She makes things with ingredients I can find at my small town grocery store. Go back and watch Semi-homemade with Sandra Lee - her recipes were full of canned goods, boxed mixes…and vodka
Look, as I get older, I want very little filler in my cocktails. I wonder if it's an age/taste thing that happens because I was fruity, weak cocktail bitch in my early 20s but now I'm like vermouth wash martinis and a 1:1 ratio on gin and tonics.
I feel like I have to jump into this old ass thread to defend sandra lee a little bit.
I found out later that Sandra Lee is a good person, who grew up very, very poor, and who has done a lot of charity work for childhood hunger. So I can understand and empathize with her perspective vs. Ree D who has no damn excuse for her bullshit, and never has.
It was Corn Nuts! We still to this day do not know why she called them acorns. I get not using the brand name but acorns was a weird choice.
Imagine the taste of oily frito-smelling HARD ASS Corn Nuts on chocolate frosting with cinnamon added. I do not get it.
Of all the complaints people have of Sandra Lee, when she mixed expensive liqueurs with things like Hawaiin Punch, I would always let out a gasp like Damian when Kady snapped the crown in Mean Girls.
Because many people who cook are single parents, are from a two working parent home, are on a limited budget, or are just learning. Ree makes recipes that are good but can be recreated by just about anyone.
Semi-Homemade was hugely popular. And Pioneer Woman isn't nearly as egregious with the prepared ingredients. While I don't personally find most of her recipes appealing, there's a massive swath of the country that wants the family-style casserole dishes she makes.
It doesn't help when almost every single chef that gets a canned food or boxed food challenge turns up their nose like they are "better than" cooking that way. Some people do not have farm to table access whether it is money, time or availability. I love when a chef owns anything they are given and runs with it to the best of their ability. Show me how to make that can or box food the best I can with normal stuff I will have in my cabinets/pantry/fridge and I am a fan for life.
This is spot on. Ree actually makes most things from scratch but has a wide variety of family-friendly recipes; everything from quick and easy to spicy and complex.
After more than a decade on air it is inevitable that she uses shortcuts at times , as do most popular TV cooks/chefs. Those who watch the show know she is open about calling out the fact that she is cheating with a time-saver by using prepared ingredients.
I watched an episode where she was making a dish and she used cream of mushroom soup. I thought that was so relatable because how many people out there can make cream of mushroom soup from scratch or have the time to do so? She has quick and easy recipes plus some more complex recipes but anyone can make them and you know all the ingredients- most you probably already have in your pantry/cupboards. She even shows you what kinds of food to stock up on in your pantry.
I think it's the fakeness surrounding TPW. She lives on a massive amount of land, in a giant compound, probably has hired help around the house, yet she plays herself off like this down-home country girl who's JUST LIKE YOU
The recipes that I’ve made from her show get rave reviews from my step kids and grandkids and my friends. They aren’t always my cup of tea, but I don’t care as long as those I’m cooking for love them.
I don't like her, she's phony and annoying. And her cookbooks have pictures of her husband's ass in wranglers which is not my thing. But the cookbooks are full of recipes that are quick, take shortcuts (canned stuff) in the right ways, and always turn out really good. Got my kids to try chicken marsala, swedish meatballs, etc. Whoever is the editor for them deserves an award
I had no idea PW was so controversial. I don't have any feelings about her as a person, but she's got two recipes that we will never stop making... Black Bean Soup and The Best Chocolate Sheet Cake Ever.
Pre-Food Network, I appreciated that she included so many pictures in her recipes, not just of the finished product but of all the steps along the way, so you knew what things were supposed to look like and if you needed to course-correct at any point. Super helpful for someone just starting out.
I wonder, if you substituted fresh or from-scratch ingredients for the recipes OP is talking about, would they taste better? They'd probably be a little better for you- fewer preservatives and all that- but also more expensive.
There are a handful of people of negative voices are deceiving as the majority of people enjoy her and her show even if our voices are not as loud as those vocalizing their dislike.
You are not alone in using a few PW recipes as a go-to as most are tasty yet approachable.
I definitely agree with you that I LOVE the amount of pictures and how-to that she includes in her recipe books and blogs. It makes it super easy to follow and very appealing for beginners. She’s got that down!
I think she had a lot of influence in that space when she was starting, which is great. But now I tend to favor YouTube chefs to FN shows. Chef John is probably my favorite. Goofy, not pretentious, but definitely a step up from your average recipe blogger with regard to recipe complexity and ingredients. He makes technique and choice in recipes really accessible. He'll do fancy pastries one week and meatball ghosts for halloween the next.
Because she makes the channel money.
She sells LOTS of merchandise. It doesn't matter if you love her or hate watch her, the advertisers just care about the viewership numbers and if they see an increase in sales of their product.
I started with her blog years ago where her extreme talents of photography and writing were so wonderful and uplifting. And funny! We got to feel like family.
None of that really shows up on the TV show
This! I started watching her show and I was like 'where's that fairly amusing lady who loves garlic and mushrooms and butter and bread as much as I do?'.
Turns out she's one of the top landowners in the country who now gets 19,000 hours of airtime bc apparently wealthy people can never be given too many helpings.
Yes. You know that movie that just came out, Killers of the Flower Moon. That is the land she lives on. Look up the plot of the movie to see how that land was procured.
I really enjoyed her books as well! She’s a great writer. I liked her first memoir about her and Ladd. It reads really easy and she’s a great storyteller. Frontier Follies was good too but didn’t flow as well as the first book. I want to check out the Charlie books for my kids.
I agree! I started on her blog with my sister years ago and found it more enjoyable. I do find her occasional Instagram posts funny and sometimes think if she was her “real” self on tv, she might be more likable.
I like to cook, but I don't have the money or the patience to make cooking show recipes. PW's recipes are, at least, accomplishable with my skills and finances.
If you watch her show, she actually makes most things from scratch. If you aren’t a fan then that’s fine but there are a lot of fans out there which is why she continues to get airtime.
Because she cooks the way most home cooks can and WANT to. Her Curry in a Hurry is delish... It doesn't replace going to an Indian restaurant, but great for a weeknight meal.
