Did you know that PETA did some wonderful things in 2011 that you probably didn't read about in the newspapers? I do—because I've read PETA's latest annual report, and you can too. Here's a sample of the interesting stuff that you'll find in just the "Year in Numbers" section alone:

©iStockphoto/ Andrew Helwich

• PETA's SNIP and ABC clinics spayed and neutered more than 11,000 animals.
• More than 40 million people visited PETA's websites.
• More than 650,000 free vegetarian/vegan starter kits were sent out by PETA.
• PETA's Communications Department booked upward of 4,500 media interviews.
• More than 300 free doghouses were built and delivered—and 1,200 bales of straw were bagged—to give shelter and warmth to dogs forced to live outdoors.
• PETA's International Grassroots Campaign Department helped organize nearly 1,500 demonstrations.
• The amount of free advertising space secured by PETA was worth more than 1.5 million dollars.

There's lots more to learn—but check it out for yourself. And if you want to be a part of a record-breaking 2012, there's no better time to join us than right now!

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Normally, I think that predictions for the coming year are a little silly, but Epicurious.com's list of the top 10 food trends for 2011 has changed my mind. For starters, the list includes tiki bar cocktails—as the proud new owner of a midcentury retro ranch house, I'll drink to that—and macaroons (vegan ones are best, of course). But by far the most exciting trend is "Meatless Mondays & Tofu Thursdays." Epicurious explains, "We're forecasting that eating meat-free will be on the calendar more than once a week."

Now it's your turn: What do you think will be the top vegan-friendly food trend of the new year?

Written by Paula Moore

Good news, vegan pioneers. Your healthy lifestyle is one of the top 11 trends for 2011, according to the popular cooking website AllRecipes.com and trend analyst Robin Avni. According to a survey conducted by AllRecipes.com, people are ditching meat for a variety of reasons, the leading of which is concern for their health, followed by a desire to tighten their belts (both literally and figuratively) and protect the environment. Respondents also said that they have been inspired to delve into meatless cuisine by the abundance of yummy vegan recipes that are available.

Speaking of yummy vegan recipes, the venerable Good Housekeeping magazine has pretty much cemented vegans' place in the mainstream by publishing a vegan cookbook, Simple Vegan!, that will be released in March of next year. Good Housekeeping has previously published several vegetarian cookbooks, including this year's Family Vegetarian Cooking, but the new book marks its first collection of totally vegan fare.

I don't know about you, but I'm pre-ordering my copy today. Nobody's going to accuse me of being a bad housekeeper!

Written by Alisa Mullins