Going Through the Notions (A Deadly Notions Mystery) (30 page)

Daisy’s Yard Sale Tips

Whether you call them yard sales, tag sales, garage sales, or rummage sales, they’re a lot of fun, and there are bargains to be found!

• The early bird catches the worm, but don’t get there so early as to be obnoxious.
  
• Plan your route to save gas. Block or neighborhood sales are great because you can park and walk from house to house.
  
• Bring plenty of single dollar bills and quarters. It’s harder to haggle when you need change for a twenty.
  
• Speaking of haggling, don’t be afraid to ask for a better deal. Experienced sellers expect it.
  
• Bundle! If there are several items you have your eye on, add up the prices and make an offer on the lot. For example, if your items total eight dollars, ask the seller if she’ll take five. Chances are she’ll agree in order to move the merchandise.
  
• If you’re the seller, price everything to move. You’re better off selling ten books at two dollars each than one book at five dollars.
  
• Put a few grocery bags in your pocket so you can carry your small items to the car. Not all sellers have them, or they run out.
  
• If you see something that you’re interested in, pick it up and carry it around so someone else doesn’t buy it out from under you. Finders, keepers!
  
• Be friendly and chat with the seller. Building a rapport can often get you a better deal. I’ve had sellers throw in “extra” things for free just because we hit it off.
  
• It’s okay not to buy. It can be strange to be the only buyer in the yard, but don’t feel obligated. Just say, “Thanks very much,” or “Good luck with the sale,” and move on.
  
• And finally, my favorite tip. Go back to the yard sales that you attended on Saturday late in the day on Sunday or on Monday morning before trash pickup. Chances are that the remainder of the stuff is now out by the side of the road with a
  FREE
  sign next to it. Can I tell you how many books I’ve collected that way? Really nice hardcover cookbooks and novels. Hey, I’m not too proud to pick through. As they say, one man’s trash is another’s treasure.
  
• Happy yard saling!
  

Martha’s Awesome Oatmeal Cookies

Martha often brings these oatmeal and dried cherry cookies into Sometimes a Great Notion for the customers. We tell ourselves that the oatmeal and fruit make them healthy. One thing’s for sure—these delicious treats don’t last long!

MAKES ABOUT 4 DOZEN

1
¹
/
₂
cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

¹
/
₂
teaspoon salt

¹
/
₂
teaspoon baking soda

¹
/
₂
teaspoon baking powder

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature

1 cup dark brown sugar

¹
/
₂
cup granulated sugar

2 large eggs

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

2 cups old-fashioned rolled oats

2 cups dried sour cherries

Preheat oven to 350ºF. Line baking sheets with parchment paper. In a medium bowl, mix the flour, cinnamon, salt, baking soda, and baking powder. Set the flour mixture aside.

Beat the butter and sugars together for a couple of minutes until light and fluffy. Add the eggs and vanilla, and beat to incorporate. Add the flour mixture to the butter mixture, beating on low speed until all is combined. Stir in the oats and dried cherries.

Using a small scoop, drop the dough onto prepared baking sheets, leaving 6 inches between cookies. (The cookies will be rather large when baked.)

Bake until the edges are just turning brown, about 20 minutes.

Cool for a few minutes on the baking sheet, and then remove to wire racks to cool completely.

Crème Brûlée Cheesecake Bars

I have yet to meet the person who doesn’t drool over these cheesecake bars. Evil, but so good!

MAKES 36 BARS

1 pouch (1 pound 1.5 ounces ) Betty Crocker sugar cookie mix

1 box (4-serving size) French vanilla instant pudding and pie filling mix

2 tablespoons packed brown sugar

¹
/
₂
cup melted butter

2
¹
⁄
₂
teaspoons vanilla

2 eggs plus 3 egg yolks

2 (8-ounce) packages cream cheese, softened

¹
/
₂
cup sour cream

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/
₂
cup sugar

²
/
₃
cup toffee bits, finely crushed

Heat oven to 350ºF. Lightly spray the bottom and sides of a 13-by-9-inch pan with cooking spray. In a large bowl, stir together the dry ingredients—cookie mix, pudding mix, and brown sugar. Add the melted butter, 1 teaspoon of the vanilla, and 1 whole egg until a soft dough forms. Press the dough to cover the bottom and slightly up the sides of the pan (with your spotlessly clean fingers!).

In a separate bowl, beat the cream cheese, sour cream, and sugar with an electric mixer on medium speed until smooth. Add the remaining whole egg, 3 egg yolks, and remaining
₁₁
⁄
₂
teaspoons vanilla; beat until smooth. Spread over the crust in the pan.

Bake 30–35 minutes or until set in the center. Depending on the temperature of your oven, it may take a little longer. Keep checking at 5-minute intervals until the center is no longer wobbly and a knife comes out relatively clean.

Immediately sprinkle the top with the crushed toffee bits. If you can’t find toffee bits, use Heath bars. Crush them inside a plastic bag with a rolling pin.

Cool 30 minutes. Refrigerate about 3 hours or until chilled. For bars, cut into 9 rows by 4 rows. Store covered in the refrigerator.

