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December 2005—Issue #26
Vegetarian News, Food & More!
Brought to you by VegNews Magazine
**Sneak Preview of the January/February Issue
**Our Annual Holiday Gift Guide
**Great Ideas from VegNews
**Our Favorite Soy Nog
**Chef Beverly's Ultimate Holiday Cookies
**VegNewsletter Monthly Giveaway (NEW!)
Thanks so much for your interest in VegNews, America's premier vegetarian lifestyle magazine. The popular VegNewsletter arrives in your e-mailbox just once a month and is filled with vegetarian news, tidbits, recipes, products, reviews, and more. It's the perfect accompaniment to a VegNews subscription.
Although we're deep in the throes of holiday madness, our January/February issue has shipped and will be arriving in mailboxes everywhere in the next few weeks. Don't miss this spectacular issue, filled with inspiring stories and resources to make us the healthiest vegetarians we can be. Here's a sneak peak:
**15 World-Class Vegan Athletes
**Ultramarathoner Scott Jurek
**Vegetarian Myths Debunked
**Weekend Getaway to Portland, Maine
**Veggie Spas that Soothe and Relax
**The Ultimate Veggie Detox Plan
**And The Best Vegan Cheese Is...
**A Culinary Journey to Sicily
**Remembering Donald Watson
**New Column: VegHome
**Plus... All the usual goodies—the latest
vegetarian news, must-read books, the hottest
new products, celebrity buzz, and so much more.
The magazine will also be available on newsstands nationwide as well as from our website on January 1. If you haven't yet subscribed, what are you waiting for?!?
 Some of us love the holidays, others can't stand the season of mass consumerism. We like to take the opportunity to spread a little cheer, veggie style, and show friends and family just how enjoyable vegetarian living can be. From scrumptious organic cookies by Allison's Gourmet (shown left) to fashionable purses and accessories from Alternative Outfitters to a gift basket from the world's largest online vegan store, we've got some ideas that will make shopping fun. All gifts can be ordered online and shipped directly to your recipient's door, and most even come with a gift note.
Click here for the VegNews Holiday Gift Guide
Subscriptions to VegNews Make the Perfect Holiday Gift
Okay, we just gave you some great recommendations for holiday gift giving. Need one more? The gift of VegNews! Your recipient will appreciate receiving a fresh copy hot off the press every two months of the magazine everyone's talking about. We'll also send an attractive gift note announcing the subscription. Here are a few ideas to get you started:
 Back Issues Galore just $5
At just 5 bucks each (includes FREE shipping), you can put together an unforgettable package of our back issue collection which includes an attractive gift note. Take this opportunity to complete your own collection!
VegNews Holiday Gift Subs just $20
For just $20, we'll send your recipient a year of VegNews plus an attractive gift note. At this price, you can afford to send them to all of your friends, family, local library, doctor, chiropractor, massage therapist, and even mail carrier.
VegNews Gift Packages just $50
Also available are wonderful gift packages filled with our signature oversized tote bag, an organic cotton t-shirt, a one-year subscription to the magazine, the current edition, an attractive gift note, and six jumbo vegan cookies from Alternative Baking Company. The box of goodies will be delivered to your recipient just in time for the holidays and is only $50 (includes FREE shipping). Oh, and we won't tell if you send the gift to yourself.
VegNews Lifetime Subscriptions just $500
This is the perfect gift for that person who can’t get enough of VegNews. You know who you are, waiting feverishly by your mailbox every eight weeks, telling everyone you know about the magazine. Each Lifetime Gift Package includes a lifetime of VegNews, ten back issues of your choice, a vegan cookie basket from Sun Flour Baking Company, an attractive gift note and FREE shipping anywhere in the US. It doesn't get much better than this.
Order by December 25, and they'll receive the exciting January/February edition.
It's that time of year again to divulge this crazy-good recipe for soy nog by our resident dessert columnist, Chef Beverly. Once you indulge, you'll be longing for the holidays all year long. So pour a cup of this house-brewed treat, whip up a batch of Beverly's Ultimate Holiday Cookies (see below), and enjoy the holidays in true veg style!
Here's a scoop: in the January/February issue, Chef Beverly shares an amazing recipe for Orange Chocolate Chip Cookies that would be perfect with her famous nog. Oh yeah.
 1 quart soy milk
6 ounces Mori-Nu silken style tofu, extra firm
6 tablespoons maple syrup
1/4 cup Amaretto, Southern Comfort, brandy, or alcohol of choice
2 teaspoons vanilla
1-1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon cardamom
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
In a blender, combine all ingredients and blend until smooth. Chill before serving. Makes 5 cups.
