shop: happy mother's set petite 2

Happy Mother's Set Petite 2, now available for sale comprises:

1 Gr8x Bottle Pack + 1 Techni Ice HDR.

Retail price is MYR75/set only.

Some additional product information:

Gr8x Bottle Pack

• Dimensions: L8.5" x H8.5" x W3.5"/ L22cm x H22cm x W9cm
  
• Insulated compartment keeps 3-4 bottles or food containers cool or warm
  
• Mesh pockets to store small items
  
• Compartment to hold wipes pack and nappy/diaper
  
• Adjustable shoulder and pram strap
  

Techni Ice HDR

• High quality alternative ice/heat pack.
  
• Dimensions: L15" x W11"/ L38cm x 28cm
  

Applications:

1. when shopping - bring home fresh or frozen seafood, meat, milk, yogurt, ice cream etc without rush;
   
2. mothers in office/around town - maintains EBM at temperatures cold and safe for baby (12 hours and longer!);
   
3. on picnics/outstation trips - keeps foods, drinks and fruits cold and fresh for family;
   
4. in office/school - keeps meals warm and tasty;
   
5. at home/office/school/anywhere - as effective cold/heat therapy to soothe and relieve fever, headache, toothache, minor sprain, bruise, cut, etc;
   
6. occasional - transport temperature sensitive medicines and lab samples well preserved.

shop: happy mother's set plus 2

Happy Mother's Set Plus 2, packs a functional and stylish diaper/baby bag + cooler bag + Techni Ice in a complete all-in-one set for modern, practical moms. Comprises:

1 Gr8x Diaper Satchel + Gr8x Bottle Pack + 1 Techni Ice HDR.

Retail price is MYR255/set only.

Some additional product information:

Gr8x Diaper Satchel

• Dimensions: L40cm x W14cm x H30cm (15.5” x 5.5” x 12”)
• Highest quality construction. Sturdy bottom with rubber feet saves on wear and tear on materials
  
• Adjustable shoulder strap ergonomically designed for comfort
  
• Detachable stroller straps
  
• Soft, waterproof change mat
  
• Insulated bottle traveller
  
• Unique built-in exterior pocket for quick and effortless access to baby wipes
  
• Pacifier/dummy pouch
  
• Organised elasticised and zipped pockets inside and out
  
• Front zipped pocket under flap and rear pocket
  

Gr8x Bottle Pack

• Dimensions: L22cm x H22cm x W9cm (8.5" x 8.5" x 3.5")
  
• Insulated compartment keeps 3-4 bottles or food containers cool or warm
  
• Mesh pockets to store small items
  
• Compartment to hold wipes pack and nappy/diaper
  
• Adjustable shoulder and pram strap
  

Techni Ice HDR

• High quality reusable ice/heat pack.
  
• Dimensions: L38cm x 28cm (15" x 11")
  

Applications:

1. when shopping - bring home fresh or frozen seafood, meat, milk, yogurt, ice cream etc without rush;
   
2. mothers in office/around town - maintains EBM at temperatures cold and safe for baby (12 hours and longer!);
   
3. on picnics/outstation trips - keeps foods, drinks and fruits cold and fresh for family;
   
4. in office/school - keeps meals warm and tasty;
   
5. at home/office/school/anywhere - as effective cold/heat therapy to soothe and relieve fever, headache, toothache, minor sprain, bruise, cut, etc;
   
6. occasional - transport temperature sensitive medicines and lab samples well preserved.

pineapple frozen yogurt ice cream

This is a delicious pineapple ice cream to try and you don't need an ice cream maker. Recipe from Back to the Cutting Board.



Pineapple Upside Down Cake Frozen Yogurt

adapted from David Lebovitz

Ingredients
16 oz. fresh pineapple, cut into chunks
2/3 cup sugar
2 tsp. vodka (This is optional, it’s supposed to help make the ice cream softer after it’s frozen, but I didn’t use any and mine turned out perfectly soft)
1 cup low-fat Greek-style vanilla yogurt (you can use regular instead of low-fat to get an even creamier consistency)
1/2 cup half and half (I’d reduce this to 1/4 cup if using regular yogurt)
2 tbsp. orange juice

Butterscotch Sauce
from How to Cook Everything by Mark Bittman
3/4 cup half and half (use heavy cream, if you’re not concerned with keeping the fat/calories down)
6 tbsp. unsalted butter, cut into pieces
3/4 cup brown sugar
Pinch of salt

Process

1. In a medium bowl, mix together pineapple, sugar and vodka (if using). Cover with plastic wrap and set aside for 2 hours (at room temp), stirring a few times.

