Strawberry cheesecake

My husband can cook and I love it when he cooks. He makes terrific desserts and breakfast meals. So we like to have breakfast for dinner often. At least I do because it means he’s cooking. Pancakes and Waffles have always been a favorite of mine and this recipe he made, the Strawberry Cheesecake Pancakes are outstanding.

He found the recipe on Betty Crocker, it’s their Bisquick Cheesecake Pancakes recipe.

Strawberry Cheesecake Pancakes Recipe:

Ingredients:

1 8oz package of cream cheese
2 cups Original Bisquick mix
1/2 cup graham cracker crumbs
1/4 cup sugar
1 cup milk
2 eggs

Directions:

Slice cream cheese lengthwise into four pieces. Wrap each strip in plastic wrap and freeze 8 hours or overnight.

Brush griddle or skillet with cooking spray, heat griddle to 375 degrees F or heat skillet over medium heat

Cut cream cheese into bite size pieces.

In a large bowl, stir bisquick mix, graham cracker crumbs, sugar, milk and eggs with a whisk until blended, then stir in cream cheese

For each pancake, pour slightly less than 1/3 a cup batter onto a hot griddle. Cook until the edges are dry.

Flip and cook the other side.

Strawberry Syrup Recipe:

Ingredients:

1 cup fresh stawberry slices
1/2 cup strawberry syrup for pancakes

In a small bowl, mix strawberries and syrup.

Then Top the pancakes with the syrup

By Summer:

Can you believe it’s February? I can’t! Since the last month has just flown by I should mention that Valentine’s Day is less than two weeks away! YIKES! Do you have plans for your sweetheart? How will you show your love?

Nature’s Path, same company that has brought us Ancient Grains through Costco, is partnering with Whole Foods to offer Love Crunch cereal, but only for a limited time so you’ll want to run out and get yourself a couple boxes!

When I got my box of Nature’s Path Organic Love Crunch I had to open it and try the dark chocolate chunks, raspberry, strawberry, coconut, and flax granola cereal. YUM! Really; this is an eat-from-the-box cereal. Even my 4 year old chose to have it for his snack today. His quote, “You’re right; this is yummy!” I feel confident giving Love Crunch as a snack because all of Nature’s Path products are made of 100% pronounceable ingredients that are natural and/or organic. Love Crunch is USDA certified organic and contain NO artificial preservatives, NO additives, NO genetically modified organism (GMOs) and NO synthetic pesticides.

Nature’s Path would love you to share your love at home and internationally. Love Crunch is not just for your family, but for each box your purchase $1 (up to $25,000; that’s 125 loans of $200) will be donated to the Whole Planet Foundation which lends microcredit — a small loan usually $200 or less, that requires no collateral or contract — to women in order to create or expand an at-home business in order to lift themselves and their families out of poverty. And for at home …

make Diane Henderik’s Strawberry Cheesecake for your sweetheart!

Diane Henderik is a Registered Dietitian, Personal Chef, Culinary Nutritionist, and blogger of Dietitian in the Kitchen.

Diane Henderik’s Strawberry Cheesecake

CRUST
1³/₄ cup Nature’s Path Love Crunch cereal
¹/₂ cup Nature’s Path Smart Bran cereal
1 tablespoon dark cocoa powder
¹/₃ cup butter (melted)

CAKE
¹/₂ cup Lifeway Strawberry Greek Yogurt
4 oz. Lifeway Farmer’s cheese, room temperature
8 oz. low fat cream cheese
¹/₂ cup sugar
1¹/₂ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 teaspoon cinnamon
¹/₂ teaspoon nutmeg
¹/₄ teaspoon ground ginger
2 tablespoon whole wheat flour
2 cup pureed fresh strawberries

TOPPING
1 cup Nature’s Path Love Crunch cereal
12 fresh strawberries
fresh mint springs

DIRECTIONS
1. Preheat oven to 350^o.
2. Combine cereals and cocoa in blender, process until blended to fine crumbs. Reserve ¹/₄ cup of crumbs.
3. Return reserved ¹/₄ cup of crumbs to blender and grind to fine powder. Set aside for garnish when cake is complete.
4. Make the crust: Combine all ingredients for crust in a large bowl. Press into bottom of 9” springform of cake pan and set aside.
5. Make the cake: Combine yogurt, farmer’s cheese and cream cheese in a large bowl. With electric mixer, completely beat in sugar. Beat in vanilla, spices and flour. Stir in pureed strawberries. Pour into pan.
6. Bake for about 1¹/₂ hours or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.
7. Remove from oven and let stand 30 minutes.
8. Cover and refrigerate at least 6 hours before serving.
9. Dust entire top of cake with reserved finely ground cereal and sprinkle Nature Path’s Love Crunch cereal around the edges.
10. Fan slices strawberries in center of cake and place whole strawberry in the middle. Garnish with whole and sliced strawberries and mint sprigs.
11. ENJOY!

Serves 12

My changes (as you can see from the photo) were all about the final touches. I don’t use any mint to garnish and choose to use chocolate chips in between the strawberry slices as well as at the top of the middle, whole strawberry.

Be sure you keep in-the-know with Nature’s Path, Whole Foods Market and Diane Henderiks on their respective websites, Facebook and twitter:
Natures’s Path on Facebook and on Twitter @NaturesPath
Whole Foods Markets on Facebook and on Twitter @WholeFoods
Diane Henderiks on Facebook and on Twitter @dhenderiks

About Summer:

Summer is the President of our Local MOMS Club chapter, she is the mother of two adorable active boys, and is always thinking of ways to help others. She is a friend, a wife, and always busy as all mommies are. She is very active on Facebook, addicted to Geocaching and very interested in organic and green living.