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

[Mandolia]

3 minutes ago, cathy said:

Mandolia, is your town going to have another Christmas party this year?

Yes...9th December.   The main course is venison casserole/stew (local venison).  Mashed potatoes (but not done with 12 lbs of butter, cream cheese, buttermilk and cream a la PW, the sight/thought of which I'm unable to blank out) and mixed vegetables. 

[cathy]

Can you take pictures and show us? We would love to see!! I once had roadkill venison, it was ok. I did an internship on an organic farm, a hippie farm, actually. One of the guys found a dead deer by the side of the road and butchered it, and we ate it.  If the eyes are clear it is safe. Nowdays many deer have prions and diseases so that is not safe. I know in the UK they have deer farms.What will you have for desert?

[chessiegal]

We have a neighbor who hunts and fishes. They never buy protein - eat venison all the time with no bad health effects. In fact, Maryland is offering tax breaks for hunters that donate venison.

MD tax breaks for hunters who donate venison.

[MargeGunderson]

17 hours ago, Mandolia said:

I love bacon wrapped water chestnuts - the water chestnuts don't lose their crunchiness. 

Lots of people in the UK still (it's a bit retro!) do "devils on horseback" as a canape/nibble for drinks/cocktail parties...half a rasher of bacon wrapped round a (stoneless) prune and then cooked in the oven til the bacon is crispy.  Served warm.  It might sound  a tad gross but it's actually really good.  Ditto bacon wrapped round dried apricots.  I've made masses of these little "treasures" in advance and then froze them uncooked on trays before placing in a freezer bag.  Thaw.  Shove onto a baking rack in a sheet pan and put hot-ish oven til bacon is cooked, turning once to get evenly cooked bacon.  (I use smoked streaky bacon.)  I think it's the combined smokey flavour plus a bit of sweet which makes the devils very more-ish.

They are even better if you put a little bit of gorgonzola or blue cheese in the date. 

[llewis823]

21 hours ago, Westiepeach said:

think of a Whiskey Sour - that era!

Hey I resemble that remark - Whiskey Sours are my favorite drink!

[Kohola3]

14 minutes ago, llewis823 said:

Hey I resemble that remark - Whiskey Sours are my favorite drink!

Ditto!  And on special occasions, Amaretto sours.

[Westiepeach]

25 minutes ago, llewis823 said:

Hey I resemble that remark - Whiskey Sours are my favorite drink!

I inherited their Whiskey Sours glasses!

[llewis823]

3 hours ago, Westiepeach said:

I inherited their Whiskey Sours glasses!

There are special glasses for whiskey sours???? Who knew???

[Westiepeach]

6 minutes ago, llewis823 said:

There are special glasses for whiskey sours???? Who knew???

I’m not sure if they are legitimate “whiskey sour” glasses, but that’s what my parents always used them for. So they are forevermore “whiskey sour glasses.” And I have them now!

Edited November 30, 2018 by Westiepeach

[MrsClaus]

I can report that a local Walmart must have had a larger number of Ree's cookbooks for Black Friday.  There were a ton left and clearanced to $5 from $10, but the same ones in the book section were almost $21.  

[Mandolia]

On 11/30/2018 at 3:03 AM, cathy said:

Can you take pictures and show us? We would love to see!! I once had roadkill venison, it was ok. I did an internship on an organic farm, a hippie farm, actually. One of the guys found a dead deer by the side of the road and butchered it, and we ate it.  If the eyes are clear it is safe. Nowdays many deer have prions and diseases so that is not safe. I know in the UK they have deer farms.What will you have for desert?

I'll try to remember to take photographs!

Not sure about the desert/s - I never pay any attention to that bit as I don't eat/like sweet things, which is why I wince at most of PW's sweet creations into which all bar the kitchen sink is added.  I suspect it'll be Christmas pudding and brandy butter with a couple of other choices, one of which is bound to include chocolate.

Venison is delicious - we have "wild" venison in this area (two herds up on the hill and the woodland area opposite the village).  The deer population is very carefully managed, and it's not just random shooting.  Farmed deer isn't quite as gamey as wild and doesn't need so much preliminary attention.   Wild venison needs really looooong and slooooow cooking which is why a casserole/stew works so well (having first done a marinade for hours of, say, red wine or port plus bay leaves, juniper berries, chunks of onion, orange peel, garlic). 

Today I'm being taken out to lunch at a tapas place in the local TINY town - a slightly incongruous setting for dishes one associates with sitting in a Spanish restaurant overlooking the Mediterranean in the summer (it's pouring with rain and cold)!  I've been playing a silly game of "What Would Ree Do?" in terms of adding her take to items on the menu.  A whole buncha everything in the pantry seems the answer!

[cathy]

The 12 days of boots are up! Or should I say, 12 days of a fake contest for clicks to increase advertising revenue.

[cathy]

This is cute if you are into it. It is on the facebook page of her fan club.

[Mandolia]

On 12/4/2018 at 6:05 PM, cathy said:

This is cute if you are into it. It is on the facebook page of her fan club.

