Sandra's Biography
Sandra Lee has a passion for simple solutions that create dramatic results in all areas of home life. She is editor-in-chief of Sandra Lee Semi-Homemade magazine, the host of two highly rated television shows on Food Network (the multi-Emmy-nominated Semi-Homemade Cooking With Sandra Lee and Sandra’s Money Saving Meals) and the host of Sandra Lee Celebrates, a series of holiday primetime specials on HGTV. Sandra Lee is also a New York Times bestselling author with 23 books to her credit including the 2011 spring release of the Sandra Lee Bake Sale Cookbook. An internationally-acclaimed home and food expert, Sandra has revolutionized the way people think about traditional, time-consuming, “from-scratch” methods. Her trademark 70/30 philosophy combines 70% ready-made products with 30% fresh ingredients. Everyone can create delicious dishes and meals in an inspiring warm home environment, all of which, can be affordable and attainable with Sandra's shortcuts.
Sandra’s philosophy was born out of necessity and the challenges she faced throughout her childhood. The oldest of five children, Sandra was responsible for caring for her four younger siblings and helping to manage the household. Forced to live on welfare and food stamps, Sandra quickly learned how to turn budget-friendly foods into delicious and special meals for her siblings while stretching every dollar and every minute.
In 1989, after attending the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse, Sandra was faced with her own home decorating dilemma: How to decorate her home with style and flair on a limited budget. She invented a quick, easy way to re-create her home and realized that others could benefit from the same solution. With that, she launched her own line of patented home, garden and craft products and in 1993 her company was born. Sandra quickly became the retailers “go-to-girl” for innovative, smart consumer products, working with Walmart, Target and QVC-USA. The product lines were so successful that she was asked to anchor the on-air launch of the home, garden and craft categories for QVC-United Kingdom and QVC-Germany. This success motivated Sandra to produce one of the first Do-It-Yourself home improvement video series, which sold more than one million copies. Her product lines garnered numerous industry awards, including Wallcoverings, Windows & Interior Fashion’s “Achiever of the Year” and Profitable Craft Merchandising’s “Home Decorating Product of the Year.”
Sandra then attended the world's leading culinary art institute, Le Cordon Bleu. She learned how to apply her philosophy and savvy shortcuts towards gourmet recipes, so that anyone could create and savor extraordinary food easily at home in less time and at a fraction of the cost. Since then, Sandra has become a New York Times bestselling author and has written twenty-two cooking and entertaining books and a critically-acclaimed memoir, Made from Scratch. She has sold more than 4 million books since 2002 and has been awarded the prestigious, International French Gourmand Award for “Best Easy Cookbook”. In spring 2011, Sandra will release her newest book the Sandra Lee Bake Sale Cookbook.
Moving seamlessly from books to television, radio and internet, Sandra’s brands have proven to be international multimedia successes. In 2003, her Food Network TV series, Semi-Homemade Cooking with Sandra Lee, debuted as one of the highest-rated show launches in the network’s history and celebrated its 200th episode in 2008. Nominated for numerous Daytime Emmy’s, Semi-Homemade Cooking remains one of the longest running series and top performing programs, currently in production of its 15th season. Sandra has also hosted ten one-hour primetime specials and her personal story was documented by Food Network’s Chefography to rave reviews and high ratings. In May 2009, Sandra launched a second Food Network series, Sandra’s Money Saving Meals, which guarantees viewers an average savings of 39% - 50% on every grocery store bill. The program was an instant success and was recently renewed for a fifth season with production commencing in summer 2011. Sandra engaged a new audience on HGTV with her seasonal series entitled Sandra Lee Celebrates and is one of the first cross-over talents on Scripps Networks. Sandra's shows are now seen in 64 countries and help over-extended homemakers around the world.
Sandra was awarded the President’s Volunteer Service Award for her involvement with many charitable and philanthropic organizations, as well as the Ellis Island Medal of Honor in 2009 which is recognized by the U.S. House of Representatives and the Senate for contributions made to society. Sandra is the national spokesperson for Share our Strength’s No Kid Hungry Campaign and the anchor of their largest annual fundraiser, The Great American Bake Sale - two groundbreaking programs focused on ending childhood hunger in America. She is a founding member of the Los Angeles chapter of the U.S. Fund for UNICEF and has been a generous supporter of God’s Love We Deliver, Project Angel Food and the Central Park Conservancy. She was the celebrity chef for DineOut LA in 2008 and GoEat LA in 2009, raising funds for Aid for Aids International (AFAI). She has participated in Harvard Business School’s annual Woman’s Entrepreneurial Conference and has been a guest lecturer at Yale University’s School of Management.
Sandra’s passion and enthusiasm is contagious. Her attainable, couture-styled, approach allows her the privilege of being a frequent guest expert for many national TV shows including Good Morning America, Today, Weekend Today, Fox News Channel, The View and Ellen, among others. She is a bankable personality having appeared as the cover celebrity on many national magazines including Ladies Home Journal, Redbook and TV Guide.
