Sandra Lee Celebrates 58th Birthday Kissing Boyfriend Ben Youcef in Series of Selfies: ‘So Grateful for My Love'
The food star and her beau began dating in summer 2021 after meeting at a Santa Monica restaurant months prior
Sandra Lee/Instagram
Sandra Lee kissing boyfriend Ben YoucefSandra Lee is being showered with birthday kisses from boyfriend Ben Youcef!
The cookbook author turned 58 on Wednesday, July 3. And to celebrate, she shared to Instagram a series of lip-lock pictures she snapped with her actor-producer beau, 44.
“Best birthday gift ever was Ben!,” Lee captioned the photos, recalling how she initially refused his advances when they met three years ago. “Thank you for chasing me up the street and not taking NO NO NO for an answer! You were right!”
“Thank you God for such wonderful man to get to kiss," Lee continued. "So grateful for my love!!"
Lee's posted into a total of ten smooching selfies taken during the couple's travels during the years. The pair could be seen in several elaborate locations, including what appeared to be a golden palace with chandeliers, alongside a crowded European street, in the woods and even inside a church.
"Happy Everything for Everyone!,” she concluded the post, signing her name off at the end “Sandy xoxo.”
Lee and Youcef began dating in summer 2021 after meeting as friends at a Santa Monica restaurant months prior.
The couple then stepped out together publicly at the Smithsonian's National Portrait Gallery for the Portrait of a Nation Gala in November 2022.
Their red carpet outing marked their first since Youcef finalized his divorce, a source told PEOPLE at the time. Lee ended her 14-year relationship with former New York Governor Andrew Cuomo in September 2019.
Related: Sandra Lee Kisses Boyfriend Ben Youcef on 'Enchanting' European Christmas Vacation
Since confirming their relationship, Lee and Youcef have shared photos traveling around the world. Over the Christmas season, the pair shared loved up photos at a Christmas market in Prague and several other places in Budapest and Vienna.
“Wow, it certainly is incredible! The city rivals all the greats,” Lee wrote of the capital city of the Czech Republic. “It is absolute beauty, steeped in great history and sharing all the magic of medieval times. It's simply WOW! And I simply love it!”
Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE's free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.
In early June, Lee even revealed that she and Youcef had also gone on a trip to Paris and St. Tropez. She shared some fun photos posing with Youcef at a restaurant before sharing a look at the variety of food options they got to enjoy in the city.
“PARIS! The Food! Amazing — ate everything in site!" she wrote. "Drank champagne. Dessert! Chocolate. Divine! I wish you were here we would eat and drink and critique all the wonderful rich deep flavors. I love analyzing what I think is in each dish based on the flavors that hit my palette. Amazing."
For more People news, make sure to sign up for our newsletter!
Read the original article on People.
