Dads. Desserts. Dresses.

Yesterday was filled with love and bliss and lots of Daddy's.

Adelaide Freelove and I arose with the birds and ran to the market as soon as they opened to grab the final ingredient needed for the Fathers Day cake we've been planning for all week. Unfortunately, every batch of blackberries had white fuzzy mold on it. Blah. I grabbed two boxes of strawberries (not organic...blah) and off we went.

Raw Strawberry Cheesecake

(Inspired by Mimi Kirk, but my own recipe)

Dee Wilcox, June 2012

Cacao Beans, Walnuts, Pecans

CRUST INGREDIENTS

1 Cup        Walnuts

1 Cup         Pecans

1/3 Cup     Cacao Beans (or nibs)

3 Tbsp       Cacao Powder

Pinch          Sea Salt

1/8 tsp       Vanilla Powder

5                Medjool Dates (soaked until soft)

 DIRECTIONS


~Grind Cacao Beans in food processor until small pieces.
~Add Walnuts and Pecans and pulse until everything is broken down.
~Add the Cacao Powder, Sea Salt and Vanilla Powder while pulsing.
~Add pitted dates, one at a time, while still pulsing.




Once the mix holds a shape it is ready.

Use a lined circular pan or a springform pan.
I apparently felt it necessary to use both?

BERRY SYRUP & TOPPING INGREDIENTS

4 Cups Strawberries 

DIRECTIONS

~Puree 3 Cups Strawberries and set aside

~Slice the other cup into thin pieces.

~Layer the crust with sliced Strawberries.

~Reserve leftover for later.

Rinse the nuts as well as you can.
Get your hand in there and swirl it around
until they're not slimy anymore!

 CHEESE CAKE INGREDIENTS

2 Cups     Cashews (soaked overnight)

1 Cup      Pine Nuts (soaked 3 hours)

2 Cups    Creamy Almond Milk (yesterdays blog)

1/2          Lemon Juice

1/3 Cup   Agave

Pinch      Sea Salt

1/4 tsp    Vanilla Powder

1 Cup + 2 Tbsp Coconut Oil

I will be writing a blog about Coconut Oil soon! Amazing stuff ...

1/4 Cup Soy Lecithin (or Irish Moss Gel)

DIRECTIONS

~Blend Cashews, Pine Nuts, Creamy Almond Milk, Lemon Juice, Agave, Sea Salt and Vanilla Powder in food processor.

~Slowly add melted Coconut Oil while running.

~Pulse in Soy Lecithin.

 MAPLE CREAM TOPPING DIRECTIONS


~Remove 1/3 of the mixture and add 2 Tbsp Maple Syrup in a bowl.

Pretty Pink Strawberry Layer

COLORED LAYER DIRECTIONS

~Pour all but 1 Cup Strawberry Syrup into mixture.

~Pour 1/2 pink mixture onto crust.

~Freeze 20 minutes.

~Remove from freezer and drizzle 3 Tbsp Maple Syrup on top.

 ~Pour 1 Cup Strawberry Syrup around edges of pan for more of the layered look.

~Freeze 20 minutes.

~Remove from freezer.


 ~Pour the rest of the Strawberry Layer on top.

I sprinkled some (frozen) wild blueberries that AJ and I hand-picked in Goshen, Vermont last summer (the event which started my labor!!)

~Cover with Maple Topping.

Upon arrival at the party, I decorated the top

~Decorate the top with the last of the Strawberry Syrup,
Sliced Strawberries and I threw in a few more wild blueberries

Remove from freezer ~30 minutes
before slicing and serving.

.

So proud :)

So, that was my big recipe for the day! I also brought Califlower to make Raw Mashed Califlour with and Raw Sweet Potato Wraps and made a batch of fresh sprout guac to dip it into. Muzzie made a big ass salad. Everyone else had plenty of cooked, vegan and nonvegan food, and I enjoyed all of my raw options. Actually, everyone tried and enjoyed my raw menu items!

We had a really nice time with our family. Besides the small guest list I already mentioned, my dad's little brother joined us as well. My Uncle Donny is deaf. He was born deaf. It is due to a Rh- complication. Grammy had many Rh- problems with her pregnancies, and back then there wasn't too much knowledge about options yet. (Much more on this another time, as I also have Rh blood, and I have learned lots about it!) Uncle Donny is so special to our whole family. He is such a genuine person. Such a kind man. I was taught a little bit of sign language growing up (I wish more) and I am eager to teach Ada sign as well!  She and Uncle Donny seem to have an unspeakable bond. I swear she remembers him talking to her in my belly. Whenever he talks to her now she gets attentive and I can see her looking in to his soul. It warms my heart. Uncle Donny has a black lab named Buddy who we call Buda whom Adelaide just loves as well! We now have Buda 1 and Buddha 2.

We didn't end up going swimming yesterday, but it was a gorgeous afternoon filled with bike rides, grass stains and singalongs.

Adelaide wore a super cute dress from my girlfriend in honor of Fathers Day. She looked adorable, as usual, and was able to crawl around just fine, so she didn't seem to mind the dress as much as she has in the past.  Actually, between wearing dresses and crawling around outside (sometimes on cement sidewalks) she has learned to crawl on her hands and feet, with her knees and bottom in the air like a little monkey.

We didn't get home until 830, and after the busy day we had Ada was so over tired that she wouldn't fall asleep until nearly 11pm. Today's naps have been a reflection of yesterdays exhaustion...hopefully she'll get back on track soon, for her own sake! It was such a lovely weekend and a nice Father's Day. We are so grateful for the men in our lives...

I am grateful for my cats too, who just helped me to corral a giant fly through my house and out my living room window! Success! Another unwanted critter removed without any harm! Whew.

MENTIONED: Mimi Kirk

Have A Sunshine Day

"To our children, we give two things;

One is roots, the other is wings"

~Author Unknown