Fri, Jan 27th 11:08pm UTC

Pop Up Shop Tonight!

Looking for a fun evening? Stop by The Mint in downtown Scottsdale for great drink deals, yummy food, and a Pop-up shop including 20+ local vendors! I will have holiday special soaps not available anywhere else and whipped body creme that was exclusive to the club but you can pick it up tonight! 15% of all transactions will be donated to charity!


When: Thursday, 12/15 4-8pm
Where: The Mint,
7373 E. Camelback Rd
Charity: ACCEL

http://www.popupshopaz.com/

RSVP on Facebook

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pumpkin spice cookies

Things are so busy this season, who isn’t craving a quiet moment with some hot tea and a tasty cookie? Pumpkin is delicious and I had left over pumpkin puree after using it to make my pumpkin spice soap (can’t let it go to waste!). My sweet tooth got the best of me and these cookies happened. ;c)  They are super soft and spicy, they would be great for a cookie exchange but they are too fragile to hold up to too much transport.. guess you’ll just have to eat them allyourself, darn!

pumpkin spice cookies

makes ~2 dozen

  • 2/3 cup pumpkin puree
  • 2/3 cup Earth Balance margarine
  • 2/3 cup brown sugar (packed)
  • 1 1/2 cup whole wheat pastry flour
  • 1 Tbsp cornstarch
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • 1 Tbsp vanilla extract
  • 1 tsp cinnamon
  • 1/2 tsp each ginger, nutmeg, & sea salt

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and put parchment paper on a baking pan. Cream sugar and Earth Balance together with a hand mixer until smooth then mix in the pumpkin and vanilla. In another bowl whisk together the flour, baking powder, cornstarch, salt, and spices. Mix dry with the wet ingredients half a cup at a time until well combined. Drop batter onto your baking sheet one tablespoon at a time. With damp hands shape the drops into spheres and slightly flatten. Bake for 10-12 minutes, they should be cracked on top and slightly browned on bottom. They will be very soft, transfer them to a cooling rack (if you can resist eating them right out of the oven) and enjoy!


Buy soap, save a life!

Turkeys are some of the sweetest creatures yet sadly every Thanksgiving more than 46 million of these intelligent and personable birds are raised in cruel factory farms and slaughtered for holiday consumption. Even “free-range” and “organic” labeled turkeys are not safe from this cruelty.  Your personal choice can make the difference by opting for a plant-based holiday meal and you can save an actual life by adopting a turkey from the Farm Sanctuary. Just $30 saves the life of a turkey marked for slaughter. Apart from the suffering involved in factory farming of turkeys and other critters the environmental impact is significant. If you are concerned about your carbon footprint, please skip or at least drastically reduce the meat this season. Get creative and have fun with your cooking! There are so many amazing ways to prepare veggie foods!

I will be donating 30% of every dollar that goes to StrawberryHedgehog.com by Thanksgiving to Farm Sanctuary Adopt-A-Turkey program! Remember you can get free shipping on all orders of $100 and the 30% of that is enough to save a life! If you want to adopt directly please do so athttp://www.adoptaturkey.org/

 


Agave Spa’s “Early Black Friday” Trunk Show! Friday Nov. 18th

Collaboration is such a wonderful thing! Strawberry Hedgehog is teaming up with the beautiful and brilliant Michelle Brimley, owner and creator of Between Heaven and Earth Aromatherapy for a fantastic event this Friday at the Agave Spa at the Westin Kierland Resort. Please join us for a trunk show with unique gifts and deals with early Black Friday specials. Please stop by to pick up fabulous aromatherapeutic, all natural, healing, gifties for you and yours!

