The Caso Hand Held Vacuum Sealer doesn't take up a lot of room and features cordless operation. The kitchen gadget can be used for food storage as well as for preserving wine.

Wine and dine with the Caso Hand Held Vacuum Sealer.

Cluttered kitchen countertops don't exactly scream out for new gadgetry. Even when the learning curve is small, space may simply be an issue. So when an interesting appliance comes along, sometimes it can fall upon deaf ears. Change it up and make it into a form factor that can be held in the hand and suddenly people might start to listen.

For many, the concept of a vacuum sealer is sound, but the space the large, blocky appliance normally requires makes it a no-go. The Caso Hand Held Vacuum Sealer features a rechargeable battery and cordless operation. Docking into a base station in order to recharge, the unit also features a slim design that allows it to stand by at the ready without taking up a lot of counter space.

Included with the unit are specialized, reusable zip bags that can be used in the microwave, the freezer or even for sous-vide cooking. Not only is food storage (and food preparation) improved with the countertop gadget, but the device also includes nozzles that allow it to be used to vacate air out of open wine bottles. With its ability to make food and wine last longer, the handy gadget might not take up a lot of space on the countertop, but refrigerator and freezer shelves are another matter entirely.

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With space, vacuum sealer makes some noise

Mike Davidson Enterprises delivered a truckload of furniture, doors, countertops and other potentially usable supplies to Habitat for Humanity-Restore in South Dover Thursday afternoon.

The recycling company hopes this is the beginning of a long relationship with the nonprofit Habitat for Humanity, which constructs homes for the needy, said Davidson Enterprises Marketing Manager Janell Foster.

The goods delivered Thursday were a combination of new and used goods the company had come across as part of its work in the community, she said. The company sorts, reuses, and recycles construction materials and keeps them out of the landfill.

Waste wood is chipped for natural and color enhanced mulches, metal is sorted and recycled and cement is pulverized for crushed concrete reused in construction.

Habitat Restore Manager Shannon Sommeling welcomed the shipment from Davidson. The load came on the heels of recent donations from IHOP and Red Lobster in Dover, he said.

Receiving Associate Joyce Bernard lead a team of volunteers in unloading the Davidson truck. They included Walter Bollech, Howard Macleary, Caitlin and Emily Jaquish, Danielle Tilghman and Rich Bright.

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Mike Davidson Enterprises forms new relationship with Habitat for Humanity-Restore

By Philip Chua

YES, billion microorganisms! Thats not a typo. Thats how many unwanted and potentially dangerous bugs there are on average in almost any kitchen. So, it is not the bathroom that is the germiest in any home; it is the kitchen!

The germs are everywhere in the kitchen, from sink sponges countertops, cutting boards, kitchen utensils, refrigerators to sinks, towels, and even stove tops.

The cleaning sequence is obvious, even before learning about this scientific fact in the intro above: do the kitchen first before doing the bathroom. And of course, proper hygiene is observed by washings hands well, or by taking a shower, if desired, after cleaning the bathroom, especially the toilet bowl.

Significantly minimizing the bacteria in the kitchen, if not eliminating them, can be achieved with meticulous washing with soap and water. Using chemicals, like lysol or other kitchen toxic cleaning solutions sold in the market today, is not safe. Long term use of these household chemicals has been suspected to be hazardous to health, possibly linked to some metabolic illnesses and cancers afflicting people, including non-smokers.

A safer chemical alternative is Acetic Acid (regular, common vinegar), which could help minimize bacteria after the areas are washed with soap and water. Vinegar also dissolves some of the mineral deposits (from water) on pots and pans and sink, bath tubes and shower areas. One part vinegar and nine parts water (10 percent solution) is an effective mixture.

Sponges used for cleaning dishes are the items where the greatest number of bacteria are found, especially when they are stored wet in a dark place. A sunlit area is better for hygiene. They must also be washed thoroughly after each use. The washed sponges could then be sterilized some more by microwaving non-metal sponges in a microwaveable container with water for a couple of minutes once a week. They could also be soaked in vinegar solution for about 20 minutes every week, rinsed and dried. Sponges should be replaced at least once a month, or sooner depending on use. Wash cloths should be washed daily. Putting sponges in dish washer is not enough, thats why vinegar soak is helpful.

