Have you seen the Pioneer Woman Cookbook? What do you think?

663095 Have you seen the Pioneer Woman Cookbook? What do you think? Wed Oct 28 14:08:49 -0700 2009 64 31 Home Cooking 0 5138264 I imagine it will be a while before our library has it. Any opinions so far? Thanks! Wed Oct 28 14:08:49 -0700 2009 127625 fern 1 5138704 As much as I enjoy PW, (& I really do) her cookbook recipes are not original. They are reworked ranch styled favorites. http://thepioneerwoman.com/ By no means does this diminish her appeal. PW's shines in her fun loving approach to all things. Cooking & baking may be the vehicle here but her home life, family escapades, photography hobby, good eye for design, marketing & PR abilities are the story. If you have ever visited her site and read her day to day approach to life or witnessed the popularity of her blog contests, seen her in action at a food blog conference or recently on The Bonnie Hunt Show promoting her new cookbook, you will see her talents and appeal. Ree is a fantastic storyteller. I'm more excited about what this says for the food bloggers out there making a career thru blogging. PW is a great example and the popularity and appeal food blogging offers thousands of great storytellers. A formal section at Barnes & Noble and the library for Blog Authors is long overdue. The genre is gigantic. Wed Oct 28 16:37:13 -0700 2009 5138264 36312 HillJ 2 5140343 Ree's entertaining at first but when you delve deeper she repeats herself endlessly (seriously, Ree, we all know how to dice onions now, you don't have to show us in every d*mn recipe post) and as HillJ says her recipes are not remotely original. As for her photos, I'll grant she knows her way around Photoshop. The Drummonds are multi-millionaires--the ranch is said to be about the size of New Hampshire and that family's like the Rockefellers in that part of the world; her family must have jumped for joy when she bagged Marlboro Man, a/k/a Ladd Drummond. She tries to make everyone believe she's just a little ol' country girl made good, just cookin' and homeschoolin' her kids and takin' care of MM, but little ol' country girls don't have nannies and housekeepers. A friend of mine calls her "Oklahoma Oprah" because she inspires the same adoration that Oprah does in the middle-class mommies that love her blog while being as far removed from them as one can possibly be. I've gotten a couple of recipes from the site that turned out well, but other than that ... I don't know, I'm just not fond of hypocrites. Thu Oct 29 09:52:51 -0700 2009 5138704 23970 MandalayVA 3 5140578 Wow! The Pioneer Woman revealed! I've enjoyed her site, but do agree re the repeating . . . another excuse to dazzle us w/her food porn, I guess. And I always thought that she might have a huge backup crew - as a mother myself, it always seemed like she was doing waaaaay too much, waaaay too well to not have a supporting staff. GG http://www.semisweetonline.com Thu Oct 29 11:05:43 -0700 2009 5140343 11404 gansu girl 3 5142875 mee-oooow! wow, that's some resentment, there, mandalay. why so harsh? why is ree a "hypocrite"? Fri Oct 30 09:00:03 -0700 2009 5140343 105717 alkapal 3 5144720 wow....jealous much? Sat Oct 31 05:32:15 -0700 2009 5140343 11854 LaLa 4 5145786 I used to read her blog but after a while her "average country woman" shtick started to wear thin. I have no problem with someone being wealthy but it's ridiculous when she tries to pretend she's just an average middle class person. Sat Oct 31 16:59:10 -0700 2009 5144720 1098404 PadmeSkywalker 5 5145807 i still don't get how she's pretending to be anything. what specifically can you cite, please? i'm just curious.... Sat Oct 31 17:07:38 -0700 2009 5145786 105717 alkapal 5 5145899 I can't see where she is pretending anything. It is pretty obvious they have mega bucks (the lodge remodel; the friendship with "the Senator," etc). I find her delightful, and her recipes look very reliable and tasty. Her down-home cooking style seems to be partly because of a husband who isn't fond of any other kind of food! Or, so she says. Anyway, I would love to see the book. Sat Oct 31 18:03:32 -0700 2009 5145786 98904 MazDee 6 5214782 I think most people dont realize how much money it