One very important aspect of motivation is the willingness to stop and to look at things that no one else has bothered to look at. This simple process of focusing on things that are normally taken for granted is a powerful source of creativity. ~ Edward de Bono

 Cranberries and pecans are lovingly surrounded by a light orange maple cake.  Flecked throughout the muffin are hints of the coarse ground salt I had used.  And like wine, these bad boys get better with age and are fantastic the next morning with coffee.  To make them, I used a mashup of recipes from Vegan Brunch and the Cranberry-Orange Bread from VegWeb.com- both of which are stellar recipes so you’ll note I didn’t change it too much.  So- if you’ve got 30 minutes, you’ve got muffins.

Cranberry Orange Maple Pecan Muffins

You’ll need:

• 2 cups whole wheat pastry flour
• 1/4 cup vegan granulated sugar
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp salt (I used coarse salt)
• 1 cup orange juice
• 1/3 cup canola oil
• 2 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/2 tsp almond extract
• 1/4 cup maple syrup
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 1/2 cup cranberries (I used fresh) roughly chopped
• 1 cup pecans roughly chopped

To Prepare:

• Preheat oven to 375°.
• Line muffin tin with cups or lightly grease & flour.
• In large bowl mix: flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon.
• In glass measuring cup add: orange juice, oil, extracts, and maple syrup- mix until combined.
• In center of bowl, make a well.  Pour in wet ingredients. Mix until just combined. Do not over mix!
• Gently fold in cranberries and nuts.
• Fill cups about three-quarters full and you’ll get 12 muffins.  Fill them to the top for giant muffins, you’ll get 10.
• Bake for 20 – 25 minutes.  When the toothpick comes out clean, they’re done.

And remember: everybody loves muffins.

Among a host of other things, tempeh can be used to make an excellent mock tuna salad in about fifteen minutes.  Which is perfect for days when you don’t feel like cooking, need a quick and filling sandwich, or just miss the sea-taste of tuna.  Here is a simple recipe for mock tuna to get you started.  Feel free to add other spices at your discretion- minced garlic, fresh oregano, and/or hot sauce make great additions for example.

Fifteen Minute Tempeh Tuna

You’ll need:

• One 8 ounce package of tempeh
• 1 small red or white onion diced small
• 1-2 celery stalks, diced small
• 1/2 cup relish, juice drained
• 1/2 cup vegan mayonnaise (such as Vegenaise)
• 2 tbsp yellow mustard
• 1 tbsp dulse flakes (I use these)
• salt, pepper to taste

To Prepare:

1. Boil tempeh (whole cake) for 10 minutes.  Drain and set aside to cool.
2. Combine: vegan mayonnaise, mustard, dulse flakes, salt, and pepper together and mix well.
3. Add: relish, onion, and celery.  Mix well.
4. Using hands: Crumble tempeh into small pieces.
5. Add tempeh to dressing and combine well.
6. Slap onto a pita, bun, or bread.  Top with alfalfa sprouts and jalapenos or other toppings (if you wish).
7. Enjoy!

Want to know more about tempeh?  Check out:

• Tempeh: The “other” soy product
• Tempeh makes my belly smile

Vegan Illustratus (n): enlighten vegan philosophy, clarify vegan ethics, to provide with visual features intended to explain vegan theory and demonstrate institutionalized animal use.

I love vintage valentine cards.  I love the whimsical designs, the always-corny puns, and the sometimes unintentional creepiness that can come with the puns.  Sometimes, however, sometimes there’s just no words.  In honor of Valentine’s Day, I present to you this years awful animal-themed vintage valentine cards.

“Hope you like this cute little angry kitty that I pissed off by pulling his/her tail and then brought to you for angry little snuggles. Be Mine!”

Nothing says “I Love You” like Winky the Butcher with his meat cleaver and fully plucked dead goose.

“Yes please, get on this paper and stick around valentine- it’s not like you’ll have much of a choice anyway…”

Wherein “game” is the euphemism for “shoot you dead” and creepy-eyed vintage hunters use astronaut helmets for safety.

“Valentine, it’s time. Open my trap. No, really, OPEN THE #$@!! TRAP!”