How to Make a Lavender Sachet

I have lots of these in my store, providing a calming aroma for the customers!

Lavender has been used for centuries as a natural moth deterrent and sleep aid.

• Cut the lavender before the purple flowers reach full bloom, which is when the fragrance is strongest. Cut just above the leaves, getting the longest stem possible on the flower.
  
• Use bunches of no more than six stalks, or they won’t dry properly.
  
• Gather together at the cut ends with a rubber band. A rubber band holds the stems tight while they dry. If you use anything else, the stems will fall out as they shrink.
  
• Hang upside down in a warm, dry, dark area to preserve the delicate purple color. (If the color doesn’t matter, you can set outside in the sun for a day to dry. In the dark, it will take about a week to ten days.) When the bunch feels almost brittle, it’s done.
  
• Remove the dried lavender from the stems. To separate the flowers, place the lavender in a bag or pillowcase and roll over gently with a rolling pin. Pull out the stems and pour the buds into a container. (You can use the stems on a wood fire for a great scent as they burn.)
  
• Cut some 4-inch fabric squares—two for each sachet. Glue three of the outer edges together, pattern sides facing. Let the glue dry.
  
• Turn right side out and fill with lavender flowers. Turn the raw edges under and sew closed.
  
• You can also buy premade organza or drawstring bags from the craft store.
  
• Place the sachets in closets, drawers, inside your pillowcase, or even in your car.
  

They also make great gifts!

• Dried lavender will retain its scent for up to one year.
  

New Uses for Old Sweaters

• Find a nice selection of old wool sweaters at a thrift store or yard sale (at least 80% wool). Try to find ones with interesting patterns or designs.
  
• Toss them in the washing machine to felt them.
  
• You have to “shock” the wool, so wash on hot, with cold rinse, on a heavy wash cycle, so there’s lots of agitation. Add a few lint-free items such as jeans to help with the agitation and felting.
  
• Put them in the dryer on high heat. The fibers will shrink into a tight weave. Repeat if necessary to get the desired feel.
  
• Make a cozy throw pillow. Add 1 inch for seam allowance. Seams can be on the outside, if you like, sewn with a serger, for additional texture and detail.
  
• Make pocketbooks and mittens from the felted remains. The mittens can have fronts and backs from different colored sweaters. Add a little buttoned flap on top of the hands for a cute, useful touch, and line with polar fleece.
  
• Or how about a colorful patchwork blanket from all the scraps? Recycle an old bedsheet for the lining. Long-wearing and warm!
  
• A sweater bag is easy. Make the handles by cutting the neckline out and the sleeves off. Sew up the bottom of the sweater. Turn inside out and fill with stuff.
  
• Making wine bottle covers out of the sleeves is easy peasy. Simply sew up the cut end, and the cuff end goes around the neck of the bottle, and voilà! Cable sweaters work well for this one.
  
• The sleeves can be used as leg warmers. Because the wool is felted, it doesn’t unravel.
  
• Or take the sleeves and make a cozy plant cover. Cut the sleeve about two inches higher than the pot and either tuck outside the pot rim or inside and cover with small stones.
  
• With the leftover pieces, I’ll make a stuffed dog toy for Jasper!
  

Repurposing an Old Sewing Machine Cabinet

I see old sewing machine cabinets priced for a song at yard sales, or even discarded by the side of the road on trash day. They were often made to fit one type of machine, so they don’t work for an updated model, but it’s a shame to throw them out, because many of them were well-constructed, attractive pieces of furniture made from quality wood.

Why not repurpose and give them a fresh new lease on life? They make great desks or craft tables. Or how about a gift wrap station, a nightstand, a vanity, or a side table?

• First, remove the vintage sewing machine from the cabinet. It may have wing nuts attaching it, or you may need to get to work with a screwdriver.
  
• Take off the flip-top panel of the cabinet and save the hinges and screws. (Once the weight of the machine is gone, the cabinet may tip over when the panel is in the open position.) Set aside the top panel.
  
• Measure across the rear edge of the top of the cabinet and replace the hinges so the top panel opens with a front-lift motion. Install a toy chest prop lock.
  
• Make the hollow interior usable for storage by adding a shelf. Cut a piece of wood to fit and screw to the underside of the cabinet. Now it’s a great place to store magazines, a laptop, sewing supplies, or desk accessories.
  
• Prime and paint.
  

Some old sewing cabinets already have wheels attached, which makes them great candidates for a rolling bar cart or serving station. For a bar cart, take the top panel off completely and repurpose it into a serving tray. Use the space inside for glasses or plates and utensils. Some cabinets have a metal storage container already installed on the door for machine attachments, or you can install small hooks for bar accessories. A glossy finish on the top is a good idea so it’s easy to wipe down and clean.

A vintage treadle sewing machine base makes a great decorative base for any table with its gorgeous detailed ironwork. I’ve even seen them repurposed for a small kitchen island or bathroom vanity, with space to hold towels underneath. If you do reuse a treadle machine cabinet, immobilize the pedal as a safety measure. Bolt the pedal to the iron frame, or install a wooden bar across the pedal mechanism to block any movement.