Vegan Lunch Box Sightings, At Home and Abroad

Sighting One: I have just been informed that there are 5 new copies of the original, self-published edition of Vegan Lunch Box available for sale in the UK and Europe. You can find the book along with Laptop Lunch Boxes and more at Becky and Lolo.

Sighting Two: Here's great news for those of you not in England and not able to spend a blithering amount of money for a used copy on the internet (a friend of mine recently sold hers for $100...say what?!?) The brand new, completely revised, expanded and very affordable Vegan Lunch Box is now available for preorder on Amazon.com.

I've actually laid my eyes on a copy, and I can say without reservation that it is highly adorable!! I love the way the new publishers have reorganized the recipes and restyled the book, both inside and out. All the color photographs are still there, along with a great new index (I love me a good index) and some very cute pinwheel decorations. The new, lower price probably doesn't break anyone's heart, either, huh?

I Love Obento!

Oh, yes I do! I just received word today that I Love Obento! is finally open for business.

The store features bento boxes (Japanese lunch boxes) and the little lunchtime accessories that you see in many of my own lunch box creations: plastic picks to skewer bites of fruit or vegetables, paper dividers and cups, tiny sauce bottles, rice molds, and more.

It's sometimes hard for natural, healthy foods to compete in an age of dinosaur-shaped chicken nuggets and neon-colored pudding tubes, so lunch boxes and accessories like these are a great way to turn a healthy lunch into a special, fun treat for your kids (or yourself!)

Even more astonishing, the store actually has copies of the original edition of Vegan Lunch Box for sale. I think these may be the last remaining brand new copies in existence. A few used copies have been selling for an ungodly amount on amazon, but if you want an original, brand new edition at a reasonable price hurry over to I Love Obento!

Oh, did I say March? Um, I meant August.

You know how I mentioned below that the new issue of Vegan Lunch Box would be out in March? Well, as so often happens in the world of professional publishing, there’s been a change of plans. The publisher has decided that it will be much more exciting to bring the book out in late July/early August, in order to generate lots of excitement at back-to-school time. I can see the logic there, but I’m still sad to have to tell you all that the book won’t be available for several more months. Doh!

In other news, the latest issue of Vegetarian Journal (Volume XXVII, No. 1) includes a very nice review of the old, self-published version of Vegan Lunch Box. I want to tell all the VJ readers out there not to worry: all the recipes listed in the review will be in the new edition out in August, along with new recipes you might like to try out, too.

Hey, I also noticed that this issue also includes an article on "Veggie-Friendly Literature for Kids", listing dozens of storybooks, novels, poems, and more that encourage and support compassion for animals and an understanding of vegetarianism. The books are divided by age group, from preschool to teens. All that and seven recipes for vegan cheesecake! Woo!

Vice Cream, Anyone?

Lately my favorite non-dairy frozen treat is a simple frozen fruit sorbet: I push frozen bananas, pineapple, and strawberries through my Champion Juicerand out comes perfect, creamy sorbet with no added sugar.

But before I switched to sugar-free, I used to make luscious non-dairy ice creams using a Krups La Glaciere Ice Cream Maker and the book Vice Cream: Over 70 Sinfully Delicious Dairy-Free Delights.The recipes are simple and far better than any vegan ice cream I've bought at any store. The "milks" are from nuts, which give the ice cream a rich, creamy sweetness. Chocolate pecan was our favorites, but once you understand the basic proportions you can make practically any flavor you like.

In case any of you are interested, I'm selling the ice cream maker and book together as a set on ebay. I hope they go to a good vegan home, one that will use them to make many, many wonderful, non-dairy delights.

Let's Do Lunch!

Happy New Year, Lunch Box Fans! Will you be eating Vegan Hoppin' John tomorrow, for good luck in the new year? I hope so!

Well, look what Santa brought me: my very own Borsa Bella Bag (sitting in front of the beautiful white roses my husband brought me for Christmas. Take that, Santa.)

These adorable handcrafted bags are made in America by the sister of a good friend of mine. When I saw the name of this bag -- "Let's Do Lunch" -- I knew I had to feature it on my blog. The bag has a quilted interior with inside pockets to hold utensils, napkins, and an ice pack, with a magnetic clasp at the top to keep the bag closed. It's a nice way to keep all your lunch containers and utensils together in one place.

Here's the vegan momma lunch I put together to go inside my chic new bag: a thermos filled with Dr. Fuhrman's Famous Soup alongside a rectangular stainless steel lunch box filled with stir-fried carrots and arame (a type of seaweed), two brown rice flowers, and a sweet Clementine mandarin for dessert.

Verdict: I am absolutely in love with arame and carrots, stir-fried together with a touch of dark sesame oil and a sprinkle of toasted sesame seeds. If you have never considered eating sea vegetables, let me tell you that seaweed is simply bursting with good-for-you minerals like calcium, iron, zinc and iodine. Not only that, it also tastes amazing! Arame is a nice one to start with, as it has a mild, almost sweet taste that is easy to enjoy. Try it in a stir-fry like this one, or cooked, chilled, and sprinkled on top of a vinegar-based potato salad. Yum!

