Light Strawberry Cheesecake {recipe}

It is said that students lose a great amount of knowledge acquire the previous year over summer vacation. It is important to me that my son retain as much as possible and also learn some new things too. I do keep in mind that it is summer which should be filled with fun, so I make learning fun. As a matter of fact, most often it is so much fun that the educational aspect isn’t even being picked up! I have found apps that teach coding by playing puzzles, games and building worlds virtually. Reading time is at the end of day or during rest periods and of course fun titles are necessary, my son is currently loving the Captain Underpants series. And if you read my blog regularly, you know that I love to cook so by sharing some fun recipes, math is on the schedule too!

When asked to make a fruity dessert by Walmart, I thought of something a little more decadant than my usual popsicles. I picked up all the items that I needed from Walmart to make a “light” strawberry cheesecake. Fun to make, tasty and of course utilizing some math skills. This version is no bake and I learned a few things along the way that are important if you choose to make this cake too.

My featured fruit is strawberries. They are a huge favorite in my household and I use them a lot in recipes. By purchasing my strawberries at Walmart I am sure to be happy because if I am at all dissatisified with my fruit, Walmart has a 100% money back guarantee! I must share with you that not only is Walmart’s fruit and produce section excellent for quality and price but I feel really good knowing that in the event something does happen my money will be returned which is especially important if you are on a tight budget and can’t afford to waste food!

The strawberry cheesecake includes cream cheese, sour cream and whipped cream. I used light versions of all of them to ensure that this indulgence would not be adding unwanted inches to the waistline! I do believe in everything in moderation but a sweet treat that isn’t calorie heavy is a win in my book. This strawberry cheese cake is simple to make and you don’t have to worry about the oven in the heat of summer because it sets in the refrigerator. The recipe calls for about 4 hours setting time but I quickly learned that using light ingredients means that the cheesecake has a more difficult time setting. I ended up freezing it and that worked very well. A cool, frozen treat - not exactly what I planned on but delicious nonetheless.

If  you are looking for an activity that can incoprate fun and math for your child(ren) look no further. And depending on the age of your child, they can make this recipe without any adult help!

Light Strawberry Cheesecake

(adapted from epicurious.com)

Ingredients

• 8 ounces light cream cheese, softened
• 1/3 cup sugar
• 1 cup light sour cream
• 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
• 8 ounces prepared light whipped topping, thawed
• 1 prepared graham cracker crust (6 ounces)
• 1 pound fresh strawberries, hulled and halved lengthwise

Method

1. Beat the cream cheese until smooth with an electric mixer. Gradually beat in the sugar. Beat in the sour cream and vanilla until just combined. Fold in the whipped topping. Scrape mixture into the piecrust. (There may be some fi lling left over. If so, reserve it to be decoratively piped onto the top of the pie.) Chill in the refrigerator for 4 hours.

2. Starting in the center, arrange the strawberries in a circular pattern.

ENJOY!