 
Cincinnati Family recently had the chance to chat with Sandra Lee, star of Semi-Homemade Cooking on the Food Network and New York Times and Amazon.com best selling author. Here are her thoughts on saving time and money in the kitchen.
CF: What are the biggest challenges you feel today's mothers face, and how will your latest releases help them?
We are all watching our budgets these days and trying to find meals that are both economical and easy. At Semi-Homemade, we always try to focus on being ahead of trends and identifying the needs of overextended, budget-conscious professionals and homemakers. My three new cookbook releases: Semi-Homemade Money Saving Meals, Semi-Homemade Fast-Fix Family Favorites and Semi-Homemade Desserts 2 are dedicated to these “home heroes," who balance budgets, work, kids in an effort to do more with less.
The ingredients in my recipes are not hard to find. They are sold in most grocery stores and are the mainstays in pantries and kitchen cabinets across the country. With Semi-Homemade you will learn tips and tricks that heighten the flavor of food while reducing the prep and cost. It all adds up to more choices and more meals for less time and money.
CF: You learned to be cost-conscious at an early age. What are some of your favorite money-saving tips you learned wile growing up?
The Semi-Homemade concept was inspired by my Grandmother Lorraine, who helped refine the notion of making meals special and thoughtful, while saving money. My grandma taught me to save money and to be a coupon clipper. She was the first person to introduce me to new, innovative products, ingredient combinations, great flavor and taste.
With unstable prices at the grocery, I recommend looking to see when such items as cookie mixes, cream cheese and butter go on sale. It’s always good to flip through grocery circulars to watch for sales on these staple items. When cooking the Semi-Homemade way you can embellish almost anything. Instead of reaching for expensive jars of spices, look for inexpensive packets of spice mixes, particularly when they go on sale. One package can get you through the fall – how great is that? Another great trick is the slow-cooker – buy an inexpensive piece of meat and you will be able to create a flavorful, moist, delicious meal.
CF: These days, it's almost not enough to be cost-conscious. A mom with a busy family also has to be time-conscious. What are some of your best time-saving tips?
In Semi-Homemade Money Saving Meals there is a “Quick Once Eat Thrice” chapter that helps the consumer cook and freeze when it is convenient for them. It’s good for busy moms and professionals who like to cook their weeknight meals on a Sunday and still have leftovers for the next two nights. You will learn how to make the most of one night’s dinner by turning it into three different-tasting dishes such as Herb-Butter Roasted Turkey and Southern Ham Casserole. In the “Fix It and Freeze It” chapter there are tips to budget shop when food prices are cheaper, then cook and freeze meals so you can reheat them when you are short on time. Finally, the “Lavish Leftover” chapter is a timesaving strategy that provides excellent how-to ideas to bring new life to leftover meat, poultry, and seafood such as Polenta Sheperd’s Pie.
It all boils down to my 70/30 philosophy; Mix 70 percent quality prepackaged foods with 30 percent fresh ingredients, add a dash of your own creativity and cook up a meal that’s 100 percent fast and fabulous. When you learn how to stock your pantry with the building blocks of a mouthwatering meal, you will get a headstart on dinner every night.
CF: We've become a nation that dines out more often than not, and traditional family recipes are getting lost along the way. What are your thoughts about the benefits of families dining together at home?
Of course while the desire to prepare homemade food may always be there, the time and money sometimes aren’t. Meals have become an either-or-proposition: Either feed the family fast with expensive takeout, or spend hours shopping and cooking meals. A family of four can have an affordable meal out, without the shopping or the cleanup time of eating at home. But that doesn’t really create the kind of environment you want your family to have every night does it?
Semi-Homemade was created so that the busy homemaker would have time to sit down with the family. It’s the solution to bringing the family back together at the table, to enjoy a good meal and share in one another’s company without sacrificing quality or taste. In my book Semi-Homemade Fast-Fix Family Favorites there are more than 300 of my favorite recipes for starters, sides, entrees, desserts and more that you can mix and match to make a complete meal for your family. In today’s fast-paced world, Semi-Homemade is a great solution to deliver dinner on the double in half the time, letting you take all the credit and enjoy time with your family.
CF: Do you feel that your recipes are kid-friendly, meaning that kids can help prepare many of your dishes?
I started baking from the Bisquick box when I was 10 years old. Many of my recipes are kid-friendly and make visits to the grocery store and stocking your own pantry a fun, creative experience for parents and children. My children’s cookbooks, Sandra Lee Semi-Homemade Cool Kids’ Cooking is a guide for busy parents who want to spend time with their children and help them succeed at cooking, but don’t necessarily have time to cook everything from scratch. Memories are made in the kitchen and Semi-Homemade keeps cooking low stress and fun. Food and family are the ingredients that make a recipe for a happy life.
Meet Sandra Lee November 20 at Joseph-Beth Booksellers, 2692 Madison Road! From 1 - 2:30 p.m., she will present the Sandra Lee Semi Homemade Sweet & Smple Bake Sale, and from 7 - 8:30 p.m., visitors can enjoy the Sandra lee Semi-Homemade Sweet Soiree.
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