2. After the 2 hours, pour pineapple mixture into a blender along with the yogurt, half and half and juice. Mix well.

3. Pour mixture through a fine-mesh strainer (to get out any pulp, seeds, etc.) into a medium metal or plastic bowl, preferably one with a cover. If you don’t have a cover for it, then cover with plastic wrap.

4. Place in freezer to chill. After an hour, take it out and use a hand mixer or a sturdy whisk to whip it vigorously (you’ll get the best results with the mixer). Make sure to break up all the frozen sections around the edges. This may seem counter-intuitive, but this helps make it really creamy in the end. Put back in the freeze.

5. Keep checking every 45-60 minutes and whipping/breaking it up. It took me 4-6 hours of total freezing time to get it to the right consistency. It depends on how hard you want it to be.

6. When the frozen yogurt gets to a consistency you are happy with, start making the butterscotch. (Though you can make it earlier and just heat it up when you need it. It keeps up to a week in the fridge.) Combine half and half and butter in a small saucepan, cook over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, until butter is melted.

7. Add in sugar and salt. Stirring frequently, cook until the mixture is thicker and shiny, about 10 minutes.

8. Set aside to cool off. You want it to be warm (so it’s smooth and easy to pour) but not hot (you don’t want to melt the frozen yogurt too much).

9. Slowly pour in 3/4 cup of the butterscotch (that’s about half of what you made), gently folding it into the frozen yogurt using a spatula. Don’t whip/stir anymore or it’ll just get mixed up in there. You are aiming for swirls of butterscotch throughout.

10. Put back into the freezer to harden for another 30 minutes to an hour. Scoop out into bowls and top with the remaining butterscotch sauce (warmed up).

Makes 1 quart

Upcycling PET bottles : Purses

Some plastic bottle fun facts that puts their rampant use into perspective:

• Plastic bottles take 700 years to begin composting
• 90% of the cost of bottled water is due to the bottle itself
  
• 80% of plastic bottles are not recycled
  
• 38 million plastic bottles go to the dump per year in America from bottled water (not including soda)
  
• 24 million gallons of oil are needed to produce a billion plastic bottles
  
• The average American consumes 167 bottles of water a year
  
• Bottling and shipping water is the least energy efficient method ever used to supply water
  
• Bottled water is the second most popular beverage in the United States

Here's a simple DIY where 2 typical soda bottles is upcycled to make a hip green purse or a carrier for little knicks-knacks. Found via Green Upgrader.

Mochi ice cream

Mochi ice cream is a Japanese dessert made from mochi, a sweetened chewy rice powder confection, with an ice cream filling. These delectable, bite-sized morsels are quite pretty to look at. Try making some yourself from this recipe here. (images from FoodBuzz)

Ice stories

I like this article from Exploratorium about ice. Ice Stories: Dispatches from Polar Scientists is about penguin biologists, glaciologists, cosmologists, geologists, and marine scientists working in Antarctica and the Arctic. They’ve documented their adventures, so you can follow their research, ask questions, and share in their discoveries as they occur. Read on.....

For those who think ice is all the same: think again. At the poles, ice takes many forms—from shiny “grease ice” on the sea surface to mile-thick ice sheets that cover entire continents.

The many varieties of ice found at the poles arise from the various environments in which they form: on land, at sea, and at the boundary between the two.

On land, snow falls and hardly ever melts. Year after year, snowfall piles up and compacts into ice that flows like a slow-motion river—a glacier. When glaciers are bounded by mountains, they carve deep U-shaped valleys on their way to the sea, valleys that remain long after the glacier has melted away; Yosemite Valley in California is an example.

When glaciers stretch out across flat land or over an entire continent, they’re called ice sheets; both Greenland and Antarctica are almost entirely covered by ice sheets that are miles thick. Within ice sheets, faster-moving zones called ice streams occur over water or smooth ground. Smaller ice sheets that sit on mountaintops are called ice caps.

When ice from glaciers and ice sheets reaches the sea, it can spread across the water as a slab called an ice shelf. Ice shelves can extend for miles—even hundreds of miles—over the ocean. Chunks of ice can break off from an ice shelf, forming floating icebergs.

In Arctic climates, even land that seems ice-free may hide a layer of ice beneath its surface. Permafrost is a layer of soil that remains frozen year round.

