We don’t talk much about Ree Drummond – aka The Pioneer Woman – here. She’s a food blogger turned cooking show hostess with four, homeschooled kids. She has a huge social media following and recently announce that her oldest daughter, Alex, 23, got engaged to her boyfriend, Mauricio Scott. The engagement happened in the temporarily closed Nasher Sculpture Center in Dallas over the weekend and everything looked very pretty and well thought out. So thought out, that several family and friends were lying in wait to celebrate with a surprise engagement party following Alex saying yes. The problem is, Texas Governor Greg Abbott banned gatherings over 10 people and has mandated face coverings for public outings.
Pioneer Woman host Ree Drummond’s eldest daughter Alex threw a mask-free engagement party at the ‘temporarily closed’ Nasher Sculpture Center in Dallas on Saturday.
The 23-year-old homeschooled bride-to-be beamed as she flashed her diamond sparkler beside her fiancé Mauricio Scott in several party snapshots with friends.
Texas Governor Greg Abbott made masks and face coverings mandatory for all public outings on July 2 in order to slow the spread of the coronavirus.
Governor Abbott’s executive order bans indoor and outdoor gatherings with more than 10 people, but he does make an exception for weddings at 50% capacity.
Most of the photos available are from the attendees’ social media. Trying to count all the different faces, I cannot tell how many people were there but Alex and Mauricio’s immediate families makes up 10-12 straight out of the gate. Ree posted a romantic retelling of the day’s events on her blog and included a few more photos. One included what looks to be maybe a grandparent or two, which would add to the head count. However, that shot also shows a young man in a chair wearing a mask. So it is possible that masks were worn and just taken off for photos, but I kind of doubt that was the case. No one makes a point of mentioning any of the precautions that were taken so I doubt they did that. Plus, those photographed were close enough to have their arms around each other in the photos, so even if they were mask-less just for photos, they are all still too close to one another.
It looks like a beautiful engagement and it was beautifully planned. I truly hope no health issues come up due to this gathering. But these are the kinds of examples we don’t need right now. When she announced Alex’s engagement, Ree reminded the world she’d told her daughters (only daughters?) to wait until they were 28 to marry. But Ree said she’s glad Alex didn’t listen because she loves Mauricio so much and that “the timing is perfect for them.” But it isn’t perfect. We are in the middle of a pandemic and everyone is making compromises because of it. If their priority was a flashy, orchestrated engagement with surprise party, they could have waited until the government restrictions were lifted. If getting engaged right now was what was important, then they could have foregone the engagement production and just kept it between themselves. This party took place last Saturday. The following day, Dallas County reported 518 new COVID cases in the area. Seven people died from it, including a man in his 30s. The timing is perfect for us to all work together and look out for each other, it is not perfect for two families to prioritize their blog-worthy celebration over the health of the folks in their community.
Photo credit Ree and Alex Drummond’s Instagram
I find the “pioneer woman” insufferable. She’s not a pioneer woman. She’s another rich lady with a cooking blog.
Jane Watson Hopping is the real pioneer lady. It irks me how Mrs Hopping was the original pioneer woman with church cookbook americana recipes. Ree stole her name and idea, and we never hear anything about that.
Isn’t Ree’s husband from one of the richest and largest land-owning families in the state? I remember finding her blog way back in the day and she used to describe herself as a liberal city girl who was “saved” by her rich cowboy. There is nothing remotely “Pioneer” about her.
Yes, he is.
I have also called BS on her schtick from day 1 with her exoticising of her husband and rural life and pretending she’s doing anything remotely revolutionary other than playing house in her huge kitchen financed by her husband. her blog used to make me roll my eyes back so far in my head, and then she got a show which was also insufferable.
But aren’t you comforted to know that coronavirus is bypassing weddings as long as they’re at 50% capacity? Very considerate virus.
I like her recipes but I can’t handle her.
Same! She’s insufferable, but I also like her recipes.
I can’t stand the level of entitlement from this family.
First, and the one that pissed me off the most, Ree and her non-stop use of the word “r*tarded” to describe one of her brothers. No matter how many times she was called out on it, she said she had the right to call him that because he was her brother. Oh but as SOON as the Food Network called and she got representation from Porter Novelli (big PR firm) all the controversial stuff from her old blog was scrubbed, f-words, etc, etc. Including the stuff from when she was still blogging on typepad.
Second, the younger daughter, Paige got her arrest thrown out. Why? Guess who’s family member is a judge.
The cousin in law with his many many DUI and dv arrests, also going scott free for many years because of those family connections.
The collection of speeding tickets dismissed…
The recipe rip-offs…(y’all know she has a private chef who helps her “develop” her recipes right?)
Her whole “who me? I can’t believe all this fame just happened to me” schtick.
Dude, she studied marketing at USC. She literally talked about how to monetize her blog content into bigger things in the early days.
