Welcome!

Hello and welcome to Do It Now + Green. Somehow you found yourself here (which is awesome!), and you’ve probably got good reason for landing in this spot.

Maybe you’re worried about money, or your food choices. Maybe you dream of casting off your sub/urban lifestyle and running away to the wilds of Wisconsin to start your own mini farm. Maybe you want to revamp your living environment or try something totally radical… like geothermal heating and cooling, hydroponics in your basement, homemade biodiesel fuel, backyard chickens, and the like. Or maybe you’re just sick of the clutter and eager to save some green while going more green. (Win-win, right?)

If so, this blog is for you. It’s all about diving in, trying a few things, and seeing what you think. What works for you? What’s sustainable for you? How do you choose to be responsible to others? What resonates for you or feels like that “ah ha” moment you’ve been waiting for? (And what holds you back?)

Homemade Coconut Vanilla Spiced Peanut Butter (refined sugar free!)

This year has been speeding by; it’s hard to believe it’s been so long since my last post! My health has definitely improved, but the journey has been full of challenges and seems to move in looping cycles that can shift between forward and backward momentum. I also feel it’s been a time of infinite opportunity to learn, grow, reflect, and change.

One interesting shift has been the need to alter my diet again. Now, I am not only vegetarian and gluten-free, but also refined sugar free. I know there are a lot of folks out there who have already made these changes, but it’s been eye-opening to realize how much sugar was overtly or covertly woven into my diet. And a wonderful challenge to learn how to make my own staples or must-haves in a way that will work for my system.

2015 in review

I’m still here! It’s been a very strange year. Long story short: I’ve got a clinical diagnosis for Lyme disease, which helps clarify many years of culminating health concerns (I’m 8 years in).

Fingers crossed treatment options improve in 2016, that I find a team of local docs who know what they’re dealing with, and that I’m able to get back to this beloved blog as my mental and physical energy improve!

Thank you to everyone who has been a reader, experimenter, commenter, supporter, or guinea pig. I am so grateful to you!! May your 2016 be a healthy and happy one.

How to Make the BEST Vegan Cheese Sauce Ever (Feese!)

Mac ‘n’ Feese

We have a tradition in this family of renaming vegetarian/vegan products with a sort of short-hand. If it’s fake chicken, it’s ficken; if it’s fake crab, it’s fab; fake bacon is fakin’.

We do this will all sorts of meat replacements. And… as my husband found out the hard way… one should not do this with duck, particularly in front of one’s 8-year old daughter. Fake duck = …. oops!

Sloppy Bellas: A Vegan Version of Sloppy Joes!

One of the things my husband and I have both noticed since changing our diet to full-on vegetarian (i.e., we eat no meat/flesh though we do still eat eggs, dairy, and honey) is that you start to miss certain things. Comfort foods. Childhood classics. Those hearty (often naughty) stick-to-your-ribs meals that feel like a real “treat.”

Which is why I was thrilled to discover a vegan take on the super-classic “sloppy joe” sandwich recipe in one of my favorite cookbooks, Quick-Fix Vegan, by Robin Robertson. It’s meaty, rich in flavor, and fully satisfying… and feels like a naughty indulgence rather than a healthy, meat-free meal!

Make Your Own DIY All-Natural Vapor Chest Rub for Coughs!

Everyone in our household has asthma. It’s well-controlled for all of us, but it does mean that when we get sick, it always ends up in the chest. Coughs galore for weeks on end. This happened at the top of the month with my daughter, whose asthma was ignored when we went into the doc initially. Now she’s back on oral steroids (briefly), and I’m doing my best to keep her from being overloaded with meds as they struggle to strengthen her lungs.

How to Make Your Own Laundry Soap: Homemade Natural Coconut Laundry Soap Recipe

One of the most exciting things about our transition to become a more non-toxic and chemical-free household has been learning to make soap. It’s one of those things that – for me, at least – was super scary at first. Like jumping out of an airplane or off a cliff (you can see the bottom but have no idea how long the ride will take). I entered into it with a lot of excitement and trepidation… and it has become something I truly love.

It still scares me a little. Like teaching or performing or running a workshop. There’s a wiggly-tummy feeling and a bit of anxiety that I get before I begin but ultimately know will pass. I consider it a healthy fear. It keeps me alert in the process, and it serves as a good reminder that I need to be as careful as possible.

Homemade Cinnamon-Vanilla Peach Freezer Jam

In our house, the arrival of Fall also typically includes LOTS of pumpkin-influenced items. Pumpkin corn bread, pumpkin bagels, pumpkin muffins/cupcakes… even pumpkin dog treats if I am not too busy.

Thankfully, the jam I made at the height of peach season magically pairs perfectly with our various pumpkin-food incarnations. Like, crazy good.

Peaches can still be found in the stores – even organic ones – and so if you’re so inclined to grab a bundle and whip some of this homemade jam up, you’ll be super happy you did. And, since it’s a freezer/refrigerator jam, it’s quick to make and can last for 2 weeks in the fridge or up to a year frozen. What’s not to love?!

Raspberry Peach Jam with Garam Masala

Every year, when peach season hits, I get insanely excited. I love them. So much. And we have our favorite stand at the farmers’ market from whom we love to buy peaches each year.

This year, I decided to go a little peach crazy. This ultimately yielded a lovely batch of canned peaches, some homemade Peach + Cinnamon Refrigerator Jam (which I froze), and today’s feature: Raspberry Peach Jam with Garam Masala.

Two Approaches to Refrigerator Pickles – Easy + Quick!

Let me begin this post be stating: I love dill pickles. The whole family does. I only made one batch last year, and it was gone within a week.

And so… we began the summer with 3 lovely cucumber plants and dreams of a bountiful harvest, leading to a plethora of homemade pickles. We headed away on vacation in June with multiple very-promising cucumbers starting to appear. I felt buoyant with hope.

How to Make Your Own Shaving Soap: Homemade Natural Coconut Shaving Soap Recipe

My husband is very picky about his shaving soap. Which is totally cool. He’s one of those guys who has to shave every day – and so I can absolutely understand being particular about ensuring whatever he’s using works well, feels good, and doesn’t create a huge mess.

Shaving soap also happened to be the final item he needed in his personal care arsenal in order to be ENTIRELY natural, homemade, and chemical-free. Yup… he’s rid of all personal care store-bought products at this point. The shaving soap was the last hurdle to conquer!