Rookie even likes HIS FOOD red, white, and blue. He had to call his home to track down this recipe. For all you hungry patriots . . .

Ingredients:

• 1 ½ sticks butter or margarine 1 2/3 cups sugar
• 3 eggs 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 cups all-purpose flour 2/3 cup cocoa
• 1 ¼ teaspoons baking soda ¼ teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon salt 1 1/3 cups water
• 1 quart small strawberries, of uniform size Vanilla Buttercream Frosting (recipe follows)
• ½ pint blueberries

Directions:

Heat oven to 350°F. Grease and flour 13x9x2-inch baking pan. In large bowl, combine butter, sugar, eggs and vanilla; beat on high speed 3 minutes. Stir together flour, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder and salt; add alternately with water to butter mixture. Blend just until combined. Pour into prepared pan. Bake 30 to 35 minutes or until wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes; remove from pan. Cool completely on wire rack. Place cake on oblong serving tray or foil covered cardboard. Frost cake with Vanilla Buttercream Frosting. Arrange blueberries in upper left corner of cake, creating a 4×5 inch rectangle. Arrange strawberries in rows for red stripes. 12 to 15 servings.

Vanilla Buttercream Frosting

Ingredients:

• 3 cups powdered sugar
• 1/3 cup butter or margarine, softened
• 2 to 3 tablespoons milk
• 1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract

In large bowl, combine powdered sugar and butter. Add milk and vanilla; beat to spreading consistency.