This Valentine’s Day, choose compassion.  There is no greater (love) gift.

Happy Valentine’s Day to all and to all some vegan chocolate!

For more vintage cray cray, check out Vegan Illustratus: 1st Annual Valentine’s Day Edition!

As I enter my third year as a vegan, I am ridiculously pleased to be part of such a movement and to see animals in a light I never did through most of my life. Many of you might be able to relate to the question, “How could I have ever been so blind?”

I’m not the most social of creatures, and for that reason I sometimes wonder how I can be more active in my activism. This year at Vegetarian Summerfest, Colleen Patrick-Goudreau talked about the need to be ambassadors of compassion. I think I’ve got the compassion part down – at least when it comes to non-human animals – but the ambassador part? I’m in need of a little (ok, a lot of) improvement.

I wear my vegan t-shirts and necklaces. I will talk to people who are interested. I will bring my non-vegan friends to veg-friendly restaurants. I keep a vegan blog (though I have not given it the attention I could and should). I adopt a turkey from Farm Sanctuary every year. But is any of this making a difference?

We’ve all heard the quote attributed to Gandhi: “Be the change you wish to see in the world.” Some vegans take that to mean that if we project an attitude of joy, of abundance, people will be drawn to it. They will ask the questions they want answers to. It doesn’t have to involve forcing your views down someone else’s throat (though it’s often tempting).

I have had people tell me they’ve noticed my skin looks great since going vegan, or that I look like I’ve lost weight. Sure, that may be a positive way to “promote” a lifestyle, but it’s not very magnanimous.

I have made simple, vegan dishes – a bean salad, a barley-vegetable soup, or pasta with lentil bolognese – that have gone over well with non-vegans who have asked for the recipes. Will one dish turn them vegan? Maybe not, but it’s one more non-animal-based meal they might add to their repertoire…

But still, I keep coming back to the idea of being an “ambassador for compassion”… And that is where I have a problem. While I can show compassion for animals – they make it fairly easy – I have a much harder time showing compassion for other people… and for myself!

Let’s start with other people. As I mentioned above, I’m not very social. Experience has shown me that people often disappoint. But is the problem them, or me?

Let me give you an example. One November day, while walking in a park, I watched three kids chasing and otherwise heckling a flock of geese. One of them appeared to throw his cup at one of birds. As I watched them, and watched the birds finally fly away, I was annoyed that those “bratty kids” were terrorizing birds who were minding their own business. My friend reminded me that they were young and had no idea they were doing anything wrong, and also that we were young once and did equally ignorant things. An ambassador of compassion might have shown understanding and hoped for change. In that moment, I wasn’t there yet.

And then there is me. I’m a bit of an over thinker; a monologue seems to constantly run in my head. I could be doing more, I should be doing this or that, I shouldn’t be sitting here watching television and I should be out walking or eating better or fighting the good fight on behalf of the animals.

The truth is, veganism is a journey, not a destination. Last weekend, I happened to be in a bookstore, reading, when someone asked me about my “Friend Not Food” turkey pendant. I had an opportunity to explain why I wore it, and why veganism works for me, and I did just fine. I soon realized that I was talking to two born-again Christians who wanted to know if I knew Jesus, and, while that’s a question for another time and place, I wound up having a lengthy discussion with them – an opportunity had presented itself because of my necklace, and I wound up talking to two people who certainly consider themselves ambassadors of compassion, even if their message is different than mine!

I take this stop on the journey as a sign that just because things have always been a certain way doesn’t mean they have to stay that way. After all, I once was a meat and cheese eater, and now I’m not. Vocal activist or not, time will tell. It’s heartening to know that the possibilities are endless!

Daria Zeoli was a self-described burger queen for much of her teens and twenties, but, three and a half years after her own “a ha” moment and two years after finally kicking the cheese habit, she hardly recognizes that person.  She learns something new about this vegan journey every day and is thankful for the changes it continues to bring to her life.

She blogs at Vegan Cynic and hopes to one day rescue a beagle that she’ll name Carlin.

Daria has been previously featured on Your Daily Vegan! Check out her other posts (and more) by visiting the YDV Contributors Hall of Fame.