Some vegans and vegetarians are content to change their own diet and be done with it. I, however, am not one of those. I am in a constant state of trying to spread the VEG love, impacting even more animals by educating others. I hand out Vegan Outreach leaflets, work full-time for a vegan nonprofit, and am forever telling my non-veg friends and family about factory farms. I also spend time online spreading the message.

Need some activist inspiration? Here are some cool ways to be a digital activist:

1. Take5Save5.com — the Humane League of Philadelphia recently launched this site that offers an easy, free, effective way to spare five animals a life of suffering with just five minutes of online work. “Take 5 Save 5″ helps users connect interested meat-eaters with free vegetarian starter packs. Nice!

2. E-leafleting — With automatic friend-requesting software, I add new friends on MySpace every day to a special account designed to promote veganism. When I add someone, they visit the profile and the video “Meet Your Meat” starts right away, educating them about factory farming practices. It doesn’t take long, and I can run the program while doing something else. Email me if you are interested in learning more about e-leafleting and I will set you up!

3. Sharing a URL — One of the quickest ways to reach out to friends is by posting a vegan URL — such as www.VegStarterPack.com — in your status update on Facebook or MySpace. I also have this same URL in the signature of my email. After I post it, I often get a private message from someone asking more about being VEG!

These are the three main ways that I regularly spread the VEG message. What do you do to get the word out? Leave and comment share your methods!

Need a new book to start the new year off on the right foot? Well, Marisa Miller Wolfson has the perfect read for you! Living Vegan for Dummies just hit the shelves and is a total must-have! Why, oh why do we love this book so much? Well, you’ll just have to read the Weekly Mission to find out!

Weekly Mission: You’re No Dummy

This week your mission is to read about my new favorite vegan how-to book, Living Vegan for Dummies.
If you’re considering a more plant-based diet, that automatically disqualifies you from the dummy category. But sometimes vegan cookbooks with weird ingredients or friends who ask tough questions can make you feel like a dum-dum.

Luckily, there’s a new book out that will make you feel more informed, more empowered, and more excited than ever to transition to a more plant-based lifestyle. Living Vegan for Dummies is the most comprehensive yet accessible how-to book for vegan living that I’ve read.

Click here to continue reading.

The days are counting down and we are less than one month away from the equally dreaded and anticipated St. Valentine’s Day. As with all holidays, I see this as another opportunity to infuse your life with vegan goodness.

If you are searching for Mr. or Miss Right (or Right Now) to take out on February 14, consider checking out some of the infinite online dating options. OkCupid.com is a free site that attracts more vegans and vegetarians than some of the more popular — and costly — sites. If you want a themed dating site that allows you to search for people based on specific diet (e.g. vegan, lacto/ovo veg, almost vegetarian, etc.), check out the free GreenSingles.com or the fee-based VeggieDate.org. Search for “vegetarian online dating” and you will find a dozen other veg-specific free and fee-based sites.

Click here to continue reading.

“I became vegetarian when I was 19 and as of the New Year I am totally vegan.

My husband and I just finished reading the Jonathan Safran Foer book Eating Animals and that just pushed me over the top. I didn’t eat fish, chicken, meat or dairy for years, but if there was a birthday cake or something, I wouldn’t worry about it too much. But once I read the book, the full portrait of what was going on really moved me more than I even wanted to be moved. I mean it sent me to a whole other level — my husband, as well. He calls himself a reluctant vegetarian. We’re just having a really hard time reconciling what we read with forgetting, which is what Safran-Foer says you have to do if you want to go back to the way you were — you have to forget the truth.”

- Actress Mayim Bialik chatting about her vegan ways in an exclusive interview at Ecorazzi.com. To hear more of what Mayim has to say, visit Ecorazzi.com!

Wanna help the Haitian people and get some serious swag? Then keep on readin’!

Herbivore Clothing Company has just designed a new “I Heart Haiti” shirt that will help raise money for earthquake relief efforts in the impoverished country!

The vegan-owned and operated company is getting the printing donated, which means that all of the profits (after basic costs) will go to the Haitian people. Sweet!

