Reasons to go, tips for yard sales

I think I have already mentioned that I like yard sales, but I wanted to show you three of the best reasons why. The silver tray, crystal bowl and teapot were all purchased at yard sales in the last year. I spent a total of $12 on these three items and I have really enjoyed all three.

Now that school is back in and the weather is not so extreme, yard sales are going to pick up. They actually happen year round, but they peak in the spring and again around Labor Day. It is a very popular way to get rid of old stuff and a good opportunity to pick us something useful. I am hoping to host my own sale as soon as it gets a little cooler.

Tips when shopping:
Only buy what you KNOW you will use, re purpose, resell or can give away. Just because it is a good deal doesn't mean you have to have it.

Try to talk people down on prices, but never be rude. You are the guest. Just because their prices are too high or seem offended, doesn't mean you have to respond negatively. Just walk away. You will find the item down the road or another weekend for a great price.

If you think you can resell the item for a better price, then buy it. So many people are finding they can sell something on eBay and make a few dollars -- but this is risky. If you don't care about taking the risk, buy, if you don't like risks, don't do it.

Just because there is a sign on the item saying it is an antique, doesn't mean it is. I saw an old computer desk the other day at a yard sale with a sign saying it was an antique. It had a hefty price. Who were they trying to kid? It was crazy! Just don't be fooled by the tags. Make sure you know antiques. Also, for antiques to be worth a high price they must be in good shape. A dented and scratched chest with a high price just isn't worth it. You can go to an antique store sale and often get better prices (and genuine antiques). Of course it if is worth it to you, buy it, just beware about claims on yard sale tags.

If you want to re purpose something, check it over thoroughly to make sure it is something you can fix or reuse.

Use a GPS or Google maps or something similar to map out your yard sale adventure. This will help to save on time and gas.

Don't worry if you have to miss some yard sales. There will always be another one next weekend with similar items. It's amazing how many of the same things I see.

Have any more tips? Leave a comment and I will add it to a later blog post.

Can an ingredient make your recipe "pop" ?

I am a little tired of all of the decorating shows where they tell you if you do this or that you can make your room "pop." It's like they can't think of anything else to say so they tell you it will "pop." I find it so irritating!

I was reading a tip about vinegar from the most recent issue of "Everyday Foods," a magazine I really love and there it was. Add a spoonful of vinegar to make the recipe "pop."

Okay, enough already. The tip is a very good one. Adding a little vinegar to a recipe will enrich and enhance the flavor. The reason given is that the acid enhances flavor. I totally agree. In my experience this is correct. I have often used vinegars, especially balsamic vinegar to enhance the flavors, but let's not go any farther with the idea of "popping" food. Popcorn pops. Enough said.

I decided that since you put up with my rant, you should be rewarded with a good and easy recipe for a healthy balsamic vinaigrette. I must admit the flavor is better when you use good ingredients.

For olive oil, I always use a cold pressed, extra virgin olive oil. I like the quality and price on the Whole Foods, 365 brand. I also like Newman's Own. If it doesn't say extra virgin, don't bother. I also think it is better if the oil is in a glass bottle. I can't explain it, I just think it is better.

And the balsamic vinegar must be from Modena. I can't explain that either but I know when you shake the bottle, if it is thicker, it is better. I am sure an Italian cook could provide a more useful explanation but I know from experience to buy only this kind.

To use, sprinkle it on salads, add a tablespoon over a vegetable stir fry or in stews and soups. Or make my balsamic vinaigrette, recipe to follow.

Balsamic Vinaigrette

3/4 cup extra virgin olive oil (Use less oil if you like a strong balsamic vinegar taste. I often use 1/2 cup.)
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
3 basil leaves
1 large clove of garlic, chopped
Salt and pepper to taste

Mix all ingredients in food processor or blender. Mix on high until it has a creamy appearance. Chill for about an hour and serve over any salad.

Useful -- not flashy, but it's free

Recently, I ordered the free, bi-weekly publication, pictured above, by our state agriculture department. I remember that my father received the "Market Bulletin" during the entire time I was growing up. It is certainly not flashy -- no color -- no pretty photos, but it does look to be useful, since we have decided to have a garden.

Inside, farmers, gardeners and crafters place ads to sale or buy cows, horses, chickens, rabbits, fish, farm tractors and equipment, seeds, flowers, plants, manure, feed, hay, quilts, handmade dolls and so much more. Need farm employment, equine products or a granite grist mill stone? You can place classifieds for things you need, too.

There is even a category called "oddities." Listings include frozen catalpa worms, lucky buckeyes and peacock feathers. That is odd.

There is a recipe in each issue, and interesting bits of information like a 2009 planting schedule for fall vegetables and upcoming agricultural events in our state.

Did I find anything I am interested in? I thought the organic workshops were interesting and I may just call the person in Gainesville who is selling a gallon of old-fashioned multiplying onions for $12. I can't wait for the Handicraft Edition that comes out on September 9. Might be a great place to look for Christmas gifts.

I don't think it will take the place of the local newspaper, and I may not be able to take advantage of things being sold in the far corners of the state, but I am looking forward to finding out what kind of neighbor-to-neighbor country products I can find.

If you don't live in Georgia, check out your state's agricultural office or extension office to see if they have any free publications for you.

