer!