Visit Our Website Today!

It is our esteemed privilege to serve the Berks County area with 

safe cleaning and eco-organizing services.

For more info please visit our website.

www.eco-friendlycleaning-bysabrina.com

This offer is for new business customers only, for up to 2 hours of cleaning services within a 10 mile radius from Shillington, PA. An additional 6% PA sales tax applies to full rate of $30/hr. Offer valid untl 2.28.2013.

The Not So "Cheesy" Cheesecake

That's right- forget your traditional cheesecake! I've discovered something healthier and guilt-free to boot. Delicious and delightful sweet treats that you can take with you anywhere. I had a chance to get the "skinny" on what these PODs are all about from the creator herself, Linda Louise. If you're curious about the cute little cups below- read on to find out more.

Hi, Linda! It’s so great to get a chance to chat with you about your healthy desserts. I can’t wait to tell everyone about them! Can I ask you about how you came to develop your line of vegan cheesecakes? I read that it had to do with the health issues of a family member.

My husband, Terry, was diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis in 2005. Terry has always had a special talent for finding any side effects to pharmaceutical drugs. We knew that there had to be a better way to handle this diagnosis and then we heard about a special diet that is 85% raw vegan to 15% cooked vegan. We decided to try the diet together, hoping to find a solution to Terry's illness, and not just a band-aid of drugs to suppress it.

Wow! Did you find that it was a simple answer to your husband’s health issues?

The first few months were very, very hard. Everything I had ever been taught and had ever known about food had been wrong.  I grew up and then raised my children on a standard American diet. I simply had not been educated to any alternatives and I never had a reason to question our diets since everyone was relatively healthy until now. I began to question my ability to provide my family with truly nutritious food that actually tasted good. How have we been so misguided?

Determined to keep my family truly healthy, I immersed myself in raw cookbooks and joined a raw-potluck and support group. Eventually, navigating through the organics aisle became easier, green juice became palatable, and most importantly Terry was feeling better.

Sounds like you were up to the challenge, Linda!   I’m really curious about your cheesecakes. How did you come up with the idea?

I started playing around with raw cheesecake recipes and would bring them our potluck as my dish. Everyone would rave about their decadence, texture, and sweetness. Many suggested that I begin to sell them! But that didn't happen until a bad storm kept me away from our potluck dinner one month.

I had prepared a huge, beautifully decorated raw cheesecake and now had no-where to take it. The next day, I asked a local, healthy cafe if they would be interested in buying the cake from me. The owner was hesitant at first, but then to both of our surprise, everyone loved it! Not just raw vegans, but vegetarians, omnivores, and the general public, too! I had provided a dairy-free dessert that tasted as rich as cream itself.

What health benefits are there for the general public when it comes to opting for non-dairy over dairy products, particularly desserts?

People would rave over not only the taste, but also the ease of its digestion.  Many people are allergic to dairy and are completely unaware of it. Looking back, I do think this was an allergen to Terry as he used to be a very high pasteurized, cow dairy consumer. In nature, you never see a grown animal drinking its mother’s milk. And if you use nature as a template, perhaps we shouldn't be drinking milk as adults either, especially milk from a different species. There are plenty of awesome substitutes out there now to use in the place of dairy. That being said, if you do choose to consume dairy, I believe raw, pastured sheep and goat’s milk is superior to cow’s milk. It is believed that sheep and goat’s milk is biologically closer to human breast milk than cow’s milk; making it the better choice for most.

 Do you feel that omitting dairy from your cheesecakes sacrifices flavor or consistency?

Our PULSE Cakes are more dense than a typical cheesecake; but are every bit as rich and satisfying, too. The cashew-based flavors are usually a little bit more firm than the avocado based flavors, but a little bit goes a long way for both.  Our PULSECakes are best enjoyed at refrigerator temperature. The real difference between our PULSE Cakes and a typical cheesecake is obviously our ingredients, which are all whole foods that are actually beneficial to your body and easier to digest.

How do you come up with your flavors, and what are some of your most popular ones?

 I love the challenge of taking a cooked recipe and creating a raw flavor from it.  I was inspired by one of our first flavors, the Dream Lime, to create other avocado-based flavors that were not typically green in color. That vision gave birth to our “Lemon Blueberry” flavor (both of which are now our most popular). I created our popular, cashew-based Mango Tango flavor from a tropical, frozen cake recipe.  Our other popular, cashew-based flavors are Banana Chocolate and Strawberry; of course, our seasonal flavors of Pumpkin, Pecan Pie, and White Chocolate Raspberry all do well in their respective time of the year, too.

 I love the convenience of your PULSE pods. Individually sized desserts that satisfy my sweet tooth without the guilt! For those who don't know, can you explain what they are?