And to make it all worse, the fact that people still believe she homeschooled those kids. No. She had a homeschool co-op on or near the ranch where they hired a professional teacher to come teach her kids (and Missy and I think Hyacinths kids).
Great info, thanks!
They’re babies. Not trying to be overly judgemental but I wish people (in this current generation and in our modern world) would stop getting engaged and married before their brains even finish developing. There’s so much more out there for basically children to experience. I wish them well nonetheless.
I think this argument is silly and a bit patronising. Would I have got married at 23? No. But it doesn’t automatically make it wrong for them. And they’re not babies – at 23 I had graduated, moved away from home and was on my second job. People throw out this ‘the brain isn’t fully developed until 25’ all the time and as a psychologist it drives me mad. There are individual differences in everyone and actually your brain develops and changes throughout your whole lifetime. Some areas take longer to fully mature but they’re still present and functional. From age 25 cells start to die off, does that mean anyone over 25 can’t make decisions because their brain is ‘decaying’?? No, that would be a terribly reductive argument.
I’m also a psychologist. This argument is valid.
I had done far more by 23 than what you listed (certainly not down playing your personal accomplishments) but really even having graduated and been on your second job by 23 isn’t a lot of life experience. As a non-American (I make no assumptions on your nationality) I would probably be a bit more supportive if rates of nearly every negative situation in the modern world weren’t so astronomically high in the US. Divorce and marriage are largely a joke in her part of the world. I mean, as the post states, they couldn’t be bothered to distance or wear masks. If you can’t make healthy, intelligent small decisions it’s probably a good idea to hold off on the big ones.
Baby steps – start with a mask. Work your way up. I just want to see people do well and make consistently sound decisions. It’s not judgemental, it’s quite practical.
@bub244, I encouraged my children to wait until their 30’s to get married, but mine were for very different reasons. I felt that after being under your parents home and college, take you’re 20’s and spend it traveling, exploring and becoming your full self after 2 decades with your parents. I told them to spend that time growing and doing things that you want to do and I encouraged exploring, whatever that may be for them. My daughter took 2 solo trip trips to NZ and Iceland. She also spent 2 weeks at an elephant sanctuary for 2 weeks in an asian country to volunteer and has made countless other trips with close girlfriends. Where as my son did not, but he married at 28 and did not travel. They are extremely different. I thought it was important for them to spend a decade doing things that they wanted to do as they were growing emotionally. Also, once you have kids, it’s harder to travel to foreign countries, but not impossible, just different.
I certainly agree with both of you. But I don’t think we can just dismiss their engagement as ‘they’re babies’. Just because someone makes a decision we don’t like, or a decision we disagree with, or even a harmful one (like not wearing masks), that doesn’t mean we write it off as them being children. Plenty of over 25s make bad decisions too. It’s just not a compelling factor.
Stepping in to say that I nearly got married to my then partner of 3 years when I was 24 years old. We had a nasty break up and I was devastated but 5 years later I am SO HAPPY that I didn’t do it. I’ve changed and grown so much – and for the better. I also know that had I gotten married the timeline to do ‘married’ things, like buy a house, have children, etc. would have all been sped up for me. I’ve gotten to do things on my terms, mostly, and make decisions for myself. Now that I’m nearly 30 I feel ready to start settling down with someone.
I don’t want to invalidate the experiences of those who marry young but I also agree with the posters who say ‘wait until you’re older.’ There’s wisdom in that.
@hotsauceinabag well said. It is literal wisdom. I walked out two weeks before my wedding at 27. Had it all in the bag, the houses and car and company and big ring, you name it. Not everyone gets the chance to look back and say “it was very wise to have not done that” but you and I can.
It isn’t really possible to be ‘wise’ per se at 23. Hopeful, yes. They’re cute, and probably very excited, but it’s just wanting to see people make good decisions that makes people feel as we do. There’s no harm in it. There is also no wisdom in your early 20’s. Also, what’s the rush? If it’s going to last then ride it out a while.
@Bub244 I’m a Clinical Psychologist with cognitive science training. I agree with you that it is reductive to blame bad decision-making of people under 25 on being children. Developmentally they are not children. However, saying that brain development isn’t related is untrue as well. The frontal lobes of the brain, and specifically the anterior cingulate, isn’t fully formed until around age 25. This area is largely involved in decision making and impulsivity. Putting it simplistically, it’s the brakes of the brain. So if this area of your brain hasn’t fully developed, your more likely to make impulsive choices. Of course there are other individual factors involved, like personality, and a bit of luck too, such that some people marry young and have a long happy marriage. But generally speaking, it is less common that people are equipped to make good longterm decisions in their teens and early 20s.
With regard to the brain deteriorating after 25, that’s not completely true. Though there is evidence to support decreases in information processing speeds & memory after 30.
