Making Substitutions...

In baking, usually from a box, I've tried the ol' applesauce for oil switcheroo. I've always been pleased with the results. Today's muffin treat is no exception.  I made my Fiber One Banana Nut Muffins (and Wookie! didn't get any) with 1/4 cup of unsweetened applesauce instead of the multiple tablespoons of vegetable oil the recipe calls for.  Also, subbed in two egg whites for the one egg.  These directions were on the box. I didn't make anything up. It saved 3 grams of fat and I don't know how many calories. No really, I don't know.  I recycled the box last night.

After all that, I really think the muffin tasted better than the muffins last week.  The one I ate today was more moist and I think just tastier as a whole than any from the previous batch.

I looked up the substitution online to see if there are any rules of thumb about the whole thing and the only consensus I seemed to find was that it's a one for one substitution. So according to the calculations of Ask Dr. Math the original recipe used 4 tablespoons.  I don't recall putting that many in the mix.  I just followed the directions.  I leave the higher mathematical conversions to people like Dr. Math (whose website I had never seen before today's Google search).

Since I don't bake that often and I otherwise dislike applesauce (seriously, it ranks pretty low on my list) I was smart this time and bought the individual serving cups so that I won't waste a whole jar of the appley goodness that is safely on the shelves in stores for those who appreciate it on its own. Proof that I learn from my past.

Cupcakes not from scratch...

I baked 2 dozen cupcakes last night. Justin and I split one. Well he had a bite, I had the rest. I brought 23 into work.  There were 2 left at lunchtime. 

The lonely two.

It's been crazy busy at work.  Someone was sweet enough to bring treats on Monday and it lifted everyone's spirits.  I'd bought the goods for the cupcakes on Sunday and figured that a mid-week pick-me-up would do everyone some good too. We are a group that enjoys food.

This morning people asked me what I used to make them and I told them it was H-E-B's brand.  One of my co-workers said that her box mix cupcakes don't turn out so well.  I was proud of my little 1984 oven at that moment.

Wookie! likes my baking...

He showed me this last night when he ate 3 1/2 of my Fiber One Banana Nut muffins . I bought the mix at the grocery store yesterday and baked them in the evening, leaving them on the counter to cool per the box instructions "cool completely before storing."  Little did I know that Wookie! (our cute teen puppy), who has never eaten anything off of a counter, would get the first crack at them.

We'd been hanging out in the living room all night and he beat me into the kitchen.  I don't know if time stood still. If he moved lightening fast (this is possible). If I moved very slowly (also possible).  I really don't know what happened, but by the time I got into the kitchen he was eating something off the floor. 

I saw crumbs. He looked happy. Not the tiniest bit guilty.

I counted my muffins, one of which was missing a chunk. There were only 8 that were untouched. Apparently, the little (55 lb.) cutie had a nighttime treat that did not consist of lamb flavoring.

We'd heard a story from a friend about his dog and Grape Nuts.  It wasn't pretty. We aren't the kind to take chances.  Poor Wooks! had to sleep outside.

Now I know he has a baked goods tooth. I will have be more careful in the future if I want to enjoy more of these in mine. 

It's a yummy afternoon treat!