Vegan Soaps and Frozen Pizza

The Delivery: Assorted soaps, shave gels, and lotions from Dr. Bronner's Magic All-One; and vegan cheese and veggie lover's pizzas from Bold Organics
Staff Pick: Veggie pizza yeah!

The DL: Our dearest (fictional) friend Liz Lemon once said "'Lovers' … Oh, that word bums me out unless it's between 'meat' and 'pizza.'" Just throw "veggie" in place of "meat" and we're right there with you, Liz. We haven't been this excited since we found out earlier this week about our exclusive giveaway from Matt & Nat: You can score one of the vegan company's bags from its not-yet-launched spring collection! And did you hear Matt & Nat is also on Gilt Group today? Everything is awesome. Unless you get pizza sauce on your brand-new Matt & Nat bag. That would definitely bum us out.

Grain Pilafs and Books

The Delivery: Rice, quinoa, and couscous pilafs from Pereg Gourmet, Behind the Dolphin Smile by Richard O'Barry, and Raw & Beyond by Victoria Boutenko, Elaina Love, and Chad Sarno.
Staff Pick: Raw & Beyond

The DL: Earlier this month we featured an interview with Victoria Boutenko, a pioneer of the raw food movement who went 100-percent raw after being diagnosed with a life-threatening illness. Today, Boutenko and fellow-authors Elaine Love and Chad Sarno have introduced cooked foods into their diets, and have documented their reasoning—and their results—in Raw & Beyond. In addition to providing personal accounts from some of the raw food movement’s biggest names, the book features recipes that sound as tasty as they are healthy. If you want advice on how to maintain a healthy plant-based diet, tune in to our Healthy Vegan Eats twitter chat tomorrow at 6pm PT/9pm ET, featuring  Julieanna Hever, RD, Gena Hamshaw, and Michael Greger, MD.

Vegan Chocolate Galore

The Delivery: Vegan dark chocolate from Sweetriot in 70 percent dark, 85 percent dark, and 60 percent dark with crunchy cacao nibs
Staff Pick: The cacao nibs-filled bar

The DL: If there's a better way to celebrate a Friday (and going to press on our March+April issue!) than with dark chocolate, we don't want to know what it is. If you want to know all about vegan men, the next great vegan city, how to make super cheesy twice-baked potatoes and more, be sure to grab a copy when it hits newsstands! Want to make a stronger, longer commitment? Subscribe today! Oh, and have a fantastic weekend while you're at it.

Natural Detergent, Wine Flour and Pasta, and a Book

The Delivery: A Boy, a Chicken and the Lion of Judah—How Ari Became a Vegetarian by Roberta Kalechofsky, Caberneti wine pasta and flour from Marché Noir Foods, and Roux Maison natural laundry detergents
Staff Pick: The wine pasta and flour

The DL: I know what you’re thinking—wine pasta? That’s crazy talk! Well friends, Marché Noir Foods begs to differ. The innovative Caberneti line of products features flour derived from milling grape skins (a natural byproduct of wine creation), which the company says are rich in iron, fiber and antioxidants. We have yet to taste the stuff, but one whiff tells us the flour would make a great a boozy brownie. Speaking of booze, we’re counting down the minutes until the first SF Vegan Drinks of 2012, happening from 6 to 8pm tonight at Dr. Teeth and the Electric Mayhem. Come down and say howdy! We’ll be there sipping vegan White Russians and sampling the incredible vegan menu. Sliders-eating contest anyone?
 

Savory Buns

The Delivery: Chana masala, Thai satay (not vegan), and herb-vegetable mélange (not vegan) buns by LifeStyle Chefs

Staff Pick: The chana masala bun

The DL: From what we can tell, LifeStyle Chefs has managed to reduce an entire Indian dish into a bite-sized bun—quite the feat! Packed full of chickpeas, tomatoes, and spices, these pocket-sized portables would fit right in at any picnic, and are a bit fancier than plain old peanut butter and jelly. We can’t wait to taste LifeStyle Chefs’ take on masala, the aromatic Indian spice blend that gives chana masala its pungent flavor. If you want to try your hand at masala-making, check out our guide to the spice by Hema Alur-Kundargi.
 

