S'mores Pie

Oh, so you want to hear about s'mores pie, do you? Don't worry, I'll answer for you. Yes, you do. I do not fancy myself a huge s'mores fan in general. I know I'm supposed to get excited over the whole graham, chocolate, marshmallow thing, much like I am supposed to jump on the peanut butter and chocolate or jelly bandwagon but for some reason I can't. I'd much rather just have a fat slice of chocolate cake, straight up. Something funny happens though when you take those same old combinations and make something new and unexpected out of them. Like this s'mores pie, for example. I see it and seriously cannot stop thinking about it. I try to rationalize and tell myself that I don't even really like the s'mores combination, but pictures are persuading. Suddenly I find myself pining for that pie convinced it will be my most favorite thing ever if I could just make it. So I do. That night.

My husband Jeremy was getting his weekly massage (he's training and it's definitely not a luxury "frou frou" massage. His muscles are getting worked over and it hurts). My friend Melissa is a masseuse so she works on him in the living room in the middle of everything and we usually all chat. Except this night I only had pie on the brain and there was no talking to be had. I checked my pantry and to my surprise had every ingredient needed. I went to work. I crushed graham crackers and mixed them with melted butter and pressed it into a crust. I warmed cream and milk in a sauce pan, then mixed in chocolate until it melted and became smooth. Then I added eggs and a pinch of salt and poured it into the crust and baked it. When it was done I piled marshmallows up on top and broiled them until they were a melty browned mess. Then I shoved it in the refrigerator so everything could firm up and waited, like a good girl, until the following day to try it.

It was after lunch when I went to take the pie out of the refrigerator. I was stuffed after eating all of my veggie burger and sweet potato fries at lunch and eating the pie was not even going to happen until later that night. But, the lighting is good in my kitchen in the afternoon and so I decided to take a few pictures. I cut a thick, fudgy piece out. It was glorious. I drizzled it in chocolate sauce and took a bite. I was full, but how could I not?! Ugh-it was delicious and smooth and deeply chocolate, like a truffle. I delighted in thinking that in a few short hours after dinner this pie would be all mine. Then, a horrible thought. Where would I be after dinner that night? Holy crap, I had a date with my friend Kel that night. We were going to be out until late...much too late to eat this pie. Okay, the next day then, where would I be the next day? Shoot. Jeremy's race was that night and we always go out to dinner afterwards and order dessert wherever we are. I started to sweat a little. The day after that, maybe? I could not believe when I realized that we were planning to leave that day for Jeremy's huge Leadville race. The race he has been training for all year and was not about to miss for pie. We would be gone. The pie and I were not to be. I know you are asking yourself why didn't I just eat it right then and there, or like, for breakfast or something. Let me set the record straight. I cannot eat such sweet things in the morning. I will feel sick all day long, so that is out. And If I am going to "waste" 400 calories on a piece of pie (I have no idea how much it is in reality, that's just my guess) I am going to damn well enjoy it. It is going to be an experience. I am not willing to just scarf a piece down between meals unless my kids are napping, I have a comfy chair and Oprah is on and Oprah is not on anymore, so this scenario is impossible.

I gave the pie away to a loving home and the first person to claim it when I posted it's pic on facebook. It was hard, but I had to do it. Oh, and I realize that throwing out a sentence in which I remind you how many calories there are in pie does not help motivate you to make it. But, I can say that this s'mores pie is really rich and satisfying so a small piece is sufficient and all you need. The problem lies after you have had your small piece and then keep having them day after day until it's gone. Because you will eat this until it's gone. Just do yourself a favor and invite a lot of people over so you don't have to worry about it. Or, eat the whole pie in the closet by yourself. I am not judging.