takes to run a farming operation. Money tied up in land , livestock,ppayroll, and equipment. As for any projects on a farm, they are just like any other business(tax driven). Sun Nov 29 15:27:07 -0800 2009 5145899 11854 LaLa 5 5146192 What she said, much more succinctly than I. Sat Oct 31 23:10:03 -0700 2009 5145786 23970 MandalayVA 3 5214962 I think the rumors of the Drummond millions are greatly exaggerated (and in oil-rich Oklahoma, it takes more than a big ranch to be in the top brackets). I see no evidence of any hypocrisy. I grew up on a 100,000 acre ranch in Montana and we certainly had hired hands, hired girls, and a cook during roundup and threshing seasons, although my mother certainly didn't home school, except during winters when we were snowed-in. The rumors probably started with this news story http://www.tulsaworld.com/site/printerfriendlystory.aspx?articleID=070729_1_A1_hFour01672 Sun Nov 29 16:57:55 -0800 2009 5140343 204226 Ideefixed 4 5215031 That's a hell of a different thing than merely being rich! That's arrogant and a public menace. Sun Nov 29 17:24:51 -0800 2009 5214962 17969 rainey 2 5214610 Well said! I enjoy her blog too. There are very few recipes I've ever been tempted to try -- they're either such standard items that I'm well-versed in them or there's no particular revelation in them. But her writing and perspective are fun. So there's not much reason to buy a cookbook. But I wish her well with it. Sun Nov 29 13:55:34 -0800 2009 5138704 17969 rainey 3 5215608 Ive always wondered how she has so much time for her blog when she's supposedly out castrating calves and homeschooling the kids and baking a homemade apple pie... keeping a blog is alot of work...all the uploading of pics, photoshopping, writing, etc. its pretty obvious they are loaded...her house is huge and gorgeous Mon Nov 30 00:57:42 -0800 2009 5214610 44450 asiansensation007 1 5139348 I've quasi-followed her for ages. She seems to be a wonderfully nice person. Her kitchen -- and apparently her budget -- is among the most limitless I've ever seen. The thing I like about her is that she reminds me of dishes I grew up eating that I'd forgotten about, like her buttermilk/cocoa sheet cake that is absolutely identical to my mother's: http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/2007/06/the_best_chocol/ Nothing about her screams "shtick" to me. It's not super-adventurous cuisine, and it's not slimming -- but I like! Wed Oct 28 21:39:49 -0700 2009 5138264 130151 dmd_kc 2 5139622 Her kitchen -- and apparently her budget -- is among the most limitless I've ever seen. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ dmd_kc, that is a very keen observation! http://thepioneerwoman.com/tasty-kitchen/ This year PW added Tasty Kitchen Home to her lineup and home cooks responded. Cookbook #2???? Thu Oct 29 05:38:09 -0700 2009 5139348 36312 HillJ 1 5140473 I guess PW always kind of disappoints me b/c she benefits from such a nasty agribusiness while seeming so wholesome. I've read comments where folks ask why her ranch doesn't do grass-finished beef and she's pretty dismissive. My impression is that they just raise the cattle to a point and send them off to feed lots. It seems a shame not to use the enthusiasm she's generated for "ranch life" and the money they have to promote healthier farming practices. It's hard to see all those slabs of beef she cooks and not think about the deadly strains of E. Coli I've been reading about in the NY Times lately which are promoted by corn fed beef. She and her family could be industry changers-- instead they're making more money off business as usual. I want to like her, but her pretty pictures of cows don't really address the issue of what happens to the animals when they leave her farm. It makes her seem naive if not willfully blind. Thu Oct 29 10:31:29 -0700 2009 5138264 36325 Procrastibaker 2 5145884 Those are really great points. Sat Oct 31 17:52:26 -0700 2009 5140473 190009 Calipoutine 2 5214714 Had never considered that perspective -- but then I had no idea what business they were in. Having a passing experience with cattle feed lots -- can't drive up the 5 in CA without passing Harris Ranch's feed lot -- I can say that they're thoroughly