Who couldn't use a little bit of extra luck for 2012? Nearly every culture has a traditional food that's supposed to bring good luck for the New Year, and in China dumplings are said to do the trick. (Apparently they resemble the gold ingots that were once used as Chinese currency.) Chinese New Year isn't until January 23, but dumplings are a perfect, kid-friendly finger food for any New Year's Eve party -- and they're a lot easier to make than you'd expect!

I chose this recipe for Veggie Dumplings for two reasons: First, all your vegetarian guest bases are covered; second, it uses pre-made wonton wrappers (told you it was easy!).

Finally, something vegans and meat-eaters can agree about: The new "Sh*t Vegans Say" video is HI-larious. Ari Solomon, AKA @VeganAri, based his video on the beloved "Sh*t Girls Say" videos. Not only have I seen vegans posting and laughing about Ari's video, it cracked meat-eating me up, too -- especially when I saw my worst suspicious about vegans confirmed. OMG, they really do hang out at the park with binoculars scoping out all the "bitches" and "assholes" wearing fur!

But I think this vegan video might need a little decoding before it's ready to go mainstream. Girls? We know all about them. But vegans have a few surprises up their sleeves. Like -- some don't believe in eating honey. "WHAT?!?" you say? "What does being vegan have to do with freaking HONEY?!?" Think about it a minute. And then find out all the many ways vegans can be even nuttier than you ever suspected.

If you don't think Anthony Bourdain is hilarious, then I pity you, I really do. Sure, he can come off a little snarky and over the top at times. But he's one of the world's most famous celebrity chefs, not to mention an Emmy-winning TV personality; of course, he has a strong point of view! In fact, being an a-hole -- and a really smart and worldly one at that -- is his shtick. So you can put on your whiny pants and complain about how "offensive" he is, or you can lighten up and laugh. It's up to you.

His latest sarcastic diatribe (which appeared in Playboy) was directed against that group of people that carnivores love to hate ... you guessed it: Vegetarians.

Vegan BBQ? Ja ja ja!There are plenty of delicious food trends to love this year: Popsicles, pie, one-dish restaurants. But some foodie fashions leave out a significant group of people: our beleaguered vegan friends. Yes, you may love your artisan butcher shop and your hot dog restaurant, but where does that leave Robin Quivers, Mike Tyson, and Alicia Silverstone? Why should carnivores have all the fun?

Vegans and vegetarians are taking this disturbing problem into their own hands. The results? Some of the kookiest enterprises I've ever heard of. But hey, I'm just a jerk with a rotisserie chicken addiction. Maybe these are good ideas.

Tofu: naughty by nature?Who knew vegetarians could be such perverts? A Tennessee woman's vanity license plate has been rejected by the state Department of Motor Vehicles for vulgarity. The plates said "ILVTOFU," as in, "I love tofu." Get it? Except that's not how the DMV read it.

No, like most Americans, state bureaucrats have more sex on the brain than food, and what they read was "I love to f--" ... well, you know. Clearly this woman was issuing wanton invitations for sexual congress while driving, they thought. After all, who in Tennessee expects to see "love" and "tofu" together? I mean, that's a pretty meat-loving state. IH8TOFU, sure, that makes sense. Oh wait, I guess you could read that the wrong way, too.

It may be the end of an era as a 600-year-old dog eating festival in Qianxi, China was banned this year, for the first time in its history. You know there are some puppies in the region breathing a sigh of relief right now as the festival usually slaughters 15,000 dogs for the celebration. (Although, should they be worried about dog overpopulation now? Hmm.) Run free, doggies!

It's hard to wrap your head around a festival that kills thousands of pups when we live in a country that puts people in jail for running dog-fighting rings. But it's culturally acceptable in some regions to eat dogs and cats. What this shows is that those customs and attitudes are changing, and that's a great thing. There's even a proposed ban on dog meat for all of China, though it's still a common and accepted food in many parts of the country.

To all the stores carrying sweaters already and anyone else who won't stop talking about how "summer's over," I'd like to remind you it's not technically over until the autumnal equinox on September 23. Still, I guess if you go by the school year or Labor Day, it feels like we have only nanoseconds until we have to say goodbye to the best season of the year. Sniff, sniff.

Hence why we really need to buckle down and enjoy the remaining days of summer with some delicious, seasonal dishes, like this dinner recipe for Summer Vegetable Macaroni and Cheese. First of all, you cannot go wrong with summer veggies that are still in season and totally bountiful! And who doesn't love mac 'n' cheese? (Even if you're vegan or lactose-intolerant, you can make it work for you with the right substitutes.) 

Check it out ...

It's a well-known fact that talk show personality Ellen DeGeneres has been vegan since 2008, and now she's got a brand new website to prove it. Going Vegan With Ellen is geared toward the new vegan, and features tons of recipes, tips, and other resources about veganism. From the cute, delicious-looking photos of vegan cupcakes to the slideshow of gorgeous vegan celebrities, the message of the site seems to be that following an anti-cruelty diet and lifestyle is glamorous, carefree, and, most important, easy -- but is anyone really buying it?