How COOL is this???

Hi! It's C again! I know we seem to go for ages without a post, and then all of a sudden we hit you with a couple in the same week :)

I recently wrote a post on the Green is Her New Blog site about "Green Gadgets for Summer Fun". Randy from Algonquin Outfitters left a comment and mentioned other "green gadgets" that are available at Algonquin Outfitters. One of the gadgets that caught my attention was the ball that makes ice cream! How cool is that?Although summer is coming to a close, who says you can't have ice cream year-round? I'm not sure if this is the same ice cream ball that Algonquin Outfitters has, but I found this one online. The Play and Freeze Ice Cream Maker is portable and compact, so you can make ice cream anywhere. This is great for picnics, family BBQ parties, and camping! There is no electricity required (except for a little human power). All that is required is rock salt and ice in one compartment and in the other compartment, cream, sugar and vanilla (or whatever ice cream mix you prefer).To make your ice cream, all you need to do is shake or roll the ball. Have a blast and toss or pass the ball around with the family. After a little fun, you can enjoy some homemade ice cream!

Thanks for sharing this product with us, Randy!

(This post is cross-posted here)

Green Gadgets for Summer Fun

Hi, everyone! C here. Fancy, Curiosity Killer, Farmer John and I have been really busy this summer, that it's been a while since any of us have posted anything new here.

Camping has always been something that I looked forward to every summer as a child. My parents used to take us camping at Algonquin Park, Gatineau Park, and even as far as New Brunswick and Virginia!

We always used a kerosene lamp, flashlights (those darn batteries would always die so quickly!), candles, and a portable stove. I was thinking of alternatives to those trusty old gadgets. Farmer John and I have a few LED flashlights that work really well. We also have outdoor solar lights that line our walkway to our house.

NOMA's 1W Luxeon LED Flashlight is surprisingly bright, powerful and very durable.

$34.99 CAD

Our outdoor solar lights are not like the one shown in the following photo. The concept is similar with the panel at the top, but ours is a simpler design. The lights charge during the day (thanks to the sun!) and at night you are left with some pretty good lighting. It's not a blinding kind of light, but good to guide your way so that you don't trip or fall (or can't find the keyhole to your front door)!

You can check out details for these lights here. Emerald Solar Lights, 10 pack = $59.99 CAD.


Finally, in my Mom's country, there's a great treat to eat when it's hot out. It's called halo-halo. It's basically shaved ice with whatever toppings and other ingredients you wish. Traditional halo-halo includes sweet beans, fruit, milk, shaved ice, and leche flan (custard). The ice is shaved with a "machine" that looks like this: I call this a great "green gadget" because it requires no use of batteries or electricity. All you need is some good 'ol elbow grease to crank this baby up. If you wish to forgo the halo-halo, you can definitely use this ice shaver to make snow cones for the kiddies or even some nice cold beverages for yourself! ;)

Hope you're all having a wonderful summer!