Quotes from Sandra Lee

My years of living the jet-set life were fun, but they weren't fulfilling. The perks and benefits were lovely, but all of the fabulous furs, fancy jewelry and fun fetes simply weren't enough to fill my soul.

If you've attended the Cordon Bleu, you would know that no woman is supposed to be a chef - only men.

I can certainly be part of the socialite group and walk those carpets every day, but I choose not to because I prefer to be grounded. You can't be at home and on the red carpet.

My most cherished possessions are my grandma's letters and my vintage Martha Washington cookbook.

Instead of doing cinnamon, nutmeg, and all those baking spices I'll have one spice that's for sweets, and that's pumpkin pie spice.

My audience knows me, and I wear beautiful clothes as a badge of honor. They remember where I came from.

At this point in my life I am just about enjoying my free time and my downtime and that's what is about for us. My job is about making your job easier. I take a lot of pride in the quality of what I present, especially in 'Money Saving Meals.'

As a kid, I thought John Denver was the perfect Prince Charming.

Nobody makes bouillabaisse from scratch. It's all a bunch of malarkey. Even the restaurants buy a commercial-grade product. I had a very famous chef tell me that.

When I was at the Cordon Bleu things took hours and hours and hours to make. And they were beautiful dishes - and I know how to cook that way - but I was like, 'no one is cooking like this.'

How do I cope with stress? I clean and organize.

My brand is a demography-breaker. It speaks to all homemakers and women from all walks of life and all across society.

Sometimes I feel like I'm not only the engine but the caboose. I have to be in the front car and pull forward, and at the same time run around behind and push everybody along with me.

I like to create what I call 'tablescapes.' It's so much more fun when you organize your table around a theme, don't you think?

Raising myself and caring for my brothers and sisters allowed me the benefit of a lot of information that I wouldn't have otherwise gotten. I had to be frugal, thoughtful, resourceful. I didn't have anyone to tell me, 'You can't.'

Christmas is more stressful with present buying and making sure everyone gets included, but Thanksgiving is really not that. I don't ever really get stressed out about the food.

I didn't even cry, I was stunned. You know, and that's just how fast life turns. It turns on a dime.

Seventy percent store-bought, ready-made plus 30 percent fresh allows you to take 100 percent of the credit.

The women are at an advantage - we represent the buying power in this country.

Baking cookies is comforting, and cookies are the sweetest little bit of comfort food. They are very bite-sized and personal.

I'm not sure that some of the food purists are in touch with what really goes on in American households.

It's really easy to figure out why I love what I love, the holidays and food. I know the difference between having them and not having them.

I like doing food as a focal point on my table. It is not like going out and buying flowers or candles, which are expensive.

My brand is a demography-breaker. It speaks to all homemakers and women from all walks of life and all across society.