Wednesday, December 24, 2008

Season's Greetings!

Date: Wednesday, December 24
The Delivery: Two US Canteens and some dark chocolate
Staff Pick: Chocolate's always good during the holidays, and Shaman Chocolates are both gourmet and organic

The DL: There's no such thing as too many sweets during this festive time of the year, and we here at VegNews wish everyone a very wonderful and compassionate holiday. Please take note that the VNHQ will be closed starting December 25 and reopening January 5. Happy Holidays!

Tuesday, December 23, 2008

Hot Hand-Bag

Date: Tuesday, December 23
The Delivery: A vegan-friendly handbag, organic sugar-cookie mix, a book, and Brain Toniq
Staff Pick: Hit the town in style with vegan handbags from Vegetarian Shoes and Bags

The DL: This gorgeous bag has been catching a lot of eyes at the VNHQ. Too bad there's only one. Whether you're doing the casual thing or having a night on the town, this handbag will make a great accessory.

Monday, December 22, 2008

Sweets for Your Smoocher

Date: Monday, December 22
The Delivery: A chic faux-leather laptop carrier, a bounty of books, sweet-tasting lip balms, a peanut butter-chocolate bar, reusable bags, and some fabulous-looking fudge
Staff Pick: Cure your ice cream cravings with Crazy Rumors A La Mode Lip Balm

The DL: It's hard to escape dry lips in the middle of winter, and vegan lip balm is not always the easiest to come by. So, we are quite excited to try these ice cream-flavored lip balms with such decadent flavors as Mint Chocolate and Almond Fudge!

Friday, December 19, 2008

Ringing in the New Year, VegNews Style

Date: Friday, December 19
The Delivery: A beautiful bouquet of fresh herbs from Forty Oaks Farm and the January+February '09 issue of VegNews Magazine
Staff Pick: It's time to relax and feel good with our brand new issue!

The DL: So sue us for featuring our own product, but we are super excited about our fresh-off-the-presses Feel-Good Food issue of VegNews! And what's not to be ecstatic about? We don't want to give anything away, but we're pretty darn sure you won't be disappointed.

Wednesday, December 17, 2008

Sea the Beauty

Date: Wednesday, December 17
The Delivery: All-natural, zero-calorie sweetener, a couple boxes of festive chocolates, fresh-scented body products, healthier soda-pop, and a book
Staff Pick: Smell good without all the cruelty with One With Nature sea mineral body products

The DL: The One With Nature skincare line employs a give-and-take philosophy when it comes to its products. Salt and mud from the Dead Sea are the products' main ingredients, and part of the company's profits go toward Dead Sea preservation efforts.

Friday, December 12, 2008

Twinkies, You Say?

Date: Friday, December 12
The Delivery: Baked potato chips, yummy vegan sweets, a leather-free soccer ball, and some dietary supplements
Staff Pick: Vegans can really have anything our hearts desire, even Twinkies!

The DL: To tell you the truth, many of us here at the VNHQ believed our days of eating Twinkies were over after adopting the vegan lifestyle. But we are once again united with these sweet treats thanks to Dulce Vegan! The cruelty-free version beats the old-school snack hands-down, being just as sweet without the overly processed factor.

Thursday, December 11, 2008

Stay Educated

Date: Thursday, December 11
The Delivery: Vegan doughnuts and chocolate-dipped pretzels, some organic chocolate, our usual shipment of Clif Bars, a CD, several documentaries, a children's book, and an all-natural veggie-fiber facial-sponge
Staff Pick: Get educated with the new, informative documentaries that are being released including Flow and Blinders

The DL: Though not always pleasant to watch, documentaries are a great way to get informed and to inform others about a topic of interest. Luckily, a great deal of these films focus on animal rights and the environment, making it even easier to spread the word about vegetarianism.

Wednesday, December 10, 2008

Just Bag It!

Date: Wednesday, December 10
The Delivery: Loads of seasonal chocolate, good-for-you dark-chocolate bars, reusable bags, and some hemp products
Staff Pick: There's no more having to worry about paper or plastic with ChicoBag's pocket-size reusable bags

The DL: It feels wonderful to say, "No bag please," in the store check-out line, but it can definitely be a hassle to lug all your recyclable bags around. This is where the Vita bag comes to the rescue. It's plenty big and can hold up to 40 pounds, but can also fold up into a tiny ball that fits right into your pocket. Now that's what we call thrifty!

