Ministering via Garage Sale

I spent the last couple of weeks getting ready for a garage sale, setting up for a garage sale, and selling the stuff.

I did it for a number of reasons.

• We hadn't had one in ten years and we had a lot of stuff.



• I didn't want to have to haul said stuff to a charity drop off.



• I had too much stuff for charity pick up service.



• I wanted to teach Young One about marketing, the reward for hard work, and the value of a clean closet.

You can positively affect people's lives at a garage sale. And the one most affected? Me.

What?

My philosophy is that you're not going to make a ton of money at a garage sale and if you ever figured out just how much you made per hour you would never ever do it in the first place. Money can't be the motivator.

The motivator has to be that you're willing to put your stuff out for all your neighbors to gawk at and judge (and the brave ones will sort through it and purchase). The motivator has to be that you're willing to put out your collection of 1970s Tupperware and hold your head high knowing that someone just might need it, crave it, want it.

The motivator has to be that you're willing to part with your stuff, for very very little cash, so that people who really need it can benefit.

Many people stock their homes, clothe their families, find their tools, gadgets, and entertainment through garage sales. They have to.

I'm lucky in that I don't have to be a thrift store or garage sale shopper (even though I love to be). I could pay, gasp, full retail, if I wanted to.

But, I'm wandering.

What I'm getting at is that there is a certain amount of pride in purchasing something for your family, however little you pay for it. I've always felt the welfare system doesn't work because there is no requirement of expenditure on your part. Oh yes, you pay with your pride, but after a few generations, that goes out the window.

A hand up instead of a hand out has always been my motto.

Anyway, I could go on and on about my thoughts on welfare, but this isn't the time and the place.

I always price things extremely low at garage sales. Everything was priced a quarter at my sale, unless it was marked otherwise. And people went nuts. I even had a couple of people buy my garbage. Well, they bought what I thought was garbage.

I'm a pretty good reader of people. I had many people attend the sale, the first morning, they were lined up and down both sides of my street. I had the obligatory antique dealer, looking for a steal. I had Lookie Loos and hoarder wannabes. I had a few weirdos, including a dude with his wig sewn to his baseball cap (he liked to "doff" his hat at the ladies, revealing his shiny bald head). And then I had those that really needed and appreciated my cast offs.

When someone who seemed to really need what I had to sell, I always threw in a few freebies. I'm particularly partial to little kids. I watched several eyeing toys they seemed to know better than to ask for. I watched parents scrounging together for the few quarters from their pockets to pay for their treasures. And then I'd throw in a free toy, a snowsuit, a warm blanket for the one month old.

The smiles, the joy, and the appreciation. Well, that's what it's all about, isn't it?

I made quite a bit of money off the sale, but I made much more than that. I got a chance to minister to a lot of strangers. As D said, I made a lot of people happy. The junk hoarders, the antique dealers, and the needy. They all left with smiles. And I'm still here, holding them close to my heart.

Christmas Bread

I'm a mutt. I'm a Scottish-German-Swedish-Czech American. Hubby throws some Finland and Norway into the mix, so Young One is a real combination.

We celebrate the season with bits and pieces from all of our nationalities.

This simple Christmas bread is part of both of our childhoods. My mom always bought it and I have to say I never really liked it as a kid. Too much "weird stuff" in it. It took me many years to overcome my candied citron phobia. My father-in-law makes a particularly tasty loaf, and while mine is nowhere near the deliciousness of his, it's pretty darn close. It's delicious with your Christmas Eve meal and even better, toasted for Christmas breakfast the next day!

Some people frost this bread, but I prefer to top it with organic cane sugar. It melts into sweet, crispy goodness making the top of the loaf sparkle. The cardamom is absolutely necessary, so don't leave it out!

Julekaka

Yes, the name (pronounced Yool-Ka-Ga) will cause young children to giggle. Some say, Yool-Ka-Ka, but that is what made me laugh hysterically as a child. I still can't order a PuPu platter with a straight face. Sweet, dense, cardamom spiced dough heavy with golden raisins and candied fruit. Call it Christmas bread, call it Julekaka, just be sure to call me when you make it!