We got married when my husband was 22 and I was 23. We’ve been married for 19 years, together for 21. Would I recommend it? Nope. But I also have zero regrets about our decision. It was right for us and so far, seems to be working out well.
@Meredith – that’s awesome. My husband and I got married when we were 22 (me) and 25 (him). We’ve been married for 15 years. I agree about not recommending it – but it has worked for us. We’ve had innumerable adventures together and have grow up even more together. It’s not for everyone, but it works for us.
I’m curious as to why you ladies would not recommend it. I’m 37 and been married for 9 years. I met my husband on my 26th birthday. We do both wonder sometimes how our life together would have been different if we had met sooner. Basically we imagine fun city living together and going on more trips. 🙂 That said, if I had met my husband when I was 22… I don’t think I would have liked him. LOL.
@megs283 I guess it’s more accurate to say “I wouldn’t say just anyone should marry young.” Because there are people that it definitely wouldn’t work for. So “not recommend” isn’t the best phrase. More “every person and couple is different and should be mature enough to know what works for them.”
I got engaged at 23 and married at 25. I had a doctorate degree and was working full time, as was my husband with his bachelor’s and masters degrees. I wouldn’t change a thing, as we just celebrated our 10th wedding anniversary with our 2 children. I don’t think you can just make a blanket statement that 23, 24, 25 etc is too young for being engaged. Every person and relationship is different. People have different experiences and maturity levels. We got to spend our 20s traveling and having fun together and then had our children. Now we still travel and have fun as a family of 4. I have done every single thing I’ve wanted to do and then some.
I wish them happiness!
Good luck with this post because her followers are just about as crazy as Taylor Swift’s…. Her show is hard to watch, that voice, some of the recipes are just basically lifted from church cookbooks…which is fine I guess, but amazing that she’s somehow so popular. Someone (not me!) mentioned this on her blog one time and was lit up by her followers. Any remotely negative thing posted and they are all over it.
LOL, I have all her cookbooks (my mom sends them to me, its not my fault) and I can’t really watch her show. Her voice is super grating to me.
And I agree about her recipes, I like them because I don’t have a church cookbook, but there is rarely anything original about them, you can almost always find better versions of what she has in there, and lordy, the pictures. so. many. pictures.
I think I have only made two things from her last two cookbooks, there’s just nothing that really appeals to me in there.
I do admit I’ve made her chocolate sheet cake for my chocoholic family members…it’s good, but then I found it in a church cookbook of my mom’s and I was so disappointed because she never gives credit to any of her church cookbook recipes and so many of them come from there.
I’m more of a Smitten Kitchen fan and I really have started liking Valerie Bertinelli’s show. I can’t cook anything too difficult, those two seem to be right about my speed/taste!
I really do wish she gave more credit to the sources for her recipes. Very few people can create huge cookbooks like hers with all new recipes once a year. Everyone knows she is “borrowing” from other people. and I feel like in the first book, she gave more credit – “this recipe is from my friend, this recipe is from my sister” etc and she has stopped doing that.
I was surprised at this because overall it seems PW has been handling the pandemic well, and I get the impression she is doing more than what her state requires/allows (meaning, she is following stricter restrictions). she closed her restaurants for several weeks and now has limited numbers for indoor dining, her kids have been shooting her shows for months now so there is no additional crew staying at their ranch, etc. So I was surprised that so they could get pretty engagement pictures, they had this party/event.
I think Alex is 23 or 24, which is young, but I got engaged at 24 and married at 25, and today is my 13th anniversary, so so far, so good, lol. (I think Ree got married at 28 and that’s why she uses that age for her girls.)
Also, like someone else said, she’s definitely not a “pioneer woman” so much as she lives on a huge working ranch in Oklahoma, and I think the hardest part is that she has to plan her grocery trips/shopping way in advance, and there’s not a lot of places to get food if she doesn’t want to cook. My mom is a huge fan (lol) and we went to Pawhuska a few years ago and visited her store (actually really good food, even the pastries) and the lodge where she shoots her show and it was…..well, lets just say, that would be my kind of pioneer, haha.
ETA also because I know way too much about this family – yes, Alex was homeschooled, but she did graduate from Texas A&M, so its not like she’s spent her whole life learning at her mom’s kitchen table.
I only know Ree from the Food Network’s Christmas Cookie Challenge show and this site, so thank you for the college update on Alex. I thought it was really weird the article introduced a 23-year-old as “homeschooled” and didn’t know what to make of it!
Like I said, my mom is weirdly into PW, like I get all her cookbooks the day they are released because she orders them for my sisters in law and me (we are all late 30s, lol), but she also knows all this dirt on them (oh google) and thinks her “I’m a poor country girl” vibe is completely lame. So I don’t know why she gets so sucked into her otherwise? That’s how I have all this random knowledge, lol.