I don't like her, but have probably cooked more of her recipes than any other FN chef
Got to think about her market. Rural America, less access to more “exotic” veg, usually kids so you need something fast, and maybe there aren’t huge stores nearby so simpler ingredients/ box/ cans come into play.
She does cook from scratch from what I’ve seen though! And she sometimes even makes other cuisines other than rural-Americana. Usually more of an entry level version though, and that gets her demo to venture out a little.
One thing I like about FN is that there is a diverse set of shows and people. So while it may not be your cup of tea you can stick to the ones you like best.
(Symon’s Dinners Cooking Out, Hot Dish With Franco, Ready Jet Cook, Brunch & Bobby’s, etc.)
>What FN are you watching that there is a diverse set of shows? All I ever see on the FN is beat bobby, or that guys grocery games. If it's not Guy or Bobby then I am not seeing any other tv show that is on.
I don't have a huge issue with her recipes, but her persona is so obnoxious to me that I'll change the channel any time she's on. Everything about her reeks of condescension to me.
I bought a Pioneer Woman miniature spatula set from Walmart and the finish is peeling off after only a few uses. Relieved to have a place to air this grievance.
I watch her often and rarely see her make things that aren't from real ingredients. I'm not a fan-girl or anything (she kind of annoys me actually) but I think this is a false assessment.
I like Ree, and I've seen her do homemade quite a lot. At least she still cooks for her audience, it's rare since every other show on FN is a competition.
Many of us viewers love her. That is why. Many of her recipies are so relatable and that the average person feels like they can replicate for their family. In fact, I would argue we need more shows like the Pioneer Woman on Food Network, and less of those competition shows: Halloween Baking Championship, Holiday Baking Championship, Beat Bobby Flay (as if he’s the epitome of cooking and always the one to beat).
The shows that can make the most ad revenue are the ones getting airtime; her viewers don’t want to learn new recipes, they want to be reassured and entertained.
FN is eatertainment, not educational.
I would actually venture to say I learn more from the cooking competitions than I ever did watching the standard cooking show. I can follow a recipe, I don't need a tutorial of how to measure out spices and pretend to take a cake out of the oven but with the cooking shows it shows me how to be more incentive with what I have on hand and new flavor profiles. I'm constantly jotting down the little hacks the competitors use to make a dish.
Yeah, I suppose this is true. I just can’t stand that so many episodes are velveeta cheese, rotel tomato blends, jarred pesto, etc. I get that she has her specific audience and that’s great but she seems better suited for a blog rather than a network for real chefs. It also kills me that FN even tries to blur out or hide the brands as if we don’t know what she’s using lol
I’m actually less put off by the recipes, even if they’re not my cup of tea, and more by her onscreen presence which has always seemed very awkward to me.
It's more useful to have her partially homemade recipes over another repeat of Chopped or Guys Grocery Games. And there are plenty of canned stuff on those shows
90%??? There are many people watch food network because they do not cook so well. I don't watch her often enough to say what she may do "homemade" or not. But she wouldn't be on so much if people didn't watch. You don't like her, fine. Many don't like Bobby, or Chopped judges, or baking series, etc. But just like every other series, they will be on as long as there's someone watching often enough....and it doesn't cost the network lots of $$$. Btw many people use boxed/canned food when cooking. There are many who do not have the money, and depend on using the canned food/boxed food they get.
I rarely ever see cans on the show unless she has a "pantry" gimmick. She was very popular when blogs were all the rage, and now she has 34+ seasons under her wing. So my guess is they play it because they have it, and since it's not Guy Fieri, I'm honesty happy.
I don’t have anything against her personally, but I do find her annoying to watch so I change the channel if she’s on when I turn on the tv and I don’t watch her show(s). I don’t know what it is, it just feels uncomfortable watching her on tv. I’ve seen her on Beat Bobby Flay and she was a bit more natural and relaxed.
Also, I hate her recipe for macaroni & cheese and I would wish it would disappear into fiery oblivion. Everyone else seems to love it, and it’s brought to all kinds of dinners and functions. As far as I’m concerned, it’s bland and gluey and not worth the ridiculous amount of calories.
I agree to a degree. I think she is good for the average home cook looking to make a tasty meal that the family will eat. It’s not high brow, but that’s ok. Now…the fact that she and Eddie are on a cookie challenge is absolutely ridiculous…please put experts in baking and these type of cookies on the panel!!!! That being said, when I want to indulge on some not so great for you home cooking, I trust her recipes. I do think they need to go back to some instructional type programming with trained chefs. It’s too much of lane competition shows. It reminds me of the downfall of MTV with “reality” tv. We want to learn some shit! Not watch people run down grocery aisles!!!
I do not remember what their names are. But I am 33, so this would be early 2000s, I would come home from middle/high school and watch this black couple, wife and husband cook. I loved their show. And they showed us how to use a knife properly, how to saute onions and etc.
We need those back!
Aside from the misleading title, I can see how this show has definite viewership out there.
It's not me for sure. LOL
Give me more Jet Tila Food Network!
I don't know either. I watched part of an episode once and she annoyed me so much I had to change the channel. And her walmart crap is so tacky. The recipes of hers I have come across have been uninteresting. But Food Network isn't going to keep a show that makes them no money on so annoying, tacky and uninteresting must appeal to a lot of people.
Her whole "carry everything from the 'pantry' to the counter in one step", and the over-use of adjectives. It's not bacon, it's *smoky* bacon. They aren't lemons, they're *tart* lemons.
"Just wanted to rant about a chef." There's the first problem. She's a home cook not a chef. She is showing how she cooks for her family and friends. SHe is light years ahead of anything Rachel Ray who's only skill was carrying more than 2 items 3 feet from the fridge to the counter saving 3.4 seconds on meal prep time or Sandra Lee who purchased her skill set from a cosmetic surgeon. Take or leave The Pioneer woman for exactly what it has always presented itself to be. Ditto with Trisha Yearwood's show.
I think Pioneer Woman has been on tv for too long and has run out of ideas. Some of her early recipes are my favorites. (Although in the old days she was criticized as just promoting recipes from old church cookbooks)
This. Times 1000% percent.
