What do you do with...

a bag of apples, a bag of blueberries, and a cold weekend?? Why you bake, of course. The apples were picked from a local orchard, and the blueberries were given to us by a co-worker of Brian's. Apples were not new to bake with, as it has become a yearly tradition to pick them and then discover that we have picked too many and then have to figure out what to do with them all. The blueberries were a new adventure for me.

So this weekend was spent washing, chopping, mixing and baking with blueberries and apples!! We now have freezers full of apple pies, apple bread, blueberry bread, apple muffins and blueberry muffins. We still have some apples left that may get made into applesauce or just eaten. There are also some blueberries left, so there may be more bread and muffins in our future. Good thing the weekend looks cold once again. (Good reason to need the oven to heat up the house a little!!!)

If anyone has a good apple recipe, I am always looking for new ideas. Someone did mention apple jam, but I would not know where to start with that. Always willing to try something that someone suggests as yummy!!

Why do I do this to myself???

So, last Saturday was the Kaukauna city-wide rummage sale. They hold 2 a year and we usually participate in one of them to see what kind of money we can bring in. How many years will it take me to learn that it is really not worth it?!?!

On Friday, Brian came home early and got the garage cleaned out and the tables (which we have o borrow from my parents) set up for me, while I was subbing. Then we brought out the tubs that hold our "junk" and organized it on all the tables. We had to go out and buy more price tags, and later that night spent more time in the garage pricing things that had been neglected.

On Saturday, Brian's parents came over at 7am (the sale started at 8) to drop off the stuff that they wanted to try to sell. They had a lot more then I thought (and Brian never asked them what they would be bringing, like I asked him to do twice!!!), so that took quite a bit of time in the morning.

Luckily the rain held off, but it was a cold day. Despite the fact that is was a city wide rummage sale and the lady down the street was also having a sale, we only made $12.50. We had lots of people stop by and look, but nothing tripped their trigger. I know it couldn't have totally been the prices, because most things were priced at $.25. Our big goal was not to make a ton of money, but to get rid of the stuff.

Everything that didn't sell, and that we didn't want to store until next year, was kindly picked up by Easter Seals yesterday.

So, we still have some stuff that I just can't GIVE away, stored in the basement until the next time we decide to participate in the city wide. I am thinking that may be a while. It takes so much effort to set up and take down things. Then there is the day wasted just sitting outside mostly watching cars drive by, hoping they would stop and take some of these things off our hands.

In the end, each rummage sale leaves me asking myself "Why do I continue to do this for the little that we make?" And I also know that sometime in the future, I will put myself through all this again :)

I survived art class!!!

I spent Tuesday and Wednesday at the catholic school in the art class. I was a little nervous because I didn't know what to expect. I have been in that room before, and the kids have always been in the middle of projects and they knew more about what they were supposed to do then I did. So, this being the beginning of the year, I was hoping that I wouldn't have to START any projects because I do not have an artistic bone in my body.

I was mostly in luck. Most classes were filling out worksheets about a form of art. (I think she does a "history" before they actually start a project). And I had the answer keys, so I didn't have to know much about the subject.

I did actually have to introduce a project to the 4th grade. They needed to make leaves-I have no idea what the rest of that project will be. So, I had to show how to start with a basic shape and then add in the detail. I am no artist, so they looked very little like leaves when I was done with my demonstration. I also had the kids make 2 leaves, in case one was not to the teachers liking. I am just hoping that when she sees the leaves next week she is not wondering what the heck they are and what I showed them. But, it took most of them only a few minutes to make them, so they can always be redone if she sees fit.

I get to work tomorrow. I haven't worked a Saturday in over a year, so it will be strange to get up early and go into Sylvan, but the money will be nice. Then on Friday, I get to sub in a 4th grade class. And next Saturday is the city wide rummage sale. So I am secretly hoping that Friday is my only day to sub next week so that I can prepare for the sale. If you are in the area and looking for something to do, stop in and say HI (and maybe find something that you are looking to buy!)