Valentine’s Day: It’s Closer Than You Think
So I know Valentine’s Day is still over a week away, and most of us are probably just now starting to think about it. But I just have to say, we sure wish that calendar makers would consult with us before placing important holidays on Mondays and Tuesdays! 
Here’s the one challenge to an online business: you have to order early to allow time for shipping, and, since we don’t ship over weekends, getting packages delivered on Mondays is impossible, and deliveries on Tuesdays require Overnight shipping which is expensive. So, this year, ordering early is even more important then usual.
Don’t wait until the last minute and leave finding the right gift for your Valentine to chance or the whim of the grocery store candy isle clerk. Your sweetheart deserve more than that, don’t you think?
How about treating him or her to the compassionate indulgence of some of the very best organic, dairy-free and fair-trade chocolate on the planet. And, although chocolates are customary for this time of year, we have plenty of other options if chocolates aren’t suited to either their taste or your purpose. Maybe a fair-trade tea sampler or something from our vegan bakery will more accurately express your sentiments. We’re here to help, we want to make your Valentine’s Day as delicious and stress-free as possible: just let us know how we can help.
NEW: Vanilla-Kissed Strawberry Bark for Valentine’s Day
It’s hard to believe, but Valentine’s Day is in just three short weeks, and we’ve already received a lot of orders! Don’t leave this important holiday’s gifts until the last minute. With our delayed delivery date option, it’s never too early to order our unique valentine gifts for everyone you love.
Despite the winter season keeping us extraordinarily busy in November and December, we’ve been scheming for months to come up with something new and exciting to offer for this sweetest of holidays. We love creating festive and swoon-inducing vegan chocolates for Valentine’s Day and this year, along with our new line of Artisan Truffles and Caramels, we’re also very excited to introduce you to our latest creation: Vanilla-Kissed Strawberry Bark. As gorgeous and delicious as it sounds, this smooth and creamy vanilla-strawberry bark will have you dreaming of strawberry fields.
Don’t wait to order your own unique valentine gifts for all the most important and chocolate-loving people you hold dear. Other February favorites include cherry chocolate organic brownies, double chocolate chunk organic cookies, and our elegant Chocolate Lover’s Gift Set. Order now!
Happy 2012!
There’s nothing quite like a new year, full of promise and unlimited possibilities to make me feel like winter isn’t so bad. I love anticipating all the exciting and tantalizing things I’m going to experience in the coming twelve months. 
A vacation on the horizon or a new flavor of gourmet cookies, organic brownies or vegan fudge to look forward to each month, can be great motivators to propel you through the stressful or challenging times that will almost certainly accompany the good times. Plus the 15% monthly club member discount will help take the stress out of gift giving for as long as you’re a monthly club member, since it’s automatically applied to every order you place!
In this new year, as we strive to live healthier, happier and more conscientious lives I have great hope that the positive forces working for compassionate and humane treatment of animals in this country and worldwide will increase and grow. 
Let’s strengthen the already expanding vegan revolution, one sweet bite at a time. Introduce your friends, colleagues, and loved ones to just how excellent (both in flavor and in health) animal-free eating can be. One step at a time, one person at a time, one meal at a time. It’s so easy to eat vegan, especially when the options include outrageously awesome vegan recipes and cookie of the month flavors like Vanilla Almond and Double Chocolate Chunk.
From Allison’s kitchen of heavenly delights: Happy New Year!
Making the Most of Winter
The Winter Solstice happened last week, which means that it’s officially cold, dark and winter. I generally dislike winter. Instead of snuggling by the fireplace all day where I’d like to be, I’m usually up and about, interacting with the cold, dark world. But, I’m trying to make the best of the situation and find ways to enjoy these winter month.
Photo by Julia Moran Martz of Snarky Vegan
The “bright” side of being past the Solstice is that at least the days aren’t getting any shorter, and cold weather is a great excuse to eat and drink warm and hearty yummy things both savory and sweet. I make a lot of soup this time of year, and one of the things that we’ve been doing every day at Allison’s through the busy holiday rush has been drinking lots of warm beverages.
