All Episodes Talk

[Lura]

What's up with Ree's hair?  Is it naturally that long, or is she wearing falls?  That would feel like a dead animal around your neck in the summers.  The other day -- I think it was the food guessing game show -- her hair looked like she had just slept in it.  It was all twisted and tangled and needed a comb badly.  Plus, she was wearing her oldest, most faded preggy top, and she was a sight for sore eyes. 

 

If Bryce continues in the artistic direction, I hope he becomes a hairdresser and colorist, and I hope his first client is his mother so he can make her over.  Then take her shopping for some cute fitted tops and slacks outfits.  I think Edna Mae should get on Ree's back -- tell Ree that she found a long, long red hair in her soup the other day and that it took her the better part of an hour to fish it all out.  Then take her for a haircut.

[anneofcleves]

Boy howdy, a replay of one of those 16 minute meals.  This was the one with the 5 minute enchiladas.  Three tortillas arranged in "petal" formation on a plate, covered with a bunch of shredded cheese, microwaved to melt cheese, and then drowned in reheated, canned green enchilada sauce, sour cream, and probably a handful of Skittles.  Honestly, she lost me at minute 4 of that frat-boy-with-a-hangover delight of a recipe, so the Skittles may have been imagined.

 

On to the new show!  Another one where she's "Alone Again" (naturally).  There's a Gilbert O'Sullivan theme song in here somewhere.  She's alone, and she's busy, and she's working hard, and she's cooking for herself, and she's lonely and is going to stick it to Ladd by ensuring that her jeans don't fit, and by golly she's going to consume 8,000 calories and 562 grams of fat today!  Welcome to her frontier.

 

She first impresses us with the use of a mini blow torch on her overnight oatmeal to caramelize the sugar.  Seriously? Who does that with oatmeal?  Wait, I know the answer.

 

My first thought when I saw that oatmeal recipe was, "Wow, she really knows how to 'de-healthify' a basically healthy recipe that is all over the internet right now."  I also couldn't help myself and had to run the recipe through a recipe builder because I knew that was going to be a gut buster (Ree called it decadent).  The recipe states that it serves 1-2 people, but of course Ree used up all of it for her busy-day breakfast.  Who knew that plagiarizing recipes (for her new cookbook) and then, later on, watering her raised bed gardens could burn so many calories? I must be doing something wrong.  Drumroll...

 

Nutrition info for Ree's serving of her Overnight Oatmeal:

Calories:  1,031

Carbs: 172 g

Fat: 24 g (more if you use more of the milk and half & half as she states may be needed in the recipe)

Protein:  23 g

Sugar:  103 g (that's almost 26 teaspoons, or over 1/2 cup of sugar in one bowl)

 

Then it's on to her 18th version of sesame noodles for lunch, followed by lamb chops slathered in blue cheese (Ladd's totally going to divorce her for this one), followed by another one of her coffee drinks that utilize sweetened condensed milk.  Even the dogs in the final shot of her drinking her frilly coffee are looking at her and thinking, "Good lord woman, stop eating."

 

ETA more on the sugar content of that breakfast.  I understand being creative when writing recipes, but her recipes are nutritional disasters.

Edited October 31, 2015 by anneofcleves

[peacheslatour]

Aren't there any lakes in OK?  Is it really impossible to get a fresh trout or bass or any kind of fresh fish there?  When my son was young, he and my hubby would go camping every weekend (I'm not the outdoorsy type) and I would treat my self to tons of fruit and things like crab salad, grilled trout and fresh veggies.  It was not an excuse to pig out on a bunch of crap, it was an opportunity to eat really light for a change and get away from the meat and potato fare that dudes tend to prefer.

[grisgris]

Uhhhh.... There was nothing special about that overnight oatmeal. Recipes like that are a dime a dozen on the internet. (However, sadly, Ree is certainly getting more than a dime if she's including that "non" recipe in her new cookbook, which BTW, I saw at Wal-Mart today, but it was tucked away back in the book department.) Anyway, why the need to pile on MORE sugar, then berries on top of it. The oatmeal was already loaded with brown sugar, raisins and apples.

 

If you if feel the need to torch something for breakfast, Bobby Flay had a interesting dish on his brunch show. Layer a small ramekin with Greek yogurt, fruit and granola. Make sure the top layer is a smooth layer of yogurt and pop it in the freezer for five minutes. Take it out, sprinkle a light dusting of sugar on the top then hit it with the torch (or broiler.) That recipe is also more trouble than it is actually worth, but a fun little indulgence for a summer weekend breakfast. At least the brulee concept makes sense with Bobby's recipe. You break through the crust and dig into a creamy texture. With Ree's recipe, I'd think the wet berries would make the sugar soggy, then you'd spoon into dense lumpy oatmeal and fruit. YMMV.