Our PULSE Pods are raw, vegan cheesecake-like dessert cups made from organic ingredients.  We have a “produce to pod” philosophy, which means that all of our PULSE Pods are to be filled with only the best, whole food ingredients.  Our goal is to make eating our PULSE Pods just as nutritious and beneficial as eating a handful of fresh fruits and nuts. Our only preservative is the freezer and every flavor is 100% gluten-free, soy-free & GMO-free.

 I want to stock up on some PULSE Pods to keep on hand for guilt-free desserts. Where can I find them?

You can find the retailer closest to you by either visiting our website (www.lindalouise.org/places) or by visiting our facebook map (www.facebook.com/lindalouisepulsedesserts/map). We are constantly seeking to expand our market and to get into new stores, but sometimes we need your help! If you’d like to see our PULSE pods in your local health food store or café, you can now easily request it! Simply click here for an easy, printable request form! We also offer easy shopping and shipping through our website, (www.lindalouise.org/pods)

Is it possible to special order your cheesecakes? 

We do offer special occasion cakes as well that are by delivery only within 25 miles of Harleysville, PA. Special order cakes range from 4"-10". You can check out our website for some ideas and please feel free to call us about sizes, pricing and flavors!

Thank you so much for chatting with me, Linda. I am going to select my rainbow of PULSE cakes right now!

Chocolate in the Raw

You've heard of "Sugar in the Raw"- now I'm here to introduce you to "Chocolate in the Raw." Yes, that's right, there is such a thing. And not only does it taste amazing- it is so good for you too! I had the pleasure of savoring some of Cloud 9's decadent creations. I wanted to find out more about how creator- Helene Leeds started the company. So, I bugged her to tell me more. The interview is to follow. Check out Helene on Fox's Master Chef which is to air next Monday and Tuesday, June 4th and 5th.

Do your "health" a favor and order some Gogi berry and raw chocolate- my personal favorite!

•  Helene, can you tell me: What was your personal journey that lead to your infatuation with raw chocolate?

While living in Switzerland, I was studying for my master's degree in nutrition. Part of the curriculum was on super foods. Chocolate was the one that peaked my interest- due to the far reaching longevity benefits. I was determined to find this food in its original form. Steeped in chocolate, I was on the hunt for raw, organic, pure chocolate. Nowhere could I find this authentic food. Everywhere I turned, the chocolate was laden withe creme and sugar. In the village where I was living I met a woman from Africa at the market. I made a request for an order of chocolate pods. She brought them to me the following week!


I will never forget opening the pods for the first time. Chocolate is truly magical. The tiny white sacs filled with chocolate nibs. Sweet, slimy and sour, pungent and stringent, this is an amazing food indeed.


Knowing of the health benefits and the power- I began to experiment and feed the ones I love and quite honestly, they all disliked raw chocolate. I was determined to find a recipe that they would all love and be able to embrace. Twelve years later- I have evolved the recipe to what it is today.


The long and short of it really is, that the knowledge and power of raw chocolate ignited my love  for it, and those around me get to benefit. This is where my "infatuation" with raw chocolate all began.

• Great story! So I can't help but ask: Why raw chocolate?

Raw chocolate is authentic- the real deal. It contains the purest form of super food nutrition. 

Any other kind of chocolate would be a compromise and a choice toward the pure pleasure of life- but without the transformation.

Raw chocolate shows that being healthy can be fun! It means being able to explore the abundant benefits of this delicious food. 

• So, how would I go about choosing a healthy chocolate?

The average consumer should know that chocolate is a medicinal super food. It is to be consumed with caution and frequently in small amounts. It is acidic in nature and is a powerful food, that should be used with respect.

I would recommend not consuming chocolate that has been heated. I would also be aware of supporting fair trade- which ensures the grower gets a fair wage for their labor.

It is also best to consume chocolate that is not combined with milk and white sugar- since it compromises the integrity of the raw chocolate.

• Fantastic! I am ready to try some right now! What flavors do you offer and how can I get my hands on some delicious and nutritious Cloud 9 raw chocolate?

We currently offer 4 flavors: Cranberry Pecan, Walnut, Original, and Macadamia Goji-berry. We also offer limited time flavors of the month. These flavors are announced as they are prepared. Three sizes are available: 25 grams for $5; 50 grams for $9; and 100grams for $17.

Ordering is available on our website: www.cloud9rawchocolate.com as well as on Amazon, and through our Facebook page.  Additionally, if you would like your favorite local store to carry our chocolate, requests from customers help to speed up the process!

• I must say, I  truly am on Cloud 9 when I'm enjoying your chocolate. And everyone- you have to taste it for yourselves to believe it!