I think I could be persuaded to "go crafty"!  Except I lack the patience, which is a major stumbling block.  (there's a daily show airing in the UK at the moment which is all things Christmas crafting: makes me feel so inadequate to the point I'm nearly unable to watch.  Almost (just nearly almost) better to watch PW throw a buncha stuff from the pantry into the mixing bowl/food processor and marvel (?) at the weird combinations she creates.)

[cathy]

Mandolia, all of those shows feature people who are the best of the best. Most people can't measure up. I have endless patience but no time for crafting now. I used to do quilting, I went overboard, made many, gave them to friends and family, then stopped because no one needed anymore blankets. Also, doing a lot of crafts tends to clutter up your house. Leading to a messy house. 

[Mandolia]

On 12/7/2018 at 12:59 AM, cathy said:

Mandolia, all of those shows feature people who are the best of the best. Most people can't measure up. I have endless patience but no time for crafting now. I used to do quilting, I went overboard, made many, gave them to friends and family, then stopped because no one needed anymore blankets. Also, doing a lot of crafts tends to clutter up your house. Leading to a messy house. 

Cathy I couldn't agree more about "the best of the best" element of these shows.  Some of the things done/techniques involved are staggering.

I think I shall stick to watching cooking shows!!  Talking of which, I turned on the tv yesterday late morning as I wanted to see the news headlines...up pops Food Network and there was TW judging on that cookie comp (absolutely no idea who the other judges were but no matter).  Ree did not look her best and I wouldn't classify her input as being anything other than less than enlightening.  It did make me laugh, tho, when she said to one of the competitors that his offering for that particular round might have benefited from some SPRINKLES. 

 

One of the PW progs which is being repeated endlessly at the mo is when Ree takes younger daughter and Bryce off to Bastlesville (if that's the correct spelling) for an afternoon out, leaving Ladd and Todd to cook supper.  The Bartlesville excusion included a trip to the nail salon...INC BRYCE!  Manicures and pedicures (I think Bryce was only subjected to the pedicure).  Poor boy - imagine the teasing he'd have had from his friends.  Back at the ranch, Ladd and Todd create such an unlikely Ladd meal, apart from the steak & potatoes.  Fillet steak with peppercorn and shrimp sauce with quartered potatoes cooked in the oven on a sheet pan plus roasted asparagus drizzled with olive oil (another sheet pan - PW's pantry is Sheet Pan Central).  Bryce TODD (silly me!) bashes the peppercorns while Ladd cooks the shrimp.  Then the steak is started off (yes: seasoning is involved) in a skillet before being moved into the oven.  The best bit: making of the shrimp and peppercorn sauce.  The most enormous slug of brandy into the pan with the peppercorns.  Then add the shrimp back.  Then a good glug of heavy cream.  It just doesn't sound Ladd-ish.  Just at the right moment (not that it's rehearsed or anything) (yeah, right), the Bartlesville Trio walk in.  And there are the usual Ree squeals of excitement as supper is unveiled.  Garlic was probably invovlved somewhere along the line, but I lost concentration.  

Edited December 8, 2018 by Mandolia
basic error: getting the names of the 2 boys mixed up!

[Kohola3]

3 hours ago, Mandolia said:

Fillet steak with peppercorn and shrimp sauce

Oh, gag, shrimp sauce on steak?  Disgusting.

[ariel]

48 minutes ago, Kohola3 said:

Oh, gag, shrimp sauce on steak?  Disgusting.

The cowboy version of Surf & Turf. 

[Kohola3]

Turf without the surf.  What's the point? 

There is steak sauce for steak and shrimp sauce for shrimp.  Never the twain shall meet.

[Mandolia]

15 minutes ago, Kohola3 said:

Turf without the surf.  What's the point? 

There is steak sauce for steak and shrimp sauce for shrimp.  Never the twain shall meet.

I did once have fillet steak and lobster thermidor on the same plate, at a rather swanky Surf & Turf restaurant over here.  And it was really rather good.  Not something I would normally have chosen (and mega expensive) but my host insisted!  But steak with peppercorn sauce (with a slug of brandy AND CREAM) as one dish, and shrimp (or other surfy stuff) as another is probably my preference.

[Kohola3]

Oh, don't get me wrong. I love surf and turf but the sauces stay with the correct item.  And that peppercorn sauce with cream and booze just reeks of a Ree concoction.

[cathy]

Today's new show is more heavy, fattening, "comfort food." High fat high carb. She puts the "guilty" in "guilty pleasures," as she just said. Now on this second show  that is on right now, I can see that the Lodge looks like a professional decorator was there. On the new show it looked like the pressure cooker she used was not her own instapot.  Maybe she is afraid her own China made crap will explode in her wrinkled, doughy face and cheaply dyed clown hair. On the facebook page for her fan club someone posted a photo of the jewelery they were sending to her as a gift. I know we aren't  supposed to make fun of the reeple, but what can you say about that? Mandolia, the producers probably forced Ladd to make that kind of food to show him as "sensitive" because that is what all women want. I bet Bryce will turn out to be gay, and it will be Ree's fault. Meow!!

