Cosmo's Vegan Shoppe-Store Blog

Attention Local Folks! Cosmo's will be closed on Tuesday, January 1st (New Years Day). We are also closed on Monday December 31st (New Years Eve), but you probably already know that as we're always closed on Mondays.
Everyone be safe and have fun. Happy New Year!

We have a new category in the online store: Non-Dairy Beverages. So if you've been wanting to try hemp milk, hazelnut milk, or oat milk, now is your chance! Our new favorite tasty treat? Chocolate Banana Soymilk. Mmmmm...bananas.
Also new in the store is a fresh batch of Queen Bee bags & wallets. The crazy popular cupcake design is back, this time on a grey Wonderboy and Wonder Wallet. Cute, eh?
Hey! Do you live in or around the Portland, Oregon area? If so, you should definitely try to make it out to the grand opening party for the first ever Vegan MiniMall! We are so happy for our sisters and brothers from different mothers out on the West Coast: Food Fight Grocery, Herbivore, Sweet Pea Bakery, and Scapegoat Tattoo are all vegan businesses doing good things, so support them, won't you? Great job ya'll!

For the locals: Our retail store will be closed on Tuesday for Christmas. We are always closed on Mondays, so you won't see us on Christmas Eve, either. But we will return on Wednesday, all bright-eyed and bushy-tailed!
For online shipping: All orders that were placed over the weekend will be shipped on Monday morning. Orders placed on Sunday evening, Monday and Tuesday will be shipped on Wednesday.
Thank you for your business and Happy Holidays to all!

Our friend and photographer Brenda Winn came by the store last week and took some brilliant pictures. Check them out!

Hey buddies! Today is the last day to order with UPS Ground if you would like your package to arrive before Christmas. But don't worry, you can still order via USPS Priority Mail up until December 17th. Please click here for full Holiday Shipping Information.
We have some pretty new paper goods in stock from Little Otsu. Little Otsu is a vegan-owned company that creates uncommon art-based books and paper goods using eco-friendly materials. So if you are looking for a unique journal, planner or address book, consider a goodie from Little Otsu.
Now available in the online store is Herbivore Magazine Issue 14. If you are unfamiliar with Herbivore, #14 is a great issue to start with. This special travel issue is jam-packed with good vegan reading, and is in an adorable collectible book-size format.

Guess who came into the store today? Ruben Studdard! How completely random is that? I didn't ask to take his picture like I should have because I didn't want to make him feel weird. But he said he would be right back. We'll wait Ruben, we'll wait right here.

For a limited time, we are offering 10% off all styles of the Vegetarian Shoes brand of footwear! You even get free shipping for each pair of Vegetarian Shoes you purchase. See all styles on sale here. Help us make room for some new styles in early '08.

Oh, and in other news... we put up some cute star shaped lights in the store windows. Come visit us and see them in person, won't you?

Attention shoppers! The aprons are back in stock. Just in time for gifting to your favorite "Vegan Master Baker" or "Damn Tasty Vegan".
Also back in stock, totes! The adorable "Cow Hugger" and the truthful "Vegetarianism Is Environmentalism" are ready and waiting for you to stuff with...stuff.
We have a new shirt for the ladies from Herbivore Clothing, too. It's a pretty brown boatneck shirt with a feminine 3/4 sleeve cut. Check it out here.

Thank you to all who came out this afternoon to hang out and participate in the bake off. What an amazing display of baking prowess the contestants showed! We will have some video footage soon, so until then enjoy the pictures.

Ken represents for Team Vegan:


The crowd eagerly awaits the judges decision:




The judges judging:


Lori rocked the house with her Amaretto Cheezcake. Check out her vegan food blog here.


A pair of our favorite customers, Brandon & Kathleen:


Tony has been training for the Bake Off for weeks now:


The medals:


The coveted whisk trophy:


Our winners! Well, three of them anyway. Lisa Baird (left) took home the bronze for "Best Take on a Holiday Classic" with her vegan King Cake. Laura Nunemaker (right) won "Most Creative Recipe" with her Spicy Mexican Donuts, Chris Appleton (not pictured) won "I can't believe it's Vegan!" for his Lemon Blueberry Muffins. The "Best In Show" trophy and prizes went to Kevin Miller (middle) for his Pumpkin Pookies. Yay!!




The prize winning Pookies:


Mexican Donuts:


Eat it up:


Danielle entered a wicked Pumpkin Cheesecake:


Cassie with a cute vegan baby:


Zacoor, the chef at Soul Vegetarian and one of our esteemed judges with one of his little cuties:


Zacoor's wife and their other little cutie:


Smiley Genna with a sweet tea:


Thanks again to everyone for coming out. How amazing!!!

Atlanta people, don't forget about the Vegan Bake Off at 2:00PM tomorrow! It's too late to enter, but it's not too late to show up and help us eat all the awesome baked goods after the judging is over. So come by, mingle, and get your sugar fix for the weekend.