When: Fri, Nov 18th from 5:30-7:30pm

Where: The Westin Kierland Resort and Spa,

6902 East Greenway Parkway, Scottsdale, AZ 85254. (480) 624-1000 ‎


Local Fall Festival! November 12th

The 2010 Local 1st Fall Festival with my great friend and amazing helper, Becky! Huge thanks to Austin who will be helping me out this year :c)

Mark your calendars!! This Saturday is the biggest local event of the year. 60 fabulous local vendors, Strawberry Hedgehog included! Zonie Baskets, Between Heaven and Earth, and Jeweled Triton will all be at the Strawberry Hedgehog booth. Stop by for the greatest holiday gifts or treat yourself before the stress of the season hits.

When? 10am-4pm, Saturday November 12th!

Where? Duck and Decanter, 1651 E Camelback, Phoenix 85016 (map), (602) 274-5429 ·duckanddecanter.com


vegan eats in Phoenix Valley


Here is a working list of my favorite vegan, vegan friendly, and places that are just darn delicious but require some special ordering in the Phoenix area. I’m looking for more places in the downtown area. Any suggestions? Any favorites I didn’t include on the list?

Restaurant City What to eat? Veg-Friendly
24 Carrots Chandler “eggsalad” sandwich is fav with fabulous seasonal dishes, excellent dessert VEGGIE
Blue Nile Tempe The vegetarian messob with collards, chickpeas, lentils, yellow split peas, and cabbage/potato. I could drink a gallon of their delicious house tea, too, fyi. OMNI
Breadfruit Phoenix Coconut curried tofu, Dessert: sweet potato pudd’n –> DO IT OMNI
Chakra 4 Phoenix Clearly marked vegan options, loved their Morroccan stew, salads, desserts. VEGGIE
Chill Tempe Wonderful sorbets, soy gelato, & soy soft serve! VEGGIE
Fez Phoenix black bean cumin burger (no cheese or aoli) w/ extra salad dressing to dip. <3 OMNI
Gallo Blanco Phoenix Get their veggie tacos made vegan and order yourself some guacamole. YUM! OMNI
Green Tempe, Phoenix 100% vegan! ORDER IT ALL! No harm parm or the Original G are my favorites. VEGAN
Inside the Bungalow Mesa Love their cashew curry tofu wrap and great drinks! OMNI
Loving Hut Phoenix, Peoria 100% vegan! ORDER IT ALL! Love their Pho or the Hawaiian burger. VEGAN
Morning Glory Café Phoenix Granola with soy milk OMNI
Nami Phoenix 100% vegan! ORDER IT ALL! They serve just coffee drinks and desserts, all amazing! VEGAN
Nourish Scottsdale Clearly marked vegan. I recommend Teriyaki rice bowl + Treehouse Cupcakes OMNI
Oregano’s Phoenix, Tempe, Chandler, Mesa Bollopasta, sub pizza sauce, no cheese or garlic bread OMNI
Persian Garden Phoenix Falafel sandwich at lunch is fantastic. I had to give this place several chances over several years but lately it has been great! OMNI
Pita Jungle Phoenix, Tempe, Chandler, Mesa Lentil fetoosh, macro platter, falafel – weekend brunch southwest tofu scramble is good OMNI
Pizza Heaven Bistro Phoenix Vegan cheese and soy-sausage available. Love the hot veggie sandwich made vegan! Excited they deliver! OMNI
Pizza People Food Truck Phoenix+ Vegan cheese available and their crust is fabulous. Highly recommend their “Fun Guy” pizza with soy cheese. Mmmm. Love love love the owners, too! OMNI
Pomegranate Ahwatukee Brunch fav – vegan lumberjack or vegan breakfast burrito, excellent dessert VEGGIE
Quiessence Phoenix Great for a splurge, my go to fancy date night place when the season’s right. Request vegan dish. OMNI
Sahara Tempe Falafel is the best I’ve had, sunbusek is to die for, lentil soup will blow your mind! OMNI
Someburros Tempe, Chandler Veggie burro with no cheese (whole beans are vegan, refried isn’t vegetarian!) OMNI
Spinato’s Pizzeria Phoenix, Tempe, Scottsdale, Ahwatukee Great selection of veggies for toppings BUT I can’t recommend highly enough the Baked Spaghetti Calzone without cheese, add kalamata olives OMNI
Tasty Kabob Tempe Veggie kabobs… omg… you won’t believe they can be so good. Their spicy beans and hummus rock. OMNI
Thai Basil Phoenix, Tempe, Chandler I love the fresh rolls, Tom Kha or peanut curry without fish sauce. FBI dessert is great! OMNI
That’s a Wrap Phoenix Ask to special order any of their veggie wraps made vegan. Very accomodating! OMNI
The Farm Kitchen Phoenix Sweet potato salad and the veggie sandwich without mayo or cheese. OMNI
Ticoz Phoenix Burrito or street tacos made vegan (no cheese or crema, ADD GUACAMMUS!) OMNI
True Food Phoenix, Scottsdale I’ve never had anything I didn’t love. Clearly marked vegan options, desserts and entrees. OMNI
TSOM Tempe Tasty falafel bar with wonderful fixings, zucchini fritters are delish, salad bar is exceptional! VEGGIE
Udupi Tempe The buffet comes with dosai but dinner is better. Mmm. Chili Gobi with Chana Batura = best! VEGGIE

