Snark Talk: Home, Home on the (De) Ranged

[MissT]

If I'm not mistaken -- I think Tom Selleck was a model for a Marlboro Ad back in the day.   Now talk about a fine looking cowboy.... he's still a great looking guy.

[grisgris]

Oh, OK!  Thanks, Lura. That makes sense (sorta!)

 

If anybody on that show is worthy of the moniker, it's the grandpa. Sounds like he smokes five packs a day.

[Aquarius]

I thought the whole thing with "Marlboro Man" was the cowboy mystique.  He was nothing more than the modern cowboy . . . I thought he was even shot in such a way that de-emphasized his individual features and emphasized his cowboy-ness.  Profile, hat over his eyes, etc.  I also always thought they picked the next one based on how generically cowboy he looked, not based on any individual good looks.

[Lura]

As I said (or think I did), I don't know much about the Marlboro man.  I do know that the real Marlboro man died of lung cancer, a fact that some people find amusing.  (I'm not one of them).  I don't know whether he actually smoked or didn't.

 

I can't believe I actually watched a repeat of a show I'd seen before.  It was a pretty good one, though.  Ree cooked food to take to Ladd's grandmother's house to stock up her freezer.  Granny was all dressed up and looked so cute.  She'd probably been deciding all week what to wear!  Ree said she'd been a vegetarian when she met Ladd but had to change her ways fast, marrying a cattle rancher!  I still haven't figured out how Ree ever got on television.

[Lillybee]

I thought that the black bean episode was one of her best. At least the food was healthier.

[grisgris]

I always pictured Edna Mae (the real one we don't see) as sitting around with her group of friends playing Clue or canasta and slugging back Ree's latest variation on lemonade that they've spiked with a healthy shot of vodka!  As an alternative form of entertainment, the sit around and watch any "real housewives" show and take shots every time one of the characters says f***.

 

I really don't know how Ree got a show either. I've heard rumblings that they had a PR firm pitch the idea to FN. Once FN got a whiff of all of the blog followers, they saw advertising dollars and said sign on the dotted line. Worry about actual content later.

 

Only "later" never came...and we're still waiting...and waiting...

[Lura]

I think Ladd is so handsome, and he has to have one of the best smiles I've seen lately.  I could develop a crush on him if I tried.  I don't quite see the two of them together, though.  Wish I could have been a mouse in a corner when they dated!  He's so quiet, and she's jabbers on and on.  On the other hand, they say that opposites attract.

Edited March 4, 2015 by Lura

[ShortyMac]

Ree annoys me so much with her sexist food practices. "Only women-folk eat vegetables! Only girls are vegetarians! Real men eat meat!" I'm a girl who loves meat. My favorite meal is steak and a baked potato. I also like veggies. Go figure. I just saw the episode where she made the girls veggie burritos. Never for the boys. I also laugh really hard at the wedge salad for one of the girls' birthdays. *rolls eyes* 

 

The other day there was this episode where she was making food for Ladd's grandma, Edna Mae. She was making potato soup and said that Edna Mae would bring her soup and food after she gave birth which I thought was really sweet...then she ruined it by saying the two of them were "soup sisters." *facepalm* She tends to do that a lot.

Edited March 4, 2015 by ShortyMac

[film noire]

grisgris wrote (in the "All Episode" thread; thought I should move my reply here)

 

 

Funny. I pick up zero heat/chemistry between Ree and Ladd. I just can not picture the two of them "together,"

 

Sadly, I can – it goes something like this: Ree gets gussied up like a country Spice Girl
(“I'm Cooking Spice! Get it Ladd, Get it?”) while doing affirmations (“I’m a whole BUNCHA
hot lady tonight!”) in the mirror (that’s her foreplay) while Ladd weeps in the bathroom,
dreaming of a foreign exchange student he met in college named Malik,  a Morrocan man
from Paris.  “Malik, where have you gone?” Ladd sobs into his hat, thinking of tender

kisses and the future he had once dreamed of -- his family ranch turned into a haven for

abused cows (“I just can't kill no more, Daddy!”) Malik by his side, bringing him dish after

dish filled with fresh vegetables and pasta  -- food he can no longer even eat, it reminds

him so deeply of Malik -- and then Ree bangs on the door with her shoe ( “COME AND GIT

HER DONE, SON!”)  and Ladd is brought back to this hell on earth he must live

every Friday -- when the ratings come in for the week -- and he wipes his eyes and

opens the door to find Ree standing all up in his face (winy-breathed, tossing her bright

red hair extensions hither and yon, whispering, “S’if hot mama ain’t happy, s’nobody happy”)
and he falls on to the bed, hat and boots still on, and goes deep deep deep
into his Safe Place (where he meets up with Lori Fieri -- oh, how they cry and laugh, and
cry some more -- as they speak of themselves, and then, with pride and envy, of the
most recent Safe Place alumni, Todd Thompson. “He’s free!” Lori says, trembling
with happiness and resentment, "No more Giada -- he's FREE!!"  “That’s right,

Lori,” Ladd says. He could feel bitter too, but Malik's love left him with a heart bigger

than the state of Oklahoma itself. “Todd's free -- as free as  the wild mustangs the

government pays me two million a year to house and feed.”

