The coolest thing we saw this week - 11/12/07
By: LMP Editorial Team - November 20th, 2007
Convenient or what? Glad SimplyCooking Microwave steam bags let you cook vegetables, 
pasta, fish, meat, eggs and poultry in minutes. No water is added – the food cooks by steam, which keeps its flavour and colour fresh. These bags stand up on their own base in the microwave (no spills!), and have a tear-off top. A package of ten sells for between $3.49 and $3.99 at major supermarkets. For more information, go to www.cookwithglad.ca.
The downside is that they are not recyclable or reusable for steaming. But I’ve been washing them out, and using them for storing prepped vegetables and shredded cheese in the fridge. I personally won’t be using them to cook eggs – too rubbery – but I love the Shrimp Pad Thai Soup recipe that Chef Dennis DeRooy created for Glad. So much so that I’ve included it below.
Ingredients
¾ cup coconut milk
1/3 cup chicken stock
1/2 cup rice noodles (pre-softened in warm water)
1 oz fresh ginger, julienned
2 oz red pepper, julienned
10 oz FROZEN uncooked shrimp
1 oz fresh basil, chopped
Juice of one lime
Directions
Slice the ginger and red pepper
Place the ginger, red pepper, shrimp, rice noodles, coconut milk and chicken stock in a Glad steaming bag
Cook for three to four minutes at full power
While the soup is cooking, place the basil and line in a large soup bowl
When cooked, place the Shrimp Pad Thai Soup in the bowl
Salt and pepper to taste
Makes one to two servings
Hands up if you hate vacuuming. Wait - is that a breeze we feel, or is it the whoosh of millions of female hands being hoisted into the air? Well, ladies, put down your arms and pick up a robot. The Roomba 560 is a robotic vacuum that cleans the floors when you tell it to, easily gets to hard-to-reach areas like under beds and coffee tables, automatically adjusts from carpets to hard flooring, and then returns to a charging station when it’s finished the job. We really, really want one…Check it out at 
This year, Home Depot will sell some seven million compact fluorescent light bulbs (CFLs) to Canadians, proving just how popular this household item has become. But there’s always been the pesky question of recycling the bulbs, which contain small amounts of mercury. To deal with the disposal issue, the giant retailer is launching a free instore bulb recycling program at all 160 of its locations across the country. As of Nov. 22, Canadians can bring in their used CFLs to any Home Depot, where they’ll find a CFL recycling unit located at the entrance by the special services desk. There, shoppers can place the expired CFLs in a plastic bags provided by HD and deposit it a bin. When the bin is full, the contents are sent to Fluorescent Lamp Recyclers Inc., in Ayr, Ont. IKEA Canada has been recycling CFLs and used batteries through its “Free Take Back” program since 2001.The programs are directed at the 98% of Canadians who, according to a recent poll conducted by Angus Reid for IKEA Canada, do not recycle their CFLs.
A clever idea that looks great and makes sense. Removable peel and stick chalkboard panels! Perfect for use in kids’ rooms, workrooms, and the kitchen - anywhere you want a surface on which to make quick reminder notes and lists, or give children their very own small place to scribble and play. Available in black, purple or green. The same company that makes these also sells wall tattoos in the shape of flowers, butterflies and trees. For more information, go to