You’ve heard of the show, Extreme Makeover: Home Edition right? I’ve only seen it a few times, but I enjoyed seeing the amazing changes a crew could make in a home – changes that would improve a family’s quality of living in an extreme way.
Well, this new feature on our site may not change your life in an extreme way. Nor will we be all standing together to shout, “MOVE THAT BUS!” each time a new recipe is revealed. (Although that would be way too much fun.) There are likely to be fewer tears at the end of each of these posts compared to the tears typically shed at the end of each Extreme Makeover television episode.
But, since I am constantly receiving email requests from people, asking me to take an old family favorite recipe and remake it into something a little less “processed” and a little more “real food” – I decided to add this fun new feature.
Now introducing:
Do you have a recipe in a cookbook or in your recipe file that you haven’t made for years because it calls for ingredients you just don’t feel good about using anymore? Have you seen something fun online that you’d love to make, but it’s too white sugary, white floury, canned cream of soupy, or corn syrupy for your liking? Send it this way and we’ll see what we can do.
I’m not going to make any promises that I will be able to fix every single recipe out there and make it into a wholesome, nutrient filled delight. But hey, I’ll do my best. And we’ll all have loads of fun in the process!
Shucks, maybe we will actually shed a few tears. (Or maybe my family will if/when I try to makeover a recipe that just doesn’t work out the way we might all hope. Yikes. God bless the taste testers.) ;)
In order to make this process a bit easier for me, if you have a recipe you’d like to submit for a Real Food Recipe Makeover, please use the form on the submission page, following the link below:
Submit your recipes on this Real Food Recipe Makeover Submission Page.
I’m wearing my apron. Bring on the recipes!
So glad you are doing this and sharing it with your readers. We do this with most of our recipes. It has become second nature to us.
sausage?
Ah, that one I already have! https://www.heavenlyhomemakers.com/make-homemade-turkey-sausage
I don’t have one recipe in particular in mind, but I do have several recipes that call for a can of cream of chicken/mushroom soup and I’m curious what could be used in it’s place. Why do they really use that? Is it a thickener or what?!
Here is a recipe for Cream of Mushroom Soup: https://www.heavenlyhomemakers.com/homemade-cream-of-mushroom-soup. Typically though, I just use heavy cream or sour cream in place of cream of whatever soup. :)
That is an easy substitute! Do you general do a straight across replacement? 15 oz of cream of whatever to 15 ounces of sour cream?
You can also make a bechamel sauce for some things that require a can of cream of whatever sauce such as tuna casserole or scalloped potatoes. Just season the sauce appropriately with s & P, sauteed onion and sauteed soup item, celery, mushrooms, etc. For cream of chicken, substitute chicken stock for part or all of the milk.
Thanks! Can’t wait to try these ideas!
This sounds like a lot of fun. Can’t wait to see the results :)
I’m having a hard time trying to use the form. It keeps saying message send failed :( And I have several recipes I was trying to post….
Uh-oh, seems that there was something wrong on one of the settings. I fixed it and it seems to be working now. SO sorry about that!
I really want to make this, but the cream of… soup turned me off. It looks so good!!! http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/2007/06/chicken_spaghet/
Sounds like a good one! If you can submit it via this form, that would help me keep all these ideas in one place: https://www.heavenlyhomemakers.com/real-food-recipe-makeover-heavenly-homemakers-edition-recipe-submission-form. Thanks!
I’ve made this. I used pacific foods cream of mushroom. It was good, but tasted a lot like tuna Mac. Similar ingredients I suppose.
This is such a good idea!
and thats why you are my favorite blogger!
This is such a fun idea! I submitted my request already and I’m sure I’ll think of more. :).
How exciting! I’ve been wanting to make some of my favorite recipes healthier but have been a bit overwhelmed, unsure of where to start.
I’m still waiting on the twinkies. ;)
Oh my…totally forgot about the twinkies!! :) Probably because I was having such a hard time figuring out a solution. But wow, it would be worth the effort I think! :)
There is a heated and whipped honey recipe (don’t overcook it!) that we’ve used on GAPS cupcakes that is very similar in texture to the filling. http://www.healthhomehappy.com/2010/10/simple-meringue-frosting-refined-sugar-free.html Here is one example of the recipe. Actually, I think coconut flour has a very spongy consistancy too, but it would change the taste some! Just thoughts. :)
Yes, now that Hostess is going out of business, copycat Twinkies that are healthy would be great! Also the ding DOng’s or Ho Ho’s. Still waiting on the honeybuns. And I wonder about the fruit pies they made.
Love this, I can’t wait to see what you come up with. I tried to make some key lime bars recently with whole wheat (which I think was fine) and Rapadura with turned them brown (ick! and duh?)and tasted too molasses-y. My husband still liked them but I was disappointed in my attempt to improve an unhealthy recipe. Maybe I’ll submit this and see what you think.
What a wonderful idea, I submitted one, and old recipe that my mom made. It calls for cans of corn, and creamed. I dont use canned veggies anymore. The cream of … soup is a very interesting thing to me too, since I don’t use it anymore and don’t know what to substitute, also, bouillon cubes – dont use them either,so I don’t know what to use as a quick replacement. Just recently altered my eating habits as I am learning about all the bad stuff for you, so now I am trying to learn how to replace stuff I always used to use. Thanks for this opportunity, and I think its cool, we will get to see what you have done for others as well. Great post and idea. Have a great day!
I use the organic Better than bullion paste. Costco has it for a great price ($7 for 18oz), but Amazon and my local grocery store sells it also. :)
I really can’t wait to see the makeovers! Thank you for taking this on.
Hi Laura. I have started adding the names of the persons that share their recipes and if possible where their from. Would you be able to do that? Now when I look through my recipe books I see names and it makes me happy.
I can try!
Great idea. I’ll look forward to it.
Stove top stuffing – chicken flavored. Family loves it, I hate buying it. My stuffings are great, just not stove top stuffing :(
If you can submit that idea via this form, that would help me keep all these ideas in one place: https://www.heavenlyhomemakers.com/real-food-recipe-makeover-heavenly-homemakers-edition-recipe-submission-form. Thanks!
Our house to! When it’s .99 and kind of yummy, what do you do => I am so happy that you submitted this request Sarah.
Ham balls. I love the kind with ham loaf, crushed graham crackers and the brown sugar and canned tomato soup sauce :)
If you have a recipe I can take a look at and submit it via this form: https://www.heavenlyhomemakers.com/real-food-recipe-makeover-heavenly-homemakers-edition-recipe-submission-form, that would help me a lot. Thanks!
Campbell bean soup- I love it, but it tastes very different than the bean/ ham soup I make.