 

(Plus, there are sex toys -- with cute animal names -- every fourth Friday.)

Edited March 5, 2015 by film noire

[ariel]

Ree has a line of "cookware" that is coming out this fall. What's interesting is that is made in China, not the USA.

[sharinlilbit]

I don't know that it's any more interesting than Emeril, Cuisinart, Rachael Ray, or Martha Stewart's cookware, among many others, I'm sure, being made in China.  What I've seen of it, and it's more than just cookware, IS very pretty.  I've a friend who is addicted to mixing bowls... she'll be all over these.  

[ariel]

The bottom line is that she could have had her cookware made in the USA. She chose not to.

Edited March 10, 2015 by ariel

[film noire]

 

The bottom line is that she could have had her cookware made in the USA. She chose not to.

 

 

So much for her brand --living large on the range with her All American mythic cowboy --  she's been milking those beef cattle like they were dairy queens:)

Edited March 10, 2015 by film noire

[Diane]

I don't know that it's any more interesting than Emeril, Cuisinart, Rachael Ray, or Martha Stewart's cookware, among many others, I'm sure, being made in China.  What I've seen of it, and it's more than just cookware, IS very pretty.  I've a friend who is addicted to mixing bowls... she'll be all over these.  

I agree with you, not sure why someone would be upset at her over this.  I would think that it's made in China like most things are now.  Is any of the others above made in the US?  Not sure what it has to do with her brand either, it is manufactured where most items are now days.  I wish more products where made in the US, but right now it's not the reality.

Edited March 10, 2015 by dcmjdc2

[ariel]

I wish more products where made in the US, but right now it's not the reality.

Having her cookware & her dog's cookie jars made in the USA is very much a reality if Ree "wanted" it to happen.

She chose to sign on to a company that makes her products in China, not the USA.

Edited March 10, 2015 by ariel

[Tielsmomma]

I agree, she could have signed on with a company that made them here, but it's always about profit. Don't care if it's pretty or not, I will not buy any of it. I either buy used at garage sales or go without if I can't buy American.

[Tielsmomma]

Oh dear gawd in heaven, Dinner with the Tolstoys. Countless sticks of buttah!!! My heart is having palpitations just trying to process all that fat.

[anneofcleves]

So I landed on QVC the other night where David Venable (host) was hawking his new cookbook - complete with introduction by Ree Drummond.  Pretty much all the recipes he was selling sounded a lot like hers - super fattening comfort food.  It was fitting. She'll be on the air soon hawking her cookware.  

Edited March 13, 2015 by anneofcleves

[chessiegal]

Oh, if she shows up on some shopping network, none of which I watch  (which is a whole other question I have) will someone please post so I can watch to see if she's still uncomfortable on any kind of camera filming? She just doesn't seem camera ready.

[sharinlilbit]

She's been on shopping networks at least twice already.  

[ariel]

will someone please post so I can watch to see if she's still uncomfortable on any kind of camera filming? She just doesn't seem camera ready.

I don't think Ree wants to be camera ready. That is part of her country rube "schtick" that appeals to her fans.

Edited March 13, 2015 by ariel

[film noire]

I don't think Ree wants to be camera ready. That is part of her country rube "schtick" that appeals to her fans.

 

I always assumed it was the falseness of her invented persona coming through that made Drummond seem so awkward and charmless and badly contrived, but damn, now you've got me wondering if it's all by design..

[chessiegal]

I heard an interview with her soon after the show started and she said she found it difficult to be on camera. I don't think it's gotten any better.

[Tielsmomma]

How far from their house is the Lodge?

[ShellSeeker]

How far from their house is the Lodge?

 

I think in one of the earliest episodes she said something about it being a 15 minute drive. The theme of that particular show was one of the son's birthdays, and Ree was yammering on and on about how they (the family) doesn't make a big deal out of birthdays, they just have small family gathering. Then she proceeded to get into her late-model gas guzzling pickup truck and drive fifteen minutes -- never leaving their property -- over to the lodge. I was so annoyed. She was trying to sell this whole aw-shucks-I'm-just-a-simple-country-girl schtick when it's obvious to anyone with the most rudimentary powers of observation that her husband's family owns a significant chunk of Oklahoma.

[anneofcleves]

Well, they do own a large ranch in Oklahoma.  I wouldn't expect her to be driving a Prius around.  I don't fault her choice of vehicles. 

 

If I had a property that large, I'd have a lodge,too.  With a fabulous kitchen that I could hide in all day.