noxious enterprises. The lack of humane response to the animals is one thing. The horrid toxic effect on everything else -- the land, the communities, the environment -- is something else altogether. These things take your breath away literally and even more figuratively when you consider how they pollute the environment. Remember those CA salmonella contagions! And have at least minimal concern for the humane treatment of animals that serve us. I won't be able to read her blog the same way again. Sun Nov 29 15:03:03 -0800 2009 5140473 17969 rainey 1 5140538 I haven't seen her book yet, but I do follow her blog and I find her entertaining. Her site was the one that inspired me to make sushi for the 1st time! I think her site is entertaining and the photos do inspire, even if you know how to dredge chicken or chop veggies, she makes the steps seem easy. I"ll be checking out her book when it hits the library as well. Thu Oct 29 10:54:44 -0700 2009 5138264 247986 JerryMe 1 5140553 Good for Ree for the sucess that she's managed through her blog. However I'm just not a fan. I've tried, but just can't get behind her. I'll never be one of those women who can do it all, and don't understand the ones who (seem like they) can. Of course if I had plenty of money and didn't have to work full time, I might be able to homeschool my kids, play with cameras, and make sushi at home too. Thu Oct 29 11:00:19 -0700 2009 5138264 158403 jcattles 2 5180693 I am not one of those people either, but I know that they do exist and it is not an act. I have an Aunt who does it all, literally. I have always admired and appreciated her creative genius. I would certainly never criticize her for it. I think sometimes people like me drive the creative geniuses nuts though, lol. Sat Nov 14 02:20:50 -0800 2009 5140553 1081227 DishDelish 1 5140659 I've just started reading her blog. She does have an entertaining writing style but I wouldn't bother to buy the book _ especially when you can get the recipes on the Web. And no, her recipes are not one bit original. But some of them are good. Thu Oct 29 11:26:22 -0700 2009 5138264 126235 NYCkaren 1 5140808 Hmmm, guess I won't be in any rush to see it. I am now thinking that it might make a nice gift for beginner cooks (our kids are late teen & young adults) because, if it is like her site, each step is laid out and photographed so you really CAN'T goof. I like the visuals. Do you think so? I don't mind that her recipes are not unique as much as I wish it wasn't all so butter-laden and the like. I do want her kitchen and equipment, though. Wow. Thu Oct 29 12:10:28 -0700 2009 5138264 127625 fern 1 5141141 I don't fault people for having a fortunate life. A blog is only as revealing as the author wishes it to be. I can't make blanket judgements on PW's life or choices. I do believe she is one of a handful of food bloggers who have reached a remarkable audience and placed a wonderful face on women using blogging, storytelling and interests/skills to their advantage. And why the heck not! As for buying the cookbook, probably not because the recipes aren't diverse enough for me or my family but I can see the appeal for those who enjoy her blog, enjoy country fare or just enjoy a light hearted (minus the butter of course) take on home cooking for a large crowd. FWIW, PW's Tasty member supported recipe site is an even better recipe source than her first cookbook, imho. Thu Oct 29 14:12:43 -0700 2009 5138264 36312 HillJ 2 5141181 Absolutely, HillJ. She fell in love with a man who HAPPENS to be loaded, she lives the good life out on the ranch and takes pretty pictures and makes easy, tasty-looking, unfancy home cooking. She also seems like a real nice woman who has parlayed her cute country shtick into a pretty lucrative business while sharing only what she chooses with her readers. Good for her. I'm not going to judge her for being rich any more than I'd judge somebody for NOT being rich! Thu Oct 29 14:26:10 -0700 2009 5141141 256229 LauraGrace 3 5141555 No, she shouldn't be somehow blamed for being rich, but you can judge what she DOES with being rich. And she does a lot of good for women and kids, etc. It's also totally fine to consider where the money comes from. The