Monthly Archives: June 2011

Tips and Tricks for Cleaning and Sealing Your Granite Countertops

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Cleaning and Sealing your granite countertops: 

You will be happy to hear just how easy it is to do an annual cleaning and sealing of your granite counter(s).

1.  First clean your countertop thoroughly using a natural cleaner. Never clean with any product containing acid, lemon, or bleach. Acids, even a light solution of vinegar and water, will eventually etch and damage natural stone. Do not use scouring powders or creams; these products contain abrasives that may scratch the surface.

 2.  Now apply the stone sealer. Stone sealers will need to be reapplied as soon as you notice water no longer stands (beads up) on the surface.

Tips:

-I use a sealer and cleaner on our slate tops, which eliminates one of the two steps.  It is called “Cleaner/Re-Sealer” by StoneSpecific. 

-Make sure you buy a spray cleaner and/or sealer conducive of your countertop material.  For example; we have a honed slate material, so I buy a product with that description.  Whereas someone with polished granite should look for a natural stone cleaner/sealer.

Blueberry Pudding Cake

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I am not the biggest fan of blueberries, but will eat them so our kids do…however, this is pretty much the BEST dessert I have ever tasted!!

So here it is:

Ingredients:
2 cups fresh or frozen blueberries (if frozen, don’t thaw)
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1 cup all-purpose flour
3/4 cup sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 cup milk
3 tablespoons butter, melted

TOPPING:
3/4 cup sugar
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1 cup boiling water

Directions
Toss the blueberries with cinnamon and lemon juice; place in a greased 8-in. square baking dish. In a small bowl, combine the flour, sugar and baking powder; stir in milk and butter. Spoon over berries.
Combine sugar and cornstarch; sprinkle over batter. Slowly pour boiling water over all. Bake at 350° for 45-50 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the cake portion comes out clean. Yield: 9 servings.

So simple and so delicious!!!

ps…the picture shows a scoop of the cake with a scoop of ice cream, it tastes just as good on a plate!
Summer Dessert to make in your Kitchen!

Hire a professional remodeler, the benefits are endless!

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Top reasons to hire a professional remodeler
•From contract to completion, a professional will help you pull all the pieces together: ideas, design, product selection, final details.
•Experience counts! Grande Decor has the knowledge and expertise to turn your ideas into reality.
•Paperwork is part of remodeling. Legal and licensing issues can’t be ignored.
•Accurate pricing. A professional won’t over or under bid a project. If you receive an extremely low bid, you can assume a contractor failed to budget for an important element of the
•A written contract. While trust and a handshake are nice, they are not enough. A detailed contract protects all parties, keeps a project on track, and lessens the chance of misunderstandings.
•Warranty. A professional renovation comes with a warranty on labor. With professional installations, there is not the risk of voiding manufacturers’ warranties on materials, appliances and products.
•Recommendations. Professionals guard their reputation. Every project is the most important project and can lead to another job with friends and relatives of a happy client