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.

Of course, after 15 years in business, not everything is a surprise. The other popular sweets over the holidays were vegan toffee, especially the chocolate-covered variety, and hot cocoa, both the classic and peppermint drinking chocolate varieties. Given their classic nature we weren’t at all shocked by their doing so well.

As I and my staff catch our collective breath before unveiling a new chocolate pleasure for Valentine’s Day in just a few short weeks, I’d like to extend my heartfelt thanks for allowing us the privilege of providing your compassionately decadent gifts for the holidays and throughout the year. It is my pleasure to delight and serve you. And I know everyone at AG shares my gratitude for you. Here’s to a fabulous year-ahead!

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?

Allison’s Gourmet: What inspired you to adopt a vegan diet/lifestyle?
Whitney Lauritsen: I went vegetarian in 2003 because I was inspired by a friend, then tried veganism about 6 months later out of curiosity. Over the years I fell in love with the lifestyle due to how good I felt, emotionally, physically and spiritually. It’s fun discovering new ways to be eco-friendly, healthy and compassionate.

AG: What’s the biggest challenge in running your blog Eco-Vegan Gal?
WL: Finding time! It’s tough balancing my day jobs and personal life with the website, but I make it happen no matter what. When I do have time, creating content and managing the site is a no-brainer because it comes so naturally to me. I would never call my site work – it’s love.

AG: What do you love most about it?
WL: I love all the amazing people I meet online and at events. I learn so much from each individual, even those that come to me for advice teach me something through their questions. I feel connected to the whole world through Facebook, Twitter and YouTube – what a great way to learn about how different people live healthfully and sustainably!

AG: Are there any whole-food staple grocery items you can’t live without? (Favorite fruits, veggies, beans or grains?)
WL: Do kale chips count? If not, I’d have to say almonds, quinoa, kale, and broccoli. I love almonds as snacks, quinoa is my favorite “grain”, and kale and broccoli are such nutritious, tasty veggies. I’m really keen on Brussels sprouts – I could go on…

AG: Do you have a favorite seasonal meal idea or recipe you’d like to share?
WL: I’m really into butternut squash right now. I love roasting it, steaming it, stuffing it with other veggies and grains, or mixing it into things like quinoa or brown rice pasta. You really can’t go wrong with it! I love this recipe from The Blissful Chef: Lemon-Kissed Brussels and Butternut Squash.

AG: What’s your favorite eco-friendly tip for the holidays?
WL: Go minimal, buy second hand, and recycle. Choose presents that inspire recipients to eat healthier and live greener. Try not to go overboard just because it’s the holidays – you can be festive without buying a lot of things. One of my favorite eco tips is to rent a live Christmas tree, or buy a potted plant and decorate that instead. Think outside the box, it’s more fun that way! I’ve contributed to some gift guides, like this one from Vegan Cuts.

AG: Which Allison’s Gourmet goodie is your favorite or would you most like to try?
WL: Anything gluten-free and lower in sugar. I’m always looking for a good hot cocoa too, so your peppermint drinking chocolate looks pretty darn tasty!

Although many of our products are gluten-free, for low in sugar items I’d suggest our organic coffee and fair-trade tea selections. Happy Holidays, Whitney!

Thank you for allowing us the honor of sending important gifts to people you care about. We appreciate your trust. Happy Compassionate Holidays!

As a fellow sweets lover, I have long admired Hannah Kaminsky’s dedicated work in the world of vegan desserts. Her skills as a recipe creator and photographer are out of this world. Often, when I have a spare moment, I pop over to her enticing blog just to see what she’s up to. I was thrilled to sit down with Hannah to talk to her about her genius.

Allison’s Gourmet: What inspired you to adopt a vegan diet?
Hannah Kaminsky: Well, at first I went vegetarian simply because I suddenly found myself with many new veggie-powered friends when I entered high school. I found it intriguing, as I hadn’t really considered it a viable lifestyle before, and was impressed at how easily it came to me. After finally doing a bit of research as to why one would become a vegetarian, and all those horrible websites about the cruelty of the egg, dairy, and meat industries popped up… Well, there was no looking back, and I went vegan straight away, after only a month of being vegetarian. Now it’s been about 8 years and I haven’t regretted that decision once.

