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Neapolitan Raw Cheese Cake

This was a nice treat for New Year’s Eve. I had saved a few pieces of Neapolitan raw cheesecake I had made for a dinner I had with friends the week before. I wanted to save these pieces to end the year with a Bang!

This raw cheesecake is so good and smooth that it is a  great alternative to the lactose version. It is pretty easy to make and a little more time consuming if you make it in 3 colors, but it is worth it.

Ingredients:
Crust:
1 cup raw almonds (pecan or walnuts will also work)
1 cup soft Medjool dates
½ tsp vanilla extract
¼- ½ tsp sea salt

Filling:
3 cups raw cashews, soaked for at least 5 hours, overnight is best for a very smooth texture
juice of 4 lemons
the seeds of 2 whole vanilla bean (or 2 tsp vanilla extract)
2/3 cup raw coconut oil, melted
2/3 cup raw honey (solid or liquid.)(Vegans use agave nectar.)
½ cup (or more to taste) sifted raw cacao
1 cup strawberries (thaw completely if using frozen)

Directions:
Crust:
1. Place the nuts in the food processor and pulse to chop until the large pieces are broken down.
2. Add the dates, sea salt and vanilla and pulse to chop until it starts to stick together. (It is preferable to have a finer crust than a chunky one). If you find it hard to get it to stick together, just add a few drop of water as you pulse and it should do the trick.
3. In a 9″ spring-form pan place in the bottom a cut round wax paper. This will help avoid your crust to stick to the bottom of your pan.
4. Scoop out the mixture and evenly tap it in the bottom of the pan. Place it in the freezer.

Filling:
1. Warm coconut oil and honey in a small saucepan over really low heat until liquid.
2. In the most powerful food processor/blender you own (if you have a Vitamix or Blendtec, use that) place all liquid ingredients (melted coconut oil, honey, lemon juice, vanilla) and mix well.
3. Drain and rinse the cashews and gradually add them to the liquid.
4. After you have mixed it well and you get a homogeneous mixture, you should have a little over 5 cups of thick liquid. you now have to separate it in 3. 2 cups for the vanilla part, 2 cups for the chocolate part and 1+ cup for the strawberry part.
5. Mix the sifted cacao with 2 cups of the mixture and pour it on top of the crust and place it back in the freezer for it to harden a little.
6. Mix the melted or fresh strawberries with the 1+ cup of the mixture until smooth. Pour on top of the chocolate mixture. You might have to wait until the chocolate part in the freezer has hardened a little. Then pour the remaining vanilla mixture on top of the strawberry and place in the freezer until solid.

To serve:
Remove the raw cheesecake from the freezer at least 30 minutes before serving.
Run a smooth, sharp knife under hot water and cut into slices.
Serve on its own, or with fresh fruit or make a strawberry coulis by melting 2 cups of strawberries and mix it in the blender until smooth and pour on top of the cut pieces. If you find it too bitter, you can add some sweetener.
Store leftovers in the freezer (if any).

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Are you, like me, part of the statistics?

Are you making New Year resolutions? How long are you able to stick to it? Only 8% of people achieve their New Year’s resolutions. Most resolutions last about 4-6 weeks, after that excuses are taking over. The #1 resolution is losing weight. On average the top 3 are related to improving physical wellbeing.

I am part of the statistics as my own resolution is part of these top 3. Pretty much every year I have the same resolution… or should I call it a continuation resolution: “Having a vibrant and healthy life”. The reasons why I do it every year is because it is not something I can achieve and then say “I’m done”. Having a vibrant and healthy life requires a constant awareness of what I do and what I eat. I have had different health problems over the last few years and I spent 2015 getting rid of quite a few of them. I am now ready to soar and get back to the health level I really want to be. I am not expecting it to be an easy trip but I am in for the long run! As I am getting older, I find that there are more road blocks on my way. These used to be pebbles and year after year they seem to grow larger. I realized that some of them are inevitable and I just have to take my time and do all I can to either chiseled them down or simply go around.

If you are also on the top 3 and wish to improve your physical wellbeing, that’s great. I will be right there with you and we can support each other along the way. Accountability is one of the biggest tools to success. I welcome you to share with me your goals and aspiration for 2016. Let me know how I can help you achieved them. How can I be of assistance? What tools would you like me to share with you? Just email me, I would love to hear from you!

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Raw Orange & Chocolate Cake

I have been eating and making raw vegan desserts for about 5 years. After making many recipes and experimenting with my own creation, I have to say that I now have more successes than failures. Yeah!

One of my successes was last night. I invited my neighbor for dinner and I know that she loves Orange-Chocolate treats. Therefore in her honor, I created this amazing and light dessert.

I say light because instead of using nuts for the filling I used frozen bananas. It worked out really nicely and no added sugar necessary. Try this one out during the holiday and you will amaze your friends.

