betty crocker, i am not

i really admire the people who are able to think about something yummy and then just whip it up.  i am perfectly capable of following recipes, but when it comes to conjuring them up on my own, not so much.  i reinforced that principle today when i tried to make peanut butter and jelly muffins, which i have been craving since a friend posted about making them on her blog.  she made them gluten-free and added extra protein powder and they turned out yummy.  i don't have any gluten-free materials, so i googled a basic muffin recipe and attempted to make it work with what i had, substituting healthier things when i could.  total FAIL :-/  it was kinda laughable really.  they were way more like a biscuit really and overall edible, but just not good.  they did earn one fan though in my 15-month old niece claire, who gobbled up 1 1/2, leaving only crumbs.  for those with a more picky palette (myself and carter), they didn't make the cut.  into the trash they went...  (side note: i am fairly certain once my boys are teenagers, things like this will be eaten regardless of non-gourmet quality)

i wonder if there is like a baking 101 class i can take.  like what ingredients make what happen.  because i hear about people "playing" with recipes to get them right, but i have no idea where to start.  they didn't turn out, so they are scrapped.  ah well, guess i'll focus on some more of my other talents...