All Episodes Talk

[txvoodoo]

On 12/4/2017 at 2:25 PM, grisgris said:

I noticed that, too. I thought that looked so sloppy and half-assed. No, Ree, they weren't "retro" looking. Also, the sample she showed that was recently baked and decorated was a frosted in a much darker green and more neatly decorated than the 1.

I noticed that too. Some off camera worker did those, I'm sure.

 

And yes, my mother & grandmother made gorgeous cookies. Ree's looked like the ones the kids decorated, for fun.

 

5 hours ago, anneofcleves said:

Does anyone know why she would use vanilla cream sandwich cookies as the base for the cheese cake bites? Wouldn’t shortbread be just a little less sickeningly sweet?  Never mind, I forget who we are talking about...

HAH, indeed. It was built-in sugar! 

[maggiemae]

Ree's cookies look like her kids helped and under age 10.

[grisgris]

9 hours ago, maggiemae said:

Ree's cookies look like her kids helped and under age 10.

That reminds me of a well, now it is funny, story. About 10 years ago I was dating this guy and he had to move back home to live with his parents, so he lived about 3 hours away. I was at work and rode the bus because it was easier than to deal with parking, paying high parking garage fees, etc., I had baked some butter cookies and cut them out with cookie cutters and my intention was to decorate them over the weekend. I had some red and green icing laid out. When I finally got home, after a long, cold bus ride, to my dismay, he'd "decorated" the cookies. They looked terrible. I was so angry.  (I believe that his intention was that if I didn't need to spend time on cookies, I'd have more time for "other activities.") 'Fraid not. I ended up baking an entirely new batch. When we went to visit his parents for Christmas, I took a cookie tray and was sure to include some of the ones he decorated. His mother (who I actually liked much better than him) looked at one and said, "These look like a kindergartner decorated him." He got all huffy and said, "Well, that's what happens when you get vague directions." Da f???  Needless to say, that was added to the growing list of reasons why I dumped not too long after.

This was way before the day when Ree darkened our TV screens for the first time!

[Lura]

There's a mismatch somewhere.  It seems to me that Ree would have been deliriously happy if she'd married grisgris's old boyfriend.  He could have smeared the frostings over all the cookies, and she could have covered them with sprinkles, and the artsy creations could have satisfied both of them.  OK, throw on three red cinnamon dots and call it a day. 

Instead of wrapping every tinfoil pan in those ugly, limp bandanas lifted from the Merc supply, they could have used cellophane and a red bow, and they would have looked more festive.  The twosome might have made the perfect decorating team and could have celebrated with mugs of Ree's mulled cider fortified with extra, extra brandy.

To end it on the right note, I picture Ree-Ree getting totally tanked and belting out verses of "Joy to the World" as she did a wild, suggestive dance in the middle of the room.  I can also envision the boyfriend, glassy-eyed on the sofa, thinking, "Oh, grisgris, I miss you!  Let there be a second time, and I'll ice your cookies the right way!  There's no joy to the world without you."

Edited December 13, 2017 by Lura

[film noire]

3 hours ago, Lura said:

 "Let there be a second time, and I'll ice your cookies the right way! "

How suggestive, Lura ; )

[grisgris]

Interestingly enough, my ex-bf lived on a farm out in the middle of nowhere (literally) in mid-central Missouri.  The family was actually transported from a major East Coast city and the father gave up whatever it was he did back east to become a cattle rancher (I use that term loosely.) They kept a modest-sized herd of beef cattle. He also told me they had a "vineyard." Imagine my complete shock the first time I went to meet his family and had in my head something along the lines of Southfork on "Dallas" (this was wa-a-ay before PW days) or "Falcon Crest" and saw a small farmhouse and a couple of puny grapevines struggling to stay alive in the scorching summer sun.

He'd love Ree, especially since she has money and he wouldn't have to do any work. He was notoriously lazy and couldn't hold a job. The only time he ever did any real work was when his father made him go help with farm chores like the never-ending fence repair. (His SIL told me that this loser lived with her and his brother for two years straight and sat on the couch all day long and watched movies and wouldn't work.) That was another (one of many) reasons why I dumped him.  I think he was working his way towards moving in with me and having me support him.

