EPA Confirms The Safety Of Granite Countertops!
Some of you may have heard the false claims regarding radon and granite countertops that have been circulated recently throughout the media that have created consumer confusion and a scare. The claims were made by an independent group, which were in fact, funded by two companies that manufacture engineered stone. Fortunately, consumers can rest at ease because the EPA has confirmed the safety of granite countertops.
It is really sad when a competing product/company has to rely on lies to help sell their product. I don’t know about you, but I would sure question a company that promotes themself with the use of lies. It tells you something about their character and how they run their overall business.
Granite has been used for building for centuries. Its strength, durability, and beauty speak for itself, and the stone industry doesn’t need to make up lies to consumers to get people to buy it.
While this isn’t the first time there have been lies spread regarding granite and radon, it probably won’t be the last either. As a consumer, it is important to know your facts and do your research, especially when it comes to product safety.
Following are some links for you to read and help with your research on the topic from the MIA, Marble Institute of America:
- http://www.marble-institute.com/industryresources/granite_radoninfo.cfm
- http://www.marble-institute.com/pressroom/pr072908.cfm
- http://www.marble-institute.com/industryresources/talkingpoints-072908.cfm
- http://www.marble-institute.com/industryresources/radontesting_u-akron2008.pdf
Thanks for reading!
Barb
Posted in Granite, Company, Industry News on July 31st, 2008 by Barb | | 0 Comments
Boycott Those Plastic Bags!
I don’t know about you, but I never have liked those plastic bags you get at various grocery, or department stores. They are flimsy, and your groceries never stay in them properly. When asked, “Do you want paper or plastic?,” my response was always, “Paper!” Several months ago, however, I purchased several re-useable cloth bags, which I like much better. They hold way more items, and are environmentally friendly.
I don’t know if you are a fan of the plastic bag, but I wanted to pass along a link regarding them that I received the other week. It is very interesting and has some astonishing information in it. Hopefully after reading it, you will change your mind about plastic bags and either bring your own, or use the paper bag (if they even offer it)!
(Use the bar on the right side of the slideshow to scroll through it.)
http://www.poconorecord.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080506/MULTIMEDIA02/80505016
Thanks for reading and please pass it along!
Barb
Posted in Uncategorized on July 29th, 2008 by Barb | | 8 Comments
Recipe: Ham & Cheese Strata
Here’s a good recipe to try for breakfast. It is easy to make and also works great for brunch.
Ham & Cheese Strata
2 cups cubed ham
2 cups grated cheddar cheese
3 cups milk
6 eggs
1-1/2 cups cornflake crumbs
1/4 cup butter melted
Bread with crust removed
Grease a 13″ x 9″ pan. Put a layer of bread on the bottom of the pan. Place ham & cheese on top of the bread in the pan and cover with layer of bread. Whisk eggs & milk together and pour over the bread. Cover and refrigerate over night. Let warm to room temperature for 15-20 minutes. Mix cornflake crumbs with butter and sprinkle on the top. Bake 40-45 minutes at 350 degrees. Let set for 15 minutes and serve.
Enjoy!
Barb
Posted in Cooking in your kitchen on July 25th, 2008 by Barb | | 4 Comments
Won’t Back Down!
Summer is a always a great time to enjoy a concert, and last night, we enjoyed a good one…Tom Petty. As usual, Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers put on great show, which was held this year, at the Target Center in downtown Minneapolis. The show included several of his classics including: “Free Falling,” “Running Down a Dream,” “Breakdown,” and of course an on-core ending with…”American Girl.”
The song however, that struck me was, “I Won’t Back Down!” It is funny how song lyrics make you think about certain things. While listening to the lyrics, I thought to myself, “This could be the theme for the stone industry.” With the rise in myths and false claims, the industry is fighting back, and “Won’t Back Down,” especially in regards to radon.
Anyway—enough about these thoughts about work. Back to the concert…The music was good and overall, the show was a hit for both fans young and old.
Thanks for reading!
Barb
Following is the playlist from the concert:
- You Wreck Me
- Listen to Her Heart
- I Won’t Back Down
- Even the Losers
- Free Fallin
- Mary Jane
- End of the Line (Traveling Wilburys)
- Breakdown
- Saving Grace
- A Face in the Crowd
- Honey Bee
- Learning to Fly
- Don’t Come Around Here No more.
- Refugee ENCORE
- Runnin’ Down a Dream
- Gloria (Van Morrison)
- American Girl
Following are some photos from the concert:
Steve Winwood
Steve Winwood
Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers
Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers
Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers
Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers
Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers
Posted in Uncategorized, Granite on July 24th, 2008 by Barb | | 2 Comments
Fighting the “Anti-Granite Campaign”
As I was reading the July 2008 issue of Kitchen & Bath Design News yesterday, I came across an article titled, MIA Creates Fund to Fight ‘Anti-Granite Campaign’. With so much misleading and false information on the market regarding granite, I was happy to see that the Marble Institute of America (MIA) had kicked off this campaign last month. While I knew about the campaign prior to reading this article, the article makes it clear that the natural stone industry is making a concerted effort to repair the damage that has been done and prevent more damage from occurring.