 

Seen the simple sesame noodle recipe a gazillions times before. What was up with the alliteration today?

 

That sauce for the lamb chops had mint, parsley, garlic, anchovies and sriracha in it. Did I miss anything? The lamb had a pretty pungent rub on them to begin with. Ugh. What's wrong with good old plain broiled lamb with just s/p? Paired with the green beans flavored with Worcestershire and bleu cheese, and you're palate would spaz out.

 

My DVR fritzed during the coffee drink. I just saw Ree trying to dissolve a huge glob of dulce de leche in a cup of coffee. I imagine she also added sugar and whipped cream. She mentioned bourbon, so I assume it also contained a shot of booze.

 

Here's a great Halloween recipe that's right in Ree's wheelhouse:

 

http://revamperate.com/2015/09/30/halloween-candy-corn-blondies/

 

I made it and it was about the sweetest thing I've ever tasted and I have a mega sweet tooth!

[anneofcleves]

That sauce for the lamb chops had mint, parsley, garlic, anchovies and sriracha in it. Did I miss anything? The lamb had a pretty pungent rub on them to begin with. Ugh. What's wrong with good old plain broiled lamb with just s/p? Paired with the green beans flavored with Worcestershire and bleu cheese, and you're palate would spaz out.

 

Seriously.  The lamb with mint and anchovy, the sriracha, Worcestershire and blue cheese on the green beans, and the sweet potato with sour cream made my palate spaz out just thinking about it.  I guess after a busy day of consuming nothing but carbohydrates while wandering around the prairie blathering about how busy she is, between her blood sugar and her dead taste buds, her system needs a shock.  Electric shock therapy would be more efficient, and honestly pretty entertaining to watch.

 

This episode was so bad, in my opinion, that it deserved a replay.  I was so originally fixated on her breakfast and lunch that it didn't really register what a hot mess that dinner was.  Wouldn't you love to hear Gordon Ramsey's or Anthony Bourdain's comments on that combination?

 

When she commented about "I don't know who first discovered that mint was the perfect accompaniment for lamb," my husband said, "Probably all those people from that unmentionable part of the world who came up with falafel, dummy."

 

I wonder if Giada has done a show about having a day alone?  Something tells me, with her looks and focus on better nutrition, that she'd actually have some healthful and interesting recipes for one.  And her day would probably end with limoncello, which beats Ree's mess of a drink anyday.

[Lisin]

What's up with Ree's hair?  Is it naturally that long, or is she wearing falls?  That would feel like a dead animal around your neck in the summers.  

 

I don't know. I mean my hair is at least that long, but you're right about the dead animal in the summer. I have the back half shaved underneath to avoid that. You can't see it unless I put my hair up in a pony tail or bun. I have survived plenty of east Texas summers that way. 

[CMH1981]

So was it just me or were the thought bubbles during the hike looking like they were more for Ree than the dogs.

 

Jesus Christ that oatmeal, talk about taking something healthy and making it not.  I was shocked she didn't put diced up bacon and some melted butter on top of that.

 

I get the impression sometimes she just drives around the backroads of Oklah....er Osage County, talking to herself and looking to an empty passenger seat.

 

I call crap that all she ate was those noodles, and where was the extra butter, bacon, or meat?!

 

So the quadruple-proofing her new cookbook, now available at your local Walmart, to make sure there are no mistakes mean that there have been errors in the past she was called out on?

 

Yeah, i'm giving Nancy the win in the Ree vs Nancy lamb chop battle today, as well as the mint jelly.

 

She couldn't even bake the potato, she nuked it?  I'm surprised she didn't tell us to make sure to puncture the potato or else it could explode...which she learned the hard way.

 

The green beans looked good until the blue cheese chunks....she can't call those crumbles, nope.

 

"I can't leave well enough alone....the Ree Drummond story"

 

For some reason, I just picture after she ate/drank all that, Ladd and the kids drive up and says "what's for dinner hon" and we then realize that she ate all of this in a span of six hours ( 7am to 5pm).

 

 

What's up with Ree's hair?  Is it naturally that long, or is she wearing falls?  That would feel like a dead animal around your neck in the summers.

 

Wouldn't it be funny after filming the episodes or getting back to the ranch she rips off her hair ala Kimberly from original recipe Melrose Place.

 

I wonder if Giada has done a show about having a day alone?  Something tells me, with her looks and focus on better nutrition, that she'd actually have some healthful and interesting recipes for one.  And her day would probably end with limoncello, which beats Ree's mess of a drink anyday.