coconut-walnut scones

Because there is never a bad time for scones!

For this recipe I used Turtle Mountain So Delicious Coconut Milk that you buy in the carton, not the canned pure stuff. Sooooo yummy!

coconut-walnut scones
1 cup unbleached white flour
2 cups whole wheat pastry flour
2 tbsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
2 tsp cinnamon
2 tsp nutmeg
1/4 cup sugar
1 1/4 cup coconut milk
1/3 cup canola oil
1 tsp vinegar
2 tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp each coconut and almond extracts
1/2 cup shredded unsweetened coconut
1 cup chopped walnuts
turbinado sugar for garnish

Mix the coconut milk and vinegar in a bowl and let set while you assemble the rest. Line baking pans with parchment paper and preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Whisk the dry ingredients together. Add the oil and extracts to the coconut milk mixture. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry and stir, careful not to over mix just until dry and wet are combined. Fold in the coconut and walnuts. Scoop out the mix with a 1/4 or 1/3 cup scoop onto your parchment paper, reshaping where needed. Sprinkle with turbinado sugar. Bake for 12-15 minutes or until firm to the touch and beginning to brown on the bottom.


DIY Cleansing Clay Herbal Scrub

The most basic action you can take to avoid flaky skin is proper exfoliation. I have many customers that use my sugar scrubs on their faces, which works great and leaves you with a glow, but sometimes you want a scrub that isn’t oil based. This is the scrub that I use personally. It earned rave reviews at my last Spa Night where I may have created a few addicts.. who may have persuaded me to do this post ;c) It is important to ask why your skin is flaking in the first place though. How is your intake of Omega-3′s? How is your good cholesterol? Are there toxins in your cosmetics or skincare routine your body is reacting to? Whatever the reason, we could all use a good scrub-a-dub every now and then (~once a week) to slough off the dull outer dead skin cells and reveal the glowing youthful skin below.

DIY Cleansing Clay Herbal Scrub

  • 1 cup finely ground oats
  • ¼ cup each finely ground lavender buds, finely ground green tea, kaolinite clay, and cornmeal
  • 1 tsp ground rosehips (vit. A, C, E)
  • 1 tsp carrier oil
  • 1 tsp vegetable glycerin
  • Essential oils:

Dry skin: 3 drops lavender, 2 drops carrotseed

Normal skin: 3 drops rosemary, 2 drops orange

Oily-Combination skin: 3 drops lavender, 2 drops tea tree

 

Grind herbs and oats until they are a fine powder. In a baggy mix the ground oats and herbs with the clay and cornmeal until well combined, zipping the bag and kneading or shaking it. Add in the oil and essential oils, again kneading until combined. Label and store in a cool dry place.

