Find real thing to get that malted flavor

Do you have any idea where I can find malted milk powder? If I can't buy it, what's a good substitute?

Malted milk powder is sold by both King Arthur Flour and Carnation. I think I've seen it in grocery stores, probably in the section where the hot chocolate mixes are. If you don't find it there, you can mail order it from King Arthur, www.kingarthurflour.com.

There is no good substitute, nothing else will give your baked goods the same sweet, earthy, malty flavor. If you use plain powdered milk the recipe should work but the flavor will be distinctly different.

Is there any benefit to using the margarines that have olive oil in them? How do they remove the calories to make olive oil light? Is there enough olive oil to make a difference?

Reading the labels on some of these products reveals that the main ingredient is canola oil, followed by soy oil, and finally olive oil. So these are not very different from other margarines and there's not much olive oil in there.

Saying they are "cholesterol free" means nothing, since all vegetable oils are cholesterol free. The "extra light olive oil" usually refers to the color and flavor, not to the calories.

Light margarines have water beaten into them. You can tell by reading the Nutrition Facts box. When the serving size is 14 grams but there are only 8 grams of oil, the other 6 grams is water. Water has no calories, but will splatter when the margarine is used for frying.

Your last question is the hardest because no one knows how much would make a difference. The total diet pattern is more important than just one ingredient. And whether olive oil is really so important is up in the air these days, since research is showing that monounsaturated oils are not as important as polys for heart health and inflammation. Probably the most important thing is to reduce the total amount of fat, especially saturated fats, in your diet.

I usually buy a large jar of applesauce because it's less expensive that way. But before I get it all eaten it's starting to smell a little acidic and has a sort of tangy taste. Is it cheaper because they didn't can it right? Is it safe? Is there any way I can reprocess part of the jar to make it last longer when I get it home?

What you describe sounds to me like the applesauce is starting to ferment. Fermentation is usually the result of mold or fungus growth. Most molds won't make us sick, although some do produce toxins that can damage the liver. The sour, tangy flavor is a warning sign not to use it, whether you can see mold or not.

The canning that the producer did was enough to kill bacteria, but it probably picked up mold spores from the air after it was opened. You could conceivably put it in smaller jars and go through the whole canning process again at home but it would be much easier to freeze it. Put it in zipper-seal plastic freezer bags, a cup per bag, and freeze them. Thaw them one at a time as you need them.