Sea ice forms when temperatures dip so low that the ocean itself begins to freeze. Sea ice can be free-floating drift ice, or fast ice that is “stuck fast” to land. When sea ice first begins to form, it appears as fine bits of frazil ice, then thickens into soupy grease ice, and then sometimes forms pancake ice, pieces of drift ice that have been battered into rounds by waves and collisions. When pieces of drift ice get packed together, they become pack ice. An ice floe is a solid chunk of drift ice up to 6 miles (9.7 km) across; if it grows larger than this, it’s called an ice field.

More stunning photographs below via Exploratorium.

iceland

How do you describe Iceland? An island of almost 40,000 square miles with a population of only 300,000, 11% of the country is covered by glaciers, more than 10,000 waterfalls and countless hotspring. The coastline is dotted with more than one hundred fjords and green, fertile valleys extend from many of them.

Land of the midnight sun, it's 24-hour daylight can be experienced throughout summer while in winter, try swimming in a geothermally-heated outdoor pool in a blizzard in Reykjavik, the country's vibrant capital.

With outstandingly fresh, clean and clear air, misty geo-thermal steam rising from the ground, miles of walking and cycling paths along the stunning shoreline and through parks and nature reserves, colorful houses...... Iceland is indeed a beautiful country.

ice cream cone lamps

How do you like these realistic-looking, yummy ice cream cone lamp holders for your eco-friendly CFL bulbs? Gives a fun-twist to the eco-friendly CFL bulbs, which look quite a bit like ice cream seen this way. Found at Mixko Boutique [via Hippy Shopper].

Ice Furniture

Here's a new twist to recyclable furniture - table and chairs carved from ice by University of Wisconsin art student, Hongtao Zhou. "They connect the lake, the land, the air and the people and complete a life cycle with minimum environmental impact," explains Zhou. Not exactly cozy but completely disposable - once the weather warms up. Seen at Core77.

BYO ice cream {insulated portable container}

Wondering how you’re going to keep the ice cream cold for your next picnic in the park?

The Spoon Sisters, a gift company with hip, trendy, classic and functional products has this nifty container to bring your own (BYO) ice cream. Mirroring the properties of heavy-duty coolers, this container features foam-core insulation nestled between its double walls of durable plastic. Plus the insulation isn’t all that protects the ice cream from melting. The freezable gel lid also helps keep the container cold for up to an hour and a half depending on the outside temperature.

With KL's hot days, you may need to keep this insulated ice cream container in a good cooler bag with icepack/s (we recommend Techni Ice, always! :).

Safe Food Handling :: Fighting bacteria by chilling

Foodborne bacteria grow rapidly when food is left out on the counter. Room temperatures fall in the "Danger Zone," between 40 and 140°F/ 4C - 60C, where bacteria grow rapidly. It is estimated that as many as 9,000 deaths and 6.5 to 33 million illnesses yearly are directly linked to foodborne pathogens (bacteria and other microorganisms that cause illness). And many of these illnesses are caused by food that are left out on the counter at room temperature.

Why is Chilling Important?

The reason chilling food is so important is that cold temperatures keep harmful bacteria from growing. Most bacteria and other pathogens grow very slowly, if at all, at refrigerator temperatures. Listeria monocytogenes is one exception. Freezing will stop growth, but does not destroy bacteria.

Campylobacter jejuni, Clostridium botulinum, Clostridium perfringens, Escherichia coli O157:H7, Salmonella, Streptococcus (Group A), Listeria monocytogenes, Shigella, and Staphylococcus aureus are nine prominent pathogens that concern food safety experts. When ingested on food, they or their toxic products can cause foodborne illness. Pathogenic bacteria can grow in just about any food, but prefer meat, poultry, seafood, eggs, and dairy products, as well as vegetables such as beans, grains, and other low acid foods.

To survive and reproduce, bacteria need time and the right conditions: food, moisture, and a warm temperature. Most pathogens grow rapidly at temperatures above 40°F/4C. The ideal temperature for bacterial growth is between 40 and 140°F/4C and 60C – what FSIS calls the "Danger Zone."

Some bacteria can double their numbers every 20 minutes at temperatures above 40°F/4C. In 2 hours, these bacteria can become so great in number that they may cause an illness or form toxins that cause illness.

Pathogenic bacteria can be found on raw meat and poultry products. If these foods are refrigerated, most of the pathogens do not reproduce, and those that do, grow slowly. They will be destroyed when the product is cooked. If raw products are left out at warmer temperatures, these pathogens can produce a heat-stable toxin that might not be destroyed by cooking.