Those who stand up for animal rights are very often accused of not caring enough about humans. Well, I think it’s safe to say that Herbivore’s efforts prove that compassion is compassion is compassion — both for animals and humans.

So what are you waiting for? Visit HerbivoreClothing.com and get your “I Heart Haiti” shirt!

It’s collllddddd outside, ya’ll! And you know what that means: time to get in the kitchen and get your soup on!  Luckily, Marisa Miller Wolfson has dedicated this week’s Vegan at Heart Weekly Mission to helping you do just that. So what are you waiting for? Grab a ladle and get your hearty on!

Weekly Mission: Savory Winter Soups & Stews

Today your mission is to take some time this week to make a healthy, delicious winter soup or stew.

Friends all over the world are f-f-freezing their tushies off these days, so this week’s mission is dedicated to hearty, delicious winter soups, stews, and chilis. I’ve chosen a few that will warm the tummy and the cockles (whatever cockles are).

1. Check out the following recipes and pick one to try.
2. Add the ingredients to your shopping list.
3. Set some time aside and make it!

Click here to keep reading!

In the past six months, I’ve discovered new vegan foods that I can’t believe I ever went without. Staples like hemp seeds, chia seeds, dates and flax oil now seem as normal and essential as peanut butter and jelly. But nothing has gained as much popularity in my kitchen as nutritional yeast flakes. They get tossed with pasta, oil and spices. They get blended with hemp seeds and red bell pepper for a delicious nacho dip. I’ve added them to French toast batter. And most recently, I mixed them into soup.

Click here to get the recipe!

Question: What happens when one of the world’s greatest vegan chefs teams up with one of the country’s most renowned vegan restaurants? Answer: Absolute magic!

Last night, I had the honor of attending a mouth-watering four-course meal at Candle 79, prepared by The Conscious Cook author Tal Ronnen.

In the spring of 2008, Ronnen became known nationwide when he served as Oprah Winfrey’s private chef during her 21-day vegan cleanse. He is also famous for catering Ellen DeGeneres and Portia de Rossi’s vegan wedding, Arianna Huffington’s party at the Democratic National Convention, and the first vegan dinner at the U.S. Senate. Long story short: we KNEW we were in for a treat!

The meal began with a light celery root soup with granny smith apples and a chive oil that was just perfect for the chilly winter evening. Up next, a lovely quinoa dish with Belgian Endive, orange and garnished with an elegant champagne vinaigrette. For my entree, I chose the scaloppini, which featured the most insane piece of Gardein chick’n you’ve ever tasted. This product is a GAME-CHANGER — you MUST try it! The meal closed with a decadent piece of banana cheesecake that was sure to make even the most finicky dessert-eater grin with utter delight.

Click here to keep reading on Ecorazzi!

The Humane Society of the United States is giving a big thumbs up to the Compass Group — the world’s largest food service company — for it’s brand new “Be a Flexitarian” initiative.

The animal organization worked closely with Compass on the campaign, which will immediately expand the variety and supply of meat-free options for its customers in over 8,500 U.S. corporate and academic food service cafeterias.

About the decision, President and CEO of The HSUS Wayne Pacelle said:

“It doesn’t take an all-or-nothing approach to make a major impact, and giving customers more meat-free meal choices will improve health, reduce the impact of global warming, and help animals.”

Here at VEGdaily, we salute the Compass Group for taking action on this important issue. Keep the good work, you guys!

I have to say it didn’t completely surprise me to read in a recent Newsweek article (”No More Sacred Cows” by Jennie Yabroff) that Molly Katzen, author of the Moosewood Cookbook and other vegetarian classics, has now included a recipe for beef stew in her latest cookbook. Anyone who could be a vegetarian for that long, with obvious access to loads of information about the way animals are raised, without going vegan, obviously was on the wrong road.

A lot of people worry that the development of “humane” meat is going to make a lot of vegans turn back to flesh. I think there is something to be said in that, but not much to be done about it. It’s not like the people out selling “humane” meat are going to stop. Obviously, the vegetarians to whom they appeal were never really committed to non-violence in the first place. They were just against factory farming, I guess. Or just following a fad. Who knows?

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