If you’ve been with me since the beginning and read my first post, https://momslifeponderings.wordpress.com/2011/08/04/a-year-of-change-taking-risks-and-eating-triple-chocolate-cupcakes/ you know I have a bit of a fascination (read obsession) with the Food Network, which borders on dysfunction. Thankfully, after some therapy, my attraction has come into the normal range.

Another thing that helped, was watching all the crying on that channel. If I want a good cry from TV, I’ll watch Love Story or Steel Magnolias. I don’t want to cry while watching Cupcake Wars and Chopped. Even my favorite chef, Robert Irvine, got teary after being told he would not be the Next Iron Chef. It’s just too sad.

But even with that said, I’d love to pitch my idea for the show, Barely Homemade.

It’s just like Sandra Lee’s Semi-Homemade, only there’s no matching tablecloths and curtains, no fruity cocktails, and not cute blonde host.

Here are a couple of barely homemade recipes for the show that will never be. They are great when you have a big appetite, but not a lot of time. Enjoy!

Chicken and Sausage Gumbo

Ingredients:

Kielbasa (or some sort of smoked) sausage (sliced), ¼ cup diced onion, 1 package of Bear Creek Gumbo Soup Mix (another brand may work as well, but this is the one I use), 1 cup of chopped rotisserie chicken, 1 package of frozen okra, and 1 bay leaf.

Pour a little olive oil in a pan and sauté the sausage and onion. In a dutch oven, bring 8 cups of water to boil. Whisk in the soup mix and add the sausage, onion, okra, chicken, and bay leaf. Reduce the heat, cover, and simmer on low for 30 minutes. Remove the bay leaf before serving.

(Note: the longer it cooks, the thicker it gets. If it gets too thick, add some chicken stock. If you have some bell pepper, chop it up and sauté it with the sausage and onion. There is not enough rice in the soup mix for my liking, so I cook more rice and pour the gumbo over it.)

Caramel Cake

Cake Ingredients:

1 white cake mix, 1 cup of whole milk or cream, 1 stick of butter (melted), 3 large eggs, and 2 teaspoons of vanilla.

Mix all of the above ingredients well and pour into 2 greased and floured round cake pans. Bake at 350 degrees for 25-30 minutes.

Frosting Ingredients:

1 stick of butter (melted), ½ cup of light brown sugar, ½ cup of dark brown sugar, ¼ cup of whole milk or cream, 1 teaspoon of vanilla, and 2 cups of confectioner’s sugar.

Melt the butter in a pan then add the other ingredients, except the confectioner’s sugar. Mix well. Remove from heat and add in the confectioner’s sugar. Frost the cooled cake. (This makes a yummy and beautiful cake).

Leave a comment and share your barely homemade recipes!