Kale Chips, Nacho Cheese, and Shoes

The Date: Friday, April 29
The Delivery: Kale chips in assorted flavors from Kaia Foods, spicy Nacheez from Love & Joy Foods, and vegan shoes from The Earthly Sole Shoe Company
Staff Pick: The vegan nacho cheese!

The DL: VN Associate Editor Jennifer Chen met the geniuses behind this vegan nacho cheese at last week's Berkeley Vegan Earth Day event, and boy, are we happy for that occurrence (want to read more about Jennifer's day? Read all about it on this week's Press Pass). We can't wait to taste test this new vegan nacho cheese, and plan to try it out on tortillas, chips...maybe even our fingers. We here at VNHQ wish you a great weekend, and hope wherever you are has both springtime sunshine and vegan nacho cheese.

Vegan Protein Drinks and Body Care

The Date: Thursday, April 28
The Delivery: Sustained energy protein drinks from Svelte, and lotion, soap, and body oil from Swazi Secrets
Staff Pick: The Spiced Chai protein drink

The DL: We are very familiar with Svelte's protein drinks (they were a Best of Show pick at Expo West last year), so we were pretty darn excited to have them delivered to our doorstep today. You would think that an entire box of French Vanilla, Chocolate, Spiced Chai, and Cappuccino shakes would keep us stocked through the summer months, but they are dropping like flies. Hopefully no fights break out over the last few bottles. Perhaps we'll take our aggression out on some digital fruit instead: After reading VN Editorial Assistant Alexandra Chang's featurette on eco- and veg-friendly games, the entire office is hooked on Fruit Ninja.

Teas and Truffles

The Date: Wednesday, April 27

The Delivery: Assorted Teas from Zhenga's Gypsy Tea, a measuring spoon from G-Free Foodie, and dark-chocolate covered Omega Truffles from Bija

Staff Pick: The truffles!

The DL: Where do vegans get there omega-3s? From chocolate truffles, duh. These gems offer two grams of omega-3s per serving, along with Peruivan dark chocolate and vanilla beans from Madagascar. If it's okay with y'all, we're going to ditch the flax and omega-3 supplements and just nosh on these vegan truffles all day. Makes sense to us. Speaking of stuff we like, check out all the happenings that have been going on in the world of veganism since January 1 in our new news feature.

A Vegan-Vampire Book

The Date: Tuesday, April 26

The Delivery: The Vampire and The Vegan, Book 1: Food by Merlene Alicia Vassal

Staff Pick: The book

The DL: Well, we think it's safe to say that the whole world is a little vampire-crazed. Being vegans and all, the whole idea is a little foreign to us (why drink blood when you can drink green juice, right?), but Merlene Alicia Vassal's first novel has us intrigued. A story about a waitress vampire and the vegan she won't eat because his blood is meatless (and therefore unappetizing) makes us both interested to read more and thankful that if vampires are real, they're not going to want to eat us. Perhaps if they tried Justin's Chocolate Hazelnut Butter (which we're giving away an entire case of), they'd quit that nasty blood-drinking habit.

Vegan Wallets and Soap

The Date: Monday, April 25

The Delivery: Vegan wallets from Big Skinny and assorted natural soaps from Wembé

Staff Pick: The passion fruit soap

The DL: This fruity and fragrant vegan soap is not only packed with all-natural Amazonian ingredients like passion fruit, but also includes the seeds of the tropical gem to help exfoliate knees and hands. Smooth skin that smells good enough to eat? Don't mind if we do. Except we would mind if you tried to take a bite out of us. That would be painful and a little awkward.

A Book and Soap

The Date: Friday, April 22

The Delivery: Making Supper Safe by Ben Hewitt and The Fabulous Flora soap from Metropolis Soap Co.

Staff Pick: Making Supper Safe

The DL: While it might be a little heavy for beach reading (sorry, it's Friday and we're fantasizing), Ben Hewitt's new book exploring the state of the US' food-safety system is sure to be thought-provoking, illuminating, and downright gross at times. For our own look at food safety (or lack thereof), check out Mat Thomas' piece "Fear Factor" in our brand-spanking new May+June issue. Happy weekend, beach or no beach!

Dried Fruit and Vegetable Snacks

The Date: Thursday, April 21

The Delivery: All-natural snacks from Crunchies Food Company

Staff Pick: The edamame

The DL: We already love edamame steamed and topped with sea salt, so we hope the dried version is just as delicious. Plus, trying these healthy snacks will distract us from the chocolate-vanilla vegan cupcakes from Dash Café (check out a pic and read about VN Editorial Assistant Alexandra's date night at Dash on this week's Press Pass) Full disclosure: We might run over to Dash after taste testing. We don't do well when it comes to resisting temptation.

Bean Chips and Reusable Hand Towels

The Date: Wednesday, April 20

The Delivery: Bean chips in assorted flavors from Beanitos and reusable personal hand towels from People Towels

Staff Pick: The Black Bean Beanitos

The DL: We love two-for-ones: at the grocery store, the book store...well, really any store that wants to give us something for free is good. With these dippers, you get another two-for-one: a wheat-free, corn-free chip! These bad boys also contain a bunch of protein (as they are made from beans), are gluten-free, and vegan. Okay, so maybe they're a five-for-one. Need some mental sustenance to go along with your snacking? Head on over to the VegNews Book Club, where this week we are discussing Colleen Patrick-Goudreau's Vegan's Daily Companion!

