Sandra Lee's South Beach Cocktail Party

The famous hostess throws a waterfront cocktail party for some of her biggest fans. Food Network Magazine gets the scoop.

From: Food Network Magazine

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Photo By: Mark Peterson/ Redux

Photo By: Mark Peterson / Redux

If it's 5 p.m. and you're at a party with Sandra Lee, it's time for one thing: cocktails. And by all measures, this woman deserves one. In the past four years, she's written 16 cookbooks and a memoir; shot more than 200 episodes of her show Semi-Homemade Cooking; launched her own magazine, Sandra Lee Semi-Homemade; and added a second show, Sandra's Money Saving Meals, to her lineup.

Get the Recipe: Margarita Martini

Sandra took a break in early 2009 to throw a party for charity at Miami's Standard Hotel during Food Network's South Beach Food & Wine Festival, where she treated the crowd to a margarita-themed spread.

Sandra spent hours hanging out with about 400 fans, and didn't go home until every last one of them got an autograph.

Serve the cheese straws and dip in a shot glass!

Get the Recipe: Cheese Straws in Pesto

"I really enjoy my time with my fans," she says. "I'm a huggy, kissy person. I'd much rather be down here enjoying the party than up on a stage."

This chicken cooks in less than 4 minutes!

Get the Recipe: Margarita Chicken Skewers