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.

{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.

{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?