 
At this point it would consist of Giada going through her list of available men for her to bone w/, work out, and trying to cook a meal that will keep her energy up to continue that fake smile and for other activities.

[peacheslatour]

I was thinking the other day about why I find Ree so grating.  Maybe it's because her show follows Ina's in my market.  The day Ree made tarte tatin, Ina had just made it on her show.  The contrast not just between the two recipes, the presentation and all that but, between Ina's soothing intonations and Ree's shrieking banshee phoniness, it was palpable.

[Lillybee]

I just watched her make baked ziti for the six kids, using two pounds of meat and two and a half pounds of cheese. Seems like a protein overload to me.

[Lura]

Lisin, I admire your patience in letting your hair grow long.  I used to, but not anymore.  You must be one tough Texas lady to wear it that way all summer, even with shaving the back part.  (Clever idea.)

 

I was hungry, but I couldn't resist watching Ree before breakfast.  By the time I got through her mega-oatmeal with all of its added junk, that platter of sesame noodles and those atrocious lamb chops with baked sweet potato and those weird beans,  I wasn't hungry anymore.  I had a mini glass of orange juice and never ate until lunch at 1 p.m.!  She took that appetite right out of me.  There must be a lesson there.  

[anneofcleves]

I was hungry, but I couldn't resist watching Ree before breakfast.  By the time I got through her mega-oatmeal with all of its added junk, that platter of sesame noodles and those atrocious lamb chops with baked sweet potato and those weird beans,  I wasn't hungry anymore.  I had a mini glass of orange juice and never ate until lunch at 1 p.m.!  She took that appetite right out of me.  There must be a lesson there.  

 

Ha, the Ree Drummond diet plan!  Lura, don't be giving her any other ideas!

 

I just watched her make baked ziti for the six kids, using two pounds of meat and two and a half pounds of cheese. Seems like a protein overload to me.

 

Lillybee, you've just summed up Ree's method of cooking - overload.  If some cheese is called for, 4 additional cups (plus some cream cheese, sour cream, and half & half) will make it utterly amazing, divine, decadent, luxurious, and scrumptious.  Want something sweet?  Whoa, hold on to your cavities, kids.

Edited November 1, 2015 by anneofcleves

[Automne]

Something I noticed today that seems to be a little telling: all the other cooking shows like Giada, Ina, Valerie, Trisha, etc. have all had a date night episode. Ree has never had an episode where she makes a one-on-one dinner for Ladd and herself. In fact, we never see those two really interact other than his, "This is good, honey." 

 

For somebody whose storyline involves a Harlequin romance plot with her "cowboy" and his flat ass that she loves sharing pictures of, it's interesting that she's never had a date night episode and exuding prairieland married woman advice about keeping the romance alive with your busy rancher cowboy man.

[grisgris]

Ree did have an episode quite some time ago where she and Ladd were home alone for an afternoon and evening. IIRC, Ree made some kind of "his 'n her" beef sandwich and each dolled theirs up the way they wanted to, which for Ree probably meant jalapenos, hot sauce and lots of "fancy" greens like arugula. For breakfast, she made her version of toad in the hole (or whatever we call the toast with a whole in the middle with a fried egg.) The kids all came home from wherever they were and surprised them at breakfast time.

 

Then there was one of Ladd's birthday episodes and Ree wrote something obviously suggestive on her card to Ladd and the look on his face spoke volumes. It was a cross between embarrassment and sheer horror!

 

I read her romance memoir thing several years ago and Ree and Ladd had a very boring courtship. It consisted of Ree having to drive to the ranch and Ladd would grill something then they'd sit and watch movies from his VHS collection. YAWN...

 

But, I suppose that's better than being treated to Ree and Ladd rolling out of bed and dining outside in their bathrobes (ala Pauler and Mah-kul.) /shudder...

[Diane]

Aren't there any lakes in OK?  Is it really impossible to get a fresh trout or bass or any kind of fresh fish there?  When my son was young, he and my hubby would go camping every weekend (I'm not the outdoorsy type) and I would treat my self to tons of fruit and things like crab salad, grilled trout and fresh veggies.  It was not an excuse to pig out on a bunch of crap, it was an opportunity to eat really light for a change and get away from the meat and potato fare that dudes tend to prefer.

I live in Oklahoma and we have more lakes than any other state.

[anneofcleves]

From what I've read, OK has more lakes created by dams than any other state (like 200 - all man made) and relatively few natural inland lakes.  AK has something like 3,000,000 lakes.  MI has something like over 60,000 natural inland lakes.  So no, OK doesn't have a lot of lakes.