A movie review and more

This will be a short blog post because I really want everyone to scroll down to see Charlotte Nelson's gardening technique.

I just wanted to mention that my mother, sister and I went to see the movie Julie & Julia and we loved it. I would recommend it for any person who loves to cook, publish a blog or works on a deadline. I do all three and I am coming up on a deadline as the art director of our local magazine. My mother said it was the best movie she had ever seen and Meryl Streep was wonderful.

Charlotte Nelson's straw bale garden

Knowing that Charlotte Nelson was a "garden nut," one of the clients of her small business suggested this method to her, after discovering it on the Internet.

Charlotte said, "Well, being the garden nut I am, I had to take the challenge ... without a doubt, this has been the most prolific garden I have ever had."

"I am trying to tell everyone I know about this, especially older folks that love to garden and maybe find traditional gardening too difficult with aging. There is ABSOLUTELY NO digging, hoeing, weeding, etc. One of the things I found so incredible, was how quickly the plants grew."

How did she do it? Here are her instructions, with more pictures to follow.

How to create a straw bale garden

Day 1-3

Water bales thoroughly for the first three days. I watered in the morning and evening.

Day 4-6

Once a day, sprinkle each bale with ½ cup of ammonium nitrate (32-0-0) then water thoroughly.

Day 7-9

Once a day, reduce ammonium nitrate to 1/4 cup and sprinkle into each bale and water thoroughly.

Day 10

No more ammonium nitrate … but add 1 cup of 10-10-10 fertilizer to each bale and water thoroughly.

Day 11

Plant your garden

Charlotte also shares a few hints from her experience:

* I placed 3 inches of potting soil on top of each bale on day 10 after last 10-10-10 fertilizer is added.

* Use a spatula to push the transplants into the bale, it opens the bale a little better than your hand. I plant my squash from seed.

* Plant each transplant to the first leaves and press straw back together. I planted Roma tomatoes, all kinds of pepper, eggplant, squash, zucchini and you could even do cucumbers, strawberries, cabbage, or whatever grows well for you.

* I choose one day as Miracle Grow day. I use Miracle Grow every other Friday.

* YOU MUST WATER DAILY. I water in morning and again in the evening.

* NEVER let your garden dry out.

* Tall plants, like corn or okra, supposedly will not do well, but I have not tried.

Charlotte begins her straw bale garden. After the bales become soaked, they are very heavy and hard to move. The cords on the bales hold them together.

Charlotte uses a soaker hose to water. What a good idea!

Plants and seeds are planted into the dirt that tops the bales.

The plants are generally planted two to a bale.

For some plants, such as squash, Charlotte uses seed.

This is a great method for people who might not be able to do a lot of digging and heavy lifting. This would also work for those who are physically challenged, but still like to work outdoors.

Charlotte also said, "As the summer is coming to a very hot close, I am still gathering quite a lot of goodies daily. I have uprooted a number of things to make room for new stuff."

"Now that this straw bale bug has bitten, I am planning on buying more bales and planting a number of things for the cooler months, just to see what will happen. According to most (Internet) sites I have found, they mention that the bales will last two seasons, we shall see."

"It's funny, I told my husband I am going to wind up with a maze of bales in the backyard that will help me NOT to have to cut as much grass, lol!"

Thank you Charlotte. I think I just may have to try this method myself next year!

A special guest and more about problems

Tomorrow, I would like to extend a special invitation to check out my blog because I will be introducing a special guest gardener whose new techniques are just amazing. Charlotte Nelson is a local garden enthusiast and business owner who tried a new gardening technique that she just loves. She has graciously allowed me to share with you. I was so amazed and impressed and I just can't wait to share her photos and instructions.

Today, I want to share another problem area in our garden and it is the corn. We had early problems with crows in our corn and had to replant three times. I think the short drought also was a problem. We probably didn't put the correct soil amendments in the soil and probably could have fertilized and watered a little better. We do have some seeds left and will store them in the freezer for next year. I think the soil testing will help and next year we intend to have a bumper crop. This was our biggest disappointment.

The dragonflies do like our corn and I love dragonflies.

One more comment. This is a good thing/bad thing. I love these shoes. They have been my wonderful garden shoes this season. They are "crock" wannabes I bought at Payless and they seem to be indestructible! I certainly have put them through the wringer and they have been very comfortable. My only problem is that I now have tanned spots where the holes are. It is not very attractive when I wear my regular sandals, but I honestly wouldn't trade them for anything even if they cause ugly dots on my feet. I plan to continue to wear them this fall but I will add socks. They are great garden shoes.

"Get the dirt" on garden problems

We had a great garden this summer, but it is always a good thing to review garden progress to see what you did right, what you did wrong, and make changes for the next gardening season. I have discussed our #1 problem which was the failure to keep pests out of our garden.

The second problem was that we didn't test our soil before we began our garden. To test, your soil -- dig about five inches into the soil in eight places in your garden, scoop up an equal amount of dirt from each place, pour into a bucket, take out any debris and rocks, stir it well and put it into a sandwich baggy. Take it to your local extension office and for a fee ($8 per sample in our case) they will send the sample off and have it tested to see what kind of amendments your soil needs for the next season.

We did that yesterday and I am very interested in what we will find. I think it will help to prevent and identify garden diseases, especially in tomatoes. I'll let you know what we find.