General observation

I figured that since I haven't posted here in a few YEARS!!!! No one will mind (or notice) if I borrow this platform to post an assignment for one of my nursing school classes. Ok, lets get to it.

Me and my crew at the zoo getting ready to do some science-ing

As part of the journey to become a registered nurse through the BSN program at IUPUI school of nursing, I was tasked to put my assessment skills to the test and observe a stranger and an orangutan. Why an orangutan? Why a stranger? By overserving someone or some mammal I am not familiar with and have no communication with, I could focus on the visual aspects of an assessment v. the verbal feedback I may otherwise rely on to help paint a clear picture of what is before me. From this assignment, I was asked to determine the general health of my subjects through observation only.

SPOILER ALERT!!!!
From my observation, my orangutan was healthy and my human was….not so much.

Lets take a closer look.

Subject #1 my orangutan.

Yes, it’s a he (because I say it is) and yes, he's mine.

(TRUTH: I have no idea if it’s a boy or a girl and I completely forgot to ask the zookeeper because I’d already made up my mind that it was a boy. Even one of the sign’s in the enclosure failed to identify the gender so I’m not going to worry too much about it.)

While watching these beasts bumble along in their enclosure I really wasn’t too sure about their health. In all honesty, they looked B.O.R.E.D. I’ve seen that look and slump on the faces of each of my kids sometime around 4p on a Saturday afternoon, after Netflix has been exhausted and all the friends seem to be out of town.  What is to be done with such boredom? Send in the cute little baby orangutan.

This guy. Oh my word this guy. How adorable? From observation, he seemed to have it all together. He could navigate up and down the ladder, snuggle with his mom, play peek-a-boo, and even annoy the big one in the corner. I learned from a friendly employee at the orangutan enclosure that when there are several orangutans out in the open space together, they are typically female because the males like to wrestle for dominance and sometimes that can cause problems. I also asked the zoo employee how I could tell if the orangutan was healthy or sick. She must have thought that was a strange question because she laughed. “well,” she started. “They are a lot like humans. They can catch the same illnesses we can catch and they’ll present will illness the same way. Look for runny noses and drowsy demeanor” She also assured me however that if an orangutan was indeed feeling under the weather, they wouldn’t be out in the observation areas.

My final question to the zookeeper was about his gate. I noticed that he seemed to rely heavily on the use of his arms to steady himself as he walked.

She chuckled and said, “he is still a baby he’s one-year old and he’s still learning.” She stated that he is, in fact, using his arms to steady himself an as he becomes more adept, he’ll be able to walk upright like the adult models he has at the zoo. Information from Orangutan.org seems to support this idea as well (https://orangutan.org/orangutan-facts/orangutan-behavior/)

“Orangutan offspring will sometimes be carried until they are 5 years old and be breast-fed until they are 8 years of age! Even when young orangutans are too old to be carried and fed by their mother, they may still remain close to her, traveling with her, eating, and resting in the same trees, until they are about 10 years old.”

So from my limited understanding, and trusting those who know more than me, we’re going to say that my orangutan was indeed healthy!

wolverine hair

Snuggles with Mom

Playing Peek-a-Boo!

Moving on to

subject #2: the human

This observation was a little easier than an orangutan because, as a human, I know a little about this species and therefore have general idea of what to look for with what is healthy and what is not.

Despite this subject leaning toward what may be considered the “obese” side of the scale, that was not the first thing that caught my eye. In fact, it wasn’t even the second. The first thing I noticed was her feet. They were black. I’d never quite seen anything like that and it caused me to wonder why. Usually when tissue becomes necrotic, it becomes black but this was different. It wasn’t solid. There was still an element of vascular function. A quick web search indicates that there are 4 possible causes to “darkened feet”

Not my subject
(just a picture off the internet to illustrate what I observed

SOURCE: http://www.veinsurgery.co.za/images/lipodermatosclerosis.jpg)

             

TWO COMMON CONDITIONS

1.       Varicose veins

2.       Venous insufficiency

ONE SOMEWHAT COMMON CONDITION

1.       Pregnancy

ONE RARE CONDITION

1.       hemochromatosis

(http://www.freemd.com/s2/0728/foot-swelling-bilaterally-skin-darkening.htm)

The second observation made was that the subject employed the use of a cane to ambulate. She didn’t appear to have a limp therefore the cane seemed to only be for weakness or stability. As I continued to observe the subject, I noticed that she had limited mobility and had difficulty sitting from standing and standing from sitting. Perhaps these issues were from the problem in her feet, perhaps from her weight. Perhaps one begat the other and there were other issues that lie in wait that could not be seen on the surface.