The campaign was spurred by a “recent assertion by a Houston-based not-for-profit association whose home testing concluded that potentially harmful levels of radon are emitted by granite countertop surfaces.” The article also points out that the testing, according the to the MIA, was underwritten by two major suppliers of natural quartz products. The MIA has refuted the claims and is now asking their members to join in the fight.
For more information on the “Truth about Granite Fund” contact the MIA.
Feel free to share…
Angie
Posted in Granite, Industry News on July 23rd, 2008 by Angie | | 2 Comments
Surround Yourself With Positive Thoughts!
Positive thinking helps promote well being, happiness, and an overall good mood, but with today’s changing ecomomy, it is sometimes hard to stay positive. The news media is constantly bombarding us with bad news. They are notorious for it, and they do their best to pass along as many negative stories to the general public as they can. From television, newspapers, radio, and the internet, todays technology allows us to access information quickly, and with so much focus on bad news, it is easy to get caught up in it all.
Most people have enough conflict and problems in their own lives to sometimes bring them down. If you top that off with more negative news stories from the media, it is bound to eventually effect your mood. What most people don’t realize is that there is a lot of good news out in the world too. In fact, there are way more good things going on than bad. We just don’t always hear about them. Earlier this year, my husband and myself basically stopped watching the nightly news because we were tired of all of the negativity. Of course from time to time we tune in, but for the most part, we don’t subject ourselves to it. It is much easier to stay positive about work, family, etc., when you aren’t constantly hearing how bad everything is.
To help keep positive, I wanted to pass along a few links to some websites, that I enjoy. They provide positive, inspirational thoughts and stories—Something we can all use more of!
- Ode Magazine: Their print and online publications provide positive news, about people and ideas that are changing our world for the better.
- Think Arete.com: A great website that I came across when I was searching for inspiritational quotes that provides inspiration, wisdom, and philosophy.
- Guideposts: Their magazine and website provides inspiring, uplifting stories about everyday people.
Thanks for reading!
Barb
Posted in Uncategorized on July 21st, 2008 by Barb | | 0 Comments
The Natural Beauty of Granite…
There are literally hundreds and hundreds of granite colors available for countertops. Since some granites can be very consistent looking, and others having great variation in flow, and color, we encourage our customers to come to our showroom to narrow their choices down. Customers can make their selections from both our samples, and stock slabs, or we can direct them to a local supplier to select their slabs.
Some customers are also interested in laying out their material prior to fabrication. To accomodate them, we usually encourage them to make an appointment, after the field measure has been completed. We will do the best to accommodate a customer’s requests, however due to those natural variations, it may be difficult to get exactly what they want out of each slab.
Our fabricators take a lot of pride in making sure the seam matches and flow come together. Keep in mind, the more variance in the slab, the more obvious the seams will be. Fortunately, the beauty of granite is that it does have those natural variations, which make it unique and beautiful.
Granite is a natural product of nature, how much more beautiful can you get?!
Feel free to share…
Angie
Posted in Granite, Company, Business on July 15th, 2008 by Angie | | 5 Comments
2008 NARI Golf Outing—A Bit Rainy, But A Success
This years NARI Golf Outing, started out a bit slow with some rain showers delaying the start, but in the end it was a fun and successful event. The outing was held Thursday, July 10th, at the Prestwick Golf Club in Woodbury, MN.
The event included a day of golf, dinner, and a silent auction. PGC once again, sponsored the beer cart, which was driven by Brad Lein, PGC Sales Rep.
Following are some photos from the event:
Thanks fro reading!
Barb
Thanks for reading!
Barb
Posted in Company on July 14th, 2008 by Barb | | 0 Comments
Recipe: Almost Candy Bars
Here’s another good recipe to try for those chocolate lovers out there. It is easy to make and very good.
Almost Candy Bars
1 chocolate cake mix
1 cup butter
2 cups chocolate chips
1 cup walnuts
1 cup coconut
1 can sweetened condensed milk
Combine cake mix and softened butter until crumbly. Gently press into 12 x 15 pan. Layer chocolate chips, walnuts, and coconut. Top with sweetened condensed milk. Bake at 350 degrees for 20 to 30 minutes.
Enjoy!
Barb
Posted in Cooking in your kitchen on July 11th, 2008 by Barb | | 0 Comments
Learning Links: 07/10/08
Since we install quite a few granite bar tops every year, I thought it would be nice to share some information to help stock and accessorize them. You should be able to get some ideas for wine racks, lights, glassware, signs, etc., from the following websites. They have some pretty cool stuff.
Accessorize Your Granite Bar Top:
Thanks for reading!
Barb
Posted in Uncategorized, Granite on July 10th, 2008 by Barb | | 0 Comments
