tasteful tea biscuits

When I was growing up I did not get to spend a ton of time with my grandparents. I always lived in another state but when we did get together one of the main things I remember is simple, amazing food...fried squash, boiled potatoes, unbelievable rolls. Both of my grandmas were wonderful cooks, southern ladies, I think it is part of the job description. I knew of this cookbook that was from my grandmother's church but I never thought to look into it. Little did I know my grandma's famous tea biscuit recipe was in there! I made them to honor and remember my grandparents on Dia de los Muertos. Rather than honor them, though, they turned out more like enormous hamburger buns but man were they delicious.

Second round, Thanksgiving! They were perfect, I can say that because it is not my recipe, I was trying to do justice to Granny Perk's amazing cooking and I think I can say she would be proud, even if I did make it a tiny bit healthier and vegan. My parents thought it was hilarious that I had to ask what "sweet milk" was, as in not buttermilk. They said any good farm girl would know that.. maybe that means I am a good farm girl now that I know! ;c) I hope you'll give the recipe a try, it is really great.

Granny Perk's famous tea biscuits
2 cups whole wheat pastry flour
2 1/2 cups unbleached all purpose flour
1/4 cup warm water
1 tsp salt
2 tsp baking powder
2 tbsp non-hydrogenated shortening
1 cup plain soy milk with 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
3/4 cup plain soy milk
1 pkg granulated yeast
~2-4 tbsp melted Earth Balance margarine

Mix the sugar in with the warm water then add the yeast. The water should be 110-115 degrees F. Not too hot or it will kill the yeast, not too cool or it won't activate it, really it should be warm (not hot!) to the touch if you don't have a thermometer. This is the magical part of the recipe, the yeast gobbles up the sugar and starts to release carbon dioxide so it gets a bit fluffy, let it set until you get everything else ready to go.

Put the apple cider vinegar into your cup of soymilk, this is making your "buttermilk" and it needs to set a minute or two until curdled.

Combine salt, baking powder, and flours then work in the shortening. I used my hands for this but if you have a fancy gadget that works, too. You just want to keep squishing the shortening into the flour mixture until it is crumbly.

Add the soy milks and yeast mixture and knead for 10 minutes or until smooth. Put it in a floured or oiled bowl and it can be left like this overnight or longer or if you're hungry like I am you will make them immediately.



Roll the dough out and cut out little circles. You can use the top of a glass, a jar, or in my case the lid to a tea tin. These are not supposed to be large so go for something small. Line your pan with parchment paper then start packing them in. Stack the biscuits two rounds high and brush with margarine between and on top. Let rise for 2 hours before baking. Don't get impatient, if you do not let them rise they will not be as light and fluffy as they should be.. though admittedly James and I split a test roll that was an early bird (rose for about 10 minutes!) and it was still great though much more dense. ;c)



Preheat your oven to 400 degrees. I brushed the tops with margarine again before popping them in the oven (they soaked up a lot in the 2 hours of rising). Bake until browned, keep an eye on them, it took about 10 minutes for this batch.



These biscuits are perfect for tea, for holiday meals, or any time! My grandma used to make tiny sandwiches out of them. It was easier than I expected once I got the hang of the yeast. My dad suggested using a bread maker to do the kneading though that part was actually really fun, I think if you do that you need to adjust the temperature of the water you start with for the yeast, check your yeast packet. These are so tasty I could eat these every day... and then buy a new wardrobe in a larger size. :cP :c) Enjoy!

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great news

There are all sorts of great deals going on right now from free shipping to free stocking stuffers at strawberry hedgehog! We are featured in the Raising AZ Kids magazine this month in their 25 gifts under $25 feature. I am so excited! More good news...



This gorgeous chunky bar of soap is the December Soap of the Month [join the club]. I call it winter wonderland because it has a little bit of all of my holiday soaps. It has cubes of candy cane (pink), christmas tree (dark green), and spiced cider (dark brown) in a wonderful lemon-wafer smelling white organic oils base. So nice! ;c) This goes out to all of my strawberry hedgehog silver soap club members, exclusively, while the platinum members received the full holiday 'green & clean' set.

This month is off to a great start! :c)

Happy Thanksgiving!

Enjoy your Tofurky and all the trimmings!

the wonders of aloe

I use aloe vera juice all the time. I put it in my lotions, in my face masks, facial toner, I use it on scrapes and sunburns for its soothing, healing and moisturizing benefits. Some people use it internally and tout its nutritional, detoxifying benefits. I always use organic aloe vera, Lily of the Desert is my favorite brand by far.

We grow this amazing succulent in our yard and it really grows like a weed. We started out with a tiny $2 plant a couple of years ago and it has exploded into several very large plants. This was my first harvest and my first attempt at making my own aloe juice. I use it so often and it can be pricey, I didn't want to head to the grocery store so I hit up my old friend the aloe plant.

I sliced two leaves off with a serrated knife. It will give a gush of goo, this is the sap. If you put the leaves at an angle in a dish for a few minutes the sap will drain off.


There are two ways to go to get your own juice. The first is "whole leaf" the second is "filet." Both have benefits, the first is done using all of the aloe and the second includes only the clear innards.

Whole leaf is easier as far as chopping but requires more straining. I simply chopped up the drained whole aloe leaf in 1 inch slices. I then put it in my food processor until it was pureed. I strained it through a tea strainer into a glass. I wouldn't drink this (serious laxative) but I plan to use it on my skin, for sure! It has a marvelous green-grass scent.

