George Washington's birthday is this month (happy 278th, George!). And so it seems only fitting that we pay tribute to the little fruit that, thanks to a story taught in every elementary school in America, is inextricably linked to the founding father.

Here are a few simple cherry recipes to get you started. For more, head over to choosecherries.com.

Miniature Chocolate-Cherry Cheesecake

These little gems are perfect for little hands - and so easy to make!

Ingredients:

• 18 prepared vanilla wafer or ginger snap cookies
• 2 8-oz. packages cream cheese
• 3/4 cup granulated sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup coarsely grated dark chocolate
• 1/2 cup prepared cherry pie filling

Step 1: Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Coat the cups of 18 miniature muffin tin with cooking spray. Place a vanilla wafer in the bottom of each cup; set aside.

Step 2: Make the filling. Beat together cream cheese, sugar, eggs and vanilla until smooth; stir in the grated chocolate.

Step 3: Fill and Bake. Fill each wafer-lined muffin cup 2/3 full of cream cheese filling. Bake in preheated oven for 20 to 25 minutes, or until lightly golden. Cool.

Step 4: Add topping and serve. Makes 18 cheesecakes.

Chunky Chocolate & Cherry Oatmeal Cookies

These chewy cookies are loaded with oats and dried cherries.

Ingredients: 3/4 cup unbleached all-purpose flour pinch kosher or sea salt 1/2 teaspoon baking soda 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon 1/2 cup unsalted butter 1/4 cup granulated sugar 3/4 cup light brown sugar, packed 1 large egg 1 teaspoon vanilla 1 1/2 cups quick cooking oats 1/2 cup dried cherries, chopped 1/3 cup dark chocolate chunks or chips 1/3 cup sliced almonds (optional)

Step 1: Preheat oven to 375°F. Coat 2 cookie sheets with cooking spray; set aside.

Step 2: Mix together flour, salt, baking soda and cinnamon in a medium bowl; set aside.

Step 3: Beat together butter and sugars until creamy. Beat in egg and vanilla.

Step 3: Add dry ingredients to the butter mixture; stir well. Stir in oats, cherries, chocolate and almonds until evenly distributed.

Step 4: Drop dough by heaping tablespoons onto prepared pans; space about 2 inches apart. Bake in preheated oven for 10-12 minutes, or until golden. Cool on racks. Makes 2 dozen cookies.

Cook's Note: Dried cranberries make a delicious substitution for cherries.

Cherry Almond Milk

Here's a delicious way to get the kids to drink more milk.

Ingredients:

• 1/4 cup frozen cherries
• 1/8 teaspoon almond extract
• 2 cups milk

Directions:

Place cherries, extract and milk in a blender. Process until pureed. Enjoy. Makes two servings.

Besides her two favorite jobs of wife and mom, Michelle Ann Anderson home schools her children is a freelance writer, enjoys public speaking, writing cookbooks and sharing her love of food with those around her. You can find her blog at MichelleAnnAnderson.com.