Holy cow, it's been a busy week in my life and elsewhere in the world. I consider myself lucky that I only had a cough/cold as I watch the news of Haiti's slow recovery (if you can call it that yet) from the 7.0 earthquake that struck the tiny island on Tuesday, January 12. With thousands dead and an estimated 3 million affected, the poorest country in the Western hemisphere needs outside assistance now more than ever.

Vegans across the nation are getting organized and hosting bake sales to benefit Haiti. The lovely and talented vegan cookbook goddess Isa Chandra Moskowitz posted a list of bake sales on The PPK blog and if you're interested in participating, you should check it out. I also recommend , as she's been doing more than her part to spread the word as more bake sales are scheduled.

If you're near a bake sale, get in on it! Bake something, buy something, eat something and help those who are not in a position to help themselves. And remember, because it's for humanitarian purposes, the calories don't count.

If you're NOT near a bake sale, maybe you want to consider pulling one together. Isa has great tips on how to do that in a big fat hurry.