S'mores Pie

adapted from How Sweet It Is

Yields 1 9-inch pie

2 cups graham cracker crumbs (I crush mine in a food processor)

8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted

3/4 cup heavy cream

3/4 cup whole milk

10 ounces semisweet chocolate, chopped

Pinch of salt

2 eggs, whisked

1 bag of marshmallows (large or small)

chocolate sauce for serving, (optional)

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees

For crust: Mix together the the graham cracker crumbs and melted butter until evenly coated. Press mixture into a 9-inch pie plate. Bake for 8-10 minutes, or until fragrant and the crust is beginning to brown. Keep oven warm.

For the filling: In a medium saucepan, whisk together the cream and milk. Warm over medium-low heat. Add in chocolate and stir until chocolate has melted and is smooth. Slowly add whisked eggs and mix until smooth.

Pour chocolate filling into baked pie crust. bake for 15-20 minutes, or until chocolate filling is set and does not move when pie is lightly shaken. (This took mine about 25 minutes). Remove from oven.

If using large marshmallows, use kitchen shears to cut them in half. Place halves in concentric circles over the top of the pie until covered. If using mini marshmallows, just pile them evenly on top of the pie. Bigger marshmallows are more attractive.

Set oven to broil. place pie until broiler and lightly toast the marshmallows. this can take anywhere from 1-4 minutes, so watch those marshmallows closely!

Chill pie in the refrigerator to set for 2-4 hours or overnight. Serve cold or slightly warmed. Heat the pie slices in a microwave for 7-10 seconds before serving for best results. Drizzle with chocolate sauce if desired.

I found the way to get the cleanest slices is to spray the knife with non-stick cooking spray and cut the cold pie into slices. You can also run the knife under hot water and leave the knife wet so the marshmallow doesn't stick to it.

Award and Seven Things About Me

I was nominated for this award yesterday from the lovely blog Brunette and Blessed. Go and check her out if you get a minute, she's super sweet and I love what she pin's!

Official Rules of The Award:

- Thank the award-giver and link back to them in your post.
- Tell your readers 7 things about yourself.
- Give this award to up to 15 recently discovered bloggers.
- Contact those bloggers and let them in on the exciting news.

So, this is a food blog and I try to keep most of my content about and relating to that topic, but since "my life" is part of the title, I am taking it as an "out" to subject you to 7 things about myself because the official rules of accepting this award say I have to. Plus, it's my blog and, to quote my sister, I do what I want!

1) I really like to read. Mostly, I like biography's and autobiographies because I like reading about what is real and what someones life looked like. I love character studies and pondering how someone lived their life and saw things. My favorites in recent years have been: Tina Fey's Bossypants, Pioneer Woman's Black Heels to Tractor Wheels, Ruth A Portrait (about Ruth Bell Graham) and Elizabeth (about Elizabeth Taylor). I also enjoy a good made-up story once in a while (like Little Women and A Reliable Wife, which was incredibly scandalous!) Also, I'd just like to say, I read Girl With The Dragon Tattoo and didn't really care for it. No, I didn't, don't try to tell me I did!

2) I love roasting chicken. I don't know why. I don't get to do it often because we don't really eat chicken. I get envious of other people who get to roast chicken on a regular basis. It's weird.

3) Lulu Lemon workout gear and J Crew. These stores are basically my uniform. Now if I only loved to work out and owned a yacht, or traveled to Italy a lot, or ran a magazine, or lived in NYC, or the Hamptons because I'm pretty sure that's the image the crew puts out.

4) My favorite flowers are ranunculus, peonies, roses, lilac, sweet peas and hydrangeas. I can't narrow that down.

5) I love Kelle Hampton. LOVE. If you don't know who she is you need to. Mostly what she does is inspire. She leaves you feeling uplifted and always has such an interesting and reflective look at life. She makes you want to be better, somehow. If you do visit her blog you should start with Nella's birthstory. Nella, her daughter, was born with down syndrome and they didn't know before hand. The story is touching, honest, real, raw, and beautiful. Have tissue handy. You will fall in love with her heart like I did, I just know it.