Vegan Chocolates and Books

The Delivery: Green Washed: Why We Can't Buy Our Way to a Green Planet by Kendra Pierre-Louis, Eating Free by Manuel Villacorta (not vegan), and vegan chocolates from No Whey! Chocolate Company
Staff Pick: The chocolates

The DL: These vegan chocolates from No Whey! were a big hit at the office this afternoon—especially after our vegan weddings meeting, during which we had the tough task of picking eight couples to profile in our July+August issue. All that talk of wedding cake was drool-inducing, so we’re lucky we had the No Whey! chocolate sampler to help curb our cravings. If you’re looking for a more Zen approach to midday snacking, then check out this feature on the basics of macrobiotics.   

 

Books and Trail-Mix Bars

The Delivery: The Sexy Vegan Cookbook by Brian L. Patton, Barron's Quick Check Food Facts and Cliff Bar Mojo trail-mix bars
Staff Pick: The Sexy Vegan Cookbook

The DL: We’ve been hard at work on our March+April “Man” issue, so it was fitting that this advance copy of Brian L. Patton’s The Sexy Vegan Cookbook showed up at our office. Featuring dishes like The Real Man’s Quiche and The Portly Fellow sandwich—plus a generous helping of dirty jokes—Patton’s book is even more evidence (as if we need any) that there’s nothing emasculating about vegan eats. While you’re waiting for the “Man” issue to hit newsstands, check out “Veganism Saved My Life,” which picks up where the January+February print feature of the same name left off. Enjoy!

Books & Toothbrushes

The Delivery: Sticky Fingers' Sweets: 100 Super-Secret Vegan Recipes by Doron Petersan, The Yoga of Eating: Becoming a Food Yogi by Paul Rodney Turner, and Mouth Watchers' antibacterial powered toothbrush

Staff Pick: Sticky Fingers' Sweets

The DL: Watching vegan cupcake queen Doron Petersan win the Food Network’s Cupcake Wars (twice!) was cause for sweet celebration—not only did she and her Sticky Fingers sidekick Jenny Webb show the world how delicious cruelty-free confections can be, but she also made great strides in the world of puns. The recipes for Sticky Fingers' prize-winning and hilariously named cupcakes, Gilbert Ganachefried and George Caramelin, can be found in her new book, which we were lucky enough to preview. The book comes out February 16, but if you can’t wait another month to see what Petersan has to say, check out our interview with her here!

Hummus Galore!

The Delivery: Tons of hummus from Eat Well Enjoy Life

Staff Pick: The red lentil chipotle hummus

The DL: We here at VegNews bow at the altar of hummus, so this massive delivery from Eat Well Enjoy Life made our tahini-loving hearts jump for joy. These untraditional dips feature inventive flavors that make regular chickpea hummus look downright dull. Chowing down on the Spicy Red Lentil Chipotle Hummus is a delicious way to follow chef Chad Sarno’s advice to incorporate more antioxidant-rich spiciness into our diets this year. Check out his idea and more in our VegNews Health Challenge, which is available to download here!

Vegan Children's Book and Couscous

The Delivery: Whole wheat, natural and tricolor pearl couscous from Bob's Red Mill, Vegan is Love: Having Heart and Taking Action by Ruby Roth
Staff Pick: The couscous

The DL:  We were thrilled to receive this shipment of Israeli couscous from Bob’s Red Mill—at least one couscous-filled daydream resulted from the delivery. Because these versatile little pearls of wheat can be whipped up quickly, we think it’s great to have some on hand for those times when you’re feeling lazy and want a fuss-free meal. If you’re in need of culinary inspiration, why not check out 11 More Must-Have Vegan iPhone Apps. This comprehensive guide can help you find recipes featuring couscous and a variety of other vegan-friendly ingredients.
 