GOOD RIDDANCE!!

[peacheslatour]

Whoa! Dodged a bullet there for sure!

[Lura]

That guy wasn't worth you, grisgris.  Sounds like you took a swift trip to the dump just in time.

(((Wise woman!)))

[anneofcleves]

I feel kind of bad making fun of a person’s accent, but did anyone else have trouble understanding some of the cowboys in today’s episode?  I usually enjoy the ranching bits, because they’re a welcome respite from her boring food.  Lol.

[grisgris]

You're not alone. I always have a hard time understanding Cowboy Josh. He talks fast and has this weird cadence to his speech. It is almost like some type of speech impediment.

We've already had a previous episode where we were introduced to those three cowboys.  There was one episode that specifically focused on Tim then another one with John and  Cameron and Josh. I remember because we were talked about how cute John and Cameron are.  Cowboy Josh is a regular.

?????

Anyway. My eyes couldn't adjust to the clash between Ree's orange hair and that red violet top she had on today. I thought the top was actually a pretty color and would have looked great on somebody with coloring like Valerie Bertinelli.

Why go to the trouble to stick individual chocolate chips on top of the cookies if you're going to just cover them up with melted chocolate?

The only thing from the entire episode that I was actually interested in was the bacon jam. Not necessarily because I'd want to make it but I had no idea what it was.  At least it made me curious.

The rest of the meal was meh and recipes we're seen before. What kind of "pop" did Ree use? I thought her standard recipe used Dr. Pepper but it looked like she was pouring from a Coke can. Jalapeno and lime syrup is hardly original.

[anneofcleves]

Yes, gris gris, that shirt with that hair is probably the worst color combo she could have come up with.  Not a good look. The shirt was actually very reminiscent of the top of a maternity dress I wore to work when I was very, very pregnant with my son.  I always felt like a whale in it.  Lol.

The pop looked like Coke to me, but the recipe says Dr. Pepper.  I think that’s her standard old pulled pork recipe from several years ago, right (of course)?  And I was only half paying attention to the cookies, but yeah.  I just don’t think I’d give a bunch of men who are eating outside on the job a messy dipped chocolate cookie, but whatever.  It’s all staged.

The fruit salad looked very good to me and something I’d try. The lime jalapeño syrup sounds pretty good.  I think I’d wait for warmer months to try it, though.

[LillyB]

At least she went out of her way to skim the fat off the cooking liquid on the pulled pork, she usually skips that step,

[Lura]

That fruit salad looked delicious to me, too.  I want to make it when the fruit is in season, and I'll omit the peppers from the syrup and just make it lime.  I'm a lime addict and don't want anything else ruining its flavor, especially peppers.

I've never heard of Coke poured over pork roast, but I saw a woman from Oklahoma pour Coke over her slow cooker Easter ham, and people raved about it.  It must be a "thing" out there.  Supposedly, the sweet Coke (or Dr. Pepper) is the perfect foil for the salty ham.  I want to try it sometime.

[peacheslatour]

I saw the dump cake lady do it with one of the products she shills.

[Lura]

On ‎12‎/‎18‎/‎2017 at 8:23 AM, peacheslatour said:

I saw the dump cake lady do it with one of the products she shills.

LOL, Peaches!  Who's the dump cake lady?  I seem to remember some woman making a dump cake, but I can't remember who it was. 

[peacheslatour]

2 minutes ago, Lura said:

LOL, Peaches!  Who's the dump cake lady?  I seem to remember some woman making a dump cake, but I can't remember who it was. 

Cathy Mitchell the shrill voiced harpy who also shills for Red Copper pans. She actually has cookbooks on how the make dump cakes. Cookbooks!

[Kohola3]

3 minutes ago, peacheslatour said:

...shrill voiced harpy...

Isn't her voice horrendous? It's like sticking a straight pin in your ear!  I don't care how good the stuff might be, I would never buy it because she is so obnoxious.

