birthday cake

[Guest guest]

Have to share the birthday "cake" I slaved over yesterday (read "slaved" with sarcasm!).

Daughter turned 21 and I realized I had nothing to stick a candle in. We usually buy a cupcake or cookie for them (we have no stove/oven to bake with). I totally forgot to get one. Instead I grabbed 21 cherries (Queen Annes) and pushed the pitts out with my pitter. Put them on the fancy Aynsley china cake plate with a pedestal (very dear piece of china to me), squirted Lemon "Pie" Filling into the holes (recipe to follow), stuck a candle in each one, surrounded the cherries with raspberries (from the yard) and sprinkled blueberries (from the yard) around and on the entire piece of work. It was wonderful! She loved it and we all just grabbed spoons and ate right from the plate!! Do we have a photo albumn anywhere? I took pictures and can share if you'd like. ---- Shari

Here's the Lemon "Pie" Filling

1 cup raw cashews, soaked for at least 4 hours, rinsed and drained

1/3 cup of agave nectar or 8 - 10 pitted, dates

1/2 teaspoon almond flavoring or 1 vanilla bean

juice of 1 lemon (or more to your taste)

lemon zest from one lemon (or more to your taste)

water

Put about a 1/2 cup of water in the blender (VitaMix works best). Then add the flavoring of your choice, lemon juice, lemon zest and sweetener of your choice. Mix extremely well at high speed.

Add cashews and more water if needed to keep the blender moving. Be careful not to add too much water, you are trying to make a fluffy topping. Blend for at least 1 minute using a VitaMix and probably 2 - 3 minutes with an ordinary blender.

Without the lemon juice and zest this makes a great whipped topping for any type of fruit or raw fruit pies. Or to just eat with a spoon because you can.

Shari