Delicious Raw Strawberry Cheesecake

-So this whole raw thing has really got me thinking-

I've mentioned before on my other blog, Fanciful how our good friends Keith & Suzanne introduced raw to us. They had us over for dinner the other night and made us the most delicious raw meal. If they didn't tell me it was raw, I would have had no idea - it was that satisfying. Suzanne has this way of living figured out and I couldn't be more thankful for her and Keith's guidance. They have approached it in such a way it showed me it can be easy and that it is easy.

We're not eating strictly raw and we're not doing this because we don't like the way animals are treated etc. (of course it brings peace to the back of my mind knowing an animal has nothing to do with my meal) We're doing this because it makes us happy and we consistantly feel good. I don't ever feel like I'm missing out or even crave something greasy. At least, not yet. In fact I had a yogurt the other day and was excited to get it thinking of how yummy it was going to be and suddenly an unfamiliar feeling came across me - It really wasn't that good. It was the first time I didn't finish my yogurt. Later I learned, your body changes and you begin to create new taste buds. My mind liked the idea of getting a yogurt because it's what I was used to and I'm excited to say it's not what I'm used to anymore.

I made this Raw Strawberry Cheesecake for Mike's Birthday! I looked at a few different recipes on-line and always find myself changing it up to simplify it and make it more my style.

Crust:

1 C Pecans

1 C Walnuts

6 Pitted Dates

2 Tbs Agave

Combine in food processor until sticky, firmly pack mix in pie pan, set aside

Filling:

3 C Cashews Soaked 4hrs then processed in food processor and chilled overnight.

2 1/2 C Fresh Sliced Strawberries

1/2 C Fresh Squeezed Lemon Juice

1/4 C Water

5 Tbs Agave to sweetness

5 Tbs Soy Lecithin Granules (I read these are used to thicken smoothies, batter, etc. It really made the filling nice & thick and am happy I gave it a try. You can buy these at a health food store. Soy Lecithin supports learning & memory)

1/2 C Raw Coconut Oil

2 Tbs Organic Vanilla Extract

Add pre chilled & processed cashews, lemon juice, water, and vanilla in blender and blend. Slowly add remaining ingredients until nice and creamy like cake batter then pour over crust in pie pan. I prefer mine a little frozen or refrigerate for 3hr before serving.

~Enjoy~