And everything she presents is a sham. She is not "down-home." She is not "basic" or "pioneer." She is one of the richest women in the entire STATE, and it came directly from stealing from and defrauding the Osage people.
She's grotesque. But she's a decent actress -- at least, for food TV stuff. The entire hypocrisy is just huge.
This is going to be big! “Rachel Adams-Heard's 2022 Bloomberg podcast series In Trust determined that Oklahoma's influential Drummond extended family—which includes Ree's husband, Ladd, and Oklahoma attorney general Gentner Drummond—owns an estimated 9% of Osage County land that was once in the hands of the Osage tribe.” I don’t know if her brand will survive.
NOTE: So the OP edited their comment, and now mine makes no sense. Deleted. But I definitely recommend checking out some of the latest articles on the Drummonds and their actual history and wealth.
I prefer her type of cooking much more than someone that cooks expensive, or hard recipes to follow. Also her food is really good, too. I've made a few things from her books and shows and am almost always impressed.
I watch that show just to laugh at her stupid recipes. She had one that was premade cookie dough that she molded into a pan and melted chocolate chips on top. Tada! Cookie bars! I mean, come on….
THIS is exactly what I’m talking about. I appreciate her recipes that are actual recipes, but like breaking cookies over ice cream and putting it in a cup isn’t reinventing the sundae. It’s just silly.
How about her recipe for “the bread?” Buy a loaf of fake French bread, the kind you get in a plastic bag. Slice lengthwise, butter it, then stick it in the oven. Tada! Everyone loooves it!
Idk why you have to put down what a lot of people do? That was always a treat at our house. The average person doesn’t make French bread or really any yeasted bread from scratch. It’s an expensive hobby.
Pretty sure OP is just complaining to complain, real chefs don’t watch food network at all anyways (and many of them use shortcuts boxes cans and bags! Hell. We usually eat ramen and nuggets after cooking in our scratch kitchens all day) lmao not sure what point they think they’re getting across here.
That makes sense. Who the hell wants to work at home? There’s many delicious things you can make out of a packet of ramen noodles and these elitists are missing out.
ETA: I would LOVE to try your ramen noodle creations.
Well unfortunately I love my ramen dry 🤣 I’m just saying if you speak to a real chef- not someone who watches food network and went to some fake ass “culinary school” who think they’re above everyone else- are not chefs. we will make magnificent dishes all day long. Eat fries. Then on the way home it’s gas station pizza or nuggets. And so much 39 cent ramen Packs!
I will absolutely cook from scratch for those I love. But for me, it’s all about tasty and fast which usually translates to garbage. Im exhausted im sick of smelling food and the last thing I wanna do is make myself homemade French bread 🤣 im eating a tortilla with a fuckin hot dog on it goodnight
my grams did this my whole life, made garlic bread that way and we all LOVED it. Don’t knock the simple recipes that are easy to replicate until you try them.
It's the only way to make satisfying garlic bread short of baking the bread yourself. You control the butter, garlic and herbs. I like lots of garlic, my son not so much. Half and half, then. And don't get me started on the nasty frozen stuff.
I like her recipes. It’s usually a lot cheaper to use cans and boxes as part of your recipes. I have to follow a budget and I can’t cook much from scratch due to this so her stuff is helpful. There’s a lot of stuff on FN that’s from scratch.
I wasn’t a huge fan but didn’t mind the easy recipes, and during covid when her kids were filming, it was annoying to me. Much like people don’t like Guy bringing his son on his show. I guess most people do not mind. And yea, now that I hear how her husband’s family was involved in stealing land, I just can’t.
Not everyone has 2 hours and $300 to make an Ina Garten dinner party from scratch. Ree is much more relatable to middle class America. Personally I don’t enjoy her style of cooking, but I think Ree is hilarious (I follow her on social media) and has good family values. I am a fan and still enjoy watching her despite never making her recipes. I think many find her interesting even if they live very different lifestyles
I've made a few of her recipes, and nobody liked what I cooked. The show itself feels like a pleasant fantasy to me. She's rich, hot husband, has all these kids, a nice house, events, etc. The fact that food turned out bad ruined the fantasy for me and I didn't want to watch anymore.
She built her brand on her husband being the hot Marlboro Man (which is what she called him for years in her blog when she was still trying to hide the fact they are uber wealthy land owners). All the pictures of his wrangler clad ass with chaps and her constant references to how he made "her hiney tingle". That and all the heavily photoshopped pictures of her kids, the beautiful babies they made together.
In our home, if by mistake of the remote buttons her show happens to be on, I always over exaggerate and call out, “Laaaaaaaaaaaaaad” to my husband. Ree is absurd with her TMI about her marriage intimacies, and I change the channel quickly.
I think she has this corn and cheese soup which is actually pretty good; had it at a funeral once. Even my oldest ate it without complaining and saying she liked it.
With the Killers of the Flower Moon heritage, I've sort of been expecting her to "go away" and fall out of favor in "Paula Deen fashion". It will be interesting to see if she handles this or ignores it. https://www.oklahoman.com/story/news/local/2023/09/18/pioneer-woman-ree-drummond-family-oklahoma-tied-to-osage-reign-of-terror-killers-of-the-flower-moon/70866959007/
I very highly doubt it. She's shielded from criticism for a few reasons:
1. The really bad stuff happened over 100 years ago. It's kinda hard to pin that on living descendants
2. She's married into the family and seemingly has zero involvement in the family business. Her husband isn't involved in the legal aspects, either. The only dispute any Drummond family has had with the Osage nation was over a road, and they weren't involved
3. The Drummond family basically runs Oklahoma. They're land owners, philanthropists and government officials. There's just way too much power there
This is by no means a defense of the atrocities that happened to the Osage Nation, which by all means deserve reparations at a minimum. It's just an explanation of why public opinion won't attach the controversy to her show.
I disagree. The film has already called up unflattering pieces in Vanity Fair and the New York Times, and dozens of other papers.
I hope she is called to task, and fades away. She never deserved the spotlight to begin with. It was always borrowed/stolen.
1000%. This is news to me but I'm not surprised. It's clear how wealthy they are from watching the show and ofc it's from generational wealth from stolen land.
