When it comes to cooking and cooking shows, I usually give everyone the benefit of the doubt. I started off not liking Rachel Ray (only because she bugged me) but have made a few of her recipes and have come to like the fact that she does not have any formal training, she just loves food. I can identify, (although she bugs me a little bit) I too love food and love to cook and have had no formal training. I am just not making millions of dollars doing it. At any rate, she grew on me. I have my favorites…Alton Brown, Anthony Bourdain, Ina Garten (Barefoot Contessa) and Jamie Oliver have all become faces that I like seeing on the Food Network. Their recipes and stories inspire me and they have real talent. And then there is Sandra Lee.
For those of you who don’t know Sandra Lee, here is a little snapshot: She is what they call a “lifestyle professional” (what is that?), whose show “Semi-homemade Cooking with Sandra Lee” has been on the Food Network for a few years. She combines fresh ingredients with specially selected store-bought items to make meals and desserts, prepared in minutes that taste like they were made from scratch. The result? Foods on your table for your family that are half “processed” and half fresh. YUCK! Yes, the concept sounds nice and easy and wow you can make a gourmet meal in minutes, fool your friends and give them something that they will think you slaved for days over. BUT, what they are really getting are foods laden with fake sweeteners, trans-fats and a list of other preservatives and artificial ingredients that are found in the processed foods that are used in her recipes.
Is it really that hard to cook from scratch? Nope. Is it nice to have time saving recipes? Yes it is. Is it nice to have easy recipes that are wonderful? Yes it is. Should you sacrifice good natural food for products that are bad for you and your family? Nope. So think about it. I don’t want to tell you what to do. You have the facts. Now run with it.
For those of you who don’t know Sandra Lee, here is a little snapshot: She is what they call a “lifestyle professional” (what is that?), whose show “Semi-homemade Cooking with Sandra Lee” has been on the Food Network for a few years. She combines fresh ingredients with specially selected store-bought items to make meals and desserts, prepared in minutes that taste like they were made from scratch. The result? Foods on your table for your family that are half “processed” and half fresh. YUCK! Yes, the concept sounds nice and easy and wow you can make a gourmet meal in minutes, fool your friends and give them something that they will think you slaved for days over. BUT, what they are really getting are foods laden with fake sweeteners, trans-fats and a list of other preservatives and artificial ingredients that are found in the processed foods that are used in her recipes.
Is it really that hard to cook from scratch? Nope. Is it nice to have time saving recipes? Yes it is. Is it nice to have easy recipes that are wonderful? Yes it is. Should you sacrifice good natural food for products that are bad for you and your family? Nope. So think about it. I don’t want to tell you what to do. You have the facts. Now run with it.