[Mindthinkr]

44 minutes ago, cathy said:

Today's new show is more heavy, fattening, "comfort food." High fat high carb. She puts the "guilty" in "guilty pleasures," as she just said. Now on this second show  that is on right now, I can see that the Lodge looks like a professional decorator was there. On the new show it looked like the pressure cooker she used was not her own instapot.  Maybe she is afraid her own China made crap will explode in her wrinkled, doughy face and cheaply dyed clown hair. On the facebook page for her fan club someone posted a photo of the jewelery they were sending to her as a gift. I know we aren't  supposed to make fun of the reeple, but what can you say about that? Mandolia, the producers probably forced Ladd to make that kind of food to show him as "sensitive" because that is what all women want. I bet Bryce will turn out to be gay, and it will be Ree's fault. Meow!!

There were so many layers of fat and sugar in the carrot cake French toast. All topped off with warmed maple syrup. It’s a wonder that her children are not overweight.     

[Kohola3]

Ree is an embarrassment on that cookie baking championship show.  Never stops with the Crazy Clown smile, offers inane comments, thinks "add sprinkles" is a useful tip.  The real professional bakers at least talk about taste combinations, baking times, and give ideas on improving technique.  What a hack.

[CharlizeCat]

Word, Kohola3. I think Gesine Prado finally handed Ree her ass. The first time GP was a judge, she was polite but constructive, but the second time, the gloves were definitely off between those two. Ree was clearly trying to dominate the judges' comments and tried to be a little be more "harsh" (i.e. real and knowledgeable) but again, Gesine outshone her in immediately being able to point out flaws and explain what went wrong, whereas Ree was forced back into her comfort zone of commenting on the appearance and a bit of the flavor. 

[Mandolia]

18 hours ago, cathy said:

Today's new show is more heavy, fattening, "comfort food." High fat high carb. She puts the "guilty" in "guilty pleasures," as she just said. Now on this second show  that is on right now, I can see that the Lodge looks like a professional decorator was there. On the new show it looked like the pressure cooker she used was not her own instapot.  Maybe she is afraid her own China made crap will explode in her wrinkled, doughy face and cheaply dyed clown hair. On the facebook page for her fan club someone posted a photo of the jewelery they were sending to her as a gift. I know we aren't  supposed to make fun of the reeple, but what can you say about that? Mandolia, the producers probably forced Ladd to make that kind of food to show him as "sensitive" because that is what all women want. I bet Bryce will turn out to be gay, and it will be Ree's fault. Meow!!

The production team includes Ree, I think?  I;m sure I've seen her name on the closing credits.  So it all makes perfect sense.  With a minion off camera doing most/all of the prep (apart from Todd bashing peppercorns) and, dare I say it, overseeing the cooking.  

(and I don't doubt that professional decorators spread their Christmas * magic on The Lodge for the purposes of the show.)

*probably filmed months ago!

[chessiegal]

6 hours ago, Mandolia said:

The production team includes Ree, I think? 

Ree is the Executive Producer, which means she has total control over content of the shows.

[Mandolia]

18 hours ago, chessiegal said:

Ree is the Executive Producer, which means she has total control over content of the shows.

Thank you for confirming what I was sure I'd seen.   Explains a whole buncha stuff, starting with the cynical manipulation of some viewers buying into/believing a carefully honed brand. 

[Cupid Stunt]

On ‎11‎/‎30‎/‎2018 at 12:23 PM, llewis823 said:

Hey I resemble that remark - Whiskey Sours are my favorite drink!

On ‎11‎/‎30‎/‎2018 at 12:38 PM, Kohola3 said:

Ditto!  And on special occasions, Amaretto sours.

On ‎11‎/‎30‎/‎2018 at 4:12 PM, llewis823 said:

There are special glasses for whiskey sours???? Who knew???

On ‎11‎/‎30‎/‎2018 at 4:17 PM, Westiepeach said:

I’m not sure if they are legitimate “whiskey sour” glasses, but that’s what my parents always used them for. So they are forevermore “whiskey sour glasses.” And I have them now!

 

 

 

Late to the Whiskey Sour party, but Ree's butchering some classic recipe with sprinkles, jalapenos and shrimp sauce ..., 

Let's drink whiskey and watch Ladd's arteries seize up!

[cathy]

Meghan Terry-Stewart

22 hrs

Strange happenings in my house tonight! I have had my PW crockpot since the week they were first released and available to purchase in the nearest Walmart I could find, love it and use it more than any of my others just because of its beauty. I'm so sad that my lid has shattered. I'm curious if anyone else has had this happen though. I put this in the sink to soak before I washed it, I was across the kitchen making a new candy recipe and heard a crack noise. I checked my windows thinking it was one of them and found nothing. Then I walked to the sink and saw this. It literally had only tap hot water and soap in it. And just shattered to pieces

View 12 more comments

Angelgale Messer-Reaves Just to clear some confusion here. The PW crockpot is the excact crockpot Hamilton Beach has been making for decades. They simply put a PW Themed skin on them instead of the chrome. As for the claims of numerous reported shattering,NOT TRUE! They investigated every claim to find that people were taking other people's photos and recirculating them claiming it was their own. I know this for a fact because I met and spoke directly with Ree regarding this matter.