Face Care, Tea, and Vegan Ramen

The Date: Tuesday, April 19

The Delivery: Vitamin A pore-refining mask and gel from Derma E, teas from Oregon Chai, and ramen from Annie Chun's

Staff Pick: The ramen!

The DL: Ever since we started working on our May+June issue, we've been craving a big bowl of noodle-y ramen goodness. (Want to know why? Keep reading.) With Annie Chun's powder- and preservative-free package, we can't wait to healthily relive our college-dorm days by zapping a bowl of these noodles in our microwave. Jonesing for some homemade ramen of your own? Check out the new May+June issue for a feature on (you guessed it...) ramen!

Raw Chocolate Sauce and Snacks

The Date: Monday, April 18

The Delivery: Raw, organic chocolate spreads from Love Street Living Foods and raw crackers, brownies, and kremes from Twin Cakes Bakery

Staff Pick: The Cardamom Brownie Bites

The DL: From batter to baked, double-chocolate to vegan marshmallow-filled, we really haven't ever met a brownie we didn't like. We are excited to taste test these raw gluten-free gems, and can't wait to see what cardamom does to a brownie. Will it be our new obsession? If there's chocolate involved, it's almost a given. As you can see from our This Week's Must Have (vegan Easter eggs, anyone?), we are pretty sweet on it.

Books!

The Date: Friday, April 15

The Delivery: The Country Almanac of Home Remedies by Brigitte Mars and Chrystle Fiedler and David's Vegan Home Cooking by David A. Gabbe

Staff Pick: The Country Almanac of Home Remedies

The DL: Think you know everything there is to know about fruits and vegetables? You don't! (Well, unless you've read The Country Almanac of Home Remedies.) Did you know that pineapple can reduce bruises? Or that putting a clean plantain leaf under your upper lip can help stop a nosebleed? Drug-store aisles are going to be a thing of the past thanks to this book. Talk about a money-saver! Learn how to save even more money by stretching grocery-bill dollars with VN Editorial Assistant Anna on Savvy Vegan. Have a great weekend!

Cleaners, a Book, and Crêpes

The Date: Thursday, April 14

The Delivery: Fruit and vegetable cleaners from Eat Cleaner, Vegan Bite by Bite by Marilyn Peterson, and lentil crêpes/dosas from Health 'n Spice

Staff Pick: Eat Cleaner's fruit and vegetable wash

The DL: After reading Mat Thomas' article about food recalls in our May+June issue, all of us here at VNHQ have been more careful when washing our fruits and veggies. It's a shame we just had lunch, because we can't wait to use this all-natural spray, which removes not only wax, residue, and pesticides, but also cleans hands, countertops, and silverware! If that's not a sanitary bang for our buck, we're not sure what is. Wish you could spend your whole day with fruits and vegetables (and no, we don't just mean eating them)? Check out our featurette on sustainable food jobs to find out about all kinds of food-focused vocations!

Vegan Ice Cream, Condiments, and Cleaners

The Date: Wednesday, April 13

The Delivery: Coconut Bliss ice cream from Luna & Larry's, vegan mayo and coconut spread from Earth Balance, and all-natural cleaners from Poppy's Naturally Clean

Staff Pick: The Chocolate Walnut Brownie ice cream

The DL: We tried all four of the new Coconut Bliss flavors at Expo West more than once. Per hour. For three days. Needless to say, when these cartons arrived this morning, it took every ounce of our willpower not to open them right away. Now that it's after lunch, however, you better believe we are writing this post in between bites. Need some new lunch ideas? Enter this week's VegNews Vegan Bucket List Giveaway for a chance to win a one-year membership to the Spork Online cooking school.

Books, Lunch Sacks, and the Magazine

The Date: Tuesday, April 12

The Delivery: What Comes After by Steve Watkins, The Blooming Platter Cookbook by Betsy DiJulio, a Food Kozy and Waste-Free Snak Pak from Kids Konserve, and the VegNews May+June 2011 issue

Staff Pick: The May+June issue!

The DL: What do we love? Getting our magazine in the mail, that's what! Our hot-off-the-presses May+June issue is chock full of the things we love: beautiful vegan weddings (10 of them!), delectable cream pies, trips to Bali and Santa Fe...the list goes on. Let's just say the office pretty much shut down when the issue arrived (and by "pretty much" we mean "completely"). Want to get your hands on a copy before it hits newsstands? Head on over to the VegNews Store and order an advance copy. Are you opening a new tab on your browser right now? Good.

Makeup Brushes and a Water Bottle

The Date: Monday, April 11

The Delivery: Makeup brushes from Furless and a hydros bottle and t-shirt from Hydros Bottle

Staff Pick: The big set of makeup brushes

The DL: Powder, concealer, and shadow, oh my! This collection of cruelty-free beauty tools is vast and drool-worthy; we can't wait to try them out! With a little luck, these brushes will keep our faces looking springtime fresh from now until Easter (or longer). Speaking of Easter, have you checked out the just-lauched VegNews Easter Store? You'll find everything you need to fill up your Easter basket, including marzipan bars, peanut butter cups, and vegan marshmallows (the last of which just so happens to be on sale)!