Bena Mae’s Kitche; The All American Yard Sale

The All American Yard Sale
 

A woman was taking her time browsing through everything at a friend’s yard sale and said to her, “My husband is going to be very angry when he hears I’ve stopped off at a yard sale.”

“I’m sure he’ll understand when you tell him about all the bargains you found,” the friend replied.

“Normally, yes,” the woman answered, “but he just broke his leg and he is waiting for me to take him to the hospital to have it set.”

There’s more truth than poetry to this story, hey gals. To those of us with a prominent yard sale gene, the world would stop turning if we passed one up without stopping.

The basic philosophy about yard sales is that if you can’t give something away, you can probably sell it. And one of the added plusses is, the fun of learning to “haggle.”

We pay $3.99 in a department store for an item and never question the cashier about the price. But to pay first price at a yard sale makes you a loser. Thus begins the fun, getting the seller to the lowest price possible. You bring the price down 50 cents or a dollar and walk away feeling like you’ve won the lottery. It gives you a feel-good-feeling all day.

But there are also the things you buy that make you question your sanity years later. I speak from experience as I wonder what my son’s family will be saying as they go through the tsunami of useless “stuff” I have amassed for years once I’ve passed this mortal life.

“What did she need this for, why did she hold on to this,?” echo through my mind as I imagine their frustration. But what were the chances I might have had a hidden Van Gogh among my insatiable search for treasures? Didn’t happen folks.

I admit I was a little crazy during my yard sale days. But not as crazy as the lady who bought a padded toilet seat, the kind you sink into that puts your legs to sleep.

I would have to know who sat on it last.

ENGLISH BREAD PUDDING

Ingredients
Bread slices – 8 to 10 (stale and firm)
Butter – 1/2 stick at room temperature
Sugar – 1/2  to 3/4 cup
Egg – 1 beaten well
Milk – 1 cup
Cinnamon powder or vanilla extract for
    flavoring-1/4 tsp
Raisins- One small hand full (or as much
    as you want.. black or golden) 

Instructions
1. Grease a bread loaf pan with butter.
2. Warm the milk in microwave for a minute put the sugar in it and it will dissolve easily you need to stir too. Without over beating add the  whisked egg to it. The flavoring like cinnamon and vanilla extract also.
3. Cut the bread pieces into two horizontally. Apply butter on both  sides of each piece and carefully put it into the loaf pan arrange well and insert the raisins into all the gaps, nooks and crannies.
Evenly then pour the liquid mixture on top of it slowly press the bread if it starts to float.Keep this aside for half an hour. The bread will  soak up all the liquid.
Sprinkle the top with some sugar for extra brown caramel color and few left over raisins too. I do not recommend too many on top as it becomes bitter tasting and dry with heat. Brush the top with butter remaining on the butter paper.
4. Bake it in a preheated oven at 350° F for 45 minutes till the pudding rises well but the inside is still soft, but cooked.
 Cut into big pieces and serve it warm.