Displaying items by tag: do it yourself

Sunday, 12 February 2012 09:08

How to Have A Green and/or Vegan Valentine's Day

photo and cookies by Kristin Kolnacki

I wasn't planning on writing about V-Day this year because there's already so much coverage on other sites/I haven't had time, but decided to do a quick video summarizing my thoughts and tips. Additionally, I asked the Eco-Vegan Gal community for their advice and got some great responses, so here are some resources for you:

Published in Partners

Tuesday, 12 April 2011 21:45

How to Make Your Own Organic Vegan Lip Balm/Chapstick

Pin It

One of my big eco-vegan missions is making my own everything, from meals to cleaning solutions to personal care products. Recently, it occured to me that I was wasting a lot of plastic containers every time I bought a new chapstick, and at $4-5 a pop it was getting expensive. So I decided to learn how to make it myself and discovered it was extremely easy, fast, and fun! Making it reduces packaging, saves money, and you get to control exactly what ingredients are used - talk about being eco-vegan! Here's how you can do it too (watch video or read written recipe):

Published in Tutorials

Sunday, 23 May 2010 20:13

No Need For 'Poo

Pin It

I'm sure it is obvious that I'm obsessed with finding new ways to be healthier and greener, and I'm about to take a step in a pretty radical direction: I'm going to stop shampooing my hair.

Published in Hair and Nails

Thursday, 20 May 2010 17:18

Do It Gorgeously - Sophie Uliano at T Salon

Pin It

Today I went to an event at the T Salon in West Hollywood. I have been to the cafe/store before and really enjoyed it - almost all of their desserts are vegan, the building is very eco-friendly, and their tea is fabulous (video review coming soon). I wasn't sure what the event was going to be like, but I was excited because there was going to be a demo on how to make organic skin care products. I was also intrigued after hearing rave reviews of the book Gorgeously Green, so I looked forward to learning about Do It Gorgeously. The event turned out to be fantastic!

Published in Body Care

Monday, 10 May 2010 15:13

Homemade Ginger Tea with lemon

Pin It

I haven't been feeling well today - been kinda nauseous with a bit of an upset stomach. I think I'm just detoxing from the big change in diet I'm going through (no gluten, soy, or refined sugar). I also had a ton of daikon radish last night, which is known for having cleansing properties.

This ginger-lemon tea is incredibly soothing and easy to make.

Published in Recipes

Monday, 21 December 2009 02:09

"I'm Dreaming of a Green Christmas"

Pin It

While it is a little late in the game, there is still time to green your holidays. If you're looking for some inspiration and advice, check out "I'm Dreaming of a Green Christmas" by Anna Getty. The book shows you how to make "gifts, decorations, and recipes that use less and mean more", and it is a joy to read. It has beautiful pictures and illustrations that remind you why the holidays are so special. It's a very well laid out book: each recipe and set of instructions are easy to follow, and I love that it has flaps on the cover to allow you to bookmark your place. Simple tips, green facts, and notes from Anna are mixed in throughout the book, giving readers more insight into why it's important to make eco-friendly choices.

"I'm Dreaming of a Green Christmas" is mainly composed of instructions for how to make your own decorations and gifts. Some of my favorites are: the newspaper stocking, decorated matchboxes, recycled t-shirt pot holders, and silver leaf wire window ornaments. There are some fantastic tips covering topics like green gift wrapping, shipping, entertaining, and energy efficiency. The book also includes several vegetarian recipes, such as delicious looking soups and salads, and most of them can be modified to be vegan.

"I'm Dreaming of a Green Christmas" has a beautiful message to share with the world and it will bring the joy of green to many families for years to come! Zem Joaquin said it best in the forward: "Amid a sea of consumption, we need Anna's thoughtful perspective on celebrating a green Christmas".

Published in Book Reviews

Tuesday, 23 August 2011 06:51

How To Make Your Own Organic, Vegan Coconut Kefir (video)

Pin It

Published in Recipes

Sunday, 07 August 2011 13:02

Make Your Own Peanut Butter Cookie LÄRABAR

Pin It

Since going gluten-free, soy-free, and moving towards sugar-free my food choices have become pretty limited and basic. Well, limited in the processed food sense. One of my favorite snacks right now are LÄRABARs, especially the Peanut Butter Cookie flavor, however they can add up in price and packaging. So I decided to try making them myself since the ingredients are just dates, peanuts, and salt.

Published in Recipes

Sunday, 07 August 2011 12:56

How to Make Your Own Organic Vanilla Almond Milk

Pin It

I rarely drink soy milk for a couple of reasons:

I don't drink/use it fast enough and most of it goes bad
I try to avoid soy

Instead of soy, I like almond, rice, hemp, or coconut milks; but I rarely buy those either because of the 1st reason.

However, occasionally I'll make a recipe that calls for a nut milk, so instead of going to the store and buying it, I make my own. Believe it or not, making almond milk is very easy and fast. It requires a little planning because you need to soak the almonds (you can skip this step but it won't turn out as well).

Published in Recipes