Remember that when you use sponges or towels on the countertops, dishes or pots and pans, you could be merely transferring the germs from the sponges and towels to those items. Therefore, make sure that your hands, the sponges, and towels are clean before using them on washed utensils, etc.

This germ-transfer practice is obvious among those food handlers at restaurants, who are gloved but use their hands to touch countertops, tongs, their body parts, and then the bare food items, like sandwiches, etc. Unless these individuals are as conscious and aware that the clean gloves are strictly for touching the food items, like surgeons gloved hands are limited to touch the sterile (germ-free) operating drapes and body

organs, the food will be contaminated, in spite of the gloves, when improperly used. Also, if the same pair of gloves are used for more than a couple of hours, they too, like bare hands that are not washed within an hour, accumulate bacteria. Water is a super solvent and cleaner.

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Billion germs in your kitchen

McClatchy photo/courtesy Erica Berger

Pam Kueber, in her retro kitchen, shares resources and tips on great finds for home renovation.

When it seemed like everyone was outfitting their kitchens with granite countertops and Sub-Zero refrigerators, Pam Kueber was on the hunt for steel cabinets.

Ten years ago, Kueber and her husband bought a 1951 ranch house in Lenox, Mass., with ugly plastic tiles in the bathroom and a 1970s kitchen that was showing its age. But rather than bringing the house up to date, she wanted to take it back to its mid-20th-century character.

A communications professional with a degree in journalism, she put her reporting skills to work on ferreting out sources of vintage materials to renovate her mid-century home. Five years into her search, she struck gold: a set of aquamarine Geneva steel cabinets in what was once a cooking school run by nuns in New York City.

Her experience prompted her to start a blog to share her research with like-minded souls. Today her Retro Renovation blog, retrorenovation.com, attracts about 220,000 readers a month and is the go-to site for homeowners with a passion for restoring mid-century homes.

Kueber shares resources and tips on great finds, like the stash of 1960s tile a guy in Mansfield, Ohio, found recently when he was cleaning out a contractors house. Its like Whac-A-Mole, she said of the constant chase of the latest bonanza.

The blog celebrates what Kueber calls mid-century modest homes, houses like hers that sprang up across the United States in the wake of World War II. Unlike the chic, glass-walled atomic ranches that are revered as the epitome of mid-century modern style, these are the simpler Colonials, ranches and split levels that housed a much larger segment of the postwar population. Now many of them are housing young homeowners, who can afford their modest prices and appreciate their vintage style.

Her blog sometimes addresses high-style mid-century homes, but I write about pink bathrooms and knotty pine kitchens more, she said in a recent phone conversation. And more than write about them, she touts their appeal.

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‘Mid-century modest’ homes see a resurgence

SCOTTS VALLEY Half a dozen volunteers sit at fold-out tables or lean against the countertops at campaign headquarters, cell phones pressed to their ears, their voices echoing against the hot pink walls that once housed a now-shuttered yogurt shop on Mount Hermon Road.

Members of Save Our Schools Scotts Valley have been in full-blown campaign mode for the last two months, after Scotts Valley Unified School District officials filed paperwork with the county elections office to place a parcel tax measure on the June 5 ballot. Their voices remain calm, but it's a facade that masks the urgency behind their message.

Their schools are depending on them, they only have four weeks left, and they need to reach as many of the 12,500 registered voters in the district's boundaries as possible.

If passed, the Measure K parcel tax would be in effect for three years starting July 1, tacking on an extra $48 to property tax bills each year with exemptions for contiguous parcels and anyone receiving Supplemental Security Income. It would raise up to $1 million through 2014-15, just enough to keep from having to lay off more teachers and cut more programs.