For many, the winter holiday season is a frenzy of shopping, decorating, parties, and get-togethers that seem to require endless preparations and often include marathon cooking and baking sessions. I love baking vegan goodies and sharing them with others, especially cookies, and I've devised a Sugar Cookie Dough that is easy to prepare and very adaptable. From this basic cookie dough, you can make several different types and flavors of cookies, saving you time and energy. It is ideal for rolled cookies of all types, and with just a few changes you'll have lemon, chocolate, or nut-flavored doughs that can be used to make everything from cut-out cookies to crescents or other shaped cookies. It can even be used to make edible ornaments—the possibilities are endless. Happy holiday baking!
All-In-One Sugar Cookie Dough
Yield: 5-7 Dozen
1-1/2 cups non-hydrogenated vegan margarine
1 cup unbleached cane sugar
6 tablespoons water
1 tablespoon vanilla
4-1/2 cups unbleached flour
3/4 cup tapioca flour
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
Optional toppings: chopped dried fruits, raisins, chopped nuts, etc.
 In a large bowl, beat together the margarine, sugar, water, and vanilla until light and creamy. Add the remaining ingredients and stir well to form a smooth dough. Cover and chill for 1 hour or until firm. Divide the dough in half, work with one half at a time, and keep the remaining dough covered. On a floured work surface, roll the dough out to desired thickness (1/8-inch for crispy cookies or 1/4-inch for soft), cut into shapes with a knife or cookie cutters, and carefully transfer the cookies with a spatula to ungreased cookie sheets. The cookies can be left plain, or before baking, sprinkle with any of the suggested toppings on top of the cookies, and gently press with your fingers to help the toppings stick to the dough, or decorate with frosting after baking. Bake at 350º for 8-10 minutes or until lightly browned around the edges. Allow the cookies to cool slightly before transferring to a rack to cool completely. Store in an air-tight container.
Chocolate Dough: Prepare dough for Sugar Cookies but add an additional 4 tablespoons water and 1/2 cup of cocoa powder to the dough, shape as desired, and then bake as above.
Lemon or Orange Dough: Prepare dough for Sugar Cookies but omit vanilla and add 3 tablespoons lemon juice (or orange) and 1 tablespoon grated zest to the dough. Cut into shapes or roll into 1-inch balls, roll them in sugar, and then bake as above.
Peanut Butter Dough: Prepare dough for Sugar Cookies but substitute 3/4 cup Sucanat for the cane sugar and add 1 cup peanut butter to the dough. Shape as desired, and then bake as above.
Pistachio Dough: Prepare dough for Sugar Cookies but add a little spirulina powder to the water (for green color) and substitute 1 cup ground pistachios for 1 cup of the flour in the dough, shape as desired, and then bake as above.
Nut Dough: Prepare dough for Sugar Cookies but add nut extract of choice and substitute 1 cup ground nuts of choice (such as almonds, walnuts, pecans or hazelnuts) for 1 cup of the flour in the dough. Shape as desired, and then bake as above.
We're proud to introduce our new monthly VegNewsletter Giveaway! In each issue of our popular e-newsletters, we'll offer up a very special prize to one lucky winner. All you have to do is answer a bit of VegNews trivia, and we'll send you a fabulous gift! One name will be drawn from all of the correct responses.
 This Month's Question
Featured on the cover of our July/August 2005 special anniversary issue is one of today's hottest musicians. A vegan for 16 years and vegetarian for four before that, this person has been an outspoken and articulate voice for the movement. He has been voted twice by VegNews readers as their favorite musician in the annual Veggie Awards survey. Who is this person? Email us by December 31 to be eligible.
The Prize
Are you salivating over that box of Allison's Gourmet treats up above? Well, if you answer our trivia question correctly, and your name is drawn, you'll be receiving a box of scrumptious organic cookies by one of the best vegan bakeries around.
You won't want to miss the January edition of the VegNewsletter. We'll have loads of great veggie tidbits and information to arrive in e-mailboxes everywhere in the beginning of the month.
Please help us get the word out. We'd be most grateful if you could share this edition of the VegNewsletter with your friends, family, colleagues and any related lists you're on. If this issue was forwarded to you, please visit our home page at vegnews.com to begin receiving your own copy each month. Past editions are available for your enjoyment by clicking on "See our past VegNewsletters" on the home page.
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