Angelgail is delusional, or a paid employee of Ree. I don't know why anyone would lie about such a thing? Why lie if you are a big fan of PW? 

The above picture is in reguards to the post above it. 

[Kohola3]

Well if one of the Reeple spoke directly to her about it and she denied it then it simply must be true.  Fake news.  Bad people out to get her.   Jealousy.  Hate.

Somebody better hide that Kool-aid.

[cathy]

Brenda Rodriguez I have actually read this on other sites. It has been happening quit often. 😫

Angelgale Messer-Reaves Brenda Rodriguez not true they have only had a very few confirmed cases. People were making false claims!

GregLeslie Blevins Yes it happen to me!!!!!! My lid was not locked down ither had a nice big roast inside at the time         . Buder My lid started to crack after 2 uses I stopped using it contacted hamilton beach. They were more than happy to send a new lid haven't had any issues since I use it all the time

Shayna Traversie This is really common with Hamilton beach crockpots! I’m not sure why but it’s not just the PW!

Amy-Marie Guerrieri Temperature Change...could happen with any glass product...PW or not.

Meghan Terry-Stewart Amy-Marie Guerrieri that's does make sense. I am just so shocked because I have never had anything shatter by putting it in the sink of water or by putting hot water in it to wash.

Amy-Marie Guerrieri Meghan Terry-Stewart It definitely happens. I placed chicken in a pyrex baking dish..dish room temp...chicken had been out of the fridge 20 minutes..so not terribly cold. Put it my oven at 350° and 20 mins later I thought a bullet came thru the window. Lol the whole damn thing exploded in my oven. Dinner over. I'm a seasoned cook..so it wasn't a error on my part. Sometimes IT just happens. 😉

Meghan Terry-Stewart The pot and lid were both room temperature. As bad as this is going to sound, we left it sit on the counter empty overnight and went to bed without washing it. So I was letting it soak before scrubbing the stuck-on buffalo chicken dip out of it

Mary Carter Who ever is at the top of PW should make things too last nit of u look on bottom where was it made bet u can answer your own question PW IS RECEIVING money from everyone but make things so they will last

Angela Smith I dont have a pioneer woman crock, but I've seen several dozen posts about this issue! I have a hamilton beach that I've had for years that I use.

Lori Lin Goodwin Maslin I wont buy her products.....I like her recipes but the reviews on her products are shocking

Angelgale Messer-Reaves Pm me and i will help you with a claim. Comments are being turned off as steps for resolution has been provided.

Meghan Terry-Stewart Angelgale Messer-Reaves oh, ok. Thanks.

Like

· 22h

Angelgale Messer-Reaves Just to clear some confusion here. The PW crockpot is the excact crockpot Hamilton Beach has been making for decades. They simply put a PW Themed skin on them instead of the chrome. As for the claims of numerous reported shattering,NOT TRUE! They investigated every claim to find that people were taking other people's photos and recirculating them claiming it was their own. I know this for a fact because I met and spoke directly with Ree regarding this matter.

Angelgale Messer-Reaves Here is my original post after my meeting with her. https://m.facebook.com/groups/444850915681422?view=permalink&id=844337409066102

(The following is a post from Angelgail, the admin) 

November 3, 2017

 Good morning everyone, happy Friday. By now most of you have seen my post and know that I met with Ree last night. We had a great conversation and I spoke to her first hand regarding the issues that are shared within this group. First off, she thanked me for representing her with the utmost respect and how I am quick to escalate your issues to my PW contact. She said we have greatconnection and work very well together. I spoke to her in detail regarding the packaging revamping, she said and I quote," yes, thank you for escalating this. I have had many conversations with Gibson and they are working on enhancing the packaging." The next issues we discussed in detail was the crockpots. She told me 77,000 crockpots have been sold and ONLY 4 formal complaints have been filed. Yes, you read that correctly ONLY 4. So here is the major issue, not everyone is being honest. They are recirculating the pictures on the Internet claiming it's theirs. They have people now conducting image searches following up on all these claims. It astonishing how many false claims have been made. The photos are identical that are circulating claiming unexplained mishaps and the lid exploding. I am all about honesty so this is why Renee and I agreed this post was a must as you need to know the truth. If I offended someone sorry but I speak the truth.

[cathy]

(continued) So everyone who jumped on the bandwagon getting upset and being nasty when really the facts were not known, shame on you. People are not being honest making false claims and taking advantage of Ree's generosity since they know she replaces items without hardly any questions. The truth is the Hamilton Beach crockpot has been out for several decades, if it was a true huge issue we would have knowledge of it simply because it's been on the market forever.They didn't change the design of their crockpots, they only put a Pioneer Woman themed "skin" on it instead of the traditional chrome skin. As a result of all fraudulent claims, changes to the replacement progress is now going to require a more robust validation of damage items. Gone are the days of just the photos and email. So the truth is there is NOT a huge manufacturer defect with the crockpots and and only 4 valid misphas have occurred out of 77,000 sold. Yes, your voices are being heard and Ree is working with Gibson to beef up the packaging materials. I am honored to have been the voice of this wonderful group and forever grateful to Ree for taking time to meet with me and provide feedback on issues brought forth within the group .So I am asking this again of you, if you have an issue follow the established workflow. 1. Contact Walmart for an exchange or refund.
2. If product is DEFECTIVE send an email to: products@thepioneerwoman.com 3.warranty information is here:  So if you wanting to know if an item is dishwasher safe or oven safe or any of those details, it is all there. It even has cleaning tips (My note: I could not copy and paste the link to the warrenty). 4. Do not copy and share another person's photos or contact any of the above contacts on anyone's behalf without their consent. This goes for leaving a review on Walmart.com, contacting Gibson or the links provided above.
5. If you share you issue within this group we will assist and help escalate for resolution with our contact.