Perhaps if this individual was confronted about the status of her health she may say that all is well.

Perhaps she is adjusted to her condition and resigned to this level of function.

Without being able to complete the assessment with verbal confirmation and objective data from labs, the extent of health or lack thereof, is often difficult to ascertain from visual inspection alone but it often can give us a good place to start.

Energy Spheres

Health issues, most likely caused by food and food allergies, have significantly strained and complicated my relationship with food over the past year. Finding recipes and food that everyone in my family can eat AND enjoy has been tough and I’ve all but lost my mojo for being creative in the kitchen. Nothing has been super spectacular or worked out well enough that I’ve felt compelled to share. That all changed when I found these little gals this week. 

I have many reasons to share this recipe with you, but the most important is that I’m excited about it. It’s been too long since I’ve made and eaten something that inspired me to share the recipe with the world. These little tasty bites have done just that. Plus they kind of kick the trash out of my food issues I’ve been encountering and remind me that food for the digestinally impaired can be healthy, easy to prepare and taste so great that all my kids will ask for  seconds and thirds and fourths until the entire batch is GONE.  (Even the toddler [whom we have officially nicknamed Spidey – as in Spiderman - for his incredible climbing abilities]with all of his food sensitivities, allergies and health issues can eat these without a reaction!)

Instead of calling these by their traditional name (energy bites, energy balls) I call them Energy Spheres. It has a ring to it that is more natural and whole and promotes thoughts of calming and relaxation that in turn remind me that everything we consume has an impact on our ecosystem and that I can make a greater effort to use products that have been grown or raised in a manner that compliments both the environment, mind & body. I’m telling you these Energy Spheres are that amazing.

Also, since I’ve been reading ingredient lists and nutrition fact labels like it’s nobody’s business, I’ve decided to learn how to make my own and share that as well. Those of you trying to address the complicated relationship you may have with food might find this useful. (If you click on the label it will take you to a pdf that is a higher quality)

Energy Spheres

(gluten free, nut free, dairy free, vegan, raw)

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Yeild: 19, 1 oz balls

Serving Size: 60 g (2 oz)

Ingredients:

½ cup sunbutter (or nut butter of choice)

1/3 cup rice syrup (or honey)

¼ cup cocoa powder (natural, unsweetened)

2 tsp vanilla

pinch salt

1 cup quick oats (gluten free)

½ cup coconut (shredded, unsweetened)

2 tbls rice protein powder

2 tbsp chia seeds

½ mix-ins (dried fruit, rough chopped seeds/nuts, chocolate chips)

Directions:

1. In a 3.5 qt. large pot over medium low heat stir the sunbutter and rice syrup until combined and barely warmed
2. Stir in the cocoa powder, vanilla and salt. Once incorporated add in the remaining ingredients.
3. Form the dough into 1 oz (30g) balls and set on a cookie sheet. Eat immediately or chill in fridge. Store in an airtight container at room temp.

Notes: If you would like to get these closer to the protein level contained in Cliff Protein Bars, only include 6 tbsp unsweetened shredded coconut and add an additional 2 tbsp protein powder. Please also note that not, all protein powders are created equal. I used NutriBiotic Organic Brown Rice Vanilla flavored protein powder.

Source: Adapted from Fooddoodles.com

Gwenevere

Chicken Pot Pi(e)

In an attempt to just get something posted.

I’ve decided to keep this post brief.

Today is Pi day.

3.14 (12)

Remember?...

I mentioned Pi Day on Pie Day.

(Annie taught me about this day)

Of all the pie’s that have been made in my house, this is the one that pleases everyone, Homestyle Chicken Pot Pie. The filling is more stewy than soupy and we really dig that around here.

It can be made with whole wheat or all-purpose flour but I prefer whole wheat. The whole wheat flour gives the buttery, flakey crust a nutty flavor that no one can resist – often, by the end of the meal, the fluted crust has disappeared from any remaining pieces of the pie. 