1 (.25 ounce) package active
dry yeast
1 cup warm water (110
degrees to 115 degrees)
1/2 cup sugar
1 egg
1/4 cup butter softened
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground cardamom
3 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup golden raisins
1/2 cup diced citron or mixed
candied fruit

glaze: 1 egg, beaten and raw cane sugar

In a mixing bowl, dissolve yeast in warm water. Add sugar, egg, butter, salt, cardamom and 2 cups flour; mix well. Stir in raisins, citron and enough remaining flour to form a soft dough. Turn onto a floured surface; knead until smooth and elastic, about 6-8 minutes. Place in a greased bowl, turning once to greased top. Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 1 hour.

Punch dough down; divide in half. Shape each portion into a flattened ball. Place in two greased 9-in. round baking pans. Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 1 hour.

Beat an egg until frothy. Paint the loaves with beaten egg and sprinkle liberally with raw cane sugar.

Bake at 350 degrees F for 30-35 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from pans to cool on wire racks.

Freezes well.

There's Nothing Better than a Homemade Gift--Pistachio & Tart Cherry Chocolate Bark

My brothers always used to make almond bark at Christmas time. Melted white chocolate and almonds, melted together and spread thin until cool. Nothing fancy, but a delicious treat, nonetheless. I like to take this theme and expand on it. Simply delicious, there are many combinations that you can make. This one is my favorite.

Pistachio & Tart Cherry Chocolate Bark

Store in the refrigerator. Best when used within one month.

1 lb. semisweet chocolate, coarsely chopped--I use chocolate chips

8 oz. real white chocolate

12 oz. pistachio nuts (1 1/2 cups), toasted

8 oz. dried cherries (1 1/2 cups)

Place semisweet chocolate in a large microwave-safe bowl. Place white chocolate in another bowl. Heat semisweet chocolate in microwave, covered with wax paper on high 2 to 3 minutes or until almost melted, stirring once. Remove from microwave and stir until smooth. Heat white chocolate, covered with wax paper, 1 to 2 minutes or until almost melted, stirring once. Remove from microwave and stir until smooth.

Stir 1 cup pistachios and 1 cup cherries into semisweet chocoalte. On a large cookie sheet, spread chocolate mixture to about 1/4 inch thickness. Spoon dollops of white chocolate onto semisweet chocoalte mixture. Swirl chocolates together with a knife. Sprinkle with remaining cherries and pistachios.

Refrigerate one hour or until firm. Break bark into pieces. Store in tightly sealed container in refrigerator. Pack in decorative boxes, lined with waxed tissue paper or colored cellophane for gift giving.

There's Nothing Better than a Homemade Gift--Sugared Cranberries

Sweet and tangy sugared cranberries make a surprising addition to candy bowls, your favorite apple pie recipe, cheesecake or baked brie. What a nice way to treat your neighbors, your mail carrier, or the paper delivery person.

Sugared Cranberries

3 cups sugar
2 cinnamon sticks
6 whole cloves
3 cups water
3 cups fresh cranberries, rinsed
1 cup superfine sugar

Mix sugar, cinnamon sticks and cloves with water in a saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium heat. Simmer for 1 minute, stirring until sugar dissolves. Remove from heat, cool for 15 minutes or so, and pour into a bowl. Stir in cranberries. Cover and refrigerate for about 8 hours. Drain cranberries. Reserve liquid, strain out cinnamon sticks and cloves and use as a simple syrup to add a holiday touch to cocktails.

Place superfine sugar in a bowl and gently toss in cranberries, coating evenly. Place cranberries on a baking sheet to dry, about 1 to 2 hours. Store in an airtight container for 1 to 2 days or package for gift giving.

Tis Better to Give

We believe in giving an allowance to Young One. A lot of people I speak with don't give their kids allowances. They figure they give in sometimes and say no sometimes. We tried that and it really didn't work. We gave in more than we said no. So, we started what we call The Ledger. It's Young One's little accounting system that he uses to keep track of his money. It's done wonders for our family. He knows when he can afford something. We no longer have to be the bad guys about not letting him have something. He gets to watch his money grow and best of all, he's learning some very valuable lessons about saving and giving.

Every week we give him a set amount for allowance. From that amount, though, he has to save a percentage for college and donate a percentage to charity. It's amazing how quickly that money adds up.

This year, he decided to donate to our local food shelf with the money he saved, and to do so in honor of his teachers. He decided that they all would appreciate his donation in their name instead of just one more gift card, homemade treat, or teacher themed present that they all are inundated with at this time of year.

I promised him that I would make sure his money could feed as many people as possible, so I hit Aldi while he was at school yesterday. Thanks to him, there will be soup, macaroni and cheese, and oatmeal for dozens of families.

