Sweet Tooth

I have to find another way to make sure my sweet tooth is pleased. I decided to try it the “healthier” route.

Shiloh Adlar
Writer, Ravenclaw

Everyone loves candy, or so I assume with strong reason to believe in doing so. However, some people have a greater sweet tooth than others. It is not only about candy. It is also about desserts and dinners and breakfasts that could be desserts if we wanted them to be. I am talking pancakes with extra maple syrup or maybe just the bottle of maple syrup itself, and even sweet potato casserole with brown sugar and pecans. Just the thought of it gets my sweet tooth aching for a bite.

Instead, I have been banned from sugary substances by my mother who says I partake in way too much. I have to find another way to make sure my sweet tooth is pleased. I decided to try it the “healthier” route.

I looked into some recipes online and brought them to my mom. “I am telling you, Mom, these recipes use whole foods, nothing processed at all. They are very healthy for me. I promise.”

“They still have a lot of sugar in them,” my mother replies.

“Maybe, but it’s naturally occuring sugar. There’s none added.”

My mom decided to give it a try and see what came of it after a long argument and pulling up a ton of research documents on the idea. So here we are setting out to make my first healthy “dessert,” a cheesecake! First of all, who does not love cheesecake? I know it is one of my favorite desserts ever.

I gathered the recipe for my mom and we went shopping for ingredients. She began to complain about the cost of all of these healthy food items, but I told her it was for the best. I could have my cake and eat it, too. It was the eating part I was excited about.

Finally heading home with ingredients in tow, we set to work on what we needed to do. It was a two day process of getting this cheesecake together since there was soaking and straining involved and then of course freezing to help it set properly. Finally, the day came to give it a try.

My mom took it out of the freezer, and we each grabbed a slice. I took a deep breath before trying a small bite, and my eyes almost burst out of my head. It tasted even better than the real thing. I was in shock and happy, and I was eating healthy, or healthier than before. Mom was right, it did still have sugar in it though none was added and extra fat from the cashews although it was an unsaturated fat and coconut which is a saturated fat but a different type of saturated fat, and who am I kidding? It doesn’t even matter. The cheesecake slice was to the extreme that I wanted to eat the whole thing right then and there.

Mom, however, decided that it was still to be eaten in moderation and that I could have another slice with dinner. My sweet tooth waited in agony for dinner to come to have another bite of that cheesecake, and when it finally came around, the meal was forgotten altogether and I had my cheesecake first. My mom shook her head at me and told me to make sure to eat my dinner as well, and if I did, I could have one more slice before bed.

It was then that I decided, when I grew up, all I was going to eat was this cheesecake. Unfortunately I still had 10 years before that day. I really hope they go by fast.