6) When I was 13 my dad got in a terrible car accident outside of Sao Paulo, Brazil. He used to be a model and surfer. He shouldn't have lived, or walked again, but he did. Anyway, you are going to think I'm a horrible person for admitting this, but see, my dad falls when he walks, A LOT. His balance is no bueno. He sort of does this tuck and roll thing when it's happening (so as not to hurt himself further) and totally bites it, hard core. This sometimes happens in public, like when I was visiting him last in California outside a Verizon store, you know the ones that are all windows? He was walking in and totally tripped. He went down and his legs flew up and he rolled right in front of the windows and everyone inside saw. And me? I started laughing hysterically. Could. Not. Stop. I do this every time he falls. I'm awful, I know. But if you knew my dad, you would probably laugh too. He laughs sometimes, and other times he looks at you bewildered that you're laughing, which makes you laugh harder, but then always eventually laughs himself, so It's okay in the end. My dad...

7) I sorta, kinda have a girl crush on Jennifer Aniston.

picture via browsebiography.com/bio-jennifer_aniston.html

That's it for me! The seven blog's I would like to recognize and pass this award along to are:

1) Stephanie from Mcfarland Higgins Family - She is funny, spicy and sweet, people! She's also the mother of five who likes her wine.

2) Ms. Molly from Stilettos and Diapers - She is a hot momma currently pregnant with her second child. Her first son Cooper makes this Madagascar face in every picture. It's hilarious.

3) Katie from Keep Calm and Carry On - She posts the most interesting finds from clothes to products to recipes to just pictures of her weekend with her cute hubby, Billy and fur-child, Rocky.

4) Aileen from Happy Little Southern Nest - Aileen is a sweet nurse living in the South with her husband who write about her happy little life.

5) Amy from Love in Long Beach- She is a crafty beauty who lives with her German husband in Long Beach, Ca. She's also my good friends cousin!

6) Ashley from In This Beautiful Life - She's my new favorite read and I look forward to getting to know her.

7) Kel from Then There Were Five- Kel is one of my besties and the most talented photographer. She is funny, quirky, dramatic and insanely talented.

For some reason blogger keeps removing the actual award from my post. To pick yours up, go visit brunette and blessed and get the button. I just copied and pasted. Link above.

Asian Salmon with Ginger Scallion Sauce

Without being too dramatic, I'll just say that if you were to die tomorrow you need run to the store to make this recipe for dinner tonight. It is honestly one of the best things I have ever tasted, ever. Was that too dramatic? Because I toned it down, a lot. *sigh*

A while back, my friend Caroline sent me a recipe for this ginger scallion sauce which is more like a relish, from Momofuku . I thought it sounded really good and all but seriously underestimated it. It wasn't something I wasn't going to run out and make it right away but rather file away in my mind until the appropriate time. Can I just say, I really, really wish Caroline would have told me how unbelievable this was. I wish she ranted and raved and let me know. But she didn't. She just sent the recipe to me with a casual "oh, we make this a lot and really like it". Caroline, is very understated. It is one of the things I like about her, but it didn't work out for my benefit in this particular context. It's okay, because eventually it was made and I swooned, and ranted and raved and jumped up and down and closed my eyes when I chewed--all the things Caroline probably did not. My Aunt Kellie was over for dinner that night and when she took her first bite, she whipped her head up, popped her eyes open wide, smiled and said "this is delicious!" Delicious, as it turns out, became the word of the week as we all looked back and commented on that dinner.

The sauce is made up of just six ingredients: a whole lot of scallions and fresh ginger, oil for binding, and soy sauce and sherry vinegar for flavoring. A little salt rounds everything out. Sounds good, right? No, let me set you straight...I don't know what sort of brew-ha-ha magic happens when you combine these ingredients together in that bowl, but it blends and becomes mellow but full and flavorful and almost buttery, although I am not sure how. You will want to eat this plain with a spoon. Just don't because you will need a lot for your salmon. Trust me, you will keep heaping it on as you eat. Make the whole recipe. I read through it and thought to myself that 2 1/2 cups of scallions is sure an awful lot, and it is, but it wilts and condenses when added to the other ingredients, so suck it up and chop.