Pathogenic bacteria do not generally affect the taste, smell, or appearance of a food. In other words, one cannot tell that a food has been mishandled or is dangerous to eat. For example, food that has been left too long on the counter may be dangerous to eat, but could smell and look fine. If a food has been left in the "Danger Zone" for more than 2 hours, discard it, even though it may look and smell good. Never taste a food to see if it is spoiled.

Cold temperatures (below 40°F/4C) can significantly slow down bacterial growth, but only heat (above 140°F/60C) can destroy bacteria.

Information via USDA FSIS.

{Ice Pops} Homemade & Essential

Homemade ice pops are icy cold, refreshing for both kids and adults, eco-friendly so they are such a family essential (especially when we have summer all-year round). Ice pop molds come in the most pretty designs now and there are even BPA free ice pop molds for you to choose from.

Why go homemade?

• To save waste - consider the packaging for a box of commercial ice pops!
  
• To go organic - use up your leftover organic fruits/vegetable: blend, mix, freeze!
• To introduce kids to green - reusable ice pop molds are a fun and practical way to work green lifestyle into your family!

Found via Inhabitots.

If you have never tried making your very own ice pops before, Krystina Castella's book, Pops! Icy treats for everyone, includes more than 100 recipes and also offers innovative techniques for making ice molds from found objects, household items etc. Read more here.

Honeydew Melon Pops

Perfectly ripe honeydew melons are extraordinarily juicy and sweet. For these pops choose melons that have a high water content that are a little overripe. Honeydew is rich in vitamin C and potassium. Try layering the honeydew mixture with the watermelon and cantaloupe variations for beautiful pastel pops.

4 cups diced (1/2-inch cubes) ripe honeydew melon
1/3 cup plain yogurt
Juice of 3 limes
Grated zest of 1 lime
3 teaspoons honey

1. Put 2 cups of the melon, the yogurt, and lime juice and zest in a food processor or blender; process until smooth.
2. Add the honey; process again to combine.
3. Stir in the remaining 2 cups melon.
4. Fill the pop molds with the mixture. Freeze for at least 6 hours.
5. Remove from the freezer. Let stand at room temperature for 5 minutes before removing the pops from the molds. Serve.

Shop :: Eco Mother's Set

Eco Mother's Set is a practical, value-for-money offer comprising:

1 Simple Baby Cooler Bag in red-white checker + 1 Simple Cooler Eco Bag in black with printed logo + 1 Techni Ice HDR.

Retail price is MYR59.90/set only.

Some additional product information:

Simple Baby Cooler Bag

• Dimensions: H8" x W8" x D5.5"/ H20cm x W21cm x D14cm
• Exterior: Easy clean microfiber/polyester
• Interior: Grey waterproof lining with 5mm thick insulation foam
• Volume: 6 liters. Fits 4-6 baby bottles or 2 plastic lunch boxes

Simple Eco Cooler Bag

• Dimensions: H13" x W13" x D9"/ H33cm x W33cm x D27cm
• Exterior: Non-woven fabric
• Interior: Easy clean white plastic. 5mm thick insulation foam
• Volume: 25 liters
• Applications: Versatile and handy for weekend grocery shopping - picnic bag - shopping bag - wet bag - overnight baby/children's bag (just keep all of baby's soiled cloth diapers and zip!)

Techni Ice HDR

• High quality alternative ice/heat pack.
• Dimensions: L15" x W11"/ L38cm x 28cm
• Applications:

1. when shopping - bring home fresh or frozen seafood, meat, milk, yogurt, ice cream etc without rush;
2. mothers in office/around town - maintains EBM at temperatures cold and safe for baby (12 hours and longer!);
3. on picnics/outstation trips - keeps foods, drinks and fruits cold and fresh for family;
4. in office/school - keeps meals warm and tasty;
5. at home/office/school/anywhere - as effective cold/heat therapy to soothe and relieve fever, headache, toothache, minor sprain, bruise, cut, etc;
6. occasional - transport temperature sensitive medicines and lab samples well preserved.

{Ice cube trays} Fun + economical ways to use

There are so many interesting, fun, creative and economical ways you can use the ubiquitous ice cube tray for as Lori Corbin, "The Food Coach" from ABC7 shares in the video here.

