Strawberry & "Honey" Vegan Biscuits

If you read my last post you might know how incredibly happy strawberries make me. Berries in general actually. There is a family story that always gets a laugh about me gorging myself on marrion berries, but I won't speak of it here. I don't want to put my readers off their appetite right before I talk about these amazing biscuits.

With my vegan eating going so well I've been excited to explore new foods that I can make using vegan ingredients I've discovered. One of these is the butter substitute from Earth Balance. It tastes butter-y, the texture is perfect, and I have yet to find a recipe where it doesn't work just as well as normal butter. These biscuits are just as light and fluffy as any others I've made and far less in calorie content. I might as well throw in the fact that they make your kitchen smell positively heavenly! The most important thing to remember is to NOT OVER MIX THE DOUGH. Ever. Don't do it. You'll want to, but I promise it's not a good idea, unless you enjoy eating honey biscuit flavored hockey pucks.

If the thought of eating vegan puts you off you can always use normal butter and milk and I'm sure you will find these biscuits just as satisfactory!

STRAWBERRY & "HONEY" VEGAN BISCUITS

Ingredients

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/4 cup agave nectar 
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• 8 tablespoons butter substitute chilled and cut into 1/4 inch cubes
• 1/3 cup finely diced fresh strawberries
• 3/4 cup milk substitute (I used plain almond milk but believe this will work with soy milk as well)
• optional: decorating sugar for garnish

First, heat up your oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. In a mixing bowl, add all of your dry ingredients. Then add your butter substitute, using a pastry cutter to blend until your dough is a craggy mess. Now add your honey, strawberries and milk and gently knead in the bowl with your hands.
Lightly flour a flat surface to continue kneading the dough. This is the part where it's very important not to over mix! Add flour as needed to keep from sticking until your strawberries are fully incorporated with the rest of the dough. Using your hands, mold the dough until it's about a 1/2 inch think. Cut into rounds using a cookie cutter and place on an ungreased baking sheet. At this point if you have sugar feel free to sprinkle a little bit on the tops of your biscuits. Pop the biscuits in the oven for about ten minutes or until golden brown. Enjoy with your favorite buttery spread or a little extra strawberry jam and honey.

April Showers

Sometimes things don't always go so well. You sit down, and you can't possibly think of a reason to get back up. Whether it's certain people or certain situations, it all becomes a little overwhelming and you need to take a deep breath and look back at all the good things that have happened. Take some time and remind yourself why it's not all bad, and why it will always get better.

• Seattle Restaurant week is this week, and I'm desperately hoping to get out and enjoy some of the local selections around town. You can check out the list here.
• This sandwich by My New Roots is amazing. I made it as a sort of family dinner for my coworkers and they were just as obsessed as I was. I probably don't need to eat anything else ever.
• Pike Place Market this past week was filled with all sorts of delights including brightly colored tulips, fiddlehead ferns, and fresh Northwest black truffles. I had to physically restrain myself from running to the ATM and draining my life savings for more food.
• mint green. That is all.
• This Sunday was awesome because a) it was National Beer Day b) the weather outside was horrible and c) all three of my favorite tv shows were on. It made it way too easy for me to just sit inside and not even feel guilty about it.
• I have lost five pounds from eating vegan, and I'm loving it, especially with above mentioned sandwich. 
•  That face, how can you say no to it? Ever? 

Farmers market in the town where I live begins in approximately 25 days. 

On Friday I had the pleasure of trying Stone Brewers Old Guardian from 2007 and The Vine Sour Ale. Separately both beers were amazing - the Guardian was smokey and hoppy while The Vine was sour enough to taste like a dry sparkling wine or cider, but with a touch of malt and hops. I am so lucky to live in such a popular area for breweries, wineries and distilleries alike.

Fresh strawberries taste like happy in my mouth. I can eat those for days... Along with previously mentioned sandwich. 

I think I acquired a tan because I put on white nail polish and it doesn't blend in with my skin, that's something to be happy about right?

Speaking of tans, I'm going on vacation to San Diego next month (in approximately 32 days)  and I am so excited. Normally our visits are brief and over all too soon. This time we have five whole days to enjoy our time there. Along with my cousin's graduation (and engagement!) my sister-in-law-to-be is throwing my fiance and I a engagement party where I get to meet the whole family. Super exciting! San Diego is also the source of all the delicious fresh strawberries I've been eating, so I imagine I'll be able to have ALL THE STRAWBERRIES I WANT. I think they have beaches there too, yeah, beaches and sunshine, but mostly strawberries.

Okay, my personal case of the Mondays is over, now back to the kitchen!