Yearning for a Yard Sale?

Yard Sales are not only alot of work, but you feel like your innards are exposed to the world. That is correct. Everything for sale is what's been crammed in closets, drawers and garages for too long. Go thru the house room by room. Try to be impartial with your stuff. Set two to five things in the center of each room you want to sell. Get some friends to join you making it more fun and fuller.

Have a staging location. Looking at the pile, the sentimental juices kick in and you'll want to keep this or that. Be firm. Say, "I don't need it anymore or when did I last used it?" Get your kids and hubby to select from their treasures, help out and set up. Use lots of bins, tables and baskets to hold the goods and make it more appealing.

Pricing can be difficult knowing you paid ten to twenty times what it will sell for. Have bins of $.25, .50 and $1 things. If it is priced correctly and in good condition, they will buy it. Nothing is worse than not selling. Be willing to reduce if needed. You want your items to call to the customers, "Choose me, choose me!" Be sure to have some large items to attract business. Price them high if you want to keep them.

Have plenty of change and a safe place to keep it. Small trays, cash box or an apron to wear with deep pockets is good. Be discreet with your money. Put larger bills in the house when you collect a few and keep your cash on the manageable side with your eye on it at all times. Several large colorful signs with big, bold lettering placed strategically is a must. It helps if your yard sale is easy to find.

Be willing to negotiate. If their offer is too low choose a mid-range between the two prices, then see what happens. Sure you could make more, but who wants to have another yard sale next week or month? We made $400 and felt good about all the new homes our treasures went to.

Paula's Healthy Whole Wheat Bread

Whole wheat bread is delicious, hearty and healthy. Store bought is too pricey and full of additives. Here's a great recipe you will love.

Buy some hard white wheat from the bulk section or get 40 lb buckets when available. If you don't have a wheat grinder, make friends with someone that does. Call and ask them to grind what you can use in a month. Keep in a cool place to preserve the nutritional value. Use the flour to make wheat pancakes, waffles, muffins & more. You will never go back to the manufactured stuff again.

Here's the recipe for Paula's Whole Wheat Bread

4 Cups hot tap water
1/4 Cup brown sugar
1/4 Cup honey
2 T Quick yeast or Regular Yeast
1 tsp salt
1/4 Cup oil
1/4 Cup Wheat Germ, Oat Bran and Ground Flax Seed opt.
5-6 Cups wheat flour (5 - 6 Cups white flour
1/3 Cup Gluten flour (Helps bread to be more moist)
Using half wheat/half white flour makes a lighter bread and is easier on your system)

In a bread mixer (Bosch is best) mix water, brown sugar, honey, salt, oil, all of wheat flour and 3 cups of the white flour. Mix on low to moisten. Add yeast, 1/3 cup of Gluten flour. Gradually add remaining flour. Turn to high for the last few cups. When the dough begins to clean off of the sides of the bowl you have enough flour. If it is still sticky gradually add 1/4 cup flour at a time until it does. Set the timer and knead the dough five minutes.

Spray bread pans with vegetable oil. Heat oven by turning on 200' for a few minutes, then turn it off. If it goes longer because you forget, it's okay, it will take a shorter time for your bread to rise. Clean counter or large cutting board.

You will need to either use an oil spray or water spritzer on your hands, cutting board, knife & apatula to prevent the dough from sticking. Wet your hands often to prevent stickiness while handling the dough. Use a spatula to remove the dough from the mixing bowl. Spread into a 1" deep rectangle (about 12" x 16") and cut into for equal pieces. Take each piece with wet hands and shape into a round oblong loaf by stretching/smoothing the dough around itself. Wet hand and smooth top of loaf. Pinch the excess and loose ends together. Wet the dough a bit if it sticks to your hands. Place the pinched end on the bottom of the loaf pan with the smoothed side up.

Put pans into warm oven an even distance apart to raise 20-30 minutes. Check after 15 minutes. When the dough is about 1 inch above the top of the pan, simply turn the oven on to 325-350 degrees. DO NOT remove pans to preheat oven. Bake for 30 minutes.

The bread is cooked when the loaves sound hollow while tapping on the top. When done, remove bread from pans, to prevent the bread from sweating. Slide a butter knife around the edges of the pan to cleanly release the bread. Brush with butter/oil for a soft crust. Cool bread on racks then place in plastic zippered bags.

After bread has cooled cut some slices to enjoy the freshly baked bread. Store the other loaves in the refrigerator/freezer if not consuming in a few days to prevent mold.