beef/ranch issue is a big one. If a blogger's family were strip mining and the blogger was constantly posting pics of untouched landscapes that would seem hypocritical, no? Likewise, making agribusiness look pastoral just isn't right, IMO. And it taints the good work she does. Thu Oct 29 16:53:13 -0700 2009 5141181 36325 Procrastibaker 4 5141682 Respectfully taking your comments regarding agribusiness into account, I'll be curious to see if this issue hurts PW cookbook sales. I have never read a comment or entry by her readership that questioned ranch practices. Ree Drummond appears to be a ranch wife with no intentional agenda to hurt anyone but we all have our own p.o.v. that's for sure. Thu Oct 29 17:59:50 -0700 2009 5141555 36312 HillJ 5 5142059 Well, why should her readership criticize her? That's a pretty self-selecting group. Americans as a whole are pretty ignorant about where their hamburgers come from. I'm really lucky to have grown up eating meat that came from cows I named. If you don't know how nasty a feed lot/CAFO is, or spent time around manure lagoons, you're not going to grouse much about it. I think it's great that we're at least considering that she's part of that system. Thu Oct 29 21:47:05 -0700 2009 5141682 64882 Vetter 6 5142313 I was focusing on the OP's question regarding the Pioneer Woman Cookbook. How you prepare beef recipes is up to you. I'm not going to add fuel to a agribus. topic that has many p.o. v. You are entitled to your opinion. Fri Oct 30 05:20:48 -0700 2009 5142059 36312 HillJ 4 5147120 While I prefer non-agribusiness beef as well, I have never seen PW say "here's my pot roast recipe made with my very own pasture raised, grass fed beef". Nor is she pushing agribeef. Ranching just happens to be her husband's business. To each there own, and I don't see her pushing any agenda other than to cook her tasty looking food. Sun Nov 01 11:58:05 -0800 2009 5141555 11778 irishnyc 1 5143060 Fern, is there a Barnes and Noble bookstore by you? If so, go there and look through the book. Really, it's ok to do that. Barnes and Noble put lounge chairs among their books just for that purpose. And they don't mind if you copy down a recipe or 2 while you're there. My sister works there and told me so. Fri Oct 30 10:01:45 -0700 2009 5138264 1119140 pdxgastro 1 5143587 How wonderful that she has been able to create this.! Agribusiness and blog politics aside, she seems like a lovely woman who is at peace with her life and herself. She has a niche and sucessfully markets to it! Frankly, it takes a lot of drive to do what she has- more power to her! Fri Oct 30 12:50:15 -0700 2009 5138264 48317 NWKate 2 5144185 I completely agree with you NWKate. I was really surprised by the nasty comments about her and her book. I live in Manhattan and I'm probably not her target audience but I find her website and her book to be charming. It never occurred to me that she was rich or not rich. Who cares. Fri Oct 30 17:32:03 -0700 2009 5143587 12252 Aimee 1 5144774 http://www.amazon.com/Pioneer-Woman-Cooks-Recipes-Accidental/dp/0061658197 fern, PW's cookbook is already on sale at Amazon.com and there are a number of owner-reviews at the bottom of the page. Sat Oct 31 06:32:02 -0700 2009 5138264 36312 HillJ 1 5145188 I've seen her mentioned before, but never bothered to look at her blog. So I just did. It's beautiful, but the recipe on the first page is made with frozen dinner rolls. Are they all like that, or is this an oddity? I like good, basic food, but if I wanted to cook with convenience products I'd buy a Sandra Lee cookbook. Is it worth looking further at her stuff, or is this frozen roll recipe typical? Sat Oct 31 10:45:54 -0700 2009 5138264 86221 lulubelle 2 5145223 lulubelle, that was my first impression as well. I haven't tested many of PW's recipes but the recipes posted are a combo of quick, convenience and from scratch. Much like my own busy life. You can view her recipe archive via her cooking page and there is also a Tasty Kitchen page that links to another PW site. That site has a great many "from scratch" recipes submitted by all sorts of home cooks. Sat Oct 31 11:08:37 -0700 2009 5145188 36312 HillJ 2 5145672 I would never compare her to Sandra Lee. PW