Lilo's Pomegranate Cheesecake

A few days ago I helped elderly friends to prepare food for a holiday party. They asked me to bake a coconut pie. I admitted that I had never done this from scratch, but nevertheless, I can follow recipes in cook books.

I started out with a pie shell:
1 1/2 c. flour

1/2 tsp. salt

1/2 c. butter

4-5 tbsp. cold water

With a fork, I blended flour and salt into butter until well mixed. Then I added cold water. Mixed it again with a fork, formed it into a ball, which I rolled out on a floured board.

After I had finally figured out how to open the coconut, I found a hammer to drive a large nail through its eyes. There are usually 3 eyes in a coconut. I drained the coconut milk into a glass. Then I placed the coconut on a cookie sheet and turned the oven on to 325 degrees for about 30 minutes. After 30 minutes I removed the coconut from the oven to let it cool. Once cooled, I cracked it open with a tap of a hammer. - But oh - what a disappointment - the coconut was slimy and gray on the inside. It had a very foul odor and could obviously not be used for anything.

What was I to do with my a pie shell ready and no coconut filling? I prayed to G-D to give me an idea, and looked around the kitchen.

There was a pomegranate sitting on the kitchen table.

The pomegranate is an autumn harvest fruit which grows in Mediterranean climates. Pomegranate seeds are said to number 613 one for each of the Bible's 613 commandments. The pomegranate has always been revered for the beauty of its shrub, flowers, and fruitsymbolizing sanctity, fertility, and abundance. - Depictions of the fruit have long featured in architecture and design. They decorated the pillars of King Solomon's temple and the robes and regalia of Jewish kings and priests.

This fruit gave me the idea for a pie filling:

8 ounces cream cheese
1 cup sweetened condensed milk
4 eggs
1/4 cup sour cream
1 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1/2 cup cranberry sauce
½ cup strawberry glaze
1 1/2 cups pomegranate seeds
½ cup powdered sugar

I baked it at 375 F° for about 30 to 35 minutes, and the pie turned out to be the success of the party.