They were homeschooled but that was mainly bc of the distance – its probably a half hour from her house to the local elementary school, maybe slightly longer, so she didn’t want to have to drive two hours every day. But it was a co-op and very different from what you might think. One time she had someone in from Oregon who was part of the co-op (one of the teachers) so it was a very well-run and put together organization. the other daughter is at university of Arkansas (She posts this stuff on her IG and such, its not a secret.)
She’s a hot mess who bought her way into “fame”. I don’t understand the appeal.
Ree always looks low rent to me, even though she’s rich.
These f*ing people and their “don’t GAF” attitude are literally killing people. Hope they make ventilators in bridal white. At this rate I’ll just stay quarantined at home until 20201. I’ve been here since MARCH. I actually ordered a sign for my patio yesterday that says Casa Quarantina because if I don’t laugh about it I will cry.
Izzy, I too have been quarantined since March. I go to the grocery store, and have been to Target 3 times. We grabbed take out twice. And I took my daughter to get ice cream at an outdoor shop *once* all summer, in masks. socially distanced..and ate in our car after plenty of hand sanitizer. I laid off one of my staff members in March, she had been with our company for 20 years. Yesterday, I had to call three more people and lay them off..because of this GD pandemic. (I don’t own the company i just manage a team, layoffs were companywide, it was awful) I am starting to take this stuff personally. Oh boo phucking hoo, you can’t wait to have an engagement party, while others are dying and losing their livelihoods? And it isn’t just these celebrities, it is regular folks all over my town with bbqs etc. Infuriating. My husband said it is like WE are holding an umbrella over a bunch of idiots who are playing outside under our umbrella saying “see! we aren’t getting wet! It’s fiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiine.”
I love this sign idea- gotta look for the silver linings in all this. I agree that people overall are being way too cavalier about the pandemic. Not sure I’d want older relatives staying inside a building with a group of people watching this engagement…
I’ll be bummed if my daughter gets engaged this young but I can’t help but be charmed by their picture, they look ecstatic, ahhh youth..
What could make the timing so right when they’re young and there’s a virus, hmmm?
I have a colleague’s family member in Dallas that just had covid which triggered a stroke. At 38. No passes from me on this BS. Those big family parties have been a big source of infection in Texas.
That is awful and I’m so sorry about your colleague’s family member.
Thank you for pointing this out. I’m wondering where all of the commenters from the Megan Thee Stallion posts will be. Megan went to a party and was shot afterwards. People just couldn’t help themselves and focused on the fact that she was at a party.
These people are having a party. There are also daily stories on multiple gossip sites about other white celebs in the US having parties. Julianne Hough just had a non-socially distanced pool party for her birthday. So I’m hoping to hear the outrage about the white people too but I’m sure it’ll be excuses or crickets.
Also the fact that so many commenters here are just talking about getting married young or the ridiculous “recipes” from this woman…okay.
FWIW, I have read (and written) many, many comments criticizing the covidiots and their reckless behavior. The only thing that makes this story any different is who it is about, so it’s natural to comment on her distasteful personality and her disingenuous empire… okay.
No need for comment shaming, thanks.
One of my colleagues here in Houston lost both her brother and sister to Covid within a week of each other. The Covidiots down here are intent on killing us all with their anti-mask, anti-social distancing nonsense!
One of my friends got engaged at the beginning of the pandemic, then planned her wedding to take place a couple of months later thinking COVID would “go away.” Of course it didn’t, but she still went ahead with her wedding. 50-60 people, and based on pics only 1 or 2 people wearing masks (obviously I didn’t go, wayyyy too risky imo.) Oh – and it took place the same day the governor mandated masks. 14 days after her wedding she had the audacity to brag on Facebook that no one got sick and she used the laughing emoji. I unfriended her so fast. I cannot wrap my head around how anyone can have that mindset during a pandemic where thousands of people are dying every day.
They look more like brother and sister than an engaged couple.
It boggles my mind how many willfully ignore public health guidelines.
These people are so stupid wealthy – the rules don’t apply to them, didn’t you know!? I guess when you’re one if the largest land owners in the country you can’t get COVID? So stupid.
I met my husband at 17, married at 22, and we just celebrated our 28th wedding anniversary. Many women are very mature by their early 20’s, not all are living in their parent’s basements . We traveled and had fun until our mid-30’s and then we had kids and had fun with that. Good for them! The divorce rate is high but if you love someone go ahead and get married if you want. You can be a success story!
She has a superb recipe for chocolate birthday cake on the food network site. Pretty much all I know about her, other than she married some super rich guy.
Her recipes are so ridiculously unhealthy. Anything for she makes, for lack of a better word, “ethnic” she bastardizes it. It’s bad. Whenever she makes any particularly egregious versions of Mexican food dishes, I send it to one of my friends and he is outraged every time. We both have a good laugh about his rants. That is her only entertainment value to me. Food Network IG loves to post her recipes. I agree with the person that said she has crazily loyal fans. They rush to defend her on IG amid the barrage of critical comments.
