We had such a great weekend, and for the second week in a row, we spent all of Sunday 'resting'. Something we don't normally do. We can be lazy for most of the day because our four-legged babies really like to be lazy with us, and we don't have any two legged babies to chase around yet.

I oscillate between feeling on the cusp of being real life adult, and therefore being ready for the responsibility of a human life, and still feeling like a tween. 

Here's some recent evidence:

1. I accidentally washed our car keys (we have a push start car), I left them in my shorts after a long run. Thankfully they still work.

2. I left my iPod and Bose headphones in the grass at Percy Warner during a torrential down pour on Saturday. (see photo below)

3. I cried because my tomato pants got knocked over in the wind in the same torrential down pour, and then Chris accidentally ran over one of them.

Chris was talking about a 'business risk' the other day, and Saturday afternoon after the tomato debacle and on the way to Percy Warner to see if my iPod/headphones were still there, I realized I am a family 'risk' to us!!

I think these reasons are more funny than anything else, and I hope you can laugh at them with me! 

One thing I have improved at as I've gotten older is making healthy versions of my favorite desserts! 

Thats where this cheesecake comes in. I am allergic to dairy products, and even though I love cheesecake, I usually end up feeling awful after eating it.

I tried making vegan cheesecake a couple of years ago, following a recipe similar to the one below. It wasn't delicious. The taste of the cashews really came through and I ended up throwing most of them away. Other recipes use tofu which I didn't want to use because it is unfamiliar territory. I experimented several times with this recipe and I could not be happier with the results! 

The 'cheesecake' filling is thick and velvety. It is smooth and cooling to the tongue, with a slight nutty taste. It is custardy and the level of sweetness from maple syrup is perfect. The touch of lemon lends a certain tang, reminiscent of cream cheese. You will be shocked that this is dairy-free (minus the chocolate if you'd decide to use it!)!  

I adapted the crust recipe from my Strawberry Rhubarb Tart with Cracklin' Oat Bran Crust. It compliments the sweetness of the filling with contrasting saltiness with just a tiny bit of spice if you choose to add ground cloves. (One time I added candied ginger and it was outstanding!) 

This is a great recipe because it only makes a couple of mini vegan cheesecakes that are easy to store in the freezer and you don't really need tart or mini springform pans. You can use little ramekins, and to help with the removal of the cheesecakes, cut up strips of parchment paper and put those in the ramekins before you put the crust in. 

The fun thing about these cheesecakes is that they are super versatile! You can be really creative with them! 

Make a couple of different flavors by pouring the filling into a large liquid measuring cup or bowl. To make peanut butter cheesecake, add a little bit of the filling back to the blender with a big spoonful of peanut butter. For the strawberry filling, add six or seven frozen strawberries to the blender. 

Melt some dark chocolate and drizzle it over a couple of cheesecakes. Or put a spoonful of peanut butter on top! 

Try this as an attempt to prolong summer as LONG AS POSSIBLE! Let me know what you think about this recipe!! Leave me a comment below! Take a pic and post it on instagram, tag me @corrielanderson, and use #itsallofit! 

EASY Vegan Cheesecake

Recipe Author: Corrie Anderson (with inspiration from Plantpower Way by: Rich Roll, but without the tofu, soy lecithin, and raw coconut meat since I don't have a coconut tree)

Serves: appx. 7 mini-cheesecakes

FILLING

• 1 1/2 cup raw cashews

• juice of 1 lemon

• 2 - 5 dates, pitted

• 1/2 cup coconut milk

• 1/3 cup maple syrup

• 1/4 cup dried unsweetened coconut

• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract

• 1 tablespoon coconut oil

• dash of sea salt

CRUST

• 1/2 cup raw walnuts

• 1/2 cup oats

• 1/4 cup almonds

• 7 dates, pitted

• 1 tablespoon molasses (optional)

• 1/2 teaspoon sea salt

• 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves (optional)

• dash of vanilla extract

• 1 tablespoon coconut oil

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Begin by heating up 2 cups of water up in the microwave for two minutes. Use 1 1/2 cups of the hot water for soaking the cashews and 1/2 cup of the water to soak the dates. Soak the cashews for 30 minutes (while you're making the crust!) and the dates for 10 minutes.

2. Start with the crust first! Add raw walnuts, oats, almonds, dates, molasses, sea salt, and dash of vanilla extract to a food processor. Pulse until well mixed. Coat whatever container you're using with coconut oil. Add mixture to containers. If you're using something that doesn't have a removable bottom, such as a cupcake pan or tiny ramekins, use large strips of wax paper. It will make removing the cheesecake so much easier! Put crust in the freezer while you make the filling!

3. Use a blender to make the filling, if you're able! Add coconut milk, maple syrup, coconut oil, vanilla extract, and coconut to a blender. Let it sit for about 5 minutes. Then add the cashews and dates, blend until the mixture is thick but smooth!

4. Pour mixture into containers/tart pans/etc. and freeze for at least an hour if you're going to eat them right out of the container. Otherwise, shoot for at least two hours at the least, and overnight if you can!