The state could cut more than $1 million out of next year's district budget, said campaign head Derek Timm, who has two daughters enrolled at Vine Hill Elementary School. If that happens, and we don't have a parcel tax, and the district doesn't come up with additional funding sources to help stabilize

It's not yet clear how much funding the district will receive from federal, state and local sources in 2012-13. But tentative figures presented in late March showed revenue of about $15 million, a drop of more than $2 million from this year.

That figure does not include income from a statewide, education-related tax initiative backed by Gov. Jerry Brown for November's general election. Vickie Clark, who heads the district's business office, has to prepare the budget as though the initiative will fail, triggering cuts of $370 in per-pupil spending.

So far, Timm said, voters have expressed support for Measure K. No one filed an opposition statement with the county elections division.

Only property owners will pay the tax, though the majority of them do not have school-aged children. Timm said many would support the measure because property values are higher in areas with good schools.

I think that's the big benefit that property owners can miss out on if they don't think about it in those terms, he said.

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Parcel tax supporters out in full force: Effort aims to garner support for Measure K

AVON Chamberlin Granite Co. of Torrington, CT, purveyors of monuments, granite countertops, kitchens and baths, has named John Yates, Certified Kitchen & Bath Designer, its new Senior Designer, to head up its brand new kitchen and bath showroom on Rte. 44 in Avon center. This new location is operating under the name, Chamberlin Kitchen & Bath LLC.

Opening the new showroom in Avon will greatly bolster our efforts to cater to Hartford Countys middle and higher-end kitchen and bath needs, noted Tyson Chamberlin, CEO of Chamberlin Kitchen & Bath. Johns thirty-four years of experience in the kitchen and bath industry will strongly benefit our design team, sales and services, he added.

Prior to joining Chamberlin Kitchen & Bath, Yates designed for Ducci Kitchens in Goshen, Platon Design Group in Englewood, NJ and before that he owned Maine Kitchen Design in Yarmouth, Maine for nearly ten years, where Yates designs were chosen to represent the state of Maine for the nationally recognized book, Leading Kitchen & Bath Designers. Originally from Springfield, MA, Yates was the lead designer for Kitchens by Chapdelaine in East Longmeadow, MA for more than sixteen years. During his many years at Chapdelaine, he became the top sales/designer in the Northeast for Plain & Fancy Cabinetry five years in a row. Ironically, and now coming full cycle, Yates has returned near to his old stomping grounds and Plain & Fancy is one of Chamberlins top cabinet lines.

Mr. Yates kitchen and bath designs have been displayed in numerous newspapers and magazines, both locally and nationally and, among other things, he earned a Masters Degree in Clinical Psychology from American International College in Springfield, MA.

He and his wife, Eileen Kindl, live in New Hartford, CT.

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Torrington company expands into Avon

MEMPHIS, TN -

(WMC-TV) The renovation of the Vasco Smith Administration Building downtown is projected to cost Shelby County some $20 million.

But officials claim they're not trying to outfit it like a Cadillac.

"No sir," said County Engineer Tom Needham. "Not like a Cadillac at all."

Needham showed Action News 5 the plans and said added expense will be spared.

"Let's say more like a Chevrolet with leather," said Needham.

But one man familiar with the project e-mailed us his concerns about the costly countertops specified in the plans. They're to be made of a sustainable recycled glass material called Icestone. The architect calls for a pattern known as "snow flurry" to top reception counters in the lobby areas on all 11 floors.

"It could run from $85 to $150 dollars a square foot," said Needham.

That is significantly more than the quartz or granite countertops on display at Premier Countertops in Olive Branch.

"I would say your average pricing for granite is gonna be anywhere from $60 to $70 a square foot," said Carol Jameson. "And that's nice granite."

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Expensive countertops on taxpayers dime

Washington DC (PRWEB) April 28, 2012

Maryland Granite Countertops has made some significant changes to the way customers interact with the leading fabricator of granite countertops in the Washington DC metropolitan areas website. In addition to upgrading their photo galleries to increase your imagination when exploring different designs, they have added a news and blogs page which is constantly being updated with news and trends relevant to the granite countertops industry.