[grisgris]

Don't the Drummonds have a pond on their ranch? I recall an episode where Ree's brother Mike came to visit and he went fishing on the premises with the kids. (My former boyfriend's family lived on a farm and they had a nice big pond where we'd fish for some tasty catfish.) Unless the Drummond pond is "catch and release."

 

Otherwise, I got nothing...  But I would have thoroughly enjoyed watching Ree try to catch and clean her own fish. (She probably would have dispatched Cowboy Josh to do the dirty work, though.)

[Lura]

The episode with Ree packing up all those "goodies" to mail to Alex got me interested in Alex's college life, so I've been cruising the internet to see what I could find.  What I was able to learn specifically about Alex was very little.  As someone pointed out previously, Alex is at Texas A&M University in College Station, TX.  That's about halfway between Dallas and Houston.  It's an 8 hour drive between Pawhuska and College Station, almost in a straight line south. 

 

Also, as I think someone pointed out, Alex pledged Tri-Delt sorority (Delta Delta Delta).  I tried to get into their website to find out whether there was a picture of the new pledge class, showing Alex with the other new members, but I didn't have a Tri-Delt password.  I did see a picture of their Membership Chairman, an upperclassman who helps the new girls, and she is a strikingly beautiful girl, so I would assume that Alex was accepted into quite a good sorority, a feather in her cap.  I hope that Alex made a good decision in sororities and is happy because Alex has always seemed to me to be a very nice girl.

 

I didn't find any info at all about a box from OK arriving in College Statiion, filled with broken glass and candy!

[grisgris]

All of the tight focus on ranch work and home schooling didn't offer much insight into each kid's interests (other than sports and the recent glimpses we've seen of Bryce's artistic pursuits.) So I have no idea what Alex wants to major in or her extracurricular activities. I am kind of surprised that she's going the sorority route. She always struck me as more of a boho type and I had high hopes of her joining a campus commune and becoming a vegetarian hippie.

[peacheslatour]

 

She couldn't even bake the potato, she nuked it?  I'm surprised she didn't tell us to make sure to puncture the potato or else it could explode...which she learned the hard way.

I couldn't believe that.  And...and then she put sour cream on it!  Who does that to a sweet potato?  I usually just put butter, salt and pepper and maybe some roasted pecans, but SOUR CREAM?

[anneofcleves]

I couldn't believe that.  And...and then she put sour cream on it!  Who does that to a sweet potato?  I usually just put butter, salt and pepper and maybe some roasted pecans, but SOUR CREAM?

 

Actually, savory mashed sweet potatoes made with sour cream and chopped scallions are utterly amazing.  Sour cream on top of the potato doesn't disturb me - it's more that it made no sense with the rest of the meal.  Well, that and the fact that after all the carbs Ree had during her "Alone Again (minus the camera crew)" show, she really should have just had a green salad.  Or a colonic. 

[peacheslatour]

 

Or a colonic.

*dead*

[Lura]

Sometimes, I picture Ree as the Mad Scientist of the Kitchen.  Of course, I say that to be snide, but I'm serious.  It's just too hard for me to come up with any other reason for some of her weird combinations.  She throws in things like soy sauce, Worcestershire sauce, lime juice (not only for Mexican food), and other unexpected ingredients.  What is she doing??? 

 

The sad thing is that Ladd and the kids are so hungry after working out with the cattle that ANY food tastes decent to them, while Ree misinterprets their hunger to mean that the recipes are a hit.  It makes no sense to me, but apparently it makes sense to Ree.  She would probably accuse me of having no sense of adventure, which might be true, but I've always been interested in new combinations of flavors.  I just don't care for her combinations sometimes.

[Hildegard802]

Until it's proven, I cannot believe that anyone in that household, including Ree, eats the crap she makes. Any consumption is for the camera only. No one who gives a damn about their family would regularly feed them the junk she appears to make at every single meal.

[Westiepeach]

I still remember that one episode where she made 3 burgers using 2 pounds of meat. And then she loaded them with more stuff. I swear, they were like the size of my head.

[Lura]

Ree constantly confuses quality with quantity.  I have long felt that her thinking was that if she could fill up her family's stomachs, they got a good meal, never mind what was in it.  A show that I watched today bore out my theory:

 

There were three diners -- Ree and her two daughters.  Ree picked up two pounds of hamburger, then removed half a pound and set it aside somewhere.  She said aloud, as if to herself, "Let's see.  One and a half pounds of meat.  That should serve three people."  She was not joking in any way.  They were each going to be served half a pound of meat apiece, and that didn't include the sides or dessert!