Chicken Pot Pi(e)

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Yeild: 1 pie

Ingredients:

CRUST:

1 ¼ cup flour

½ tsp salt

1 Tbsp sugar (optional)

4 Tbsp shortening (cut into ¼ - inch pieces

6 Tbsp cold butter, cut into ¼ - inch pieces and chilled)

3-5 Tbsp ice cold water

FILLING:

2 large BNSL chicken breast halves (thawed)

3 Tbsp oil, divided

2 large carrots, thinly coined

1 large onion, finely diced

2 ribs of celery, chopped small

½ head of cauliflower (cut into tiny bite size pieces)

salt and pepper to taste

½ cup unsalted butter

½ cup flour

1 ½ cups milk

2 cups chicken broth (2 chicken bouillon cube dissolved in 2 cup water)

¾ cup frozen peas or corn (optional)

1 egg, beaten with 2 tbsp water

Directions:

CRUST:

1. Process flour salt (and sugar if using) in a food processor until combined. Scatter the shortening over the top and process until the mixture has the texture of coarse sand (about 10 seconds). Scatter the butter pieces over the top and, using short pulses, process the mixture until it resembles coarse crumbs, about 10 pulses. Transfer to a bowl.
2. Using 1 Tbsp at a time, sprinkle ice water over flour, toss with a fork and repeat until dough comes together in rough ball (DO NOT KNEAD OR STIR THE DOUGH – this will result in a tough crust).
3. Divide the dough into two even balls, flatten each ball into a 4-inch disk. Wrap the disk tightly in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1 hour.

FILLING:

4. Heat 1 ½ Tbsp oil in a skillet over medium heat. Once shimmering, add chicken and cook until browned and a nice crust forms. (3-4 min) Flip chicken and repeat. If chicken is not cooked thoroughly after both sides have been browned, turn the heat down to medium and cook until juices run clear and internal temperature reaches 165 degrees F. When done remove chicken from skillet and set aside.
5. Heat remaining 1 ½ Tbsp oil in the same skillet over medium-high heat. Once shimmering, add all vegetables (expect frozen peas or corn if using) and sauté until just tender (about 5 minutes). If needed add a little of the broth to the pan, cover with a lid and simmer until veggies are soft. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
6. While veggies are cooking cut chicken into bite-size chunks.
7. When veggies are done, in a large bowl combine chicken and veggies and set aside.
8. Wipe out skillet and melt ½ cup butter. When bubbly and frothy, whisk in ½ flour and cook for 1 minute.
9. Slowly whisk in milk (a bit at a time) to make a thick cream sauce. Thin sauce by slowly adding the chicken broth.
10. Pour cream sauce over veggies and chicken (add frozen veggies if using), stir, season to taste and set aside.
11. Adjust rack in oven to middle-low position and preheat oven to 400.
12. On a well-floured surface, roll out ½ the dough to just under a ¼ - inch thickness, place in pie pan and trim skirted edge to 1”.
13. Roll out the other ½ of the dough to just under ¼ - inch thickness as well but this time cut 4 vents in the center.
14. Fill pie with veggie/chicken mixture and cover with top crust.
15. Trim the top of the crust to 1-inch, to match the length of  the bottom then tuck the top layer of dough under the bottom layer, roll it together and flute the edge to seal.
16. Brush crust with egg wash and bake in oven for 30 minutes. Remove from oven and let rest 10 minutes before serving.

Source: Family File – Ellen Jenkins

Gwenevere   

Snickerdoodle Delights

It’s January 27^th. 

This day stands out to me for a few reasons. 

1)- It’s the day Boy proposed to me. Yep, just 2 short months from the time I brought him home to meet the family to the time we decided to take our relationship to forever. We’ve had our issues (believe me we’ve had our issues) but I’ll keep it all as they have helped us understand one another and  allowed us to grow closer than I ever thought possible. Love you, Boy.

2)-It’s the birthday of: my oldest brother, (Happy Birthday Jon) a good friend from high school, (Happy Birthday, Tiffany) and as I logged onto facebook this morning I saw that it was the birthday of not only a few of my real life friends but also of some of my new online friends  (Happy Birthday friends)

3)-It’s a day that in the past has hosted the super bowl. (Random I know but it all ties in.) As many of you know, I live in Indianapolis. Home of the 2012 Super Bowl and today marks the beginning of the events that our great city will be hosting.

To help kick off that event as well as say happy birthday to my brother (and everyone else) and commemorate the day Boy and I decided to join our family traditions together and be married…I’m giving you….

Snickerdoodle Delights

It’s a recipe that my family has been making for YEARS and one I was completely stoked to introduce to Boy as we began planning our life together. It’s also one of my brother’s favorite desserts (at least I remember it was- hopefully it still is) AND I think it would make an awesome addition to your super bowl spread. How’s that for tying it all together?