[cathy]

Some wrote on the Official PW fan club facebook page "I notice that there are many PW fans from the UK. What does this Oklahoma cook, photographer, blogger, mom and wife have that appeals to so many Brits?

Some replies:

Rhonda Campbell I personally think it’s her genuine natural way which is so appealing and the fact she shows you step by by step of everything she does...which is why I adore everything she does ❤️

Rhonda Campbell I personally think it’s her genuine natural way which is so appealing and the fact she shows you step by by step of everything she does...which is why I adore everything she does ❤️

Denise Joyce-Dainack Debbie Moore you really do. She has a large following in the UK

Mandy Botham I don’t know really, I enjoy watching the cooking shows from the USA, stumbled across hers one day and was hooked! Plus I think she appeals as my husbands family are cattle farmers aswell

Caroline Ordukaya She is very down to earth, and I love how she makes a mess in the kitchen and eats as she cooks/bakes. She actually inspired me to teach myself how to bake and create my own baking lessons website. So 'that girl got something'. And I am from the UK too.

Louise Everard I love her presenting style, she's so quirky and real! I find a lot of U.K. cooking shows can be a little formulaic & I like the details about the ranch and family she shares. Plus I like to cook a range of foods, I don't tend to stick to British classic food. I love tex mex!
I also love America though only made it to NYC so far! X

Suzanne Birch Ree just comes across as a really lovely lady, I could watch her all day

Tammie Rogers Her cheery disposition, down to earth appeal, and her sweetness. (My comment PUKE!!!)

Mandolia, please address this horrible phenomenon in your country. Is it something in the water, even worse than here?

[Kohola3]

13 minutes ago, cathy said:

People are not being honest making false claims and taking advantage of Ree's generosity since they know she replaces items without hardly any questions.

Um, OK, but why would anyone make a false claim just to get a free lid? 

[cathy]

It is possible that someone could drop and break a glass lid, and then lie and say it was defective. Most people don't do this, a few will. But I think her products are sub-par, and break easily. Made in China junk sold by the treasonous China-mart, a bad corporation that is helping to ruin America, by running mom and pop businesses out of business. It fits that our prairie princess picks them to sell her crap for maximum profit. The comments made by the British viewers about her being so down to earth and sweet are shocking as they don't seem to understand that someone being filmed for a T.V. show is going to act accordingly on film.

[Kohola3]

24 minutes ago, cathy said:

Rhonda Campbell I personally think it’s her genuine natural way which is so appealing and the fact she shows you step by by step of everything she does...which is why I adore everything she does.

Louise Everard I love her presenting style, she's so quirky and real! I find a lot of U.K. cooking shows can be a little formulaic & I like the details about the ranch and family she shares. Plus I like to cook a range of foods, I don't tend to stick to British classic food. I love tex mex!

• OK, first of all "add a buncha" and getting close up shots of her cracking an egg hardly qualifies as step-by-step. 
• She's neither quirky  nor real - it's all a major marketing ploy as we well know. 
• And what she cooks is not tex-mex - it's dumping all kinds of unrelated hot crap in everything she makes, probably to burn taste buds so the real unappealing flavors don't come through.

And, no offense to Mandolia, Great Britain is hardly known for their culinary delights.

[Mandolia]

6 hours ago, Kohola3 said:

• OK, first of all "add a buncha" and getting close up shots of her cracking an egg hardly qualifies as step-by-step. 
• She's neither quirky  nor real - it's all a major marketing ploy as we well know. 
• And what she cooks is not tex-mex - it's dumping all kinds of unrelated hot crap in everything she makes, probably to burn taste buds so the real unappealing flavors don't come through.

And, no offense to Mandolia, Great Britain is hardly known for their culinary delights.

I am, of course, deeply hurt at the slur cast upon GB's cuisine!!!!  The home of fish 'n' chips * et al.

*fries to my US friends.

Edited December 12, 2018 by Mandolia

[Mandolia]

6 hours ago, cathy said:

Mandolia, please address this horrible phenomenon in your country. Is it something in the water, even worse than here?

Cathy, I fear the task is beyond me.

[chessiegal]

We were in London in 2016 and 2017. We never had a bad meal. Of course we had fish and chips, but so much other good food! One thing I particularly liked was mushroom soup. Had it at a pub near Trafalgar Square and at the cafeteria at Hampton Court. Overall, wonderful food.

