^{by Sharon Quercioli}

This coming July 4th will be an important one. While we will not have the same kinds of crowds with fireworks and all the hoopla, it will be a great time to show how grateful we are to live in a country like ours. There is so much suffering going on in the world today. Thank God we live in America! Yes, times are tough right now and many of us have lost loved ones. But as we have done throughout our history, during the darkest times, we pull together, solve the problem and emerge stronger. So, I want to give you a message of hope. In saying this, please remember this Fourth of July the words of Ronald Regan as he neared his end in addressing the American people, all of us that is, white, black, Hispanic, Republican and Democrat, “My dream is that you will travel the road ahead with liberty’s lamp guiding your footsteps and opportunity’s arm steadying your way.” Celebrate our nation’s birthday with some delicious healthy recipes knowing that in America, there will always be a brighter tomorrow.

Red White and Blue Sangria

A sangria that literally shows off its stars and stripes! 

Ingredients:
½ c of blueberries

½ cup of sliced strawberries

1-star fruit sliced 

½ cup of Smirnoff Sorbet Light Summer Strawberry

2 Bottles of Riesling (any white wine will do but Riesling tends to be lower in calories)  

1 cup of Triple Sec

½ cup of lemon juice

1 cup of 7UP

Instructions:
Combine all the ingredients into a pitcher and leave in refrigerator to chill until ready to be served. 

No Cheese Cheesecake!

Everything you love about cheesecakes without all the calories that the cheese packs on! 

Oat Flour Crust

Ingredients:
2 3/4 cups of gluten-free oat flour

1/2-1 teaspoon salt

6 Tablespoons of coconut oil, melted

¼ cup crumbled pecans (or any other nut) 

1 tablespoon chia seeds

Instructions:
Preheat oven to 450 degrees. With a food processor, chop the pecans until they are crumbles. Using a fork, mix all ingredients in a bowl until dense dough forms. Press the dough into the pie plate. Prick dough with fork several times. Bake for 15-20 minutes until golden brown. Let cool completely.

Filling Ingredients:
2 tablespoons unflavored gelatin  

2 small lemons, juiced (use 1 for a less tangy taste)

2 cups plain Greek yogurt  

14 oz. coconut cream  

1/2 cup raw honey

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 vanilla bean

1/2 teaspoon sea salt

Instructions:
Place the gelatin and lemon juice in a small glass or heat-proof bowl. Set the bowl in a small yet deep saucepan with simmering water (over low heat). Stir until gelatin is melted. Remove the bowl from the saucepan and set aside. Combine the rest of the ingredients in a food processor, and process until well-mixed. Process for about 60 seconds. While the machine is still running, mix the warm gelatin mixture in and process another 30 seconds (EDIT: make sure it is mixed in WELL or the cheesecake will not set evenly). Fill the pie crust with the filling! Place the cheesecake in the fridge. 

Topping Ingredients:
12-15 Strawberries 

¾ cup blueberries

2 bananas

Instructions
Cut the strawberries into halves, set aside. Slice the bananas so they come out like little circles. Now its time to decorate! Take the cheesecake out of the fridge. Make sure the filling is set. It’s better to create the flag when its cold. Use the blueberries for the blue portion of the flag. Alternate rows of bananas and strawberries for the white and red stripes of the flag. Display your masterpiece for your guests! 

All Natural Fruit and Yogurt Popsicles

All the deliciousness of your favorite popsicles made with all natural sweetness!

Ingredients
2 cups of strawberries

2 cups of blueberries

honey to taste

1 1/2 cups plain Greek yogurt

popsicle molds

popsicle sticks

Instructions
Using a blender or a food processor, puree the cups of strawberries. Depending upon how chunky you want your popsicles, you can blend the strawberries for about 5 seconds.  Add honey for taste. Fill molds about 1/3 full and put this in the freezer for one hour. When you take them out, add the popsicle sticks and freeze for another hour.

For the second layer, mix the yogurt with honey to your taste. For extra flavor, you can also some vanilla bean. Fill molds another 1/3 full, and freeze for 2 hours.

Finally, for the final layer puree blueberries with honey to taste and fill the rest of the popsicle molds. You may want to freeze your popsicles overnight. If not, freeze for another hour or so, and they will be ready to eat! Enjoy….