Beat the heat with a slice of Ice-Cream Cake & Why I do what I do

As a child  I spent a lot of time wondering what I should do for a living. From a young age I never saw myself working in an office or being a company man. I did like to draw, that was for sure. Creativity was fun, pure and simple. It took me a long time to figure out that fun is definitely at my core. Growing up I had very few friends and thought I was an introvert. Today life is much different, I'm around lots of super people and I've learned that laughter is food to me. Unfortunately, I have a hard time clicking with someone if I can't figure out their sense of humor. Anyway, going back to making a living, when I was younger I truly believed that as an artist I would have a tough time making a living. How would I make money as a painter or by drawing sketches? I'm sure I would have thought differently if I had grown up today. Back then, no one had computers and successful animated movies were rare.

Alright, it's time for another dessert recipe. This time it's a raw fruit sweetened sauce. Oddly, I make a lot of desserts, but if you've spent time with me, you'd know that I don't crave sweets at all. I'll enjoy an ice-cream sandwich or a slice of cake, but I usually stick to savory eats.

Ginger Spice Caramel Sauce

8 medjool dates, pitted
1/4 cup raw cashews
1/2 cup water
2 tsp vanilla extract
1 tbsp coconut oil
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp fresh ginger
1/8 tsp salt (optional)

Combine all in high speed blender and blend til smooth.
A food processor will work too, but it'd be more of a chunky topping than a sauce.
The sauce will be thick and firm up a bit when refrigerated. Allow to warm up out of the fridge for ease of pouring.

As I got older pursuing romance took priority over a choosing a career. This went on for decades. During that time vegan happened, the coolest thing ever. But what to eat? Overtime the food got better and the art of it all came about. Who would have guessed that what I made in a kitchen could bring such joy.

Pictured above is a slice of petite ice-cream cake with the caramel sauce. Use it yourself on pancakes, with oatmeal, on a sundae or as a dip for fresh fruit. The ice-cream cake recipe is here. Pour it into a spring pan for a large ice-cream cake or into a baking cup (typically used for cupcakes or muffins) for a petite cake.

I opted for a modest sized dessert since both the cake and the sauce are ultra decadent and rich. I set aside some slices in 3oz portion cups for later. A portion cup fits easily in the palm of your hand, perfect for the beach or a picnic. 





As a fun question, who here can relate to this smoothie? I don't like waste, so I add a cup of water and some protein powder to the Vitamix to make use of all of the sauce still stuck to the sides of the pitcher. Ginger date protein smoothies are awesome!