Garage Sale Day

Our small community stages a community garage sale day once and occasionally, twice, a year.  For those who have zest for flea market finds, it is a golden day.  The excitement begins the night before as early shoppers begin driving through town.  Early this morning my daughter texted that her sale had already sold several large items that she was feeling relieved that she would not have to carry back into the house at the end of the day.  

I do not enjoy garage sales, or really, shopping in any form.  I don't even like a girls' day of shopping for new shoes and treasures found at sale prices; I prefer to nurture my friendships while seated in comfortable chairs, sipping coffee.  But, in order to support both the sellers and shoppers in my family on this day, I have prepared lunch.  This is a tradition begun by my mother-in-law who always had lunch ready us all each garage sale day (and every other special occasion and holiday in between).

My menu isn't original.  We are having Rachael Ray's sloppy joes, (which I unwisely increased by multiplying each ingredient by 5 or so, but all's well because I now have a batch to put into the freezer), Taste of Home's Slow Cooked Bean Medley (to which, not able to leave healthy enough alone, I added 12 ounces of minced, cooked and drained bacon), watermelon, chips, and boughten potato salad.  Yes, boughten potato salad.  Several family members who will not be named here prefer boughten to homemade potato salad.  And it isn't because my mother-in-law's potato salad isn't the best thing you've ever put into your mouth, it's just an odd preference that is easier to accommodate than making potato salad from scratch...

I did make my no wheat, no peanut, no chocolate, no dairy, no bake cookies.  Yes, we have allergies.  And yes, one of us is even allergic to chocolate if you can imagine that.  I've included that recipe below.

It is nearly time to pack all this food up and head to my daughter's house to follow tradition by feeding anyone who stops in and looks hungry around lunchtime today...here is that recipe for the allergen free cookies.  They are surprisingly yummy!

Bring the following ingredients to a boil, stirring until smooth.  Boil for 1 minute.  

1/2 cup Earth Balance soy free margarine 

2 cups sugar

1/2 cup rice milk

Remove milk mixture from heat and stir in the following:  

1/2 cup sunflower nut butter

3 cups quick oats

1.5 teaspoons vanilla

A few drops of almond flavoring (go easy here, but this adds a little more flavor)

1/4 teaspoon salt

Drop onto wax paper, let cool until set before you try to remove them.