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!
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