All Episodes Talk

[3pwood]

 

How is chicken breading "hilarious"? Or crazy. I think it just sounds gross, but then again, the only cereal I'd ever used to crust something was cornflakes.

 

I agree, txvoodoo -- & the cornflakes would be unsweetened.  Which is why we don't have our own TV cooking show (but our food tastes good & isn't unhealthy). 

[txvoodoo]

That's right - how could I forget the soda!

 

Man, people ought to start doing nutritional breakdowns on her meals. 

 

I have the Football ep on now with bloody mary chile and...ewww. Heat in chile shouldn't come from hot sauce. And steak seasoning? I'm imagining her walk through her supermarket spice shaker area saying "I haven't thrown this into anything yet!"

 

It's unusual I see her this much in one week - I've just been free at the times she's on. I think I'm hitting Max Ree, though. I see there's an episode on later with her bringing food to fence fixers, but I've either seen it before, or it's a redo of the same idea and YAWN.

 

Man, I wish she'd stop pretending that stuff is exciting. However did Julia Child manage to fill a half hour with nothing but actual food? ;) 

 

Oh, look, yes - Ree has to excuse herself from manly football talk. No girls allowed!  She's off to watch a romantic comedy, lest we forget she's a GIRL. (Note: I dislike football but it's not a gender thing in this house. :D) 

 

Ahh happiness - it's over and Ina's on tv doing Tex Mex.

[grisgris]

Today was Ree's tribute to chocolate/Valentine's Day!

 

White chocolate-raspberry no-bake cheesecake: I didn't really see anything amiss about that recipe, although I did question the texture with that type of crust. That really didn't seem like a typical cheesecake, but maybe she didn't want to get a bunch of flak about using uncooked eggs.

 

Triple mint ice cream: Here we go again. LESS IS MORE!!!  To softened Belfonte vanilla ice cream, Ree added two kinds of chocolate chips, cut-up York peppermint patties, cut-up Ande's chocolate mints AND mint M&Ms. If that wasn't enough, it was served out of embellished waffle cones. I kinda flinched when Paige chose the cone with pretzel bits, because I didn't think they'd taste very good with all of that overpowering mint. That dessert was supposed to be nostalgic about a trip to Colorado.

 

Milk chocolate mousse: For the menfolk. Ree whipped up a decant treat for Todd and Bryce to eat as an after-school snack. She served the mousse in knock-off retro sundae dishes from her Walmart collection and decorated them with gummy bears -- to make sure they were masculine. Todd and Bryce grunted something about "pudding," then Bryce did the obligatory prodding of Todd to exclaim how delicious the treat was. Todd  grumpily mumbled something about "liking all of it," then shoved his spoon into his second dish.

 

Chocolate-orange martini: Ree had a disclaimer that this drink was inspired by an old school friend, Julie (aka Kimber.) Aunt Sandy would have been so proud. Ree rimmed her martini glass with chocolate and sugar and mixed up a concoction of orange vodka and soft chocolate Haagen Daaz ice cream. Ree managed to raise the stakes though, by smugly using a Mason jar as her cocktail shaker. Declaring that she'd been waiting all her life for that drink, Ree drifted off into the sleepy Oklahoma sunset. Never to be seen or heard from again.  (oops! I got off track there.)

 

Until next week ...

 

Score: I'd give the episode a solid B-.  Props for staying within the guidelines of an FN-mandated chocolate theme. Points deducted for mint overkill and gender-specific recipes.

Edited February 14, 2016 by grisgris

[peacheslatour]

 

gender-specific recipes.

Grrrrr... she always does this and it drives me nuts!  It's ridiculous and insulting.

[anneofcleves]

Triple mint ice cream: Here we go again. LESS IS MORE!!!  To softened Belfonte vanilla ice cream, Ree added two kinds of chocolate chips, cut-up York peppermint patties, cut-up Ande's chocolate mints AND mint M&Ms. If that wasn't enough, they were served out of embellished waffle cones. I kinda flinched when Paige chose the cone with pretzel bits, because I didn't think they'd taste very good with all of that overpowering mint. That dessert was supposed to be nostalgic about a trip to Colorado.

 

Holy Mother of God, nobody can ruin ice cream like Ree Drummond.  The only thing missing was a bunch cut up sticks of Wrigley's spearmint gum.  I guess cowgirls don't like that.

[maggiemae]

Today we got the kids eating an embellished ice scream sundae out of a trough - food falling out of their mouths to be eaten by other....well not really for those able to get a spoonful that were standing in the back.

