Sandra Lee Semi-Homemade 20-Minute Meals 2

I was going to the grocery store to find something special for Easter dinner for my husband and I, something like a roast or another expensive piece of meat. First I stopped at the bookstore at the Mall, that's where I spotted Semi-Homemade 20 Minute Meals. I love Sandra on the Food Network so I bought the book. I looked through it for ideas for my Easter meal. Even though we have chicken quite often, I thought Kahlua Jerk Chicken sounded special. Then when it suggested Hawaiian Sweet Potatoes I knew it would be for us. It was so simple to make and was extra special for our Easter meal. The suggested buttered rice went perfect with it. Now we will be having Triple Chocolate Double Strawberry Sundae Sandwiches for dessert tonight. How easy! I love how the book suggests the side dish to go with the main course. That is always my dilemma, what goes with what? This is a great book and I will buy more.

I've tried just a couple of receipes so far and they have been awesome. If you like salmon, try the broiled salmon with pesto mayonaise, delicious. Another good one is the tortilla soup. They have all been easy to make and really do only take 20 minutes to prepare and eat. I can't wait to try more.

Like I said in my review for her slow cooker book, I love these books. I do substitute a lot of pre-packaged items with fresh items, but I love the recipes more than I do that they are fast and easy. I just love how they are put together and that they taste great. And just because I choose to cook my own sweet potatoes rather than buy canned, or that I shred my own cheese, etc, doesn't mean that there aren't times I don't take advantage of the convience foods on the market today. There are times I don't want to cook but still have a family to feed anyway. We can easily sub fresh ingredients over pre-packaged if that is a concern, but the recipes are great, the photos even better and the lay out is as good as it gets. I will forever buy her books as long as the quality doesn't change.

I was shopping with my kids in the store today and picked up this book for a quick dinner idea. It took less than a few minutes to see this is the type of cookbook I've been looking for. I'm in nooooo way a skilled cook, but I'm at the age where I'm completely worn out on cooking and eating basic meat and potato meals that I grew up on. I want something different and tasty but easily managable to cook. This book seems to be the answer. Both my wife and I work consantly and have kids to raise, so a 20-30 minute meal is a practical approach to better cooking. My first first tasty dish I cooked this evening was Sandra's "Carribbean Turkey and Sweet Potato Chili." It both looks great and tastes delicious. And yes, it took about 20 minutes to prepare. In fact, it took longer to find the ingredients in the store than it did to actually cook it. It was a delicious alternative to the standard chili I've been making for years. I would have never thought to make chili with a can of sweet potatoes, mango nectar juice, and bleak peas! Served and eaten along side a pan of hot cornbread, it made a great first meal from this book. Now my kids weren't too crazy about it, but my 9 year-old daughter did picked up the book and point out meals she wanted to try. Semi-Homemade 20-Minute Meals is well designed, easy to follow cookbook for non-cooking people like myself.

There's work ... and kids' activities ...and everything else you try to squeeze into your day ... who has time to make dinner?!? I think we all have 20 minutes ... and I thank Sandra Lee for giving us the book to make it all possible!!! After years of bagels and soup ... my kids are just loving this new experience called 'dinner' ... and so am I!!!