OK, I removed the stapling feature and added the workflow features to the SiteFeature section of the onet.xml file Below is my complete example of my site definition.
==================================================================
WEBTEMP.PublishingMinimal.xml
==================================================================
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8" ?>
<Templates xmlns:ows="Microsoft SharePoint">
<Template Name="PublishingMinimal" ID="10001">
<Configuration ID="0"
Title="Minimal publishing Site"
DisplayCategory="Publishing"
Hidden="FALSE"
ImageUrl="/_layouts/1033/images/PublishingSite.gif"
Description="A site for publishing Web pages on a schedule. It includes document and image libraries for storing Web publishing assets. By default, only sites with this template can be created under this site."
RootWebOnly="false"
SubWebOnly="true" />
<Configuration ID="1"
Title="Minimal Publishing Portal"
DisplayCategory="Publishing"
Hidden="FALSE"
ImageUrl="/_layouts/1033/images/IPPT.gif"
Description="A site for publishing Web pages on a schedule by using approval workflows. It includes document and image libraries for storing Web publishing assets. By default, only sites with this template can be created under this site."
ProvisionAssembly="Midmark.Web.MinimalSiteDef, Version=1.0.0.0, Culture=neutral, PublicKeyToken=d80e5863d149fff9"
ProvisionClass="Midmark.Web.MinimalSiteDef.ProvisioningEngine"
ProvisionData="SiteTemplates\\PublishingMinimal\\XML\\PortalConfig.xml"
RootWebOnly="true"
SubWebOnly="false" />
<Configuration ID="2"
Title="Minimal Publishing Site with Workflow"
Hidden="FALSE"
ImageUrl="/_layouts/1033/images/PublishingSite.gif"
Description="A site for publishing Web pages on a schedule by using approval workflows. It includes document and image libraries for storing Web publishing assets. By default, only sites with this template can be created under this site."
RootWebOnly="false"
SubWebOnly="true"
DisplayCategory="Publishing"
VisibilityFeatureDependency="c8f622c6-d486-49bf-9267-0561bec141d7" />
</Template>
</Templates>
==================================================================
onet.xml
==================================================================
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8" ?>
<Project xmlns="http://schemas.microsoft.com/sharepoint/"
xmlns:ows="Microsoft SharePoint"
Revision="1"
ListDir="Lists"
Title="Minimal Publishing Site">
<NavBars>
<NavBar Name="SharePoint Top Navbar" ID="1002"></NavBar>
</NavBars>
<ListTemplates/>
<DocumentTemplates>
<!-- Section Omitted -->
</DocumentTemplates>
<Configurations>
<Configuration ID="-1" Name="NewWeb" />
<Configuration ID="1" Name="Provisioner" />
<Configuration ID="0" Name="PublishingMinimal"> <!-- mimicking the "Pub Site w/o Workflow" OOTB site template -->
<Lists/>
<Modules>
<Module Name="Default"/>
</Modules>
<SiteFeatures>
<Feature ID="02464C6A-9D07-4F30-BA04-E9035CF54392" /> <!-- Feature: ReviewWorkflows -->
<Feature ID="6C09612B-46AF-4B2F-8DFC-59185C962A29" /> <!-- Feature: SignaturesWorkflow -->
<Feature ID="C85E5759-F323-4EFB-B548-443D2216EFB5" /> <!-- Feature: ExpirationWorkflow -->
<Feature ID="C6561405-EA03-40A9-A57F-F25472942A22" /> <!-- Feature: TranslationWorkflow -->
<Feature ID="c8f622c6-d486-49bf-9267-0561bec141d7" /> <!-- Feature: PublishingMinimal -->
<Feature ID="7C637B23-06C4-472d-9A9A-7C175762C5C4" /> <!-- Feature: ViewFormPagesLockdown -->
</SiteFeatures>
<WebFeatures>
<Feature ID="00BFEA71-DE22-43B2-A848-C05709900100" /> <!-- Feature: CustomLists -->
<Feature ID="00BFEA71-E717-4E80-AA17-D0C71B360101" /> <!-- Feature: DocumentLibrary -->
<Feature ID="00BFEA71-52D4-45B3-B544-B1C71B620109" /> <!-- Feature: PictureLibrary -->
<Feature ID="00BFEA71-A83E-497E-9BA0-7A5C597D0107" /> <!-- Feature: TasksList -->
<Feature ID="00BFEA71-4EA5-48D4-A4AD-7EA5C011ABE5" /> <!-- Feature: TeamCollab -->
<Feature ID="00BFEA71-4EA5-48D4-A4AD-305CF7030140" /> <!-- Feature: WorkflowHistoryList -->
<Feature ID="22A9EF51-737B-4ff2-9346-694633FE4416"> <!-- Feature: Publishing -->
<Properties xmlns="http://schemas.microsoft.com/sharepoint/">
<Property Key="ChromeMasterUrl" Value="~SiteCollection/_catalogs/masterpage/PublishingMinimal.master" />
<Property Key="WelcomePageUrl" Value="$Resources:cmscore,List_Pages_UrlName;/default.aspx"/>
<Property Key="PagesListUrl" Value=""/>
<!-- To limit the web templates available to users, use the following syntax:
LCID-[templatename][#templateindex];LCID-[templatename][#templateindex];...
To include all LCID values, use an asterisk.
