The beginning of spring is one of my favorite times of the year. I love watching everything turn green again, and it also means celebrating the birthdays of two very important women in my life--my mom and grandma. They are two of the most giving and loving people I know, and I just happen to be lucky enough to have them in my life!

So, naturally, with birthdays comes celebration, and with celebration comes cake. With this unseasonably warm winter and beginning of spring we've had so far, I've been craving more raw fruits and veggies and feel it's the direction I need to head. My family has been longtime lovers of cheesecake, including myself. I've made a few vegan ones over the years but really wanted to try a raw version. Wow! I'm so glad I did! This was the best cheesecake I've made and pretty close to the best I've ever tasted. The ingredients are simple, and I whipped up the whole thing in my Vita Mix.

I used this recipe and made a few minor changes. I used pure maple syrup instead of honey, soaked my cashews for about three hours, and left out the water. I found it to be perfect. I also did not do the raspberry sauce but did top it with organic strawberries and it was great! I think the birthday girls enjoyed it as well.

This past Tuesday I had the opportunity of presenting at Wheatsfield Coop in Ames, IA for the second time. I feel the class was a great success and really enjoyed sharing and answering questions. The staff there is always so helpful and accommodating! If you are ever in the area, please stop in and check out what they have to offer. They have a wide-array of great classes--something for everyone!

Here's a little tidbit from the class. After reading the list, you just might be inspired to join my next Vegan Challenge!

10 Benefits of a Healthy, Plant-Based Diet

1.           Increase your energy

2.          Boost your immunity

3.          Clearer thinking

4.         Weight loss/weight maintenance

5.          Clearer complexion

6.         Increase fertility

7.          Decrease risk of: cancer, heart disease, type 2                                     diabetes, and osteoporosis

8.         Less painful menstrual periods

9.         The best thing you can do to help the environment

10.      Save an average of 95 animal lives per year

Drum roll, please! The winner of the very first gluten-free Mindfully Healthy Vegan Challenge is..."Red77!" Yes, Red77, you know who you are and a super congratulations to you! You all did a wonderful job and seemed to really enjoy this.

Thanks to you all for participating and being the first group to try out the gluten-free version of the challenge.

Here are the results listed in order of percentage lost:
Red77     2.96%
GBS       2.78%
Petunia  2.67%
Mrssillymom  1.74%
Linsey    1.50%
Sizlean   1.46%

You're all winners!