is a simple home cook making simple food, not a prepackaged-junk-manipulator like Sandra Lee. I've used frozen dinner rolls myself from time to time and find them one of the less offensive "convenience" foods out there. I would say she uses the normal convenience foods that most home cooks use, and avoids fancy ingredients that the average middle American can't get ahold of. I have a pretty violent anti-Sandra-Lee bias ;) so that might color my assessment, but it wouldn't hurt to dig through the archives! Sat Oct 31 15:38:31 -0700 2009 5145188 256229 LauraGrace 3 5145705 i like her step by step photos for the recipes. her recipes aren't groundbreaking, but they are good. her photography is wonderful, in general. the "tips" for digital photography are superb. Sat Oct 31 16:01:11 -0700 2009 5145672 105717 alkapal 4 5172848 I agree with you 100% ap, she is great with the camera. I have modeled my photo page somewhat with her in mind. She has a great deal more patience for the step by step than I do and she really keeps in mind someone who is brand new to cooking. I love her smashed potatoes (I know that's incorrect) but I made yukons somewhat like those the other night and they were terrific. The grilled wrapped in bacon jalapenos are terrific too. I've been making many of her recipes for years. Mine might be a tad different but whatever. Good for her for taking the initiative and blogging about her day to day life and cooking. Looks as though she's helping out her family and found a very satisying and creative way to earn her own money. i find it admirable. Wed Nov 11 09:38:06 -0800 2009 5145705 50431 chef chicklet 1 5145545 She is not a gourmet and does not pretend to be one. She is a home cook that uses short cuts at times but does offer some solid fresh recipes as well. I read her blog from time to time and enjoy her beautiful photographs and her storytelling. I don't see myself buying her cookbook because the recipes are basic it is her photography that makes her blog special in my eyes. Sat Oct 31 14:19:46 -0700 2009 5138264 239243 BrendaWrighterbee 1 5146187 I think most of her recipes are just what new or inexperienced cooks are looking for: she makes it seem easy by breaking down the steps with photographs and using easily obtained ingredients, and she makes cooking man-pleasing food (her own description) seem reachable. She pokes fun at her own mistakes, shows how things can go wrong but be salvaged, etc. Not eveyone has had a Nana to learn from. While not a cookbook for seasoned adventurous cooks, it still works for new cooks and anyone looking to get out of their own everyday cooking rut. Though I've been cooking daily for 40 years, I've made several of her website recipes into "keepers". I've rediscovered recipes or methods I'd long forgotten. This cookbook would be a good one to give to anyone who is just starting out and wants to add to their cooking abilities. They should have fun with it. Sat Oct 31 22:58:26 -0700 2009 5138264 11234 toodie jane 1 5146528 After reading the replies, I spent more time at her website to check her out. I agree that the schtick can get a little old if you read a good bit of it, but I did not get the impression that she's trying to pass herself off as more average than she is. I read the story she wrote about meeting and marrying Marlboro Man and she refers to her own country club/golf course/ballet academy upbringing several times. She's not going to write "And guess what? HE'S FILTHY RICH!" but we do see photos of their place and it is easy to see they're in good shape. They have dough but aren't sitting around eating bon bons while pretending to be in the trenches. It appears that they both DO work hard. I guess I don't see the validity of that criticism. I'm not addressing the agribusiness/morality issue here, but have read related posts with interest. Who has made what of hers? Sun Nov 01 07:01:06 -0800 2009 5138264 127625 fern 2 5147028 She had a simple recipe for pan-fried pork chops that I made a few days ago. Good for a weeknight meal with a picky eater (my daughter). I agree that her schtick can be annoying after a while. But at her best she is entertaining and informative. Someone compared her to Oprah. To me she is