Crust
1 cup of almonds
16 Medjool dates
2 tbs cacao powder
Zest of an orange

Filling
¼ cup coconut oil melted
¼ cup cacao powder
½ cup orange juice
3-4 large frozen bananas

Topping
¼ cup cocoa powder
¼ cup maple syrup
2 tbs coconut oil melted

Crust directions:
1. Place the almonds and Medjool dates in a food processor and mix well until the mixture sticks together.
2. Mix in the cacao powder.
3. Press the crust in the bottom of a 9 in x 9 in or equivalent glass pan.
4. Sprinkle the orange zest onto the lightly press crust.

photo 1

photo 2

Filling directions:
1. Place the bananas in a Vitamix mixer (if you don’t have a Vitamix, let the bananas melt to soften them) and mix them until they are all crumbled.
2. Pour in the orange juice, coconut oil, and mix until you get a uniform mixture.
3. Mix in the cacao powder
4. Pour the banana mixture on top of the crust and place in the freezer.

photo 3

Topping directions:
1. Mix the coconut oil, maple syrup and cacao powder until uniformly mixed.
2. Once the filling is frozen, drip the chocolate mixture on top of it my making criss-cross or zig-zag patterns
3. Put back in the freezer.

photo 4

Pull out of the freezer 15 minutes before serving.

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Do you have Carcinophobia?

Carcinophobia (or the fear of cancer) is an unpleasant and very real phobia afflicting people (or even friends and relatives of people) who have been diagnosed with the deadly disease.

Do you suffer from Carcinophobia? I think that is some form or another, we all do… The odds are against us. Statistics say that 1 in 4 Canadians will die from cancer. I would like to think that I am one of the 3 who will survive, but I am really?

I lost my father to pancreatic cancer when I was 24 years old and my mother died in 2009 from lung cancer. Is cancer in my family genes? Am I more susceptible to get cancer because my parents died from cancer… These thoughts cross my mind from time to time. In 2011 after I went for a routine mammogram I got a call from my doctor’s office asking me to come in. This is a call you don’t want to get. I went to the office as soon as I could and my doctor told me that they had found a lump on my left breast and I needed to get an ultrasound done to see if the lump was something to be concerned about. I had to call the clinic to book an appointment and the first available time was 6 days away. I was terrified and I wanted to know now, not in 6 days. My mind was racing and all sort of thoughts were going through my mind. What if this and what if that… At the follow-up appointment I had another mammogram (called a “diagnostic mammogram”) and an ultrasound. After the ultrasound the doctor told me that I would need to book another appointment in order to get a biopsy of the lump. “It’s probably benign” he said, but that was not very comforting. I week later I was back to do the biopsy, which thankfully was somewhat painless, and then they sent me home to wait for the results. Waiting is one of the worst tortures. It is in these situations where the Carcinophobia is at its highest. I wanted to talk to people about it, but I did not want to alarm them unnecessarily. I needed to be comforted and supported, but I did not want to be more worried with the stories I was going to hear. It was a time a great turmoil and anguish. The results took forever to come and I was really thankful that is was negative. I did not have cancer.

I was and am so grateful for the results. These 5-6 weeks I spent worrying about a cancer diagnostic thought me something very valuable. During all the waiting times I decided that IF I was diagnosed with cancer, that I was not going to let the system get me. I searched for solutions to help me overcome this disease. I am still learning and getting more knowledgeable every day about different ways to truly heal my body and leaving no room for cancer to multiply. There are ways to prevent cancer from developing. My article “10 easy ways to prevent cancer” will help you get started in the right direction. I am still betting against the odds. Are you?

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Raw Orange Date Squares

This is one of my favorite desserts. My friends are very surprised when I say that because they know how much I love chocolate and having a non-chocolate dessert as my favorite is unthinkable. It is very easy to make and it is simply delicious. You can leave it in the freezer and pull it out as you need it. You can let it sit for 5 minutes and it is ready to eat.

Ingredients:
Filling
2 cups chopped, pitted dates
2 Tbsp. water
Juice of 1 large, unwaxed orange (1/2 to 3/4 cup)
Zest of 1 large, unwaxed orange
Quick oats for sprinkling (optional)

Crust:
2 cups pecans or walnuts (I used 1 cup of each)
1 cup raw oats ground in a coffee grinder or oat flour
2 tsp. ground cinnamon
4 Tbsp pure maple syrup

Direction

  1. Soak dates in water and orange juice for 30 to 60 minutes, depending on quickly they soften.
  2. Coarsely grind nuts in a food processor. Add ground oats or oat flour and pulse to mix.
  3. Add cinnamon first, then maple syrup one tablespoon at a time until the mixture holds together.
  4. Lightly oil a 9-inch square pan or round cake pan with coconut or olive oil
  5. Press a little over half of the nut mixture into the bottom of the pan, reserving the rest for later.
  6. Sprinkle the orange zest onto the crust.
  7. Puree the date and orange juice mixture until it reaches the desired consistency. I left a few larger pieces of dates for texture, but you can blend them to a perfectly smooth texture too.
  8. Pour the date mixture over the crust.
  9. Crumble the remaining half of the crust mixture over the dates; press lightly with your hands of a spoon. Sprinkle some quick oats on top for garnish (this is optional, but looks nice).
  10. Refrigerate to set.

Enjoy

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