Life without Sugar & Raw Vegan Dessert Love
Update: The lemon raspberry cheesecake I originally referenced in this post is from a blog that no longer exists. Instead, I recommend you check out my recipe for no-bake mini white chocolate raspberry cheesecakes. They are so good!
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Today marks day 5 of the 21-day Crazy Sexy Diet cleanse. And so far? I’m really liking it. I’ve felt this surge of energy, particularly on day 1, which I mostly attribute to the tons of raw vegetables I’m eating throughout the day. Since cutting out nearly all processed foods and gluten, I’ve noticed that I feel much less bloated after meals. I don’t think I have any gluten sensitivities, but I figured it was worth a try to nix it for a few weeks and see what happens.
For the most part, I’m also feeling really satisfied with eating only whole foods and don’t have much trouble sticking to the plan during the day. The times when I find that I have the most desire to stray are right after I get home from the gym, which is just before dinner. It depends on the workout, but BodyPump classes, for example, make me want to eat my arm. I’m trying to get in the habit of snacking on a few raw veggies (celery, peppers, etc) while I make dinner to tide me over, and that’s been helping. Also, nearly everything we have in our fridge and pantry right now is on-plan, so even if I wanted to eat a cookie (or ten), I can’t. I think this is key for setting myself up to succeed, at least for now.
The one time where I really have to reign in a craving is right after dinner, when I almost always want something sweet. The other night, I was making some trail mix for Aaron to take to work, and opened a bag of chocolate chips. I literally stopped for a second to smell the roses chocolate – not eat, just breathe it in. And in my moment of crazy, I decided it was definitely time to make a dessert that I could enjoy, for fear of being that girl who regularly smells a bag of chocolate chips. Who does that?!
I looked to Finding Vegan for inspiration and immediately fell in love with a recipe for a nearly raw, vegan lemon raspberry cheesecake from Life {and Running} in Iowa. It was my first time making a cashew-based cheese, and I followed the recipe exactly, but subbed in agave instead of honey, and used a tart pan instead of an 8×8 inch pan. I love the pretty edges that the tart pan created, although next time I’ll probably stick with the smaller pan so I can make thicker slices.
Now, I haven’t had a piece of real cheesecake in a long time, but I think the filling could potentially fool even a die-hard cheesecake lover. The crust is also outstanding, and uses a combination of walnuts, almonds, and dates – similar to a Larabar.
It’s just decadent and rich enough, with a bright raspberry topping that I could happily eat all by itself. Sure, there was no chocolate involved, but honestly? I didn’t even miss it.
So, here’s to hoping this dessert will keep my nose out of that bag of chocolate chips…