It doesn't take long to add a few more items to your cart this time of year. Our area food shelves are struggling despite the generosity of so many during this season. Please take a moment in this busy time of year to remember those that are less fortunate than you. You may be surprised at just how many of your neighbors you may be helping.

Then mark your calendars for the less generous times of year. Just a quick reminder that you need to help restock the food shelves.

Peace.

There's Nothing Better than a Homemade Gift--Citrus Salt

I think I'm sensing a theme here! I must need vitamin C because everything seems to be citrus flavored this year!

Lemon, lime and orange zest add bright, fresh flavor to gourmet sea salt. A great addition to any seafood dish from grilled fish to shrimp stir fry, and perfect for rimming margarita glasses too.

Citrus Salt

2 cups sea salt, grey salt or fleur de sel

2 tablespoons fresh lemon zest

1 tablespoons fresh lime zest

1 tablespoons fresh orange zest

Preheat oven to 225°F. Mix salt with zest and spread evenly on a baking sheet. Place in oven and bake 2 hours, or until zest is dry. Mine only took about 40 minutes, so check it often. Place in a food processor or blender and pulse until evenly mixed. I've only made this once, but I think next time I would just mix it all real well after it's cool and not pulverize it. Divide evenly and package in decorative containers for gift giving.

There's Nothing Better than a Homemade Gift--Sweet Orange Body Scrub

I've been making this body scrub for ages. It's so much more inexpensive than purchasing it and I think it works great. I scented this batch with sweet orange essential oil, but you can choose your favorite scent. This goes together quickly so quickly and you can package it as gardener's hand scrub or body scrub, depending on who you're giving it to.

Super Simple Body Scrub

2 cups Epsom salts or organic cane sugar

1 cup canola oil--or any other scentless oil, like sunflower oil

8 drops of your favorite essential oil-- or more, to desired scent

food coloring

Stir first three ingredients together until well combined, add food coloring in a color to compliment the scent you used. Since I used sweet orange essential oil, I used a peachy orange combination of food coloring to color it. Package in unbreakable containers--no glass in bathrooms!! Use anywhere you'd like super soft skin. Rinse off completely, being sure to rinse shower or bathtub well as oil can make surfaces slippery.

There's Nothing Better than a Homemade Gift--Tangerine Sugar

This one is so easy and it impresses everyone. It's delicious too.

Tangerine Sugar

The bright citrus flavor of this sugar is ideal for sprinkling over grapefruit or stirring into iced tea. You could even dip the rim of a martini or margarita glass in it. I think it would be great sprinkled on buttered toast, but I haven't tried that yet.

3 tablespoons tangerine zest--If you don't have a Microplane Zester, you must purchase one! I use this gadget at least a couple of times a month.

3 cups sugar

Place sugar and zest in food processor. Pulse until you see flecks of zest evenly distributed throughout the sugar. Divide evenly and package in decorative containers for gift giving.

There's Nothing Better than a Homemade Gift--Pumpkin Butter

Got a few minutes and need a few last minute gifts? I'm going to post a few quick recipes and ideas over the next few days. Time is short here, as I'm sure it is where you are!

I whipped this Pumpkin Butter together in about 5 minutes last night, and let it simmer for a half an hour. Cool, place in cute jars, label and it's done. Delicious on toast, muffins, waffles, cornbread. YUM.

Pumpkin Butter

1 (29 ounce) can pumpkin puree--I used the pumpkin puree I made from this year's jack-o-lanterns
3/4 cup apple juice--I think apple cider would be much better, but I didn't have any!
2 teaspoons ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves--I didn't have any and the store I went to was out, so I substituted apple pie spice from Penzeys (which if you haven't checked them out, please do! Great spices!)
1 1/2 cups white sugar
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground nutmeg


Combine pumpkin, apple juice, spices, and sugar in a large saucepan; stir well. Bring mixture to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer for 30 minutes or until thickened. Stir frequently.
Transfer to sterile containers and chill in the refrigerator until serving.

Pecan Pumpkin Butter Appetizer Dip

So delicious, your guests will wonder what the secret ingredient is!

8 oz cream cheese

6 TB pumpkin butter

1/3 cup chopped pecans

2 TB crumbled, cooked bacon pieces

2 green onions, finely chopped

Beat cream cheese with pumpkin butter until smooth and creamy. Mix in the rest of the ingredients. Refrigerate or serve immediately. Serve with crackers or pretzels.