I’m not really sure how my family came up with the name; Snickerdoodle Delights. The treat has absolutely nothing to do with snickerdoodles. I think perhaps they have more to do with a Snickers candy bar than anything else and so explains the “snicker” part of snickerdoodle.

These have a soft cakey crust with a layer of roasted marshmallows topped with a caramel-ish, peanuty, crunchy top  that makes these little ditties incredibly difficult to resist….even for my peanut allergy kids. They are usually pretty good about rejecting peanut treats, but this gets them loathing their allergy every time I whip them up. For their sake, I rarely make them. Hopefully allergies will not restrict you from enjoying these delights.

Snickerdoodle Delights

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Yield: 32  1-inch squares

Ingredients:

BASE:

1 pkg/recipe yellow cake mix
1/3 cup softened butter

1 egg

3 cups mini marshmallows

TOPPING:
2/3 cup corn syrup

¼ cup butter

2 tsp vanilla

10 oz  peanut butter chips

2 cups rice krispies cereal

2 cups salted, roasted peanuts

Directions:

1. Heat oven to 350
2. With a pastry blender (or a fork) mix the cake mix, butter and egg until crumbly.
3. Press into the bottom of a ungreased 13x9-inch glass baking dish and bake for 12-18 minutes or until barely browned or golden.
4. Remove from oven, and turn oven to broil. Sprinkle marshmallow on top of base layer then put back in oven until marshmallows puff and brown (2-5 minutes). Remove from oven and let cool (turn oven off)
5. In a 3.5-quart pot, over medium heat, frequently stir together the corn syrup, butter and peanut butter chips until chips are melted and mixture is smooth.
6. Remove from heat and mix in vanilla until combined. Then stir in peanuts and rice krispies cereal.
7. Spoon topping over marshmallows and spread to cover evenly. Let it rest on the counter or in the fridge to set. (if you set in the fridge be sure  to take it out  to come to room temperature before cutting or serving)
   

Source: Family File

Notes: I've included a link to a homemade yellow cake mix recipe from Mel's Kitchen Cafe - I've never tried it, but I want to and thought you might be interested as well.

Gwenevere

Orange Julius

Last week, this little buddy arrived at my house.

After a week of furious blending, I’ve decided it can stay.  Thanks to its low clearance, I’ve found a permanent place on the counter where it can always be found. (This feature was actually the selling point for me. I’ve been shopping around for this caliber of blender for a while and was sold on the Blendtec when I learned that the jar can be put on and off of the base without ever having to move the base from it’s resting place on the countertop, under the upper cabinets.)

I am a little worried that the other appliance might get jealous though, of all the appliances on my counter, this one seems to drum up the most conversation. I didn’t know a blender could do that. Truth is; once you start using a Blendtec you may begin to wonder if there is anything this thing can’t do. Seriously, it’s amazing (and I’ve only just begun).

Because I was a little overexcited to get started on blending I bypassed the instruction manual and just got to it.. I figured the advertisements I’d been studying were instruction enough.

Fill to the brim and blend:

Why bother with instructions? Let the sky be the limit.

Well let me tell you that if you double an Orange Julius Copycat Recipe and fill the blender to the rim, the sky will be the limit and that is how high your Orange Julius will fly when you hit the smoothie button.  J

Clean up on aisle 4! 

So how full can you fill  Blendtec jars? Well, if what you are blending is mostly liquid, I would follow the guideline in the instruction manual (yes, I did decide to read it) and only fill to the highest measure mark. After a quick clean up and wipe down I tried again.

Something easy – Orange Julius.

All of the views stated in this blog are my own.

If it sounds like I'm trying to sell you a Blendtec Blender, that is because I probably am. 

I think they are fantastic.

DON'T bet on this being the last post you'll see from me on the subject.  

Also if you want to win one (a Blendtec Blender)....click HERE.

Knockoff Orange Julius

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Yield: 4 cups

Ingredients:

1 cup milk

1 cup water

6 -8 oz frozen orange juice concentrate

¼ cup sugar (completely optional)

1-teaspoon vanilla

24 ice cubes (of the skinny, orange wedge shape, variety. 12 if using the fat squares from a manual ice tray.)

Directions:

1. Place all the ingredients into the Blendtec in the order listed, hit the smoothie button and ENJOY! 

If you don’t have a Blendtec do the following:

2. In a blender, combine the orange juice concentrate (thawed), milk, water, sugar and vanilla. Cover and blend until smooth. With blender running, add ice cubes, one at a time, through the opening in lid. Blend until smooth. Serve immediately.
   

