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.

One of the things I do in my cookbooks is I will do a conversion from outdoor to indoor grilling so you can do it year-round.

I had to be frugal, thoughtful, resourceful. I didn't have anyone to tell me, 'You can't.' When you're young, you think you can do anything, and that was really a gift. That's why I can never understand someone telling me 'no' today. 'No' just isn't an option.

Why I have had such a huge career and why I have sold over four million books, is that people can do what I share with them to do.

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

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

My secret to survival has been embracing life's challenges and not letting them dictate my frame of mind or determine my fate... Learning to stand strong in the face of challenge and adversity is the only way to get through the tough times.