In the Name of Research ...

... I've been baking all afternoon.

You see, tomorrow is opening morning of the gun deer season here in Wisconsin. That means Jim's all a=tingle as he dreams of the big buck with the atypical rack he missed during bow season.

And that means it's my turn to host the third annual neighborhood hunters' breakfast, a tradition we've created with the people that live across the road.

On the menu is not-so-healthy fare like Egg Casserole (complete with ham, cheese and a can of cream of mushroom soup), hash browns, a pigs-in-a-blanket deal with sausage/pancakes/apple butter, and some fresh fruit.

I chose not to go full healthy on the main dishes because I don't want to push my new way of eating on innocent bystanders. While I could have made the casserole with egg substitute, low-fat soup, reduced fat cheese, turkey ham, and the "white" whole wheat bread, I didn't. I could also use half white potatoes and half sweet potatoes for the hash browns, but I'm not sure everyone likes sweet potatoes. I DID choose turkey sausage for the pigs-in-a-blanket and am hoping they won't notice.

In an effort to round out the meal, I wanted to bake something sweet, but wasn't sure what to make.

I'm a little out of practice on the whole baking thing.

So, I decided to see if I could make an old favorite recipe a bit healthier with some simple substitutions.

And it worked!

Lisa's Pumpkin Bars
(They were called "Bee's Pumpkin Bars after my MIL, but now I think I can claim them as my own. I'll give you my ingredient first, and the original option second.)

1 14-16 oz. can of pumpkin
1 cup egg substitute (or 4 eggs)
1 cup granulated sugar AND 1 cup Splenda (or 2 cups granulated sugar)
1 tsp. baking soda
2 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. salt
1/2 cup organic applesauce AND 1/2 cup vegetable oil (or 1 cup vegetable oil)
2 cups AP flour
2 Tbsp cinnamon
1 tsp nutmeg

(RE: the applesauce and oil ... I used a liquid measuring cup and filled it to the 1/2 cup line with applesauce, then poured enough oil in for it to hit the 1 cup mark)

Mix it all in a big bowl until smooth and pour in jelly roll pan or lined muffin tins. Bake 350 degrees for about 20-25 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.

Frost with cream cheese frosting. You can make this with low-fat cream cheese, too! But I just bought a can. After the ham and cheese and fried potatoes ... it's not like a spoonful of frosting is going to matter much.

Mmmmm. The house smells so good right now!