[Lura]

From New England and Ohio here.  I use salt on cantelope and nothing on watermelon.  Ree's use of sugar on watermelon made me do a double-take.  She'll put sugar on anything.  Apparently, she hasn't thought of her favorite BROWN sugar for the watermelon.

 

I almost got hungry imagining how tasty those chocolate ice cream cones would be until Ree kept adding one more thing and one more thing until the whole thing seemed like sugar overload.  Par for the course for Ree.

 

Hey!  Women everywhere (or men), keep your eyes peeled for Bryce -- his voice is changing!  Can it be long before he finds the wo/man of his dreams?

 

THANK YOU for the pics of Josh's wedding.  I enjoyed seeing them.  Things are done so much differently in different parts of the country.  I liked the men in orange shirts instead of the usual formal white.  Who were the little boys in the picture with Josh?  Didn't his wife have two little girls?  I thought the younger of the two boys looked something like Josh.  Any Josh experts here?

Edited February 15, 2016 by Lura

[Fostersmom]

Josh's wife has a son too. A cute little bugger from what I remember. All 3 of their kids were cute. 

 

I'm sure the ice-cream cones she made were well coordinated, they happen to be in Vail right now, the inspiration for the cones on the show. 

[Hildegard802]

I haven't been watching any "new" episodes.  Turned it on today long enough to see her hair keeps getting more orange, to the point it probably can be seen from outerspace, and the runniest-looking "cheesecake" I've ever seen.

[Kohola3]

These people have GOT to be major investors in some local bariatric surgery clinic.  Every damned thing she makes has to have triple the fat and carbs recommended for any normal human being.

 

What they don't have is an investment in any clothing lines in the civilized world. Or does she make those hideous tops using free fabric scraps from Walmart?

[grisgris]

I'm sure the ice-cream cones she made were well coordinated, they happen to be in Vail right now, the inspiration for the cones on the show. 

 

Great! Another region of the country to steal recipes from. She's already tried New York City hotel room service menus. Next stop on the Plagiarism Express?

 

Hmmm... I wonder if I've ever consumed Drummond beef? I recall that on one of the hundreds of cattle-hauling shows, the destination was Kansas City.

[Qoass]

 

M&Ms

 

 

You mean "candy coated chocolates"?  I don't know why but that bugs the crap out of me and every show does it.  I don't know if M&M/Mars makes them say that or if it's the show producers but it sounds so stilted. 

[chessiegal]

You mean "candy coated chocolates"?  I don't know why but that bugs the crap out of me and every show does it.  I don't know if M&M/Mars makes them say that or if it's the show producers but it sounds so stilted. 

Copyrights/Trademarks - unless you want to pay the manufacturer.

[Fostersmom]

Same with rice cereal treats or chocolate sandwich cookies or Jello. Hell, even Kleenex or Band Aids. We all know what they mean and what the real manufacture is called. Hell, do they even still sell generic Rice Crispies? 

[savingsanta]

Copyrights/Trademarks - unless you want to pay the manufacturer.

 

Chopped is the best/worst for this. "Chocolate hazelnut spread", "sugar-covered marshmallow treats", "puffed rice cereal", etc.

 

I guess that's what you get when you rely too much on processed, packaged foods on your cooking show...

[WhitneyWhit]

Aunt Sandy used to run into that problem all  the time. My absolute favorite was when she used Shake 'N Bake in her meatloaf of a thousand ingredients, since she couldn't say the brand name, she shook a pack of it at he camera and described it as "...that stuff you shake on your pork chops and chicken? Well use that".

[mmecorday]

 

She served the mousse in knock-off retro sundae dishes from her Walmart collection and decorated them with gummy bears -- to make sure they were masculine.

They were actually gummy worms. Because kids like gross stuff.

 

I couldn't help thinking what her kids' dental bills are like. Or their blood sugar levels.

 

I'm not a fan of mint flavored ice cream, so that abomination she "made" had me gagging. She put some candy in store-bought vanilla ice cream, basically. She really puts the sage in Osage, doesn't she?

[Totale]

Copyrights/Trademarks - unless you want to pay the manufacturer.

 

Or if the manufacturer isn't interested in paying you for "product placement".

[IOU Payne]

Speaking of product placement, I'm starting to see the PW Collection being featured on the show.  I was in Walmart and happened tosee a display of the whisks.  When I picked one up, I realized that it was in two pieces, as it had come apart at the handle!  The other ones on the rack were also improperly attached.  Needless to say, I did not buy a whisk that day.  Maybe it should have a label saying "Some Assembly Required".