I don’t make anything ethnic of hers – and I mean not even anything Italian. her lasagna recipe is…..gross. But the unhealthy aspect is what makes her other recipes so good, lol. like her cauliflower soup recipe with heavy cream and a pound of cheese and 4 sticks of butter – of course that’s good! (I’m exaggerating but the point stands, lol.)
She’s definitely an example of a blogger who is not authentic but has so established her brand/image that people think she is 100% authentic. Her original blog used to include some posts complaining about her husband and how she was always alone with the kids, and she scrubbed those at some point because they clearly hurt her brand.
The only reason I know so much lol is because my mom is quasi-obsessed with her. She doesn’t think she’s perfect, but she does read the blog and she likes a lot of her recipes. But she does also poke fun at the whole “I’m just a simple woman trying to make simple meals for my family” deal because…..clearly that’s not what it is anymore. So my mom will call me up and say something like “did you see Alex Drummond got engaged” and then offer the same sort of criticisms that Hecate had in this post. So she follows her but its turned into a weird love-hate thing, lol.
I had to look, and COTTAGE CHEESE??? BREAKFAST SAUSAGE???? In LASAGNA???? My Italian grandmother weeps.
Ree Drummond is super annoying and her show is unwatchable. Her schtick is so transparent and disingenuous. I’m not surprised that her kid had a super-spreader engagement party, or that these kids went to A&M. Every single person I know who went there married their high school or college sweetheart. I have nothing nice to say, lol.
Pioneer Woman is a weakness of mine. I found her blog years ago (pre food network) when I was homesick and looking for recipes that reminded me of my Nana’s cooking. I don’t think the situation is great, particularly the non-social distanced party, but some of the criticism is a little unfair. For one thing, while I’m 26 and still not ready to marry, I don’t think she’s too young. Plenty of my friends and acquaintances have gotten married in the past few years. If you know, you know. Also I think it’s worth clarifying the homeschool situation. They aren’t fundies like the Duggars, whose homeschool consisted of the occasional worksheet, they aren’t even able to go to weird unaccredited bible colleges. All of her college-aged kids so far have attended actual universities (Texas A&M for this one, another at U of Arkansas).
It’s not the choice I’d make, but for churchy southern conservatives it’s by no means unusual. Waiting until 30 like her mom said would have been much stranger in that circle.
I’m going to be the blunt one right now…as it is my day off from working constant 10hr+ shifts dealing with the public…
Her recipes aren’t innovative and I doubt they are meant to be. But they also don’t taste very good so…not really my jam.
Also…that boy she’s marrying is going to have a “realization” in his life in the next few years. (Gotta be PC extra nowadays)
But..congrats to the couple and hopefully their little shindig didn’t contribute to the spread! 😉
You think the fiance is gay? I dunno what else you would imply by a “realization.” I hope for him that’s not the case since he seems to be marrying into a conservative white family and things could get ugly for him.
Oh, so that’s her name. I’ve seen her on our food channel, and wondered what was so “pioneer” about her. Not that I expected she’d be cooking road kill or anything! Congrats, I guess, but now is not the time to be selfish and irresponsible, spreading your germs everywhere in the name of “our engagement”.
I think for everyone, everywhere, now is not the time to be reckless or complacent. Down here in Australia we’ve had to close some borders because of the spike in new clusters, new spreads and more deaths. Victoria is under curfew from 8pm to 5am, and everyone must wear a mask when outdoors. No socialising, basically. School will return to online teaching and learning on Thursday. All people under quarantine are monitored; police go to the address where they should be. If they are not there, fines will be, and have been, issued. All non-essential businesses closed. Because of the spread from that state to my state, I wouldn’t be surprised if similar rules were brought in here. As of today, we are being advised to mask up whenever we go out. This could easily become mandatory. This has all been brought about because a small, selfish minority choose not to abide by the best advice from epidemiologists and medical experts. The risks are the same worldwide. We don’t have much to fight this bloody virus. No one knows when or if a vaccine is likely. Meanwhile, loved ones are dying. It’s not much to ask to wear a mask or hold back on big celebrations.
So you can’t have a party, or sit in the bar boozing up with all your mates. So what? The sooner we all band together to rid ourselves of this virus, the sooner we can get back to some sort of normality. At the very least, wear a mask, wash your hands, get tested if you feel even slightly unwell.
I am in a hot spot in CA. Day before yesterday, a neighbor was throwing a party for about 100-200 people. Indoors. And they’re Trumpsters so I’m certain there were no masks. I’m expecting huge outbreak.