I have no problems chopping my ginger finely, but I think Caroline peels and keeps her ginger in the freezer. When the ginger is frozen, you can shave it on a grater for very fine pieces without it all turning to liquid mush. Which ever method you use is fine, you just want a small dice or shavings, not mush. I like to use a serrated knife to cut ginger because I find it allows for cleaner, thinner and more precise pieces.

Asian Salmon with Ginger Scallion Sauce

ginger scallion sauce adapted from Momofuku Cookbook, by David Chang

Asian salmon marinade adapted from Ina Garten

serves 6

Ginger Scallion Sauce:

2 1/2 cups thinly sliced scallions (green and whites, from about 2 large bunches)

1/2 cup finely minced fresh ginger

1/4 cup grapeseed or other neutral oil ( I used light olive oil - it worked fine)

1 1/2 teaspoons soy sauce

3/4 teaspoon sherry vinegar or mirin

3/4 teaspoon Kosher salt, more to taste

Mix everything together in a bowl. Taste and check for salt, adding more if needed. Let the marinate sit at room temperature while you make the salmon and allow it to wilt together, at least 20 minutes. Add to the top of cooked salmon.

Asian Salmon Marinade:

makes enough for a side of salmon

1 tablespoons Dijon mustard

1 1/2 tablespoons soy sauce

3 tablespoons olive oil

1/4 teaspoon minced garlic

Whisk all the ingredients together in a small bowl. Drizzle the marinade over the salmon and allow to sit for 10 minutes.

Grill the salmon over medium heat until cooked through. Everyone grills salmon differently, but we like to put it on the grill skin side down, then shut the lid and let it cook through for about 5-7 minutes. Check for doneness by pricking the middle of the salmon with a fork. If it flakes, it's done. The cooking time will all depend on the thickness of the fish.

Serve salmon with a mound of the ginger scallion sauce on top and drool.

I admit, I have been a little heavy with the Asian/Thai stuff lately but I just love it so I hope you bear with me. I only share recipes I absolutely love, unless otherwise stated (like when I blogged about this white chicken chili, not because it was the most awesome thing I have ever eaten, but because I made it in 5 minutes, used all pre-ready foods which I normally don't do, and it honestly tasted really great). I like to tell you about those things too. :)

Summer Fruit Salad

This is such a cheerful little salad with a playful combination of ingredients: arugula, mango, strawberry, cilantro, green onion, grapes and avocado. The poppyseed dressing is spiked with a kick of fresh ginger and is such a refreshing surprise, lightening up a typically heavier dressing. What a perfect salad to entertain with, since it requires such little effort to make and yet is so fresh and different from your normal run of the mill stand-by bagged variety. This would pair beautifully with grilled fish or chicken and a roasted or steamed vegetable on the side (zucchini, perhaps?) Make sure you have the recipe handy because people will ask.

For some reason, salads confound me. They seem like they should be so simple to prepare, almost a no-brainer, but to me they are complex with many variables to consider. This of course is only true is you much care about the type of salad you are going to eat. I have a friend who just tosses lettuce with whatever vegetables are left in her fridge, with whatever dressing is available and calls it a day. That is fine for some, but in my case I only really enjoy salad if there is some purpose behind it. Which lettuces will I use? Do I want just one or do I want to mix different types of lettuces up for texture? If the greens are sturdy like romaine I can add substantial crunchy ingredients, like cucumbers, tomatoes, avocado and sprouts. If I use butter lettuces or delicate ones like baby greens, spinach or arugula the game changes. Nuts, seeds, goat cheese, fruit and or dried cranberries become appropriate. Small bites of things to accent the lettuce. Then you have to think about combinations, or which toppings go together and make sense. Is buttery a welcome ingredient? Then add some avocado or beets, but only if it compliments the other mix-ins. Then, there is the dressing. The dressing makes or breaks a salad. If you were to toss this summer fruit salad with a Thousand Island dressing, for example (and I really, really hope you wouldn't) it would wreck the whole thing. Poppyseed dressing is slightly sweet and compliments the fruit flavors involved. The cilantro, arugula and green onion along with the fresh ginger make it savory. Its a wonderful balance and was put together with thoughtful intention, so consequently, I enjoy it very much.