My Favorite Day--Smells so Sweet

We've been candle making. A while back, a friend and I went to visit a beekeeper. My friend bought a case of honey to give as Christmas gifts. I came home with a grocery bag full of beeswax bricks, candle wicking, and a mold.

Our boys love to hand dip candles and I bought a taper mold for the extra wax. What a sweet scent the wax makes. I can hardly bear to melt the bricks, but it must be done. They're so beautiful.

We melted the bricks on the stove in an old pot put on top of simmering water and then placed them in a tall can for dipping. We placed the can in a rice cooker filled one quarter of the way with hot water and kept the cooker on. We used a Hunt's spaghetti sauce can for the wax and it worked great. Early in the dipping, we realized that the wax on the wicks was melting off when it was re-dipped, so the boys came up with the idea of dipping it in cool water between wax dips. (The alternative is to wait a bit before re-dipping, but they were too impatient for that!) That worked great, but distorted the candles from neat, layered tapers to grotesque lumps. In other words, the boys LOVED them!

I wish I had pictures, but I had forgotten my camera that day. I'll see if one of my friends got some. The boys were so proud and they actually burned very nicely despite being a bit hideous to look at. No, I don't mean that in a negative way. It's the way they WANTED them to look. "Mine looks like a monster zombie dude." "Mine looks like a mutant turkey leg." "Mine is melted vomit." "No, MINE is melted vomit after eating school lunch!" Eleven year old boys. Gotta love 'em.

We used the excess wax to make tapers in a silicone mold. The mold is basically a silicone tube that you run wicking through from the bottom. Pour in wax, allow it to cool for 30 minutes or so. We found using the frigid outdoor air speeded up the process. Then you have to tug harder than you think you should (it actually feels like you're going to pull the wick right out). And out, pops a beautiful, golden taper candle.

We have a little extra beeswax left. I think we'll make ornaments or something out of it. Any excuse to smell that sweet scent again!

I Can't Imagine

Thank God for TiVo. I'd never see anything without it. I'm sitting here watching, well, sort of watching Oprah's Thursday show. Mary Kate and Ashley Olsen were on, hearing their voices is bizarre to me, but I don't want to talk about them.

What I'm struck with is the Internet millionaire who spent $240,000 on a car. I can't get past that. Even as I sit here, he's talking about his childhood pain of being teased for wearing a turban. I don't want to sound hard hearted, but after mentioning the $240, 000 car, I can't really feel sympathy. They're now chatting on what great revenge success is. Hmmm. None of this is sitting well with me.

I don't see success as the best revenge. What I see, with a car that expensive, is excess. I could not ever spend that amount of money on a car, knowing just how many people that could feed or clothe. I couldn't do it. I don't care how much money I had. I couldn't do it with good conscience.

Sarah Palin has had a very well discussed shopping spree. At what point, Sarah, did you think this was right? Our country is at it's lowest point, economically, in ages. We're all really struggling out here. How could you rationalize it away? When they scream, "Drill, Baby, Drill!" why don't you interrupt them and say that's derogatory towards women. When you had organizations rewrite invitations to you after their events, to include your children so that you could justify the travel expenditures now being scrutinized, at what point did you think that was okay?

I'm afraid that these people are the role models of our children. Do I think people with great wealth and possible power are all bad? Not at all. I just wonder what happens to them. What happens to switch your mind, from the poor little Indian boy living in a one bedroom apartment with your entire family to buying a car that expensive? How many rationalizations did you have to make when they handed you the keys?

Sarah, are you so blindsided by the possibility of power, that common sense went out the window? No one needs a $2700 blazer, come on. Your actions, or perhaps in this case, your inaction speaks so loudly for you. You should have said, thanks, but no thanks.

At what point will we finally begin to do the right thing in this country? This really scares me. This thought that wealth=happiness, stuff=bliss, I don't understand it. The pursuit of stuff and more stuff has practically bankrupted our country. The more things we amass, the further away from true charity and giving we get. It used to be that one's morals and values were so strongly held. Now, we forgive, overlook, rationalize, and make excuses for behavior that is just reprehensible.

I know there are the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundations out there. I know that they exist. I just got stuck today. Stuck on a candidate's shopping trip. Stuck on a quarter of a million dollar car (which, at my house would probably still have matchbox cars and Pokemon cards all over in it). I'm just stuck.