m&m's® & Skittles® Peanut Butter Memorial Day Trifle

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         Showing support for our country's men and women who proudly serve their nation at home and abroad in order to protect our freedom has always been something near and dear to my heart. My appreciation for their efforts and sacrifice cannot be understated and I do not hesitate to make that appreciation known wherever and whenever possible.

        A sense of patriotism is never far from my mind, as my family has a long and storied military history that fills me with immense pride. My father was a paratrooper, my brother a tanker. I have several uncles who served as Army engineers, infantryman and even, a cook. My cousins answered the call of their nation as Marines; two as officers. My better half's father answered served as a Navy sailor during the Korean War. And most recently, her son Matthew is deployed on active duty as an Army infantryman, 4,000 miles from home. 

         Naturally, the distance between Matt and those that love him can be somewhat hard to embrace, but there is also an immense feeling of pride that comes with having seen him mature from a teenage boy whose greatest challenge was getting to high school on time into a responsible serviceman who is fearlessly defending our county. Within the span of a single year, it's been a transformation nothing short of amazing and my respect for him is overwhelming. Our loving support as a family goes without saying, but we also immensely appreciate the support of others towards our military personnel.

        This is just one of the reasons I was ecstatic when I found that MARS/Wrigley were showing their support for our troops by running the "1 For You, 1 for the Troops" campaign exclusively at Walmart. What that means is that for every bag of M&M's® Red, White, & Blue Milk Chocolate, M&M's® Red, White, & Blue Peanut, or Skittles® purchased at a Walmart retailer, they would donate one bag to our troops. This was indeed a campaign I could get behind and get excited about!

           It came as no surprise to me that M&M's® also has a storied history with our country's servicemen and women as well. As the story goes, back in the 1930's chocolate sales typically dipped during the warm, summer months due to a lack of air-conditioning. Forrest Mars, Sr. had the foresight to recognize the problem and sought a solution.

          Mars set about developing a recipe for a candy product that resisted melting at higher-temperatures, and in March 1941, he was granted a patent for his process to do so. His "M&M's®" were originally sold to the public in cardboard tubes, but after the United States entered the Second World War nine months later, they were manufactured strictly for the military. American soldiers were soon elated to find the heat-resistant chocolate candy included in their rations, and they've become an American favorite ever since!

          All three products - M&M's® Red, White, & Blue Milk Chocolate, M&M's® Red, White, & Blue Peanut and Skittle's - were easily found near the candy aisle of my local Walmart store. Knowing that an equal amount of my purchase would be donated to our troops, I bought one of each and planned to use them in a special Memorial Day dessert:

M&M's® and Skittle® Peanut Butter Memorial Day Trifle

      With this easy-to-follow tutorial and a few simple ingredients, you too can enjoy this patriotic M&M's® and Skittles® Peanut Butter Trifle!

INGREDIENTS:

• M&M's® Red, White, & Blue Milk Chocolate
• M&M's® Red, White, & Blue Peanut
• Skittles® Red, White, & Blue
• 1 cup smooth peanut butter
• 12 oz. whipped cream
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 6 or 7 large strawberries
• 2 small boxes instant vanilla pudding
• 4 cups 2% Milk

1. Pour 4 cups of 2% Milk into a medium large bowl.

2. Add two small packages of Instant Vanilla Pudding as well as 1 teaspoon of Vanilla extract.

3. Mix thoroughly with electric mixer.

4. Add 1 cup of room temperature Smooth Peanut Butter.

5. Again. mix thoroughly.

6. Fold in 12 ounces of Whipped Cream and blend thoroughly.

7. Place 1 cup of M&M's® Red, White, & Blue Peanut candies in a food processor or grinder and chop. When finished, fold into mixture.

8. Slice strawberries into 1/4" sections.

9. Spoon about 1" of the mixture into the bottom of a trifle bowl, and place strawberries around the edge. Then sprinkle with Skittles® Red, White, & Blue candies. Add 1/2 of remaining mixture and decorate with M&M's® Red, White, & Blue Peanut candies. Spoon remaining mixture into bowl and smooth top.

10. Finally, decorate the top of the trifle patriotically using the M&M's® Red, White, & Blue Milk Chocolate candies.

Did you know that M&M’s® were originally created for the troops? Keep the tradition going and buy M&M’s® at Walmart or Walmart.com. This link also includes a donation tracker and printable giftcards. Thank you for your support!

Also, you can click on the link below if you would be interested in seeing more Patriotic Recipes!