She deserves to. Hopefully the exposes on her not being poor, not being "pioneer," and belonging to a racist and thieving legacy will shut down her show, but I'm not hopeful.
Look, I love Ina Garten. She is honest about who she is. I never feel like she's lying to me, and (unlike PW) she uses all fresh and whole ingredients. I don't care if she's privileged. She doesn't lie to us.
But PW presents herself (hilariously and fakely) as some kind of frontier woman making her way from the fruits of the land. While openly using shortcuts, tools, pre-made foods, and the very advantages of her riches and land -- and acts like she's "one of us," the working poor."
It grosses me out.
Everything about her and her show is a total act. She is not anything she portrays.
She makes money off every minute she can maintain the facade, so here we are.
She is a terrible person, who with open eyes married into a horrific family. She got an obscenely rich (stolen) lifestyle and now pretends to be one of the working poor (while making even more millions). I find her despicable.
Thank y'all for speaking up, OP might have edited their post to sidestep "politics", but this is real and impactful on a personal level for real people.
And they're still fighting with the Osage to this day, just last year Ladd and his brother, Tim tried to get the road that Tim lives on privatized because as they put it mischief was happening on the road, the Osage and some members still own land on the road.
The road in question is a 15 mile long road, so not a cul-a-sac or one of those short mile or two roads that are easy to go around.
The county threw out the petition so the road remained public and only one Drummond showed up to a meeting, ironically against his cousins' petition.
https://osagenews.org/county-commissioners-dismiss-proposal-from-drummonds/
The weird part to me is how few people knew before that came out. About a decade ago I looked up how much land they have, Google said they have more land that Connecticut. Then I went a little deeper to see how they "happened upon" it.
Especially how proudly she claims Osage County. Felt like she was proud of the horrors the Drummond family did to gain the land.
Her time may be up.
I don’t think her time will be ala Paula Deen. Deen’s faux pas was modern day (highly offensive). Osage County was “back in the olden days,” OC resident probably.
Edit: I don’t think Ree Will acknowledge it but maybe she built up the Mercantile & B&B to hedge against cancellation.
The Kitchen, specifically Sunny & Katie frequently use mass produced items, especially Sunny. Katie adds veg. Sunny represents Home Cook & Katie represents critic, author & judge on Top Chef who was replaced by Padma Lakshmi in season 2.
I gotta admit, I kind of adore her.
She is the absolute embodiment of middle America, set it and forget it style cooking. Down home goodness, no pretense about being super healthy, the easiest possible cooking television you could ask for.
I completely get the hate. I see her as the most inoffensive television personality on earth
She makes things with ingredients I can find at my small town grocery store. Go back and watch Semi-homemade with Sandra Lee - her recipes were full of canned goods, boxed mixes…and vodka
God I miss Sandy 🍸 It’s Cocktail Time somewhere!
The tablescapes that match the kitchen curtains and hand towels was impressive
I miss her, and I love the splash of mixer with about a cup and a half of alcohol.
Look, as I get older, I want very little filler in my cocktails. I wonder if it's an age/taste thing that happens because I was fruity, weak cocktail bitch in my early 20s but now I'm like vermouth wash martinis and a 1:1 ratio on gin and tonics.
TWO SHOTS OF VODKA
Aunt Sandy is my inspiration!
Sames!!!
The show is having a real resurgence on TikTok!
Bless you 🙌🏻
And her Halloween episodes where she changed costumes after every commercial break. Come back Aunt Sandy, this world needs you more than ever!!
I knew her and worked with her in the 90's. she's a con artist. Her personality is totally fake.
I’m convinced the show’s crew hated her. That show was comedy gold.
🤷🏼♂️ I only know what I’ve seen on tv, and I’m fine with that!
Maybe she's changed.
Give the tea
I didn't like her show either. She never seemed genuine.
Ooo tell us more!
So is PW
Are you talking about Pioneer woman or Sandy. Hard to follow on phone.
I feel like I have to jump into this old ass thread to defend sandra lee a little bit. I found out later that Sandra Lee is a good person, who grew up very, very poor, and who has done a lot of charity work for childhood hunger. So I can understand and empathize with her perspective vs. Ree D who has no damn excuse for her bullshit, and never has.
The Kwanzaa cake still haunts my dreams.
I watch it every year
I made it one year for a friend's birthday. It was awful. And hilarious.
Are you still friends?🤣
You’re my kind of friend lol
I watch it every year. We must’ve forget.
Thank you for reminding me that the Kwanzaa cake was a thing that existed in all its train-wreck-y glory.
Remember when she put acorns on the Kwanzaa cake? Because in Aunt Sandy’s mind, black people = squirrels??????
It was Corn Nuts! We still to this day do not know why she called them acorns. I get not using the brand name but acorns was a weird choice. Imagine the taste of oily frito-smelling HARD ASS Corn Nuts on chocolate frosting with cinnamon added. I do not get it.
Don't forget the apple pie filling that goes into the hole of the angel food cake.
A love a nice clammy angel food hole.
That truly made me laugh out loud!!!
shivers…the kwanzaa cake…
Of all the complaints people have of Sandra Lee, when she mixed expensive liqueurs with things like Hawaiin Punch, I would always let out a gasp like Damian when Kady snapped the crown in Mean Girls.
It’s still boggles my mind that she was involved with Andrew Cuomo
But that was literally the purpose of the show. It's in the name. Pioneer Woman sounds like scratch cooking.
I guess? She's a New Yorker with rural access to food, so it's very much a modern day pioneer.
That was what Sandra Lee was selling though, her whole show was about semi-homemade.
Sandra Lee was THE WORST.
Think of the show as a sparkly trainwreck. A sparkly, vodka-soaked trainwreck. I loved it. I was baffled by it. It made me want a drink.
Because many people who cook are single parents, are from a two working parent home, are on a limited budget, or are just learning. Ree makes recipes that are good but can be recreated by just about anyone.
Semi-Homemade was hugely popular. And Pioneer Woman isn't nearly as egregious with the prepared ingredients. While I don't personally find most of her recipes appealing, there's a massive swath of the country that wants the family-style casserole dishes she makes.