[Hildegard802]

There are a lot of complaints about her junk being broken in the box or breaking on use.  I liked the one where the spout on the plastic "lemonade dispenser" leaked all over the floor of the woman's car.  But the raves continue!!  "It's all soooo purdy!!!"  And now she's trotted out "linens." 

[anneofcleves]

There are a lot of complaints about her junk being broken in the box or breaking on use.  I liked the one where the spout on the plastic "lemonade dispenser" leaked all over the floor of the woman's car.  But the raves continue!!  "It's all soooo purdy!!!"  And now she's trotted out "linens." 

 

I'm not surprised to hear the quality is crap.  I remember looking at her non-stick pans and laughing at the thought of what they'd look like after a few meals cooked on even the most basic of gas stoves.  A professional end range like she has would swiftly consume the exterior.

 

At the end of the day, her product comes from Walmart, a retailer whose reputation has never been associated with top quality.  I never thought she was short-sighted and money-grubbing until that move.  Until that move, I simply thought she was a great blogger and an average home cook.  Every single one of these tv chefs have probably been approached by Walmart, yet how many have taken the bait?  Paula?  Ree?  Not too many.  

[Kohola3]

Let's face it, the only place to get the hideous tops she wears would be at Walmart.  One stop shopping for ugly clothes and crappy kitchenware.

[Qoass]

 

And now she's trotted out "linens."

 

 

But doesn't she suggest using bandannas for napkins?

 

OT:  had to look up how to spell ^^^.   Three "n"s... who knew?

[Kohola3]

And now she's trotted out "linens."

 

Let me guess.  None of them are actually made of linen and they all have some sort of cutesy cow, pig, or chicken motif.

[savingsanta]

There are a lot of complaints about her junk being broken in the box or breaking on use.  I liked the one where the spout on the plastic "lemonade dispenser" leaked all over the floor of the woman's car. 

Out of curiosity, I went to Walmart's website to check out her collection. Not to my taste, but yeah, it also looks really cheap even in the pictures. I read the reviews on the lemonade jugs and cracked up because for every negative review detailing how cheap, easily-breakable, and disappointing the pieces are, there's an auto-message from "Pioneer Woman" customer service that basically says "Sorry you don't like it. Um...yeah. We're working on it."

[txvoodoo]

I was shopping on Amazon tonight, and found her whole line selling there. Maybe walmart alone isn't cutting it? 

 

edited to add-it seems the Amazon prices are higher. Hmmm.

Edited February 19, 2016 by txvoodoo

[anneofcleves]

I was shopping on Amazon tonight, and found her whole line selling there. Maybe walmart alone isn't cutting it? 

 

edited to add-it seems the Amazon prices are higher. Hmmm.

 

Interesting, txvoodoo.  If you look at who the sellers are, it's not Amazon.  It looks like a variety of resellers.  The red cookware set is listed as being sold by "End of Season Clearance."

 

My favorite unintentionally funny reviewer exclaims that the 6 pan (10 piece) cookware set for $110 is "So worth the price!"  LOL.  I'm sure it's worth every penny.

Edited February 19, 2016 by anneofcleves

[Kohola3]

Nothing says Bree like a bunch of crap called Flea Market.  Just what I want displayed in my kitchen.

[ariel]

What I don't get is if I wanted to purchase "Flea Market" items, I'd go to a flea market or garage sale.  I would most likely spend much less for the items & my money would go to the seller, not to Ree.

Edited February 19, 2016 by ariel

[Lura]

It seems to me that Ree is following a different marketing strategy than most brands do, which is okay.  Whereas other brands focus on the middle to upper income buyers, Ree seems to be targeting the people who normally wouldn't be able to afford a partial or whole set of new kitchenware.  And she appears to be succeeding so far.  So what if she isn't using the strongest, most expensive materials in the manufacture of her products.  At least she is providing many people a chance to enjoy a different bargain brand.

 

The negative side of this philosophy is that if Ree's products are made of cheaper materials, if they break easily or malfunction, then where is the bargain?  The buyers have to shell out for new tableware far more frequently, and her brand can develop a poor reputation very quickly.  It seems to me, without being a marketing expert, that Ree is content to make the money and run.  If the emphasis of her company is not on quality but on easy access, cheap prices, etc., then she's offering no bargain.  If she knowingly signed with a manufacturer with this philosophy, then more's the shame on Ree.

