Food Network star Sandra Lee lights several candles a day for prayer, and if you look closely, you might catch her buying them in a Salvation Army thrift store.
Sandra, a Christian who included anecdotes about The Salvation Army in her autobiography and recently was the inaugural speaker for the Greater New York Division’s Book Club Series, says she lights 10 candles a day as she prays for family, pets, her businesses and TV show, special projects, and “things I can’t foresee.”
“I say a lot of prayers,” says Sandra. “I light a lot of candles. I feel like I have a very connected relationship with God.
“I’m very thoughtful about giving thanks. When you ask God for help, or you ask God to guide you or lead the way or show you the right answer … you also have to remember to thank him for the other things that He did for you and the blessings that He gives you every single day.”
Sandra, who overcame a troubled childhood, has a lot to be thankful for. She says life with her birth mother was tough, but she enjoyed the time she spent growing up with Grandma Lorraine, who took her to church.
In her autobiography, Made From Scratch, Sandra recalls making a Jesus bookmark during arts and crafts at church as a little girl. She also says her grandmother never cursed and taught her to honor adults, even when they hit her.
She called going shopping at Salvation Army thrift stores a “great adventure” as a youngster because her family couldn’t afford to buy new clothes. Her book features a picture of her in a dress she got second–hand at a thrift store.
“Grandma made it an adventure to find the world’s greatest resources buried in the boxes lined up on the floor and on top of the shelves against the back cinderblock walls of the store,” she writes in the book, which includes Scripture references to start some chapters.
In 1985, Sandra and her grandmother went to the Holy Land and visited Israel, Egypt, Turkey, and Greece.
“I was baptized where Jesus was baptized in the Jordan River, which was a very special thing,” she says. “I got to wash [my grandmother’s] feet where Jesus washed the apostles’ feet. We had an incredible experience. At the moment, I didn’t appreciate it as much as I do now.”
The trip also opened her eyes to how some people live.
“Many of the children had circumstances that were far worse than mine, and it made me feel ashamed that I had ever felt sorry for myself,” she writes.
During a talk at the Book Club luncheon, Sandra explained how, as the oldest of five children, she often cared for her four younger siblings. Her family sometimes lived on welfare and food stamps; that is the inspiration behind the budget–friendly philosophy she espouses on her Food Network show “Semi–Homemade Cooking with Sandra Lee.”
She advocates for what she calls a 70/30 “semi–homemade” philosophy, which uses 70 percent ready–made
products and 30 percent fresh and creative touches.
She got her start in the home improvement business with her own line of home, garden, and craft products. She took the products on–air for the Quality, Value, & Convenience (QVC) Shopping Network–USA.
In 2003, her Food Network series had one of the highest–rated show launches in network history and, with 200 episodes and an Emmy nomination, it remains a top program.
Sandra has also sold more than 2.3 million cooking and entertainment books since 2005.
“My spiritual life plays a huge role in everything I do, especially in my cooking and writing,” Sandra says. “I’m very focused on what I do—being helpful and thoughtful about the people that I serve. I think Jesus was the perfect example of that. He was always thinking of other people, giving back.”
Sandra donated her time to the Greater New York Book Club Series, the proceeds of which go to shelters and other projects in New York City.
Sandra also talked about how she supports Salvation Army thrift stores, which fund the Adult Rehabilitation Centers (ARC). They have a Bible–based residential program for adults with substance–abuse and other problems. In a recent issue of her new magazine, Sandra Lee Semi–Homemade, Sandra tells how “one of my best finds ever at a Salvation Army store” was an assortment of glass candlesticks for 50 cents each.
“I scooped up all seven, unified them with creamy white candles, and set them on my coffee table to make a dazzling display,” she said.
She told the Book Club audience, “If you have $500, I say you use $5 to make a tablescape and donate $495, and I know exactly where you can donate it!” she said.
Email this article to a Friend