AG: How in the world did you decide to write a cookbook for your Senior project at the tender age of 18?
HK: Actually, it wasn’t so much that I decided to write a cookbook as a senior project – I lucked out that I had some of the most open-minded teachers in the world. I was going to work on that cookbook to the detriment of all other assignments, but they graciously allowed me to submit it as a final project anyway. So I could have just as easily failed; the cookbook was way more important than school in my eyes!

Hannah recently released a gorgeous new full-color cookbook, Vegan Desserts, that’s arranged seasonally, has lots of lovely holiday and gift-able treats, and includes her own enticing photographs of every recipe. She’s generously allowing us to give away a copy of this volume to one lucky reader. Read on!

AG: What’s the biggest challenge in running a blog?
HK: Keeping up. Keeping up with both the lovely comments, other inspiring blogs, and regular postings with new and exciting content. Sometimes it becomes too much, and my email piles up like some horrific multi-car accident on the highway, but it’s always worth it to sort through in the end, whenever time allows.

AG: What do you love most about it?
HK: I couldn’t survive without the feedback. The reason that I keep blogging is not for money (I only make a meager amount from Amazon referrals every month, as cruelty-free and committed advertisers are hard to come by), nor the freebies for review (though they are a nice perk), but for the community. On the days when it’s hard just to get out of bed, and I have to wonder why I keep writing recipes, a glance at the comments always lifts my spirit. Small compliments really do have a huge impact, and I treasure the thoughtful words from my “regulars” especially.

I hear you on this, Hannah. Cyberspace can feel a touch solitary at times and the human contact through feedback is essential for me as well.

AG: You’re an amazing photographer and have taught me a lot! I especially love what you’ve been doing with my ‘Veganize It!‘ recipes in VegNews. Do you have a preference between taking pictures and writing blogs or recipes? Why?
HK: Why thank you! I’ve definitely begun to identify more as a photographer than cook or writer at this point. It’s mostly due to my increased focus on it, thanks to school, and other freelance jobs that keep on graciously popping up. I’m a very visual thinker as well, and I find it entirely satisfying to take an image in my head and recreate it in real life, generally relatively faithfully to my original inspiration. To be able to share my vision with others is one of my favorite parts of the job… Plus, on the styling end, I love having an excuse to play with my food!

Sounds like similar reasons to mine for cooking/baking/candy-making!

AG: Are there any whole-food staple grocery items you can’t live without? (Favorite fruits, veggies, beans or grains?)
HK: Well, this is probably pretty weird, but I adore cucumbers. There are always at least two or three in the house. I just slice them up, salt them, and munch on them as needed. Simple and refreshing, it’s my idea of healthy comfort food!

AG: Do you have a favorite seasonal meal idea or recipe you’d like to share?
HK: Come winter, I make giant vats of stew at least every other day of the week. Whatever’s in the fridge or pantry gets piled in, and every batch is a little bit different. It’s just a wonderful way to wind down my evening; get a big pot of stew bubbling away while I work on a few last emails for the night, enjoy one bowl full with some light reading, and then pack away the rest for quick meals later. The leftovers are excellent to freeze for long term storage, too.

AG: You combine your love for making crafts with food, is that a natural fit? How do your readers respond? Are there different audiences?
HK: There are definitely different audiences that visit my blog, and I try to appease them all whenever possible… Although I can tell you right now, I’m grateful for all the crafters that hang in there, because that section has been rather quiet for some time now. It’s tough to balance everything out, so I just post edibles and crafts whenever they happen, rather than forcing sub par stuffed animals. It’s harder to find the time to just sit and craft these days, so although the blog started out only as a craft blog, without any recipes, it really is more of a food blog with a few crafts thrown in now. I hope that foodies and crafters alike can appreciate both sorts of posts, though!

AG: Which Allison’s Gourmet goodie is your favorite or would you most like to try?
HK: Well, I had the incredible luck of receiving your peppermint brownies one year as a holiday gift from a co-worker, and I still can’t get them out of my mind! I love chocolate and mint together more than most flavor combos, and the crunchy topping of crushed candy canes on those fudgy brownie squares just made this marriage perfect. I wish they were available year-round!