I am in Florida. My friend and I went to a quiet local beach and stayed away from everyone. On the way back, she wanted to get something to eat. So we stopped at a place, went inside, tables were separated but not by 6 feet. I wore my mask, I saw one other person in the restaurant wearing a mask. NONE of the employees were wearing masks. The waitress goes, “where are y’all from?” I said we’re locals. Everyone looked at me and made faces like I was crazy. Then, while we’re sitting there, a couple comes and stands right next to us, looking at the paintings on the wall by our table! My friend goes, so much for social distancing and they got the hint and walked away. Keep in mind, this was one of the days over 10k cases were reported. It made me so determined to stay at home. I’ve been having all my groceries delivered, but I still have to work so i still have contact with people. I am so close to telling people off who aren’t wearing masks. The ignorance is mind blowing.
I’m so sick of seeing this flagrant idiocy and disregarding of covid risk. Are these people stupid, selfish or both? I live in a Canadian province that only has a few active cases right now and we still wear masks and social distance. There are a few idiots, but everyone I know is taking it seriously. Also, her recipes are all completely unoriginal and copied from other cookbooks. I don’t know how she’s made a career and brand from an annoying voice and plagiarized recipes.
I live in an area where many people watch Fox News and are Trump supporters. They are convinced it’s a conspiracy to ruin the economy so Trump won’t get re elected.
Not at all shocked by this. She comes across as (politically, socially, and culturally) conservative. I also find her insufferable, and the ways in which she promotes and performs antiquated, normative gender roles drives me batty.
I was 21 and he was just shy of 22 when we got married and here we are coming up on 42 years in November. I am not exaggerating when I say we grew up together. We’re we too young? Probably. Has it been easy and fun and all beer and skittles? Not by a long shot, but we hung in there. I dunno, maybe back then the ages didn’t seem that big an issue????
Having said that, they all seem pretty entitled and tone deaf, but there you go.
Nasher Sculpture Center is so pretty. I like Pioneer Women’s recipes because they are SO easy, like some make you wonder should this even be in a cookbook? I got married at 25 and no regrets so far. Hopefully her daughter will have a long engagement and when the pandemic is over can travel the world with her new hubby. I feel like the part I might recommend waiting for is babies! You can still travel the world and discover yourself with a husband by your side, a bit harder with a two year old.
Every nose tickle, every little cough or sneeze throws me into a panic. I see maybe 6 people regularly outside of immediate family, socially distant and only once every few weeks. Other than that I only grocery shop and have been wearing a mask diligently for months. If I attended a function like that, even if I were wearing a mask the whole time, I’d not be able to relax until at least 2 weeks had passed and I was still well, or I’d go get tested after 5 days and have to wait 5 more days for results. Either way I wouldn’t relax for 2 weeks. Not worth it.
I look after my dying mother with Alzheimer’s. My husband has cancer, but is in remission.
We aren’t unique. We aren’t special. Average Canadian family and yet we are full up of instances where we need to be careful. I bet EVERYONE, and I mean EVERYONE has a reason or circumstance in their circle of family and friends that needs consideration and care during this time.
Not to mention it is literally a “death lottery” we unwillingly participate in with this particular virus. You do not know how your body will react until or unless you get it. And then you’re s**t outta luck if you’re in that cytokine storm.
For such a sophisticated and advanced species we are always going to fall prey to our hedonistic and pleasure-seeking instincts… we always seem hell-bent on destruction.
Ugh. This woman with the voice that grates bought herself a bunch of fans stealing recipes out of church cookbooks. I can’t think of a food blogger I hate more. There was also some derogatory stuff about her special needs brother, which I can’t find, so must’ve been scrubbed from the internet.
@Dee,
Yes, those were on her early blogs, which were long removed after her “brand” really started taking off. She used to refer to him as the R-word.
There are screenshots still floating around. It’s disgusting the hypocrisy of this woman. They used to be found on thepioneerwomansux blog
She’s pretty racist too, I remember one time she was making “Asian hot wings” and the men were like “oh nooooo” and she was like “aww look I made you ‘regular’ wings too, I couldn’t do that to you guys” – which is why I was really surprised when she participated in the event a week or two ago where prominent white food bloggers turned their social media over to a black food blogger for the day. But again, like I said below, she has a brand and I guess she decided that was good for her brand.
The rules apply to everyone. Not just the poors. The whole party looks incredibly tacky.
I follow her on Facebook and she posted something the other day about her sons heading out to a friends house and I was shocked-we still aren’t supposed to do that where I am In Massachusetts so I imagine it’s really not ok in Oklahoma. I read about the engagement and there was definitely mention of someone being picked up at the airport, I’d honestly be surprised if no one is sick after this. My extended family are in Texas, they attended a funeral a few weeks ago and 10 of them ended up sick with 1 still on a ventilator. People need to wake up.
JP, did they wear masks? Not trying to shame them. Just trying to weigh… future plans.