Summer Salad

adapted from Southern Living magazine

serves 4-6

1/2 cup bottled poppy seed dressing
2 teaspoons freshly grated ginger
2 avocados, thinly sliced
4 cups loosely packed arugula
2 cups green seedless grapes, cut in half
1 mango, julienned or cut into chunks
1 c diced fresh strawberries
1/4 c thinly sliced green onions
1/4 c chopped fresh cilantro

Mix the poppyseed dressing with the fresh ginger and it let sit while you assemble the rest of the salad, at least 15 minutes.

Toss the arugula with the rest of the fruit and herbs in a large bowl. Serve with the dressing on the side.

Fresh Peach Cake and Lance Armstrong

I'll level with you. This is like coffee cake made with fresh peaches. After baking, your kitchen will smell like cinnamon sugar, and it will take every ounce of your being not to scarf the whole thing down yourself. It will have a crunchy outer crust with a softer, buttery middle with hefty chunks of warm, sweet fruit throughout. You will eat a piece that is much too large, warm with vanilla ice cream for dessert. Then you will go to sleep, and repeat. You'll eat it for breakfast and sneak slivers during lunch. It will be your afternoon snack and finally, dessert again. There, I said it. I laid it all out so you'll know exactly what to expect. It would be crazy talk to let peach season pass you by without making this one. This was the first piece out of the pan and looks a little crumbly on the bottom, but this cake held it's shape nicely.

I have returned from Salt Lake where I attended our first Angelman's Syndrome conference for Olivia. It was great to meet other kids and families that we could really relate to. Then, we packed up and headed out to Crested Butte, Colorado for Jeremy's mountain bike race and holy moly...People who say Steamboat Springs is beautiful have clearly not been to Crested Butte. Don't get me wrong, Steamboat is beautiful in more of a green valley, rolling hills, rivers, high grass and fences sort of way. Crested Butte is more like straight out of a movie with majestic, huge, rugged mountains, waterfalls cascading down whole mountain faces and tons of wildflowers. It was take your breath away beautiful, and more you drove around and saw, the more gorgeous it got. We stayed right downtown and was a block off the main st. Perfect location. The town was so cute and storybook charming. However, I will say Steamboat is a much better place to live. There is more community here, with more resources and events, restaurants, people and history. I love my town, but Crested Butte was sure nice to visit. Here are some pictures I took on my iphone. They suck, but you can sort of get an idea. I really wish I had taken a picture of the draw dropping landscape from down below. These are all taken in the mountains up high.

This would be that cascading waterfall I was talking about. Much more beautiful in person

Look at this mountain's peak! I'm pretty sure that's Mt. Crested Butte in the flesh. Oh, and that's Jeremy in from his first lap about to go out for his next 32 miles up a pass.

At the meeting the evening before the race it was announced that Lance Armstrong would be racing as well and was headed up that night. Lance was in Jeremy's division (men, ages 30-39) and it was really cool to see a legend do what he does best. That man is a machine! He won the race both in his division and overall. Jeremy did awesome as well, coming in 10th in his division and 30th overall out of 300. This race was 64 miles and was done in two laps. When the bikers came in from their first lap Jeremy only came in 15 minutes after Lance. I was shocked. He was definitely one of the front runners. His placement qualified him for the Leadville 100 ride which is in two weeks. He had to come in the top 15 of his division to qualify and I am so proud that he achieved it. Leadville is a 100 mile race that only the best of the best athletes get to compete in. It is hard core and intimidating but I know Jeremy will do well. No worries here. My husband is definitely an athlete. A sexy superstar athlete :)

Lance, whizzing past the first lap

My man after the race with Livy

Waiting for the awards ceremony at the mountain's base

I have gotten off topic. Forgive me. Where were we? Peach cake, oh yes. Peach cake so moist and delicious and wonderful. Almost as wonderful as a visit to Crested Butte and an afternoon of watching the two most amazing men (in my eyes) do their thing!

