The changing leaves and pumpkin proliferation might be the unofficial start of fall for the northeast, but so is Katie Lee preparing some butternut squash soup and pumpkin bread on this early Monday morning in New York.
“I made my great-aunt’s recipe today,” The Kitchen co-host, Kind of Wild Wines co-founder, host of All of the Table podcast, Revlon ambassador and mom of Iris shares with excitement from her sunny Manhattan apartment.
“I asked her for her recipe because her pumpkin bread is always so good. And now I know why it was so good! It has a cup and a half of sugar and half a cup of oil. I was about to change the recipe. But then I thought, ‘You know what? It’s only pumpkin bread season one time a year, so I’m going to make it with a cup and a half of sugar and I’m going to enjoy it.’”
And enjoying it, Lee is. “I never knew this kind of job and journey existed,” the 43-year-old West Virginia native shares. “I’m so lucky I can do all of this.”
I think everyone would love to hear why you like working on The Kitchen so much. It seems like you all have such a fun time together.
The Kitchen really is so much fun to film and be a part of. At this point, we’ve been working together for more than 10 years, so I feel like my co-hosts are my family members. We just have fun. Sometimes, I feel like they have to remind us that we’re there to work, and I think that’s why we connect with our viewers. People feel like they are hanging out in the kitchen with us. The kitchen is always the center of the home, it’s the center of every party, and it’s where everybody ends up. So we hope that that’s how our viewers feel, too. We hope that they’re tuning in and hanging out with us, and we’re having just a great Saturday morning together.
That’s great. You have the wine, the podcast and a bunch of other partnerships. What does your day-to-day look like during the week when you are making time for it all?
Every day is different for me. That’s one thing that I love about my job. It keeps things interesting. Today, for instance, I am filming reels for my social media. I just made the pumpkin bread, I did some chicken and sweet potato tostadas, and I’m getting ready to make butternut squash soup.
Then, I’m going to drop my daughter off at school. She goes in the afternoon, so that is why I have the mornings free. I’m going to drop her off, and then I’ll record my podcast in the studio. Then, I’ll come home and do two Zooms. After that, I’ll go pick her up from school and hit the playground.
Every day is different for me. That’s one thing that I love about my job.
That’s a busy day. Do you ever have time to do anything for yourself? What does the off-time look like for you?
I try to find moments to have for myself. I love to get a foot massage. That’s my very favorite thing to do. I’ll go to Chinatown and get a foot massage. Hanging out at night and watching TV is also my downtime. I love to watch Real Housewives of Salt Lake City, have a glass of my Kind of Wild Sauvignon Blanc, and eat a bowl of popcorn. To me, that’s the ultimate self-care!
It really is. What are you liking right now, beauty-wise?
I’ve been using Molly Sims YSE under-eye patches. I think they’re called Overachiever Patches. I love those. They work great. I have been working with Revlon for five years, and I’m really devoted to the brand’s makeup and hair color. I love the products. I use them like crazy.
I also color my own hair; I’ve been coloring my own hair now for about six years. It is a good feeling to be in charge of my schedule and not have to say, “Oh my gosh, I see my gray roots coming through! I’ve got to make an appointment now to go to the salon.” I can just go into my cabinet and take care of it myself. And, in 30 minutes, I’m done.
I also feel like the beauty routine starts in the kitchen, with everything you’re eating. Having those fruits and vegetables and that colorful diet, to me, is where skin care starts. My beauty routine starts with what I’m eating. I like all those little baby steps you can take to take better care of yourself. It’s all about making better, easier choices wherever you can.
I have to get my hair done every three weeks and I need to figure out something else. I’m going to start playing with it.
Yes! You can do it! You know what? I’ve become a pro at the hair color. I really have. I do a mix and I put the color on my roots for 20 minutes. Then, I take whatever’s left in the bottle, add about an ounce of water to it, and shake it up really good. For the last five minutes, I pull that through the rest of my hair. So, I still get dimension in the color. It’s not all one color that way. I always get compliments from the hairstylist on my color. When I say I do it myself, they’re shocked!
Another calling. That’s great. Your daughter is still young. How do you find time just for her with everything that’s going on?
She will always be my number one priority. I will always put her ahead of everything. If it means I have to say no to a job I’d really like to do or balance the day’s schedule around her schedule, I’ll do it. I always want to be the one to drop her off and the one to pick her up if I can.
When I’m filming The Kitchen, that’s another thing. On those days, my husband does the pick up and drop off. We are fortunate enough to have an incredible nanny who helps us as well. I just always want her to feel like she’s my focus. She loves being in the kitchen with me. When I’m recipe testing and filming, I love for her to be around. She’s always in the background, [you] just might not see her on my social media. She’s my best friend.
I never knew this kind of job and journey existed.
That’s really sweet. When you look back on your life so far, what advice would you give to that girl? Did you always know you wanted to do all of these things?
Growing up, I had no idea that this kind of life and career could ever exist. I would have loved to be able to tell myself what was in store—I can’t believe how much I get to do and experience. I feel so lucky and fortunate. I am incredibly blessed to have the life that I do. And that I’ve been able to take something that I’ve always been passionate about and make it a career. It never really feels like work.
That goes into my last question: What are you excited for as we’re finally into fall?
Oh, I love fall. It is when New York shines. I love being out and about in the city. Yesterday, I put Iris in the stroller, and we were out for about six hours. We were just walking about, all over town. I love walking. Right now, with the way the temperature is and the clear blue skies, it is amazing.
I love fall food as well. Everything I’m cooking today is food I’m excited to eat. I’m really excited to dive into this pumpkin bread that I just took out of the oven. The kitchen smells amazing. Like I said, I’m looking forward to enjoying it!
