Thank You, Ani Phyo!

Date: Friday, May 29
The Delivery: The Missing Peace, by Tina Volpe and Judy Carman, three tasty-looking curries from Curry Love, a Spaghetti Scrub, and a very special gift from Ani Phyo
Staff Pick: Raw desserts galore freshly made by Ms. Phyo herself!

The DL: VegNews happened to host a very sweet shindig for Ani last week, and today we received this incredible package of homemade treats—they look delicious! Let's just say that these brownie cookies are about to be demolished. For tons of yummy recipes, check out her new book, Ani's Raw Food Desserts.

Mineral Madness

Date: Wednesday May 27
The Delivery: Entertaining in the Raw by Matthew Kenney, a variety of Yogachips, some fresh-baked Pure NRG bars, Lafe's natural deodorant stick, and some mineral eye make-up
Staff Pick: Khuraira's mineral eye color

The DL: Mineral make-up seems to be all the rage these days, but we're not complaining. The more natural the product is, the better, in our opinion, which is why we like these super-cute eye shadows! It's great to see that there's no longer any guilt in being glamorous.

Take it to the Max!

Date: Thursday, May 21
The Delivery: An assortment of Go Max Go Foods' new vegan candy bars wrapped in their snazzy, new packaging, along with two elegant bottles of Kikusui Junmai Ginjo Chrysanthemum Mist Organic Saké.

Staff Pick: Go Max Go Foods' Vegan Candy Bars

The DL: It's no secret around here—the VN staff is in love! With Go Max Go Foods' Candy Bars, that is. We've fallen head over heals for these rice-milk chocolate coated nuggets of rich, gooey goodness. Although we've already sampled the launch version of these treats, we think we better taste-test these newly-outfitted versions to confirm product consistency. Can't wait to try these yourself? Keep your eye out for our upcoming giveaway!

Sensational Saké

Date: Wednesday, May 20
The Delivery: A sampling of Takara Saké's delicious-looking wares, including Nigori Crème de Saké and Hana flavored saké infused with lychee, Fuji apple, plum, and raspberry.
Staff Pick: Lychee Hana flavored saké

The DL: Don't worry about the "crème" in the Nigori saké. This misnomer refers to this Japanese beverage's cloudy appearance, not to any dairy products contained within. So, feel free to pour a glassfull and clink glasses with your dining companion next time you're sharing some veg sushi. We're looking forward to a few more saké deliveries this week in anticipation of our upcoming saké taste test. Stay tuned!

Need for Sweets

Date: Tuesday, May 19
The Delivery: A ton of Simplifast, two chocolate bars (one vegan, one not), non-vegan marinade, and a kids' activity book
Staff Pick: Dagoba's seed-infused chocolate bar

The DL: It was a very busy weekend for the VN staffers, and the craziness isn't stopping anytime soon. How do we cope? With chocolate, of course! So, it's a good thing that it keeps coming though our door—our sweet cravings are never-ending.

Hip Hibiscus

Date: Thursday, May 14
The Delivery: A flowery libation
Staff Pick: OOBA's hibiscus beverages

The DL: We've been receiving a lot of thirst-quenchers lately, and the timing couldn't be more perfect, because it's supposed to get really hot this weekend in the SF Bay Area and it's Bay to Breakers. The VN staffers running the race will put this drink to the test as the mercury rises. Cheers!

Zazzing It Up A Bit

Date: Wednesday, May 13
The Delivery: Some sparkling tea
Staff Pick: This makes us want to toss the soda and try a TeaZazz

The DL: Looking to add some pizazz to your tea-time routine? This bottled beverage offers bubbles galore and such refreshing-sounding flavors as Green Tea Mint and Green Tea Lemon. Sure beats a can of cola!

Time To Be Bold

Date: Tuesday, May 12
The Delivery: A yoga mat, some Simply Boulder culinary sauce, and four books
Staff Pick: This Bolder Yoga Mat makes us want to begin our sun salutations this instant

The DL: Talk about a yoga mat with personality! Not only do these mats have cool prints, but they are also environmentally friendly and claim to be long-lasting. Now doesn't that make it easier to relax?

Good Old Natural Cooking

Date: Monday, May 11
The Delivery: A "When I Grow Up I Will" t-shirt and a vegan cookbook
Staff Pick: Diana White's Vegan Rustic Cooking

The DL: Not sure how to meal-plan according to what's in season? This cookbook claims to be a helpful tool to see you through from breakfast to dinnertime. So go ahead and whip-up the "Potato & Chickpea Salad," because it's springtime!

Nice to Meet Ya, Babycakes

Date: Friday, May 8
The Delivery: A most delicious-looking cookbook, some reduced-fat Vegenaise, and several ALPSNACK granola bars
Staff Pick: We want to eat the cupcakes on the cover of this BabyCakes book—like right now!

The DL: Erin McKenna presents us with a vegan, gluten-free, baked-goods cookbook that looks really awesome. We are feeling the need to make every single recipe in this book, and then eat until our fingers are licked clean. This book just goes to show that every city needs a vegan bakery—no ifs, ands, or buts about it!

Saké To Me

Date: Thursday, May 7
The Delivery: A couple bottles of saké, and Emily's Desserts coffee and vegan cocoa mix
Staff Pick: We're eager to shake things up a little with Momokawa's organic, premium saké

The DL: Love it or hate it, we're happy to see that there is an organic, vegan saké on the market. And this may not be the only brand coming through our door. Stay tuned for a tantalizing taste test in a future issue of VegNews. Bottoms up!

Media Mania

Date: Wednesday, May 6
The Delivery: Short-Cut Vegan by Lorna Sass and a groovin' CD
Staff Pick: Moby's new album, Wait For Me

The DL: This VegNews-featured musician has always been able to lift the mood with his upbeat and thought-provoking tunes, and we're excited to hear his latest creation. Do you have a favorite veggie-friendly musician or band? We'd love to hear about it!