The filet method is a little more work intensive but is super cool. I used a vegetable peeler to skim off the little thorns off the edges of the leaf. I then cut the leaf down the middle as pictured. I used a soup spoon to scoop out the amazing gelly flesh, the filet. I put the flesh into my food processor and pureed the aloe and strained it. This does not have the same green-grass scent but it also does not contain the strong laxative components the whole leaf does. This puree would work alone as a fantastic skin toner and should be applied to skin with cotton balls. Unfortunately, aloe tends to go bad quickly so it is best to use it fresh, keep it refrigerated and keep it covered to use it within a day or two.



The aloe juice is fabulous and soothing! I had a blast making it and will continue doing this. I knew I loved aloe already but making it myself was exciting and rewarding. Hooray for growing your own skincare!


Thank you, aloe!

cranberry-orange sauce

I am so excited for Thanksgiving this year! So much to be grateful for. James' grandpa is coming to town and our two families will be together. I love to have everyone in the same place and there is something really special about eating together. This year both families are contributing food. Usually my sister and I go and cook at my Mom's house and then we have folks over or we have actually had two Thanksgiving dinners.. can we say tummy ache? Anyway.. I make cranberry sauce every year. It couldn't be easier and is very healthy and is a nice light, tart contrast to heavier traditional dishes. Cranberries have plenty of vitamin C (essential to boost your immune system this time of year) and have even more antioxidants than blueberries! With no refined sugar added this is a great simple dish to make and you will never go back to the can of gelatinous goo. ;c)

cranberry-orange sauce
2 cups cranberries (fresh or frozen)
1/2 cup high pulp orange juice
1 tbsp agave nectar or maple syrup
* optional - half an orange

**** Note: Just as with other simple recipes, the quality of the ingredients is what makes this. Skip the Donald Duck from concentrate o.j. and get the freshest, best quality juice you can. Better yet.. juice it yourself! This would also be delicious with fresh pineapple juice. Mmmmmm. Also, don't use last year's frozen berries! They actually do go bad, even in the freezer and all it takes is a bit of freezer burn to ruin your entire batch so get the good stuff, folks.

Put the orange juice and cranberries in a small covered saucepan and heat to medium-high. Allow them to come to a boil but keep an eye on them (if this stuff boils over it makes quite the mess). Stir every now and then and once you hear the cranberries start to pop take the lid off and reduce the heat to medium-low. The berries start to burst when they are hot enough and you start to get the jelly-like consistency.

Allow it to cook down until most of the berries have burst. Stir in the agave nectar. This takes about 10 to 15 minutes with frozen berries, less with fresh. If you are adding the orange, peel it first then cut it in half. You want to put in just the flesh and remove all of the skin/membraney-stuff (technical term there). This takes a bit of work but it is really worth it. Remove from heat and serve chilled. This will keep for at least a week in a sealed container in the refrigerator so it is a great one to make ahead of time.

cafe-mocha loca cupcakes

You would be hard pressed to convince me there is a dessert that can trump a chocolate cupcake.. that is unless you put a little coffee in that baby and then I am sold! With a super fluffy chocolate-chip frosting this tastes like the best mocha you've ever sipped topped with frothy whipped cream. Chocolate and coffee go hand in hand, they compliment each other perfectly and you'd be crazy not to try putting a bit of coffee or coffee extract in your next chocolaty recipe. Better yet.. try this one!

cafe-mocha loca cupcakes
1 cup soy milk
1 tsp apple cider vinegar
1/2 cup whole wheat pastry flour
1/2 cup unbleached flour
3/4 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/3 cup cocoa powder
1/2 tsp sea salt
1/3 cup canola oil
3/4 cup turbinado/raw sugar
1 tbsp vanilla extract
1 tbsp chocolate extract
3 tbsp strong coffee

Preheat the oven to 350 and line the muffin tins (this makes 12 cupcakes or 36 mini cupcakes).

Mix the soy milk and apple cider vinegar in a large bowl and let it sit for a minute to curdle.

In a small bowl mix all the dry ingredients except the sugar (flours, salt, baking soda, baking powder, and cocoa), whisking together to get air into the mix and break up any clumps. Be sure you are using pure cocoa powder and not hot chocolate mix or anything with added ingredients. ;c)

When the soy milk-vinegar has curdled add in your sugar, oil, and extracts and whisk until frothy. Mix the dry ingredients into the wet until just combined with no clumps.

Pour your batter into the cupcake liners, 1/2 to 2/3 of the way full and bake for 20-25 minutes. Allow them to cool completely before frosting. These would also be delicious just dusted with some powdered sugar.

fluffy chocolate chip frosting
1/4 cup non-hydrogenated shortening
1/4 cup margarine
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1/8 cup plain soy milk
2 tbsp strong coffee
1 tbsp cocoa powder
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 cup chopped chocolate chips


Beat the shortening and margarine together until mixed and fluffy. Add the sugar and cocoa and keep beating for another 3 minutes. Add the extracts, coffee and soy milk and whip on high for ~5-7 minutes.

Put your chocolate chips in the food processor or Magic Bullet for just a few seconds to get them chopped. Add the chopped chips to the frosting and let it mix until fully distributed.

This is a really fluffy frosting so I just spooned a large helping on each cooled cupcake and then used a spoon to spread it around evenly. This made a really thick layer of frosting. I pushed the spoon down a bit and picked it up in the center to make a little peak and then drizzled with chocolate ganache icing.

chocolate ganache icing
2 tbsp plain soy milk
1/4 cup chocolate chips

Put the chocolate chips in a microwavable container and heat in 30 second bursts until they get shiny. Add your soy milk and stir like crazy. It will be clumpy at first but they will start to melt together and make the perfect chocolaty icing. Let this cool to room temperature and then put it in a plastic baggy, snip off the corner and drizzle over your cupcakes. I like to make squiggles in one direction then make perpendicular squiggles but have fun with it and do what you like.