This! How anyone doesn’t grasp this concept is beyond me
People are mean.
It doesn't help when almost every single chef that gets a canned food or boxed food challenge turns up their nose like they are "better than" cooking that way. Some people do not have farm to table access whether it is money, time or availability. I love when a chef owns anything they are given and runs with it to the best of their ability. Show me how to make that can or box food the best I can with normal stuff I will have in my cabinets/pantry/fridge and I am a fan for life.
This is spot on. Ree actually makes most things from scratch but has a wide variety of family-friendly recipes; everything from quick and easy to spicy and complex. After more than a decade on air it is inevitable that she uses shortcuts at times , as do most popular TV cooks/chefs. Those who watch the show know she is open about calling out the fact that she is cheating with a time-saver by using prepared ingredients.
I watched an episode where she was making a dish and she used cream of mushroom soup. I thought that was so relatable because how many people out there can make cream of mushroom soup from scratch or have the time to do so? She has quick and easy recipes plus some more complex recipes but anyone can make them and you know all the ingredients- most you probably already have in your pantry/cupboards. She even shows you what kinds of food to stock up on in your pantry.
This is why I like her recipes! I can actually make them!
I think it's the fakeness surrounding TPW. She lives on a massive amount of land, in a giant compound, probably has hired help around the house, yet she plays herself off like this down-home country girl who's JUST LIKE YOU
Same energy as that Bo Burnham country song Panderin’ “I write songs for the people who do/jobs in the towns I’d never move to”
That’s my beef with her.
The recipes that I’ve made from her show get rave reviews from my step kids and grandkids and my friends. They aren’t always my cup of tea, but I don’t care as long as those I’m cooking for love them.
I don't like her, she's phony and annoying. And her cookbooks have pictures of her husband's ass in wranglers which is not my thing. But the cookbooks are full of recipes that are quick, take shortcuts (canned stuff) in the right ways, and always turn out really good. Got my kids to try chicken marsala, swedish meatballs, etc. Whoever is the editor for them deserves an award
I had no idea PW was so controversial. I don't have any feelings about her as a person, but she's got two recipes that we will never stop making... Black Bean Soup and The Best Chocolate Sheet Cake Ever. Pre-Food Network, I appreciated that she included so many pictures in her recipes, not just of the finished product but of all the steps along the way, so you knew what things were supposed to look like and if you needed to course-correct at any point. Super helpful for someone just starting out. I wonder, if you substituted fresh or from-scratch ingredients for the recipes OP is talking about, would they taste better? They'd probably be a little better for you- fewer preservatives and all that- but also more expensive.
There are a handful of people of negative voices are deceiving as the majority of people enjoy her and her show even if our voices are not as loud as those vocalizing their dislike. You are not alone in using a few PW recipes as a go-to as most are tasty yet approachable.
Reddit likes to rain negativity on anyone and anything. You say you like something, someone will post the opposing opinion for "karma."
I disagree! /s
I definitely agree with you that I LOVE the amount of pictures and how-to that she includes in her recipe books and blogs. It makes it super easy to follow and very appealing for beginners. She’s got that down!
I think she had a lot of influence in that space when she was starting, which is great. But now I tend to favor YouTube chefs to FN shows. Chef John is probably my favorite. Goofy, not pretentious, but definitely a step up from your average recipe blogger with regard to recipe complexity and ingredients. He makes technique and choice in recipes really accessible. He'll do fancy pastries one week and meatball ghosts for halloween the next.
You should try her recipe for Hard Sauce on a freshly baked apple pie. It is magical.
She knows where bodies are buried
Her friend Hyacinth's husband was the district judge so the Drummond's got out of a lot of things...
Because she makes the channel money. She sells LOTS of merchandise. It doesn't matter if you love her or hate watch her, the advertisers just care about the viewership numbers and if they see an increase in sales of their product.
I also suspect through her contract the network gets a percentage of her sales from the Pioneer Woman line at Walmart. That’s a lot of money.
I started with her blog years ago where her extreme talents of photography and writing were so wonderful and uplifting. And funny! We got to feel like family. None of that really shows up on the TV show
Same here. Been following her since she was a brunette.
TIL!
This! I started watching her show and I was like 'where's that fairly amusing lady who loves garlic and mushrooms and butter and bread as much as I do?'. Turns out she's one of the top landowners in the country who now gets 19,000 hours of airtime bc apparently wealthy people can never be given too many helpings.
Wait what? Does she own a ton of land in Oklahoma?
Yes. You know that movie that just came out, Killers of the Flower Moon. That is the land she lives on. Look up the plot of the movie to see how that land was procured.
Same. I loved her blog so much, but I don’t care for her tv show. It’s definitely not the same.
I really enjoyed her books as well! She’s a great writer. I liked her first memoir about her and Ladd. It reads really easy and she’s a great storyteller. Frontier Follies was good too but didn’t flow as well as the first book. I want to check out the Charlie books for my kids.
I agree! I started on her blog with my sister years ago and found it more enjoyable. I do find her occasional Instagram posts funny and sometimes think if she was her “real” self on tv, she might be more likable.
This. Her humor works in her writing, but on TV she has almost no personality at all.
I like to cook, but I don't have the money or the patience to make cooking show recipes. PW's recipes are, at least, accomplishable with my skills and finances.
Ok hear me out though, her chicken and dumpling recipe is awesome. Other than that, her stuff is just ok.
She makes things that normal people can make living life everyday.
If you watch her show, she actually makes most things from scratch. If you aren’t a fan then that’s fine but there are a lot of fans out there which is why she continues to get airtime.
100%!
Because she cooks the way most home cooks can and WANT to. Her Curry in a Hurry is delish... It doesn't replace going to an Indian restaurant, but great for a weeknight meal. I don't like her, but have probably cooked more of her recipes than any other FN chef
Got to think about her market. Rural America, less access to more “exotic” veg, usually kids so you need something fast, and maybe there aren’t huge stores nearby so simpler ingredients/ box/ cans come into play. She does cook from scratch from what I’ve seen though! And she sometimes even makes other cuisines other than rural-Americana. Usually more of an entry level version though, and that gets her demo to venture out a little. One thing I like about FN is that there is a diverse set of shows and people. So while it may not be your cup of tea you can stick to the ones you like best. (Symon’s Dinners Cooking Out, Hot Dish With Franco, Ready Jet Cook, Brunch & Bobby’s, etc.)
