Just because...

it was Sunday. No special Sunday in particular. Just one of those ordinary, blah Sundays in November that called for cheesecake! Vegan chocolate cheesecake to be exact. With raspberry sauce. Takin' the ordinary to extraordinary in under an hour! Just because. 


Vegan Chocolate Cheesecake with Raspberry Sauce
Crust:
1 1/2 C graham cracker crumbs
1/4 C melted vegan margarine
- Press into a spring form pan


Filling:
1 12oz package of silken tofu
1 8oz container of soy cream cheese
3/4 C sugar
1/3 C vegan milk
1/4 C cocoa
1 tbsp potato starch
1 1/2 C melted semi-sweet chocolate chips
- Using a hand mixer or a blender, blend together tofu, soy cream cheese, sugar, milk, cocoa and potato starch. Using a double boiler, melt chocolate and mix into the tofu mixture. Pour into a graham cracker crust and bake at 350F for about 45 mins. or until firm in the centre.


Raspberry Sauce:
2 C frozen raspberries
2 tbsp rice syrup
1 tbsp potato starch
- Place raspberries and rice syrup in a sauce pan and cook on medium heat until raspberries have melted. Mix in starch and set aside until ready to top onto cheesecake. 

Who stole the cookie from the cookie jar?

It was a dark and rainy November evening. The house was now pleasantly quiet with the boys tucked snuggly into their beds. Looking forward to catching up on the news of Prince William's engagement, and other such celebrity gossip, I had barely loaded up dlisted when I heard a noise coming from the kitchen. Was that the fridge door? I knew what those thieves were after - they were trying to steal my freshly baked batch of chocolate chip cookies! Batches of cookies have been disappearing without a trace lately and I was determined this night to put an end to this cookie-stealing crime spree! I could see the glow from the refrigerator light from the top of the stairs. I tip-toed down the stairs as quietly as I could. I peeked around the corner to get a better sense of what I was dealing with here! Hey, wait a minute - I recognize those socked feet peeking out from under the fridge door! Busted!

*this photo is a re-enactment of the crime

"But I didn't get a bedtime snack!" whined the ginger-haired cookie thief. My cookies never stood a chance of making it to next day's lunches with hungry bedtime tummies! "Oh alright! You can have ONE - but first you have to let me take your picture recreating the crime!"

All was quickly forgiven as the cookie thief and I sat down together to enjoy a still-warm chocolate chip cookie. But like all good cookie thieves, in blink of an eye he was quickly grabbing for more! I want to share the recipe with you, but it comes with a warning - may attract wee cookie thieves! The recipe can be found at beautythatmoves - super yum! I added a few extras - like 1 mashed up banana and 1/2C soy nut butter which made them even more nutritious and delicious for a bedtime snack!

this moment

From Soulemama - A Friday ritual. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember. If you're inspired to do the same, leave a link to your 'moment' in the comments for all to find and see.

What will you do today?

Today I will savor my morning bike ride to work for I know these are rare days in November. Today I know that I will soon be storing away my yellow bike for another season, for while we have been enjoying the last lovely days of fall, the snows will soon fly and I have yet to find winter tires for my sweet ride! What will you do today?

this moment

From Soulemama - A Friday ritual. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember. If you're inspired to do the same, leave a link to your 'moment' in the comments for all to find and see.