This is a great idea. But -

Scott -- Years ago I gave my grandma one of those things you heat up in the microwave and lay across your aching bones. It was filled with rice or linseed or something like that, I bought it at a booth at the Union Square xmas market, and she LOVED it... until the day she set it on fire in the microwave. Knowing grandma, who was I think 98 years old at the time, it's likely that she had turned it on for 30 min instead of 3 min or something like that, but anyway. It was very scary, and she never touched another microwave. So yeah, be safe out there.

I used to have a hot water bottle alternative that was this same thing - a bag filled with cherry pits that was to be microwaved. It did hold heat but, once warm, it smelled SO bad, so so bad. The idea of storing porous foodstuffs inside it is simply ghastly!

While it recycles cherry pits, it's not exactly green, if it has to be microwaved.

Patrick: LOL (as usual!)...

:)

I have a lovely handmade pottery disk that's supposed to be a breadwarmer ... you heat it up in either the microwave or oven, and put it at the bottom of the breadbasket to keep the contents warm (enclosing the bread in a cloth napkin helps, I would imagine). But I haven't used it yet ... so far, the thing has only been hanging on my kitchen wall!

What's wrong with a microwave? I.e. why is it not green? I don't believe its any less green than being here on apartmenttherapy.com but I may be wrong.

Tara,

The rice in sock method sounds great. I especially like how easy it would be to dump out the rice after use and launder the sock.

At a hospital supply store, I bought corduroy bags filled with some type of grain or lentil and menthol smelling potpourri inside. Zap it in the microwave for four minutes and it stays warm for about 15 minutes. Gave it to many relatives, and they all loved it for sore backs and shoulders. But it was expensive, and also there was no way to wash the thing.

Would just add this to your directions:
Uncooked rice. Clean sock. : )