And the card attached would say, "Thank you for being a friend."

Rue McClanahan was an American icon. Her “Golden Girls” character, Blanche Devereaux, taught women everywhere to love deeply and passionately and to love one’s self with equal reckless abandon. No matter how many zingers Sophia threw her way she never batted an eyelash, because after all, enduring her insults was just another consequence of the curse of every devastatingly beautiful woman.

I thank television role models like Blanche for teaching me at a very young age to work toward holding my head a little higher every day, to move through life each day with a little more grace and poise, to ignore anyone who might hold me back from success, and to sincerely value friends who support me in all of my endeavors.

This humble post is in honor of a great woman and an amazing character with whom any one of us would be unbelievably lucky to sit down on the lanai over a cup of coffee and piece of cheesecake.

Unfortunately, we all don’t have the genetic fortitude to eat cheesecake every night without our butts expanding exponentially, so here is the way I lighten up every gal’s favorite comfort food:

My doctored Cooking Light go-to for the base of every reduced calorie cheesecake has a mere 4 WW points per decadent serving (versus your standard full-fat 10 WW point cheesecake), and it is worth every savory bite:

Ingredients
1/2 cup reduced-fat graham cracker crumbs (about 6 cookie squares)
Cooking spray
1 (32-ounce) carton plain fat-free yogurt
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 tablespoon grated lemon rind
1/3 cup light sour cream
1 (8-ounce) block 1/3-less-fat cream cheese, softened
1 (8-ounce) block fat-free cream cheese, softened
1 (8-ounce) carton egg substitute

Preparation
Firmly press crumbs into the bottom and up the sides of a 9-inch springform pan coated with cooking spray.

Place a colander in a 2-quart glass measure or a medium bowl. Line the colander with four layers of cheesecloth, allowing cheesecloth to extend over outside edges of the bowl. Spoon yogurt into the colander. Cover loosely with plastic wrap, and refrigerate 12 hours. Spoon yogurt “cheese” into a bowl, and discard the liquid.

Preheat oven to 350°.

Lightly spoon flour into a dry measuring cup, and level with a knife. Combine drained yogurt, flour, and the next 5 ingredients (flour through cream cheese) in a large bowl; beat at medium speed of a mixer until blended. Slowly add egg substitute, and beat until combined. Pour cheese mixture into prepared crust. Place in a large shallow baking pan, and add hot water to pan to a depth of 1 inch. Bake at 350° for 1 hour and 10 minutes. Remove sides from pan, and cool to room temperature. Cover and chill at least 8 hours. This serves 12.

And since our darling diva, Rue, was NEVER afraid to mix things up a bit, here are some delicious, low-calorie variations on the classic:

• Mix in 1/2 cup of Hershey’s unsweetened cocoa and 1 heaping tablespoon of Taster’s Choice instant coffee to the dry ingredients and cream cheese to make a mocha masterpiece. Don’t forget to drizzle Sugar-free Hershey’s Chocolate Syrup on your plates before serving.
• Generously top with a Splenda-sweetened sliced strawberry/blueberry combo and a flourish of fat-free Cool Whip for a patriotic culinary conquest—perfect for the Fourth of July.
• Gently cook low-sugar or sugar-free cherry (or other tart fruit) preserves over low heat until liquefied. Add 1 cup pitted and halved fresh cherries. Let mixture cool and distribute evenly over cooled caked for a gooey, fruity tour de force.

Enjoy your delicious works of art with your nearest and dearest.

And if she were standing here in front of me today, I would proudly offer her a piece of cheesecake and say to our departed Rue, “Thank you for being a friend.”