See if this sounds familiar: You are reading through a recipe and say, "Great! I have all of that!" You start making it, and right in the middle of it all (you've already cracked the eggs) you open the cupboard and see an empty container of brown sugar. Maybe it wasn't the brown sugar, but the sour cream. Either way, you've got a problem.

I found this list in a book "Cooking for Two" by Debbie G. Harman. It has been very very helpful. It's a list of basics foods that you probably use often. However, when you run out of them, a simple remedy/ quick-fix restores your emotions and recipe right back to order.

I can't promise they are all perfect substitutions, especially when it comes to baking, since so many things rely on chemical reactions and consistencies, but hopefully these are still helpful or at least worth a shot.

References:
Harman, Debbie. Mormon Pantry Cooking For Two. American Fork, Utah: Covenant Communications, 2007. p.4. Print.

Image of cook:
https://cdn.sheknows.com/articles/2012/04/woman-baking-upset-horiz.jpg

Image with food:
https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Yf0yUSmxb38/T0SNgeak_SI/AAAAAAAAAMw/p5anehR0N3k/s1600/baking.jpg

Image of happy cook:
https://img.ehowcdn.com/article-new/ehow/images/a04/p9/rn/substitute-baking-powder-recipes-800x800.jpg