[mamadani]

On 12/4/2017 at 2:31 PM, Lura said:

One thing that got me was Ree decorating one of her cookies and saying that if you didn't want to use the same thing she was using to decorate them, you could always use sprinkles.  What's WITH that woman and sprinkles???

Last night I was perusing the NY Times bestseller list to choose a novel for my husband, and there was Ree smiling back at me from a cookbook cover.  How in the world her books are bestsellers is beyond me.

Because older women worship her (I don't know why). My mother in law is all about her, her gift she wants this year is Ree's Charlie cookie jar. Also my great aunt talks about how much she adores her whenever she's at my house and Ree comes on Food Network. That's pretty much her audience and they will buy into anything she does, maybe because it reminds them of their mother's cooking. I mean my MIL thinks you bring veggies made in jello to every family function.

[peacheslatour]

3 hours ago, mamadani said:

Because older women worship her (I don't know why). My mother in law is all about her, her gift she wants this year is Ree's Charlie cookie jar. Also my great aunt talks about how much she adores her whenever she's at my house and Ree comes on Food Network. That's pretty much her audience and they will buy into anything she does, maybe because it reminds them of their mother's cooking. I mean my MIL thinks you bring veggies made in jello to every family function.

Is it just a fly over states kind of thing? I'm what most people would consider "older" but myself all my friends hate her. Is it because we're "coastal elites" or some shit?

[mamadani]

2 hours ago, peacheslatour said:

Is it just a fly over states kind of thing? I'm what most people would consider "older" but myself all my friends hate her. Is it because we're "coastal elites" or some shit?

It's just been my experience where I live and with women in my family that like her. I live in the Bible Belt I don't know if that makes a difference. I know a lot of the stuff Ree cooks seems to appeal to the older church going ladies here. I've seen similar recipes in my mother in law's church cookbook.

[peacheslatour]

Yep, we're all filthy atheists up here. ;-)

[chessiegal]

I'm old and I think Ree is a hack.

[mamadani]

@chessiegal well clearly I need more older people like you and @peacheslatour in my life lol

[grisgris]

I'm old and think she's disgraceful.  None of my friends really cook that much or watch FN and would probably have no idea who Ree is if I mentioned her. My brother who is a cook/chef has watched part of her show with me and his only comment is that Ree looks like this girl who used to live down the street from us when we were growing up. I vaguely remember her. She had she same round face and long string hair but her's was medium/dark brown. She wore little round wire glasses and she and the crowd she ran with were heavy crack cocaine users. I have no idea what became of her.

Ree does attempt to play on  *cough* tradition quite a bit when she waxes about a recipe coming from her mother or MIL.  Maybe older women see her as a doting DIL who would not only do right by their son but them as well.  She is the guardian of family recipes and will make sure they are shared and passed along. It probably also wins brownie points by the way Ree blatantly sucks up to Edna Mae and Chuck. Gotta keep the uber wealthy side of the family happy!

I think that Ree's style of cooking just sadly appeals to the masses. If any of you follow many food pages on Facebook, this time of the year, you are inundated with recipes. Ninety-nine percent of them are doused in fat, cheese and for the desserts, sugar upon sugar. I can't count the number of holiday recipes I've seen that take perfectly good veggies like Brussels sprouts and ruin them under a heavy butter, cream, cheese sauce. There was some horrific thing last night called something like "fat man's demise" that had multiple desserts mashed together. I noticed an apple pie, cheesecake and what looked like a chocolate cake, and I had to finally move on. Creativity is one thing, as well as indulging for the holidays, but such recipes seem to be the norm these days. People are also very afraid to venture out of their unhealthy comfort zones and try new foods.

[Lura]

I'm old, too, and most of Ree's recipes seem to me like elementary put-togethers from the 1960s or before.  I agree that she relies heavily on family recipes from both sides of the aisle.  She raves about her MIL's recipes as if they're worthy of Martha Stewart.  It never fails to make me suspect she has ulterior motives, like money, in mind.  Ree is THE ultimate people-pleaser.