Mostly we do fair-trade tea, with vegan cookies to go with it, of course. Lately, to mix things up, we’ve also made some awesome mugs of hot cocoa drinking chocolate and even some organic coffee (although we’re all so “up” already that we opted for the amazingly delicious Decaf Vanilla Nut variety). In my off hours I’m making a point to get some exercise, and spend some time outdoors which is hard at first, but once I’m out and warm, it really lifts my spirits.
How do you stay warm and happy during the winter chill?
2012 New Year’s Gifts
I hope everyone had a warm and happy holiday weekend. I know I feasted on some really wonderful savory dishes, and indulged in multiple desserts including organic cookies, peppermint creme patties, and some vegan toffee topping on coconut ice cream! 
Despite all that decadence, I always feel a bit of a let-down after big holidays; getting up the next morning and it’s just business as usual again. Lucky for us, however, just when we think the holidays are over, there’s another one on the horizon!
New Year’s 2012 this weekend, gives us a little wiggle room in the holiday gifts department. Did you forget someone on your list, or maybe just didn’t get around to those last few presents? Ring in the New Year with decadent compassionate sweets! Whether it’s a corporate holiday gift for your boss or a sweet treat for your significant other, help those important people in your life start the New Year right!
New Year’s resolutions are always full of eating better, getting fit and staying healthy. You can help with all those things and give your colleagues and loved ones decadent treats they can feel good about enjoying. 
Although sending sweets may not seem like the best way to help someone achieve their fitness goals, my experience has been that I gain greater enjoyment from and eat less of high-quality, pure and exquisitely delicious desserts, than I would from cheaper or “healthy” tasting alternatives. Those imitations spur me to eat more, trying in vain to attain the satisfaction I’m craving. Encourage conscious and compassionate indulgence with a personal or corporate food gift that will nourish the mind, body and taste buds while encouraging less devouring and more savoring.
Final Day to Order!
I know, I know, last week I said it was your last chance to order holiday gifts online. But now I’m really serious. Today is your last day to order decadent and compassionate presents for all those very special and most deserving colleagues, friends and loved one. 
(Okay, I guess you could order tomorrow, but you’d have to choose Overnight shipping, which is an extra cost.) It’s a big day here at Allison’s, marking the winding down of our holiday rush. We’ve been happy, busy elves these past few weeks, and loved every minute of it. Please, please, please order more peanut brittle, fair-trade chocolate and vegan gift baskets to wrap lovingly and ship off to you and yours. We don’t want it to be over yet!
I know getting all your holiday shopping done is just the beginning, and for most of us, “relaxing” this weekend will mean spending hours in the kitchen preparing elaborate vegan holiday meals, but that’s not such a bad thing. If you’re still wondering what to make, especially if you have omnivorous family or friends coming over, the VegNews Holiday eCookbook is a handy option. It includes all kinds of holiday recipes from the traditional to the unique and fantastic including Allison’s recipe for holiday wellington puff-pastries. 
For slightly less traditional but no less delicious meal ideas take a moment to peruse some of Allison’s other recipes published in her “Veganize It!” column in VegNews, also featured in the Monday Yumday series on this blog. Highlights for the season include Pumpkin Cranberry Scones, Coconut Nog and Vegan Meatloaf (a great replacement for the traditional Christmas roast).
Thank you for the immense pleasure of creating your decadent holiday gifts. Once you’ve done all that cooking and baking, don’t forget to savor and enjoy every compassionate bite of the holidays. Happy Winter Solstice tomorrow!
Last Chance for Holiday Orders
I know that shopping for the holidays is not always easy. It’s hard to find time amidst all the other holiday business, plus, there are always those people who are especially difficult to buy for. 
