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 managing the household finances. Forced to live on welfare and food stamps, Sandra quickly learned how to turn budget-friendly packaged foods into delicious and special meals for her family while stretching every dollar. These early experiences laid the foundation for what would eventually become Semi-Homemade®.
In 1989, after attending the University of Wisconsin, 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 from the inside out. Sandra realized that others could use the same solutions. She invented her own line of patented home, garden and craft products, and launched her first company, Kurtain Kraft. By 1993 she was taking these products on-air for QVC Shopping Network-USA. They were so successful that she was asked to spearhead and anchor the on-air launch of the craft and home decorating categories for QVC-United Kingdom and QVC-Germany. This success catapulted Sandra to produce one of the first DIY home improvement video series. Released in 1994, her DIY series sold over a million copies. Her innovative product lines covered all home categories and 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.”
Lee then attended the world's leading culinary art institute, Le Cordon Bleu. She learned how to apply her Semi-Homemade® philosophy and savvy shortcuts towards gourmet recipes so that every over-extended homemaker could create and savor delicious dishes at home in less time and at a fraction of the cost. Since then, Sandra has become a New York Times best-selling author and has written twelve cooking and entertaining books. She has sold more than 2.3 million books since 2005 and has been awarded the prestigious, International French Gourmand Award for Best Easy Cookbook.
Semi-Homemade® moved seamlessly from books to television, radio and the Internet. In 2003, her Food Network television series, Semi-Homemade Cooking with Sandra Lee, debuted as one of the highest-rated show launches in the network’s history. It was nominated for a Daytime Emmy in 2008 and remains a consistent top performing program. Her personal story was documented by Food Network’s Chefography in 2007 to rave reviews and high ratings. Her memoir, Made From Scratch, was published later that year to become a Barnes Noble best-seller soon after its release. Sandra Lee’s website, SemiHomemade.com, receives over 55-million hits annually and is home to a popular online club membership of Semi-Homemakers.
In 2008, Sandra will release four more highly anticipated books: Sandra Lee Semi-Homemade Grilling 2 (spring 2008); Semi-Homemade Shortcut Meal Solutions, Semi-Homemade Desserts 2, and Sandra’s Fast Fix Family Favorites (fall 2008.) This year Semi-Homemade Cooking with Sandra Lee will be celebrating its fifth year on the Food Network and its 200th episode.
Sandra was awarded the President’s Volunteer Service Award for her involvement with many charitable and philanthropic organizations. Sandra is the national spokesperson for Share Our Strength and its annual “Great American Bake Sale.” She is a founding member of the Los Angeles chapter of the U.S. Fund for UNICEF and has served on the board of trustees for Project Angel Food. Sandra is a generous supporter of God’s Love We Deliver, the Central Park Conservancy, and was the celebrity chef for 2008 DineOut LA raising funds for Aid for AIDS. She is a participant in Harvard Business School’s annual Woman’s Entrepreneurships Conference
Sandra’s passion and enthusiasm is contagious, and her attainable, couture-styled, culinary approach allows her the privilege of being a frequent guest expert for many national TV shows including Good Morning America, Weekend Today, Fox News Channel, The View, Ellen, and Tyra among others. She is a bankable personality appearing as the cover celebrity on many national magazines including Ladies Home Journal, TV Guide, Family Circle, and Woman’s World.
