Sprouted Burgers? Yes Please!

The Delivery: Heart Healthy Pizza by Mark Sutton, a galley of The Easy Vegan by Janet Hudson, Sprout Burgers from Health Is Wealth, and Spa Ritual's spring/summer 2012 nail polish collection
Staff Pick: The burgers!

The DL: The next time we head to a barbecue—which, if this beautiful weather is any indication, may be sooner than expected—we'll definitely arrive with these sprouted burgers from Health Is Wealth in tow. With flavors such as Chipotle Bean and Mushroom and Onion, we're betting these grain-based grillers would be great topped with thin slices of the new Daiya cheese wedges, then slathered in chipotle, barbecue, and horseradish Vegenaise (no such thing as too many condiments!). Speaking of Daiya and Vegenaise, tomorrow we're heading to Natural Products Expo West, a trade show featuring the nation's best and brightest natural product companies. This Just In will be on hiatus until we get back on Tuesday, but you can follow our dispatches from Expo West on Facebook, Twitter, or our brand new Instagram account. See you soon, Anaheim!

Raw Chocolate, Gum, and Energy Bars

The Date: Monday, August 22
The Delivery: Raw, organic chocolate bars from Fearless Chocolate Co., aspartame-free gum from Pur Gum, and vegetarian energy, protein and breakfast nutrition bars from Rise Bar
Staff Pick: The Hibiscus Ginger bar

The DL: We love supporting local businesses and consuming chocolate, so we're getting the best of both worlds with these chocolate bars! We first met Oakland, Calif.-based Fearless Chocolate at Expo West, and enjoyed seeing them again during their recent visit to the VNHQ. Will we enjoy the chocolate even more? Only time (and a taste test) will tell. Your time is almost up to vote in The 2011 Veggie Awards. Polls close August 31, so cast your votes today for a chance to win seriously awesome prizes!

Energy Shots, Superfoods, and Vegan Frozen Pizza

The Date: Thursday, June 2
The Delivery: Organic energy shots and superfood supplements from Genesis Today, and vegan frozen pizzas from Solterra Foods
Staff Pick: Pizza pizza!

The DL: One could argue that we don't need to taste test Solterra's gluten-free cheese pizza since it was a Best of Show winner at this year's Expo West, but we must disagree. Every slice of pizza is different and deserves to be gobbled up! While we go preheat the oven, check out our list of the 10 must-read vegan books. They will make bake times go by much faster, we promise.

Vegan Books and Veggie Burgers

The Date: Monday, May 2
The Delivery: The Chicken Chronicles by Alice Walker, Quick and Easy Vegan Bake Sale by Carla Kelly, and a box filled with the new Ultimate Beefless Burger from Gardein
Staff Pick: The veggie burger!

The DL: We first tried this new creation from Gardein at this year's Expo West, and we think it's safe to say being reunited really does feel so good. Flavorful, healthy, and downright massive, these patties would be a great addition to any springtime barbecue. In case all that time in the sunshine has you parched (not to mention a little woozy), reach for some coconut water: it is packed with electrolytes to keep your bod hydrated and happy. Learn more about the coconut and all it can offer (Curries! Cooking oil! Deodorant!) in our new food feature.

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.

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.

Bean Chips, Snack Bars, and Noodles

The Date: Tuesday, March 22

The Delivery: Halo bars in assorted flavors from ProBar, bean and rice chips in assorted flavors from Beanfields, and noodles from NoOodle

Staff Pick: The pico de gallo chips!

The DL: Thank goodness some food came in the mail today; with the entire office buzzing about this week's Vegan Bucket List Giveaway, we were starting to get a little antsy for some office treats (and with the prize being a Chocolate Peanut Butter Mousse Bomb cake from Vegan Treats, who can blame us?). We first tasted Beanfields' chips at Expo West, and we think they will make a perfect base for some gooey vegan nachos. Good thing we have a million pounds of Daiya to make our culinary dreams come true. It's nacho time, people.

Books, Vegan Food, and a CD

The Date: Wednesday, March 9

The Delivery: Vegetarian Traditions by George Vutetakis, assorted brown rice crackers from San-J, cinnamon rolls from Emily's Desserts, and Day 01, a CD from Early Melodic Animals

Staff Pick: The cinnamon rolls

The DL: After getting a dozen gems with assorted frostings from Cinnaholic yesterday, we thought we were tapped out on cinnamon rolls. When this batch was delivered to our doorstep today, however, somehow we managed to make room for them. It's a tough life here at VNHQ! This will be our last post until Tuesday—tomorrow we are heading down to Expo West for the weekend to check out the best new products the vegan world has to offer. But never fear! You can hang out with us and the vegan bakers from last night's episode of Cupcake Wars tonight at 6pm during the VegNews Twitter Chat. See you then!

Holy Sweet Home

The Date: Tuesday, March 15

The Delivery: Mounds of loot (read: new products) from Natural Products Expo West!

