Pioneer Woman

[melly]

What is so pioneer about her? Have you seen her kitchen?? Her RANCH?

I have a friend who lives completely off the grid in Wyoming. They make their own electricity, grow everything they eat..and can tons of it for winter. She cooks from a real wood stove and the only heat in her grandparents homestead is wood heat. They raise and slaughter their own lambs, chickens, and pigs... and they hunt. They barter for beef and bison. They have their own eggs, they have sheep that they sheer and she actually spins the wool! They have Molly the cow who just had a baby and Marcia also has goats...and shemakes her own cheese, butter, cottage cheese, sour cream, yogurt, kefir...etc... They use a composting toilet for chrissakes! She barters her goats milk etc. for goat lotion and soap!

They work their butts off but they love it. Going out in July to spend some time.

I would watch a show like that...wouldn't you? Too classy for Food Network. Have to be PBS.

[C. Hamster]

Pioneer woman is an idiot, cooking-wise. She gives some bad advice,for sure.

And her husband portrays himself as a total asshole.

Ugh...

[HillJ]

For the first time that I've noticed Ree is answering a great deal of questions and putting some (too) long standing assumptions to rest.

http://thepioneerwoman.com/confessions/

Say what you will, believe what you will.. given all the scrutiny and ridiculous viral BS, Ree has remained classy and kind to her readers.

[juliejulez]

I really love her, and I would like to have her life. I do agree that her show is a little... off. But I really like reading her blog.

[kengk]

Just checked and at least one of her "fan sites" still seems to be active. Hard to imagine that much bile induced energy directed at anybody.

[cleobeach]

That is a good blog post. I also liked her husband's post.

[HillJ]

When the culinary school posted the chef behind PW, it hadn't been much of a secret in my circles but with her 2nd cookbook out PW did credit Chef Poe in print. I thought you all might enjoy the read:

http://plattcolleges-culinary.blogspot.com/2011/08/platt-chef-gets-taste-of-hollywood.html

And, the article back in May blew our minds, PW inspires....
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/05/31/fas...

[LaLa]

I am not sure what the "gotcha" tone is all about....I dont know one single cookbook author that doesnt have help. Most of us just dont feel the need to brodcast our input.

[HillJ]

Nothing gotcha about it, Lala. PW provided credit to her ghost writer and associate with this new cookbook. I thought CH readers following along threads like this one would be interested. I know we all found it interesting at the office. Enjoy!

The gal from NYC on the other hand did blow our minds.

[LaLa]

lol...i bet!

[HillJ]

Trust me, melly, the PW is just warming up! Ree recently announced her next big project:
http://thepioneerwoman.com/homeandgar....

This gal, is in it for the long stretch. Don't get sidetracked by the timeline of fame good CH's...success comes in odd spaces. Following along can be fun if you take it all in stride.

[cleobeach]

What do you think they doing with that building?

[HillJ]

I'm thinking multi-use right off the bat. But I have no immediate information to share. We'll know soon enough!

[Bethcooks]

I would definitely watch a show about your friend. Reminds me of the "Little House" series which I read as a child.

[melly]

Same here. Going to visit her for a few days this summer. Can't wait. She just finished making her own cheese (3kinds) butter, and cottage cheese..and kefir..etc. Molly the cow is a cute cow too.

[HillJ]

http://barnsdalltimes.com/http:/barns...

cleobeach, friends back home emailed me this article. It's light on deals but outlines a joint venture between several for what appears a mixed use reno.

[PattiCakes]

You are correct, HillJ. The FN show is riding off the name of her blog, which already had a substantial following. I don't think the FN show was ever intended to portray her as a real "pioneer woman". She started out blogging by recounting how a city slicker gal got turned into a pioneer woman after being swept off her feet by Marlboro Man -- all very much tongue-in-cheek. The original blog spawned a secondary blog that revolved around cooking. She is very astute at self-marketing, and got her big break when she parlayed her blog popularity into a Thanksgiving dinner throw-down challenge to Bobby Flay. FN must have sensed an opportunity as well, because her blog followers created a huge audience for the throw-down episode, the episode validated her on-screen abilities and appeal, and the rest is history.. To think it all started with a humble blog. More power to her.

[melly]

I should have titled this post...A Real Pioneer Woman..would you watch a show like this?

I have a friend who lives completely off the grid in Wyoming. They make their own electricity, grow everything they eat..and can tons of it for winter. She cooks from a real wood stove and the only heat in her grandparents homestead is wood heat. They raise and slaughter their own lambs, chickens, and pigs... and they hunt. They barter for beef and bison. They have their own eggs, they have sheep that they sheer and she actually spins the wool! They have Molly the cow who just had a baby and Marcia also has goats...and shemakes her own cheese, butter, cottage cheese, sour cream, yogurt, kefir...etc... They use a composting toilet for chrissakes! She barters her goats milk etc. for goat lotion and soap!

They work their butts off but they love it. Going out in July to spend some time.

I would watch a show like that...wouldn't you? Too classy for Food Network. Have to be PBS I guess.

[stellamystar]

You should watch the old episodes of Frontier House from PBS. It was very.... pioneer. And interesting.

[melly]

Oh I watched it.!