ETA: We had lunch at Jaimie Oliver's BBQ restaurant near St. Peters - fabulous food and service.

Edited December 12, 2018 by chessiegal

[Mandolia]

55 minutes ago, chessiegal said:

We were in London in 2016 and 2017. We never had a bad meal. Of course we had fish and chips, but so much other good food! One thing I particularly liked was mushroom soup. Had it at a pub near Trafalgar Square and at the cafeteria at Hampton Court. Overall, wonderful food.

ETA: We had lunch at Jaimie Oliver's BBQ restaurant near St. Peters - fabulous food and service.

My remark was more than a little tongue in cheek!  There is wonderful food over here, of course, and some very, very good restaurants - from the ritzy & glitzy to small places which pride themselves on sourcing only local and seasonal produce. 

Mushroom soup is a favourite of mine.  Comfort food in the winter:  I make a really "hearty" (thick) mushroom soup and always add a splash of sherry while sweating down the onions.

[cathy]

Her show "Christmas" was just on. I noticed only her Drummond relatives were invited to the town parade and fancy meal afterward. I did not see her disabled brother Mike. Nor her father or mother.  The show about Mike  I think "Mike's day out" is the only time I have seen him. I don't think he has been on any other of her shows, not even the hour long special where she had the party at the merc, with most people in the town, a band, a roping contest. Inviting him to something like that would make not only "his day" but probably his month.  It would make him feel happy, and wanted. Even a "retarded" person can sense when they are wanted or not. The show "Mike's day out" is on now. Ladd is driving him to the ranch and says "You need to come see us more often," knowing full damn well Mike cannot drive a car, and there are no buses in that area. Ladd seems very condescending towards Mike. I would bet my bottom dollar that Ree ignores him, never sees him, or does anything to make his life happier. Especially bringing him to big shin digs. It seems that the town of Bartlesville is nicer to him than his own family. Ree sees Cinthia or whatever her name is more than Mike, and they both live in Bartelsville. Ree is very self absorbed, and thinks only of herself. I am starting to wonder about Ladd now too. 

[cathy]

Ree and Ladd's meanness might be due to the fact that they are "country." I have noticed that people from the country are not always as nice as we think they are. They tend to be callous towards animals. They tend to never allow dogs and cats in the house. The dogs are watch dogs, and the cats "have a warm place to go to in the barn." That was said to me by a lady farmer I used to buy raw milk from. One cold winter evening I went to get some milk, and noticed a youngish small cat outside on the porch with a look on it's face saying "let me in." She wouldn't let the poor thing in. It was very bitter cold. I was tempted to just take the kitty myself, or call the cops, but lost my nerve.

[Cupid Stunt]

22 hours ago, cathy said:

Brenda Rodriguez I have actually read this on other sites. It has been happening quit often. 😫

Angelgale Messer-Reaves Brenda Rodriguez not true they have only had a very few confirmed cases. People were making false claims!

GregLeslie Blevins Yes it happen to me!!!!!! My lid was not locked down ither had a nice big roast inside at the time         . Buder My lid started to crack after 2 uses I stopped using it contacted hamilton beach. They were more than happy to send a new lid haven't had any issues since I use it all the time

Shayna Traversie This is really common with Hamilton beach crockpots! I’m not sure why but it’s not just the PW!

Amy-Marie Guerrieri Temperature Change...could happen with any glass product...PW or not.

Meghan Terry-Stewart Amy-Marie Guerrieri that's does make sense. I am just so shocked because I have never had anything shatter by putting it in the sink of water or by putting hot water in it to wash.

Amy-Marie Guerrieri Meghan Terry-Stewart It definitely happens. I placed chicken in a pyrex baking dish..dish room temp...chicken had been out of the fridge 20 minutes..so not terribly cold. Put it my oven at 350° and 20 mins later I thought a bullet came thru the window. Lol the whole damn thing exploded in my oven. Dinner over. I'm a seasoned cook..so it wasn't a error on my part. Sometimes IT just happens. 😉

Meghan Terry-Stewart The pot and lid were both room temperature. As bad as this is going to sound, we left it sit on the counter empty overnight and went to bed without washing it. So I was letting it soak before scrubbing the stuck-on buffalo chicken dip out of it

Mary Carter Who ever is at the top of PW should make things too last nit of u look on bottom where was it made bet u can answer your own question PW IS RECEIVING money from everyone but make things so they will last

Angela Smith I dont have a pioneer woman crock, but I've seen several dozen posts about this issue! I have a hamilton beach that I've had for years that I use.

In regards to the convex glass crock pot lids and Pyrex breaking due to thermal shock (glass expansion going from cold to hot and visa versa) -- Pyrex, Anchor Hocking, Corning and other commercial houseware glass manufacturers moved from making their products from borosilicate glass shifting to tempered soda-lime glass. This change was justified by stating that soda-lime glass has higher mechanical strength than borosilicate -- making it more resistant to physical damage when dropped, which is believed to be the most common cause of breakage in glass bakeware. Also, it is cheaper to produce and more environmentally friendly. However, its thermal shock resistance is lower than borosilicate, leading to potential breakage from heat stress if used contrary to manufacturers recommendations.