Staff Pick: Being back at the VNHQ after four days on the road

The DL: After a long weekend spent scouring new products and meeting old and new friends at Natural Products Expo West in Anaheim, Calif., the VN staff is reunited in our cozy offices. And yes, it feels so good! As much fun as it was to indulge in poolside dinners catered by The Veggie Grill and announce our 2010 Best of Show winners, we're definitely glad to be back in San Francisco. We might be home, but something about boxes and boxes of vegan goodies tells us that Expo West will live on in our hearts—and on our supply shelves—for many months to come.

Hair-Free and Loving It

Date: Wednesday, March 25
The Delivery: Bags and bags of chips from Food Should Taste Good, The Accidental Vegan by Devra Gartenstein, and earth-friendly beauty supplies
Staff Pick: The cruelty-free ecoTools by Paris Presents

The DL: The VN staffers fell in love with this bamboo powder brush at Expo West. It's both cruelty-free—using synthetic Taklon bristles instead of animal-hair—and earth-friendly, as it's made of recycled material. Who wouldn't love this product?

Know what goes well with chips? Drinks! Don't forget about SF Vegan Drinks tomorrow night!

Expo West Week Extravaganza: Day Five

Date: Friday, March 13
The Delivery: My Family Farm baked crackers, ground cinnamon tortilla chips from Food Should Taste Good, granola bars from New England Natural Bakers, gourmet dog treats, Teeccino herbal coffee, Crofter's Superfruit Spread, and ShiKai body products
Staff Pick: Even our animal friends were not ignored at Expo West, as shown with these peanut butter-flavored all-natural dog treats from Doggie de Lites

The DL: We can't wait to have our VegNews mascot, Fanny, try these fun treats! From dog treats to herbal coffee, there was nothing one couldn't find at Expo West. Or was there? Time's slowly running out for you to go tell us what product you would like to see launched at Expo West 2010.

Expo West Week Extravaganza: Day Four

Date: Thursday, March 12
The Delivery: A 4RPlanetBag, some Blûm Naturals body products, two Biokleen house-cleaning products, Biodynamic Tea from Zhena's Gypsy Tea, and Boom Choco Boom chocolate bars from Enjoy Life
Staff Pick: These Organic Tea Tree Oil Daily Cleansing Towelettes are both environmentally-friendly and convenient

The DL: We are quite busy here at the VNHQ, so these towelettes look to be great time-savers. Do you have any time-saving tips under your sleeve? Tell us! And don't forget to tell us your dream new product over at VegNews.com.

Expo West Week Extravaganza: Day Three

Date: Wednesday, March 11
The Delivery: Tandoori Naan from Gourmet India, tons of agave nectar, granola bars from ALPSNACK, and some beauty products from Giovanni
Staff Pick: Wholesome Sweeteners Organic Blue Agave is Fair Trade Certified and will keep your pantry stocked for a good several months

The DL: So many of the new products at Expo West were agave-sweetened, we just couldn't help but feature this huge jug of the sweet nectar. Do you have any dream products that you would love to see launched next year at Expo West 2010? Tell us for your chance to win a goodie bag of our favorite finds.

Expo West Week Extravaganza: Day Two

Date: Tuesday, March 10
The Delivery: Mini cookies and baking mix from Cherrybrook Kitchen, Sprouted trail mix from Living Intentions, some GreenStripe eco-products, lip balm from J.R. Watkins, soap and hand cream from Pharmacopia, and a bamboo utensil set from To-Go Ware
Staff Pick: We're too exhausted today; it's your turn to pick!

The DL: With so many wonderful new products that Expo West had to offer, it's really too bad that we have to pick only twelve for the VegNews Best of Show Awards. Here are a handful of items scheduled to hit store shelves in 2009. The trail mix in particular has been especially satisfying during our Raw Week at the VNHQ.

Expo West Week Extravaganza: Day One

Date: Monday, March 9
The Delivery: Some Jammy Sammys and other fun snacks from Revolution Foods, a Hickory Smoked Primal Strip, a Pacifica gift set, and lip gloss from MyChelle
Staff Pick: All the goodies from Expo West

The DL: The VN staffers had one busy weekend at Expo West, quite possibly the world's largest natural products pow wow. From vegan dog biscuits to the finest in faux meat, we sampled from dawn 'til dusk, and have the samples to prove it. All this week, we'll be featuring some of the amazing new products we previewed in person. Here are a few to start with; the rest are slowly making their way up to the VNHQ in a rented minivan. Can you guess which product above won one of the coveted Best of Show 2009 awards?

It's A Wrap!

Date: Wednesday, March 4
The Delivery: Three books, a jar of chocolate syrup from Organic Nectars, and a new packaged-food offering from Amy's Kitchen
Staff Pick: The new Teriyaki Wrap from Amy's. Yum!

The DL: We'll be honest with you, the VN staff has already sunk its teeth into these delicious wraps. They are both yummy and fast, which is good for us since we're heading south to Anaheim, CA, for Expo West. See you next week!