 

Unless it has changed, the standard serving size for meat is 1/4 pound per person.  The Drummond ladies would be eating twice as much.  Of course, it was Mexican, and we all know how Ree loves Mexican.  She is not a good cook in my book, and she's an even worse teacher yet again.  You know that there have to be newlyweds watching who are now thinking, "We're having six for dinner, and I'll need half a pound of meat per person.  Ree said so."

 

 

[anneofcleves]

I sense a theme, friends.  Ree has a child in college now.  Therefore she will become the spokesperson for the feeding habits of college-age adults.  I've been living this life for the last 6 years with kids in college, and this show royally pissed me off with her arrogance over having a college student and being a college student.  Good for you, Ree.  You're super mom - here's a blue ribbon.

 

So many generalizations about college students and dorm life were flying about, but the ones that our dear (stupid) Ree doesn't realize or share with fans is that:

 

1) First year, and sometimes second year, college students living in residence halls at big schools are often not permitted to have a car.  And not having a car makes grocery shopping pretty difficult.

 

2) Residence hall rooms are about the size of the walk-in closet of most modern McMansions.  Even with two dorm-sized refrigerators, there is no room to store deli meat, a bag of cheese (whatever), a tube of whack-a-dough (yuck), Worcestershire sauce (really?), bagged lettuce (seriously?), cartons of half and half (oh my God), a deli roasted chicken (bwah!), and all the leftover pineapple, canned baby corn (hahahahahahaaa) and whatnot from all the cans and tubes of shit that will not be fully utilized in their "dorm style" meal.  And really, they need all that refrigerator space to store the vodka, beer, wine, and leftover pizza that they have.

 

3) Residence hall rooms usually have really crappy or completely insufficient ways to clean up stuff like waffle irons, plates, bowls, and coffee mugs gunked with cooked-on cake.  Yuck.  Sure, microwave meals, oatmeal, soup, coffee and hot cocoa are pretty common.  But Ree takes it to a whole new level of nonsensical.

 

4) Most residence hall-dwellers have a meal plan that feeds them morning, noon, and night - with snack options.  It's expensive, but it's convenient and more food than they could ever eat.  For those occasions when they're sick of eating in the dining hall, college towns are famous for having cheap food options for students.  My kids' residence halls had probably 20 different choices of places they could walk to and get a full meal for under $5.  Heck, the pizza and sub shops circle the halls like sharks with cheap food.  They can buy something for far less than buying all the ingredients for one of Ree's stupid ideas.  

 

I think the thing I hate most about her lately is her arrogance in pawning these dumb ideas off as good ones.  They're not.  They're frivolous, expensive, and impractical.  And she knows it.  But she's got no creativity, and with Alex going off to college she now has a new area of focus.  Thank god!  I really wish Brycer would go into local theater, so we could get expert advice on feeding her "acting crew."

Edited November 7, 2015 by anneofcleves

[Ms Lark]

OK, I don't really watch Ree's show since I can't stand it. I confess, I liked her blog way back in the early days and ex gave me her 1st cookbook for Xmas or something back in 2010. I did kinda half watch today's ep out of curiosity. Keeps getting worse. Did she actually put the "flavor packet" in the ramen she doctored up with canned shit? Anyway, my big question is this: how the hell is this the 12th season of this crapfest when she only been on the air a little over 4 years? That's really stretching it!

[sabretooth]

3) Residence hall rooms usually have really crappy or completely insufficient ways to clean up stuff like waffle irons, plates, bowls, and coffee mugs gunked with cooked-on cake.  Yuck.  Sure, microwave meals, oatmeal, soup, coffee and hot cocoa are pretty common.  But Ree takes it to a whole new level of nonsensical.

 

 

Not to mention that many colleges have rules about what appliances can and cannot be used in a dorm room/dorms in general. Depending on the school, George Foremans and waffle makers may be banned. And at most colleges, microwaving popcorn is enough to set off a fire alarm. You don't want to be the one that caused the dorm to be evacuated at 3am because you were making waffle maker pizzas. 

 

I would have laughed my arse off if Ree's Caesar dressing was made completely from condiment packets snarfed from a dining hall. Admit it, that's the only way most college students will access mayo, hot sauce & S/P. 

 

Also, if Ree's daughter is now in a sorority and/or living in a sorority house, do we really think she's making Caesar ala Ziplock? Don't most fancy sorority houses have their own dining staff? 

[Iboatedhere]

Alex could make that dressing in one of the many mason jars Ree sent her few episodes ago.

I didn't go to college but I used to visit my friend every Halloween and she had a mini fridge and that was it. I don't think she was even supposed to have that. I'm pretty sure she smuggled that in. Her senior year she moved into a shared apartment and had more appliances but I don't think a waffle iron was among them.

