The Hamilton Beach 3-in-1 Grill/Griddle features two reversible cooking plates with independent temperature controls.

Breakfast, lunch, and dinner how you want it.

Appliances don't always cooperate with what's on the menu.

Kitchen countertops have become landscapes populated by quick and easy meal-makers that can provide an almost endless variety of food options. Still, despite the great abundance of options to choose from, that doesn't mean a particular appliance knows how to adjust to the situation. Unless, of course, it is adjustable.

The Hamilton Beach 3-in-1 Grill/Griddle (model number 38546) eliminates either/or choices by being able to be configured into exactly what is required for the meal. Featuring two separately reversible plates, the countertop appliance is capable of being all grill, all griddle, or a little of both.

Each half of the appliance has its own temperature control. The 180 square inches of cooking area are delineated by a center channel that collects grease into a tray underneath. Suitable for breakfast, lunch, and dinner operation, the versatile cooker makes it easy to prepare all ingredients with a minimum of hassle, from pancakes in the morning to grilled burgers at night. When it's all said and done, the nonstick cooking grids pop out and can be cleaned in the dishwasher, making it easy to get the grill and griddle combo ready to do it all again the next day.

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Grill, griddle or both

Paint. Flooring. Household cleaners. Even cabinetry and countertops. We have learned how a lot of the things in your home can be made greener and more environmentally friendly. In this edition of Your Home we explore a few burgeoning developments in the green industry. First, we start with where you spend a good chunk of your night.

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Karen Totino, Green Conscience Owner said, We have a great selection of organic beds that are made from organic latex, cotton and wool. The difference is the natural materials but also that they are not treated with any chemicals.

If you're in the market for a new place to lay your head at night and want to do your small part for the environment, you can invest in green bedding and still get a mattress that is comfortable for you.

It's built with three layers and each layer can be soft, medium or firm so it is fully customizable and it also can be split on each side so each person can customize their bed.

While you may not have thought about using green and organic materials for your bedding, but you may have thought of re-doing your walls in a greener way. Well, here is a new product called clay plaster.

Totino said, It's a beautiful wall finish. A lot of people are struck by the aesthetic, the texture, but it's actually doing something for you while it is on the wall. It's absorbing moisture, it is constantly interacting with the environment, buffering the humidity. By stabilizing the humidity, we improve our indoor air quality, we're controlling mold and mildew.

Besides coming in a variety of colors, the clay plaster can also be uninstalled and easily fixed.

Most other plasters like lime plasters or gypsum plasters are very difficult to repair once you have a crack or is damaged. This is very simple to repair and very easy to clean, said Totino.

As with any home improvement product, you'll want to do your research to see what the best choice for your home is. For more information about green products, visit http://www.green-conscience.com, americanclay.com, and http://www.savvyrest.com.

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Your Home: Organic, green bedrooms

Is this sandwich worth $1 million? (Pillsbury.com) When you imagine whats entailed for a Pillsbury Bake-Off contestant to make it to the final round of 100, do countertops strewn with blue paper curlicues from crescent dinner roll packaging come to mind? Hours or years of testing, friends focus groups and lots of scribbling to determine the most delicious-sounding recipe title? Maybe a gingham apron?

Springfield resident Samantha Miller cops to none of that. Shes our hometown pick to root for this weekend, when shell make her Chicken Cacciatore-Cheese Bread Sandwiches at the 45th annual event, held again this year in Orlando, Fla. More than $1 million in cash and GE appliances are at stake.

Samantha Miller of Springfield, representing the Washington area in this years Pillsbury Bake-Off. (Pillsbury.com) Puerto Rican-born Miller, 43, is an Army wife and mother of two children, ages 9 and 11. She teaches in Fairfax Countys adult community education program and puts a meal on the table just about every night; convenience items are a regular part of her repertoire.

Shed watched a TV show about the famous cooking competition, which went into biennial mode after 1978. So it was in her head as she scanned her pantry and fridge for dinner ingredients one night last April, grabbing a tube of refrigerated French bread dough, a store-bought rotisserie chicken, canned tomatoes and chicken broth. Contest rules require at least one Pillsbury product (from a list of 11) and one product from a contest co-sponsor brand (10 to choose from; its not just about the giggling Doughboy any more).

I had planned to make a Mexican dish, she says, but I thought Italian might work better with the bread.

She topped the bread dough with mozzarella cheese and dried basil before it went in the oven, then made a sofrito and stirred in shredded chicken, Italian seasoning and thyme. She split the just-baked loaf lengthwise, spooned the filling over one half, then topped it with the half smothered in melty cheesy and cut the thing into portions. Served it with a fruit salad.

Her family liked it, so she uploaded it into the Dinner Made Easy category. Miller made the cut. It was the first time shed entered any kind of cooking contest. Since then, shes only made the recipe probably three or four times, she says. Once submitted, it cant be tweaked. Finalists have been kept in the loop via a Pillsbury portal online so they know what to expect in terms of setup.

