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?
 

Nail Polish and Trader Joe's Goodies

The Date: Thursday, July 28

The Delivery: Nail polish from Scotch Naturals and coconut milk and Dark Chocolate Nutty Bits from Trader Joe's

Staff Pick: The nail polish in Seething Jealousy

The DL: You might be in seething jealousy at the sight of this gorgeous shade of non-toxic, water-based nail polish, and we wouldn't blame you. We want this color on our nails as badly as we want a Mai Tai Martini in our hands. We're too busy finishing up our insane-amazing September+October issue to stop for manicure, but luckily we'll be able to grab the martini at tonight's SF Vegan Drinks. In the Bay Area? We'd love to see you! 

Lemonade, Sake, and a Book

The Date: Friday, June 24
The Delivery: Ginger lemonade concentrate from Third St. Chai, saké from Saké One, and Lucky Pigs by Susan Rooker
Staff Pick: The creamy nigori saké

The DL: We here at VNHQ are swooning over these beautiful bottles of organic saké. We will most likely try the unfiltered versions for happy hour taste testing, getting ready for SF vegan drinks next Thursday, Pride Weekend celebrating, and general Friday excitement. Are you in San Francisco this weekend celebrating Pride Fest (or simply celebrating the fact that you're in SF)? Make sure to check out our 11 favorite things to do, see, and eat in what we consider to be the best. City. Ever.

Vegan Wine

The Date: Thursday, June 16
The Delivery: Vegan wine from The Vegan Vine
Staff Pick: The cabernet sauvignon

The DL: We here at VN love our beer, wine, and spirits, as is evidenced by our new featurettes on vegan summer beers and wine and cheese, not to mention our perfect attendance at SF Vegan Drinks. (By the way, this month's special is a peach, passion fruit, and pineapple martini. Now tell us that doesn't sound delicious.) Popping open a bottle of this wine for a taste test at the end of the day seems like a great way to get an evening started. If we have to stay a little late to finish, no big deal. The wine at the top tastes different from the wine at the bottom, right?

Pizza, a Cookbook, and Eye Makeup Remover

The Date: Friday, May 17
The Delivery: Frozen pizzas from Rossini's Gourmet Fare, Fast and Flavorful Meatless Meals by Jessie Price and the EatingWell Test Kitchen, and eye makeup remover from Earth Science
Staff Pick: The chamomile green tea eye makeup remover

The DL: With Southern Comfort and SF Vegan Drinks back-to-back, not to mention finishing up our fantastic July+August issue (it's white hot!), today is leaving the VN staff a little worn out. We hope the calming chamomile in this eye makeup remover will calm and soothe our tired, puffy eyes. Not that we're complaining: If it's wrong to have two straight days of delicious food and tasty spirits, we don't want to be right. We are, however, looking forward to a very restful Memorial Day weekend. We will see you again Tuesday!

Vegan Wine!

The Date: Thursday, May 19
The Delivery: Four bottles of wine from Snoqualmie Vineyards
Staff Pick: 2009 Winemaker's Select Riesling

The DL: With temperatures rising (yet still fluctuating) here in San Francisco, the delivery of light, yummy wine makes the end of these warm spring days just that much better. Since we're busy at work finalizing our July+August issue, we'll have to hold off on happy hour today, but we can't wait to uncork this Washington wine. Perhaps we'll have a pre-SF Vegan Drinks sip next Thursday; that is before trying out this month's special (a vanilla and pumpkin martini!), of course.

Granola and Body Butter

The Date: Wednesday, March 30

The Delivery: Ancient Grain Granola from Purely Elizabeth and Sweet Orange Body Butter from Nature's Garden Therapies

Staff Pick: The pumpkin fig granola

The DL: Those of us here at VNHQ are always looking for new eats to spice up the most important meal of the day, so we are looking forward to filling our breakfast bowls with this gluten-free granola, made with quinoa, amaranth, and chia. Want to join us for breakfast? Well, we're sorry to say you probably can't. But you can hang out with us and sip on some Strawberry and Lime Rickeys (not to mention vegan popcorn and hot dogs) tomorrow night at SF Vegan Drinks! Hope to see you there!

Skin Care and Soap and Books, Oh My!

The Date: Thursday, January 27

The Delivery: Liquid Soap Soother from Emily Skin Soothers, Earth Science's new Active Age Defense skincare line, Clean Start by Terry Walters, and two copies of The Bond by Wayne Pacelle

Staff Pick: The Active Age Defense Hydrating Day Cream

The DL: Who wouldn't want an ulta-moisturizing day cream for these harsh winter months? We are excited to slather the contents of this jar on our faces in the hopes that it will make our skin look gorgeous for tonight. What are the VN staffers up to, you ask? Not only are we (along with our friends at Vegansaurus) hosting the first SF Vegan Drinks of the year, but we are also attending Gracias Madre's one year anniversary! If you don't follow Café VegNews, we eat there. A lot. And we love it. A lot.