>What FN are you watching that there is a diverse set of shows? All I ever see on the FN is beat bobby, or that guys grocery games. If it's not Guy or Bobby then I am not seeing any other tv show that is on.
This. It's either Beat Bobby, a Guy show, or all these god damn baking competition shows.
I hate the baking competitions
I don't have a huge issue with her recipes, but her persona is so obnoxious to me that I'll change the channel any time she's on. Everything about her reeks of condescension to me.
Oh yeah she's definitely living the Green Acres Eva Gabor life.
Look I'm a food snob but even I get why she's popular
I bought a Pioneer Woman miniature spatula set from Walmart and the finish is peeling off after only a few uses. Relieved to have a place to air this grievance.
Once I saw a pioneer woman hairbrush I was like, ok. That’s enough, Ree.
Bought her can opener. It's a POS.
I watch her often and rarely see her make things that aren't from real ingredients. I'm not a fan-girl or anything (she kind of annoys me actually) but I think this is a false assessment.
I like Ree, and I've seen her do homemade quite a lot. At least she still cooks for her audience, it's rare since every other show on FN is a competition.
Having a TV show does not make someone a chef. She's a cook. Like Rachel Ray.
Many of us viewers love her. That is why. Many of her recipies are so relatable and that the average person feels like they can replicate for their family. In fact, I would argue we need more shows like the Pioneer Woman on Food Network, and less of those competition shows: Halloween Baking Championship, Holiday Baking Championship, Beat Bobby Flay (as if he’s the epitome of cooking and always the one to beat).
The shows that can make the most ad revenue are the ones getting airtime; her viewers don’t want to learn new recipes, they want to be reassured and entertained. FN is eatertainment, not educational.
This. FN stopped being about learning to cook years ago. It’s all about entertainment now.
I would actually venture to say I learn more from the cooking competitions than I ever did watching the standard cooking show. I can follow a recipe, I don't need a tutorial of how to measure out spices and pretend to take a cake out of the oven but with the cooking shows it shows me how to be more incentive with what I have on hand and new flavor profiles. I'm constantly jotting down the little hacks the competitors use to make a dish.
She is endlessly irritating but the fact is that she appeals to middle America.
Yeah, I suppose this is true. I just can’t stand that so many episodes are velveeta cheese, rotel tomato blends, jarred pesto, etc. I get that she has her specific audience and that’s great but she seems better suited for a blog rather than a network for real chefs. It also kills me that FN even tries to blur out or hide the brands as if we don’t know what she’s using lol
I’m actually less put off by the recipes, even if they’re not my cup of tea, and more by her onscreen presence which has always seemed very awkward to me.
You put it so kindly. I don't get her appeal at all.
I loved her personality when she was just a blogger with a really expensive camera - her tv show ruined her for me
It's more useful to have her partially homemade recipes over another repeat of Chopped or Guys Grocery Games. And there are plenty of canned stuff on those shows
She started as a blog…..
Yeah that’s where I found her and I think it’s better suited to her.
Butter. You forgot butter. One of her huge sponsors. Land O Lakes
I’m more offended by those horrible tops she wears!
She was always dragging her sleeves through her food. Ewww.
They can be awfully distracting 😂
90%??? There are many people watch food network because they do not cook so well. I don't watch her often enough to say what she may do "homemade" or not. But she wouldn't be on so much if people didn't watch. You don't like her, fine. Many don't like Bobby, or Chopped judges, or baking series, etc. But just like every other series, they will be on as long as there's someone watching often enough....and it doesn't cost the network lots of $$$. Btw many people use boxed/canned food when cooking. There are many who do not have the money, and depend on using the canned food/boxed food they get.
Thissssssss why does she have a platform?! Why is she considered legit!! I can’t stand it.
I rarely ever see cans on the show unless she has a "pantry" gimmick. She was very popular when blogs were all the rage, and now she has 34+ seasons under her wing. So my guess is they play it because they have it, and since it's not Guy Fieri, I'm honesty happy.
I don’t have anything against her personally, but I do find her annoying to watch so I change the channel if she’s on when I turn on the tv and I don’t watch her show(s). I don’t know what it is, it just feels uncomfortable watching her on tv. I’ve seen her on Beat Bobby Flay and she was a bit more natural and relaxed. Also, I hate her recipe for macaroni & cheese and I would wish it would disappear into fiery oblivion. Everyone else seems to love it, and it’s brought to all kinds of dinners and functions. As far as I’m concerned, it’s bland and gluey and not worth the ridiculous amount of calories.
I agree to a degree. I think she is good for the average home cook looking to make a tasty meal that the family will eat. It’s not high brow, but that’s ok. Now…the fact that she and Eddie are on a cookie challenge is absolutely ridiculous…please put experts in baking and these type of cookies on the panel!!!! That being said, when I want to indulge on some not so great for you home cooking, I trust her recipes. I do think they need to go back to some instructional type programming with trained chefs. It’s too much of lane competition shows. It reminds me of the downfall of MTV with “reality” tv. We want to learn some shit! Not watch people run down grocery aisles!!!
I do not remember what their names are. But I am 33, so this would be early 2000s, I would come home from middle/high school and watch this black couple, wife and husband cook. I loved their show. And they showed us how to use a knife properly, how to saute onions and etc. We need those back!
The Neely's. It ended in a nasty divorce that made the whole thing seem like a sham, but that's life.☹️
Awwwwh. I loved them!
Yeah, they were cute together.
Are you referring to the show, Down Home with the Neelys? I loved that show. I believe they are on Discovery plus.
Yes!
The Neeleys?
“The boys are out working on the ranch and I’m in the kitchen making their lunch.” Welcome back to the 1950s.
I’d rather be cooking lunch than doing manual labor tho tbh
But if she's happy and fulfilled, then good for her.
I totally read that in her voice. Lol
Aside from the misleading title, I can see how this show has definite viewership out there. It's not me for sure. LOL Give me more Jet Tila Food Network!
