Thanksgiving was so yesterday; Small Business Saturday is approaching! What better way to celebrate than with some goodies from Gone Pie Vegan Bakery?

If you love chocolate and peanut butter, why not consider their famous (and enormous) peanut butter cups? They’ll be on special from now through Monday.

If peanut butter cups aren’t your thing, I don’t want to know you. But, Gone Pie still does and that’s why there will also be a special on their incomparable brownies: coconut, triple nut, and/or fudge– also through Monday. These come in a big pan that you can cut and share, or eat yourself as one giant brownie (are you noticing a theme?).

Whichever treat you choose (or both; I’m not judging), remember that you can get them here until Monday!

If you find yourself in a celebration roast coma through the weekend and miss out: FEAR NOT! There will be yet another great deal running through December 24th: 8 Crazy Cups! Whether you celebrate Hanukkah and want a caramashew cup for every night of the festivities or you think that eight of these giant cups are an appropriate serving size any time of year, this is the deal for you.

Not familiar with Gone Pie’s caramashew? Get familiar: organic, vegan, fairtrade semi-sweet chocolate (evaporated cane juice, chocolate liquor, non-dairy cocoa butter); cashew butter; organic, vegan, fairtrade sugar; organic brown rice syrup; organic coconut milk; organic coconut oil; sea salt. Abby Bean translation: thick, gooey, rich caramel.

If you’re anything like me, this post has got you thinking in terms of what you might like to eat this holiday. Heck, right now. But, since the season of giving is upon us (and generosity is an admirable, year-round virtue), why not consider gifting these edible treasures? Gone Pie can make that happen too! Part vegan bakery, part dream fulfillment.  

Let them make you look good.

When the time came to commence taste-testing the assortment of Alive & Radiant foods kale chips I received for review, I was in the midst of a busy day at home with no other people around. I tore into the the Original Quite Cheezy: rich cheddar flavor without the cheese and I said aloud, “Now that’s good.” I don’t generally talk to myself, it’s just that I love cheesy kale chips and these were impressive enough to warrant an audible exclamation.

Robust, sizable leaves of curly kale dehydrated and generously smothered with the cheesiest of non-cheese concoctions I ever did taste, I had to convince myself to put it away so that I could resume my taste-test.

Next up was the Original Cheezy Chipotle: rich smoky cheddar flavor without the cheese.

All of a sudden the kitchen became a little more crowded when someone who is also a fan of kale and nutritional yeast sauntered in to investigate. I shared a crumb, but will be keeping the rest to myself. Obviously this product isn’t intended for dogs and it’s too good to share! As advertised, it was just as cheesy, but with a noticeable, flavorful spice.

Then it was time to try the Organic Southwest Ranch: with just a little kick.  I haven’t eaten ranchy snack foods in quite some time and I couldn’t even remember if it was something I liked.

Um, yeah it is! Under the watchful eye of 89, kitchen supervisor, I was reminded that ranch is indeed something I enjoy and need more of in my life: particularly in the form of Kale Krunch.

I had purposefully waited on trying the seemingly plainer Superfood: with spirulina, maca, and chia because, well…it sounded all healthy-like (i.e. not necessarily my style mkay).

It even looked all healthy-like! Neither of us knew quite what to make of it, but I dug in recklessly and am happy to report that it was actually really delicious in a simpler, “I want a kale chip but not a snacky, flavored kale chip” sort of way (it could happen).

I saved the chocolate for last. “Chocolate and kale? Yes, try it!” I actually didn’t wanna. I mean, I really didn’t. But, of course, I did. [Abby is a scientist and pro journalist]

I will admit that when I opened the package it smelled solely of really delicious chocolate. I took a bite and confirmed that, indeed, it was. But, it was missing the saltiness that I’d hoped would remind me of chocolate covered pretzels and so I didn’t have any more. What can I say? As a lover of most things green I just can’t psychologically get past greenery in my sweets.

Later that same day I found these two new flavors from Alive & Radiant in the supermarket, so obviously I’m in the minority:Have at it, weirdos! More Quite Cheezy, Cheezy Chipotle, and Southwest Ranch for me.

When Slawsa offered to send us some of their “gourmet topping for everything” for review, mine was the first hand to go up; I love condiments!

Slawsa comes in four flavors: original, spicy, garlic, and spicy garlic. Much to my delight, the company sent me the original and spicy flavors. According to the site, Slawsa is “a cabbage-based relish with a salsa twist.” Naturally, this East Coaster decided to first try it out on a hot dog. I tried original on one half and spicy on the other. I was hooked from the first bite. While I didn’t discern any spice differential between the two, I should note that my tastebuds were burned off some time in the late ’90s when I first discovered hot sauce.

While I know that there are many recipe possibilities (be aware that those on their website are not all vegan), right out of the jar, Slawsa is an exemplary product for condiment lovers. It’s fair to say that I won’t be eating a Slawsa-less hot dog anytime soon. There is just something about this perfectly sweet and tangy topping that deftly replaces any other fancy mustard-and-relish combination you might consider applying to your frank.

After multiple dogs had been consumed in the name of research (it’s not my fault there are six in a pack), I also enjoyed Slawsa on a burger, again with ketchup accompaniment, to glorious result.

Because it was just sitting there in the fridge waiting to be eaten, I tried the salsa-hybrid on tortilla chips—that’s the spicy on the left and original on the right. It was okay, but a condiment of this caliber needed a better pairing.

And then it hit me. When I found myself with a takeout samosa and no obligatory tamarind chutney, I subbed Slawsa. Ermagherd, you guys.

Needless to say, there are a world of opportunities for Slawsa, limited only by your imagination.

Slawsa creator Julie was kind enough to include a personal note in the testing package: “We embrace our uniqueness. I hope you do too. Be Slawesome.” This would be my new motto if it weren’t already taken.

[ed note: it’s the first appearance of Abby’s vegan dog, 89!!! We heart her!!!]

UPDATE: Slawsa just informed us that they are having a recipe contest! You can win a year supply of Slawsa! LET’S MAKE SURE A VEGAN RECIPE WINS!

If you love the convenience of packaged snackfoods, then you’re probably familiar with Cakewalk Bakery‘s dillos vegan snack cakes.

If not, get acquainted: they are packaged, cream-filled cakes that come in a variety of flavors; you probably need at least two in your belly right now.

Cakewalk Bakery also makes cupcakes, cakes, cookies, pastries, muffins, and cheesecakes that can be found predominantly in the Northwest, United States. It’s the dillos, however, that have stolen my heart; you can currently buy them online at Vegan Essentials.

So, why am I telling you this? Because Cakewalk is currently running a Kickstarter to raise the funds to grow and expand their packaged dillo business. What does this mean to you? Dillos in your neighborhood!!  Dillos in my neighborhood. Basically, one step closer to dillos for everyone. And, let’s face it: for every dillo eaten, a non-vegan snack cake remains.

The Cakewalk Bakery kickstarter has a bunch of great perks for their supporters; my favorite is the “I Get My Protein From Cake” t-shirt.

Check it out and consider lending your support for the love of dillos everywhere.

Mooshoes, my absolute favorite source for cruelty-free shoes and accessories, is turning 13! To commemorate the event, both of their locations, original New York and brand new Los Angeles will be celebrating in-store with cake, champagne, and a 13{ae720e0b436026f867bfa0c31185c2252a138f27e85f5f152ec5acc1c10a8cc9} discount this Saturday. 

Not in the area, but still in need of some fresh new gear for the fall and winter? You can party too! Just use the code LUCKY13 to shop online with the same discount and bask in the glory of not having to pore over labels checking for animal content: truly guilt-free shopping.