Hacks

This week I will not be baking, but talking about easy clean up methods and some easy hacks that cause the making of the mug cakes to be super efficient and cost effective.  I have been making the mug recipes for a few weeks now and have figured out ways to make it a lot easier than it already is.

 When you think of baking immediately you think of a lot of bulk ingredients that take up a lot of room and make it difficult to store.  One thing I have found to be very helpful is to use sugar packets for the recipes. The sugar packets are about the same price as the bulk sugar however, it is way easier to store and use.  Two sugar packets are about one tablespoon when measuring out ingredients.  Having sugar packets decreases the chance of spilling the sugar everywhere and there is a very slim chance of attracting unwanted guests, ants. 

Another way to make the baking experience easier is to make sure to measure out all of the dry ingredients first.  This allows for less trips to the sink and is more time manageable.  Also with utensils it is best to clean them right as you are done with them.  If you wait too long it might be time to make the next mug recipe again, which means having to wash the utensils just to immediately dirty them.  It is such a devastating thing to do, I highly recommend washing the utensils right after you are done with them.

 Sometimes the recipes can leave quite a mess in the mugs.  The best solution for this is to allow the mug to soak before trying to clean it.  What you want to do is put a tiny bit of soap in the mug and then fill it up with water.  I usually let the mug sit for about a day.  Once the mug has soaked it is extremely easy to clean.

For these mug recipes you do not need anything fancy.  Your favorite mug and a cheap set of measuring spoons from the dollar store will do just the trick.  I bought my measuring spoons at Giant for only a few dollars and they do the job just fine.

One thing I have found to be very helpful is to plan out the recipes I want to make.  I made sure they all had similar ingredients so that I could buy larger bags for a cheaper price.  The most I have spent at one time is about $21, which was because I had to buy all of the ingredients.  I have made a handful of recipes and I still have a very large quantity of the ingredients left.  I would also hold off on buying eggs unless you know 100% that you will use them.  I bought a pack of eight eggs and I still have the same pack sitting in my fridge.  I have only used one so far, it was a waste of six dollars and yes I regret it. 

I hope these tips are found to be helpful for your adventures as a baker.  Next week I will definitely be posting a mug recipe so stay tuned!