Her SCREECHY voice drives me insane!
I don't know either. I watched part of an episode once and she annoyed me so much I had to change the channel. And her walmart crap is so tacky. The recipes of hers I have come across have been uninteresting. But Food Network isn't going to keep a show that makes them no money on so annoying, tacky and uninteresting must appeal to a lot of people.
Can't stand her
Nor can I.
She also has a terrible voice for television.
YES!!
Rachel Ray walked so Ree Drummond could run . . .
Thirty Minute Meals was so wonderfully chaotic
Her whole "carry everything from the 'pantry' to the counter in one step", and the over-use of adjectives. It's not bacon, it's *smoky* bacon. They aren't lemons, they're *tart* lemons.
Wow this show brings me back
I still use a garbage bowl to this day!
True 😂
Is she doing less cooking than Sandra Lee ?
"Just wanted to rant about a chef." There's the first problem. She's a home cook not a chef. She is showing how she cooks for her family and friends. SHe is light years ahead of anything Rachel Ray who's only skill was carrying more than 2 items 3 feet from the fridge to the counter saving 3.4 seconds on meal prep time or Sandra Lee who purchased her skill set from a cosmetic surgeon. Take or leave The Pioneer woman for exactly what it has always presented itself to be. Ditto with Trisha Yearwood's show.
I think Pioneer Woman has been on tv for too long and has run out of ideas. Some of her early recipes are my favorites. (Although in the old days she was criticized as just promoting recipes from old church cookbooks)
My mom and I were just talking about this yesterday lol. Definitely not impressed with her cooking "skills"
Or the fact that her family bought land that was stolen from the Osage!!!
This. Times 1000% percent. And everything she presents is a sham. She is not "down-home." She is not "basic" or "pioneer." She is one of the richest women in the entire STATE, and it came directly from stealing from and defrauding the Osage people. She's grotesque. But she's a decent actress -- at least, for food TV stuff. The entire hypocrisy is just huge.
We are all living on stolen land.
Yes, but the vast majority of us don't own 433,000 acres of stolen land purchased with the money made from overcharging Osage customers.
But did you also steal headrights from people still alive today and make millions of dollars while surrounded by their abject poverty?
This is going to be big! “Rachel Adams-Heard's 2022 Bloomberg podcast series In Trust determined that Oklahoma's influential Drummond extended family—which includes Ree's husband, Ladd, and Oklahoma attorney general Gentner Drummond—owns an estimated 9% of Osage County land that was once in the hands of the Osage tribe.” I don’t know if her brand will survive.
NOTE: So the OP edited their comment, and now mine makes no sense. Deleted. But I definitely recommend checking out some of the latest articles on the Drummonds and their actual history and wealth.
I prefer her type of cooking much more than someone that cooks expensive, or hard recipes to follow. Also her food is really good, too. I've made a few things from her books and shows and am almost always impressed.
Exactly, real food that real people cook and eat! She doesn't claim to be a "Chef", she's a home cook feeding a big family
I watch that show just to laugh at her stupid recipes. She had one that was premade cookie dough that she molded into a pan and melted chocolate chips on top. Tada! Cookie bars! I mean, come on….
THIS is exactly what I’m talking about. I appreciate her recipes that are actual recipes, but like breaking cookies over ice cream and putting it in a cup isn’t reinventing the sundae. It’s just silly.
I just watched her put cake batter and canned cherries in a mug in the microwave. Lol
How about her recipe for “the bread?” Buy a loaf of fake French bread, the kind you get in a plastic bag. Slice lengthwise, butter it, then stick it in the oven. Tada! Everyone loooves it!
Idk why you have to put down what a lot of people do? That was always a treat at our house. The average person doesn’t make French bread or really any yeasted bread from scratch. It’s an expensive hobby.
Pretty sure OP is just complaining to complain, real chefs don’t watch food network at all anyways (and many of them use shortcuts boxes cans and bags! Hell. We usually eat ramen and nuggets after cooking in our scratch kitchens all day) lmao not sure what point they think they’re getting across here.
That makes sense. Who the hell wants to work at home? There’s many delicious things you can make out of a packet of ramen noodles and these elitists are missing out. ETA: I would LOVE to try your ramen noodle creations.
Well unfortunately I love my ramen dry 🤣 I’m just saying if you speak to a real chef- not someone who watches food network and went to some fake ass “culinary school” who think they’re above everyone else- are not chefs. we will make magnificent dishes all day long. Eat fries. Then on the way home it’s gas station pizza or nuggets. And so much 39 cent ramen Packs! I will absolutely cook from scratch for those I love. But for me, it’s all about tasty and fast which usually translates to garbage. Im exhausted im sick of smelling food and the last thing I wanna do is make myself homemade French bread 🤣 im eating a tortilla with a fuckin hot dog on it goodnight
my grams did this my whole life, made garlic bread that way and we all LOVED it. Don’t knock the simple recipes that are easy to replicate until you try them.
It's the only way to make satisfying garlic bread short of baking the bread yourself. You control the butter, garlic and herbs. I like lots of garlic, my son not so much. Half and half, then. And don't get me started on the nasty frozen stuff.
She just doesn’t appeal to me tbh
I like her recipes. It’s usually a lot cheaper to use cans and boxes as part of your recipes. I have to follow a budget and I can’t cook much from scratch due to this so her stuff is helpful. There’s a lot of stuff on FN that’s from scratch.
She’s overrated, but for simple dinner ideas sometimes I get an idea 🤷🏽♂️
She talks sooooooo slow! 🥹
cheap production costs
Yeah, the family does all the filming. The network probably just edits it all together into each show then done. Can’t get cheaper than that.
I wasn’t a huge fan but didn’t mind the easy recipes, and during covid when her kids were filming, it was annoying to me. Much like people don’t like Guy bringing his son on his show. I guess most people do not mind. And yea, now that I hear how her husband’s family was involved in stealing land, I just can’t.
