She talks food and savings

[Food Network Fan]

She talks food and savings

Posted: Feb. 17, 2009



Food Network
Sandra Lee



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Food Network
Sandra Lee
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Sandra Lee is taking a bit of a gamble this month with the launch of a magazine showcasing the "Semi-Homemade" cooking and entertaining style she's been advocating since 2003 on her Food Network show.
With the challenging economic times, the launch of a new magazine can be tough. But Lee, who attended the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse, has a clear vision of what she's trying to do in the kitchen, in a string of cookbooks, on TV and, now, on the newsstand as "Sandra Lee Semi-Homemade."
Q. You have to have held your breath to launch a magazine in this economy.
A. We all felt in our gut that it was even the right time to do it, because it can be more helpful than ever before. It's all about saving money, but in every area of your life. But sure, my tummy had butterflies. It was like the first week that I launched my show. It's like when you're in a delivery room and it's the first breath that a baby takes when delivered. Everybody holds their breath and says, "Breathe, breathe," 'cause you just love it so much.

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[MiseEnPlace]

She bogles my mind.
Her pre-packaged recipes are "cost-conscious"

Oh, like using store-bought rotisserie chicken rather than roasting your own...

My job is to tell you four different ways to use it, and my job is to name it by brand. There's a ton of recipes, but what there's not out there is a ton of end success for the users. I do the brands within the recipe so you know to get this picture, you follow this recipe. It's Kraft this, it's McCormick seasoning that. Different products have different ingredient bases.

[Food Network Fan]

Maybe if you live in a big city and normally go to the corner deli her way is cheaper. But here it costs you twice if not 3 times as much to buy premade items. The chicken might even be 4 or 5 times as much as buying a whole chicken and roasting it yourself.

Those seasoning packets are cheaper than buying a lot of spices if you are making something you would never use again. But the whole point for me in buying spices is to get things I will use as a part of my regular dinner menu at home. So when I buy it I use it and it's much cheaper if you get 30 meals out of the seasoning instead of just one.

I think she needs to market herself as a convenience cook, not a cost saving cook.

She used to be all about entertaining, in which case I can see how you might want to take shortcuts if you are making a large amount of food by yourself for one event. But everyday meals using pre cooked items are VERY expensive.

[Pluff Mudder]

I think she needs to market herself as a convenience cook, not a cost saving cook.

I agree! And, just think of all the money you'd have to spend for those tablescapes and booze. Maybe the booze is part of it... drink enough of it and you won't care how much you're spending on all the convenience items.

[MiseEnPlace]