Sandra Lee Semi-Homemade Cooking

just because the recipe says to use pre-made ingredients doesn't mean you can't take the extra time to make as many of them from scratch that you can, like shredding your own cheese, cutting up a onion, or making your own mashed potatoes, etc. I sub as many fresh ingredients as I can for the pre-packaged and I still have a good meal made in no time. That may defeat the purpose of the cookbook, BUT, the recipes are what stand out, and any can me made with fresh or pre-packaged items. They are good, everyday family meals. The photos and lay out are outstanding, and the books are well priced for the quality we get from them. Worth the money.

I received this book as a gift and I really enjoy it. I have tried a few of the recipies so far. The pumpkin pancakes (yum and a huge hit with the kids), the chenois salad...I love this have made it several times and a few others. Each are simple and turn out looking just like the picture...great for someone looking for some simple and innovative ideas....who knew you could do so much with a packaged crescent dough....interesting, innventive and tasty! I am looking forward to trying some more recipies from this clever lady.

I have to take issue with those reviewers who have attacked this book so passionately! True, there are "gourmet" cooks who wouldn't dream of adding any prepared foods to their recipes; they obviously have the time and energy to spend hours in the kitchen every day. However, I don't understand why a "gourmet" cook would even consider buying a book entitled "Semi-Homemade" anything! This book was obviously written for people like me, who no longer have the time or energy to spend all day in the kitchen, and "Semi-Homemade Cooking" has been the answer to my prayers! I probably own a hundred cookbooks, most of them gathering dust on a bookshelf in the living room. I've been cooking for forty years, and only a few cookbooks have stood the test of time well enough to remain on my kitchen counter; this is the newest one to make the grade. No, I do not consider myself a "gourmet" cook. I used to make complicated, time-consuming dishes that took hours and hours, but, frankly, many of them weren't any better than my favorite quick & easy recipes! And at 63, I want recipes that I can put together quickly and that everyone will enjoy. I am having a great time trying one recipe after another from this cookbook because none of them have taken a lot of time, and every single one has been delicious! Try Country Biscuits and Gravy, for example; my husband asks for it every Sunday. And Salad Chinois (Chinese Chicken Salad) is superb! Bottom line: This is not a book for food snobs! This is a book for people who want delicious meals they can prepare themselves with a minimum of fuss. Try it, you'll love it! Many thanks to Sandra Lee -- I'm ordering "Semi-Homemade II".

My husband and I love to cook, but our crazy schedules during the week don't allow us to cook meals from scratch like we love to do on the weekends. In the past, we'd pick up fast food since we didn't have time to cook, leaving us frustrated because we weren't spending any time in our kitchen Monday through Thursday. Eating out is also terribly expensive and unhealthy. We bought both of Sandra Lee's cookbooks and love them for the purpose they were created. We're now getting to spend time in our kitchen on Mondays through Thursdays, producing healthful meals. We're losing weight and saving money!

Sandra Lee is known to audiences nationwide from her appearances on the QVC shopping channel and numerous network and cable television programs. Her Semi-Homemade solutions have also been featured in People, Redbook, Better Homes and Gardens, Traditional Home, Country Home and Victoria. She has also appeared on NBC's Today. FOX's Good Day LA and Good Day New York. Sandra Lee is a member of the International Association of Culinary Professionals She also studied at the acclaimed Cordon Bleu. When selecting a cookbook, normally I will buy cookbooks that promote "cooking from scratch." This is the first cookbook that claims that "Nothing is Made from Scratch." What Sandra means is, you will still be cooking, just parts of the recipe are "convenience/prepackaged foods" or packet mixes. This slices time off making cakes for sure! Firstly, these recipes looked far too easy and so I was a bit skeptical. Secondly, I don't normally buy anything not in its raw state. Buying "pancake mix" was new to me. Heading home from the grocery store, I almost felt a little sinful. This cookbook contains 101 recipes such as Pumpkin Cinnamon Pancakes, Southwestern Turkey Chili, roasted Pepper Soup, Kahlua Tiramisu and Berry Cookie Cobbler. You will find recipes for appetizers, soups, salads, main dishes, desserts, snacks and even treats you can make for your pets. The beauty of this cookbook is almost more in the "Semi-Homemade" techniques than in the actual recipes. Technically, you can adapt these recipes for your own use in many ways. Tonight I made the "Steak Pinwheels with Sun-Dried Tomato Stuffing and Rosemary Mashed Potatoes." In the recipe, it calls for sun-dried tomatoes that are not packed in oil, but I just used the ones I had in oil and reduced the amount to 2 tablespoons chopped sun-dried tomatoes in oil. The Stove top stuffing mix I found was only 6 ounces, but the recipe called for a 6.6 ounce box. It still worked fine. Instead of just salt and pepper on the skirt steak, I used garlic salt and freshly ground Tellicherry peppercorns. Ok, so I cheated and made the potatoes from scratch because I had potatoes I needed to use up. Then, for desert, no lies! I waited to make the desert until "after" dinner. This was new. I didn't feel stressed at all. I took the pound cake out of the freezer, cut it into cubes and drizzled the rum-butter sauce all over the cake. Yum! Then, for an added touch, you can mix in some frozen raspberries with the jam. I also used frozen raspberries on top and added whipped cream. The "Raspberry Trifle with Rum Sauce" is absolutely delish! She doesn't say to use whipped cream, but Trifle without whipped cream just isn't the same. So, to explain how much time I saved, I made the recipe in about 10 minutes. Since the vanilla pudding was already cold and the frozen raspberries cooled down the entire desert very fast, I could have served this almost immediately. Not having to make the pound cake was a real treat and hey, I