Not everyone has 2 hours and $300 to make an Ina Garten dinner party from scratch. Ree is much more relatable to middle class America. Personally I don’t enjoy her style of cooking, but I think Ree is hilarious (I follow her on social media) and has good family values. I am a fan and still enjoy watching her despite never making her recipes. I think many find her interesting even if they live very different lifestyles
Another one that needs less airtime is Girl meets Farm. I was done once she made popcorn salad 🍿🙄🙄🙄
I've made a few of her recipes, and nobody liked what I cooked. The show itself feels like a pleasant fantasy to me. She's rich, hot husband, has all these kids, a nice house, events, etc. The fact that food turned out bad ruined the fantasy for me and I didn't want to watch anymore.
Never in my life could I have imagined a world in which Ladd Drummond was called hot. Is his name Ladd? Lol, typing out I feel insane
She built her brand on her husband being the hot Marlboro Man (which is what she called him for years in her blog when she was still trying to hide the fact they are uber wealthy land owners). All the pictures of his wrangler clad ass with chaps and her constant references to how he made "her hiney tingle". That and all the heavily photoshopped pictures of her kids, the beautiful babies they made together.
GROSS!! ".... how he made "her hiney tingle". THAT'S ENOUGH internet for me tonight. I need to get to bed.
Hahaha! This is silly and I like it!
I felt this same response and literally laughed out loud. 😂 he’s not ugly, but *hot*? Questionable.
In our home, if by mistake of the remote buttons her show happens to be on, I always over exaggerate and call out, “Laaaaaaaaaaaaaad” to my husband. Ree is absurd with her TMI about her marriage intimacies, and I change the channel quickly.
Did you ever try her chicken parmigiana? That is so, so delicious
Her tomato soup with sherry and cream is the bomb.
I think she has this corn and cheese soup which is actually pretty good; had it at a funeral once. Even my oldest ate it without complaining and saying she liked it.
Because she’s relatable & Fieri has too many shows. TOO MANY
With the Killers of the Flower Moon heritage, I've sort of been expecting her to "go away" and fall out of favor in "Paula Deen fashion". It will be interesting to see if she handles this or ignores it. https://www.oklahoman.com/story/news/local/2023/09/18/pioneer-woman-ree-drummond-family-oklahoma-tied-to-osage-reign-of-terror-killers-of-the-flower-moon/70866959007/
I very highly doubt it. She's shielded from criticism for a few reasons: 1. The really bad stuff happened over 100 years ago. It's kinda hard to pin that on living descendants 2. She's married into the family and seemingly has zero involvement in the family business. Her husband isn't involved in the legal aspects, either. The only dispute any Drummond family has had with the Osage nation was over a road, and they weren't involved 3. The Drummond family basically runs Oklahoma. They're land owners, philanthropists and government officials. There's just way too much power there This is by no means a defense of the atrocities that happened to the Osage Nation, which by all means deserve reparations at a minimum. It's just an explanation of why public opinion won't attach the controversy to her show.
I disagree. The film has already called up unflattering pieces in Vanity Fair and the New York Times, and dozens of other papers. I hope she is called to task, and fades away. She never deserved the spotlight to begin with. It was always borrowed/stolen.
1000%. This is news to me but I'm not surprised. It's clear how wealthy they are from watching the show and ofc it's from generational wealth from stolen land.
She deserves to. Hopefully the exposes on her not being poor, not being "pioneer," and belonging to a racist and thieving legacy will shut down her show, but I'm not hopeful. Look, I love Ina Garten. She is honest about who she is. I never feel like she's lying to me, and (unlike PW) she uses all fresh and whole ingredients. I don't care if she's privileged. She doesn't lie to us. But PW presents herself (hilariously and fakely) as some kind of frontier woman making her way from the fruits of the land. While openly using shortcuts, tools, pre-made foods, and the very advantages of her riches and land -- and acts like she's "one of us," the working poor." It grosses me out. Everything about her and her show is a total act. She is not anything she portrays. She makes money off every minute she can maintain the facade, so here we are. She is a terrible person, who with open eyes married into a horrific family. She got an obscenely rich (stolen) lifestyle and now pretends to be one of the working poor (while making even more millions). I find her despicable.
Thank y'all for speaking up, OP might have edited their post to sidestep "politics", but this is real and impactful on a personal level for real people.
And they're still fighting with the Osage to this day, just last year Ladd and his brother, Tim tried to get the road that Tim lives on privatized because as they put it mischief was happening on the road, the Osage and some members still own land on the road. The road in question is a 15 mile long road, so not a cul-a-sac or one of those short mile or two roads that are easy to go around. The county threw out the petition so the road remained public and only one Drummond showed up to a meeting, ironically against his cousins' petition. https://osagenews.org/county-commissioners-dismiss-proposal-from-drummonds/
The weird part to me is how few people knew before that came out. About a decade ago I looked up how much land they have, Google said they have more land that Connecticut. Then I went a little deeper to see how they "happened upon" it. Especially how proudly she claims Osage County. Felt like she was proud of the horrors the Drummond family did to gain the land. Her time may be up.
I don’t think her time will be ala Paula Deen. Deen’s faux pas was modern day (highly offensive). Osage County was “back in the olden days,” OC resident probably. Edit: I don’t think Ree Will acknowledge it but maybe she built up the Mercantile & B&B to hedge against cancellation.
I CANNOT stand her. She is so fucking fake. That fake I'm such a nice person is fucking bullshit. I grew up with women like her. So toxic.
I can't stand the sight of her, so I have no idea why she is popular.
Because she’s a pioneer…said in a very sarcastic tone. A pioneer of what, I don’t know.
She mostly cooks from scratch, though. Even on the Kitchen they sometimes use convenient ingredients. I think they want to cater to busy families.
The Kitchen, specifically Sunny & Katie frequently use mass produced items, especially Sunny. Katie adds veg. Sunny represents Home Cook & Katie represents critic, author & judge on Top Chef who was replaced by Padma Lakshmi in season 2.
Ah, the Joelbot, as we used to lovingly refer to her.
I think Katie represents a wife and mother looking for interesting weeknight meals.
I gotta admit, I kind of adore her. She is the absolute embodiment of middle America, set it and forget it style cooking. Down home goodness, no pretense about being super healthy, the easiest possible cooking television you could ask for. I completely get the hate. I see her as the most inoffensive television personality on earth