The issue I have always felt most strongly about is hunger in America, in particular the children.

When I'm really stressed out, I go to church. I light candles and sit and pray. And I'll ask myself, What's the lesson? Why am I going through this? There's got to be a reason I'm here. What am I supposed to learn?

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

It's really easy to figure out why I love what I love, the holidays and food. I know the difference between having them and not having them.

You don't need to be born with a silver spoon to reach for the brass ring

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.

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.