Flax milk and Hemp Treats

The Delivery: Vanilla flax milk from Good Karma Foods, a variety of hemp products from Hemp History Week, and Yummy in my Tummy: Healthy Cooking for the Whole Family by Fredrica Syren (not vegan)
Staff Pick: Vanilla flax milk


The DL: As delightful as it is to sample nutritional chocolates from the cocoa-wizards over at Derrick Sky all day long, sometimes it’s nice to have something milky to wash it all down. The vanilla flax milk from Good Karma Foods proved to be a refreshing palate-cleanser, and had us buzzing about its other potential uses. (Cereal with flax milk, anyone?) You might want to have some refreshing plant milk of your own handy when reading VN Editorial Assistant Hilary Pollack’s interview with cupcake maven Doron Petersan. Her description of Sticky Fingers’ coconut soy-custard cream cake will have you reaching for the nearest confection. Don’t say we didn’t warn you!

Books and Protein Bars

The Delivery: Chocolate coconut and chocolate Saviseed protein bars from Vega Sport, You Can Heal Yourself: A Guide to Physical and Emotional Recovery After Injury or Illness by Julie Silver, MD, Simple Asian Meals by Nina Simonds (not vegan) and WeightWatchers One Pot Cookbook (not vegan).

Staff Pick: The Vega Sport Bars

The DL: Monday is MLK, Jr. Day, which means we have three whole days to kick back and veg out. While some VegNews staffers will probably spend the long weekend indulging in some reality TV and much-needed snoozing, others of us have opted to stay active this holiday. These Vega Sport protein bars will probably come in handy, whether we're hiking up a mountain or making the arduous trip from the couch to the kitchen. If you're taking it easy this weekend, be sure to entertain yourself with this week's roundup of VN editors' must-see links. Happy clicking!

Vegan Pudding and Books

The Delivery: Butterscotch, vanilla and chocolate puddings from WayFare, The Complete Idiot's Guide to Gluten-Free Vegan Cooking by Julieanna Hever and Beverly Lynn Bennett, Must Have Been Something I Ate by Peggy Kotsopoulos, and What the Animals Taught Me by Stephanie Marohn
Staff Pick: The Complete Idiot's Guide to Gluten-Free Vegan Cooking


The DL: We're definitely not complete idiots, but we were glad to see a guide that proves there are limitless possibilities when it comes to vegan, gluten-free meals. It's just an added bonus that the guide was penned by two brilliant VegNews columnists. One of The Complete Idiot's Guide to Gluten-Free Vegan Cooking's most intriguing recipes is the Chicken-Style Gluten-Free Seitan. Gluten-Free Seitan—what a concept! If faux-chicken's not your bag, you can always swap the seitan for some cauliflower, which packs a nutritious punch. Don't forget to save us some!

Books and a T-Shirt

The Delivery: The Guru in You by Yogi Cameron Alborzian, No Happy Cows: Dispatches from the Frontlines of the Food Revolution by John Robbins, and a T-shirt from Animal Place.
Staff Pick: The Guru in You


The DL: With two days left until the weekend, a bit of mid-week meditation is sounding pretty appealing. Good thing we’ve got this copy of Yogi Cameron Alborzian’s The Guru in You to peruse. Alvorzian is a fully trained Aryuvedic therapist—and a former supermodel—so on top of knowing his stuff, he’s a total dreamboat, which makes flipping through his book as fun as it is educational. Maybe tonight while we’re unwinding in Downward Dog, we can contemplate how awesome it is to be veg.

Raw Vegan Plant Butters

The Delivery: Raw organic coconut and walnut butters from Artisana
Staff pick: Raw Coconut Butter

The DL: Since we're all still in the throes of our post-holidays detox, we're hoping these Artisana Coconut Butter Squeeze Packs will successfully satisfy our sweet tooth without forcing us to abandon our commitment to a 2012 diet overhaul. Though we've (thankfully) had nothing but sun at VNHQ this week, we'll be reaching for these purse-sized packets when January's chill sets in—mature coconut flesh is a good source of iron, which can help you fight winter's wrath while still evoking that oh-so-distant memory of drinking piña coladas poolside.