more of an American Nigella Lawson, another woman who just happens to be married to a very rich man. Very, very rich in Nigella's case. Both of them are good writers who make cooking approachable. Savvy readers know that neither is a run-of-the-mill harried mother. One thing I don't like about Ree's site is the shilling for products like Kitchenaid. If she's so rich, why does she need to make a buck off her readers that way? And I looked at the book in Barnes and Noble the other day and I wouldn't bother buying it. Sun Nov 01 11:11:42 -0800 2009 5146528 126235 NYCkaren 3 5147086 NYCkaren, that's an interesting comment regarding "shilling for products." Many popular blogs and bloggers earn advertising dollars, more and more all the time. Many blog owners run contests for their readership with the dollars they earn. Some take an income. Some do a bit of both. There are all sorts of options. Blogging is not a cost-less vocation. I wouldn't call the ads or revenue raised shilling when the PW more than covers these details in her contest area. Nor would the contest winners of those pricey Kichenaids argue. Her contests can attract upwards of 25,000 entries. Blogs, like websites, often start out as personal journals and wind up unique businesses. This progression is very common now. So, whether she earns money on site ads or cookbook sales, what is wrong with earning money? Her fans will support her and those who aren't, won't. No different than any other business. Sun Nov 01 11:38:10 -0800 2009 5147028 36312 HillJ 4 5147114 I take your point. I just find those giveaway contests to be a particularly annoying form of advertising. And I am coming from the world of traditional media where advertising and editorial are supposed to be separate. I realize that bloggers can't operate that way. But my reflex is not to trust them when they're getting paid to hawk a product. Sun Nov 01 11:53:10 -0800 2009 5147086 126235 NYCkaren 5 5147122 But my reflex is not to trust them when they're getting paid to hawk a product. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Interesting statement here too. Fair enough. But it is the companies who offer bloggers the opportunity and in today's world where traditional print advertising is disappearing and products still need to reach an audience, smart bloggers (smart imho) are taking the leap and expanding their site AND earning a living. Keep in mind, less than 10 years ago bloggers couldn't have dreamed such an opportunity could exist. And, to push the point further..ask yourself how many domain driven sites have entered the blog (& Twitter) world lately. Do you believe it's just for the additional writing space? Respecting your professional experience, there is nothing traditional about the blogsphere. I've attended several Blogher Conference and a number of blog and podcast bootcamps for my own professional purposes. The industry is separate from any past media exp. I've had. Sun Nov 01 11:58:13 -0800 2009 5147114 36312 HillJ 6 5147230 "Less than 10 years ago bloggers couldn't have dreamed such an opportunity could exist." That's right, and 10 years ago newspapers weren't dropping like flies. You take it as a given that it's a good thing for bloggers to prosper. I understand that everyone else here may agree with that. But I don't, really. Just my perspective. Sun Nov 01 13:03:08 -0800 2009 5147122 126235 NYCkaren 7 5147254 No, I don't take it as a given. Not all writers prosper. There is no one answer for why newspapers are dropping. Like print media, bloggers must attract a following. What is happening to print media is very sad but again how many newspapers and magazines opened their own websites? If you ran a successful food blog/website and you were approached with a cookbook deal, would you turn it down? Many popular food bloggers are being offered cookbook deals today. Should Mario or Rachel worry :) I think not. Sun Nov 01 13:19:40 -0800 2009 5147230 36312 HillJ 8 5147278 I don't mean to pick a fight. Yes, print media partly sealed their own doom by giving their content away free on line. From where I sit, what is happenng to print media is worse than sad. It's a calamity. Sun Nov 01 13:28:59 -0800 2009 5147254 126235 NYCkaren 9 5147282 