For example: *-PublishingMinimal#2;1033-BLANKINTERNET#2 -->
<Property Key="AvailableWebTemplates" Value="*-PublishingMinimal#0;*-PublishingMinimal#2"/>
<!-- To include multiple page layouts, separate them with a colon (:) -->
<Property Key="AvailablePageLayouts" Value="~SiteCollection/_catalogs/masterpage/Minimal.aspx"/>
<Property Key="AlternateCssUrl" Value="" />
<!-- Turning on the SimplePublishing flag means that the Approval workflow
is not required for every published page. -->
<Property Key="SimplePublishing" Value="true" />
</Properties>
</Feature>
<!-- Feature: Navigation -->
<Feature ID="541F5F57-C847-4e16-B59A-B31E90E6F9EA">
<Properties xmlns="http://schemas.microsoft.com/sharepoint/">
<Property Key="InheritGlobalNavigation" Value="true" />
<Property Key="ShowSiblings" Value="true" />
<Property Key="IncludeSubSites" Value="true" />
</Properties>
</Feature>
</WebFeatures>
</Configuration>
<Configuration ID="2" Name="PublishingMinimal"> <!-- mimicking the "Pub Site w/ Workflow" OOTB site template -->
<Lists/>
<Modules>
<Module Name="Default"/>
</Modules>
<SiteFeatures>
<Feature ID="02464C6A-9D07-4F30-BA04-E9035CF54392" /> <!-- Feature: ReviewWorkflows -->
<Feature ID="6C09612B-46AF-4B2F-8DFC-59185C962A29" /> <!-- Feature: SignaturesWorkflow -->
<Feature ID="C85E5759-F323-4EFB-B548-443D2216EFB5" /> <!-- Feature: ExpirationWorkflow -->
<Feature ID="C6561405-EA03-40A9-A57F-F25472942A22" /> <!-- Feature: TranslationWorkflow -->
<Feature ID="c8f622c6-d486-49bf-9267-0561bec141d7" /> <!-- Feature: PublishingMinimal -->
<Feature ID="7C637B23-06C4-472d-9A9A-7C175762C5C4" /> <!-- Feature: ViewFormPagesLockdown -->
</SiteFeatures>
<WebFeatures>
<Feature ID="00BFEA71-DE22-43B2-A848-C05709900100" /> <!-- Feature: CustomLists -->
<Feature ID="00BFEA71-E717-4E80-AA17-D0C71B360101" /> <!-- Feature: DocumentLibrary -->
<Feature ID="00BFEA71-52D4-45B3-B544-B1C71B620109" /> <!-- Feature: PictureLibrary -->
<Feature ID="00BFEA71-A83E-497E-9BA0-7A5C597D0107" /> <!-- Feature: TasksList -->
<Feature ID="00BFEA71-4EA5-48D4-A4AD-7EA5C011ABE5" /> <!-- Feature: TeamCollab -->
<Feature ID="00BFEA71-4EA5-48D4-A4AD-305CF7030140" /> <!-- Feature: WorkflowHistoryList -->
<Feature ID="22A9EF51-737B-4ff2-9346-694633FE4416"> <!-- Feature: Publishing -->
<Properties xmlns="http://schemas.microsoft.com/sharepoint/">
<Property Key="ChromeMasterUrl" Value="~SiteCollection/_catalogs/masterpage/PublishingMinimal.master" />
<Property Key="WelcomePageUrl" Value="$Resources:cmscore,List_Pages_UrlName;/default.aspx"/>
<Property Key="PagesListUrl" Value=""/>
<!-- To limit the web templates available to users, use the following syntax:
LCID-[templatename][#templateindex];LCID-[templatename][#templateindex];...
To include all LCID values, use an asterisk.
For example: *-PublishingMinimal#2;1033-BLANKINTERNET#2 -->
<Property Key="AvailableWebTemplates" Value="*-PublishingMinimal#0;*-PublishingMinimal#2"/>
<!-- To include multiple page layouts, separate them with a colon (:) -->
<Property Key="AvailablePageLayouts" Value="~SiteCollection/_catalogs/masterpage/Minimal.aspx"/>
<Property Key="AlternateCssUrl" Value="" />
<!-- Turning on the SimplePublishing flag means that the Approval workflow
is not required for every published page. -->
<Property Key="SimplePublishing" Value="false" />
</Properties>
</Feature>
<!-- Feature: Navigation -->
<Feature ID="541F5F57-C847-4e16-B59A-B31E90E6F9EA">
<Properties xmlns="http://schemas.microsoft.com/sharepoint/">
<Property Key="InheritGlobalNavigation" Value="true" />
<Property Key="ShowSiblings" Value="true" />
<Property Key="IncludeSubSites" Value="true" />
</Properties>
</Feature>
</WebFeatures>
</Configuration>
</Configurations>
<!-- Standard Default.aspx Root Page -->
<Modules>
<Module Name="Default" Url="" Path="">
<File Url="default.aspx" NavBarHome="True" Type="Ghostable" />
</Module>
</Modules>
<!-- Default Publishing Page -->
<!--
<Modules>
<Module Name="Default" Url="$Resources:cmscore,List_Pages_UrlName;" Path="">
<File Url="default.aspx" Type="GhostableInLibrary" Level="Draft" >
<Property Name="Title" Value="$Resources:cmscore,IPPT_HomeWelcomePage_Title;" />
<Property Name="PublishingPageLayout" Value="~SiteCollection/_catalogs/masterpage/WelcomeLinks.aspx, ~SiteCollection/_catalogs/masterpage/WelcomeLinks.aspx" />
<Property Name="ContentType" Value="$Resources:cmscore,contenttype_welcomepage_name;" />
</File>
</Module>
</Modules>
-->
</Project>
After investigating the two different ways of activating the workflow
features form my
minimal publishing site definition, I think I now prefer activating the
workflows via my site definition.