Just wait until you try our new artisan truffles and caramels!

Now for the Giveaway! In her new book: Vegan Desserts, Hannah cracks the code of formerly elusive vegan meringue, which, in it’s non-vegan form, is made with only egg-whites. To win, post here on our blog telling us what you would create with this revelatory discovery? We’ll choose a winner Wednesday, the 7th. Good luck!

UPDATE: This contest is now closed. Esther, of  A, B, C, Vegan won!

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!

Finish off a big family meal with your favorite decadent dessert whether it’s a tray of organic brownies, a platter of gourmet cookies, or something more involved like a coconut ice cream and double chocolate chunk brownie Sundae topped with caramel sauce and vegan toffee. Complement your dessert with a perfect cup of organic fair-trade tea or fair-trade organic coffee. For holiday-inspired sipping, we like Peppermint Drinking Chocolate or Coconut Nog.

Now, for the other nights of the holiday week, or if you have kids who won’t eat anything green, these “VeganizeIt!” versions of classic pasta favorites (like amazing Mac ‘n’ Cheese) are cholesterol-free and even include some hidden veggies, but still have the rich and creamy flavors that everybody loves. For Italian-style family meals try Baked Ziti or Lasagna (available in the current issue of VegNews). Or, for an easy meal for kids or kids at heart, whip up some Alfredo sauce, pour over your favorite pasta and serve with a side of steamed veggies.

For those loved one too far distant to share a holiday meal, consider our many elegant and delectable holiday gifts for the season. Happy Compassionate Thanksgiving!

My first step is going to be establishing healthy eating habits now. I love summer, when I can eat my fill of salads, veggie stir-frys and tomato sandwiches without feeling like I need to watch my portion sizes. But as summer turns to fall I start craving richer, warming food like Cream of Broccoli Soup and Baked Ziti. These recipes are so delicious I could eat an entire pot of soup by myself. Since they’re vegan versions, they have larger-than-normal amounts of veggies in them and they’re cholesterol-free because they don’t have the dairy and eggs of traditional recipes. Still, I know that eating an entire casserole dish of pasta, as delicious as it would be, would not actually make me feel very good in the long run. So, this winter I’m going to savor every bite of one serving of my favorite savory dishes and then fill up on greens and whole grains. Leaving room, or course, for vegan cookies or maybe some hot cocoa for dessert. Sweets make me happy, and that’s important too.

Exercise is the other important part of feeling good that I need to do for myself. My favorite physical exercise is Nia, a dance-based movement class that gets me moving and sweaty while making me ecstatically happy. But, as life got busier this summer, and my finances got tighter, I’ve let my Nia studio membership run out. I know it’s important for me to get back in some kind of exercise routine this fall, especially as the onset of cold, wet weather makes me want to do nothing but curl up on the couch with a movie or good book. So, whether it’s walking, biking, or going back to Nia, my intention is to stay active this winter, even in the rain.

I hope that by getting used to healthy portions sizes, a good balance of greens, grains and proteins in my diet and regular exercise now, those habits will sustain me through the delicious holidays in happiness and good health. I’ll let you know how it goes.

Thanks for the nice shout out from Shae Thompson on Facebook who enjoyed our fudge. Feedback keeps us pressing on to bring you the best products and service!

We were moved to tears by the story that broke last week about the chimps at Chimpanzee Sanctuary NorthWest in Cle Elum, WA, who had spent their entire lives in laboratories and finally got to experience some increased freedom. It’s a reminder of why we do what we do and that there’s no reason to ever give up hope that all animals will someday enjoy happy endings like this one.

Public voting ends today for our first-ever Tee and Tote Design Contest! Thanks to all the contestants and voters! Next phase is the ten designs that received the most votes go to our incredible panel of judges who will select the 1^st, 2^nd and 3^rd prize winners, which we’ll announce next week! Good luck to all the contestants and thanks to everyone for supporting us.

Have a wonderful weekend.