The differences between Pyrex-branded glass products has also led to urban legends and the concern of safety issues -- in 2008, the Consumer Product Safety Commission reported it had received 66 complaints by users reporting that their Pyrex glassware had shattered over the prior ten years yet concluded that Pyrex glass bakeware does not present a safety concern. The consumer affairs magazine Consumer Reports investigated the issue and released test results, in January 2011, confirming that borosilicate glass bakeware was less susceptible to thermal shock breakage than tempered soda lime bakeware. However, they admitted their testing conditions were “contrary to instructions” provided by the manufacturer. STATS (Statistical Assessment Service) analyzed the data available and found that the most common way that users were injured by glassware was via mechanical breakage, being hit or dropped, and that "the change to soda lime represents a greater net safety benefit." 

My sister had a similar issue with a new oval crock pot washing it before its first use; the aluminum lid rim was too tight and the glass expanded shattering in the hot water rinse. Not being familiar with PW crock pots -- My observation with the oval glass lids is that they are not nearly as heavy as old school crock pots and the convex shape could easily placed in a mechanical stress position that could lead to breaking.

Vintage borosilicate 7740 glass Pyrex is clear, on the right. Soda-Lime glass is on the left, with a blue-green tint.

I have two round Hamilton Beach crock pots from the 80s with heavy borosilicate glass lids and stoneware liners, and had to replace one lid (broken by dropping) from a outlet mall Pyrex/Corning store.

[Cupid Stunt]

On ‎12‎/‎11‎/‎2018 at 7:31 PM, cathy said:

Meghan Terry-Stewart

22 hrs

Strange happenings in my house tonight! I have had my PW crockpot since the week they were first released and available to purchase in the nearest Walmart I could find, love it and use it more than any of my others just because of its beauty. I'm so sad that my lid has shattered. I'm curious if anyone else has had this happen though. I put this in the sink to soak before I washed it, I was across the kitchen making a new candy recipe and heard a crack noise. I checked my windows thinking it was one of them and found nothing. Then I walked to the sink and saw this. It literally had only tap hot water and soap in it. And just shattered to pieces

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Angelgale Messer-Reaves Just to clear some confusion here. The PW crockpot is the excact crockpot Hamilton Beach has been making for decades. They simply put a PW Themed skin on them instead of the chrome. As for the claims of numerous reported shattering,NOT TRUE! They investigated every claim to find that people were taking other people's photos and recirculating them claiming it was their own. I know this for a fact because I met and spoke directly with Ree regarding this matter.

Angelgail is delusional, or a paid employee of Ree. I don't know why anyone would lie about such a thing? Why lie if you are a big fan of PW? 

I looked at PW crock pot designs online, and the liner and lid in the above photo.

I'm assuming hot soapy water was being used to soak the liner. Half the lid has been placed upside down in the water, with the other half out of the water with the handle leaning against the liner rim. The thermal shock break of the lid happened by placing the room temperature lid upside down and half way in hot water. The weight of the lid on the handle in the cooler air puts mechanical pressure on the convex shape of the lid as the submerged half suddenly heats up in the hot water causing a tempered shatter of the lid.

Whatever allegiance Angelgale Messer-Reaves may have to PW/Ree/et al, she is doing her best to avoid directly approaching the composition of the crock pots with issues of how to use the pots to avoid breakage, or the common mistake demonstrated by the owner of the above crock pot.

 

9 hours ago, cathy said:

Her show "Christmas" was just on. I noticed only her Drummond relatives were invited to the town parade and fancy meal afterward. I did not see her disabled brother Mike. Nor her father or mother.  The show about Mike  I think "Mike's day out" is the only time I have seen him. I don't think he has been on any other of her shows, not even the hour long special where she had the party at the merc, with most people in the town, a band, a roping contest. Inviting him to something like that would make not only "his day" but probably his month.  It would make him feel happy, and wanted. Even a "retarded" person can sense when they are wanted or not. The show "Mike's day out" is on now. Ladd is driving him to the ranch and says "You need to come see us more often," knowing full damn well Mike cannot drive a car, and there are no buses in that area. Ladd seems very condescending towards Mike. I would bet my bottom dollar that Ree ignores him, never sees him, or does anything to make his life happier. Especially bringing him to big shin digs. It seems that the town of Bartlesville is nicer to him than his own family. Ree sees Cinthia or whatever her name is more than Mike, and they both live in Bartelsville. Ree is very self absorbed, and thinks only of herself. I am starting to wonder about Ladd now too. 

Were Ree a member of my immediate family I wouldn't want her to be using my disabled relative to promote her TV show and PW branded crap. Mike might not want to be involved with the Show or his immediate caretakers may not think it's in his best interests to be paraded around for Ree's commercial purposes. She might sell some sepia-tinted romantic notion of the American family home and hearth, but her aggressive commercialism reminds the casual viewer that It's All About The Money, and she'll smack you like a piñata for the last shekel in your pocket.