Monday, December 8, 2008

Naturally Beautiful

Date: Monday, December 8
The Delivery: A couple of chewable dietary supplements, three books, and some cruelty-free make-up
Staff Pick: Beautify yourself naturally with Larénim mineral make-up

The DL: Most make-up you find on store shelves contains not-so-lovely ingredients. Luckily, more and more natural, cruelty-free make-up brands—such as Larénim—are becoming available. No longer will your beauty routine and ethics come into conflict.

Thursday, December 4, 2008

Lovin' That Cup o'Joe

Date: Thursday, December 4
The Delivery: Organic whole-bean coffee
Staff Pick: Get your caffeine-fix with Weaver's hand-crafted, artisan coffee

The DL: The few coffee-drinkers here at VegNews have been feeling a little put-out lately with all the tea being delivered to the office, but luckily they now have their fix. Love it or hate it, coffee is definitely the number-one staple for working Americans, so why not make it organic?

Tuesday, December 2, 2008

Tuesday Thirst Quenchers

Date: Tuesday, December 2
The Delivery: Some stainless-steel bottles, a washable produce bag, tea bags, and all-natural throat-spray
Staff Pick: Who needs bottled water when you've got these thrifty OneEarth stainless-steel bottles?

The DL: It's definitely time to stop buying wasteful bottled water (read our upcoming Jan+Feb 2009 issue to learn more about the global water crisis). Great styles of stainless-steel bottles are totally accessible, and super sleek! Staying hydrated has never been so much fun.

Monday, December 1, 2008

Stepping Into Style

Date: Monday, December 1
The Delivery: Fancy footwear and some reading material
Staff Pick: NeuAura's leather-free shoes from the spring '09 collection will have you stepping out in high style

The DL: We know it's a bit too early for these fab warm-weather shoes, but we can still dream about sun, sea, and sandals, can't we? No matter the style, be it flats or stilettos, NeuAura has you covered.

Wednesday, November 26, 2008

Taste of Gourmet

Date: Wednesday, November 26
The Delivery: Plastic-free bags, sea-salt bouquets, and a whole load of artisan oils, vinegars, and dressings
Staff Pick: Spice up your kitchen with Lucini Italia Infused Gourmet Olive Oils

The DL: Olive oil is quite possibly the most important staple in the kitchen—at least in the Café VegNews kitchen. So imagine our excitement when we received this huge package of premium olive oil infused with such savory flavors as garlic, basil, and chili pepper. It's time to bust out the french bread and get to dipping!

Tuesday, November 25, 2008

Something to be Thankful For

Date: Tuesday, November 25
The Delivery: A boxful of sweet confections
Staff Pick: VegNews "Veganize It!" columnist extraordinaire Allison Rivers Samson has once again pulled it off with her brand-new treats from Allison's Gourmet

The DL: The VegNews staff literally ripped open this box of sweets when it came through our door! We were oh-so-pleased to see that it was stuffed to full capacity with holiday goodies including toffee, caramels, and peanut brittle. Suffice it to say that any collective office willpower has gone out the same door that these sweets came in.

Monday, November 24, 2008

You Gotta Have Soul

Date: Monday, November 24
The Delivery: An assortment of books, a post-punk CD, and some handmade bath-and-body products
Staff Pick: If you think that vegans only live on brown rice and vegatables, get a reality check with The Vegan Soulfood Guide to the Galaxy

The DL: Afya Ibomu's book is not only full of recipes, but is also a guide to adopting a more healthy vegan diet—the soulful way. Buffalo Tofu Wings, anyone?

Friday, November 21, 2008

All Beauty, No Beast

Date: Friday, November 21
The Delivery: Several superfood packets and bars, super-cute stainless-steel bottles, and some 100-percent-natural beauty products
Staff Pick: The beauty products from Pristine Recovery help to both beautify and prevent cancer

The DL: The fun old-fashion packaging and intriguing story of these beauty products definitely caught our attention. You won't find any chemicals in these babies, and it's great to know that some of your purchase will go towards cancer survivors and prevention. Staying gorgeous has never felt so good!

Thursday, November 20, 2008

Choco' Full of Goodies

Date: Thursday, November 20
The Delivery: Jumbo-size bags of tea, some botanical beverages, water in a bag, two books, and some bite-size chocolates
Staff Pick: No matter what season it is, Sjaak's Organic Chocolates has you covered

The DL: The GreenFest sure brought in a load of new products, but we're not complaining, especially when it means more chocolate. If you're trumped on stocking-stuffer ideas, these chocolate candies are sure to please.

Tuesday, November 18, 2008

Say Chreese!

