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.

Lack of sleep makes me less productive. I need a good seven or eight hours a night.

I can certainly be part of the socialite group and walk those carpets every day, but I choose not to because I prefer to be grounded. You can't be at home and on the red carpet.

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.

My years of living the jet-set life were fun, but they weren't fulfilling. The perks and benefits were lovely, but all of the fabulous furs, fancy jewelry and fun fetes simply weren't enough to fill my soul.

As a kid, I thought John Denver was the perfect Prince Charming.

When I came to the Food Network, I didn't want to do a cooking show. I told Kathleen Finch for nine months I didn't want to do a cooking show, I wanted to do a home-and-garden show.