I love the idea of a mug cake and I've tried to make a lot of them. They're hella hit or miss. 85% of them taste like hot, wet, sponge. They're also super high in calories. At least Rees was. 3 tablespoons of vegetable oil! Freshman 15 indeed.

I laughed at the beginning when she said "college kids you can eat well" or whatever. What should be said is "college kids you can eat.....well....I mean, it is food. You can eat it. You can certainly shove it in your mouth and swallow it. That's for sure. I'm not saying it's going to be good but you CAN eat."

[grisgris]

Oh, hell's bells.... SERIOUSLY, Ree? Even though i was forewarned here, my jaw still dropped at the sheer ludicrousness of Ree's suggestions. 

 

I echo what everybody else has already said. There is no room to store all of those appliances in a dorm room, nor are there adequate facilities for dishwashing. I don't think other residents would enjoy washing up at early hours for class to find dregs of chocolate, eggshells, cheese and other yuck lining the shared bathroom sink. Just ugh.

 

Whose going to buy all of those condiments in order to use dibs and dabs every now and then? Not to mention the miscellaneous cans and packages of ingredients that are going to go bad in the tiny fridge. Buying little bits of ingredients off the salad bar can get expensive, but I guess it's a trade-off as far as buying full-sized quantities and have them go to waste. (Neither is a good idea.)

 

Ditto on the rules and regulations about cooking in a residence hall. When I lived in one, (longer ago than I care to admit) there were two students from an Asian country who lived on my floor. They cooked all of their meals in their room and the odor was just awful; really pungent and cloying. (They eventually got kicked out.) So you'd have to be mindful of the other students living there. Yeah, nobody wants to be rudely awakened by the smell of burned popcorn or spicy eggs cooking at 2 a.m.

 

Unless Alex has a private room, she has a roommate that she has to share space, as well as the microwave and refrigerator with. I thought, as well, that sorority houses had dining rooms.

 

Poor Alex. I truly hope all of excessive idiocy was just for the show and didn't actually happen IRL. She's away at college to be establishing her independence as an adult, not tethered more tightly to Mom's apron strings. I'd be so embarrassed to have my mother swoop in with all of that crap. Ree takes "helicopter parenting" to the Chinook level!

Edited November 8, 2015 by grisgris

[ariel]

I feel very sorry for Alex's roommate.  If I was the roommate or her parents. I would be livid with this. I hope the roommate was aware of this before she moved in.

Edited November 7, 2015 by ariel

[CMH1981]

To be fair I imagine w/ all the care packages that Ree sends, that under Alex's bed is boxes filled w/ empty jars, containers, and the box full of condiments and spices.

 

I will admit the waffle maker pizza and quesadilla looked good, but I know I won't ever make them...hell I have a waffle iron and I still buy frozen waffles..

 

Everything else she made looked like crap, but that's par for the course.  

 

Where did she get the mini Worcestershire sauce?  That was cute.

 

I do agree that Ree is delusional about the space that dorm rooms have.  I remember having a mini fridge, but I also remember having to do dishes in the bathroom sink, from cereal, soup, whatever.  Perhaps Ree got Alex a private dorm suite.

[maggiemae]

The thing is....her daughter is in a soroity rather than a dorm. I went to a college that did not have them but my brother and sister and some of my friends attended a university that did. And they all had kitchens and cook/s. The kids could use the kitchen for off meal snacks.

The dorm rooms I lived in for the first 2 rooms did not have room for a refrig, waffle iron etc - let alone a pantry(!). Even those refrigs like in a hotel room would not hold all the frickin items Ree used in each ingredient. My roommates and I would go to the HUB for meals or grab coffee or whatnot in the morning and to study or in my case more likely to hang out....or to one of the many inexpensive restaurants that are so prevalent around colleges. I guess even the last 2 years when I lived off campus we were never big snack-ers. The occasional popcorn is all I remember.....that we could do in the little room at the dorm meant for that or in our apartments.

I was fortunate that my parents paid for my college but there is no way I had much money to make these little snacks all the time althouh I worked at Christmas and during the summer. Top Ramen and a ton of veggies and sirracha etc, coffeecup cake, caesar or fruit salad - WTH?

Let go Ree....I'm sure your daughter is fine at college and no need micromanage her snacks. Just send her a box of cookies sometimes as a little thinking of you....

