WFMW - Almost as good.

I like the taste of things made from scratch as homemade is almost* always better. But I love the convenience of some more manufactured items. So I've figured out a way to slightly tweak a few things in a way that doesn't take up much time but can make it taste almost as good as from scratch. Here are my top three:

1. Lemonade - Lemonade is my drink. We don't buy sodas and I only drink water to be healthy. I find it rather boring, but I will take a glass of lemonade anytime. But I don't have the time or money to make homemade even if I did, I couldn't be drinking that much sugar all the time. I have enough cavities as it is. Concentrate tastes good but it still has a ton of sugar. So I follow my dentist's suggestion and drink Crystal Lite. The problem -it's yellow but it doesn't taste like "real" lemonade. The solution - add two or three tablespoons of lemon juice to a pitcher of the fake stuff. That is about a lemons worth but I don't even use a real lemon, just squeeze some out of the little plastic lemon. It gives it that tart taste of real lemonade.

2. Pancakes - You can't beat Bisquick - or maybe you can. Try adding a spoonful of plain or vanilla yogurt to your next batch of pancake mix. It is about the same consistency as the batter so you don't have to adjust the mix-to-liquid ratio. It makes the pancakes so moist and fluffy. I heard this from my friend K. and my only regret now is having waited so long to try it. Don't make my mistake.

3. I lied, I don't have a third point but only having two leaves my list feeling unfinished. So help me finish it! Are there any tricks like this that you use?

And that is what works for me!

*Exception = Brownies. I love brownies from a box better than any recipe I have ever had. Weird but true.