Abella Stone Ltd

Why does stone shine (Shelby Township, MI)

Abella — Wed, 09 Feb 2011 15:46:38 +0000

When stone becomes dull and scratched, it obviously loses its shine and luster. At this time the stone needs to be refinished and polished to restore the shine it had originally. Why does stone shine, and how can a lost shine be recovered?

All stone is taken from the earth in the form of raw blocks. Explosives, large saws and specialized equipment are used to extract the stone from the earth. The stone blocks are then cut into thinner, more easily handled pieces called slabs. The slab itself is then processed, depending on the intended use of the stone. It may be given a high shine and shipped to a marble fabricator, who will ultimately turn it into a table, vanity top or whatever; or it may be transformed by some very expensive and sophisticated equipment into tiles for installation on floors or walls.

The deep shine we see on polished stone is achieved by rubbing the stone with a series of abrasive materials. The process is very similar to sanding a piece of wood. The stone is rubbed with coarse abrasive grit, followed by finer and finer grits until the stone becomes smooth. The next, creating finer and finer scratches remove the previous. The process continues until the scratches are microscopic. The shine on the stone is achieved by abrading the surface to the point at which it becomes extremely smooth and starts to develop some reflectivity. The shine on the stone is thus a product of optics. This same optical property can be observed on a pond. When the wind is blowing and the surface of the pond is wavy, it becomes difficult to see a reflection; when the air is still and the pond is calm, a deep reflection can be observed. So in order to achieve a deep shine on your stone, all that really needs to be done is to smooth it until it shines.

Sounds simple enough, doesn’t it? Unfortunately, the techniques employed to achieve this degree of smoothness require special knowledge and training. This is not friendly territory for the do-it-yourselfer. According to granite-care.org

Country Breakfast (Shelby Township, MI)

Abella — Fri, 28 Jan 2011 21:04:11 +0000

1/3 cup butter or margarine

4 cups cubed cooked potatoes

1/2 cup chopped green pepper

2 Tbsp. chopped onion

4 eggs

1 cup KRAFT Shredded Cheddar Cheese

Make It

MELT butter in large skillet on medium heat. Add potatoes, green pepper and onion; cook until potatoes are lightly browned, stirring occasionally.

ADD eggs, 1 at a time, to potato mixture, spacing eggs evenly over the potatoes; cover with lid. Cook until eggs are set.

SPRINKLE with cheese. Cover and continue to cook until cheese is melted.

Swiss ‘n Chicken Casserole (Shelby Township, MI)

Abella — Fri, 28 Jan 2011 19:51:01 +0000

What You Need

4 cups chopped cooked chicken

2 cups croutons

1-1/2 cups KRAFT Shredded Swiss Cheese

2/3 cup MIRACLE WHIP Dressing

1/2 cup milk

4 stalks celery, sliced

1/4 cup chopped onions

Make It

HEAT oven to 350°F.

COMBINE ingredients.

SPOON into 2-qt. casserole.

BAKE 40 min. or until heated through.

Parmesan Baked Salmon (Shelby Township, MI)

Abella — Fri, 28 Jan 2011 19:41:06 +0000

What You Need

1/4 cup KRAFT Real Mayo Mayonnaise

2 Tbsp. KRAFT Grated Parmesan Cheese

1/8 tsp. ground red pepper (cayenne)

4 salmon fillets (1 lb.), skins removed

2 tsp. lemon juice

10 RITZ Crackers, crushed (about 1/2 cup)

Make It

HEAT oven to 400°F.

MIX mayo, cheese and pepper until well blended.

PLACE fish in shallow foil-lined pan; drizzle with lemon juice. Cover with mayo mixture and cracker crumbs.

BAKE 12 to 15 min. or until fish flakes easily with fork.

Crispy Chicken Roll-Ups (Shelby Township, MI)

Abella — Fri, 28 Jan 2011 19:37:46 +0000

What You Need

6 small boneless skinless chicken breast halves (1-1/2 lb.), pounded to 1/4-inch thickness

6 slices OSCAR MAYER Thin Sliced Smoked Ham

6 KRAFT Deli Fresh Extra Thin Swiss Cheese Slices, cut lengthwise in half

2 eggs, beaten

14 PREMIUM Saltine Crackers, finely crushed (about 2/3 cup)

3 Tbsp. margarine or butter, melted

Make It

HEAT oven to 350ºF. Top chicken with ham and cheese; roll up. Secure with toothpicks.

DIP in eggs, then in cracker crumbs, turning to evenly coat all sides of each roll-up. Place in greased 13×9-inch baking dish; drizzle with margarine.

BAKE 40 min. or until chicken is done (165ºF). Remove and discard toothpicks before serving.