Heck no NYCkaren, no fight picked. I'm enjoying this sidebar very much. You have a valid point. Go right ahead, please. Sun Nov 01 13:31:25 -0800 2009 5147278 36312 HillJ 3 5147128 She gives away Kitchenaides and Le Creuset out of her own pocket. She says so in each giveaway. (Or at least she used to, I don't follow her so closely anymore, so that may have changed.) Sun Nov 01 12:05:02 -0800 2009 5147028 11778 irishnyc 4 5147135 Good point irishnyc. Based on what I've read, PW gives away prizes, runs online raffles and contests and rec's products from companies to use as prizes both online and for visitors to her ranch. Busy lady! And although I won't be buying the PW cookbook, I will say that I find Ree's sense of humor and upbeat (at least online) approach to communication very pleasing and is the #1 reason I read her site from time to time. Sun Nov 01 12:10:16 -0800 2009 5147128 36312 HillJ 1 5172294 I've used a fair number of her recipes. I generally avoid the ones that use convenience foods, but I've made many of her fresh recipes. I am really thinking of buying the cookbook because it's easier to reference a much-used recipe in a book than it is to keep having to go online for it. Yes, many of her recipes are fatty, salty, and otherwise unhealthful, but I doubt she cooks like that every day. The Marlboro Man and all of her Punks appear to be healthy and trim. I never really gave much thought to how much money her family makes. I guess looking at that amazing house of hers it's pretty obvious she's not in a humble little country ranch. I knew it had to be a successful ranch, but I wouldn't have thought, "millionaires". Heck, I would have thought a millionaire would have sent his kids to private school instead of homeschooling them. I guess because I was taken in by the writing style and so many of the recipes that I never considered the type of beef raised on her ranch. PW has never really gone in for political correctness. I shouldn't be surprised. None of that changes the fact that I love her photos and her writing style. She seems pretty cool to me. I'm sure I'll still read the blog even though many of you are right. She does repeat herself a bit. The whole "Country Girl saying 'dadgum' all the time" gets tedious. There is one thing that really bugs me about PW and her family. I am a horse lover and rider myself and I am a HUGE stickler for safety. Where I ride EVERYONE wears a helmet whether you're a child beginner or an adult trainer or whether you jump, do dressage, or ride western. I see PW's kids on their horses (and her husband and SIL as well) with no protective headgear and it just rankles me. There is so much danger for horses out there on the open range. She once photographed one of her daughters being thrown and the kid looks like she's about to land on her head! Apparently I'm not the only one who has called Ree out on this because she has a bit on her FAQ about it. Her excuse is that, "I say 3 Hail Marys every time they get on their horses" and then says that all of her kids have fallen off at least once and have survived and (and this is the part that REALLY gets my blood boiling) "If they wear helmets, they won't learn how to fall." That's the dumbest things I ever heard. That's like saying if you wear a seat belt, you won't drive safely. Wed Nov 11 06:21:34 -0800 2009 5138264 116495 Avalondaughter 2 5172350 Maybe I'm wrong, but I'd be surprised if very many riders wore helmets in Oklahoma. I'd also be surprised if there were a lot of good private schools in Oklahoma. Wed Nov 11 06:42:45 -0800 2009 5172294 126235 NYCkaren 3 5172399 I see an awful lot of cowboy & cowgirl gear on the PW family. Leather all over the place. I've never seen a "helmet" on riders with the exception of wonderful non profit orgs that offer riding lessons to physically challenged as outstanding therapy and confidence builders. Helmets? Do they make special riding helmets? I can't imagine taking on homeschooling, not easy and not for everyone. As for the cookbook, it made the NYT top 10 and whether you buy the book, use the recipes, visit the blog or doubt PW's style-she's worked for all of the sucesss and attention with the help of her loyal fans. I completely enjoy the