Paramount Granite Blog

Recipe: Barb’s Perfect Margarita!

This goes out to all the margarita lovers out there. The perfect margarita-tastes great, but not all the sugar. I concocted the recipe the other month myself.

Here it is!

Barb’s Perfect Margarita

1 Shot Tequila
Club Soda
Splash of Triple Sec
1 packet Truvia, or Stevia in the Raw, or to taste. (All natural sweetener)
lemon
lime

Put salt on the rim of a tall glass. Fill with ice. Pour in tequila. Add club soda to almost the top. Add the sweetner. Stir. Add splash of triple sec. Squeeze juice of 1 lemon wedge and 1 lime wedge and then throw in drink.

Enjoy!

Barb

Happy Memorial Day to all!

Posted in Cooking in your kitchen on May 28th, 2010 by Barb | | 0 Comments

Granite Countertops—Removing Oil, Or Butter Stains

While granite is the hardest material available for countertops, and is easy to maintain, there are some granites that are more porous than others because of their mineral compostion. It is the more porous stones that may be more suseptible to stains, when care is not taken in the clean up process. Again—I want to point out that staining is rare, but should a stain occur, do not panic! Most stains can be removed, as long you know what caused them. (What did you leave sit on your countertop for a period of time?)

For stains caused from olive oil, butter, etc.:

You will need to purchase a poultice paste, from a granite fabrciator, a local tile shop, Home Depot, Lowes, etc. Most poultice paste is sold in a 1 lb. tub.
Follow the instructions on the tub, except cover it with Saran Wrap and tape it down, and let it sit overnight. In the morning, remove the Saran Wrap. Allow the poultice to dry completely. This may take 24 hours.
Note: In most cases it is the drying process that pulls the stain out of the stone.
When the poultice paste is completely dry, remove it from the stained area.
If the stain is still present, you will need to apply the poultice paste again. Note: It may take several applications to remove the stain.
Upon completion of removing the stain, clean and rinse the stone and buff dry with a clean cloth, or use a blow dryer.
Seal the stone with a silicone impregnator (sealer), which can also be purchased through a granite fabricator, a local tile shop, Home Depot, Lowes, etc.

Following are some photos of oil stains being removed from a granite table I wanted to share:

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Granite table with oil stain

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Close up of stain

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Poutice paste applied to the stain

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Poultice covered with Saran Wrap

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Saran wrap taped down covering the poutice paste

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Scraping the poulice paste off the granite with a razor blade

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Stain removed

Thanks for reading!

Barb

Posted in Granite, Uncategorized on May 27th, 2010 by Barb | | 8 Comments

Practice The Art of Networking…

When it comes to sales, networking with others has always been important. Before the technological age, word of mouth, was “the way” others heard about you, your business and product. While these days, there are endless ways potential customers may hear about you, networking with others still plays an intricate role. In fact, with more competition, networking may be more important than ever.

I recently read, “ABN: Always Be Networking,” an article found in the March/April 2010 issue of Selling Power magazine, that I found interesting. According to the article, “informal networking can happen almost any time, anywhere, and savvy business professionals should put themselves in position to meet influential individuals whenever possible.”

Following are 10 Ways to maximize networking efforts I wanted to share from the article:

Practice the art of the speedy turnaround. After meeting someone, it is a good practice to follow up with them (24 hours is ideal) with an e-mail, or hand written note, expressing how you enjoyed you conversation, etc.
Open the lines of communication. Keep new contacts informed about your activities, promotions, sales, etc.
Prop yourself up. Establish yourself as a person of integrity, and a professional. Share your accomplishments, and those of your company.
Become a networking catalyst. Create opportunities for contacts to get together, whether on-line or otherwise.
Be yourself. People are more likely to be drawn to you for who you are than someone you might pretend to be. Let your personality shine through.
Stay attuned. Let people talk about themselves. Get to know them.
Getting to know you Focus on the person, not just a potential customer. Relationships are huge when it comes to sales.
You have 2 ears and 1 mouth. Listen twice as much as you speak. Ask questions to learn more about a person.
What’s a next step? Exchange business cards, and possibily set up a lunch meeting, etc.
Stay upbeat. Always smile and let your positivity show. Positive breeds positive!

Thanks for reading!

Barb

Posted in Industry News, Marketing on May 25th, 2010 by Barb | | 0 Comments

Recipe: Rhubarb Marshmellow Cake

Here’s a good recipe to try if you like rhubarb. It is easy to make and is delicious.

Rhubarb Marshmellow Cake

3 cups chopped rhubarb
2 cups mini-marshmellows
3/4 cup brown sugar
1 box Betty Crocker yellow cake mix

Gread 13″ x 9″ pan. Put 3 cups chopped rhubarb and 2 cups mini-marshmellows on bottom of greased pan. Over this, add 3/4 cup brown sugar. Prepare yellow cake mix as directed on package. Pour over the rhubarb mixture. Bake at 350 degrees for 40-45 minutes. Serve with ice cream, or whipped cream.

Enjoy!

Barb

Posted in Cooking in your kitchen on May 23rd, 2010 by Barb | | 0 Comments

We’ve Added More Group A Colors For Your Granite Countertops!

We are happy to announce we’ve added several more colors to our Group A pricing including: Fiorito Medina Brown, Portofino Brown, and Verde Peacock. While many people these days are more price conscious, we felt having a little more variety in this price category would be appreciated. If you are interested in these colors, or some other color for your countertops, please give us a call, or stop by our showroom. We are always happy to assist you.

Following is a list of all Group A colors:

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