Fresh Peach Cake

adapted from Barefoot Contessa, How Easy Is That?, by Ina Garten

Serves 8

1/4 pound (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature

1 1/2 cups sugar, divided

2 extra large eggs, at room temperature

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 cup sour cream, at room temperature

2 cups all purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon Kosher salt

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

3 large, ripe peaches, peeled, pitted, and sliced

1/2 cup chopped pecans or walnuts

vanilla ice cream, for serving (optional)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9-inch square baking pan.

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter and 1 cup of the sugar for 3 to 5 minutes on medium-high speed, until light and fluffy. With the mixer on low, add the eggs, one at a time, then the sour cream and vanilla, and mix until the batter is smooth. In a separate bowl, sift together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. With the mixer on low, slowly add the dry ingredients to the batter and mix just until combined. In a small bowl, combine the remaining 1/2 cup sugar and the cinnamon.

Spread half of the batter evenly in the pan. Top with half of the peaches, then sprinkle with two-thirds of the sugar mixture. Spread the remaining batter on top, arrange the remaining peaches on top, and sprinkle with the remaining sugar mixture and the pecans.

Bake the cake for 45 to 55 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Serve warm or at room temperature with vanilla ice cream if desired.

Asian Tuna Sliders

Suuuuriously friends, I beg of you to make these. My cousin Harrison was visiting last week with My Aunt Kellie. My Aunt Kellie and I talk food all the time and thank goodness Harrison chimed in when he did to tell me about these burgers. He said he used to eat them at Bleeker St, his dad's old restaurant, and they were one of the best things he has ever had. He proceed to call his dad up and ask about them. His dad, Steve, says not only does he know what he is talking about but they were his own recipe. Score! Steve is a fabulous chef who eats pretty cleanly. Lots of fish and salad, no mayonnaise, sort of stuff. This recipe is great in so many ways. First, it could be an appetizer, or dinner. We chose to eat sliders as the main course with some grilled zucchini on the side. Second, aside from the bun (but who's keeping track?) this is totally healthy. I was really surprised at the ingredient list because it seemed so simple and it lacked a binder like an egg or cheese that normal non-beef burgers have to make them stick together. It worked out like a charm and I am so thankful to have these babies in my repertoire.

Asian Tuna Sliders

adapted from Steve Hamile

Please note: this is a recipe per LB of Tuna (our 2 1/2 pounds made about 16 sliders and we changed the quantities of the ingredients accordingly)

For the burgers:

1 lb tuna steak cut into small cubes (1/4")

3 tablespoons seasoned rice wine vinegar

1 teaspoon soy sauce

1 tablespoon white miso paste

2 green onions, chopped

1/4 teaspoon wasabi powder

Kosher salt to taste

slider buns, toasted lightly on the grill

sesame oil, for pan frying

Blend all ingredients together. Heat sesame oil up in a skillet (enough to coat the bottom of the pan thinly) over medium heat and form tuna into small slider burger patties. The mixture will not really stick together well, but try to firmly pack patties into the palm of your hand and put directly into the hot oil, only making enough to fit into the bottom of the pan as you go. As it cooks, the burgers will keep their shape. If need be, you can add a bit of rice flour to the tuna mixture to help form patties so it stays together.

Cook until desired doneness. We cooked ours well done (about 1 1/2 minutes a side) but cook it slightly less for a pinker center (only recommended if you buy sushi grade tuna). Once the first round of sliders are done, transfer to a plate and cover to keep warm and cook the rest. When all the sliders are cooked, put the patties in the toasted slider buns, top with slaw (recipe below) and eat.