Vegan Makeup and Cookies

The Date: Friday, October 1

The Delivery: Manic Panic vegan makeup and raw cookies from SunPower Natural
Staff Pick: Manic Panic's new line of makeup called Creature of the Night

The DL: As soon as we first reported about Manic Panic's unique new line of makeup, we couldn't wait to see it in the stores! Fortunately, working for VegNews has it's perks (can you say complimentary five-course meals at Millennium restaurant?), and we got to check out the bold new line today. We're also celebrating World Vegetarian Day (that's today!) with giveaways on both our Facebook and Twitter pages that end at midnight Pacific time tonight. This weekend we'll be at the SF World VegFest, which is quite simply the perfect end to a week that included new offices, giveaways, SF Vegan Drinks, and lunch at Gracias Madre.

Frozen Goodies

The Date: Thursday, September 30

The Delivery: New treats from Tofutti
Staff Pick: Flowers by Tofutti frozen desserts

The DL: Finally, the ice cream has found its proper home—our new offices! These chocolate-covered delights are filled with Tofutti frozen dessert made from blend of edible flower nectars. They sound almost as good as the Sake Pomegranate Lemonade martinis will be sipping on tonight at SF Vegan Drinks. All of you out in the Bay Area should probably come sip, eat veggie dogs, and chat with us tonight at Martuni's. After all, with the SF World Veg Festival happening this weekend, this might be one of the most vegan-friendly weekends of the year!

Celebration Cake

The Date: Thursday, July 29
The Delivery: The greatest gift one could ever receive
Staff Pick: The Banana Split Ice Cream Cake from MaggieMudd

The DL: This cake was delivered this morning as an anniversary gift from Sara Sohn of Sweet & Sara. Yes, we will be devouring it at lunch. Thanks so much, Sara!

Come on out to SF Vegan Drinks tonight if you're in the area. Though we can't promise to save any cake, there will be vegan Orange Creamsicle Martinis!

Hot Dog in the City!

The Date: Thursday, April 29
The Delivery: A ton of packages of vegan hot dogs, Aunt Patty's agave syrup, some cherry juice, a non-vegan book, and Robin Robertson's new book, Vegan On the Cheap
Staff Pick: Tofurky hot dogs!

The DL: These babies are for SF Vegan Drinks tonight at Martuni's. If you're in the area, come on out and enjoy one with us!

Ice Cream Party

Date: Monday, February 22
The Delivery: Two books, including Becoming Raw, and vegan ice cream mix
Staff Pick: The mocha-flavored Seth's Supreme S'Cream dessert mix

The DL: If you're in the mood to make your own ice cream, this mix makes it a bit easier. Ice cream party, anyone?

Don't forget, the February installment of SF Vegan Drinks is this Thursday! Get all the details here.

Screaming for Ice Cream

Date: Thursday, January 28
The Delivery: Raw ice cream, Amano Chocolate, and a compost bin from Nature's Footprint
Staff Pick: The White Cacao Wow! ice cream from Bishop's

The DL: These unique flavors of "i scream" look delicious, especially this white cacao flavor, which has a Brazil-nut base. We're about to bust out the spoons and dig in!

If you're in the SF Bay Area this evening, come out to SF Vegan Drinks at 6 pm. It will be a great time!

Bring Out the Bubbly

Date: Wednesday, September 23
The Delivery: Waste by Tristram Stuart, a Messenger rePETe Chicobag, some sparkling wine, and some goodies from C'est La V Bakeshop
Staff Pick: The Brut Rosé sparkling wine from the Domaine Carneros winery

The DL: We are in a celebratory mood at the VNHQ, and what better way to celebrate than to open a bottle of bubbly. This sparkling wine is certified organic and vegan, and we say three cheers to that!

Speaking of bubbly, come out to SF Vegan Drinks tomorrow night. Not only will there be great drinks but also some yummy treats from Violet Sweet Shoppe. Hope to see you there!

Urban Eats

Date: Thursday, July 30
The Delivery: Several Celsius beverages and a new cookbook
Staff Pick: The metropolis-inspired cookbook, The Urban Vegan

The DL: This is VegNews contributor Dynise Balcavage's first cookbook which complements her Urban Vegan blog. We look forward to trying her city-centric eats!

If you're in the SF Bay area, we'd love to see you at SF Vegan Drinks tonight. Cheers!

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!

Vegan Drinks!

Date: Wednesday, February 25
The Delivery: Three books by Gordon Livingston, MD, and some extra-special postcards
Staff Pick: You won't want to miss SF Vegan Drinks tomorrow night!

The DL: We are super excited about this new event that we are hosting in the San Francisco Bay Area! Come and enjoy yourself with like-minded peers in one of the best cities ever. Don't live in the area? Check out this website for Vegan Drinks events throughout the US, and if your city doesn't already host a similar monthly soirée, it's easy to start your own chapter. Soon enough, Vegan Drinks will be taking over the world!