Date: Tuesday, November 18
The Delivery: More pancakes, other breakfast goodies, and instant cheddar-style mashed potatoes
Staff Pick: Edward & Sons Chreesy Mashed Potatoes came just in time for holiday feasting

The DL:
Okay, so the staff at VNHQ may have already tried our share of these mashed potatoes with a twist, leaving some of us wanting more. They're definitely a quick and hearty side when you need mashed taters in a hurry.

Friday, November 14, 2008

Pancakes a' Plenty

Date: Friday, November 14
The Delivery: Pancakes, pancakes, and more pancakes (mixes, that is)
Staff Pick: It looks like the VNHQ is set on pancake mix until next year, including the VegNews tasted-and-approved Cherrybrook Kitchen Pancake Mix

The DL:
Ever since Editorial Assistant Abby's first brunch, the VN staff has wanted more, and boy are we in luck. Pancake connoisseurs we shall be once we get through all of these.

Monday, November 10, 2008

Raw-tastic Cooking

Date: Monday, November 10
The Delivery: Two books, some leave-in conditioner, and a crazy amount of Clif Bars
Staff Pick: If you're looking to make some raw desserts with pizazz, check out the new Sweet Gratitude cookbook

The DL:
San Francisco-based Café Gratitude serves delicious raw meals, including a multitude of desserts. Now everyone can enjoy these tasty treasures with this raw book completely devoted to sweet-endings. If the Tiramisu is any indication of what's inside, we can't wait to bust it open!

Friday, November 7, 2008

Glorious Granola

Date: Friday, November 7
The Delivery: Tons of granola, a green tea set, a book, and some raw ice cream
Staff Pick: Get your hands on some Laughing Giraffe Granola for a yummy mid-morning snack

The DL:
The VN staffers almost ripped into a bag of this granola before posting on This Just In—yes, it was that tempting. It seems nothing could tame our mid-morning hunger pangs better than a handful of Pineapple Macadamia Coconut Cacao granola. Our mouths are watering just mentioning it.

Wednesday, November 5, 2008

Crazy for Cookies

Date: Wednesday, November 5
The Delivery: Vegan allergen-free cookies
Staff Pick: Home Free Treats cookies claim to be safe for kids—and the young at heart—with common food allergies

The DL: There may not be any kids running around here, but at VNHQ, we sure do like our sweets. The mini chocolate chip variety looks especially enticing, and we kinda like that they aren't loaded with calories. Now, pass that box over here!

Monday, November 3, 2008

Now, the Truth

Date: Monday, November 3
The Delivery: Two vegan DVDs and a CD
Staff Pick: Al Gore's An Inconvenient Truth can take a lesson or two from the new documentary Meat the Truth

The DL:
Though Al Gore did a fine job in exposing some truths about climate change, he conveniently neglected to fully cover the global-warming consequences of the livestock industry. This new film—presented by Dutch MP Marianne Thieme—fills the gap.

Friday, October 31, 2008

Yoga-nna Need Some Relaxation

Date: Friday, October 31
The Delivery: Hummus-tastic falafel chips, exquisite teas, exotic hibiscus juices, books galore, ayurvedic foods and a t-shirt
Staff Pick: Like PB+J, Yoga and Vegetarianism were just meant to go together

The DL: It's been one hectic delivery day here at the VNHQ! With all the stress built-up after a long week's worth of award-winning magazine-writin', new website launchin', and general booty-kickin', we're ready for some relaxing yoga. Omm ... as in, omm, can we have some chocolate please?

Wednesday, October 29, 2008

Eat Your Veggies

Date: Wednesday, October 29
The Delivery: A box full of vegetable-based recipes and two books
Staff Pick: The Vegetable Box is a cute idea giving advice on how to use all those vegetables stored in your fridge 

The DL: Some of us here were a bit baffled when we received this box with cardboard cut-outs of vegetables sticking out of it. Turns out to be a unique recipe file. Who'd have guessed? Unfortunately, some recipes call for eggs and cheese, which is a bit unnecessary if you ask us. Who needs cheese when you have all the wonderful flavors from your garden?

Tuesday, October 28, 2008

Express Yourself

Date: Tuesday, October 28
The Delivery: Some fast-cooking rice bowls, a rockin' CD, and organic baby-butter
Staff Pick: Nuke some Annie Chun's Rice Express if you're in a hurry to get out the door, but still want some wholesome Asian food

The DL: You literally only need a minute to cook this exotic Black Pearl rice, which was once prized for its nutritional qualities in ancient China. Add some sautéed tofu and vegetables and you have yourself a quick and tasty meal!