Ham & Cheddar in a Loaf (Shelby Township, MI)

Abella — Fri, 28 Jan 2011 19:34:31 +0000

What You Need

1 lb. frozen bread dough, thawed

1 pkg. (9 oz.) OSCAR MAYER Deli Fresh Shaved Smoked Ham

1 cup KRAFT Shredded Cheddar Cheese

1/4 cup MIRACLE WHIP Dressing

1 egg, beaten

1 Tbsp. KRAFT Grated Parmesan Cheese

Make It

HEAT oven to 350°F.

FLATTEN dough on lightly floured surface. Roll into 12×8-inch rectangle with rolling pin. Top with ham to within 1/2 inch of edges. Mix Cheddar and dressing; spread over ham.

MOISTEN edges of dough with water. Fold lengthwise into thirds; pinch seams together to seal. Place, seam-side down, on lightly greased baking sheet. Cut several slits in top. Brush with egg; sprinkle with Parmesan.

BAKE 35 to 40 min. or until golden brown. Cool 10 min. before slicing.

Bacon Cheeseburger Roll-Up (Shelby Township, MI)

Abella — Fri, 28 Jan 2011 19:31:50 +0000

What You Need

1 lb. lean ground beef

4 slices OSCAR MAYER Bacon, chopped

1 small onion, chopped

1/2 lb. (8 oz.) VELVEETA Pasteurized Prepared Cheese Product, cut into 1/2-inch cubes

1 pkg. (13.8 oz.) refrigerated pizza crust

Make It

HEAT oven to 400°F.

BROWN ground beef with bacon and onions in large skillet on medium-high heat; drain. Return meat mixture to skillet. Add VELVEETA; cook 5 min. or until melted, stirring frequently. Cool 10 min.

UNROLL dough onto baking sheet sprayed with cooking spray. Press into 15×8-inch rectangle; top with meat mixture. Roll up, starting at one long side. Rearrange if necessary so roll is seam-side down.

BAKE 20 to 25 min. or until golden brown.

Easy Cheesy Frittata (Shelby Township, MI)

Abella — Fri, 28 Jan 2011 19:26:54 +0000

What You Need

4 whole eggs

4 egg whites

2 Tbsp. water

1 cup KRAFT 2% Milk Shredded Mozzarella Cheese, divided

1/2 cup chopped seeded tomatoes

2 slices OSCAR MAYER Bacon or OSCAR MAYER Turkey Bacon, crisply cooked, crumbled

1/4 cup chopped fresh basil

Make It

HEAT oven to 350°F.

BEAT whole eggs, egg whites and water with whisk in medium bowl until blended.

STIR in 1/2 cup cheese, tomatoes, bacon and basil. Pour into greased 9-inch pie plate.

BAKE 25 min. or until puffed and golden brown. Sprinkle with remaining cheese; bake 5 min. or until melted.

VELVEETA® Cheesy Broccoli Soup (Shelby Township, MI)

Abella — Fri, 28 Jan 2011 18:34:22 +0000

What You Need

2 Tbsp. butter or margarine

1/4 cup chopped onion

2 Tbsp. flour

2-1/2 cups milk

3/4 lb. (12 oz.) VELVEETA Pasteurized Prepared Cheese Product, cut up

1 pkg. (10 oz.) frozen chopped broccoli, thawed, drained

1/8 tsp. pepper

Make It

MELT butter in large saucepan on medium heat. Add onion; cook and stir 5 minutes or until onion is tender. Add flour; cook 1 minute or until bubbly, stirring constantly.

STIR in milk. Bring to boil. Reduce heat to medium-low; simmer 1 minute.

ADD remaining ingredients. Cook until VELVEETA is melted and soup is heated through, stirring occasionally.

Quick & Creamy Chicken Stew (Shelby Township, MI)

Abella — Fri, 28 Jan 2011 18:30:28 +0000

What You Need

3/4 lb. new potatoes (about 8), quartered

2 Tbsp. water

1 Tbsp. oil

1 lb. boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite-size pieces

1 can (10-3/4 oz.) reduced fat condensed cream of chicken soup

1/4 cup KRAFT Light Zesty Italian Dressing

2 cups frozen peas and carrots

1/2 cup BREAKSTONE’S Reduced Fat Sour Cream

Make It

PLACE potatoes in microwaveable dish. Add water; cover with lid. Microwave on HIGH 7 min. or until potatoes are tender. Meanwhile, heat oil in large saucepan on medium-high heat. Add chicken; cook 7 min. or until evenly browned, stirring occasionally.

ADD potatoes, soup, dressing and frozen vegetables to saucepan. Bring to boil; cover. Simmer on medium-low heat 3 min. or until chicken is done and vegetables are heated through.

STIR in sour cream; cook 1 min. or until heated through, stirring occasionally.