• put left over morning(or evening) brew in ice cube tray and you have coffee cubes when making ice coffee,
• freeze extra citrus juice in ice cube tray to add a splash of flavor and color to a glass of water or ice tea
• use ice cube trays to freeze pureed fruits and cooked vegetables for babies
• freeze left over fruit in ice cube tray. Great for smoothies when combined with fruit juice and yogurt
• fill ice cube trays with toppings, maybe some dips for veggies, diced tomatoes, shredded cheese or chocolate chips and sprinkles for make your own sundaes
• keep soup stock or tomato paste frozen in ice cube tray for recipes that require only a small amount of stock or paste (each regular sized cube holds 2 tablespoons of liquid, so 2 cubes equals 1/4 cup and 4 cubes equals 1/2 cup etc)
• make a speed bento nigiri sushi in an ice cube tray
• stir chopped Snickers into softened cream cheese, scoop into ice cube trays, add ice-pop sticks and freeze (no-bake desserts by Rachel Ray)

Go and reuse your ice cube trays in your own fun and creative way!

{Ice Cream Maker} :: 5 green reasons to use

It's funny how we at sunny, hot Kuala Lumpur crave and eat so little ice-cream versus our friends in colder countries. Making your own ice-cream is ...... well quite easy, and I like how Amber Byfield at Apartment Therapy Re-Nest gives her general eco-minded reasons like:

:: you get to choose your locally-produced and organic ingredients,

:: you save on packaging - reuse your airtight plastic ice cream containers,

:: you save money so your investment in an ice cream maker will eventually  pay for itself!

Now I wonder how much an ice cream maker costs here?

{Dry Ice} Safety

Dry ice is frozen carbon dioxide. Unlike most solids, it does not melt into a liquid, but instead changes directly into a gas. This process is called sublimation. The temperature of dry ice is around minus 109° F / -78C ! {Techni Ice can also be frozen to minus 80C in blast freezer}

Dry Ice Safety Rules:

1) Children: Never use dry ice without adult supervision.

2) Storage: Never store dry ice in an airtight container. As the dry ice melts, the gas will build up in the container until it bursts. Sharp pieces of container will go flying all over the place. Make sure your container is ventilated!!! The best place to store dry ice is in a styrofoam chest with a loose fitting lid.

3) Touch: Do not touch dry ice with your skin! Since the temperature of dry ice is so cold, it can cause severe frostbite.

4) Never eat or swallow dry ice! Again, the temperature of dry ice is very, very cold. If you swallow dry ice, seek medical help immediately.

5) Never lay down in, or place small children or pets in homemade clouds of dry ice. People and pets could suffocate if they breathe in too much gas.

6) Never place dry ice in an unventilated room or car. If you are traveling with dry ice in the car, leave a window open.

7) Always wear safety goggles when doing experiments with dry ice.

8) Do not place dry ice directly on countertops. The cold temperature could cause the surface to crack.

9) Do not store dry ice in your freezer. It will cause your freezer to become too cold and your freezer may shut off.

Disposing of Dry Ice:

To dispose of dry ice, place in a well ventilated container and take it outside where small children and pets cannot reach it. Simply let it sublimate away!

Information found via NOAA, Nevada.

{Alphabet Ice Trays} Say 'I love you' in ice

Now you can say 'I love you' inside and outside the drinking glass with these alphabet and symbol ice trays. Imagine spelling out 'I love you' or 'Happy Birthday' or even your child's name in ice letters..... the possibilities are simply endless. Works as well with food, butter, cheese or Jello. Found at Spoon Sisters.

{Ice pack} Techni Ice

Techni Ice reusable ice packs stays frozen longer than most other ice packs, is non-toxic and certified food-safe and is manufactured in Australia under ISO-9002 highest international standards.

Techni Ice reusable ice pack comprises two outer layers of sandwich printed PET/LDPE blended laminate and another two inner layers of a high strength spun bonded synthetic fibre non-woven fabric which is highly durable.

The cellular configuration of Techni Ice reusable ice pack gives a regulated liberation of cooling capacity over a large surface area, which creates the ideal ice replacement and enables the ice pack to be flexible when frozen and to be cut to size.

Using a specially formulated cross-linked polyacrylate polyalcohol co-polymer refrigerant combined with a post treated trade secret formula, Techni Ice reusable ice packs can be frozen to minus 80C in blast freezers when used in dry ice applications.

In domestic household freezers. Techni Ice reusable ice packs will freeze between minus 18C and minus 21C when the freezer is adjusted to the maximum setting.

{Welcome} to Ice & Simple

Ice & Simple is Simple Business's blog to share with you what we do, what we find engaging, informative and helpful - fun, creative ideas or simple eco ideas all of us can use everyday.

Thanks for visiting!