But, if you’ve been holding off on your holiday shopping, maybe hoping for a time when you’re less busy, or waiting for inspiration on that perfect gift, the moment to stop procrastinating is now. It’s time to make those last-minute holiday purchases and then breathe a sigh of relief that your gift list is finished for one more year. And, here’s the good news: you don’t have to brave crowded stores and hoards of wild-eyed shoppers to complete your final purchases; in fact, you don’t even have to get up! Since you’re already here, all you have to do is click over to our vegan bakery and confectionary to find all the compassionate, decadent, fair-trade gifts you’re looking for in just a few clicks. With only a handful of days to spare, there’s no time like the present. 
Whether you choose one of our elegant chocolate gifts, a gourmet coffee gift basket, or a cookie of the month club, we guarantee that everyone on your list will love your gift.
Did you remember a sweet something for your Host or Hostess, Dog Sitter, Nanny, Driver, or Doorman? There are so many people in our lives who deserve our appreciation during the holidays and chocolate is a great way to show it. If you’re not sure which types of goodies a specific person prefers, choose one our instant gift certificates and allow them to enjoy their own dessert shopping. Whatever you decide, order now so you can get on with the rest of your festive plans like awesome vegan baking and giant family meals!
Happy Holidays from all of us at Allison’s Gourmet.
P.S. Join Allison (@AllisonsGourmet) tonight at 6pm PT for the @VegNews Twitter chat: http://veg.gy/3E5CM. She’ll be answering your vegan baking questions along with two other extraordinary women, Hannah Kaminsky @BitterSweet_ and Beverly Lynn Bennet (@veganchefbev)!
Order Now: Holiday Flavors and Seasonal Favorites
I know it seems like December just began, but believe it or not Hanukkah begins in just 11 days (the night of the 19th) and Christmas is in 16 days! Once they get going these holidays just fly by, don’t they? Thankfully, you don’t have to wait until the last minute to order your holiday gifts for on-time delivery. 
December’s monthly flavors of gourmet cookies, organic brownies and vegan fudge are newly available, making now the perfect time to order all your holiday gifts online. Choose our delayed delivery date option during checkout to have your gifts delivered exactly when you want them. 
With top-notch dessert options for every taste from fair-trade coffee and tea to our new line of exquisite artisan chocolates, cross “holiday shopping” off your To Do list and let us worry about the rest of the details. Or, if you’d rather let your loved ones choose their own favorites, an instant gift certificate delivered via email or postal mail, lets them do just that.
Thank you for allowing us the honor of sending important gifts to people you care about. We appreciate your trust. Happy Compassionate Holidays!
Giveaway Winner for: Hannah Kaminsky’s Book, “Vegan Desserts!”
We had a lively discussion and tantalizing meringue dessert ideas entered in the contest to win Hannah Kaminsky’s new book, “Vegan Desserts.” Thank you to everyone who entered!
Congratulations to Esther of the blog, A, B, C, Vegan, who was randomly selected as the lucky winner of this Giveaway! We hope she’ll enjoy making those meringue cookies she mentioned and maybe some of Hannah’s other recipes too. When you do, Esther, please share some photos with us on our Facebook and Twitter pages!
Visit us tomorrow for another Fridays with Friends interview. Happy holiday baking!
Eco-Compassionate Business Holiday Gifts
It’s that gift-giving time of year and along with the pumpkin pie and holiday cheer, December also inevitably includes crowded malls, incessant Christmas music and those horrible corporate gifts sitting around the office. You know, the baskets of strange, stale and sometimes unidentifiable edibles no one would ever actually eat. Well, we’re here to make that old basket a thing of the past and give this year’s corporate food gifts a make-over.
We’ve designed five fabulously elegant and decadently delicious vegan gift baskets with green and compassionate corporate gift-giving in mind. In varying sizes to match any office or budget size, these gourmet coffee gifts baskets include a variety of healthy, cholesterol-free baked goods, artisan chocolates, vegan confections, and fair-trade coffee and cocoa. Impress your colleagues and share your good taste; say goodbye to the corporate holiday gift that no one wants and instead offer your business partners premium-quality desserts that everyone will enjoy. Our products even come with a complete satisfaction guarantee!
