Friday FREAK-OUT! Substitutes

The Frugal Hostess knows what it's like to freak out. She once forgot she was hosting an Oscar party until about two hours before the guests were arriving. It was a difficult time in her life. Really. OK, OK, give her a break - she's suffered enough. Thus, Friday FREAK OUT! Every Friday, The Frugal Hostess will provide you with tips on how to deal with last-minute nonsense without freaking out.

Today's Friday FREAK OUT! is about not having the right ingredients for a recipe. Has that ever happened to you? You could swear you read the whole thing before you started cooking, but you're suddenly at step 13 and missing a key item. Never fear! Your handy guide to recipe substitutions is here!

Allspice (1 teas.): ½ teaspoon cinnamon, ¼ ginger, & ¼ cloves

Baking Powder (1 teas.): ¼ teaspoon baking soda plus ½ teaspoon cream of tartar or ¼ teaspoon baking soda plus ½ cup buttermilk (decrease liquid in recipe by ½ cup)

Bread Crumbs: equivalent amount of cracker crumbs or ground oats

Brown Sugar (1 cup): ¾ cup granulated sugar plus ¼ cup of molasses

Buttermilk (1 cup): out of 1 cup of milk, replace 1 tablespoon with lemon juice
Cake Flour (1 cup): out of 1 cup of all-purpose flour, remove 2 tablespoons

Cocoa (1/4 cup): 1 square unsweetened chocolate

Corn Syrup (1 cup): ¼ cup white sugar plus 1/3 cup water or 1 cup honey

Egg: ¼ cup silken tofu pureed or 3 tablespoons mayonnaise or half a banana mashed with ½ teaspoon baking powder

Evaporated Milk (1 cup): 1 cup light cream

Lemon Juice (1 teas.): half a teaspoon of white wine vinegar

Heavy Cream (1 cup): 2/3 cup milk plus 1/3 cup melted butter (wow!)

Sour Cream (1 cup): 1 cup plain yogurt or 1 tablespoon lemon juice or vinegar plus enough cream to make 1 cup or ¾ cup buttermilk mixed with 1/3 cup butter

If you would like a refrigerator magnet of these recipe substitutions, leave a comment for The Frugal Hostess, and she will make you one!