direction quality food blogging is going. Quality. Wed Nov 11 07:06:51 -0800 2009 5172350 36312 HillJ 4 5172445 I've made a couple of her recipes and for whatever reason none of them have turned out well. In particular, I'm remembering making some sort of steak for Valentine's Day that was way, way, way too salty - like a salt lick, really. Also, all of the quantities are appropriate for, well, ranch hands. I find her schtick entertaining but don't like her recipes. Wed Nov 11 07:26:09 -0800 2009 5172399 57152 amyatkendall 5 5172460 Certainly your right. This morning I noticed PW's growing contest giveaways netted close to 25,000 submissions to win a set of lovely pots & pans contributed by Chef's catalog. That sort of marketing grabs attention. Wed Nov 11 07:30:21 -0800 2009 5172445 36312 HillJ 3 5214400 I live about 50 miles from her. English riders wear helmets here; western riders don't. It may surprise you to know there are numerous good private schools here in the 'big city' (but maybe not in the small town near her) - probably a product of the influx of oil money in the last century. And some (but not all) of the public schools are excellent! Oklahoma is misunderstood to a great degree - but that's not to say it's anything like perfect. Sun Nov 29 11:18:39 -0800 2009 5172350 1128169 francesw 4 5214620 I first learnt about PW here on CH and found her site to be charming and liked a lot of the recipes. I've bought the book for a Christmas present for my son's GF, she's not a confident cook, unlike my son, and I thought she'd like the step-by-step layout and recipes. Sun Nov 29 14:05:23 -0800 2009 5214400 11962 Athena 2 5214973 No Western rider wears a helmet. Trust me, none. Rodeo riders don't wear helmets. Sun Nov 29 17:02:32 -0800 2009 5172294 204226 Ideefixed 1 5214642 I used to read her website religiously but got bored of it. The overt "branding" and marketing just got tiresome. I guess I was naive in thinking that the blog was just that of a bored country housewife, and that it would retain the same character it did when it started out. I don't blame Ree Drummond for having ambitions (the cookbook, television, etc.) but the commercial "selling the lifestyle" aspect is not what attracted me to the blog. And the recipes aren't good enough to keep me. I would definitely recommend another blog for any people who are fans of the PW concept but who are looking for someone a little more "real" and frankly more creative: Chickens in the Road by Suzanne McMin. I don't have any relation to her, I just stumbled on the blog recently and she's fascinating. She's no millionaire or Martha Stewart wannabe but I like her recipes. She's older and wiser than Ree. Sun Nov 29 14:20:22 -0800 2009 5138264 152338 fallingup 1 5214918 I bought the cookbook about a month ago. She is really overt: this is not food for those on a diet. Butter! Cream! Red meat! Cinnamon rolls! Just about everywhere you look... That said, the recipes she offers are thoughtfully presented, not weird and just... the vast majority of them... tasty. The book is also friendly to the point of being downright engaging. It's a GREAT book for young people who feel like they don't know how to cook yet (very few weird and expensive ingredients, lots of pictures and "you can do this explanations) and I can tell you that my friends in Korea and Japan, all of whom have a very romantic idea of the cowboy lifestyle are all getting copies. It's just the kind of thing they will adore. If Oklahoma is full of happy Asian tourists next year, Ree will be part of the reason why, I bet... ;-> Sun Nov 29 16:34:41 -0800 2009 5138264 78679 linengirl 1 5214965 I looked at her cookbook but I decided not to buy it. When I am eating something with the calories and fat of her recipes I want it to be something a bit more special. I do think the photos would be helpful for a beginning cook but I think there are other cookbooks that have equally easy instructions - maybe not the detailed photos - with healthier recipes and more information for a beginner. Also, I think most all of the recipes are available on her blog or at least that's how it looked to me when I looked through her book. Sun Nov 29 16:58:44 -0800 2009 5138264 323107 Bethcooks