Edited March 17, 2015 by anneofcleves

[ShellSeeker]

I don't fault her choice in vehicles either. It makes sense, given where she lives and what her family does. I do fault her for trying to package herself as something she's not. She's not a simple country girl, she's a woman who married into an extremely wealthy ranching family. And there's nothing wrong with that -- but own it. Don't present yourself to be something you're not. It's disingenuous and irritating.

[Hildegard802]

I think "THE LODGE" is about 3 miles from the house. Pawhuska is about a 15 min drive. "In the middle of nowhere" my ass. Problem is she has a hard time keeping track of her own lies, so the "facts" can get confusing.

[Tielsmomma]

Still... I'm thinking how far I can go in three minutes (at a good clip) and it's still quite aways. Wow. I have read that they aren't that far out of town so "in the middle of nowhere" is a crock.

[Diane]

Ok, do you live in Oklahoma?  Pawhuska is in the middle of nowhere.  I live in Tulsa, the second largest city and Pawhuska is in the boonies.  She would have to go to a large town in Kansas or drive to Tulsa to do any real shopping.  Granted Pawhuska is a little over an hour away, but no way in this area would you do that everyday. I also understand that in other places in the US that doesn't seem like much.  My brother who lives up east drives more than that everyday to and from work, it is normal for him. 

Edited March 20, 2015 by dcmjdc2

[Hildegard802]

My research did not show Pawhuska is an hour from Thuh Ranch. If it is, the many episodes in which she makes trip after trip "to town" (like when she delivered sandwiches to football camp, then drove home to make "spreads," then drove back to camp to deliver them) make even less sense. Same with the Christmas party at Thuh Building. Back and forth, back and forth. She says she's living "in the middle of nowhere," yet showing something entirely different on her show. Does "in the middle of nowhere" mean only she can't get to Niemann Marcus in 15 minutes? Lots of people in the US live are in the same [dire] situation. Granted, it's a matter of perspective. The nearest Macy's is 200 miles away, but I sure don't feel like I live "in the middle of nowhere." A lot of the things she says is designed to spin a fantasy of livin' [large] on the OK prairie.

Edited March 21, 2015 by Hildegard802

[mousie]

She has done several episodes where she goes to Tulsa for her "big" shopping. Also, on the episode where she cooked "Chinese" food she said that she was taking the girls to Tulsa every week for something associated with their homeschooling. They lunch at Panda Express every time and that's how she got the idea to cook their favorite dishes.

 

I think that people who live out in the country are used to doing those long drives, I doubt that there's all that much traffic to worry about. Whereas in more crowded urban areas, like where I live, an hour drive might mean I am going about 20 miles.

[Lura]

I wonder whether Ree had to think for a while before deciding whether to marry Ladd and live on that ranch all of her life.  From what she says about waiting for him to propose and chasing after him, I get the feeling that when he did ask her to marry him, he only got as far as "Would you..." and she jumped up and screamed, "YES, YES, YES, YES, YES!!!!!"  I guess it doesn't matter because she seems happy with her life.

 

On the other hand, you don't suppose that one of those cowhands acts as her "sous chef" once in a while, do you?

Edited March 21, 2015 by Lura

[Diane]

My research did not show Pawhuska is an hour from Thuh Ranch. If it is, the many episodes in which she makes trip after trip "to town" (like when she delivered sandwiches to football camp, then drove home to make "spreads," then drove back to camp to deliver them) make even less sense. Same with the Christmas party at Thuh Building. Back and forth, back and forth. She says she's living "in the middle of nowhere," yet showing something entirely different on her show. Does "in the middle of nowhere" mean only she can't get to Niemann Marcus in 15 minutes? Lots of people in the US live are in the same [dire] situation. Granted, it's a matter of perspective. The nearest Macy's is 200 miles away, but I sure don't feel like I live "in the middle of nowhere." A lot of the things she says is designed to spin a fantasy of livin' [large] on the OK prairie.

I said that Pawhuska is an hour from Tulsa, not that (The) ranch is an hour from Pawhuska.

Edited March 22, 2015 by dcmjdc2

[Kathcart]

I believe this is the correct place for me to vent my feelings about Ree:

 

1. I can't stand her voice.

2. I can't stand her awful hair.

3. (Yes this is mean but) I can't stand her face.

4. Never stuck around long enough to consider any of her recipes because of items 1, 2, and 3.

5. But mostly her voice!

6. No, her hair. That awful hair.

7. Voice + Hair + Face.

8. And yet there she is with a gazillion dollars and here I am with not.

[film noire]

 

On the other hand, you don't suppose that one of those cowhands acts as her "sous chef" once in a while, do you?

As much as I dislike everything related to Ree Drummond's Pioneer Woman schtick, I have to say,  I don't think she's cheating on her husband -- I never got that vibe from her.