I live in Oklahoma where everyone thinks this is a liberal hoax; no one wears masks or takes any kind of precautions.
They all wore masks at the funeral, but there were two people with flu symptoms that did not…the two were among the special group that believe the virus to be a hoax. After the funeral, there was a smaller gathering of just immediate family and no one wore masks- I knew before anyone tested positive that it would be a mess. They did everything wrong.
Thanks, JP. I’m also in Massachusetts. I have a cousin who is getting married in September.
The venue should be shut down and heavily fined as should whoever contracted with the venue – the Drummonds.
I loathe this basic b!tch, her pseudo folksy aww shucks schtick, her sexist garbage narrative (my man is a meat and potatoes feller), her fake story of ranch life hardship (her husband’s family is pretty wealthy), and her recipes that she copies from church cookbooks.
She is the epitome of a white Karen, and the fact that they did this party in Texas (I’m in Texas as well) just shows her cavalier sense of entitlement. Data has recently confirmed that “small family gatherings” are a huge source of community spread.
Seriously, this woman and her family are the worst.
Her husband’s family is INCREDIBLY wealthy, not just pretty wealthy. They’re the 23rd largest landowners in the U.S. and are paid something like $2 million a year by the federal government to keep wild horses on their land.
So yeah, I think the “aw shucks, I’m just a little ol’ pioneer woman” thing is just downright insulting.
And that doesn’t account for what SHE makes – between her restaurant, the mercantile store itself and the website, the boarding house, her other two restaurants, and her product line at Walmart – she’s making bank as well.
I do think it was always pretty clear from her blog and her show that the family is wealthy, but I didn’t read her blogs in the early days and so I’m not sure how much of it was just “this is just us out here trying to make a living off the land” vs just “I’m isolated on a ranch.”
Apparently one time her father in law or brother in law was pulled over and used the line “don’t you know who I am?”
But again – its the brand she’s built. People buy into it like they buy into any brand.
ETA I want to clarify I don’t read her blog now either lol. There was a hot minute in maybe 2012 or 2013 when I did, lol. I don’t have time for anyone else besides Celebitchy haha.
I used to follow her ten or fifteen years ago and could not STAND her folksy writing and the story of her “Pioneer” romance. She’s nauseating and fake.
You put into words everything I wanted to say and saved me a comment. 😀
Didn’t everyone get the memo? Apparently the virus avoids weddings, funerals and church services. At least that’s what is exempted from at least one state’s mandate (and we are one of the 20 states not doing well on case counts).
The self-centeredness of people having these gatherings and posing without masks shows how much dissonance exists. Oh, it won’t affect “my” vacation, family gathering, etc.
And on a food-related note, her pre-packaged meatloaf is the most horrible thing I have ever attempted to eat.
They look related. My aunt is steaming full speed ahead with my cousin’s wedding in a couple of weeks. Just completely ignoring the risks to everyone. I won’t be attending.
I really dug her vibe, but the last couple years have soured me, especially after buying her stuff and it breaking. Her coffee mugs just crack and burst under hot coffee.
I’m not a fan. I know of her because my ex was from OK and he likes to cook, so he mentioned her a few times (of course, my former in laws delighted in calling BS on her down-to-earth persona, given how wealthy her husband’s family is). When I started cooking, I looked at her website for inspiration. I have cooked a few of her recipes and am not impressed. They take much longer than she says they will and they aren’t very good. I now cook a lot with many recipes from many sites and not a single one is from her.
That poor girl has terrible posture.
I became a fan of the Pioneer Woman because she has great giveaways. She gives away twelve pairs of beautiful boots every Christmas. Plus her products are pretty. I’ve eaten at her restaurant and it is delicious! And the mercantile is fun. I have her cookbooks because they are pretty and I read her magazine which is pretty much fluff. I have a couple of her recipes that I make but not many.
I have heard that she is a nice person and will spend tons of time making sure she signs everyone’s books at signings. No matter how long the lines. Her husband is rich but still works the land.
Even saying all this, I’m not a “super fan”. I don’t watch her shows because they are annoying to me. But I think she is a nice person.
Another thing she did that pissed me off is use the label “designed in America”. Well it’s made in China. It’s like she missed the entire point. MADE in America supports American jobs. Designed in America supports her.
I will say that I become outraged when I see people not masking or following guidelines. We recently had a neighbor die. They weren’t worried about the virus and two generations came down with it. Sweet people too. Another friend got it and was sick for over a month.
I am terrified of getting it or anyone in my family getting it. I miss my mom and sis. And I would love to see my kids up close.
So there is no pass for this.
I’m engaged and never thought I’d be a “wedding” person until I met my fiance. He’s the most fun person I’ve ever met and I would LOVE to spend a day celebrating getting to marry him!
BUT there’s a pandemic. So there will be no party. It’s that simple!