[Kohola3]

It seems to me, without being a marketing expert, that Ree is content to make the money and run.  If the emphasis of her company is not on quality but on easy access, cheap prices, etc., then she's offering no bargain.

 

Much like her pseudo-cookbooks.  Plagiarize existing recipes or throw together unhealthy and bizarre recipes and call it cooking.  Take that money and run before anyone who makes an item drops dead from clogged arteries.

[txvoodoo]

The negative side of this philosophy is that if Ree's products are made of cheaper materials, if they break easily or malfunction, then where is the bargain?  The buyers have to shell out for new tableware far more frequently, and her brand can develop a poor reputation very quickly.  It seems to me, without being a marketing expert, that Ree is content to make the money and run.  If the emphasis of her company is not on quality but on easy access, cheap prices, etc., then she's offering no bargain.  If she knowingly signed with a manufacturer with this philosophy, then more's the shame on Ree.

 

I was looking at her things and..they're more expensive than other better known products which are also famous for being well-made, like Lodge. I'd spend less and get better with Lodge - why buy Ree's? I'm so confused.

[anneofcleves]

The negative side of this philosophy is that if Ree's products are made of cheaper materials, if they break easily or malfunction, then where is the bargain?  The buyers have to shell out for new tableware far more frequently, and her brand can develop a poor reputation very quickly.  It seems to me, without being a marketing expert, that Ree is content to make the money and run.  If the emphasis of her company is not on quality but on easy access, cheap prices, etc., then she's offering no bargain.  If she knowingly signed with a manufacturer with this philosophy, then more's the shame on Ree.

 

I don't think Ree is the first person to use this approach (Paula), but that is exactly my concern with celebrities who manufacture these cheap sets of nonstick pans that will not survive the rigors of family cooking for more than a few years.  And if they are more than a few years old, they're a health hazard from all the flaking nonstick coating.  I would have respected her more if she had simply stuck to cast iron.  It's healthier, and it's completely in line with what she uses on her show.

 

If she really gave a rip about her fanbase who sticks to a tight budget, she'd be preaching the value in buying a few better pans (a cast iron skillet, a stainless steel Dutch oven/stockpot, a good sized stainless steel sauce pan, and a single non-stick skillet) she'd be advising them to spend their money a little better on products that will last.  I wouldn't go so far as to suggest that she cue them in to haunting places like flea markets, second-hand stores, or TJ Maxx or similar stores to hunt for great deals on mismatched or irregular but great quality pans, because there's no money in it for her.  But what she's doing does totally smack of riding her cash cow all the way to the Pawhuska Bank 'n Trust.  That's fine, this is America, but drop the homespun, little-old-me prairie mama shtick.

 

There is a real lack of integrity about her in this regard.  She uses nothing but high quality cast iron, Le Creuset, and I think I've seen some All Clad on some shows.  But yet, she manufactures pretty but junky nonstick for the masses.  She now trots her cheap pans out for some cooking segments, really more as product placement than anything else.

 

I (clearly) really, really hate her cookware and branding strategy on this one. 

 

ETA:  And as I'm typing this rant, I see her on tv making her horrific seven can soup in her flame-colored Le Creuset French oven.  She wouldn't dare make this in her line of cookware, because all the salt would erode the lining of the pans.

Edited February 20, 2016 by anneofcleves

[Kohola3]

She's counting on the relatively low intelligence of her groupies who follow her religiously without stopping to take a look at what she cooks with  vs .the crap she shills.  They don't recognize the horrendous nutritional catastrophes of what she cooks; they assume that the dishes are something worth making "because Ree made it and she's so AWESOME".

 

I don't know why her family members don't all weigh 900 pounds.  But I do wonder waht their colesterol levels are!

[grisgris]

I agree with everything you all have stated. I don't know what analogy you'd use for Ree's marketing strategies, but it's the opposite of "skimming the cream." (I'm really dating myself!) It's just throw it together, slap your name on it and here they come.

 

Good old American capitalism at its finest.

 

If Walmart were smart, they'd offer a combo package with some of Ree's cookware/crappy cookbook (complete with broken spine) combo!

[Calibabydolly]

I about died every time she said the word "CROW-STEENI" on the 7 can soup dump show today. It looked AND sounded horrible! It must have been an older episode I had missed but in the pantry she really had a southern twang going on. Her hair was pretty orange though, so it must not have been super old.