To use, dampen your face and neck with warm water, with damp hands spoon out a tablespoon or so of scrub into your palm. Get the other damp and blot it onto the scrub and rub together to start to make a paste then apply to your face in circular motion, avoiding your eyes. You can mix this in a little bowl by just adding water until it reaches the consistency you want but I find it easiest to just mix in my hands. You can leave it on a few minutes to act as a mask or you can rinse it off with warm water after you’ve hit the areas that most need scrubbing. Don’t forget your lips, around your nose, and brows, you don’t want to get any grains in your eyes (it isn’t going to kill you, just like getting hair in your eye, it is a pain). Happy scrubbing!


DIY Liquid Soap

With even more information coming out regarding the hazards of Triclosan – the active ingredient in conventional liquid soap, deodorants, hand sanitizers, etc. – and after receiving some questions on facebook today and several in the past I’m finally posting the simple trick to turn my bar soaps into liquid. I prefer bar soaps (obviously). They save on water, packaging, and with a good soap dish they last for ages and mine never contain triclosan or other yucky ingredients like SLS. BUT! If you insist on a liquid, it is very simple. :c) You can use this as a hand soap, body wash, or any sort of cleanser around the house. Also a great idea to use up the last scraps of your soaps. Collect them and finely cut them until you have 1/2 a cup for this recipe. Just a note — this feels a lot like castile soap, it is not the same as the detergents in regular liquid soap that have harmful foaming agents.

Why should you avoid triclosan?

  • “Several studies have shown that triclosan may alter hormone regulation in laboratory animals or cause antibiotic resistance, and some consumer groups and members of Congress want it banned in antiseptic products like hand soap. The F.D.A. has already said that soap with triclosan is no more effective than washing with ordinary soap and water, a finding that manufacturers dispute.” -NYTimes
  • “Triclosan is linked to liver and inhalation toxicity. Low levels of triclosan may disrupt thyroid function. Wastewater treatment does not remove all of the chemical. Triclosan ends up in lakes, rivers and water sources, where i is very toxic to aquatic life.” - Environmental Working Group
  • “The FDA and the Environmental Protection Agency say they are taking a fresh look at triclosan, which is so ubiquitous that is found in the urine of 75 percent of the population, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention” - Washington Post

1. Shred 1/2 cup soap (I used eucalyptus-lime)

2. Put shredded soap in 4 cups liquid

3. Heat shredded soap + liquid in the microwave in 30 sec bursts until combined

DIY Liquid Soap

  • 1/2 cup shredded Strawberry Hedgehog soap. This equals about half a bar or you can collect the last bits of soap over time and combine them for this purpose. Great way to eliminate waste!
  • 4 cups liquid. Always use a base of distilled water as opposed to tap or “drinking” water but feel free to play around by brewing teas, using aloe, or floral hydrosols.
  • * optional: essential oils. Lemon is always a great kitchen option and tea tree is  powerfully antimicrobial. I recommend 15 drops for this size recipe.
  • * optional: 1 tbsp vegetable glycerin. Strawberry Hedgehog soaps are already loaded with glycerin but if you want even more moisture, go for it!
4. Put in essential oils & glycerin if using (I used 5 drops each tea tree, grapefruit, & eucalyptus)
5. Once cooled funnel into clean bottles

6. Reusing bottles is a great idea or store in a larger container to refill as needed.


Oh, the places you’ll go!


View Perfect Home for Strawberry Hedgehog in a larger map

I’m fishing for suggestions. Our new soapy headquarters will be around 7th Ave. and Camelback in Phoenix. We will be ramping up our wholesale which means I need to know where you shop! :c) What adorable little stores do you frequent that you think would be a great fit for Strawberry Hedgehog soap? Boutique? Yoga studio? Spa? Coffee Shop? Salon? Gift Shop? The best way to submit your suggestion is to leave a comment with the name and address of your perfect place. Not in the Phoenix area? Doesn’t matter! If you think you know the perfect fit, I want to hear about it! :c) Thanks for taking the time to help me out!