Source: Slightly adapted from Taste of Home

Gwenevere

Green Monster

Ok, so since September (through correspondence on my facebook page) I’ve been taunting y’all with a promise that someday soon I was going to write a blog post explaining what I’ve been up to that has slowed me down in the blog-posting department.

Well, “someday soon” has finally arrived and I’d like to make my first post addressing the “slow down” but before I do, I just really quick want to thank you for your continued support through all the comments, tweets, pins, stumbles and referrals. All that LOVE kept this blog alive and even helped it grow. Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! 

Now…. let me tell you about what’s been keeping me. 

No, it’s not a Green Monster Smoothie that's been keeping me from posting. This is just what I’m using to illustrate the story….it serves several purposes:

1)- it has the word “monster” in it so it adds drama to the story that otherwise would not be there. J

2)- It can be made in a Blendtec Blender (more information on that later)

3)- It may look scary, but once you try it you will find there is nothing to be afraid of…it’s wonderful, (kind of like the impetus for my story. It seemed really scary to me at first but now that I’m mostly through it…I can see that it was an experience I was grateful to have.) 

4)- it’s in a cup. (Ok, I know it’s not a "cup", it’s a glass….  but I wanted a picture of something GOOD in a cup so this picture will just have to do.)

So…a summation of the past 6 months of my life presented in parable form (so as to allow everyone the opportunity to relate. I see no good reason to alienate anyone just because they haven’t had a similar experience.) Here it goes....

Often I hear folks talking about “filling their bucket”. When I hear this, I think of a bucket that rests near a fountain that is used to gather water that can be used in case the fountain (from which it is filled) runs dry and there is no water to be had. The bucket holds enough water (i.e. goodness) to provide what is needed until the fountain flows again.

Well, I have a [figurative] bucket and in it I keep all the goodness I can catch. Truth, happiness, joy, love, giggles, hugs, kisses, laughter, experiences, memories, goals & hope…if it’s good, it goes in my bucket.

My bucket has never failed me. It has always held the sweet refreshment I needed, exactly when I needed it, until late last summer (2011).

Being wise (like I so often am) I decided that even thought the fountain was still flowing I should go and check on my bucket…you know,  just to make sure  it was filled and prepared for when I needed it. Well, when I took a peek inside, I was a bit astonished. There was nothing in it. It was completely empty.

“Someone must be taking my goodness.” I thought. “Oh well, I’ll just fill it back up.” So I pushed it under the full stream of the fountain. When I thought the bucket should be close to full, I took a second glance inside. That is when I began to panic (just a little). 

My bucket wasn’t holding water!

First, I tried to fill it up, again. When that didn’t work I thought that maybe the integrity of my bucket had been compromised so I began to inspect it for holes or leaks. When I found none, full on panic ensued.

WHY WOULDN’T MY BUCKET HOLD WATER?

WHAT WAS I GOING TO DO WITHOUT A PROPER BUCKET!? 

Quickly, I decided to put my bucket down and take a step back in order to give myself some distance to either calm down or get some perspective in order to see if there was something I had missed.

With each step backward the problem became increasingly clear. It wasn’t that there was a leak or a hole; it was that my bucket wasn’t a bucket….

IT WAS A CUP!

The force of water coming out of the fountain was so great that when it hit the bottom of the cup it immediately splashed back out! From where I was I had two choices I could either:

A)- take my cup to a slower running fountain or

B)-get a proper bucket!

I decided to stick with the fountain I was familiar with and set out to find a bigger bucket.

In a frantic effort to find what I was looking for I called everyone I knew who I thought might know anything about buckets or might have one for me to borrow until I could find my own. It seemed my peace was dependant on finding something big enough and sturdy enough to hold the goodness that came from the fountain.

Finally, after making a colossal mess from pulling everything off of my shelves, out of storage and from the places I go to look for lost things....I found what I was searching for. I can now report that what I found holds water very well.

Now, not wanting to repeat this event anytime in the future, I have decided to keep my eye out for bigger and sturdier buckets - you know, just in case there comes a day when the pressure of the fountain is turned up again and the bucket I have is no longer enough to hold what it needs to. When that happens, I’ll know exactly where to go to replace it.

The only real problem I have now (beside the mess that I made that I may never be able to clean up) is that I can’t get the goodness out as fast as it’s coming in, so it often… runneth over!

