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!

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.

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?

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!

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.

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.

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.

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!

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.

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!

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.