Ok I did get married at 22 and we just had our 11th anniversary. Things haven’t always been peaches and roses like any marriage, but we are still going strong. It is definitely not for everyone and we did basically grow up together. The only recipe I have tried of hers is Knock You Naked brownies which, while super delicious, I’m pretty sure they are lifted straight from another recipe. And goodness gracious I just cannot fathom what is SO difficult to understand about the importance of masking and social distancing. People are so selfish.
I’ve never seen the show or blog, but 23 is a fine age to get married! I had old parents and it’s not fun. I swore that I would have all my kids before I was 35 and I’m so glad I married young – between the two of us, we finished 1 undergrad and three grad degrees after we were married, and now we have two adult kids and one in high school and are still in our 40s. My kids can choose their own path, but I’m happy with mine. I hope this girl is happy with hers.
Ladies, SUNSCREEN. I wish them all the best, but I literally have fewer wrinkles than that 23-year-old, and I’m in my early 40s. Some of it’s just the way her eyes are set in her face, but a lot of it is visible sun damage. (I do not look 23 by any means, but I remain very grateful for my lifelong sunscreen habits.)
I was also apparently a child bride by standards of this blog (engaged at 23, married at 24), and we have had some ups and downs but are very “settled” and happy at this point. We met when we were 22 and fresh out of college, and we never had difficulty aligning our “adult lifestyle habits” since we pretty much adopted them together.
I don’t know why, but something about Ree’s persona has always bugged me. I wish her well in the abstract, but she’s certainly not living a life I want to emulate.
I can not stand this woman.
Her husband and his family are huge landowners and very, very wealthy and she has made big $$ with her phony lifestyle show/aww shucks BS. Every time she starts gushing over him as her “Cowboy” I want to upchuck.
I would not buy any of her line of items, cheap and ugly, IMO.
I miss Anthony Bourdain!
He was original, interesting and had some strong opinions, that never included pretending to be Pa on Little House on the Prairie. 🙂
“Realization” that his MIL’s famous cooking isn’t so good?! 😉
“Realization” that now him or his family has COVID because of this event?!
“Realization” that the family he married into are spoiled brats?!
@caroline I was intrigued and just bought a Jane Watson Hopping book! Thanks for letting me know about her!
I married at 19, my husband was 26. To say nothing of these people I don’t even know, but it worked out okay for us.
I saw so many weddings on my Instagram story this weekend (in CA), also a baby shower for the girl Tenley from the bachelor. She posted pictures and an Instagram story but gave a disclaimer on story that said “we choose to do this because we wanted to and if you have nothing nice to say don’t say it.” It’s extremely selfish to have a party right now!
This shit is pretty infuriating to me. I am pregnant with my first kid (planned, I’m 31, partner is 42 and we were the ones thinking this pandemic would merely be a few months and then be over) and I keep getting shit from my “in-law” and her friends about not having a baby shower. I am not the person to ever have a baby shower anyways, I hate the attention (LOATHE the attention) BUT it is totally getting to me that people don’t respect the fact that we are in a pandemic either. It’s also just… terrible optics to pull this right now too. We have been exceptionally lucky with our jobs and our health and these baby showers, weddings, engagement showers, etc, all feel like a slap in the face to those that are losing their loved ones and their jobs.
Any advice on how to deal with an “in law” (we are not married) that’s pushing their values would be greatly appreciated 😉
I’ve been a part of an online baby shower before. What’s nice is the stuff is delivered straight to your home and you can keep your feet up during the event.
I just read a very scary story about a newscaster from North Carolina whose MIL had symptoms, but didn’t say anything, and watched her child while she was in the hospital. She came home with a newborn and had to deal with COVID. Her children, her husband and she all got it. You are right to be as cautious as you need to be in a pandemic.
I hope you stay safe and healthy.
I love a good, old fashioned church cookbook….so many stories to tell inside….I still have my mother’s from 50+ years ago. Fun to see how (church) food (kinda) evolves. But this woman! I turn the channel when I hear that screech or see that fake ass smile.
She’s probably a lover of freedom, y’all!
To be fair, consider that gene pool. This is as good as either of the happy couple will ever look.
I haven’t kept up with her blog recently, but yeah, I’m kind of surprised, not surprised, that her daughter got engaged to her boyfriend. This guy is probably her first serious grown up boyfriend. They got together pretty quickly after getting to college, she hasn’t dated around or anything like that. Not that she should if she doesn’t want to, but that gives you a bit of an idea of what sort of relationship this is.
At the same time, they have been going out for a while now. Plus, as much as I hate to say it, the optics + traffic of this for her blog is probably really good too. A lot of the long time blog readers have seen these kids grow up, pretty much. I imagine there are a lot of salt and pepper haired old ladies who are shedding a few actual tears about this over their keyboards. So there is that.