5 little words: You can make your own! This is good to know because this is the season for baking, baking, baking. And there's nothing more annoying than running out of an ingredient, especially a staple, right in the middle of mixing.

If you can relate, then you'll love knowing these pantry staples secrets. Forget running to the store in the middle of a bake session when you can make your own:

BROWN SUGAR: Brown sugar is simply white sugar with molasses mixed in—no kidding. How dark you want your sugar determines how much molasses to add. Start with 1 cup white sugar and add 1/4 cup molasses. Mix with your mixer (hand or stand, or even a fork). In just a few minutes you'll have a beautifully soft, fresh brown sugar.

POWDERED SUGAR: I've been making my own for years in my blender. Just add granulated sugar and pulse on high until you have powder. Not rocket science, for sure, but I prefer this to store bought because I know for sure it's just sugar—no cornstarch added as an anti-caker.

PUMPKIN PIE SPICE: To make 8 tablespoons of this handy spice, just mix 4 tablespoons of ground cinnamon, 4 teaspoons of ground nutmeg, 4 teaspoons of ground ginger, and 3 teaspoons of ground allspice.

BAKING POWDER: For 1 tablespoon of baking powder, mix 1 teaspoon baking soda with 2 teaspoons cream of tartar. Adding 1 teaspoon of cornstarch is an option. Not sure why this is recommended, but I always add it.

CAKE FLOUR: Some recipes are just better when made with cake flour. But who wants to pay extra for something that's just all purpose flour with a simple ingredient added? Not moi. A few years ago I learned how to make my own cake flour from Joy the Baker (www.joythebaker.com). Here are her steps: 1. Measure out the amount of flour your recipe calls for. 2. Then for every cup of flour you need, remove two tablespoons of flour and return it to your flour cannister. Place the cup of flour (minus the two tablespoons) into a sifter set over a bowl. 3. Replace the two tablespoons of flour that you removed with two tablespoons of cornstarch—add them to the flour in the sifter. 4. Now sift the flour and cornstarch together, at least 5 times. Voil?! You now have cake flour.

BUTTERMILK: Add 4 1/2 teaspoons white vinegar or fresh lemon juice to 1 cup milk. Stir to combine and let sit for about 15 minutes. Everyone probably knows this, but for the few rookie cooks out there, I thought I'd mention it.

EGG SUBSTITUTE: Chia seed works well: 1 tablespoon soaked in 3 tablespoons of water. Let sit 15 to 20 minutes until the mixture becomes gooey. And as a general rule, one tablespoon applesauce can replace one egg in most baking recipes.

SWEETENED CONDENSED MILK: Paula Deen's 5-Star recipe is my favorite. You'll never buy another can of this stuff—not when you can make your own!