Shes headed to Florida this weekend, flying solo, as it were, without family to cheer her on. Itll be like a little vacation for me, Miller says.

Whats her game plan for Sunday, the big cooking day, with cameras and interviews and Martha Stewart on hand to emcee? Ill make my dish two times for the judges, then one more time, maybe, Miller says. It tastes pretty good. But I worry that by the time the judges taste it, it might be cold. Most people are worried about that, I think. If she wins her category alone, she could receive $8,000 in cash and prizes.

Even sprinkled with first-timers fairy dust and facing a potential, pre-tax $50,000 for the next 20 years (which is how the winners $1 million gets allotted), Miller remains level-headed about her prospects. Last years winner was sweet: Mini Ice Cream Cookie Cups. Finalists recipes have been on the Pillsbury Web site for a while, and hers has thus far earned a rating of 2.5 stars (out of 5), with the following comment: An easy and delicious sandwich! It came together quickly and we all went back for seconds. I will definitely make this recipe again.

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D.C. area finalist heads to Pillsbury Bake-Off

Cosentino Group, a Spanish-based producer of natural and manufactured countertop material, has seen its product used in such high-profile projects as the Dallas Cowboys and Miami Dolphins football stadiums, Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport and the "Extreme Home Makeover" television show.

The family owned company, which employs 200 people at its North American headquarters in the Houston area, expects to reach a broader group this year. U.S. sales were up 8 percent last year and the latest effort is projected to boost those sales as high as 18 percent a year, to $365 million in 2013.

"We're under big expansion," said Lorenzo Marquez, vice president of marketing for Cosentino North America.

Last year, Cosentino established the Port of Houston as its first North American logistical hub to handle the expected sales increase. North American sales already account for nearly half of the company's revenues.

Cosentino also plans this year to almost double the number of display centers nationwide, at a cost of $31 million. The company already has 12 of these showrooms for builders, trade professionals and other commercial customers in place. Ten more, including one expected to open in Houston in October, are planned this year.

Company officials say these centers are more than distribution facilities. They also feature classrooms and exhibition areas, including fully functioning kitchens that give designers a place to bring in clients for real-world demonstrations.

"We hope to see people doing business in our centers like they do at Starbucks," Marquez said. "More U.S. shops give customers quicker access to product."

He said geography was a primary factor in the company's decision to make Houston home to its logistics office.

"We selected Houston as the location for our first hub because geographically we can coordinate our shipments to fill several locations directly from here and plan our delivery routes better," Marquez said.

In addition to its natural stone products, Cosentino manufactures Silestone and newer products such as Silestone Natural Quartz, with antimicrobial protection, and the Eco line made from 75 percent recycled ceramic, glass and mirror.

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More counter space: Material maker is growing

A decade ago, artisan Mark Melonas was piecing together a living teaching sculpture at the Baltimore School for the Arts, doing some freelance graphic design and staging exhibitions at the Baltimore Museum of Industry.

And he was fooling around with concrete.

A friend was looking for a small sink for a tricky spot in a Canton rehab, and Melonas asked if he could give the project a try.

"I actually made it in my Bolton Hill apartment, carrying bags of cement up the steps," said Melonas. He hand-carved a mold and cast the sink in his kitchen.

One concrete sink led to another and another, and Melonas moved all that dust to the basement of his parents' home in Columbia.

"And it kind of got a life of its own," said the founder of Luke Works, now located in an old warehouse in Waverly. "That has defined a lot of what we do, but that's not all we do."

Melonas and a small team of craftsmen now create sleek and exotic pieces for the home in concrete and wood.

Much of their work is still sinks and countertops for kitchens and bathrooms, but they also coax fireplace mantles, free-standing bars and waterfalls out of their cement mixers, much of it sparkling with bits of glass or tinted in very un-concretelike colors.

"Customers come for the concrete, but they stay for the cabinet work," said Melonas, who has a degree in design and sculpture from the University of Maryland and a master's in furniture artisanry from the University of Massachusetts at Dartmouth.

His designs, and the work of Jacob Ulrich, his concrete specialist, and Seth Scott, his lead furniture maker, have a decidedly Scandinavian quality, a contemporary look with clean lines and voluptuous curves.

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Artisans show off concrete style at Luke Works in Baltimore

THE CHALLENGE

We took a kitchen with black countertops, oak cabinets and stainless-steel appliances, and asked a local designer to give it some personality.

THE SOLUTION

By replacing the hardwood floors with porcelain tile and turning the island into a seating area, designer Allie Mann made the room a colorful place for family gatherings.

Shaker-style cabinets provide clean lines. Pair dark cherry-stained doors with light floors and countertops.

Use the backsplash as a canvas. A glass mosaic of blue, green and gray tiles is a subtle touch of color.

Bar stools encourage conversation by giving guests a place to sit and talk.

Decorate with a few accessories, such as a vase with flowers and a chalkboard for shopping lists.