The recipes that I find myself returning to again and again are my mother's best ones, things that either were my favorites or were well-liked by her guests.  Otherwise, I turn to one of Ina's cookbooks.  Only a very few of Ree's dishes appeal to me, and they tend to be either appetizers or sweets that she doesn't drown in hot chili peppers.  NEVER will I make Ree's spaghetti casserole!  If it tastes anywhere near the way it looks, NO.  I'd sooner serve my husband cold beans from a can than waste my time making one of Ree's many disasters.

[ariel]

Ree seems popular with a certain set of the Pinterest crowd.  She milks her "religion" for all it's worth.

[peacheslatour]

Quote

The recipes that I find myself returning to again and again are my mother's best ones, things that either were my favorites or were well-liked by her guests.  Otherwise, I turn to one of Ina's cookbooks.

I do the same. I have my grandmother's battered old Fannie Farmer Boston Cooking School cookbook that my mom passed down to me. Both she and my grandma were home ec majors in college (in the day I believe this was called getting an MRS. degree) the recipes are very basic without a lot of embellishments. Ree would have made my grandmother cringe.

[Kohola3]

2 hours ago, ariel said:

She milks her "religion" for all it's worth.

That alone makes me avoid her.  Add the layers of peppers and sugar and I transition to total dislike.

[butterflyeludesme]

On 12/16/2017 at 5:00 PM, grisgris said:

You're not alone. I always have a hard time understanding Cowboy Josh. He talks fast and has this weird cadence to his speech. It is almost like some type of speech impediment.

 

He's deaf or at least partially deaf. He wears hearing aids. I'm sure that's the reason he talks a little differently or is hard to understand. 

[Westiepeach]

1 hour ago, butterflyeludesme said:

He's deaf or at least partially deaf. He wears hearing aids. I'm sure that's the reason he talks a little differently or is hard to understand. 

I did not know that.

[Lura]

There was Ree, putting together some monstrosity of an appetizer for her cocktail party, and she began to slice black olives.  "I love black olives," she raved.  "They're  such a beautiful color!"  HUH???!  LOL

Edited December 22, 2017 by Lura

[grisgris]

5 hours ago, butterflyeludesme said:

He's deaf or at least partially deaf. He wears hearing aids. I'm sure that's the reason he talks a little differently or is hard to understand. 

I wasn't aware of that either.

[Lura]

Does anybody ever pay much attention to the drinks Ree serves at her "best and biggest" cocktail parties?  I never did until lately.  It seems like there's always a lot of bourbon or whiskey there for the men, I guess, and usually champagne, but I never notice or hear her talk about gin.  My very favorite drink is an ice cold gin and tonic, served with lime.  The way Ree loves lime, I'm surprised, but maybe she drinks margaritas with lime.  I hate the taste of bourbon, so that's probably why I don't make her guest list!  (Not like I'm hankering to attend.)  So, have you seen Ree serve anything but the liquor I mentioned?  What is your favorite drink, alcoholic or not?  (The re-run of her Christmas party got me going on the subject.)

Edited December 23, 2017 by Lura

[captain1]

This morning’s show from season one featured a little less over the top Ree and some much more normal seeming recipes - and not a pepper in sight!

And I’m with you, Lura, I love a gin and tonic - made with, as Ina wouldcsay, good gin!

[peacheslatour]

Quote

What is your favorite drink, alcoholic or not? 

Brandy, Champagne or a good Normandy Calvados. But I mostly just drink cheap boxed Chardonnay.

[patty1h]

I'm a cocktail person - don' t like wine or beer.   I need something fruity or tangy to mask the alcohol taste; I love a whiskey sour or any other mixed/girly drink.