Thank you, Borsa Bella!

Preview of Coming Attractions

Here's a sneak peek at the cover design for the new, updated edition of Vegan Lunch Box coming out this March from Da Capo Lifelong Books!

For the original, self-published edition my husband and I did all the typesetting, photography, and cover design ourselves. I'm excited to see what real fancy-pants professional publishers in New York City can do. I like what I've seen so far. What do you think?

The cookbook will contain all the recipes of the old edition, plus some new, and will be completely reorganized and stylized. Best of all, I think they've even lowered the price a bit!

I can't wait to get a peek inside!

The Lonely Lunch Box

Here it is, all alone at the bottom of the box: a final unsold copy of Vegan Lunch Box. Yes, I've turned off my ordering buttons and closed up shop, ready to devote myself full time to shmoo's third grade year.

But don't despair, vegan lunch fans! I'm excited to report that a brand new, completely revised edition of Vegan Lunch Box will be coming out from Da Capo Lifelong Books in March 2008.

The book is being completely redesigned (by professionals, even!) It will include all the recipes from the original plus brand new menus and recipes I created especially for the new edition. The best part is that the book will now be widely available in bookstores across the country, instead of being distributed one at a time out of a basement in eastern Washington. Check back for more information and a glimpse of the new cover some time in the next few months.

If you would still like to get your hands on a copy of the original, self-published edition, copies are still available over at Laptop Lunches. Order one while supplies last, or hunker down and wait for spring.

Saley Days of Summer are Over

The crazy summer blow out sale was a huge success! We moved boxes and boxes of books and the orders just kept pouring in. Thanks so much to everyone who bought a book plus one to share!

I hope all you parents had a great summer and are ready to gear up for fall. I love Back To School time!! Can you believe it's just around the corner already? I'm starting to put together shmoo's third grade learning plan and order new math and history books. I really do enjoy sitting down with him for lessons each day, so I'm excited about all we'll get to learn and do this year.

Unfortunately for all you bento fans, we won't have much need for lunch boxes this year. Staying at home generally negates the need for a packed lunch, you know. Besides, I'm sure you can tell that I've always made my more elaborate lunches more for my own sense of artistic and aesthetic accomplishment than for shmoo. It was easy to find the time when shmoo was off at school all day, but now that he is home with me and has also gotten older (9 as of this week!) he really has lost interest in the whole endeavor. At the same time my sense of creative fulfillment has shifted to helping with his education and to a number of volunteer efforts. It's been a fantastic adventure, and I'm excited to be moving on to new things.

Having said that, I want to let you all know that there are only a few boxes of Vegan Lunch Box left. If you wish to order a copy for this school year, you probably want to do so quite soon! After these final cases are gone, it will be several months before the book becomes available again.

It's Crazy Kung Fu Shmoo's Summer Clearance Blow Out SALE!

UPDATE: Please note that this sale expired August 1st.

That's right! We're crazy, crazy, crazy for slashing prices this low -- must be the heat! Visit VeganLunchBox.com to take advantage of my Summer Clearance Blow Out Sale: from now until August 1st buy TWO COPIES FOR $30.00! You heard right: two copies of Vegan Lunch Box for just $30.00! *

Woo, I always wanted to be a used car salesman. Anyway, I thought perhaps a juicy sale might encourage people to buy copies now for back-to-school time, so I don't get slammed in late August. And perhaps it will make up a bit for my shameful lack of posts.

Things have been quiet around here lately, I know. Please don't expect too much of me this summer; a lot has been happening in my life that doesn't fit in a lunch box! I hope everyone is out there enjoying some vacations and summer fun, like we are.

Someone mentioned hoping I would post some summer travel ideas and recipes. Please don't forget to look through the archive of recipes and blog posts from last summer for a collection of picnic, road trip, and camping ideas.

*Every good sale has to have fine print, so here's mine: Price includes free shipping via USPS Media Mail. This deal is for US orders only. For International and Priority shipping, please select the Priority and International order button and order at the regular price of $22.95 plus $5.00 shipping. To purchase just one copy, use the regular $22.95 order button.

Eat To Live Bundle

FYI for those of you who are interested in learning more about Eat To Live, I am selling an Eat To Live Bundle on ebay.

The set includes both of Dr. Fuhrman's DVDs, the 5 CD audio book "Disease-Proof Your Child", and an unused container of Dr. Fuhrman's Cocoa Powder (I bought it, then thought better of adding cocoa powder back to my diet -- too tempting!).

Even after you've sat down and watched them once, these DVDs are great for putting on in the background for snippets of encouragement and inspiration as you putter around during the day. The CDs are especially great for listening to in the car with the kids. After they hear these lessons on the fabulous disease-fighting properties of a healthy, plant-based diet, you might find your kids becoming more enthusiastic about eating their vegetables!