[Lura]

As one who generally has a few chuckles whenever Ree is on, I was a bit surprised today with my angry reaction to this show.  First, I felt that it was largely "show off" on Ree's part.  When she took Alex down to visit the campus originally, she went all over the place taking pictures.  At the school's basketball game, Ree actually went clear down to the front of the bleachers, where she could be seen by everyone, and took pictures OF THE CROWD!  Since she is recognizable to millions of people, I thought she was being rather obvious, intent on showing people who she was or maybe who Alex was.

 

Now, this show.  It was absolutely aimed at Alex and any other Texas A&M girls who might be watching.  (Yes, college students watch a lot of cooking shows.  I've read it over and over, and the FN is one of their favorites).  I've been through college, and none of Ree's dishes sounded anywhere near plausible for a dorm room.  Way too many ingredients.  Believe it or not, Ree, most kids study like crazy, and if they take time out, it isn't for cooking.  It might be to make a store-bought frozen pizza, not a waffle concoction with a Caesar salad!

 

IMHO, Ree is being very, VERY childish.  Alex is getting along fine without her.  If she misses anything, I imagine it's her favorite horse and her best friend.  Food, she can find almost anywhere.  Ree can't seem to stand letting her daughter live away from home and is carrying this missing business way too far.  I'm sure she misses her oldest daughter, but that's how growing up is.

 

The anger I felt was over Alex's possible embarrassment over having her sorority sisters and other friends seeing her mother coddling her.  I was also angry because I'd looked forward to a new show, and this one was nothing that I could use, let alone enjoy. 

 

At home, Alex was accustomed to working for her father for most of the day, receiving her schooling from her mother, and going to church to learn  "Amazing Grace"!  Now, she's free of all that, and even if she enjoyed it, this is her chance to spread her wings and live life on her terms.  If she tunes in to her mother's show and has to see "Lessons for Alex" every other time, that's pretty sad.  When I was in college, nothing would have embarrassed me more.  Who knows how many of her fellow college students are laughing behind her back -- not at her, but at her mother? I hope with all my heart that that scenario isn't happening to Alex.

Edited November 8, 2015 by Lura

[anneofcleves]

I guess I don't see this at all as anything related to missing Alex. It's just another crass commercialization of her family to promote her brand. I don't know why this bugs me so much. Probably because as a young adult I would have wanted my mom to leave me out of the national conversation and just live my own life.

[chessiegal]

I don't watch PW because I don't care for her recipes or her (I think I managed to get through 5 minutes once), but I think I'll need to catch this one on rerun. It sounds like a train wreck. I'm guessing it will rerun in the afternoon next week.

[maggiemae]

Could be the worst of the lot chessiegal. If one is poor in college they are eating just top raman or pb&js and the like....not adding 10 more additions. If they are studying they are not going to take the time out to shop for them or let alone take the time out of studying to make these "recipes." If they are wealthy, as her daughter is - they are going to call for a pizza or something or go out.

I think it is also most annoying because it seems like her daughters never were interested in cooking to begin with - which is fine - but for Ree to assume this daughter now is just rediculous. She is much too busy acclaimating to college, new friends, studying etc.

[WhitneyWhit]

I lived in the dorms for the first two years of college and there is no way those "recipes" (and I use that term loosely) could ever be made in a dorm. We were allowed a small fridge and a small microwave, that's it. I remember my neighbor sneaked in a hotplate  my sophomore year and fell asleep (or passed out) while making a grilled cheese and set off every alarm in the building. 

 

Today's episode was pointless. I hope that her fans know better and won't be sending  their poor kids care packages full of waffle irons and Ramen noodles. 

[CMH1981]

 

I think it is also most annoying because it seems like her daughters never were interested in cooking to begin with - which is fine - but for Ree to assume this daughter now is just rediculous.

 

One of them was interested in cooking, but I can't recall which one it was.  It was the one that enjoyed cooking/baking for Edna Mae.

[SanLynn]

I lived in the dorms for the first two years of college and there is no way those "recipes" (and I use that term loosely) could ever be made in a dorm. We were allowed a small fridge and a small microwave, that's it. I remember my neighbor sneaked in a hotplate my sophomore year and fell asleep (or passed out) while making a grilled cheese and set off every alarm in the building.

Today's episode was pointless. I hope that her fans know better and won't be sending their poor kids care packages full of waffle irons and Ramen noodles.

I think this one was the most frustrating episodes to me. I spent a large part of it wondering if things had really changed that much since my college days. My dorm room barely fit a mini fridge, much less a microwave and a waffle maker. Plus who wants to waste time and money cooking in their dorm when the commons or student union is just a few steps away?

One of them was interested in cooking, but I can't recall which one it was.  It was the one that enjoyed cooking/baking for Edna Mae.