Purple Slaw:

1/2 a head of purple cabbage, sliced thinly into slaw

1/4 cup seasoned rice wine vinegar

1 teaspoon honey

1/2 teaspoon chile powder

3 tablespoons sesame seeds

1 tablespoon white miso paste

Combine all ingredients and let sit for 30 minutes at room temperature. The vinegar will wilt the cabbage a bit making it easier to eat.

Put finished slaw on top of tuna sliders.

It is much easier to cut the tuna steak into cubes if you stick it in the freezer for 45 minutes before cutting.

Raw Cashew Dreamcake

Yes, it's vegan. It's also raw, and healthy. But you know what else this dessert is? Fast, easy and down right delicious! Turns out, when you soak raw cashews in water overnight, they get soft and turn to "cream" when pureed in the blender. Add some water, vanilla, coconut oil, honey (or agave) and lemons to achieve that "cheesecake" tang and you have a dreamy, creamy filling. Add fresh berries to that and you've got a dreamy, creamy, berry flavored filling. Add a crust of carmely dates and walnuts and hold on to your seats because it's going to be one one healthy, insanely good ride. You'll do the happy dance. If you have one, that is. I certainly do not. I prefer high pitched shrieking, myself.

Cheesecake good for you? Well, not as an I'm going to eat this everyday for breakfast, lunch and dinner sort of way, but definitely in the replacing the heavy, sugar laden, animal fat, normal cheesecake you would usually consume sort of way. I'll let my friend over at My New Roots give you the breakdown. This is what she says: "Here's the deal: this cheesecake is raw, meaning that all the powerful vitamins, minerals, and enzymes present in the whole foods you use to make the cake remain intact. Instead of an atom bomb of empty calories in your belly, you actually have a handful of fruit, nuts, and raw honey swimming around, and your taste buds are none the wiser." Pretty neat, huh?

I'm headed out of town this week, so I have scheduled a post or two while I'm gone. I'll miss your blogs but catch up when I get back!

Well, what are you waiting for? Go buy yourself some raw nuts and get on it!

Raw Cashew Dreamcake

adapted from My New Roots

Crust:

1 cup raw almonds (pecan or walnuts will also work)

1 cup soft Medjool dates

1/2 tsp. sea salt

Filling:

3 cups raw cashews, soaked for at least 5 hours, overnight is best

juice of 2 lemons

seeds from 2-whole vanilla beans (or 2 tsp. alcohol-free vanilla extract)

2/3 cup raw coconut oil, melted

2/3 cup raw honey (solid or liquid) (Vegans, use agave nectar)

2 cups berries (strawberries, raspberries, blackberries or blueberries)

Place nuts and dates in a food processor with sea salt and chop until they are your desired fineness (longer for finer pieces, and shorter for chunkier pieces). Test the crust by spooning out a small amount of the mixture and pressing it together. If it sticks and holds together, your crust is perfect. Scoop put crust mixture into a 9" springform cheesecake pan. If you don't have a spring form pan, use a pie plate lined with saran wrap and press firmly making sure that the edges are well packed and the base is even throughout. Rinse food processor well.

Warm the coconut oil and honey on low heat in a saucepan until melted and whisk together.

In the most powerful blender or food processor you own (I used my Vita-Mix) place all filling ingredients, except berries, and blend on high until very smooth (this may take a couple minutes so be patient).

Pour about 2/3 of the filling into the spring form pan over the crust and smooth with a spatula. Just eyeball it. Add the berries to the remainder of the filling and blend on high until smooth. Pour out the berry filling on top of the plain filling and smooth with a spatula on top. Place in freezer until solid.

To serve: remove dreamcake from the freezer 30 minutes prior to eating. Run a smooth sharp knife under hot water water and cut into slices. Serve on it's own or with a garnish of fresh berries. Store leftovers in the freezer. A quick note: The cheesecake will freeze solid. To achieve that creamy texture, you have to let it thaw for 30 minutes before cutting.

Your cheesecake will be thicker than mine. I didn't quite have all the ingredients to make a full recipe.