Thanks again everyone for sharing your goodness with me through this phase in my journey when I thought I had none.

Now get out your blender (a Blendtec if you have it) and blend up a delicious, healthy Green Monster so that we can raise our “cups” to the New Year. May this year be filled with enough goodness to share with everyone. May our world view be big enough to find goodness in every relationship. May our minds be open to new information and may our hearts allow us to receive it. 

Happy 2012!

Basic Green Monster

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Yield: 1 Gianormous Smoothie

Ingredients:

2 cups (packed) fresh spinach, steamed

1 to 1 ¼  cups milk (I prefer rice milk)

2 Tablespoons chia seeds

1 banana

1 - 2 cups of ice (about 10 depending on the size)

Directions:

1. Place all the ingredients into the Blendtec, hit the smoothie button and when it’s done, ENJOY!

If you don’t have a Blendtec do the following:

2. Place the ingredients into your blender in the following order: 1) chia seeds, 2) spinach, 3) banana, 4) milk. The reason for this order is so the heavier ingredients weigh down the chia seeds and spinach and keep it from flying up around the blender and sticking to the side.
3. Blend everything on the highest setting for 1 minute or so. Finally, add ice and blend on the ice setting. Pour into a large glass.

Source: Slightly adapted from Angela at Oh She Glows and Green Monster  Movement.

Gwenevere

Vegan Sweet Potato Biscuits

Finding the best biscuits on the planet is not as easy as finding the best hamburger buns, mostly because opinions are quite varied on the subject. Some like their biscuits, crumbly, some like them flakey and some prefer a tender, more cake-like crumb. The short of it, biscuits come in all kinds textures and flavors so it makes it rather difficult to find the best. So instead of finding very best, I’ll share the ones I really like.

The biscuits I’m sharing today are my vegan version of the sweet potato biscuits I found over at The Kitchn. They are tender and soft with just a bit of a crust. I thought the texture was actually fairly close to the KFC biscuits I’ve been trying to imitate but the flavor (obviously) wasn’t close, which is ok, because the salty biscuits at KFC wasn’t what I was going for either.

I’m seeing a lot of soup recipes being posted around and these biscuits would be a delightful pairing with just about any of them.

I’ve made these two ways; one with solid coconut oil and the other with earth balance soy free butter substitute….the version with the Earth Balance was my favorite. If you have a legume/peanut allergy or sensitivity in your family please be aware that Earth Balance Soy Free is made with pea protein. Because of that, I can’t use it for my family with legume issues. For the buttery taste, next time I think I’ll try soy-free Spectrum butter flavored palm shortening. 

Vegan Sweet Potato Biscuits

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Yield: about 18 2” biscuits

Ingredients:

2 cups all-purpose flour


4 teaspoons baking powder


½ teaspoon kosher salt


6 tablespoons chilled *Earth Balance Spread, cut into cubes


1 cup steamed and mashed sweet potato (approximately 1 large potato)


½ tsp lemon juice or vinegar

½  cup rice milk, plus additional as needed

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375°
2. Sour rice milk with lemon juice or vinegar and set aside (rice milk does not sour like cows milk so don’t expect the same texture)
3. In a large bowl, mix together all-purpose flour, baking powder, and salt. Using a pastry blender (or your fingers if you don't have one) cut the butter into the flour mixture until the butter is a mix of pea-size balls and small crumbs.
4. In a separate bowl, whisk together the mashed sweet potato and rice milk until well-combined. Fold into the flour mixture, adding more (up to 4 tablespoons) rice milk if necessary. The dough should form a nice ball, and be just a bit on the sticky side, as opposed to crumbly and dry. Chill the dough for thirty minutes, if desired, although you can bake them off immediately if you would like. I happen to like the way the biscuits look when the dough has chilled (a bit more crackly on top), but the flavor is not affected by this step.
5. Pat out the dough onto a lightly floured surface to about a 1-inch thickness (do not roll out the dough with a rolling pin). Cut out rounds using a well-floured biscuit cutter. (I prefer a square cookie cutter so that I don’t have scraps.) Gather the remaining scraps and repeat until all the dough is used. Place the biscuits on a large sheet pan and bake for 15 minutes (or bake in batches).

Notes: The cooked biscuits will freeze beautifully and can be pulled out at a moments notice. Just bake at 375° until heated through.

*Any preferred butter substitute or butter will work just fine.

Source: Adapted from The Kitchn: Sweet Potato Biscuits

Gwenevere