Additional “Green” Research Released By Natural Stone Council
The Natural Stone Council has been working hard over the last two years to gather information on the impact of natural stone and the environment. Over the last year, significant research has been completed and the information from the study is now available. If you are a builder, architect, remodeler, kitchen and bath designer, etc.,and are searching for “green” information regarding natural stone, please make sure you visit the links below, or the Natual Stone Council website.
- Material Fact Sheets
- Granite
- Limestone
- Marble
- Sandstone - Research Results
- Case Studies
- Life-Cycle Data Sets
- Best Practices information
Thanks for reading!
Barb
Posted in Granite, Industry News on March 30th, 2009 by Barb | | 0 Comments
Recipe: Easy Minty Brownies
Here’s another good chocolate lovers recipe I found on the Kraft Foods website. It is easy to make and should satisfy your chocolate craving.
4 squares BAKER’S Unsweetened Chocolate
1 cup (2 sticks) butter or margarine, divided
2 cups sugar
4 eggs
1 cup flour
1 tsp. peppermint extract
1 can (16 oz.) ready-to-spread vanilla frosting
4 squares BAKER’S Semi-Sweet Chocolate
1/4 cup water
BAKE 30 to 35 min. or until toothpick inserted in center comes out with fudgy crumbs. (Do not overbake.) Cool in pan.
STIR peppermint extract into frosting; spread evenly over cooled brownies. Microwave semi-sweet chocolate, remaining 1/4 cup butter and the water in medium microwaveable bowl on HIGH 1-1/2 min. or until butter is melted. Stir until chocolate is completely melted. Cool to room temperature. Spread evenly over frosting; cover. Refrigerate at least 1 hour before serving. Lift out of pan onto cutting board, using foil handles. Cut into 36 squares.
Note: You can also stir a few drops green food coloring into the frosting along with the peppermint extract to jazz it up.
Enjoy!
Barb
Posted in Cooking in your kitchen on March 27th, 2009 by Barb | | 0 Comments
Fun At 2009 The Builders Product & Service Show
The 2009 Builders Product & Service show, was a little smaller this year with a slower economy, but that didn’t stop PGC from having a booth and participating in the event. Although attendance was also down somewhat, we managed to speak to quite a few builders and remodelers and enjoyed some camaraderie.
The event was sponsored through BATC, Builders Association of the Twin Cities, and was held Tuesday, March 24, 2009 at the Minneapolis Convention Center. The PGC booth was staffed by several of our team members and included a full slab of granite, which proved to be a good draw. The booth also included a granite countertop display, and a granite table, as well as granite samples, DuPont Zodiaq® samples, and Rinato stone samples.
Following are some photos I wanted to share:
Thanks for reading!
Barb
Posted in Company, Granite, Industry News on March 26th, 2009 by Barb | | 2 Comments
Granite Countertops—Check Out Those Curves!
Last week, we fabricated and installed a granite kitchen with a unique look and design. It incorporated a ”U” shaped design along with a raised ledge with a flowing type of “S” curve front.
The “S” curve piece was run on our CNC mill, and then touched up with hand tools to create a smooth overall feel. The kitchen also included several different granite colors including: Giallo Ornamental, Bianco Iran, and Juparana Fantastico.
Following are a few photos that I wanted to share from the project:
Thanks for reading!
Barb
Posted in Granite on March 24th, 2009 by Barb | | 0 Comments
Use Vision Boards To Grasp Your Dreams!
We’ve all been there at some time or another.
You start your day with a great attitude and good mood, only to have it change on a dime, when you bombarded with bad news. (i.e. Sales are down, a customer is unhappy with a spot in their granite countertop, even though they selected and approved the stone, and a so-called competitor is price gauging again to get a sale.) You can fill in your own bad news, but the result is the same. That good mood just went down the toilet, and you’re desperate to turn it around fast, before it ruins the rest of the day.
You could take a coffee break to try and get back on track, but according to “Your Vision–but Better,” an article found in the March 2009 issue of Selling Power magazine, getting that enthusiasm back “might be as simple as looking up and seeing a collage of pictures of Greece, where you hope to take your spouse this spring, or going online and being inspired by that song that never fails to pump you up.”
Most people realize that you should visualize your dreams in order to attain them, but creating a vision board such as a poster, or an online version actually helps! “A vision board is a series of pictures of all the things you want to bring into your life—luxurious possessions, exciting experiences, a healthier body, fulfilling relationships, etc. Vision boards actually got a big boost when success expert John Assaraf touted them in Rhonda Byrne’s best selling book, The Secret.”
Vision boards are a great way to focus your attention, and are a constant reminder of what you want and what makes you happy. While we can’t always avoid problems and frustrations, we can do something to try and alleviate them. Why not try a vision board and start focusing, affirming and… smiling?
Thanks for reading!
Barb
Posted in Uncategorized on March 19th, 2009 by Barb | | 2 Comments
