Ina Garten Says She's 'Just Getting Started' Loving Husband Jeffrey on His 77th Birthday

Ina and Jeffrey Garten first met when she was 16 and he was 18. They tied the knot in 1968

Ina Garten is looking on the bright side even in difficult times, thanks to husband Jeffrey’s birthday.

On Sunday, the Food Network chef posted an adorable collection of pictures of her husband of nearly 55 years in honor of his 77th birthday. In the caption, the Be My Guest with Ina Garten host recognized that with the sad world and domestic news occurring lately, all positive moments like Jeffrey’s birthday are worth honoring.

“Even with the dreadful things going on in the world, we need to celebrate the everyday joys,” Ina wrote on a series of current and throwback images.

“Happy birthday to my darling husband Jeffrey,” she continued. “I've loved you madly for almost 60 years and I'm just getting started.”

Along with a photo of a smiling Jeffrey posing with a glass of red wine, the Barefoot Contessa star shared a selfie of the pair in front of the Eiffel Tower from 2015. Ina also captured their silly relationship, even after so many years married, with a video.

“People always ask me, ‘Does Jeffrey cook for me?’ and I say the same thing every time, ‘He makes really good coffee,’” she says at the start of the video, before introducing “Chef Jeffrey.” Jeffrey entered the kitchen decked out in a Barefoot Contessa apron and voluminous chef's cap before demonstrating his method for making the “perfect cup of coffee.” His trick? Adding water and coffee grounds to a coffee machine.

Ina shared images of the couple from the early days of their marriage, even including a snap of Ina at 20 and Jeffrey at 22, embracing each other at their 1968 wedding. She also included a photo of Jeffrey in his military uniform (he served from 1968 until 1972). Another photo of Jeffrey beside an open car trunk looks to be from a four month European camping trip the pair took in 1971.

They will celebrate their 55th anniversary on Dec. 22.

Related: Ina Garten Says Her Husband Jeffrey Accidentally Sent a 'Love Text' to the Wrong Person

Earlier this year on an episode of The Drew Barrymore Show, Ina shared that their romance hasn’t always been smooth and in fact, their first date was "a disaster."

Ina recounted how she was 16 and in high school at the time, while Jeffrey was attending Dartmouth. Jeffrey saw Ina walking around campus and asked a mutual friend for her number. When he called her, Ina suggested they go to a bar, despite having never been to one before.

Ina shared that she was able to remain "totally cool" about the situation. That is, until the now-couple had to gain entry inside and Ina did not know she needed a fake ID. "I had no idea that I needed a fake ID to get into a bar when I was sixteen."

Their first date did have a happy ending, though. Ina revealed that Jeffrey made the first move that night and they shared their first kiss "in front of my house, in the car when I thought he was never gonna see again on that first date.”

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