[anneofcleves]

It says the "7 Can Soup" recipe is from her 10th (OMG) season, from the "Perfecting the Pantry" episode.

 

Based on that recipe, a better name for the episode would have been "Throwing in the Towel on Cooking."

 

That said, 26 people with obliterated taste buds gave that recipe 5 stars.  I fear for our future.

[grisgris]

 

Based on that recipe, a better name for the episode would have been "Throwing in the Towel on Cooking."

 

That said, 26 people with obliterated taste buds gave that recipe 5 stars.  I fear for our future.

 

That's just sad. I am throwing in the towel by declaring that cooking is a lost art. I get being busy and stressed. I get being on a budget.  Can't there just be a happy medium? I guess that even Rachael Ray's "30-Minute Meals" were too strenuous for the majority of people who have to get food on the table. This show makes me yearn for the days of Aunt Sandy and Robin Miller.

 

That's why I don't understand who Ree's target audience is and who are the rabid followers who lap up her recipes. I've noticed that younger people are either foodie snobs or very picky and health conscious, so they're obviously aren't buying Ree's cookbooks or crapware from WalMart. WHO is?

 

A lot of Ree's recipes aren't even quick to prepare. While this wasn't a recipe/demo for an entree, those silly animal cracker/cookie things that Ree made for last week's picnic, took a long time to make. She had to cut out dozens of teeny-tiny cookies, then hand-dip each one in glaze. That contradicts the person who is so pressed for time that they can only open seven random cans and dump the contents in a pot.

 

Anyway, I am just rambling. Sorry, I'm dead tired and not making a lot of sense. I'm just discouraged and frustrated by the ongoing dumbing down of food preparation, in general. Several of my FB friends share videos from some site of recipes that would be the result if Ree and Sandra Lee had a love child. I wish I could remember the name, but they are accelerated videos (30 seconds max) of people making concoctions from processed foods in a flash. The first round of videos focused on stuff like monkey bread, dips and some quick desserts, which weren't too egregious. They've since them morphed into main dishes that feature processed cheeses, jarred sauces, etc. The videos get thousands of likes and comments such as "yummy!" "gotta try this one tonight."

 

Lastly, I fear the outlook might get bleaker. Bob Tuschman is no longer a VP of programming, since the new president took the helm. Bob's replacement is a woman who's claim to FN fame was that horrible "Worst Cooks in America Celebrity Edition."

 

Seconds, anyone?

Edited February 22, 2016 by grisgris

[Kohola3]

It is alarming and discouraging.  The thing is, there are plenty of healthy meals that are quick and easy to make.  I watch America's Test Kitchen and Cook's Country religiously and they have tons of things all made with fresh ingredients that don't require college degree to put together.  absolutely none of them depend on any kind of processed food.  But I sadly think that Ree's target audience probably think PBS is too "snooty" for them down-home Wallie World  folk or don't understand words over 4 letters long.  Unless it's sugar.

[MrsClaus]

So I caught the 7 can soup episode.  I watched her dump everything in and then she added salt.  Like there wasn't enough salt in the canned stuff.

[Hildegard802]

No way she cooks for the family and hired help.  It's all part of the fake "prairie mama" persona she created.  She's hardly ever home.  Just like the home-schooling; she's not the teacher.  I don't think she runs much of her blog or any social media.  It's all hired out.  It's the pile of bullshit lies that makes me dislike her so intensely.  

[mmecorday]

I remember seeing her make that seven-can soup the first time and thinking, "Hmm, if the doctor ever tells me I need 50,000 milligrams of sodium a day, this is what I'll make." 

[maggiemae]

Good grief - step it up Ree. Just say - I made chili a couple of weeks ago and made enough to freeze some.....here's how I did it!!!!!

Then add rinsed beans, diced tomatoes and frozen corn. The say - how easy was that!!! Probably faster to make than opening 7 cans.

[txvoodoo]

I about died every time she said the word "CROW-STEENI" on the 7 can soup dump show today. It looked AND sounded horrible! It must have been an older episode I had missed but in the pantry she really had a southern twang going on. Her hair was pretty orange though, so it must not have been super old.

 

I missed this episode, so it took me a bit to figure out that you were phonetically doing Ree saying "crostini". Being Italian, I've always cringed at Giada's over-pronunciation of Italian words, but I'll take that any time over Ree's mangling of them. 