Try open shelving for everyday plates. Store more formal dishes in closed cabinets, out of a childs reach.

White counters brighten the space. The material is White Cliff quartz by Cambria.

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Kitchen makeover with new cabinets, counters and backsplash

NEWPORT NEWS From Jefferson Avenue, it looks just like any other new apartment complex under construction.

Five tall buildings in various stages of construction dominate the landscape, as wood frames peek out behind scaffolding. Workers are busy installing cabinets, insulation, countertops and flooring for the luxury apartments, which will rent from about $1,100 per month to $1,800 per month for a large three-bedroom apartment.

But the new Radius Urban Apartments at the intersection of Jefferson Avenue and Bland Boulevard is unlike most new apartments, as the developers are working to make them "super green."

"We just kept asking and asking, and they never said, 'no,'" said Carr, referring to Norfolk developer Sifen Inc.. "We're designing apartments that would meet the market five to 10 years from now. We wanted as many green features as possible."

One of the "green" highlights is putting in the parking lot five General Electric charging stations for electric cars, which may be the first such stations for apartments in Hampton Roads.

There will be one charging station per building, and each station will have two outlets.

"When we pitched the charging stations, we said, 'I double dog dare you to put in the charging stations for the electric cars. They (developers) said, 'OK, we'll spend the money and do it','" said Carr with a smile.

Each station cost about $10,000.

Carr said the infrastructure is also in place to install more charging stations should electric vehicles become more prevalent.

Currently, all-electric or electric hybrid cars from major auto manufacturers include the Chevy Volt, one of the Toyota Prius models, the Nissan Leaf and some Smart car models.

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'Green' apartments being built in Newport News will include electric car charging stations

12-03-2012 10:38 We are a local base company serving the greater Houston and Metro areas. Our prices are as low as $17 Installed and in most cases No Deposit required. There are about 40 colors to choose from. see our web site houstongranitecountertops.net

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Houston Granite Countertops - Video

Kenneth Burnettes business supplying furniture production companies with plywood ended after a mass migration of the companies to China.

He decided to switch gears, buying an established company making custom countertops out of natural stone.

Last August, he bought Stoneworks Custom Countertops, a business that has been around for more than a decade that uses an elaborate computerized saw that cuts granite, marble and quartz to exact dimensions.

I was in plywood fabrication for more than 20 years, the Rocky Mount native said. As furniture plants began to shut down, my customer base began to disappear. I had to lay off 25 people and shut down.

Stoneworks uses a computer numerical control machine to slice the natural stone.

Some other companies carve out stone countertops with handtools in a garage, he said.

We have a $330,000 CNC saw. Its called a fabrication center, he said. The uniqueness of this company is that we create a digital file of the kitchen or the bathrooms, and that information is digitally transferred to the saw, so that the tolerances in which we operate are much tighter than without CNC equipment.

The countertops are made in Rocky Mount. His company serves Eastern North Carolina from Morehead City up to Rocky Mount over to Elizabeth City, with a sales office and showroom in Greenville.

That enables me to get business in Greenville, New Bern and Morehead City, he said.

His company has retained most of the employees who were working under the previous owner.

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Firm's success carved in stone

Posted: Mar. 10, 2012 | 1:59 a.m.

Ryland Homes is welcoming spring with a March sales special. Through the end of the month, homebuyers can save 20 percent on Design Center options and save on items such as granite countertops, upgraded cabinets and premium surround sound packages.

"If you have been looking for the right time to buy a new home with everything you love, it is this month," said Stephanie McGerty, marketing director for Ryland Homes' Las Vegas division. "We have great values on homes in every one of our Southern Nevada communities, and 20 percent off design center options is icing on the cake."

The builder is nearly sold out at its Mountain's Edge communities, Augusta and Ellingwood. With just five homes left, the gated neighborhoods have been among Ryland's most popular, according to McGerty.

"These are the perfect neighborhoods in Mountain's Edge, one of Southern Nevada's most popular master-plan(ned) communities," said Mara Glaser, sales agent. "Augusta and Ellingwood offer the privacy of a gated neighborhood that has its own park areas, but are still within the master plan that includes expansive parks, trails and other amenities."

Two-story homes offered are the 3,200-square-foot Angora model and the 2,754- square-foot Addison model. All five are offered on pool-sized home sites, with several scheduled for completion in April.

"The Angora models include five bedrooms, three full baths and two lofts. The Addison models include four bedrooms, a den, three full baths and two lofts. They are perfect for homebuyers that want extra space for bedrooms, game rooms, offices or hobby rooms," Glaser said.

With prices starting at $220,000 in Augusta and Ellingwood, homebuyers receive heavily upgraded homes with pool-sized home sites for as low as $79 per square foot.

Ryland Homes adds to the value of Augusta and Ellingwood by paying the SID (special improvement district) fees for each home in the neighborhood.

"That item alone is an approximate $7,000 savings to each homebuyer," Glaser said.

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Ryland Announces March Sales Specials