Biography of Sandra Lee

Sandra Lee is an internationally-acclaimed Life & Style expert, bestselling author and the CEO of Sandra Lee Semi-Homemade, a multimedia corporation bringing quick and easy solutions for everyday living to busy consumers through an integrated portfolio of television, books, magazines, the Internet and branded products. Sandra’s trademark 70/30 philosophy combines 70% ready-made products with 30% fresh and creative touches, allowing anyone – from students to parents to working professionals – to take 100% of the credit for something that looks, feels or tastes homemade.

Sandra’s first cookbook, Sandra Lee Semi-Homemade Cooking, was released in Fall 2002 and quickly became a New York Times and Amazon bestseller. Sandra Lee Semi-Homemade Desserts followed in Fall 2003, Sandra Lee Semi-Homemade Cooking II in Fall 2005 and Sandra Lee Semi-Homemade Grilling in Spring 2006. The series has enjoyed strong success, topping category lists at Barnes & Noble, national shopping clubs and Amazon.com, appearing on Nielson Bookscan Bestseller lists more than 170 times and selling 1,500,000+ copies worldwide. Semi-Homemade Grilling was one of 2006’s top three books in the male-dominated grilling category.

In response to overwhelming public demand, Sandra released a new four-book series in Fall 2006. Sandra Lee Semi-Homemade 20-Minute Meals, Sandra Lee Semi-Homemade Slow Cooker Recipes and Sandra Lee Semi-Homemade Cool Kids Cooking were joined by Sandra Lee Semi-Homemade Gatherings, an entertaining guide featuring Sandra’s creative “tablescapes” and “cocktail time” recipes. In January 2007, Sandra tapped into the fit-for-life market with Sandra Lee Semi-Homemade Cooking Made Light. Three additional titles are slated for release in Fall 2007. Sandra Lee Semi-Homemade 20-Minute Meals 2, Sandra Lee Semi-Homemade Slow Cooker Recipes 2 and Sandra Lee Semi-Homemade Cooking 3 all revisit the success of their popular predecessors. Two more titles – Sandra Lee Semi-Homemade Grilling 2 and Sandra Lee Semi-Homemade Home and Garden – will hit the shelves in Spring 2008.

Sandra’s Semi-Homemade concept has translated seamlessly from print to television and the Internet. Semi-Homemade Cooking with Sandra Lee debuted on the Food Network in Fall 2003 as one of the highest-rated show launches in the network’s history and remains one of its top three programs. Semi-Homemade.com receives more than 34 million hits annually and is home to the popular Semi-Homemakers Club and the Semi-Homemade® web magazine – online destinations providing simple solutions, recipes, resources and products based on Sandra’s 70/30 philosophy.

It all began in 1992. After attending the University of Wisconsin, Sandra created her own line of patented home products, the highest-selling do-it-yourself home decorating line to date. She expanded into the gardening category, creating foolproof products for both Target and Wal-Mart. Sandra soon took her products on-air, developing top-selling craft, floral and scrapbooking products for QVC Shopping Network-USA, going on to spearhead and anchor the launch of the craft and home decorating categories for QVC-United Kingdom and QVC-Germany. Her innovative product lines have earned her numerous industry awards, including Wallcoverings, Windows & Interior Fashion’s “Achiever of the Year” and Profitable Craft Merchandising’s “Home Decorating Product of the Year.” Her own home improvement video series has sold more than a million copies.

Sandra resides in New York City and Los Angeles, where she serves as a member of the Board of Directors of the Southern California Chapter of the U.S. Fund for UNICEF and is a former member of the Board of Trustees of Project Angel Food (sister agency to New York City’s God’s Love We Deliver) and the Board of Trustees of Children’s Hospital. She’s a popular guest lecturer at Harvard Business School’s annual Dynamic Women in Business Conference.