[DougRisk]

I was really excited to watch that short series when it came on and then soon became very disappointed. At the time, I had though to myself, "Wow, a reality show that I would be generally interested in watching, and, since it is PBS, I can be sure that this will not be about Drama".

Damn, was I wrong.

[lifeasbinge]

ok, you posted this once already but have now changed the first sentence - did we not adequately "get" it the first time? yawn.

[ttoommyy]

I think the moniker "Pioneer Woman" is kind of tongue in cheek. I knew of her web site way before FN got a hold of her and she has a fun sense of humor sometimes. This blurb from the homepage of her site will give you a clue:

"I'm a desperate housewife. I live in the country. I channel Lucille Ball, Vivien Leigh, and Ethel Merman. Welcome to my frontier!"

[melpy]

I thought her blog was ok but then I saw her on TV and was comPletely turned off and annoyed. Some writers don't transfer well to screen and vice versa.

[ttoommyy]

"Some writers don't transfer well to screen and vice versa."

I agree with you there melpy.

I don't dislike her show, but I agree her web site is so much better.

[cleobeach]

Melly - I would definately watch a show about that type of lifestyle.

I have a theory on the negative attitudes about PW.

I followed her blog for years and enjoyed it, especially the parts about their dating and early marriage years.

Then the show rolls around and it seemed like she was being portrayed as some average house wife with a blue-collar, country-bumpkin farmer husband when the reality is quite different. For whatever reason, that rubs some people (including me) the wrong way. Not that changing one's branding is anything new for the sake of self-promotion is anything new....

[paulj]

http://www.livingoffgrid.org/off-grid...
Les Stroud, Survivorman, did a documentary on living off the grid. I haven't seen it.

Discovery had a few episodes of an extended family living outside of Homer, Alaska. There was some home life, though most they dealt with caring for the cattle, collecting wood, hunting and fishing in preparation for winter.

And the perennial PBS fundraiser, Alone in the Wilderness.

There have been other bits and pieces on living away from modern conveniences and utilities. But the Stroud self-filming approach probably is least intrusive.

[silence9]

That PBS show 'Alone in the Wilderness' documenting pioneer Dick Proenneke is absolutely mesmerising. The guy made his own hand tools, then built his own cabin, food locker, boat, clothes, and hunts, fishes, and drags a primitive movie camera through the snow to film it all. I wish he were my pappy! I have never seen such hard work depicted so gracefully. God bless him...

[lsmutko]

I will watch Alone in the Wilderness any time it's on. It just sucks me in. It's like when Apollo 13 comes on for my husband ... everything else, no matter how many times you see it, just can wait.

[LauraGrace]

I saw that Les Stroud doc and it was so much fun. They brought in a well-witcher to find them a place to dig for water, they had to snowshoe in to the site after winter set in, the whole nine yards.

[melly]

Indeed. Thanks.

[Mattkn]

As I understand it her name started out as a joke among family and friends, and then she spun it into her brand. I don't think it was ever meant to be taken literally. Sure, I'd check out a show about your friend that lives off the grid, I'm sure it would be interesting. Of course, then there would be a thread about how this person sold out to be on TV.

[melly]

She would never do that. Sell out to be on TV. She might allow someone to follow her around for a few days with a small camera crew but I think that would be about it.

[alkapal]

ahahahaaa mattkn! too true!

[melpy]

I would love to watch a show about how your friend lives. My cousin is practically engaged to a boy in VT who has a similar lifestyle and she loves it.

[melly]

Oh me too...

[melly]

Thank you. I think I just posted in the wrong place but not sure where else I should have posted it! Geez.. Talk about haters.

[iL Divo]

she's got a blog, it seems she's got a successful tv show, and envy may follow.

I haven't seen much of the house and am confused where she cooks. is that a set kitchen, a community hall or her kitchen in her house?

[alkapal]

i think that is her kitchen.

[jw615]

I'm not sure, but I believe that it is the kitchen in the guest house on their property.

[SmartCookie]

There is already a lengthy thread on her...

http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/784739

[melly]

This isn't ON HER.

[paulj]

Evidently if you wanted to focus on your real pioneer, you should not have brought up the TV one. You've let the cat out of the bag.

[melly]

whatever.

[wyogal]

Not "whatever." You put her in the title of the thread, then started the thread with a comment about her. If you truly wanted to just talk about your friend living off the grid in Wyoming, then maybe you should have just left it at that, chosen a different title.
What is your point? It's confusing. It seems like you are comparing your friend to Ree Drummond.

[lifeasbinge]

we must have been "mislead" by the title "Pioneer Woman" as it is the name of the FN show

[emily]

Yes, the guest house's kitchen. Haters will note that she remodeled it to its current size with the secret plan to host her own TV show there. Because she's got THAT much money and ambition -- the horror!

[cleobeach]

Yes, the Lodge. I really like a lot of elements of that remodel.

[stellamystar]

There is no shortage of Pioneer Woman blog & show hate on the interwebs who obsess over the comings and goings of the Drummond ranch in OK. She's the heiress to the Paula Deen hate, I believe......

[alkapal]

seriously, stellamystar!

envy and resentment. ugh.

[melly]

I don't hate her....at all. Did you read my post? :)

[paulj]

Why don't you go to her blog, ask why she chose that name (long before she got a FN show)?

[melly]

Did you read the rest of my post? It isn't about hating on Pioneer Woman.