[sigmaforce86]

Noticed today - Ree has no middle ground.  We like to mock that she over garnishes and adds to much of her signature "bunchas" to her recipes but she also swings to the complete opposite; adding nothing and calling it done.  The Christmas cookie episode today was a great example - she made little cookie cups and filled them with raspberry jam.  My mother used to make something similar but hers were small flattened ball cookies that she indented with her finger and put a small dollop of jelly into the indentation.  Ree made mini cupcake size cups from the dough and totally filled them with a full tablespoon or more of jam straight from the jar.  You'd have to really, really like plain jelly to find this good because you're basically getting a mouthful of it and not much else. This is the one time she needed the add ins, stir in some extract or orange or lemon rind at the very least.  Or even whip the jelly with whipped cream to make a lighter mousse sort of filling.  But nope, just full on jarred jelly with no enhancements.  It's like she can't resist adding 20 things to the top of her food and it's as mixed up and over flavored as possible OR she can't be bothered to add anything at all and it's as boring as can be.  But never the reasonable middle ground of a few well matched flavors.

[Kohola3]

28 minutes ago, sigmaforce86 said:

But never the reasonable middle ground of a few well matched flavors.

Good observations.  And when she does put something non-enhanced, it's such a large amount that it can't possible taste good. Who eats a whole tablespoon of jelly from a jar?  Other than maybe a five year old.

[ariel]

I'm sitting here trying to find out who is dumber than a box of rocks.  Is it Ree or Katie Brown?  Katie might give Ree a run for her money.  Somehow Katie got a PBS gig.

Edited December 24, 2017 by ariel

[Lura]

On ‎12‎/‎24‎/‎2017 at 10:59 AM, ariel said:

I'm sitting here trying to find out who is dumber than a box of rocks.  Is it Ree or Katie Brown?  Katie might give Ree a run for her money.  Somehow Katie got a PBS gig.

Ariel, who is Katie Brown?  I guess you don't mean Katie Lee of "The Kitchen," who also lacks an abundance of cooking knowledge.  She was an art history major, which somehow landed her a few cooking shows on the very discriminating FN!  *sarcasm*  Paula Deen had her on once, and Katie barely spoke a word, but that was good enough for the higher ups.

[Jaded]

On 12/24/2017 at 0:59 PM, ariel said:

I'm sitting here trying to find out who is dumber than a box of rocks.  Is it Ree or Katie Brown?  Katie might give Ree a run for her money.  Somehow Katie got a PBS gig.

Katie Brown's voice drove me crazy.  I know she's still around. Here's what she was like back in the day though. 
 

[Qoass]

Katie Brown is a "lifestyle" host of Katie Brown Workshop. She's less irritating than Ree since she's smart enough to have guests on her show demonstrate their own dishes or crafts but she speaks like a kindergarten teacher addressing her class. Her food is a bit heavy for my tastes but it hurts me to watch the craft segments because she takes perfectly serviceable basics and with a little glitter and a glue gun turns them into absolute crap.

[ariel]

Katie is one up on Ree.  She owns several houses that she makes into a re-do project for her show and gets paid to do so. 

Come on Ree, there's money to be made with that.  For an opportunist cowgirl, you are slacking.

Edited December 26, 2017 by ariel

[Lura]

You didn't exactly sell me on watching her, ariel!  Not that you were trying to.  It's too bad Katie doesn't live in Pawhuska.  She and Ree could make over the entire town.

Thanks for the link, Quoss.

Edited December 28, 2017 by Lura

[txvoodoo]

On 12/21/2017 at 2:52 PM, mamadani said:

@chessiegal well clearly I need more older people like you and @peacheslatour in my life lol

And me! 55 year old in Texas. :D

[ariel]

7 hours ago, txvoodoo said:

And me! 55 year old in Texas. :D

Me too. I'm a salty old gal from NJ. 

[grisgris]

58 and counting! One of the funniest remarks my dad made, was one day he was talking about some cranky woman who worked in the nursing home kitchen and he said, "She's no spring chicken. She must be close to 60!" LOL! My dad had some good lines ...

Edited December 27, 2017 by grisgris

[Kohola3]

Old as dirt in Michigan.

[IOU Payne]

Sixty-one in Montreal!!

[Kohola3]

Just read the description of today's new episode:

"She knocks out a marvelous make-ahead dinner mash up of everyone's brunch favorites in her tater tot breakfast casserole."

Pass.  Or possibly puke.