Spicy Peanut Noodles

The Chefs: Elizabeth and Valencia Whole Foods

The Menu: What started out as just a salad, but turned into a salad of mixed greens, olives, carrots, tofu, kale, and sunflower seeds, served with a side of Savvy Savories Spicy Peanut Noodles.

The Goods: Who can resist the siren song of awesome pasta tossed in a spicy peanut-butter sauce? Not this gal, and not today. As someone who's been stricken with the freaking stupid cold that everyone I know seems to currently have, today marked the first time in more than a week that I was actually hungry for lunch, which made these two yummy dishes even more enticing. I'm just hoping that my appetite returns full-force before Friday, when we'll be testing the 10 finalists in our first-ever Holiday Cookie Contest!

Pre-Holiday Salad

The Chefs: Elizabeth and Herbivore

The Menu: A big, beautiful kale salad. Kale, vegan chicken, tomatoes, cucumbers, huge slices of avocado, and a super-tangy lemon vinaigrette dressing make a pretty darn perfect salad.

The Goods: We are in what some might call the final countdown. Deadlines are looming, the holiday break is nearly here, and between trying to get everything finished before we leave and making enough Christmas cookies to choke a horse (which, hello, we would never do—not vegan!), time is a precious commodity. If you are feeling similarly crunched, check out our list of three super-quick, cheap gifts. If you have a bit more leisure in your life at the moment (really?! How?), read up on the top 10 events that propelled veganism into mainstream culture this year for a bit of inspiration.