Edited March 24, 2015 by film noire

[MatchaLove]

I believe this is the correct place for me to vent my feelings about Ree:

 

1. I can't stand her voice.

2. I can't stand her awful hair.

3. (Yes this is mean but) I can't stand her face.

4. Never stuck around long enough to consider any of her recipes because of items 1, 2, and 3.

5. But mostly her voice!

6. No, her hair. That awful hair.

7. Voice + Hair + Face.

8. And yet there she is with a gazillion dollars and here I am with not.

Totally agree.  She is very distracting (physically).  Her taste is just horrible.  And no serious cook/baker would ever wear long billowy sleeves, rings and bangle bracelets in the kitchen preparing a feast.  

 

And for the most shallow comment of the day:  If Ladd and his family are millionaire land barrons, why did he buy her such an ugly "mall ring."   I feel so judge-y saying that, but I can't stand her tacky wedding rings.  

[Hildegard802]

"I feel so judge-y saying that, but I can't stand her tacky wedding rings."

If Ree is proof of anything, it's that money does not buy good taste.

[WhitneyWhit]

I never thought I would ever say this about anyone, but I actually think Sandra Lee is a better cook than this woman. Don't get me wrong, Sandra is horrible, but when she made a box cake mix, or some other pedestrian recipe, she at least did something different to it. I was in awe, and not in a good way, that this woman proudly made a dump cake. A dump cake! Nothing different, a dump cake recipe straight from that stupid commercial.

[Lillybee]

The dump cake might have been tolerable if she didn't use canned pie filling.

[anneofcleves]

I'm biting my lip on this, because I adore the Sandra Lee of the Semi-homemade era so much.  Her obsession with "dolling up" stuff like Rice a Roni to make it seem like a risotto she had at a Michelin-starred restaurant was just so funny.  Cooking skills-wise, I think she's on par with Ree.  But for pure entertainment value, Sandra Lee was queen.  I truly miss her. 

 

One thing I don't recall Sandra doing was beating a certain recipe to death, like Ree does.  Sandra was always trying to come up with some ridiculous, new concoction that mimicked what she considered to be gourmet.  That takes a tremendous amount of (alcohol infused) creativity, my friends.  Ree just couldn't do it.

[Lura]

I hate to be the "stand alone," but I think some of Ree's dishes look good.  I'm not big on her idea of desserts, but her main dishes are sometime appealing to me, like that Italian meatball soup and others.  Everybody's different.

[sharinlilbit]

You're not a stand alone, Lura.  Plenty of people have tried and enjoyed the food she cooks, with no apologies for doing so.  

[Lisin]

Same here. I tend to like her desserts and her fully homemade dishes more, but yeah, some of her recipes look (and are) really good! 

[Lura]

Lisin, I wouldn't mind if you (and others) recommended some of the dishes you've made and enjoyed.  The only one I've made so far is her chicken sandwiches, and they were delicious.  Others are on my "to do" list.

[Lisin]

Lisin, I wouldn't mind if you (and others) recommended some of the dishes you've made and enjoyed.  The only one I've made so far is her chicken sandwiches, and they were delicious.  Others are on my "to do" list.

 

I'm going to move my reply over to the Test Kitchen topic, but I will give you a list of stuff I've liked! It's actually a lot (though mostly from her website).

[Hildegard802]

Oh for pity's sake, like these buzillonaire ranchers don't have a machine that pulls and sets fence posts. Yeah right, they have a few thousand miles of fence, and they do it all by hand.

"It's how they all stay so slim." Gack.

[anneofcleves]

I think what drives me the most batty about this woman is how people now equate Texas sheet cake and Bacardi Rum Cake with her.  Even though she has finally started to admit that these recipes were her mom's, or some old woman she knows from church, or wherever, most of them came from a magazine, back of a box of macaroni, or label on some can of food.  I know many don't care, but it drives me batty that she is making so much money, and garnering so much fame, for recycled recipes like Bacardi Rum cake*.  Maybe I care so much because in my line of work attribution is critical - she certainly doesn't hold herself to that standard.

 

*  Which I love and something my mother made every stinking Christmas from like 1970-1985.  Every year, and it was called Bacardi Rum Cake.  

Edited April 25, 2015 by anneofcleves

[sharinlilbit]

I've heard of rum cake before, of course, but never Bacardi Rum Cake.  And since I've never heard her say "I dreamed up this recipe out of my head," no, I'm not the least bit bothered about where she got it or whether or not she tells the origins of it.  There's very little that's new under the sun.  

[grisgris]

I always thought that the whole point of a person hosting and earning a cooking show was because they had their own original recipes to offer. That's why I watch (most of) them because I assume the host is going to impart some new knowledge. I agree that the majority of recipes out there are existing ideas that have been recycled or tweaked, but then own it.