What is filmed for TV is not necessarily what is true about the people involved. We might think we "know" Ree and her family by what is heavily edited for the episodes, but I seriously doubt it. I go by the progress of her blog, and found her recipes to be standard, not very original or challenging. As she's progressed into a branded commercial venture, she relied more on reverse engineering of common internet/church/restaurant recipes, jumping on instagramed trends that fall into her blinkered style. Everything is renamed, rewritten and adjusted to not be directly plagiarized -- Throw a handful of gummy bears, jalapenos, a Mason jar and a cloud of sugar sprinkles over that re-engineered King's Ranch casserole and it's a Pioneer Woman 15 Minute Dinner served in a trough, with a side of antacids. Hooray for Ree! Another 24 minute episode of fat, salt, empty calories, crap to buy, faux folksy banter and mediocrity.

 

9 hours ago, cathy said:

Ree and Ladd's meanness might be due to the fact that they are "country." I have noticed that people from the country are not always as nice as we think they are. They tend to be callous towards animals. They tend to never allow dogs and cats in the house. The dogs are watch dogs, and the cats "have a warm place to go to in the barn." That was said to me by a lady farmer I used to buy raw milk from. One cold winter evening I went to get some milk, and noticed a youngish small cat outside on the porch with a look on it's face saying "let me in." She wouldn't let the poor thing in. It was very bitter cold. I was tempted to just take the kitty myself, or call the cops, but lost my nerve.

I grew up on a working ranch in the Owens Valley of California. The animals we raised were in our care, and mistreatment was not tolerated -- Abuse and neglect shows at market, and it's money out of pocket. With five children, my parents counted every penny. Many times my father took on cattle and horses that the owners could no longer afford to care for. He's presently grazing 22 angus abandoned by their owner on state land. The dogs and barn cats have separate kennels that are cleaned weekly. They are feed twice a day, and have a separate area to eliminate. All my mother's chickens and ducks are minded by a Lab mix that was dumped on the ranch by some well-meaning passerby; she herds them out in the morning and back into the hen house before dusk.

I'm not sure I know what you mean when you say "people from the country are not always as nice as we think they are." I've met many people who were grim disappointments and it had nothing to do with where they grew up or where they lived. I don't think for one moment that I "know" Ree and Ladd, and expect never have the misfortune of being stuck in the same elevator with them. I do know several people that know Ree well from college, and her's is not an acquaintance I have any interest in making. 

[OzzieChick]

horror of horrors it’s made onto Australian television 

insert profuse swearing here <> 

you poor people are going to be sorry I found you,

i have a few rants to be had about this wretched creature

i am here to snark and vent 

[Mandolia]

4 hours ago, Cupid Stunt said:

I'm not sure I know what you mean when you say "people from the country are not always as nice as we think they are." I've met many people who were grim disappointments and it had nothing to do with where they grew up or where they lived. I don't think for one moment that I "know" Ree and Ladd, and expect never have the misfortune of being stuck in the same elevator with them. I do know several people that know Ree well from college, and her's is not an acquaintance I have any interest in making. 

I was a bit mystified by this, too.  Taking the Drummonds out of the equation as The Pioneer Woman is not quite all pretence but it's certainly contrived in terms of the ranch set pieces, etc, I have lived in a rural community more or less all my life - sheep, cattle (beef and dairy herds) abound - and the farmers' "animal husbandry" is something they take extremely seriously (including working dogs who, for the most part, do live in kennels outside and feral cats who prowl around barns). 

Undeniably, there are bad 'uns who don't operate with the same sense of responsibility and care, but that's the exception and not the rule.  Equally, there are the most disagreeable people who are metropolitan to the core and who have never put a toe into the countryside.  And with whom, frankly, one wouldn't wish to share the time of day...simply because they're not nice.  Being "not nice" can't be applied to those who live in the country in the farming community as a sweeping statement (which I'm sure wasn't what Cathy meant to infer!), 

Edited December 13, 2018 by Mandolia

[Kohola3]

8 hours ago, OzzieChick said:

horror of horrors it’s made onto Australian television 

 

You have our deepest apologies.  Bad enough we have to see it but to taint the international market is just beyond the pale.

Welcome, and snark away!  But remember, we have heard about Australians and vegemite.

[cathy]

Cupid and Mandolia thank you both for your posts. I think I went off about country people because of a few bad things I have seen in the past, and because a friend of mine from Montana was complaining about that same issue, and Ree of course. Cupid Stunt, what did the people who knew Ree in college say about her? Just curious.

[Kohola3]

There are certainly bad and good in all kinds of areas.  In the rural area surrounding me we tend to think of the back woods folks as Michigan militia types and meth lab owners and that's certainly true in many cases.  Dogs staked in yards on chains, thousands of feral cats running around.  But there are also those who are just honest farmers who work hard to make ends meet and, since this is a big soy bean area, literally losing their shirts because of the tariffs.

My issue with Ree and her hubby is the fake veneer of being "simple folk" when they are simply corporate CEOs living in a lightly populated area, raking in bucks hand over fist because of clever marketing and political connections.  Her goods are junk, her cooking is an absolute joke.  But the unwashed masses eat it up for some Godforsaken reason.