Pretty sure that's the younger one, Paige, who is still at home.

Edited November 8, 2015 by SanLynn

[DuckyinKy]

There shouldn't be a cooking show where "smoosh" is a mixing technique. In a plastic bag, no less. 

[grisgris]

While Ree was "smooshing" up that salad dressing, she spoke her only semi-sensible words during the entire episode: "Of course, you could always just use bottled dressing."

[Lura]

There shouldn't be a cooking show where "smoosh" is a mixing technique. In a plastic bag, no less.

 

Yes, I totally agree, but then how is Ree going to show the college kids that she's up on their expressions?  Hi guys!  Cool!  High five! 

I think she wants to be known as the youngest college mom at Texas A&M.  This week, she probably has her head in the clouds imagining all those college girls out shopping for goodies to make her waffle pizzas, etc,  Speaking of waffle pizzas, the ham and pineapple were decent additions, but using frozen BREAD dough would sort of ruin that delicious crust for me.  Besides, you can buy frozen pizzas.  Why not sling one of those into the microwave?  Get rid of the waffle iron entirely.

[anneofcleves]

My daughter will be home from college in a few weeks, and I am totally saving this episode on my DVR for her to see.  She's going to love it (but not for the reasons Ree would expect.)

 

It was so bad that I watched it twice, and it doesn't get any better on replay.  It's definitely her worst, most crazy bunch of ideas ever.  At best, this show would be useful for students in their first college apartment, where they could have a prayer at storing the ingredients and cleaning up the mess.

 

I call total BS on the beauty shot of her opening the waffle iron pizza when it was done.  There is no way that that mess of cheese, jarred pasta sauce, ham, and pineapple would have congealed so beautifully into the waffle base.  What a mess.  And imagine the girl schlepping the gigantic, greasy/sauce-covered waffle iron to some bathroom at the end of a hall to clean.  Fantastic idea!

 

I didn't really pay too much attention to the cake in a cup the first time I watched it, but at the time I assumed she was using cake or brownie mix.  Because wouldn't that actually made sense for kids in a dorm?  Color me surprised when I discovered that she actually has containers of flour, sugar, cocoa, and baking powder to make a scratch cake in a cup.  Oh, and vegetable oil and vanilla.  And all the while she's blathering on about the small sized containers you can buy at the store.

 

What an idiot.

[CMH1981]

Yeah, that waffle iron pizza came out looking too perfect, and it didn't look like there was much of an ooey gooey mess on the top part.

 

I forgot, did Ree use anchovy fillets/paste in her caesar salad dressing?  I mean what college student doesn't have anchovy paste/fillets in their emergency college pantry supplies?!

[anneofcleves]

I forgot, did Ree use anchovy fillets/paste in her caesar salad dressing?  I mean what college student doesn't have anchovy paste/fillets in their emergency college pantry supplies?!

 

My daughter does, CMH1981!  It's wonderful in overnight oatmeal - even the cats love it this way!  And it makes a great facial mask.  ;-)

 

I had the exact same thought about a tube of anchovy paste in that recipe, and I'm surprised to say she did not use any.  Shocked actually, given how impractical and expensive it would be (which seem to be Ree's main criteria these days).

Edited November 8, 2015 by anneofcleves

[SanLynn]

I've had a day to let this episode sink in and I think the one thing I just can't get over in all of this is that she named this episode "Dorm Room Dining" and waxed on about her college daughter when said daughter is in a sorority and has access to her own dining room and kitchen. The hutzpah of this woman is just never ending.

[grisgris]

Ha! Great minds think alike. I also thought about the lack of anchovy component in the salad dressing. What was Ree thinking?

 

I reviewed the recipes and there were lots of other completely WTF ingredients, such as apple jelly, raspberries and fresh mint leaves. Oh yeah. I forgot. You're supposed to prune the mint leaves from your thoughtfully-tended windowsill herb garden.

 

I live in an area with lots of grocery stores that cater to diverse demographics and I've only seen one store that carries small bottles of vegetable oil on the $1 shelf.  I was out shopping for some of my elderly peeps a while back and was hard-pressed to even find a 1-lb. bag of flour for them anywhere. I don't know where Ree shops...

 

Ree-diculous episode! I wonder if Ree will get a lot of flak on her blog for that trainwreck of an episode?

[anneofcleves]

Ree-diculous episode! I wonder if Ree will get a lot of flak on her blog for that trainwreck of an episode?

 

Of course not.  The bleating sheep on her blog think this is brilliant.  http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/dorm-room-dining/

[chessiegal]

Of course not.  The bleating sheep on her blog think this is brilliant.  http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/dorm-room-dining/

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