Customers want more ideas; more variety; better quality; excellent service; and of course the inevitable special one on one attention and we want to give this to our clients says owner of Maryland Granite Countertops.

With the economy the way it is still hurting people are taking advantage of housing prices and investing in their new homes. Houses are very affordable right now, and you can find a home for up to 50% or more of its original value. This leaves home owners with plenty of money to spend remodeling and tweaking their new homes to the way they dreamed of, and we want to help them imagine the perfect home to live in through our online tools says chief marketing officer at Maryland Granite.

Kitchen countertops are one of the most common remodeling jobs for new and especially first time home owners. I dont know why the phenomenon laughs Rick from Maryland Granite but this is just how it works; people just want to have a beautiful looking kitchen this may prove that house wives are after all in charge in the house smiles Rick

Maryland Granite is located in Beltsville Maryland right outside the 495 Beltway that surrounds our capital city. Leaders in the natural stone industry with over 15 years of solid strong reputation, they have been able to gain an edge on the manufacturing and fabrication of countertops. You can reach them at 301-605-1168 ###

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Maryland Granite Announces Major Revamp

HONOLULU -

Granite countertops, energy star appliances and an organic rooftop farm. Sounds like a new high rise development? No. It's a low-income housing apartment in Kalihi. And an example of future affordable housing projects done with private and public partnerships. Ceremonies today marked what could become a template for the future of affordable housing in the islands.

Seattle-based Vitus Group bought the Banyan Street Manor Apartments last May for $8.5 million and spent just over $3 million dollars to renovate the units.

"We didn't spend a ton of money, but what we did was work things wisely," said Makani Maeva, Director of Vitus Group.

And the result is a dream come true for 20-year resident Oceana Falaniko.

"My new refrigertor, that can hold more food." said Falaniko about her new appliances. "My new vanity mirror, when I open the lights it makes me feel like I'm in Hollywood."

Each of the 55 units now has energy saving appliances, solid wood kitchen cabinets and granite counters. On the outside the largest "living walls" in the state. Reducing building temperatures by up to 10-degrees. And the building built in 1976 is now the first affordable housing project to have a USDA certified organic rooftop farm. It also has a protected urban play area just for kids. Honolulu Mayor Peter Carlisle says he hopes to see more of this type of result from private and public partnerships.

"What happens when you have something like this is it comes into a community that had some problems in the past. It revitalizes it," said Mayor Peter Carlisle. "It takes into account the kind of halo effect of this type of investment can create."

And for Oceana, the improvements have changed her life.

" It's made this place more of a place that we can take pride in." Oceana commented. "Where it's not just a dwelling place or an apartment where you rent a hotel room. There's no meaning to it, this is my home."

Excerpt from:
Public housing getting modern renovations with private help

FARMINGTON HILLS, Mich. (WJBK) -- Kitchen upgrades are a popular home improvement project and many people want granite countertops. However, when those countertops are made, a lot of granite actually goes to waste. A local business owner has found a way to recycle it.

A typical work day for David Popp involves stamping tons of solid stone. He's the owner of EcoGranite in Farmington Hills, the first stone recycling business in metro Detroit and one of the first in the country.

Popp turns leftover granite from home construction projects into pavers, thin stone veneer and even gravel.

"It's stones brought from all over the world for its natural beauty to the United States, and then it's made into a countertop," he said. "About 40 percent of it just on a countertop production goes back to a landfill."

However, Popp figured out how to recycle it and reuse it instead. He said he couldn't stand to all this beautiful stone going to waste. It took him eight years to develop the right technique using heavy machinery to cut the granite into various perfect shapes.

His pavers start at $3.85 a square foot.

The company even recycles very small pieces. They grind them up into different grades of gravel.

"Everything that comes into the shop we try to make into a useable product," Popp explained.

So, where does all the heavy granite come from? Popp hauls tons and tons of it away for local companies free of charge in exchange for the use of the material.

He said granite is about three times stronger than a standard brick paver. The natural stone doesn't degrade and should last forever.

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Local Company Recycles Granite Waste