[Lura]

I skipped watching Ree's 7 Can Soup episode and watched a different epi from On Demand instead.  I watched Chuck's Birthday Breakfast.  Chuck is one of my favorite people on the show, so I knew I'd like it, and I did.  Ree made Eggs Benedict and made her Hollandaise in the blender, the same way Ina does, and it sure saves time.  She also made a huge skillet of hash browns and something else.

 

One of the reasons I like Chuck so much is that he's so complimentary about anything that anyone does for him.  He praised Ree several times on her meal, and he fussed over the kids' gifts of tools.

[patty1h]

I caught an old episode this morning where she made a casserole consisting of cabbage wedges with cheese sauce.  I've never had this combination before and it may be delicious in reality, but my mind can't make this work as tasty food.  Excuse me while I gag.  If anyone has had this before, does it work?

Edited February 27, 2016 by patty1h

[Kohola3]

I suppose it might be OK but anything that uses Cheez Whiz (which resembles cheese in no universe) is automatically on my Do Not Attempt list.

 

I think it's probably one of those family recipes that you get fed as a kid so you grow used to the taste.  Kind of like my grandmother's "carrots and rutabaga mash" that we had every Thanksgiving.  Most people won't try it but we loved it and still do.

[grisgris]

Was today's show a repeat? It was listed as "new" on the DVR guide. I swear I'd seen all of those recipes before. However, I don't remember Ree ever adding orange marmalade to a pot roast and that strawberry salsa had me rendering the side eye at the TV screen. (Blame that one on Missy.)

 

The rest of the show was just random farm work and home life clips we've already seen. I just remember Ree's ugly blue cowboy boots in my face as I tried to listen to her.

 

YAWN!

[anneofcleves]

The four seasons show from today had to have been a collection of segments that didn't make it on other shows, right? It just made no sense.

I'm always amazed by how much sugar creeps into all of her recipes. Adding it to the roast in the form of marmalade (with all the other stuff) is downright odd. Parsnips and carrots have so much natural sugar. And those vegetables, by the way, were predictably a total pile of mush after being slow baked for three hours.

Then she takes a perfectly nice beet and goat cheese salad and adds a full TABLESPOON of sugar to a small amount of vinaigrette. Again, roasted beets are so sweet - no sugar is really needed.

And the chicken tacos with sweet strawberry salsa seriously grossed me out. I'm not sure why, but it did.

I bet the Pawhuska dentists love the Drummonds.

Edited February 28, 2016 by anneofcleves

[Automne]

I'm going to address a couple of different subjects in this comment, fair warning.

 

I agree that it's suspect that Ree has a line of cookware and foodware, but only uses high-end Le Creuset and All-Clad on her show. Merely stamping your name on it should not be considered an endorsement of quality; you have to fully back your product by using it on a regular basis. It's downright dishonest to take advantage of people's trust in somebody with a cooking show by putting your name on shoddy equipment.

 

I also agree that cooking is a lost art and is still on a steady decline. Turning food into competition and only giving any actual cooking shows to C-list celebrities who had their heyday 20+ years ago and not to accomplished chefs and cooks with years of experience in the industry does not inspire the average home cook. You watch Tiffani Thiessen, whichever Mowry twin, Valerie Bertandernie, and Rev. Run, and their food is stupid simplistic and they act like they've invented the wheel. There was an episode of Thiessen's show today where she made Juicy Lucy burgers and treated it like she hit on some rare secret, never mind that the existence of Juicy Lucy burgers predate her (of which I learned on the Cook's Country episode).

 

The audience that has access to FN and the Cooking Channel are not the people who would be too busy to cook at home on the regular. At the very least, they have a day where they can do a week's worth of meal prep and can shop at a bulk wholesale warehouse (e.g., Costco, Sam's, BJ's). Non-PBS cooking shows don't show how to use time effectively because they don't have any host that has ever not lived in an upper-class bubble where there's plenty of time to leisurely cook and if there isn't, frequent eating out isn't going to ruin the budget.

 

Pioneer Woman is really a lost opportunity because homesteading, gardening, canning, and preserving have become more prevalent (and not just from the upper class who want to slum it by doing things the poor and non-white have done for centuries out of necessity). The only thing she does somewhat right is showing make-ahead meals that can be frozen and pulled out to heat up in a pinch.

 

I loathe how she's always sold herself as some down-home-does-it-all-on-her-own homesteader when she's nothing of the sort. Hell, she's got a flippin' garden and how much does she use from it other than herbs? If I had the acreage and free time she has, I would be growing as much produce as I possibly could.