Semi-Homemade or Half-Baked?

     I was just trying to take a nap this afternoon. I was on the couch all snuggled in a puppy pile with my boys & I was awoken by a voice that was attached to a woman that was a cross between June Cleaver & Sandra Dee.  I opened my eyes & saw this perky blonde in this brightly decorated kitchen. John was watching a cooking show called Semi-Homemade with Sandra Lee. It wasn't along the line of the normal cook shows we watch but I gave it a try.
     It started out ok. Beef tips simmering in gravy with peas, pearl onions & artichokes. The veggies were all frozen but I didn't see anything wrong with it because the main part of the recipe was actually homemade. But then she broke out a tub of pre-made mashed potatoes & the doubt started to creep in. I mean, really, how long does it take to mash some potatoes? She heated them up & stirred in some roughly chopped basil. I thought this was an odd pairing but maybe it was because I put chives in mine. Then there was the coffee with the orange vodka & coffee liqueur topped with Cool Whip that had some orange extract added to it. But the worst part was the cheesecake. Now maybe I'm prejudiced because I make cheesecake from scratch that happens to be delish. But her creation appeared to be far from that. She made an orange sauce that used orange slices with the rind on. I assumed that she was going to take the orange slices out but she didn't. I could have dealt with the sauce but the frozen cheesecake she used looked like a pan full of really thick cottage cheese.
     Apparently, this isn't only a cooking show. It's a decorating one as well. She shows you how to use things around your house to make coordinated pieces for your dinner table. There were some really good ideas. The only problem was during this segment, every other word was sweet. This was sweet. That was sweet. Everything was sweet. From the candles to the flowers to the tablecloth to the favors. Sweet, sweet, sweet & sweet. I told my husband that I really hoped she didn't say that word anymore because I was starting to feel nauseous. Sure enough, 5 seconds later, she said it. He looked at me like, "please don't throw a dog at the TV."
   So then I start discussing the show with him. What was the purpose of the show anyway? You're showing me how to cook pre-made foods. It would be no different than me having a show making Salisbury Hamburger Helper with frozen peas & carrots added to it. To which he replies, "Well, she said it was semi-homemade." That did not make it better. You would think after almost 17 years he would know better than to side with a perky blonde when I am tired & trying to make a point. But, alas, he is a man & I must make allowances. Especially, when he caught his mistake & said that if she served him that junk cheesecake he would throw it at her. I'll let you know when my show is on YouTube. I'll be making simple everyday meals without pre-made food.